Author's Notes: This update is brought to you by my New Years resolution that I will type (or write in my notebooks) at least 1000 words per day of something. This leads me to the hope that I will get to update at least one of my stories every week. Not strictly this story, but any of my posted works. Here's to hoping.
I apologize in advance for any inconsistencies that may come up, it's been a while, obviously, and while I skimmed over the other chapters to get reacquainted, I didn't read them in full. If anyone happens to notice something completely off, feel free to point it out.
There will be only a handful of chapters left before I end this story and start on Harry's school years. By now I'm aiming for about five because it definitely needs to end.
A break, that was what Remus called it and Harry, while reluctant to give up the experiences he'd had in the last few years, agreed that it was nice to just be at home for a while. At seven-years-old he'd seen more things than most people would even dream of. Had hopped across continents and learned about new cultures and met new friends and he was grateful for every experience he had had. It was a life that when he was smaller and still lived in the cupboard at his Aunt Petunia's house he never thought he would have and he loved his Papa all the more for it.
Their last stop before coming home to Great Britain was, of course, back in France where they'd taken time to spend with their family and also took a tour of Beauxbatons Academy. Over the last year his and Remus' choices of locations to visit had periodically narrowed in focus so that they spent a lot of time researching and checking out schools that Harry may want to attend once he got older. Their frequent country skipping had lead them to a verity of places, some impressive some not, some prompting Harry to seriously consider them, some forcing Remus to smile politely through their tour and then leave as soon as possible.
Despite the ups and downs that came with such scouring of the earth, Harry had had fun as they also continued their original travel plans and did an abundance of sight seeing, language learning and cultural exploration. According to Remus anyway. Harry mostly saw their travels as playing a really long games, one where everyone had their own rules. Sometimes those rules were difficult to figure out, what with all the different dialects they'd encountered and proper etiquette Remus always made sure they took proper note of and followed as best they could, but the result was always rewarding.
Harry imagined that he'd come to the end of his game the moment he started school and while that was a sad thought, it also made him buzz with excitement. He'd never gotten to do real magic before, his occasional accidental outburst not withstanding, and going to school to learn properly was a dream. He'd easily admit that he was a bit jealous of Fleur who was starting at Beauxbatons in the fall, Maxie who'd be going to Beauxbatons next year, and Keyoshia, who was attending some strange finishing school for girls Maribell favored back in Russia the year after. He'd never before considered how dissatisfying it was to be the youngest of his close group of friends but now the very though left him a bit disgruntled, especially since he already knew where he wanted to go, though he hadn't told anyone yet on the off chance he wouldn't be made to go to school at all.
He'd been trying to figure out a way to sway his Papa to Skylar's way of thinking and being home schooled but somehow he doubted the man would go for it. Remus Lupin, if nothing else put a lot of stock in education. Personally Harry didn't see what the big deal was. If Miranda could teach Skylar despite their semi-frequent travels and the amount of time she had to put into her job, than surely Remus could. However, it wasn't a topic Harry was quite ready to bring up for discussion and so he kept his mouth shut and just plotted away with his best counter arguments.
(O)(O)(O)
Waking up in his own bed was and odd feeling, Harry decided. When was the last time he had done so consistently? Over a year ago, at least, he was sure. But despite being odd it was a comfortable feeling. It always felt good to know that the had his own lace to call home.
A wide yawn split his face and the little boy stared up at the ceiling blearily. For several minutes he just laid there quietly listening with half an ear to the birds twittering about outside his window. A small family of the flying menaces had taken up residence there while they had been away and Remus hadn't noticed until last night how loud they were and offered to try and get rid of them, but Harry refused. They had to have been here for several months, at least, and he wasn't about to force them out of their home.
As comfortable as laying in bed was, Harry started to fidget. If being in his own bed was odd, it was odder still to just lounge around in one in the morning. He and Remus were always on the go and it was hard to just stop all that so suddenly. So, with as much of a put-upon sigh as a 7-year-old could produce, he sat up and reach absently for his glasses on his bedside table and smiled when the room came into shaper focus as he put them on. He hadn't noticed how bad his eyesight was getting until he'd gotten his glasses several months ago. Remus, tired of his squinting had taken him to someone who called themselves and optometrist and he had been fitted with dark wire framed spectacles. For the following days he'd been a bit disoriented whenever he had them on but he slowly got use to the difference in his vision and was happier for it. Who knows how much he had missed when he hadn't been seeing things at his full potential?
Harry clamored out of bed ungracefully and his bare feet hit the floor with a soft thump. He patted his old toy, Maurice the Bear, on the head from where he sat station at the end of the bed before he trailed slowly through a morning routine of using the loo, brushing his teeth and washing his face before he went to go wake Remus. The full moon was only a few nights ago and so it was Harry's prerogative to get the still tired man up and running in the mornings. Harry hadn't had a full moon with Remus since the incident years ago when he'd got in with the wolf. Remus hadn't been able to explain the phenomenon of him not being bitten outside of 'Moony' seeing him as his cub, but Remus wasn't about to allow anyone to retest that theory and so sent Harry away every full moon. This past one he's spent at a brief visit to Fleur's house where the girl had started him on scrap-booking all the pictures that had been taken of his and Remus' adventures. She'd been fairly outraged when Harry had excitedly showed her several albums worth of the pictures. Apparently they weren't being kept 'properly'. Harry had tried to explain that there was little time for scrap booking when actually traveling but that had only earned him a hard look and several hours of cutting construction paper.
Harry entered Remus' room without preamble. Aunt Maribell would likely scold him if she witnessed this display of lacking manners but he brushed the thought from his mind and frowned as he tried to find Remus in the pile of blankets that were stacked over his body. Usually Remus was quite the morning person but for a few days after the full moon he slept like the dead.
"Papa," Harry called half-heartedly and when he got no response there was no surprise, just a fond smile that crossed the pale lips and had the little boy moving over to the bed. Remus' was higher up than his and so it was with a little difficulty that he pulled himself up onto it. He wasn't short, per se, but he was hardly the tallest boy around. The only one he managed to top in height was Keyoshia (which was odd in itself seeing as her father was by far the tallest person Harry was sure he ever met), even Fleur had flew pass him in that regard though Harry blamed that on their difference in age.
"Papa," Harry tried again and this time was rewarded with a vague groan that may have been a yes. "Papa, it's time to get up." Harry said as carefully as he could in English. Like always Remus had insisted that while at home that he speak the vernacular. It was getting harder for Harry to do so. He hadn't spoke English regularly in three years, but he still remembered the words and their meanings, even if his pronunciation was beginning to slur with the onset of his new accent.
"Hmm?" was Remus' sleepy answer and this time Harry prodded where he assumed his shoulder was as he spoke.
"It's time to get up Papa. You said that after breakfast we would re-decorate my room today."
"Did I?" Remus grunted and his head appeared from under the rumpled duvet and he sent Harry a soft smile. "I suppose I did."
He yawned widely and blinked towards his clock on his bedside table. He frowned. "It's already a quarter pass, how long have you been up?" Remus asked, concerned about whether or not he'd left his son waiting for breakfast for too long. Harry shrugged with a reassuring grin.
"I just woke up." Remus chuckled as he sat up straight and ran a hand through his already sleep mussed hair.
"Really? I think we're getting lazy."
Up and about now, the morning assed in a peaceful manner, without rushing or sightseeing or eating breakfast at a new or exotic place, but Harry couldn't complain. It was good in it's own way. Remus served up omelets and chopped, fried potatoes that Harry had first had during one of their stints in America called hash browns. They ate together and conversation was mostly directed towards what Harry wanted done to his room.
"Maxie says I should have posters, like, of Quiddtich teams like he has," Harry frowned. After Remus had announced that he could redecorate his room he had thought about his options long and hard and had gathered opinions from his friends.
"Posters are good," Remus agreed easily. "Is there a Quidditch team you like?"
"Papa," Harry shook his head. "I've never even seen a Quiddicth game. Maxie goes on and on about them, and Uncle Levi taught me how to ride a broom and I watched him and Aunt Ly have races, but I've never seen a real game before."
Remus hummed as he thought about this. It was true of course that Harry had never seen a real game, it had just never crossed the older man's mind. "Tell you what," Remus said absently passing the boy the salt when it looked like Harry was about to stand up in his chair to reach it. "They have Quidditch games at Hogwarts all the time. Once the school year, and the season of course, starts up again, I'll ask if Poppy or Severus will take you to one." Harry grinned brightly at the idea and Remus smiled down at him.
"Thank you!"
"You're very welcome. So if not Quiddicth posters, what else would you like done to your room?"
"Keyo says that I need a bigger bed." Remus snorted his amusement.
"Did she?"
"Yes," Harry nodded seriously, though there was a twinkle in his eye. "She says that's all she cared about when her papa said she was old enough to decorate her own room. She says that because she's going to school I a few years that she doesn't really care as long as her bed was the best."
"She would," Remus muttered. "What else?"
"I have to make sure I have matching colors," Harry went on. "Fleur says that at the very least the walls and the curtains shouldn't clash."
"Very insightful. But what do you want?"
"Maps," Harry answered promptly. "Like in Skylar's room. They're like Maxie's posters but better. Sky has a way to see and show people, everywhere he's been. I want that too. I want at least one huge world map so I can put pins in all the places we've been. Then I'll need more shelves. I have a lot more books now but you can't really tell because they're all shrunken in one of out trunks. The new encyclopedias you got me need one, and then one for my albums, well, scrapbooks now that Fleur's got to them, and then the others for my normal books. Keyo separates hers by fiction and nonfiction. And then I'll need a box, for all my letters. I save them all, but they're staring to get messy because there are so many. Oh, and I want to paint it blue and green. And have the curtain's match."
"I've created a monster," Remus rolled his eyes as he stood and collected their plates.
"What?" Harry asked confusedly. The term sounded familiar but Remus just shook his head.
"Looks like we should get dressed then," he smiled instead, "We have quite the day ahead of us."
(O)(O)(O)
Severus Snape was rarely prepared when his rooms were invaded by the little whirlwind of energy that was Harry Lupin and this time was no exception. His blasted mutt of a father seemed to take a twisted pleasure in springing up on him unexpectedly and watching his reactions to the imp when it revealed where exactly it was that his trip was taking him to visit with. Severus would be the last to admit it but the smile that always lit up the boy's face at the sight of him was humbling. He'd hated Harry Potter from the moment he heard of the childes existence, but Harry Lupin…that boy had wormed his way into his heart.
James Potter's physical presence was evident in the way he the boy gave a crooked little smile, the way his hair stood up, unobstructed by gravity, and the way his skinny knees knocked together, but he was Lily Evans in everything else; the way his green eyes gleamed in humor or concentration, the way his nose wrinkled at something distasteful, and the way his hands, childlike and delicate twitched with the desire to gesture with every word. However, above all, his mannerism screamed Remus Lupin: his love for reading and learning, his collected demeanor even in excitement and his ability to forgive everything. Severus never forgot his less than welcoming attitude to the boy when he first arrived and he seriously doubted Harry had either, but the boy always had a genuine happy smile for him and Severus was grateful, in the very dark recesses of his unacknowledged heart, that he hadn't runoff another emerald-eyed person that legitimately like him.
"Mr. Severus!" Harry exclaimed and as unprepared as he was, Severus met the boy on one knee before he was barreled into. He had only seen the boy periodically the pass several years of knowing him, but his arrivals, after the initial ones where they were unfamiliar with each other of course, were always the same, including the hurtling.
"Harry," he greeted curtly and not once did the boy's smile falter.
"Papa surprised me today!" The volume of his voice had lowered though his excitement had not.
"Oh? With what may I ask?" Harry scoffed and pinned him with an incredulous look.
"You," he said as if he thought the answer was obvious and Severus was being rather silly. The man paused than hummed noncommittally as he stood and over the mess of black hair he saw Lupin standing in his doorway. The man's smile was a bit smug and Severus knew why. He'd recently added new wards to his chambers (coincidently around the time Poppy informed him that Lupin and the Brat were back in the country) specifically to warn him of uninvited guess but it was obvious that this pair had gotten pass them and still surprised him. He would be having a serious talk to the Headmaster about giving out such sensitive material to the Lupin's of all people, silent fondness for Harry or not.
"Lupin."
"Severus," Lupin smiled a bit wider. "We weren't staying long," here Harry's face fell and Severus resisted the unfamiliar urge to run a comforting hand through the boy's hair. "We just stopped by for Harry to check in, I know you worry about him and we told Poppy we got in over a week ago." Severus sneered at the suggestion that he worried about the Brat, true or not Lupin shouldn't have known that (or at least known not to mention it), but the man continued as if he didn't see it. "But you'll likely be seeing more of him, if you'd like to of course, because we'll be staying a while."
"A long while," Harry groused but it lacked any of the usual childish disgruntlement that Severus usually found in and scared out of his first years. "Papa says that we are not leaving at least until Christmas, and even then we'll just be visiting Gran."
"Why is that?" Severus questioned, vaguely curious. Lupin answered.
"I wanted Harry to have a worthwhile childhood experience," he said softly. "And I like to think I've done that." He sent a look to Harry and the boy smiled his small bright smile, one that told both Severus and Lupin that he agreed wholeheartedly. Lupin's next words were loving. "I will continue to do that," he said more strongly. "But I also want him to have some semblance of a normal childhood. For a year or so, at least, I just want to settle down, have him get up in the morning without rushing around a hotel or rented space, make friends and get to see them everyday, I was even thinking about sending him to muggle primary this fall."
Severus glanced down at Harry at that and the boy sent him a nervous little look. "I've never been to school before," he admitted and this Severus already knew. "But Papa thinks it'll be a good idea to, well, get used to it before I turn 11, even if it's only for a few months?" he ended his sentence in an inflection as he looked at Lupin who smiled reassuringly.
"Even if it's only for a few months," he agreed.
"You've thought about this a lot," Severus commented.
"I have."
Severus regarded him for a few moments before looking down at Harry who had, somewhere during the conversation, taken to holding his hand. "I suspect you'll excel, in muggle school," he said. The compliment sounded odd even to him as it left his mouth, but Harry brightened immensely.
"I guess," he said shyly, modestly. "And maybe it'll help me not feel so homesick, when I start magical school."
"You've decided where you want to go then?" Severus asked, and feeling that standing for the remainder of this visit would be unwise, gestured Lupin to the kitchenette area of his chambers pulling Harry behind him as he walked. He'd mostly heard of their little adventures through the letters the green-eyed imp sent and knew he was searching for 'the perfect' school to attend once he was of age to do so. Severus had thought it was a valid idea and had subtlety encouraged Harry to do as much extensive research as the child was capable of and to make an informed decision in just over three years time.
"Harry has," Lupin answered, voice light with amusement. "But he hasn't said anything to me about it yet."
Severus raised an eyebrow to the blushing child as the boy clamored into the chair next to him at the table they all took a moment to sit at. Severus snapped and a house elf appeared not a moment later. "Tipper!" the boy greeted enthusiastically and the house elf looked at him curiously before it's bat-like ears flapped in happiness. "Little Master Lupin," he squeaked. Lupin glanced curiously between the elf and his son but Severus only cleared his throat before they started a conversation. Harry held a certain fondness for this elf, it being the first he'd ever met, and always engaged him when he was called.
"Lunch for three," he instructed the tiny being and Tipper bowed obediently and disappeared with a 'pop'. Harry frowned marginally at him, Severus suspected to ruining his fun, but his concentration was soon diverted by the prompt arrival of their lunch.
"What school have you chosen?" Severed asked after a minute as they settled in, not yet willing to let the subject drop. Harry eyed him and glanced at Lupin before he shrugged.
"I haven't really," he said and it was as obvious a lie as Severus had ever heard.
"No matter," Lupin cut in before Severus could prod more and it earned the man a hard look from the Potion's Master. "You have plenty of time." Severus pressed his lips and Lupin shot him a mischievous glance. "Why don't you tell Severus about what we did to your room?"
Inwardly he groaned at the rapid fire suddenly coming from the boy's mouth at the mention of this new project of theirs. Harry, as usual, had a lot to tell and his knack of remembering details of everything that had happened was wearing. But he listened patiently because Harry expected it, and, somewhat absently he thought, it was nice to have someone so open when speaking to him.
A/N:
I now do have a Beta, she's brilliant and as soon as I get off my lazy butt, I'll re-upload the chapters she's edited.
General updates about my stories (excuses for why I haven't updated) and my life (more excuses) can be found on my profile and/or live journal. I touch those things much more frequently than this, sadly.