Disclaimer: Yep. The same old stuff. JK Rowling is love.
His Boy
Chapter Eleven: Sleepover
"Yeeeeeeh!" Ginny squealed as she gripped Harry around the waist tightly. He was zooming around the back garden on his play broom, giving the other kids who weren't so sure about it rides. Neville had kept falling off and Hermione had lasted about five seconds before she'd wanted down. Ron could ride it fine by himself, and Luna had taken an extra long turn. Ginny's hair whipped out from behind her as Harry circled one of the larger trees. Harry was feeling quite proud of himself for being able to fly his friends around. If they all had had brooms maybe they could have played a game of three on three Quidditch, but that wasn't going to be happening any time soon.
"Alright kids, it's time for…. Marshmallows!" Remus called from the patio and there was a great squealing of pre-schoolers as they came running from the grass. Harry flew the broom over, stopping and letting Ginny off before he climbed down and joined them all around the grill. Sirius handed out sticks he had taken from the trees earlier and sharpened the ends of with a simple spell. He placed a marshmallow on each and Harry looked at it curiously. Aunt Petunia wasn't one for messes, so marshmallows had never really found their way into the house unless to be used in one of her recipes.
"What we gonna do widdit, Padfoot?" He asked, watching as Hermione stpped forward and held her stick with the marshmallow over the grill.
"We're roasting them, Prongslet." Sirius explained kindly. He'd been introduced to the idea of roasting marshmallows later in life, when Lily had spent the summer before seventh year with them at the Potters after her parents had died. It hadn't been her first choice of course, but no one else would take her out of fear. She and Remus had been on fairly good terms, so the Potters had welcomed her with open arms, just as they had Sirius the year before. Sirius was sure it was one of those things that Lily would have wanted Harry to learn.
"Oooh…" Harry grinned watching as Hermione's marshmallow began to brown. She rotated it around and then turned her head to smile at him, pointing with one finger.
"My parents and I roast marshmallows when we go camping." She explained simply, letting her marshmallow roll around and around, browning further. When she was finished, she held it up to Sirius who took it and placed it on the littleplastic blue plate sitting on the table. Remus had shrunken the table back down to it's regular size while they'd been inside and put plates out based on each child's sleeping bag.
Hermione went to the table and poked at her marshmallow, waiting for it to cool a bit in the balmy evening air before she ate it. The other kids had been paying attention, having never roasted marshmallows themselves. They all looked at one another and Ron nodded, stepping forward and holding his stick out over the grill. He turned his head and grinned at the others."This is easy."
Feeling more secure about it now, the four remaining kids joined him, a little scuffle taking place between Ginny and Neville as they tried to get their marshmallows over the same flaming spot.
"Woah woah woah, careful now. It's hot and you don't want to get burnt." Remus said, pulling them apart."Ginny, Neville had that spot first, you can put yours over here, it's just as hot."
Ginny made a face, opening her mouth to say something, but Ron nudged her. "Mum said to be good, amember?"
Ginny sighed and blew a raspberry at her brother, opting for doing as Remus said. She didn't want to get in trouble… but at barely three she still wasn't very good at sharing… especially when she had so many older brothers who she got tired of sharing with once in a while.
"Thatsa girl." Remus smiled and patted her on the head, hoping the praise for not arguing would help. Ginny beamed up at him, apparently pleased for being praised.
They spent the rest of the time when the sun was still up roasting marshmallows, getting sticky, and laughing about it happily. The sun was setting slowly, giving the whole backyard a lovely orange glow before it got dark completely, the only light remaining in the back yard being that of the hot coals in the grill, and the lights shining out through the house's windows.
"Who wants to catch fairies?"
"Oh! I do dat wid my Gwan!" Neville stated excitedly now, reaching for a jar. He took it happily and then hesitated at the edge of the patio. He frowned and held his hand out. Noting that he seemed nervous about the dark, Harry took his jar and then Neville's hand.
"We can do it agedder, Neville."
"Otay." Neville beamed at him and together, they ran out into the dark yard, chasing after the little colorful flickering lights that dotted the yard. "We gotsa be gentle." Neville explained as he crouched down and herded one of the lights into his jar ever so carefully and then popped the lid down on it.
Harry stared at it and found himself looking at a tiny little creature. It was shaped almost like a person, only it was yellow and emitting the same color light. It had fluttering wings and didn't seem the least bit surprised at being captured. The fairy sat down in the bottom of the jar and waved at them. Harry waved back.
"Dey like us kids." Neville explained knowledgably. "My Gwan lets me keep one at night for a fairy light in da dark, but we lets it go in da mornin'. Dey liketo help."
"That they do and in return we give them honey." Sirius smiled, peering in at Neville's fairy. "Fairies are children's friends. Their light keeps away boggarts and other scary things at night. We keep the lids on the jars so that the boggarts can't get to them. But you must always let them go when you wake up, otherwise they'll get mad and not let you catch them anymore. Harry, why don't you find one as well?"
"Ok!" Harry nodded brightly and took his jar, dashing about the garden until he spotted a flickering in one of the bushes. He pushed back some of the branches and smiled, finding a purple fairy dancing about there. He opened his jar and brought it into the bush, remembering what Neville had said about being gentle. He ushered the fairy into his jar and smiled at her. "You wanna be my light anight and keep away da scary things?"
The fairy nodded and Harry beamed, popping the lid down on the top of the jar. "And I'll keep chu safe from the boggywarts." The fairy seemed to laugh as she lounged down on the bottom of the jar. Harry took her over to Sirius proudly.
"Lookit, Padfoot! I got one!"
"Great job, Harry!"
"Me got one!" Luna squealed excitedly, coming running across the yard, a pink light bouncing in her hands. "Hawwy! I gots one too!"
Harry admired Luna's fairy as she held up her jar brightly, smile wide with absolute pride that she'd managed it. "She's pretty, sissy."He poked at the jar and Luna grinned eve wider.
"Gween, Wonnie. Gween!" Ginny was squealing at her brother as they chased after a whole slew of fairies. Ronnie had caught himself a blue fairy, but was trying to help Ginny get a hold of her desired green one.
"Got it! Here, Ginny." Ronnie grinned and handed her the now green glowing jar and she squealed in absolute pleasure. Hugging her jar close, Ginny made for the patio, the dark grass cool on her bare feet.
Remus rounded the kids up after they'd each caught a fairy of their own. The sky was dark and it was definitely time to be getting little ones into their pajamas and settled down enough for bed. Ushering them all inside proved to be more difficult than he could have fathomed.
"I wanted anudder go on da broom." Ron stated, looking up at the werewolf pleadingly, but Remus shook his head.
"Me too!" Ginny and Luna shouted together.
"Not tonight. It's too dark to be flying around. It's time to get our jammies on and have a puppet show."
"Puppet show!" Neville ran into the kitchen, his heels practically kicking up dust in his excitement. For him, puppet shows were extraordinary things where nothing bad ever happened because the puppets were always good. He and his Gran did lots of puppet shows for his mummy and daddy when they went to visit them at St. Mungo's. And then his mum would give him a gum wrapper.
Once Sirius and Remus had the hoard inside the house, they split the boys and girls up, sending the girls into the playroom to change into their pajamas with Remus's help if needed, and the boys into Harry's bedroom with Sirius's help.
"Alright, every one in here…" They met in the playroom, spreading out tiny sleeping bags on the floor and arguing over who was going to sleep next to who.
"I wanna sleep nexta Harry!" Ron pouted as his orange Chudley Cannon's bag was spread out on the floor beside Ginny's green flowered one.
"No, I sleep next Hawwy." Luna stated boldly, dropping her yellow sunflowered bag down beside Harry's red lioned one.
"You can both sleep on either side." Sirius laughed, shifting Harry's bag so it was between the orange and yellow one.
"No, me!" Ginny yelped, grabbing up Ron's bag and tossing it to the side to push her's into it's place.
"Ginny! I'm sleepin nexta Harry!" Ron pulled her bag out from under her and threw it in the opposite direction. Ginny screamed, jumping up and down in her white nightgown. She was still so much younger than the other kids.
"Hey!" Sirius called over the noise that was taking place. He picked up the sleeping bags from where they'd gone flying to and spread them out again. He placed Ron and Luna's next to Harry's and then ran Ginny's along the tops of Harry and Luna's. "There, now you're all next to Harry, no more arguing."
"Yay!" Ginny bounced down on her bag delightedly,
"I'll sleep next to Ronnie and Neville." Hermione stated simply, spreading her pink princessed sleeping bag down beside Ron's with ease and sitting down on top of it. She patted the foamy puzzle pieced floor of the playroom and Neville laid his bag out as well, blue with frogs. Neville grinned at her as he sat down on his bag, appearently pleased that he wasn't to be left out of the group.
"Now then, every one settled?" Remus asked as he pushed a small table out from the wall in front of them and threw a cloth over it.
"Yup, Moony." Harry grinned out from beneath his conductor's hat. It looked a bit silly with his starry pajamas, but he liked it best.
Sirius turned out the lights and then trained a muggle flashlight upon the wall above the table. It worked nicely for a spotlight as opposed to his wand. He and Remus climbed behind the table then.
A pair of puppets suddenly appeared from behind the table… a dog and a wolf. They began chasing one another around and the kids laughed, amused by the antics.
"Heeey Moony?" The dog asked, sniffing at the wolf.
"Yes, Padfoot?"
"Tell that story about the pirate again."
"Oh! Well, one daaaaay…" The wolf bounced a little bit. "I was walking down the street and I saw a pirate."
"Mhm, you saw a pirate."
"Yes. And he had a paper towel on his head."
"Why did he have a paper towel on his head?"
"Well, I asked him that, and you know what he said?"
"No, what'd he say?"
"He said: "Arrrrgh, well I uh… I got a Bounty on me head.'"
The burst of laughter from the six preschoolers was loud enough the echo in the playroom. The joke, though a bad one for any adult, was perfect for a kid. Sirius and Remus made the puppets dance about and sing and play for a little bit before they got into a story.
"Once upon a time… there was a kingdom. And the King was a Muggle. Now… the King didn't want anybody practicing magic except for him, so he proclaimed, throughout the entire land… that anyone caught being a witch or wizard would go to jail." Remus started, popping the King puppet up over the edge of the table. "But the King also called for a witch or wizard to teach him magic, but no witch or wizard would go and help him."
"I am the Charlton and I am a Muggle!" Sirius popped up another puppet. "And I am going to make the King think I am magic so he will pay me lots of gold and treasure. Do do do do do… Hello King!" The Charlton puppet hopped over to the King puppet. "I am here to teach you magic!"
"Prove to me you are a wizard first!" The King stated. The Charlton got out a bunch of cards and flipped them around. "By golly! That sure is a neat trick! I proclaim you my Sorcerer in Chief! Now then, we shall begin learning magic!"
"Oh but your Majesty…" The Charlton hopped around again. "In order to learn magic we need tools…wands and potion ingredients. And they are very expensive."
"Well here… take this!" The King handed the Charlton a full sized Galleon. "It should cover the cost!"
"Alright!" The King disappeared behind the table and the Charlton cackled. "I have fooled him! I shall take this treasure to my home and keep it safe." The Charlton disappeared and then reappeared along with a paper tree. "I shall need wands… hmmm… these will do nicely!" The Charlton broke twigs off of the tree and then disappeared again.
A small cottage was placed upon the table and an old witch appeared in the window. "My name is Babbity Rabbity. And I know exactly what the Charlton is up to. I saw him him the gold and take the twigs off of that tree. This shall be funny to watch. You can't learn magic if you're a Muggle."
The Charlton and King reappeared and danced about, holding twigs. Babbity Rabbity cackled and the King looked over at her. He then looked back at the Charlton. "Charlton, I am sick of practicing. When shall we do real spells?"
"Very soon, your Majesty. Very soon…" The Charlton tried to reassure him.
"I am a King. I should not have to practice anymore. I shall hold a demonstration tomorrow, and invite everyone in the land to come and see my new magic skills. And if anything goes wrong, it shall be your head, Charlton."
"Yes… yes, sir!" The Charlton nodded and then turned around.
"And if you run away, I will sent my hunting hounds after you!" The Charlton gulped.
"Yes sir." The King hopped away, disappearing under the table and Babbity Rabbity laughed.
The Charlton turned to look at her and ran over to her cottage. "Well, would you look at that! A witch! Washerwoman! Washerwoman!"
"Yes?" Babbity Rabbity asked, leaning out of the window.
"You shall help me tomorrow and make the King's spells work! If you do not, I will tell on you! He will have your head!"
"Very well then. But what if the King tries to do a spell that I cannot?"
"There is no spell you cannot do." The Charlton spat at her and disappeared.
"The next day, the whole Kingdom gathered to see the King's magical demonstration." Sirius set a bunch of finger puppets on the table, making them stand the best he could and then the King appeared along with the Charlton. Babbity Rabbity appeared beside a bush.
"Welcome all! To my demonstration!" The King announced. "First, I shall…. Make this man's hat disappear!" He took the Charlton's hat and gave a wave of his twig while at the same time, Babbity Rabbity waved her own real wand. The hat disappeared. "And now… I shall… make that horse fly!"
Again, the King waved his twig and Babbity waved her wand. The horse levitated up into the air a few inches and floating around the table top before it zoomed off of it and into Luna's hands. She laughed and hugged it.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" One of the finger puppets came forward pushing a doggy puppet. "Our best hunting hound has been poisoned dead. Please revive him."
"Certaintly!" The King laughed and waved his wand. Nothing happened. He waved it harder and harder until it flung out of his hand. "Charlton! Why isn't it working?"
"Over there, your Majesty!" the Chalrton pointed at Babbity. "An evil witch who is blocking your spells!"
"Get her!" The King ordered and all the little finger puppets magically rose and went after Babbity. They ran and they ran until they reached a tree that Babbity had just disappeared behind.
"She must have turned herself into a tree, your Majesty! We should cut it down!"
"Cut it down!" The King ordered and a puppet came forth with an ax. The tree was cut down and in its place, was a stump. "Ha! Now she is dead!"
A cackling came from the stump and all of the puppets jumped. "Hahaha, now you're in for it! For killing me, you shall all be forever cursed! Just ask the Charlton he'll tell you so."
"Charlton? Is this true!" The King asked angrily but the Charlton cried out.
"I do not know sir! I am not really a wizard! I'm afraid I have tricked you."
"Take him to the dungeons!" And the Charlton was taken away from the group by some of the other puppets.
"If you wish to be uncursed…" The stump laughed. "Than you shall have to erect a statue of me, your poor old washerwoman. And you must never hunt wizards and witches again, you must treat them as you treat everyone else, with kindness. Is that understood?"
"Yes! It is!" The King nodded. "Somebody get started on that statue and I need to write a new proclaimation! No more hunting the witches and wizards in this Kingdom or any other!" And the crowd disappeared along with the King, leaving just the stump. A tiny little bunny finger puppet hopped out from behind the stump. It laughed.
"Silly King, I am not dead. I am merely magicked into a rabbit!" The kids laughed and clapped, delighted with the story of Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump.
"I really liked dat story, Padfoot." Harry stated happily, peeking under the table at his godfather with a bright grin. Sirius climbed under the table and out the other side to scoop him up and give him an extra good snuggle.
"I'm glad you liked it, Prongslet. We can do more stories like that sometime, but for right now… it's getting really late. What do you lot say to a cup of cocoa before sleep time?"
"Yeah!" Ron shot up like a bullet, making for the door. He was closely followed by the rest of the pajamaed gang of preschoolers. Sirius laughed, wondering vaguely what they'd all look like in biker wear on big-wheels. He might have to suggest that for Halloween to the other parents. It would be amazing.
They all headed down to the kitchen and gathered around the table. Remus went about pouring hot milk over cocoa powder into everyone's cups. It had been his idea to do this… warm milk being good for getting little ones to sleep, or so he had heard.
"Who wants whipped cream!" Or Sirius could get them so strung out on sugar it would be hours until they actually fell asleep. He would be leaving Sirius to deal with them if that happened… full moon wasn't that far away... only a couple more days… and he would be needing to be as rested as possible. But Sirius only gave each child a dab, not enough to get them wound. And the cocoa would hopefully not be chocolately enough to do that either.
"Oh!" Neville moaned, looking down at the front of his white pajamas covered in flowers. A huge chocolate stain was spreading quickly and Remus hurried over. He gave a wave of his wand and the chocolate disappeared as fast as it had come. Neville smiled, glad he hadn't gotten in trouble. "Fank chu."
"you're very welcome. " Remus smiled. About ten minutes later there was a thump as Ginny slumped forward in the chair, her head thumping the table and knocking over a still fairly full cup of cocoa. She'd fallen asleep right there and Sirius had to grin.
"I think that's about it guys. We should probably get up to bed, huh?" There was a murmur of munity from the four year olds. No one wanted to have to go to sleep yet. "We'll have more fun tomorrow." Sirius grabbed a wet cloth and went around the table, helping wipe off chocolate mustaches and ending with Ginny. He scooped her up. "Onwards and upwards troops!"
There were a few moans and groans of protest, but Sirius and Remus got the kids sheparded back up to the playroom and into their sleeping bags. Sirius slid Ginny down into her bag and patted her head. She was a sweet little girl… all of these kids were sweet and kind. He adored having them here, but he was getting tired. He supposed it was time for him and Remus to be heading off to bed as well.
"If anyone needs anything, I'll be in the very last room at the end of the hall, alright?"
"Yup, Padfoot!" Harry nodded brightly and laid down, snuggling into his sleeping bag happily with his lion.
"My mum alllllways sings us a lullaby." Ron stated simply, looking up at Remus expectantly.
"Uh well…" Remus thought about it for a moment before he left the room and returned with Harry's little silver music box. He placed it down beside Harry who wound it up and opened it. "There now you've got a nice lullaby." Ronnie cuddled down into his bag, seeming content with this.
"Good night, Prongslet. I love you." Sirius bent down to give Harry a kiss and the little boy giggled happily as his godfather's hair tickled his cheek.
"Nigh nigh Padfoot. I love you, too."
"Good night everyone." Remus smiled and shut off the lights, leaving a ring of fairies in jars to around the kids to keep them safe. He and Sirius shut the door, the lullaby still tinkling softly.
"What great kids." Sirius sighed contently, yawning and stretching. Remus nodded in agreement.
"I'm bushed. This was a lot to take on. But it's worth it. Harry gets socialized."
"He gets friends. I don't think he had many back at the Dursleys from what he's said."
"Speaking of which…" Remus motioned him closer and they went down the hallway a bit away from the door in case any little people were still awake. "Tricia said that her department has pressed charges against them. They'll be getting a visit from her very soon. Her case is solid and she says Harry will probably have to testify against them if the Ministry has anything to say about it."
"No. He's not… he's four! And to put him in the same room as the Dursleys… that's just cruel. I won't allow it." Sirius stated, outraged.
"I know, I know…" Remus nodded, trying to calm him down. "But it may be one of the only sure fire ways to get them put away. A year or two in prison would do them so good. And that little boy of their's… well.. I don't want him affected by this, but I think he'd be better off in foster care home. Maybe he'll learn some kindness."
"I suppose… but still… have Harry testify? We'll have to talk to Tricia about that… If he needs to… then… maybe it can be in a separate room from the Dursleys."
"I'm sure that could probably be arranged. Fear not, mate, Tricia has Harry's best interests at heart. She'll do her best to make sure he's safe and not scared." Remus patted Sirius on the back and the latter nodded. They could get through this… the tough stuff… together. They were best friends after all, raising James and Lily's son.
"Good night, Moony."
"Good night, Padfoot."
I'm sorry it took so long guys! I know you've been waiting for this one to be finished, but here it is! It's not as good as I'd like, but I tried! I hope you enjoyed it and please lemme know what you tought.
Love as always,
S.Q.O.