Author Note- This is my longest chapter.
This chapter comes with two song inspirations.
For the first half with Harry the song is 'A place where you belong' By Reaven.
For the second half with Remus the song is 'You're the inspiration' By Chicago.
Hope you enjoy. ;)
Chapter 17
Troublesome Dogs
Harry had fallen into his new routine well. He'd go to the diner in the morning and eat something small despite Janes disapproval. Harry hadn't planned on making it part of his routine, but Jane had insisted that her husband wasn't to 'work poor Max all day on an empty stomach.'
Harry had blushed tomato red when he had heard Jack tell him that. It was embarrassing to feel as though he was being treated like a little kid. However, it warmed his heart a little to feel so cared for.
When he was done there, he would go to the Book Nook and get Mary settled into the shop. She had fussed about him not needing to come and check on her each morning, but she had still always excepted the help. Then Harry would go to the Grocery store and work most of the day. He had now met a few more of the locals. Harry had continued to take his mid-day break with Jack and have a smoke. However, he limited it to the one time. He knew Jack snuck off several times a shift. Harry thought if he smoked that much his body would just give up on him.
Harry would then check back in with Mary and make sure she didn't need anything done in the shop before heading to her house. Harry had completed all the cleaning and tidying the first day. Mary had joked he should start a cleaning business and charge top dollar.
Harry had laughed on the outside. However, inside he felt sick. He didn't mind doing this work for Mary. She had been kind to him. She needed the help. She was paying him. However, He had done his share of muggle cleaning, Thank you very much. If he survived the war, he planned to learn all the cleaning charms he could and never have to kneel on the floor to scrub again.
Mary had set him several small repair tasks. Nothing he couldn't manage. He had also done a significant amount of yard work. The front garden had been kept in decent shape, but the back was in need of care. Harry had pulled weeds and cleared up a lot of loose debris. Mary had mentioned wanting to get some new plants from the small nursery and they had planned to tackle the project next weekend.
Harry had also been helping with meals. Mary had been impressed with his work. She had asked where he had learned to cook. However, when Harry hadn't responded Mary had simply dropped the topic in favor of inviting Harry to join her in the sitting room. They had discussed books and their love of literature.
Mary had seemed pleased to learn that Harry enjoyed reading. She had even praised some of the titles he had mentioned reading. Harry had blushed at the praise and mentioned there were a few books in the shop he would like to read. Mary had said he'd be paid well for everything he had done for her, and she knew that Jack paid his employees a fair wage. She had told him to come by the shop and pick out the books. She would hold them for him until payday. Harry had said he'd wait to see what his pay looked like. He admitted his shoes needed to be replaced first. They were nearly falling apart.
Mary had looked down at the worn-out trainers and told him the clothing store in town sold shoes. He should be able to find something respectable there.
Harry had been staying late at Mary's house over the week. He enjoyed talking to her. But eventually one of them would yawn and Mary would send Harry off.
Harry had completed his summer work and had once again been reading the texts and notes he had taken from Grimmauld place. He had been surprised to discover that one set of notes was research on the possibility of Werewolves achieving an Animagus form. Sirius had Hypothesized that the form would still be a wolf but if Animagus was possible the transformation may become less painful and taxing on the body. The person could simply transform before the full moon and then just remain in that form until the moon set. They would likely still need wolfsbane to keep control of their mind during the full moon, but they would not retain the werewolf attributes of their bites and scratches effecting others even in wolf form outside of the full moon.
Harry was fascinated by the research. Sirius had done a lot of research on werewolves, animagus, dark creatures, blood curses, transfiguration, potions, and herbology. It was amazing. Harry wondered if Sirius had told Remus what he was researching. Harry had bundled all the pages together after he had read them. Sirius research could be life changing for werewolves. Harry would continue the research when he had access to a wizarding Library. Likely when he made it back to Hogwarts.
Tonight, He had been looking through a wizarding culture book he had also taken from Sirius' desk. It wasn't the one they had studied over Christmas, but He thought Sirius had probably pulled this one from the Library for him.
Harry took notes as he worked through it. It had customs and facts about traditional wizarding celebrations. Harry had wondered why these holidays weren't celebrated at Hogwarts. They mostly acknowledged muggle holidays. He had taken several notes on wizarding holidays and was determined to learn more. Maybe Ron could answer some of his questions.
Harry had also learned some history about goblins that hadn't bored him to death. Binns could drone on forever and there textbooks were the driest text in existence he was sure. However, He had learned a bit about Gringotts. They not only offered banking services but also worked a bit as an impartial legal aid, for a price. They mostly focused on laws around Heirships and Lordships as well as money matters. Harry did not find this all that surprising. He also learned that most curse breakers worked for Gringotts. Apparently cursed money and artifacts is there main work. Although Gringotts often loans them out for private matters, like cursed locations.
Harry wondered about the locket and the cup. He refused to acknowledge that he could see the same magic on his own forehead. Any time he had allowed himself to think about that he would begin to spiral. He wondered if a curse breaker could get rid of whatever Voldemort had done to them. Harry toyed with the idea of going. Perhaps if he sent a letter to Ernie, he could use the floo from his house to the leaky cauldron and back.
Harry bit his lip. He was now now nearly a month into summer. He had been on the run for about two and a half weeks. He was starting to feel comfortable. It would break him if he were caught and sent back now. However, he needed to know what could be done with these objects. And himself his mind supplied ominously.
He thought he could send Ernie a letter in the muggle mail. When he had gone to Miller's Grove with Julie they had driven past the house. Julie had even made a comment about old houses in the middle of nowhere giving her the creeps.
Harry felt more determined. He needed to do this. He knew it in his gut. If he ended up back at the Dursleys he could always just run away again. If his uncle didn't kill him first.
Harry dropped his head into his hands and slid his hands under his glasses. He pushed a little on his eyes and sighed. This was going to be a gamble. But he would do it for the wizarding world.
Harry wrote out a brief note to Ernie and asked for the use of the floo. He'd told Ernie his room number and to just send the reply by owl. He had quickly signed as Jas. He'd see if Maggie had any stamps in the office in the morning.
Harry collapsed back on the bed.
Tomorrow was Friday. He would get paid tomorrow. Honestly it couldn't come soon enough, he needed to do laundry and buy new trainers. If he didn't get shoes tomorrow, he thought he might be going to work on Saturday in his socks. He gave the old trainers a disgusted look. They hadn't even been his originally. Like his clothing they had been Dudley's. He had nearly trashed them before they'd been thrown at Harry. They weren't the right size, and they had a lumpiness that drove him crazy every morning as he slipped them on.
Harry stood and collected the books and notes from his bed. He carefully put them back in his trunk. Perhaps if he successfully made it to Gringotts he would slip down Diagon and get a knew trunk while he was there. It was far too full to be useful and it was really showing signs of wear and tear.
As he shuffled things around, his eye caught the box at the bottom. His stomach rolled. He decided if they were still 'possessed' by the end of the summer he would take them to Dumbledore. The man might not be compassionate, but he did want to get rid of Voldemort.
He moved a few things in his trunk and saw more books at the bottom. The Dark Arts books and journals from Regulus' room. He hadn't worked up the nerve to look through them. He'd only ever heard terrible things about the Dark Arts. He didn't want something bad to happen with them. However, there might be answers in them. Or at least hopefully in the journals. Regulus had the locket. Maybe Voldemort had given it to him. Maybe he had written about it. He decided he'd look through them tomorrow. He closed his trunk and transformed into Akela. He had begun sleeping in this form to hold the nightmares at bay. He jumped onto the bed and circled before laying down. He let his mind clear and fell into a restful sleep.
Harry woke to the sun spilling across his face from a small gap in the curtains. He jumped off the bed and stretched. He sniffed around the room for a moment. His tail wagged at the smell of a lost chocolate bar in the pocket of a pair of discarded jeans. Harry transformed to himself and grabbed the jeans. He reached into the pocket and smiled at the sweet. He knew he'd had one more around here. He dropped it on top of his dresser and made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
When he emerged from the bathroom, he felt fresh and ready for another busy day. He made his way to the office to see about getting a stamp.
"Morning' Max" Maggie said distractedly. She seemed to be filling in a crossword at the desk.
"Good morning, Maggie. How'd you know it was me?" Harry asked. Confused since she hadn't even raised her head when he'd entered.
"No one else is up this early, kid." Maggie said with a slight yawn and finally looked up at Harry.
Harry smiled.
"Early bird gets the worm, right?" Harry joked lightly, making his way to the desk.
Maggie just hummed.
"What can I do for you?" Maggie asked.
"I was wondering if you might have a stamp. I'd like to send a letter." Harry said, trying not to crumple the letter in his hand.
Maggie raised an eyebrow but began shuffling through some stuff in the desk. She pulled a stamp from one drawer and an envelope from another.
"Here you go kid. If you leave it with me, I'll see that the post man gets it. He stops here on his rounds." Maggie said.
Harry nodded and took the envelope and filled it out. He quickly shoved the letter in and sealed it. Sticking the stamp on, he handed the envelope back to Maggie.
"Thanks Maggie. I get paid today so I'll swing by later and pay for the room." Harry said.
"Alright. I'll be here." Maggie said with a smile.
"Hey Max, you haven't let housekeeping in since you showed up. That room's not trashed, right?" Maggie asked.
"No, Ma'am. Although a fresh set of sheets would be nice." Harry replied as he thought about his nights sleeping as Akela. The bed was getting a little fuzzy.
"I'm hoping to do some laundry tonight. Could housekeeping come while I'm doing my washing?" Harry asked. He didn't really want anyone in his room.
He decided he'd just take everything with him in his bag. He could spread back out when housekeeping was done.
"That's fine just let me know." Maggie replied looking back down at her crossword.
Harry's morning had gone quickly. Bite to eat at the diner, helped Mary into the shop and then over to the grocery. Jack had said he was just stocking shelves today. Jack would pay him for his work this week when he was done, and he could take the rest of the weekend off. Jack had muttered something about child labor laws and being paid under the table.
When Harry finished his work, he found Jack outside. He handed Harry an envelope and Harry shoved it in his pocket.
"Thanks." Harry said pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.
Jack just nodded.
"Try to make it last. Should get you some new shoes." Jack said gesturing to Harry's falling apart trainers.
Harry blushed in embarrassment. He knew they were bad, but he'd hoped no one else had noticed.
"Yeah, it'll be my first stop after I get my laundry started." Harry said taking another drag off the cigarette.
"Well best get to it. I'll see you on Monday." Jack said with a dismissive wave.
Harry nodded and headed back to the motel.
Once he had gathered his laundry in the bag and made sure everything else was in his trunk, he shrunk the trunk and put it back in his bag. Slinging the bag over his shoulder and grabbing the laundry he made his way back to the office. He let Maggie know housekeeping could come any time and headed for the laundry mat.
Kelly had chatted his ear off once again as he got his laundry started and offered to keep an eye on it while he was gone. Harry sighed in relief as he left. Kelly was nice but she was clearly lonely.
Harry waited at the corner by the grocery store to cross the street. Today was a busy day. Harry didn't think he'd ever seen so many cars on the road here. He got across the street and popped into the bookshop.
"Well, your back early." Mary chimed.
"Jack let me go early. Thought I might swing by and get a couple of books to read this weekend." Harry beamed.
"Sure. We've been pretty slow today, take your time." Mary said with a smile.
For all the darkness he had seen and lived through, and all that he was sure was yet to come. Harry found living here was the happiest he had ever been. Other than what was locked in his trunk, life was simple. He liked the simpleness. He loved the lack of expectation. He had work but it was paid. He had responsibilities but they were reasonable. There was no expectation to save the world here. He found himself smiling more every day. He never wanted this to end.
Harry wandered the shop and pulled books down into his arms. The system here was pretty simple, half the shop was fiction and half non-fiction. Then at the front near the seating was children's books. He wanted some light reading and found himself looking through the fiction for a good adventure. He found a few in decent shape. He casually looked at the children's books. He had read many of them in the library. His escape from the world outside.
Harry laughed when he saw a familiar one. 'Where the wild things are'. He pulled it from the shelf and snickered to himself. He had picked the name Max from this book. It felt fitting. A boy dressed as a wolf who drove his relatives crazy and was sent to bed without supper. Although he hadn't transformed to Akela until he'd left Privet Drive, he did seem to drive his relatives crazy. And he'd been sent to his room plenty of times without supper. He loved the book when he was a child. The imagination of traveling to a faraway place where there were more people like him. He laughed again and placed the book back on the shelf.
When he turned, he found Mary watching him from the counter.
"Find what you wanted?" Mary asked.
"Yes, Ma'am." Harry said, placing four books on the counter in front of him.
Mary hummed as she looked them over and rang Harry up. She then pulled an envelope out and took the total from it and handed the rest to Harry.
"Now, don't go spending that on Antiques." Mary said with a smirk.
Harry blushed and nodded.
Mary handed the books over and Harry slipped them in his bag.
"Do you still want me to come by tonight?" Harry asked.
"Yes, I've a few things I want to discuss about the house. Perhaps some weekend projects if you're up to them. I'll make us some of that soup you seemed so fond of." Mary said with a smile.
Harry smiled back. That sounded lovely.
"Alright. I'll meet you back here at seven then?" Harry asked.
Mary nodded and Harry headed on his way.
Harry decided he hated shopping for shoes. He had gone into the clothing store and been immediately greeted by an overly friendly employee. The man had asked a million questions about what he wanted. Then when they had arrived at the shoe section, had brought Harry pair after pair to try on.
Harry had never known there were so many options. He felt very overwhelmed by the whole situation. He'd eventually just picked a pair at random and bought some new socks. He needed to get away from this situation before he had a panic attack.
He'd checked the time and made his way back to the laundry mat and turned over his load. Harry was thankful to find another person had been caught by Kelly. Harry had been in and out in minutes with only a nod to her.
Harry decided he'd had enough shopping for the day and dug out the map from his bag. There was a park not too far away. He decided to walk there and just enjoy the day.
When Harry arrived, he was relieved to see it was relatively empty. A few kids on the swings and a man walking a brown dog.
Harry looked around and realized that the park wasn't far from the house he'd broken into. His mother's house. He wondered if she had played here as a child. The feelings mixed in his chest. A bubbly happiness and a melancholy longing.
He walked over to a large tree and sat beneath the shade. The spot had a beautiful view of a large pond. Unlike the river that snaked through town the pond was clear and beautiful.
Harry pulled his sketch pad from his bag and opened it. He had been doing a little drawing in the evenings when he needed a rest from his studying. He thought they had turned out surprisingly good. He couldn't sketch for long, the tremor in his hand would start to effect his ability to control the pencil. However, he had drawn a realistic Hogwarts, The burrow and even one of Hedwig. Although he thought he had gotten the proportions of his familiar wrong. Landscapes and buildings seemed easier to draw from memory.
Harry looked over the pond and began to sketch.
An hour later his hand was sore, and the tremor was getting to bad to continue. He closed the book and replaced it in his bag. He'd need to get his laundry soon. He stood and noticed the tree he was leaning against had a hollow in it. Harry peaked inside and saw that kids and teens had carved names and initials into the wood. He wondered if one of them was his mother. The older ones were worn fairly smooth.
When he returned to his room with his laundry, he was pleased to see the room had indeed been cleaned. There were fresh sheets on the bed and clean towels in the bathroom. He put the clean clothes in the dresser. He had decided he may as well use it.
Just then there was a tap at the window. Harry ran to the window and was surprised to see a tawny owl there. He opened the window, and the owl flew in. Harry's heart raced. He wasn't sure how owl post worked but if someone in the wizarding world had sent him a letter, they could probably track him or the owl.
With sweaty fingers Harry untied the note from the owl's leg. He unfolded it and felt relieved.
The note said.
'Yes, you can use the floo. Come over Sunday. My parents will be gone all day. Ernie'
Harry sighed with relief.
Harry wondered how Ernie had been able to respond to the letter so quickly. He shrugged, the paper wasn't going to answer him. Perhaps he could ask on Sunday.
Harry shoved the letter in his bag and then shrunk his bag. He wouldn't need it at Mary's house. He dropped the bag in his pocket and headed out the door. He stopped and paid Maggie for the next week.
"Okay Max. your all set until next Friday." Maggie said with a smile. She handed him his receipt.
"Thank you." Harry said taking the slip of paper.
Harry headed off again with a grin. This week had been great. He was now paid up for the next week and he had a plan to get to Gringotts and inquire about a curse breaker. Things were working out well.
As Harry got to the road a big grin split his face. On the other side of the road was a small boy, maybe four or five pulling on a leash. This must be Johnny, Harry thought. The puppy was biting the leash and making it exceedingly difficult for them to walk down the road. When Harry got to the corner, he saw that the boy was going to cross, coming towards him. The boy spun around and scooped the puppy up in his arms. He stepped off the curb and Harry felt like the world began to move in slow motion.
A car was racing down the main street. They were going too fast to stop before the crosswalk. Harry felt his feet leave the sidewalk as he darted out into the street. Harry heard the squeal of car tires and the blare of a horn. He felt his arms wrap around the boy and the dog as he threw all of them away from the car.
He heard the boy crying and the puppy whimpering. He felt the road bite into his arm and back and the side of his face as he rolled to avoid landing on the small boy. He felt the back of his head smack on the ground.
Harry lay in the street staring up at the darkening sky. He could feel the child in his arms shaking as he cried. Wetness was soaking into his shirt where the boy's head lay. He could feel the warm stickiness of blood soaking through his clothes and dripping down his face. His hair matted to his forehead and cheek.
"Max! Max!" Someone screamed from above him.
"Johnny, oh baby, are you ok?" He heard a woman's voice before the weight on his chest was lifted off him.
Harry felt his vision blurred a little. His ears were ringing, and his heart was pounding. He lay there trying to breathe. He felt like a fish that had suddenly found it's self on the bank of a lake.
Someone blocked his view of the sky. He didn't know this person. He could see his lips moving but couldn't make out the words. Harry realized this person had an aura. This person was magical. The anxiety at that realization shocked Harry's lungs back into functioning. Harry gulped in several deep breaths.
"That's it. You just knocked the wind out of yourself. You're all right. Can you hear me?" The man said.
Harry's mind raced. Did that make sense? He supposed it did. He had landed rather hard on his back.
Harry nodded and sat up.
Harry looked around and blushed at the scene. The car that had almost hit the boy was stopped in the middle of the intersection. A man in a grey suit was leaning against it with his head in his hands. There were people standing all over the street. Harry realized that Julie Baker was kneeling next to him on one side. And the man he didn't know kneeled on the other side. Mrs. Ash was standing just behind Julie with wide eyes and wringing her hands.
Harry looked over his shoulder and saw the boy. He was sandwiched between a man and woman that Harry assumed must be his parents. The puppy was cradled tight against the boy's chest.
"Max, honey, are you alright?" Julie asked, laying her hand on Harry's.
Harry flinched at the contact and swiftly turned back to meet her eyes.
"What?" Harry whispered.
"I was asking if you were alright." Julie said again. Harry caught that she went to reach out to him again but pulled it back and set her hand on her knee.
Harry nodded.
"I'm fine. Is the boy, ok?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. He's fine. A little scared. He's not hurt though." Julie said.
"Would you mind me looking at your wounds. You've got some pretty bad road rash. I'm just the chemist but I might be able to help." The man to his left said.
Harry looked at him and then down at himself.
He hadn't really acknowledged the pain he was in. He'd landed on his left side. His dingy white long sleeve shirt was ripped and spotted with blood. He could see his arm a little and it was pretty gross looking. His side, back, and face were stinging but it looked like his arm had taken the majority of the fall.
He didn't want someone touching him though. He'd be fine. Plus, he needed to get away from this wizard before he was recognized. He may not look like Harry Potter. But his scar was very identifiable. Thankfully he was pretty sure his hair and blood were covering his forehead.
"Nah, I'm alright." Harry said, slowly standing up.
Herbert looked Harry over critically and nodded as he also stood. Harry was pretty sure that was the chemist's name.
Julie stood up and stepped away from Harry. He brushed the dirt bits and road debris from his clothing.
"I'm going to go change." Harry muttered.
Just then another man appeared in front of him. The boy's father, Harry thought.
"Thank you for saving my son." The man said holding out his hand.
Harry just stared at the hand. Where had this man been when his son was walking alone on the street.
Harry looked up at the man. He was tall with sandy blonde hair like the boy. Harry guessed he was in his thirties. He was well dressed, and his accent was a little different from the others in the town.
"Why was he alone?" Harry croaked. A challenge in his eyes.
The man got a sad look in his eyes and ran a shaking hand through his hair.
"He ran out of Paw's and Tails ahead of us. Julie called this morning and said the dog had been to the vet and was ready to be picked up. I…We…kids can disappear in the blink of an eye. I don't know what we would have done if that car had hit him. The guy driving isn't from here. He was distracted and didn't notice my son until it was almost too late. If he'd hit my son, he could have died." The man said shaking his head. He covered his mouth and his eyes filled with tears.
Harry nodded. This had all been an accident. This boy had just run off in his excitement.
"Yeah. He could have. Make sure you keep him close. The world is big and full of danger." Harry said.
Harry turned to Mrs. Ash. Slowly realizing they were all still standing in the road.
"I'm going to go clean up and I'll come back to the shop. Sorry about the wait." Harry said a little numbly.
Harry stepped past the father and made his way past a few people that were still standing around. He avoided accidentally bumping into someone. He felt a little off. Probably the bump to his head.
It was unfortunately not the only time he'd been nearly run over by a car. He'd been about the boy's age when Petunia had sent him alone to Mrs. Figg and a car had not seen him. He wasn't sure but it might have been the first time he apparated. One minute he'd been walking across the street and then next a car had turned and was about to hit him when he realized he was on the other side of the road.
Harry had never been told to look for cars before that. The man in the car had stopped and rolled the window down to yell at him. Something about not playing in the street and not running off without his parents. Then he'd said he needed to watch for cars. Harry's little body was a shaky mess of nerves by the time he'd made it to Mrs. Figgs. She'd walked him home later and shown him how to properly cross the street. Aunt Petunia had just called him stupid and a troublemaker when Mrs. Figg had said something to her about keeping a closer eye on him.
Harry sighed.
He unlocked the door and quickly stripped out of the ruined clothing. He pulled his bag from his pocket thankful he had shrunk it before he left. He dropped the shrunken bag on his bed and headed to the shower.
Harry stopped in his tracks and took in his naked form in the bathroom mirror. His left side looked like he had been dragged under a dragon across gravel. It was black and blue in bruises and covered in red scratches. He peeled the bandage off his arm and tossed it on his clothing. He would burn it all later. He'd like to save Sirius' shirt, but he wasn't sure he could repair it.
He sighed to himself and stepped into the shower. The water burned at the abused flesh.
Harry stepped into the bookshop and was relieved to only see Mrs. Ash. The other people from the street had apparently moved on. He'd thrown a discreet scourgify at the road where he'd fallen. He could only hope that the blood hadn't been touched while he was in his room.
Harry shrugged his bag up on his back. He had resized it and put his shirt in it. He hoped Mary would let him borrow a sowing kit. He didn't know if he could salvage the shirt, but it had belonged to Sirius. He'd at least try.
"Hello Max." Mary said softly as she came from around the counter. She looked him over. Her eyes landing on his scratched up cheek.
Harry gave her a half smile.
"Well let's get going." Mary said as she stepped out of the shop with Harry following.
The sun had nearly set by the time he'd made it back to the shop. It had been getting dark when he'd been on his way the first time. The sky was filled with purple clouds and a light pink orange sat right at the edge of the horizon.
"I hope you're all right. It was a very brave thing you did Max." Mary said as they walked the couple of blocks from the shop to Mary's house.
Harry didn't respond. He didn't know if it was brave or 'an idiotic stunt' as Snape would have put it. He wasn't sure why, but Snape had been on his mind a lot. Perhaps because Snape didn't see the boy-who-lived. He didn't see who Harry was, but it was closer. Or maybe because the words he used were closer to what his relatives would say, it was just familiar. He'd been told so many times he wasn't worth anything growing up and Snape saw it too. Really the biggest difference between Snape and Petunia's rhetoric was that Petunia compared his freakiness to his mother. While Snape berated him for being like his father.
Harry followed Mary into the house and quickly made his way into the kitchen. He set the kettle and opened the fridge. He quickly found dinner supplies and without thought began to make dinner.
"You don't need to cook tonight dear." Mary said when she entered the kitchen.
Harry just gave a one shouldered shrug. His mind felt full, and cooking was peaceful and calming. He didn't have to think much as he worked.
Mary didn't try and talk to Harry again and instead settled at the table with a magazine. Harry noticed it was one that Petunia liked. It was about gardening. The best things to plant, when, and where.
When the food was done Harry set the table and put the meal in the middle. It was a recipe he had perfected at his aunts. One of his favorites to cook. Although it would be his first time eating it. He hadn't even asked what Mary had wanted him to do with the lamb chops she had bought. Harry had just seen them and began cooking them the way he would prepare them at The Dursley's.
"Max this is wonderful. I've never had them prepared like this. The sauce is delicious. Where did you find the recipe?" Mary asked.
Harry hummed and smiled softly. It was nice to hear that she enjoyed it.
"Something I came up with a long time ago." Harry said casually. He took a bite and smiled. It was delicious. The food was a nice end to a tumultuous day.
"It's your own recipe?" Mary asked with surprise in her voice.
Harry only nodded.
Mary didn't ask any more questions and they finished the meal quietly.
Harry cleared the table and started washing dishes.
"I appreciate how nice the garden looks. I was wondering if you might want to help me with a little planting this weekend?" Marry asked.
Harry nodded as he dried the last of the dishes.
"Sure, what were you thinking?" Harry said walking over to the table and sitting down next to Mary. She held up the magazine and showed him.
"That's nice. I think we can make that work." Harry said with a nod.
"I…I hate to ask. And if you don't feel comfortable with heights, I won't make you go up but there's a leak in the roof and I was hoping I might send you up to look. See if we can patch it or if I'll need to hire someone to replace the roof."
Harry smiled. He definitely wasn't afraid of heights. Mary's two-story house wasn't even as high as the quidditch stands and he'd fallen from a lot higher. Plus, thanks to the Dursley's he knew a few things about roofing.
"That's no problem. I'm not afraid of heights. Also, I can fix the roof for you." Harry said with a smile.
Mary gave him a skeptical look but nodded.
"Ma'am is there any chance of fixing this. I don't have my own sowing kit, but I'd like to fix it." Harry said hesitantly. He hated to ask for anything. He pulled the shirt from his bag next to the table leg.
Mary took the slightly dusty shirt and looked it over.
"I'm not sure. May I keep it and see if I can't patch it for you." Mary asked.
Harry bit his lip. He wasn't sure how he felt about Mary doing the work, but he didn't think he could fix it. He'd been hesitant to cast a 'Reparo'. He'd known they didn't hold on clothing to well. Ron had said his mum did a lot of hand mending because the charms didn't last as long.
Harry nodded.
"Very well. You should go home and rest. Just come here when your ready tomorrow." Mary said.
Harry stood and thanked Her for dinner as he did every night. He headed out of the house and back to the motel for some rest. He didn't think he even had the energy for reading tonight.
As he lay in bed he felt like he had started to really belong here. His afternoon sitting and drawing had been so peaceful. Perhaps he'd make it a regular weekend activity. He didn't know what the future would hold but right now he was content. Although a little sore from another run in with his 'saving people thing'. He had no regrets though. The boy was safe. The puppy was safe. Harry was a little bruised and bloodied, but he would heal.
Although the longer he thought about the pain the less he could tolerate laying this way. He sat up and shifted into Akela. He'd slept this way most nights since the incident with Mark and he suspected he would likely continue.
Snugged down in his bed he gave a slight huff and fell into a restful sleep.
Remus collapsed into a chair on the porch of the cabin. He rested his elbows on his knees and his head hung low. His shoulders shook with suppressed sobs.
He and Severus had walked nearly all of London. Remus had checked all the places Albus had already sent people. He'd walked Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, Little Whinging. He'd gone to the Burrow and talked to Ron and Hermione. He'd walked the grounds of Hogwarts. He'd searched the shrieking shack. He'd even discreetly walked Knockturn Alley. His friends had no idea where he would go. None of the teachers seemed to know him at all.
Remus sobbed as hot tears spilled down his face. Harry had been missing for two and a half weeks. Remus had spent the last week out of his mind looking for him. He'd never caught another scent. They'd never run across anyone who had seen him. Albus was now considering bringing the Aurors in to look. Everyone had reservations about involving the Ministry.
"I need you Siri. I can't do this alone." Remus begged into the wind.
His heart ached for Sirius to be here. He needed the support. He was falling apart worrying about Harry. He felt so lost without Sirius.
Remus ran his hands through his hair again. He didn't even know what to do now. Albus had sent them both home tonight after he and Severus had reported in. Severus had been a surprising companion in his search. He knew that Harry and Severus did not get along. However, Despite the remarks Severus made, he had continued to help him search. Severus seemed angrier and more frustrated the longer they looked, and Remus felt his heartbreak at every dead end.
Remus was startled by a sound on the steps. He looked up and couldn't believe his eyes.
"Sirius?" Remus sobbed out and stepped towards the dog sitting at the top of the steps.
Even with his ears pulled flat and his head tipped down, Remus would know Padfoot anywhere.
As Remus got closer, he collapsed in front of the dog. A wet sad chuckle left his mouth. He couldn't stop the tears running down his face.
Before his eyes, the dog transformed, and Sirius was sitting in front of him with a pained look on his face. Remus couldn't even explain the tight feeling in his chest. Sirius opened his arms and Remus fell against him. Remus sobbed into his chest as Sirius rubbed his back.
"You're dead. How…How are you here?" Remus murmured into Sirius chest.
"What?" Sirius said startled.
Remus sobbed harder and Sirius just held him.
"I'm not dead. I'm right here." Sirius whispered into the top of Remus soft hair.
"You fell through the Veil." Remus replied.
"Merlin Moony. No. I…I didn't mean to leave the Ministry. I meant to Apparate right next to you. That bitches spell disoriented me. I…I didn't know where I was when I woke up. I was confused and hurt. Managed to splinch myself. Though I imagine I'm lucky it wasn't worse." Sirius spoke softly holding Remus tighter to him.
Remus sniffled and shook his head in disbelief of the situation. How was this possible? Sirius was holding him. Talking to him. He'd thought he'd never see him again. Never thought he'd hear his voice again. Never feel comforted in his arms again.
Then his previous worries washed over him as he thought about Harry.
"Harry's missing." Remus choked out.
"What!?" Sirius nearly shouted.
Remus pulled away from Sirius and looked him in the eye.
"He ran away nearly three weeks ago. We only found out last week." Remus said.
Remus dug in his pants pocket and pulled the piece of paper he had been carrying around all week. It was crumpled and tear stained now but it was still legible. Remus scooted away from Sirius. He repositioned himself, so he was sitting on the top step and his long legs were on the third step down. Sirius sat next to him. Remus handed him Harry's letter.
Remus watched Sirius face as he read the letter. The heartbreak was clear. His eyes shone with unshed tears.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Sirius said with a shaky voice.
"When I came to, I think it had been a couple of days. My leg was a mess from splinching. I had shards of mirror in my back. When I figured out where I was, I did a lot of thinking. I couldn't go back to that house Remy. Albus wasn't doing anything to get me out of there." Sirius said a little brokenly.
"I know." Remus whispered. He stared out into the woods around the cabin.
"I know Peter was at the Ministry. Did they catch him?" Sirius asked.
Remus just nodded. He felt exhausted.
"Did we lose anyone?" Sirius whispered looking down at his clasped hands.
"No…Just you." Remus whispered back.
Remus looked at Sirius. He couldn't believe he was sitting there. He bit his lip as he felt tears well in his eyes again.
Sirius nodded.
"How was Harry able to disappear? Albus sent him back to those people again, didn't he? Did he even bother having someone on guard?" Sirius growled.
Remus nodded.
"There was a guard, but it got pulled for a few hours the night he left. I'm not sure if he left then, or if he left under the cloak sometime later." Remus answered.
"How'd no one know he was missing for so long? Albus just never bother to verify that Harry was actually there?" Sirius asked.
"We were told no contact." Remus sighed. He had hated that order. He thought it was probably why he hadn't been assigned to Privet Drive often.
Sirius made a growling noise deep in his chest.
Sirius bit his lip and looked out at the woods in thought.
"I'm not letting him go back there Remy. Albus can say whatever he wants to about wards. I won't let Harry return. You and I both know somethings wrong in that house." Sirius growled.
"The wards fell. Harry wasn't there long enough to maintain them. The aunt and uncle fled the country. So, no, our pup's not going back." Remus muttered.
They both sat deep in thought for a few moments.
"Where have you already looked for Harry?" Sirius spoke with a new conviction.
"Everywhere. He went to Grimmauld at some point. Some things were missing. That's also where he left the letter." Remus answered.
"We need to keep looking." Sirius said.
Remus felt hope and exasperation fill his chest. Maybe Sirius would know where to look. However, years of experience with Sirius had him wary. Sirius liked to just charge into a situation and make up the plan as he went. They couldn't do that here.
"Where should we look Siri?" Remus asked.
Sirius bit his lip and stared off into the woods. He shook his head a little.
"I don't know. Will brainstorm and come up with a list. Surely Snape would know if old Voldy had him. Yeah?" Sirius said, turning to Remus.
Remus was surprised to hear a clear plan from Sirius. He turned and looked at him.
"Severus was outed. He nearly died. We've got new spies but so far nothing." Remus replied.
"Snivellus couldn't hack it?" Sirius said disdainfully.
Remus felt his blood boil a little at that.
"Severus has helped me look every day for Harry, while you've been lying low in the woods." Remus growled.
Sirius sighed.
"Fair I suppose." Sirius easily conceded.
Remus raised an eyebrow at that. Sirius and Severus had always been the most antagonistic people Remus had ever known. For Sirius to drop it so easily he was a little shocked.
"You okay, Padfoot? It's not like you to let it go." Remus questioned.
Sirius let out a bark of laughter.
"Yeah, Remy I'm fine." Sirius laughed.
"Just learning when I'm wrong. I guess. If you say Sniv…Severus has been helping, than best to not piss you or him off. Yeah?" Sirius responded.
Remus only nodded. Maybe Sirius was finally growing up. Azkaban had stunted a lot of mental and emotional growth. Sirius had somehow seemed forever twenty-two and also like a frail old man after he had escaped.
"I really am sorry Remus. I didn't know you thought I was dead. I've been watching the cabin. If I'd known, I'd have come to you sooner. I just figured you all thought I'd run away from the fight." Sirius said looking Remus in the eye.
Remus laughed a soft laugh.
"You run away from a fight? That would be the day." Remus laughed.
Sirius grinned back.
Remus felt his cheeks flush. He loved Sirius. He had loved him since he was eleven. He hadn't accepted it until he'd been nearly seventeen, but it was always there. Kind, Loyal, faithful. That's what Sirius was. He had all of Remus' heart. He'd been so unsure of where they stood this last year as they got to know each other again. But Remus knew now. Sirius was his everything.
Remus leaned in a little closer to Sirius.
Sirius smirked back.
Their eyes met and a moment later Remus felt Sirius soft lips against his. His heart soared. He felt so loved.
A moment later they broke apart.
"Have you been stealing my toothpaste?" Remus asked quirking an eyebrow.
Sirius gave him a cheeky grin.
"I may have been by for a shower and a snack a few times while you were out." Sirius said with a big smile.
"I thought the biscuit tin felt a little light." Remus smirked back.
Sirius let out another bark of laughter and grabbed his stomach.
"Come on Moony. These old bones can't sit on the floor like this any more." Sirius said pulling himself up.
Remus snickered when Sirius knees popped loudly.
"Oi, you know you aren't any better." Sirius said holding his hand out and helping Remus to his feet.
Sirius laughed when Remus' back cracked as he stood up.
"Oh, shut it." Remus said with a playful shove.
"Let's make something to eat, then will work on finding our runaway pup." Sirius said taking Remus hand.
"Speaking of which. I have a story to tell you." Remus said thinking about Harry's possible Animagus. He pulled Sirius into the house.
Sirius sat with his back against the headboard. Remus was curled into his chest. Sirius ran his hands down Remus' back. They had eaten and Remus had explained everything that had happened. He'd explained about finding Harry's Animagus potion at Grimmauld and agreed to look and see when the storm was. Should be an effective way to at least know when he'd been there. Remus had explained Albus take on Harry's new Patronus.
Sirius secretly hoped Albus was right, and that Harry was a dog. Especially if Sirius research panned out to allow Remus to have an Animagus as well. If things really went sideways they'd run off as a pack.
He'd also told Remus that Harry was secretly a nerd and that they should search libraries, bookstores, and museums. They'd come up with a few other ideas. Nothing was perfect but he'd reassured Remus that Harry would be ok. He was resilient, and resourceful. It was too bad the mirror had broken. They'd never used them. However, Sirius may have been able to at least contact Harry. Sirius wished they could at least owl him. Tell him that he was ok.
Sirius heart broke thinking over that letter. Harry wasn't responsible for any of that. They'd need to have a lengthy conversation about that.
"Hey Siri?" Remus mumbled.
"Yeah?" Sirius responded. Pulled from his thoughts.
"When are we going to tell Albus and the Order you're alive?" Remus asked.
"Tomorrow. I need to make my position clear. I'm going to push for my freedom. If I can't get it, or Albus gets in my way I'm leaving the country. And I'm taking Harry with me" Sirius said firmly.
Remus hummed and burrowed in a little tighter.
"Should we tell everyone then? Or should we just talk to Albus? Remus asked.
Sirius sighed. He didn't want to make a big deal out of this. He wasn't trying to threaten Albus. However, he'd already spent enough of his life as a prisoner, and he refused to do it any longer. They now had the man responsible for his supposed crimes. A drop of Veritaserum would have the rat spilling his guts.
"I don't want to give Albus control of the situation. Maybe you can have a meeting to discuss what we talked about tonight. Other possible places to look. I Trust Minerva. And you've been working with Sni…Snape. I don't trust Snape, but he did sound the initial alarm about Harry's vision. He also let us know when the students couldn't be found." Sirius said thoughtfully.
"I'm impressed Pads. That's a very reasonable plan. I Didn't know you had it in you." Remus laughed.
Sirius' hand stopped halfway down on Remus' side and began to tickle him.
"I'm not that bad Moony." Sirius joked.
Remus laughed and tried to twist away from Sirius. He managed to fall off the bed and land with a thud.
"Oof." Remus said.
Sirius laughed hard and nearly rolled himself off the bed too.
Remus pulled himself up using the side of the bed. His honey-colored hair was messy and his oversize grey sleeping shirt was twisted.
Sirius thought he looked beautiful.
Sirius laid on his side and propped his head up on his hand. He smiled at Remus who just rolled his eyes.
"I love you Remus." Sirius said honestly.
Remus smiled back.
"I love you too." Remus replied as he sat on the bed. He patted his leg and Sirius scooted over and laid his head on Remus' thigh. Remus slowly combed his fingers through Sirius hair.
Sirius loved this. Remus used to do this when they'd had an especially exhausting day. It was so soothing. Sirius never felt more loved then when Remus would do this small thing for him. Sirius closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling. He smiled softly to himself. He never wanted to be away from Remus again. It was just too painful. He couldn't imagine how painful all of this had been for Remus. He'd been just as alone for all those years.
"That day…The day we went to the Ministry. I went through the last box of stuff from my old flat." Sirius said softly.
Remus hummed to acknowledge that he was listening.
"I found something I want you to have. It was a gift for you. I didn't know I even still had it. But when I found it, I was reminded of all the reasons I had gotten it. You're the reason I got it, Moony. You were the reason for so much in my life. You're the bravest person I've ever known." Sirius continued.
Remus scoffed.
"It's not conventional bravery Remy. You face your fears every day. Weather anyone sees it or not. I know how hard you fight to keep yourself going. I know how you see yourself. That is bravery. It was bravery to keep going. You inspire me to face my fears." Sirius said a little sadly.
"You've inspired me to fight for what I want. Fight my own demons. Not crawl into a bottle and just fade away again. You inspire me to want to be a better person. You're my inspiration Remy." Sirius said with a smile.
Sirius opened his eyes and smiled up at Remus.
"I always want to have you near me. I don't think I can be without you again." Sirius whispered.
"I'm here Sirius." Remus whispered back with a soft smile.
Remus leaned down and gave Sirius a gentle kiss.
"Look in the pocket of my jacket." Sirius said nodding to the bedpost behind Remus. Sirius jacket was hanging from it.
Remus rolled his eyes.
"There are two perfectly good coat racks in this house and yet my bed post is where you hang this." Remus joked.
Sirius just shrugged and grinned a cheeky grin.
Sirius watched as he poked around in the pockets.
Remus pulled an unassuming small black box from the jacket. He looked down at Sirius with a raised eyebrow.
Sirius nodded at Remus from his relaxed position, with his head still on Remus' leg. He watched as Remus opened the box. Sirius watched the emotions flash across his face. The pure joy that filled his face for a moment made Sirius feel like he could fly. However, a moment later the doubt and self-loathing replaced it. It was the thing that Sirius hated seeing most on Remus' face. He didn't think he deserved good things. Sirius wanted to show him he was wrong. Remus deserved a life that was more than pain and loss.
Sirius sat up and sat cross legged looking at Remus.
He watched as Remus closed the box and tried to hand it back.
"Don't do that Remus." Sirius voice was soft and sad.
"You deserve to be happy. You make me happy. One of the only things that has ever made me happy. You bring feeling to my life. Do you have any idea how dead I felt growing up in Grimmauld? Or how empty I felt in Azkaban? Even being trapped back at Grimmauld. I needed you and you were there. I love you Remus John Lupin and I want to be with you forever." Sirius spoke softly but with conviction.
Sirius looked deep into Remus unsure eyes.
"I love you too. You're always on my mind. These past few weeks I didn't know how I was going to go on without you. I…I just don't know. You should find someone who isn't…someone without my issues. We may have been through a lot but were only in our thirties Siri. You should be with someone who…" Remus was cut off by Sirius sliding his fingers into his hair and kissing him deeply. It reminded him of the kiss that had started their relationship back at Hogwarts.
"Remy…You're an idiot. My idiot…But still an idiot. You know I don't care about any of those things. I just want you." Sirius said with a cheeky smile.
"An idiot hm…Not a very nice thing to say while your proposing." Remus said with a haughty little sniff and tip up of his nose.
They both began to laugh.
"Is that a yes then?" Sirius said with a soft smile.
Remus nodded. His whole face brightened with his smile. His eyes shined a little.
Sirius smiled back.
"Will find Harry. I'll get my name cleared. Then will show him and each other what it means to be a family." Sirius whispered as he took the box from Remus. He opened and took out the ring he had bought in October of 1981. He'd had the ring less than a week when both of there lives had been torn apart.
He slipped the ring on Remus' finger and raised his hand and kissed it.
Sirius looked at Remus again and saw a wide smile and slow tears trickling down his face.
Sirius reached up and wiped the tears away.
"Come on love." Sirius said pulling them down to lay on the bed. Sirius pulled Remus snug to his chest and held him close. He wouldn't lose him again. Sirius thought as there breathing evened out and they slipped into peaceful sleep.
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