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Chapter 41

The Cure

Severus sat at the kitchen table sipping at his coffee. He felt slightly anxious. He and Harry were expected to go to Hogwarts for training today. Although the headmaster had initially suggested twice a week, they had yet to make it there more than once a week. Fridays seemed to have become the default day.

He had not seen Harry since they had parted ways on Monday.

Harry had checked in like clockwork, calling from the Book Nook. Each day he would inform Severus that he had taken his potions and been eating regularly. Severus was skeptical about the regular eating. He knew Harry was prone to eating like a mouse and frequently skipping meals.

The last two Fridays at the school had been an absolute disaster. He hoped that trend would not continue. He had written out a specific training plan to explore the boy's abilities. He hoped if he conducted the lesson and they left, then there shouldn't be a chance for dramatics. Though with Potter plans never seemed to go that way.

Severus sighed and rubbed his face. He hadn't heard from Black or Lupin as he had expected after sending on the Diagnostic. In honesty he was thankful. Although he was having less issues with the pair, discussing such upsetting topics would surely raise tempers.

Severus glanced at the clock on the wall. Harry was expected to be here in about two hours. He would admit that he had missed him around the house. Part of him wanted to insist that Harry return but he knew it was selfish. Harry seemed to be doing better back at the motel, and any progress was good.

Severus stood and walked to the coffee pot when he heard a knock on the front door. He glanced at the clock again in confusion. Surely it couldn't be Harry. Why would the boy choose to arrive so early? Perhaps something was wrong.

He set his coffee cup down and strowed down the hall to the front door. He took a deep breath before pulling the door open. Harry stood on his front steps looking to be in good health and good spirits.

Severus felt a slight smile pull at his lips. It was nice to see Harry in a pleasant mood. To Severus' surprise the boy was still in his base form. He thought this look suited the boy much more than the replica of James Potter.

He was greeted with a blinding smile that showed that in this form he had dimples. Severus would never admit how cute it was.

"Good morning, Professor." Harry said happily.

Severus schooled his features. He was incredibly happy to see Harry, but he didn't want the boy to read his emotions and think that he was still lamenting him leaving.

"Good morning." Severus said neutrally, as he stepped aside for Harry to enter.

Harry nodded as he stepped into the house. Severus closed the door and followed Harry to the kitchen. Harry hesitated once inside, and Severus reminded himself to keep his tone neutral. Just because the boy sounded like he was doing better on the phone didn't mean he was.

"Have you had breakfast?" Severus asked as he stepped around Harry and made his way back to his coffee cup.

"Um…no I haven't." Harry said.

Severus nodded and headed to the fridge.

"Do you…um do you want me to cook?" Harry asked.

Severus turned to face Harry. He seemed anxious this morning. Severus wondered if it was from being around himself again. Harry had said he wasn't afraid of him but perhaps that wasn't as true as he thought. Possibly it had been his way of saying what he thought Severus wanted to hear.

Severus sighed.

"If you would like to." Severus said.

To his surprise Harry smiled at him again and nodded. Severus furrowed his brow. Perhaps it wasn't anxiety about being here. Maybe the boy just had a lot of energy today.

"No problem." Harry said, setting his bag next to the table leg and walking to the sink.

Severus nodded and took his coffee cup back to the table and sat down.

Severus watched as Harry went to the sink and washed his hands. He was pleased to see him only wash them for slightly longer then would be normal. Staying at the sundown must be lowering his stress, Severus thought.

Harry went about making breakfast. Severus settled in with his newspaper.

Severus was a little startled when a plate of food was set in front of him. He had apparently been more invested in the article he was reading then he had thought. There had been another attack. South of London this time. Severus sighed, folded the paper, and set it aside. He was sure there would be an Order meeting this evening.

He looked up to find Harry looking at him in concern.

"What's happened?" Harry asked.

Severus sighed.

"Another attack." Severus said solemnly.

Harry got a hard look in his eyes and nodded. He looked away from Severus.

"Anyone we know?" Harry asked.

Severus didn't think so. Although there was a chance. Hogwarts students were quite spread out and he had no idea if any of them lived in this particular area.

"Unknown at this time. Sounds like a raid on a muggle village." Severus answered.

Harry nodded again and looked back at his plate.

Severus hated that this generation was being shadowed by war, not unlike his own. He could remember the years of disappearances and seemingly unrelated violence before the war really heated up. It had been a terrifying time. His fear had pushed him to the wrong side of the war. Severus wondered how many of his students would soon be following in his unfortunate footsteps.

Severus tried to push the thought from his mind and focus on his breakfast. Harry had made scrambled eggs that appeared to have meat and veg mixed in. It smelt delicious. Severus glanced at Harry's plate and was pleased to see a reasonable serving on it. It was still less then what was on Severus' plate, but it was an improvement.

Then something caught Severus' eye. Harry's right hand was shaking noticeably. He furrowed his brow as he watched Harry attempt to lift the fork and lost nearly half the food on it before it made it to his mouth.

"What's going on with your hand?" Severus asked, studying the boy.

Harry glanced up and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. It's been getting worse all week. I thought maybe it was just from the potions. I know the nerve potion can cause tremors while it works." Harry said softly.

Harry wasn't wrong but it shouldn't have made things this much worse. He mentally went through the potions the boy was taking. Then it hit him.

"I think you may be having an interaction between the nerve potion and the modified stomach soother." Severus said thoughtfully.

Harry looked a little alarmed.

"Is it bad?" Harry asked.

Severus shook his head.

"No. I don't think it will cause any damage, but the tremor is unfortunate. When have you been taking your potions?" Severus asked.

"In the morning." Harry answered.

Severus nodded in thought.

"Keep taking them all in the morning except the nerve regenerator. Start taking it in the evening before bed. It should have worked through your system by time you are due for the rest of your potions." Severus said.

"Ok. Thank you." Harry said with a nod.

Harry bent his head to start eating again and absently brushed the long hair out of his face. He seemed to freeze at this and glanced uncertainly at Severus.

A moment later Harry's appearance had changed, and Severus was looking at the face he had known for five years. He considered telling Harry that he didn't mind his real appearance, but the look in Harry's eyes pleaded for him not to acknowledge it. So, he went back to eating his breakfast.

Severus noticed halfway through the meal that Harry was bouncing his leg. The boy was either full of energy or he had something on his mind.

When there meal was done Harry popped up and started cleaning. Severus watched him for a moment at the sink.

"Are Remus and Sirius going to be at the school today?" Harry asked as he scrubbed the dishes.

Ah. Harry must be concerned about facing his guardians, now that they'd been given his diagnostic, Severus thought. That would explain the nerves.

"I've not spoken with them. They knew the plan was for us to return to the school today. Though I did pass on your message that you didn't want to see them. I suspect there will be an Order meeting tonight to discuss this attack. Although I think you can probably return here after our training." Severus said.

"Oh." Was all Harry said as he went about putting the dishes away.

Severus wondered if Harry was relieved by this news or was hoping to see them. He decided he would try and get the boy to communicate his preference. Severus was content to not see them. So, if Harry didn't want to see them, he would make that happen. However, Severus knew that Harry really did want to have a relationship with them. He was just struggling right now. If he did want to see them, Severus would make that happen. Surely the mutts would want to see Harry.

"Will that be alright?" Severus asked.

Harry put the last of the dishes away and turned to face Severus. He wrapped his arms around himself and looked at the floor.

"I um…I actually was hoping to talk to you and Sirius about something. If…um…if that is possible. I guess if not I can just…." Harry trailed off and turned back to the counter. He collected a cleaning rag before walking to the kitchen table and beginning to scrub at it.

Severus felt curious. He wondered what the boy wanted to talk to them about. Was this about the abuse? Why did he want to talk to the two of them specifically? Surely the boy would prefer talking to just one or both of the mutts. Did it have something to do with Lupin? Had he done something? Severus also considered that it might have something to do with the drugs. It had been the two of them that had confronted Harry about it. Perhaps they had let it go too easily.

Severus wasn't sure what Harry wanted to talk about, and he wasn't giving him much to go on. He would see to it that they were able to meet today. Not only to satisfy his own curiosity, but to show Harry that if his requests were reasonable, they would do what they could to make them happen. It was obvious how uncomfortable Harry was asking for anything, and Severus hoped that they could change that.

"I'm sure that can be worked out. I will contact them once we reach the school." Severus said.

Harry raised his head and there was slight alarm in his eyes.

"Just Sirius." Harry said firmly.

Severus raised an eyebrow at that. He hoped the boy would explain, but when it became obvious that he wasn't going to Severus just nodded.

"All right." Severus said.

Harry put away the wash rag and felt like his stomach was full of butterflies.

He wanted to talk to Sirius because it was his research. Harry had just finished it. Maybe. He needed Snape to look over the potion he had written. He thought it was right, but he knew he wasn't very smart. Snape would probably tell him he didn't know what he was talking about.

Mostly he didn't want to have that conversation with Remus, since he still didn't know if he was aware of the research that Sirius was doing. He also didn't want to give Remus false hope if he was wrong. He was probably wrong. He was an idiot. Why would he think he could do anything?

"Harry." Snape called to him.

Harry's eyes darted to Snapes. When had the man stood up?

Harry took half a step back and realized he was now backed into the counter. Snape took two large steps back and held out his palms.

"You're ok." Snape said softly.

Harry realized his heart was pounding kind of hard and his breathing was a little labored. He blushed darkly in embarrassment. His mental circling was turning into a panic attack, and he hadn't even noticed.

"Sorry." Harry murmured.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. Are you okay? Do you want a calming draught?" Snape asked.

Harry considered for a moment. The new calming draughts made him sleepy. He had things to do.

Harry shook his head.

"Could…Um…would it be alright if I had some of your tea?" Harry asked hesitantly.

The tea helped him relax without feeling like he was going to fall asleep on his feet.

Snape gave him a half smile.

"Of course. Why don't you have a seat in the sitting room? I could go for some tea before we leave as well." Snape said stepping up to the stove and setting the kettle.

Harry nodded and walked shakily to the table. He collected his bag, then made his way to the sitting room.

Sirius and Remus were sitting at the kitchen table playing a quiet game of chess. They had been doing this every morning after breakfast. Remus had told Sirius that the concentration needed for the game would help him. Sirius wasn't sure if there was any research backing that up, or if Remus just enjoyed beating him like a rug every morning.

"Check mate." Remus said with a smirk.

Sirius looked at the board and groaned.

"Good game." Remus said with a soft smile.

Sirius wanted to tell Remus to shove his 'good game', but the soft smile melted Sirius' heart. The morning sun was casting long rays of light into the room, and Remus honey colored hair seemed to be glowing. Sirius could almost count all the colors in his eyes.

"You're beautiful." Sirius said dreamily as he continued to stare at Remus.

Remus blushed and ducked his head. It only made him look better, in Sirius opinion.

"Hardly." Remus said with a scoff, as he stood and began packing away the game.

As Sirius went to stand, he heard the floo flare.

He looked at Remus in question and was met with a shrug.

"Black." Snape's voice called.

Sirius made his way into the sitting room and saw the man's face in the flames.

"Good morning, Snape. What can I do for you?" Sirius asked.

He tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice at having to deal with the man this early in the morning. However, there was also a flicker of worry in the back of his mind. What if this was about Harry? Was he ok?

"Harry would like to see you today. We have just arrived at the school, and I imagine we will be here for a while. Will you be able to come to the castle today?" Snape asked.

Sirius was nodding before Snape had even finished talking.

"We can be there in just a minute." Sirius answered.

"Just you." Snape said.

Sirius mind spun at that. He glanced over to Remus who had joined him in the sitting room. He looked hurt but nodded.

"Ok. Um…I'll be there in just a minute." Sirius said, before Snapes face disappeared from the fireplace.

Sirius ran his hand through his hair and turned to Remus.

He went to say something, and Remus just raised his hand.

"It's okay Siri. We talked about this. That he may feel more comfortable talking to one of us then the other. It's ok. Just let Harry talk. Yes, we know what the exam showed but Severus has already addressed the medical concerns. When we get Harry, I can start addressing some of the mental health issues. For now, just be there for Harry. Don't question him. Don't push him." Remus reminded Sirius.

Sirius nodded.

He and Remus had talked about the diagnostic. Sirius had also read more about mental health and abused children then he thought he ever would. He and Remus had agreed not to push Harry any more than they already had. They wanted to give him the time and space that he had asked for.

Sirius took a deep breath and retrieved his shoes and pulled on his jacket. He walked over to Remus and held out his hand. Remus took it and Sirius pulled him to standing before wrapping him in a tight hug.

"I love you." Sirius whispered in Remus' hair.

"I love you too." Remus murmured.

Sirius smiled.

"Go check on our pup." Remus said with a tight squeeze before releasing Sirius.

Sirius nodded and walked to the fireplace.

Severus stood in Albus office waiting for Black. He had sent Harry ahead to the training room. He had seemed calmer after the tea, but he still seemed jumpy. He hoped the few extra minutes would help him calm down. Or give him time to burn the room down, his mind supplied wryly.

Albus had been here when they arrived and had walked Harry out of the office. He was apparently on his way to a meeting with Minerva. Severus hoped that Albus didn't say anything to set Harry off. He wasn't sure how things looked down the road for the two. Severus hoped there would be room for their relationship to repair. Although he suspected it would be largely based on what Albus was aware of. If he had knowingly been sending Harry back to be abused, Severus wasn't sure Harry wouldn't cause considerable damage.

Severus was pulled from his musings when the floo flared green and Black stepped out. He looked nearly as flustered as Harry this morning. Severus hoped the man could keep his emotions in check. Severus had no interest in playing mediator between emotional Gryffindors today.

"Black." Severus greeted neutrally with a nod.

"Mornin' Snape. Where's Harry?" Black said.

"I sent him ahead to the training room. He seemed on edge this morning and I wanted him to have a moment. I was also hoping to talk to you briefly before we arrived." Severus explained.

Black nodded before they headed for the stairs.

Once they were in the hall outside the headmaster's office, Severus cast a muffliato and proceeded to head in the direction of the main staircase.

"I assume you read the exam papers?" Severus asked as they walked.

"Yes." Black said quietly.

"Does Lupin have any suggestions about how we might proceed in order to help Harry." Severus asked.

His week alone had made him more determined to help Harry.

"Remus says we should give him what he has asked for. Time and space to come to terms with what has come out. Remus thinks he will reach out when he's ready. He thinks that now that there are people who already know it will be easier for him to talk. Remus also says we shouldn't push him. Let him come to us. He's got a plan all written out for how he wants to address Harry in a more therapeutic setting, but he won't approach that until Harry is living with us." Black explained.

Severus nodded.

"Do you know what Harry wants to see me about?" Black asked.

"No. He showed up nervous to my house rather early this morning. We had breakfast and he asked to talk to you and me. I wasn't made aware of any other information." Severus informed Black as they reached the seventh floor.

"Did he specifically say he didn't want to see Remus?" Black asked a little hesitantly.

Severus sighed.

"He seemed panicked when I said I would call the two of you when we reached Hogwarts. He then insisted on just you." Severus said.

Black turned to him as they reached the door.

"Do you have a feeling for what he might want to talk about?" Black asked.

Severus could tell how nervous Black was.

"Listen Sirius. I know how upsetting reading over that diagnostic is. You are clearly wound up. The best way for us to help Harry right now is to listen. Not stand in the hall and speculate." Severus said.

Black nodded.

"Yeah. You're right. Thanks." Black said, taking a deep breath.

Severus watched as the man pulled a neutral mask in place and they headed for the door.

Harry paced the room. He had created a sitting room instead of the training room. He wanted something that felt comfortable. The room had supplied three armchairs around a fire place and a low table in the middle. The room was larger than the sitting room at Snapes but not by much. He kept going over what he had read that morning in his head. He had been too nervous to pull his notes back out.

Snape had said that he thought Sirius would probably jump at the chance to see him so to expect them to be coming up.

Dumbledore had walked him all the way to the seventh floor. Harry had been too distracted by his own thoughts to give the man much of his attention. He had asked about how things were going with Snape. Harry had been vague and told him things were going fine. He was not going to involve the headmaster in his affairs if he didn't have to. The man was prone to meddling and Harry wasn't interested in having his life meddled in anymore.

Dumbledore had then talked about all that was going on at the school. Then to Harry's surprise invited him to join in tonight's Order meeting. Harry wasn't sure how to feel about the invitation. Last year he would have jumped at the chance for information. Now, however, it felt like the headmaster had something up his sleeve and Harry wasn't sure he wanted to be involved.

Harry sighed as he paced another lap around the room. He was at the far end when the door swung open. Sirius stepped in quickly followed by Snape.

Snape looked around the room with a confused look on his face. Sirius on the other hand was staring right at him.

Harry swallowed hard. He was sure that Sirius could see the Freak he was. He knew all of it now. Harry blushed and looked away. He worried he would see disgust in Sirius eyes.

"I was unaware that this room could be something else." Snape said walking to one of the chairs and taking a seat.

Harry nodded.

"The room becomes whatever you need it to be. It follows Gamps Laws of transfiguration. So, I guess it can't provide anything you need but as far as transfiguring the room the possibilities are theoretically infinite." Harry said.

Snape raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Hey, pup." Sirius said walking a little closer.

Harry felt himself tense but tried to remind himself that Sirius wasn't a threat. He took a deep breath and gave Sirius a small smile.

"Hey, Siri." Harry said quietly.

Harry felt like he was under a microscope. Like Sirius was seeing him for the first time and Harry was awaiting his judgement.

"Um… do you guys want something to drink?" Harry asked, trying to get the attention off of him.

Sirius nodded and Snape just shrugged a shoulder.

"Dobby." Harry called.

There was a moment's pause and with a pop Dobby was standing in front of him.

"Harry Potter, Sir! So good to see you." Dobby cried before hugging Harry's leg.

Harry smiled.

He bent down slightly and patted the elf on the back.

"Hi Dobby." Harry said.

"What can Dobby be doing for Harry Potter today?" Dobby asked.

"Could you bring us some drinks?" Harry asked.

Dobby turned for the first time to acknowledge the other occupants of the room.

"Of course." Dobby said and popped away.

A moment later Dobby reappeared with a tray of drinks and what looked like fresh biscuits.

Harry smiled again.

"Thank you, Dobby." Harry said as the elf set the tray on the table.

"Of course. Anything for Harry Potter Sir and his friends." Dobby said and popped away again.

Harry shook his head at the elf's antics before heading to one of the chairs.

Sirius took the middle chair and Harry took the last seat.

"I wasn't aware you had an elf." Snape said picking up what looked like a cup of black coffee.

"Dobby is a free elf." Harry said firmly.

"'Mione would kill me if I bound an elf." Harry huffed under his breath.

Sirius snickered.

There were a few moments of silence as they sipped there drinks. Harry knew that he was the one who had called this meeting. However, he wasn't sure how to start the conversation.

Harry glanced at Sirius and then Snape and realized they were both watching him.

Harry sat down his drink and began twisting his hands together.

"Um…I wanted to talk to you guys about something but I'm not sure how to start." Harry mumbled.

"It's okay pup. You can tell us anything. We're here to listen not to judge you." Sirius said.

Harry felt his stomach clench. He was sure now that they thought he wanted to talk about the Dursley's. Which he most certainly did not.

Wanting to move away from that topic before it turned into an interrogation from Sirius, Harry raised his head. He didn't believe that there wouldn't be judgment. Especially if he was wrong. He supposed this would be a good time to test that theory.

Harry bit his lip and nodded.

Sirius could see how antsy Harry was. He was practically radiating nervous energy. Sirius took a breath and leaned back in the chair. Despite his own anxiety about what Harry might tell them, he was trying to appear relaxed. He wished he could pull it off as well as Snape. The man was sat back in his chair, his legs crossed and a neutral almost board look on his face.

Despite how Sirius had always felt about Snape, he was grudgingly starting to see that he was a good man.

Sirius watched with confusion and curiosity as Harry started digging in his bag.

"I'm sorry I stole them Siri…But I um…I also made copies. You got the originals back of course. I know I shouldn't have taken them. I just…I don't know. Hopefully this will start making up for some of my mistakes." Harry muttered as he continued to dig in his bag.

Sirius had no idea what he was talking about. Perhaps some of the letters or photos he had taken from his desk. He didn't care if Harry wanted them. He understood feeling disconnected from your family.

He also didn't like that Harry was implying he needed to pay them back somehow. Sure, he had made mistakes but not ones that required Harry to do something for forgiveness. Sirius would remember to bring that up with Remus. He didn't want Harry to think he needed to earn their love.

"That's okay." Sirius said softly.

"I told you Harry you can have anything I have." Sirius added.

Harry looked up through his fringe, giving him a pained look. Sirius didn't quite understand.

Harry looked back down and began digging in his bag again.

"Could we know the subject of this conversation?" Snape asked casually.

"Remus." Harry mumbled as he began pulling things out of his bag and setting them on the floor.

Sirius' brows creased and he looked to Snape who sat forward at the comment.

Sirius felt confused. What would Harry want to tell them about Remus?

Sirius watched as quills and ink were set next to a stack of books. The cloak and map were disregarded with a carelessness that surprised Sirius. Harry had always regarded both with a level of reverence that the marauders had never given them.

"If Lupin has done something Harry, we do not require proof. You can simply tell us." Snape said softly.

Sirius turned and shot Snape a glare. How dare he accuse Remus of anything. Snape was the Death Eater here.

Harry's head popped up again with a confused look on his face.

"What?" Harry said shaking his head as he looked back into his bag.

A nearly endless number of things seemed to keep coming out of the bag and Sirius wondered if there was an extension charm on it. Finally, Harry pulled a thick book out with a stack of parchment shoved between the pages at odd angles.

"I don't know how this ended up at the bottom. I put it in there this morning." Harry groused as he flopped the tome onto his lap.

"Okay, so, I think if we add shaved aconite root to the base in addition to the wolfsbane flowers it should allow for a higher boiling point. Which we'll need. We'll also need him to chew the Mandrake leaves. It's going to be horrid, but hopefully once they are a paste it will be over. I think four will be necessary unless it's a wolf moon. I suppose we can let him decide if he'd rather wait until January." Harry rambled as he shuffled through the papers in his lap.

Sirius felt his brows crease even more. Harry wasn't making any since at all. Maybe he was on drugs, and this was some sort of drug induced mania. Sirius looked at Snape pleadingly.

Snape looked more concentrated then confused.

"Harry." Snape called.

Harry looked up at them and bit his lip.

"Harry, we don't know what you're talking about. Can you slow down and explain? It sounds like a potion. Am I Right?" Snape said calmly.

Harry got a huge grin on his face and nodded.

"Sorry." Harry mumbled as he looked down at the papers again.

He stacked them neatly and held them out to Sirius.

"I figured it out." Harry said looking at Sirius with such hope in his eyes.

Sirius smiled a little and gave Harry a half nod before taking the parchments. He was still confused as to what was happening. However, whatever Harry was handing him was clearly important to him.

Sirius heart swelled a little at the happy look on Harry's face. It had been a while since he had seen joy like that on the kid.

"Your mother used to get that look when she had made a potions discovery. What is it you think you've created?" Snape asked curiously.

Sirius could have smacked himself for not putting the pieces together as he looked down at the parchments. It was an extension of his research.

No, it was a completed version of his research. Sirius felt like his breath had left him.

"It's a cure…Well not fully, but as close as I think is possible." Harry said softly.

Sirius could cry. Harry had figured it out.

He took a slow breath to keep himself in his seat. He wanted to shout with joy and scoop Harry into a tight hug. Both of which he was sure Harry wouldn't appreciate.

He looked at the parchment in amazement.

Severus watched as Black looked over the pages he'd been handed. He was intrigued to see what the boy had found. His mother had been a genius at potions. If the boy had inherited the talent, he could be unstoppable. He had proven his intelligence with his essays, though Severus had yet to bring him to the lab and see if any of his skills lie in brewing or only in theory.

"What is it that you think you've cured?" Severus asked Harry, as he dragged his eyes away from the parchments in Black's hands.

Harry's knee was bouncing, and he was chewing on his lip. He looked like a ball of nerves.

"Lycanthropy." Black said softly, handing him the pages.

Severus scrunched his brows together. It wasn't possible. He'd researched the matter extensively after he had been confronted with the beast in his sixth year.

Severus took the pages and looked over the first one. It held a detailed potion that was an interesting modification of the wolfsbane potion and the Animagus potion. It had all the steps included. At the bottom was a long string of Latin.

"What is the Latin at the bottom?" Severus asked, looking up to the fidgety boy across from him.

"It needs to be said before the leaves are chewed. If I'm right it should work as sort of a counter curse. Lycanthropy at its heart is a curse." Harry said.

"It needs to be said under a rising new moon. Then the leaves chewed to a paste. The leaves and saliva are the last step of the potion. It will need to boil from moon rise to set. Then the potion will need to be consumed as the sun rises. It should have a similar effect to taking the Animagus potion. The transformation will be jarring, I think, but not painful. The counter curse would need to be said every evening with the moon rise and then shifting to the Animagus form for at least an hour. Then the day of the first full moon the shift would need to occur half an hour before moon rise." Harry explained, then quickly stood from his seat, and began pacing.

"If I'm right then nearly all of the side effects of Lycanthropy will be negated other than the need to spend the full moon in wolf form. The injuries created by the wolf should no longer have the ability to pass on the curse. The transformation should no longer be painful, and the wolf should retain memories." Harry explained as he continued to pace.

Severus felt gobsmacked. He'd never considered using animal transfiguration, in the form of Animagus to reach a cure.

"They shouldn't require wolfsbane again either." Harry added.

Severus looked back down at the pages and began flipping through them. He couldn't find an error in the conclusion the boy had come to.

"Here. This should be almost all of the needed ingredients. Except for the fresh ones. I'm not sure what your source for wolfsbane or Mandrake leaves are. Both will need to be fresh the day of the brew." Harry said sliding a box across the table.

Severus looked over at Black, who looked near tears. Severus couldn't imagine what a life-changing experience this would be for Remus.

"Harry, how did you do this?" Severus asked.

Harry stopped his pacing and looked at them both.

"I…I didn't. It's Sirius' research…I just played around with it a bit…Sorry…I um." Harry cut himself off as he began hurriedly shoving things back into his bag.

Severus could tell that the boy was ready to bolt but he didn't understand why. Harry had just made arguably the biggest breakthrough in potions in decades.

Severus looked at Black.

Black looked lost.

"Harry I wasn't anywhere near the answer. I've been working on this research in different forms since I was a student. You've had these notes for a month and figured it out." Black said, pulling himself from his own thoughts.

"Oh…um…ok…I…you think it's right? I know I'm not very smart. I probably messed it up." Harry said shaking his head as he zipped his bag.

Severus set the parchments down and pulled one of Harry's calming draughts from his pocket. He was getting himself worked up. They didn't need repeat of last week.

"Harry you are smart." Black tried to affirm.

Harry just shrugged as he pulled his bag onto his shoulders.

"Will you take this please." Severus said holding out the potion.

Harry bit his lip and then shook his head.

"No, we need to train. Sorry that I've delayed us." Harry said.

Severus took a chance and stood. He took slow steps towards Harry.

Harry watched him carefully but made no move to escape. Severus raised his hand not currently occupied by the potion and laid it on Harry's shoulder. The muscles tensed at first but seemed to relax after a moment.

"Take a breath and bring your shields up. Then take a swallow of the potion so that we can talk about this." Severus said levelly keeping eye contact with Harry.

Harry swallowed hard and nodded. He closed his eyes and began taking slow deep breaths. When his eyes opened, he seemed calmer.

Severus kept his hand on Harry's shoulder hoping to ground him and held up the potion.

"Just a sip." Severus instructed.

Harry nodded and did as he was told.

"Better?" Severus asked as Harry pocketed the vial.

"Yeah." Harry said with another deep breath.

"Good. Now, take a seat. This is excellent work. But I need to ask a few questions. Ok?" Severus asked.

Harry blushed and then nodded. Severus gave him a gentle squeeze on his shoulder before he removed his hand.

Once they were seated again Severus looked to Black. He seemed surprised but calmer then he had been. Severus had been tempted to hand him a calming draught too.

"Why didn't you want Remus here?" Black asked.

"I didn't know if he knew about your research. I also didn't want to give him false hope. I know how painful his condition is. And I know how painful false hope can be." Harry said softly looking down at his clasped hands.

It was a painful thing to hear. They were trying to give Harry real hope, but Severus was sure that after so many disappointments it must be hard to have any hope at all.

Severus asked a few more clarifying questions, but it was obvious that Harry was ready to be done.

"I think we should probably move on to your training for the day. Today's the twelfth and the new moon is Monday. If Lupin is inclined to make this attempt, I will arrive at dawn on Monday to begin the brewing process." Severus said to Black.

Black gave him a huge smile.

"Thank you, Severus. Truly I can't thank you enough." Black said earnestly.

Severus just nodded.

"And thank you, Harry. This is going to change Remus' life." Black said, turning to Harry.

Harry blushed and looked back at his hands.

"I mean it ,Harry. Thank you." Black said.

"I believe if this works it maybe something we can use as a tool to bring werewolves to our side of the war. Wolfsbane has been a promising offer, but the price is too steep. This is a onetime brew. It would be possible to offer it to others for their help." Severus said.

Harry raised his head and glared at Severus.

"I won't let this potion be used that way. These are people's lives. If they want this potion, I will make that happen. I have money. I can afford the potion supplies needed. If they join us after great, but I won't save people's lives just to put them in a war to die. They are people not weapons." Harry said harshly.

Severus was a little taken aback by the boy's passion. He was right though.

Severus sighed.

"Your right, I think the headmaster has rubbed off on me. This isn't related to the war. I would be happy to brew this for others who are interested. No strings attached." Severus said with a nod.

Harry looked a little unconvinced but nodded.

Harry gave Sirius a hug in the hall outside of the Room of requirements. He tried to absorb the warmth and comfort. Strongly pushing away all the negative thoughts that wanted to flood his mind. Sirius was happy with him. He had made Sirius proud of him. He couldn't stop smiling at that knowledge.

It was a long way from everything he still owed them but knowing he had done something right felt wonderful.

"Thank you, pup." Sirius said, pulling away from him.

Harry just smiled and nodded.

He was grateful that Sirius hadn't once brought up the diagnostic. He hoped he could have more interactions with him like this.

"Yeah. Go home and tell Remus. You look like your about to burst." Harry said with a laugh.

Sirius gave a bark of laughter and Harry felt his heart soar. He'd missed seeing Sirius happy. It had been so rare to see him genuinely happy. Even at Grimmauld it had often seemed forced.

"I'll see you guys tonight." Harry added.

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Dumbledore invited me to join the Order meeting tonight." Harry said more seriously.

Harry saw Sirius shoot Snape a questioning look.

"First I'm hearing of it." Snape replied, stepping closer to them.

"He asked when we were walking up here." Harry explained.

Both of the adults had dubious looks on their faces. Harry was also hesitant about the invitation. Dumbledore rarely did anything without an ulterior motive.

Harry just shrugged.

"I'm not sure either. I guess we'll find out tonight." Harry said casually.

Sirius looked at Harry with concern.

"Harry, I don't want to question your judgment, but are you going to be okay with that?" Sirius asked.

Harry was worried about coming face to face with the whole Order. Especially since he'd not seen many of them since the end of the school year. However, he felt he was in a good place after a relaxing week. He also knew how to put on the 'boy-who-lived' mask. He had done it for his trip to Diagon.

"It'll be fine Siri." Harry said with a cheeky grin more like he would have given before this summer.

Sirius sighed and nodded.

"Alright." Sirius said with a nod.

"Don't be too rough on him, Snape. We'd like to have him in one piece after training. I'm sure Rem will want to thank him." Sirius said, patting Snape on the shoulder. It was a surprisingly friendly gesture, especially for two people who had always hated one another.

Snape glowered at Sirius, but Harry could see a slight smirk pulling at the corners of Snapes mouth. It was an interesting dynamic to witness. Harry suspected that they'd both decided to put the past in the past, but neither was willing to appear to have given up the grudge.

Harry laughed slightly as Sirius strolled back towards the stairs with a wave and a big grin.

Harry waved back. He was glad Sirius was in such high spirits. He hoped he was a little lower energy when he came back for the Order meeting though. Currently he seemed like a dog with the zoomies.

Harry looked back at Snape, who seemed to have returned to his normal stiff appearance.

"We have quite a bit of work to do today. If you're hungry you should summon your elf for some lunch before we begin." Snape said neutrally.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Sure." Harry said as he began pacing in front of the wall to get to the training room.

Sirius was practically vibrating with excitement as he floo'd home. He couldn't wait to tell Remus.

He tumbled into the sitting room and immediately began looking for Remus. When he'd been through the house with no success, he headed out the door. He spotted honey-colored locks peeking out from the edge of the trees.

Sirius smile grew to nearly manic proportions. He loved Remus. And he loved Harry. He was so happy to have them both in his life. He felt a swell of joy in his heart as he thought about his family. Small and messy but perfect. He wanted to show Remus just how much he loved him before he explained the exciting news.

Sirius was sure Remus had been attempting not to mope after he had left. Remus was always so sensitive to rejection. It was tied heavily with his low opinion of himself and disgust of his condition. Harry hadn't been pushing him away though. Harry had been changing Remus life for the better. He just didn't know it yet.

With that thought in mind Sirius popped into Padfoot and began running across the field towards the tree line. Sirius barked in joy.

As he came to within a few feet of Remus he stopped and popped back into his human form.

"Hey." Remus said quietly.

Sirius stepped with purpose into Remus space and wrapped his arms around his waist. His lips landed on Remus'. He could feel Remus chuckle against his lips.

Sirius slid his hands down Remus' back. Giving his butt a quick squeeze, he grabbed Remus thighs and lifted him.

"Sirius!" Remus said with a squeal of surprise.

Sirius paid him no mind and he forced Remus to wrap his legs around his waist and started marching them back towards the cottage.

"What are you doing?" Remus said in a nervous laugh.

Sirius gently squeezed Remus closer to him and kissed his lips again.

"I'm going to love every inch of you. Then I'm going to tell you the most amazing news." Sirius said, moving his kisses down Remus' neck as he walked up the front steps.

Sirius kicked the door of their room open. Then as smoothly as he could, dropped Remus onto their bed.

"Did you get your pardon?" Remus asked excitedly.

Sirius just shook his head as he pulled his shirt off and climbed on top of Remus.

He couldn't possibly love this man more than he did right now. Sirius lifted one hand and gently ran it through Remus' silky soft hair as he began peppering his face with soft kisses.

When he reached Remus' ear, he gave the lobe a soft nibble before licking down the column of his neck.

"Even better news." Sirius whispered as he began undoing the buttons on Remus' shirt.

Remus moaned softly under him as he found a sensitive spot at the junction of his neck and shoulder and sucked hard.

Remus lay panting in the middle of his bed. He felt boneless and his body glistened with sweat. Sirius was curled into his side, drawing gentle patterns on his stomach with his fingers.

Remus closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing down.

His body hummed with pleasure and his mind felt comfortably numb. He wanted to slip into sleep.

Sirius head was laying on Remus arm, and he could feel the tickle of his hair splayed over his chest.

Remus' thoughts slowly started to drift, and he remembered that Sirius had news.

"What was the news?" Remus mumbled.

Sirius hummed softly.

"Harry found a cure for Lycanthropy." Sirius mumbled.

Remus felt like his brain had been set on fire.

"What!?" Remus nearly shouted as he sat up abruptly dislodging a blissed-out Sirius.

Remus gathered the sheet around his waist and turned to stare at Sirius.

Sirius threw his arm over his eyes dramatically and groaned.

"So much for afterglow, Moons." Sirius groused, though Remus could see that Sirius was smiling.

"Did he really find a cure?" Remus asked desperately.

Sirius sat up and brushed his messy curls from his face.

"Sex was supposed to relax you before we talked about this." Sirius laughed.

Then he reached out and took Remus' hand in his.

"It's not a full cure. He took some research of mine and finished it. It's amazing. I was thinking about scrapping the concept and trying something new, but he did it." Sirius said softly, looking Remus in the eyes.

"I don't even know what to think. What's the catch?" Remus asked.

Surely if it was simple, painless, and cheap someone would have figured it out before now.

Sirius smirked.

"Not much of a catch. If this works the only lingering signs of lycanthropy will be spending the full moon as a wolf. But it will be a wolf Animagus. The transformation won't hurt any more. And you won't be able to infect anyone else." Sirius said biting his lip a little.

Remus felt tears sting his eyes. He had spent his whole life fearing his condition. Fearing the pain. Fearing hurting someone. His father had spent years looking for a cure. He knew the marauders had too.

Had his pup really solved it?

How was his pup? He suddenly thought.

"How was Harry when you saw him?" Remus asked, momentarily pushing the exciting news to the side.

Sirius gave him a soft smile.

"I'm not sure. He seemed anxious and overwhelmed. But also, he was really enthusiastic when he was explaining what he had discovered. Snape pointed out that he was acting a lot like Lily when she would make a breakthrough on an experiment." Sirius answered.

Remus huffed a laugh. Yes, Lily was always a ball of nerves, than an explosion of excitement before she would start second guessing herself.

Remus wondered if it was the same for Harry.

"Was this all you talked about?" Remus asked curiously.

"Yeah. I told him I was proud of him, and he gave me a hug before I left." Sirius answered.

Remus nodded. He felt pride glow in his chest. This was an amazing discovery.

"I'm going to grab a shower. But I want to hear more." Remus said climbing off the bed.

Sirius looped his arm around Remus' waist and stood next to him.

"I'll join you." Sirius said, leaning in to give Remus a quick kiss.

"Oh, you will, will you?" Remus said teasingly, kissing Sirius back.

Sirius smirked and they headed for the bathroom.

There was much to discuss still and an Order meeting to get to this evening. However, this may be one of the most amazing days of his life, Remus thought with a smile.