Author note- Thank you so much for the reviews and continuing to read this story.
Song inspiration & Reference- Wish you were here- Pink Floyd
Chapter 65
Lost Souls
Remus held onto Sirius hand tightly as they entered the Magical Congress building. They had spent the last two days exploring New York. They'd enjoyed the freedom of just being tourists. Sirius had done more planning for the trip then Remus had realized.
Sirius had made plans for every night of their stay. Sirius wouldn't tell him any of his plans until they showed up. Dinner on their first night had been beautiful. They'd had dinner on a roof top looking out at the city.
Remus smiled softly as he thought of the night. He squeezed Sirius hand a little more and gave him a soft smile.
"You ready?" Sirius asked.
Remus nodded.
"Welcome. What can we do for you today?" A friendly young witch asked from behind a desk just inside the entrance.
Remus sighed. They had several things they needed to do today. They'd given themselves the weekend to explore but it was Monday now and they needed to get to the business of their trip.
"Hello, we actually have a few items of business to attend to. I hope you'll be able to help us." Remus answered.
The witch smiled widely.
"Is this your first time in the country?" The witch asked.
Remus nodded softly.
"Very well, did you come by Portkey?" The witch asked as she brought a pen down to her ledger.
Remus swallowed thickly as he looked over to Sirius. They hadn't expected the question.
"We came by muggle plane." Sirius answered.
The witch looked back at them curiously.
"Do you have No-Maj passports?" The witch asked.
Remus could feel his palms sweating. They should have just gone to the ministry and requested a Portkey.
"Erm." Sirius hesitated.
The witch signaled over her shoulder.
Remus glanced over and saw two wizards approaching them. They had official looking robes. They stood out in sharp contrast to those around them. Most of the Wixen in the building were wearing more modern clothing. Remus was amazed at how modern and muggle everything seemed here. They had obviously embraced the non-magical world a lot more then Britain had.
"Siri." Remus said in concern.
"Don't worry Rem." Sirius whispered back.
"If your seeking asylum in the United States you'll need to speak with security first." The witch said with a tight smile.
Remus swallowed. That wasn't why they were here. Though he wondered how many Wixen had fled Britain. Enough for it to be the default assumption he supposed.
"Gentlemen, if you'll come with us." A man with a hard face said.
Remus nodded. The wizards weren't holding there wands on them, but they did have them drawn.
They found themselves in a surprisingly comfortable room. He had expected a room like the Ministry's interrogation rooms. It had a small table with two chairs at the far wall, and along the wall to the right of the door was a couch facing two armchairs. Remus held tight to Sirius hand as they were led to the small sitting area.
Remus and Sirius sat on the couch. The two other wizards sat in the armchairs facing them.
"Good morning gentlemen. My name is Michael, and this is Jim." The older of the two said.
Remus looked them over. Michael had short cropped blonde hair peppered with grey. His face was heavily scarred and wrinkled and he reminded Remus of Alastor. Jim was young. Early twenties if Remus had to guess. His hair was also cut short, but it didn't hide the fact that his hair was mostly cowlicks. Remus imagined his hair would look something like Harry's if it were longer.
He felt a pang in his chest thinking about Harry. They'd checked in last night and he seemed to be doing okay. He'd apparently spent the day brewing with Severus and Draco. Severus said he'd kept a close eye on his breathing, and he seemed to be doing fine. Remus hoped the new medications were helping.
"Can we get you're names?" Jim asked, flipping open a notebook.
Remus cleared his throat.
"Remus Lupin." Remus said.
Jim jotted it down and then turned to Sirius.
"Sirius Black." Sirius said.
Jim raised an eyebrow and looked over to Michael. Remus knew the news of Sirius escape had traveled. He just hoped the news of his pardon had reached them as well.
"What is the reason for your visit?" Jim asked.
Remus took a deep breath. He would almost certainly need to expose the fact that he was a werewolf. It didn't make any sense for them to have traveled all this way otherwise. Not when they could have handled there business back home.
"We came to get married. We were hoping to get registered today. We plan to spend the week in the States." Sirius answered, squeezing Remus' hand.
Jim nodded and wrote that down.
"Destination wedding? Do either of you have family in the country?" Michael asked.
Remus sighed and shook his head.
"No." Remus answered.
There was a pause and Remus bit his lip. This was not going the way he'd hoped. They knew they would likely be spending the day here. However, they had suspected it would be filing paperwork and waiting in lines. Not being questioned.
"Remus is also hoping to register to test for a healer's license." Sirius added.
Remus nodded but kept his head down.
"And these matters couldn't be handled in your own country?" Michael asked stiffly.
Remus sighed and brought his hand to his face.
"No, they couldn't." Remus answered.
They all sat quietly for a few moments. Remus was second guessing everything now. They should have just stayed at the cottage with Harry.
"We are seeing an increase in people fleeing your country. We can help you, but not if you're lying to us. How is it you came here?" Michael asked.
Remus looked at Sirius hoping he had some idea how to work there way through this.
Sirius cleared his throat.
"We came by Portkey. An illegal Portkey. Our Ministry isn't exactly dependable at the moment." Sirius said with a slight growl.
Michael snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Well, that's an understatement." Michael said.
"Listen boys, were not trying to impede your business, but you've got a lot going on over there and we don't want it here. About once a day we stop a kid coming in here. Their motives for being here are shaky at best. When we search them, they are always carrying dark artifacts or have that horrid tattoo on there arm. We send them packing." Michael explained.
Sirius looked over at him worriedly. They knew the Death Eaters were spreading but they had no idea that they had been trying to get into foreign governments.
Remus swallowed thickly.
"Would you mind showing us your arms?" Jim asked, sitting forward.
Remus nodded and unbuttoned the cuffs of the light blue shirt Sirius had bought him. Sirius had spoiled him yesterday on a shopping trip. He had poked fun at Remus for looking like an old man in all of his sweaters, and had insisted on them going shopping.
Remus rolled up his sleeves and turned his arms so that they could see. They studied his arms for a moment before nodding. Remus went about fixing his sleeves as they turned to Sirius.
Sirius was wearing a black shirt and a light black jacket over it. Sirius shoved his sleeves up and both men leaned forward to look at his arms. Sirius's arms were heavily tattooed but none of them was a dark mark.
Remus smiled softly at the flowy script at his left wrist that said 'Moony'. Sirius had gotten that on their one-year anniversary.
"May I cast a charm over your arms?" Jim asked looking up at Sirius.
Sirius nodded.
Jim mumbled something and a light blue color hovered over Sirius arms before fading. Jim nodded and sat back.
"Thank you." Jim said, writing something else in his notebook.
Sirius nodded and sat back leaving his arms exposed.
"It's been clear to the American government for over a year that there is something wrong with your Ministry. When that boy died, and word started spreading about a return of dark powers we started raising security here. So, we won't fine you for the illegal portkey but keep you're noses clean." Michael said.
Remus and Sirius both nodded.
"Now the part that's not adding up for me is why you're here. You plan to return so why use your vacation to handle this business." Michael said, studying them both.
Remus sighed and looked at Sirius sadly. Sirius gave him a tight smile.
Remus raised his head and looked at Michael.
"I'm a werewolf. Our government will not approve a wedding license, nor will I be able to get my certification as a healer, despite my training." Remus said resignedly.
Michael got a dark look on his face, before looking over at Jim.
"What a bunch of assholes." Jim said.
Michael nodded.
"You're countries pretty backwards. You sure you don't want to stay?" Jim asked.
Remus relaxed a little and sighed.
"Unfortunately, we can't. Our son is back home." Remus said.
Michael nodded. His face showed understanding.
"Very well, I don't think there is much else to discuss. You can go to the third floor to get registered for the marriage license. It will take about three days to process and then you can get married anywhere you choose. You'll need to register for your testing on the first floor in the office marked for healers." Michael said standing up.
Remus sighed and stood as well.
"I hope you both have a safe trip. We don't get much clear information from over there. The paper dragged that kid through the mud for months for sounding the alarm. Now I hear there saying he's supposed to end the war. What a bunch of bullshit." Michael said rolling his eyes.
Remus heart clenched at the casual reference to Harry. He hated how the public talked about him.
"Have a nice day gentlemen and congratulations." Jim said with a friendly smile.
Remus nodded and grabbed Sirius hand as he led them out of the room. They walked down the hall a bit before Sirius pulled him into an alcove.
Sirius wrapped him in a tight hug.
"It's okay Remy. Everything's fine. We know what to do now. Yeah?" Sirius said.
Remus nodded and just melted into Sirius' hug. It had been stressful, but he was glad it was over.
Sirius pulled away and smiled.
"Let's get this done. I've got a surprise for you tonight." Sirius said with a wink and pulled Remus further down the hall.
Remus laughed. He loved this man so much. He was so thankful to have him.
Severus watched as Harry worked on washing dishes before heading out of the kitchen. He'd had both boys in the lab all day yesterday. They'd both seemed eager to do something different. The three of them had brewed a few potions he normally stocked in the Hospital wing. They would be surplus but there wasn't much harm in having extra.
They hadn't talked much. Severus had kept a close eye on Harry, especially when he was handling the knife to cut the potions ingredients. He hadn't seemed distressed. In fact, brewing had seemed to relax him.
He'd made a perfect Pepper-up. His eyes had lit up when Severus had praised him for his effort. He'd felt like a horrible person for how he'd treated the boy in class.
Severus had also noticed that Draco had spent much of his time watching Harry as well. Although not for the same reasons. The boy couldn't seem to help but watch him and blush. It was almost painful to witness. The boys had chatted quietly while they'd cleaned up. Draco had smiled a lot and had 'accidentally' bumped into Harry a few times.
Severus planned to talk to Draco. Harry seemed oblivious to Draco's obvious attempts to flirt. Severus worried that Draco would either misstep and upset Harry or get frustrated with Harry's lack of reaction.
He wasn't sure what either of the boys planned to do with there day. Harry had slept in his Animagus form in the hall last night. Severus wasn't sure what the best solution was. Draco didn't seem to mind having Harry in his room, but Severus wasn't sure that was the best idea given Draco's feelings.
Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Are you alright Severus?" Draco asked, as he returned to the table with a fresh cup of tea.
Severus groaned.
"I'm fine, Draco." Severus said shortly.
"Are you worried about Harry?" Draco asked.
Severus lips pinched before he nodded slightly.
Draco nodded and looked down at his cup. They sat quietly for a while. Severus considered what he could do to entertain the boys today. They could brew again today but he was worried about Harry's breathing. Everything had gone fine yesterday, but even Severus could admit doing two days' back-to-back in the lab could be taxing on the lungs.
"What do you plan on doing with you're day?" Severus asked.
Draco shrugged.
"I'm not sure. Do you need help in the lab today?" Draco asked.
Severus shook his head. Draco nodded and sighed.
Severus raised his wand and cast a silencing charm. What he was going to say, he did not want Harry to overhear.
He cleared his throat and turned to Draco.
"I appreciate that you are being so kind to Harry. I know you were dealing with some anger while he was gone. I know that things have been difficult, but I really do appreciate that you are being adaptable." Severus started.
He really had appreciated Draco these past few days. The last thing he needed was a repeat of the first few days Draco had been here.
"Of course." Draco said with a nod.
"I'll admit when I first noticed the way you were behaving to Harry at the street fair I was confused. You and Harry have always been so antagonistic. I even told Albus, I was worried that I'd have the two of you dueling in the kitchen if he forced me to house you both." Severus said.
Draco sighed and nodded.
"I'd like to understand better where these sudden feelings for Harry have come from." Severus said.
He didn't want to tell Draco his feelings were wrong, but he truly didn't understand.
Draco blushed and sighed before raising his cup and taking a sip of his tea.
"I don't know, Sev." Draco said.
Severus gave him a moment hoping he would say something else.
"I guess it started as just thinking he was cute. His base form kind of shocked me. I…I mean I'm not seeing things, right? He's beautiful like that?" Draco said looking up to Severus.
Severus snorted and raised an eyebrow. He was not a teenager, nor was he interested in men, so he hoped Draco wasn't really expecting him to give his own appraisal of Harry's physical appearance.
Draco blushed and shook his head.
"Sorry…Right…um…" Draco stuttered.
"I can concede that his base form seems more genuine." Severus said, trying to save Draco from his own verbal fumbling, though he was slightly inclined to just let him keep going.
Draco nodded and a small smile played at the corners of his mouth.
"When we went to the street fair, I was…conflicted. I found him attractive, but I didn't want to. This is Potter after all." Draco said with a snort.
Severus nodded. He supposed that made some sense. Draco was conflicted between physical attraction and his general dislike of the other boy.
"But…." Draco sighed and rubbed his face.
"He didn't play a single game when we went to go look around. He explained them to me with patients and congratulated me when I did well. I didn't really understand. When we met back up with you, he said he'd had a good time and that didn't make sense to me. He hadn't done anything but watch me play." Draco said.
Severus listened carefully.
"I saw him looking at the nursery but when it didn't seem like he was going to ask to go I thought I'd suggest it. He told me about the plants he liked. Then he listened to me when I told him I didn't know much about plants but pointed out the ones I thought looked nice. He even told me a lame joke." Draco said with a small smile.
Severus smiled.
"Our evening conversations have never been that deep, but he listens. Not just nods along. I don't know Sev. I've never met someone like him. If I met Harry this summer and didn't know what house he was in, I think it would be hard for me to place him. Sure, he's brave and reckless as any Gryffindor I've ever met. Going to save Bones showed me just how brave he can be." Draco said a little thickly.
Severus watched as Draco took a deep breath and sipped his tea again.
"But he's kind and loyal as a Hufflepuff, and smarter then any of the Ravenclaws at school." Draco said with a firm nod.
"But he's broken and hidden like a Slytherin." Draco said with a sigh.
Severus sighed. He hated that Draco saw the Slytherin's as broken. He couldn't disagree. There was a disproportionate number of troubled kids in their house.
"He fascinates me, and I want to know him better. I've never met someone that has captured my attention that way." Draco said with another sigh.
Well fuck, Severus thought.
He'd thought Draco just had a bit of a crush that he could try and dissuade but Draco actually seemed rather taken with Harry.
"I don't think he really likes me that way. Shame really." Draco sighed.
Well at least Draco wasn't completely oblivious to the fact that Harry wasn't reciprocating the flirting.
"Perhaps just focus on being his friend for now. I think in a way you really did only meet him this summer." Severus said.
Draco considered this and nodded.
"Probably barking up the wrong tree anyway. Potter took a girl to the yule ball. Think he was going out with a different girl last year. Plus, kind of seemed like maybe there was something going on with Weasley's sister." Draco said with a sigh.
Severus had no idea, nor was he inclined to find out. Teens this age were just finding themselves. He knew Draco had taken Pansy to the yule ball, though he thought that was probably as friends.
Draco groaned.
"I can't believe you're making me go to the Weasley's. Can't I just go to the school with you?" Draco whined.
Severus rolled his eyes before shaking his head.
"No, students can't stay at the castle outside of term time. Harry's stay in the hospital was kind of a unique situation." Severus answered.
Severus knew Draco was hesitant about going to the Burrow, but he hoped that with it being such a short stay, things would go smoothly.
Draco sighed and nodded.
Severus hoped Draco would take his advice and just try and be Harry's friend. Harry would need a friend that would understand this summer. He doubted the boy would be truthful with Weasley and Granger about everything that had happened. While Draco didn't know the full story either, he knew enough.
"I'm going to go see what Potter's up to. Maybe we can go for a walk or something." Draco said with a shrug.
Severus sighed and nodded as Draco took his cup to the sink. He'd rather keep the boys in, but he knew it was probably better to let them out. He didn't have much to entertain teenagers with.
With a sigh he also stood and headed for his office. He hoped to start getting things packed to return to school. He usually left it until last minute, but He wasn't sure what this week would look like and didn't want to have to make trips back and forth when he forgot things.
Draco stopped at the top of the stairs when he spotted Harry.
He was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall next to his door. His eyes were closed, and his head was tipped back. He had something over his ears that seemed to have some sort of cord running down to a box that was sitting in his lap.
His brows were tense, and his mouth seemed pinched. He wondered what Potter was doing. He looked stressed.
Draco walked closer and bumped Harry's shoe with the toe of his own. His eyes flew open, and he reached up and pulled the thing off his head.
"Sorry." Harry mumbled as he pushed something on the box in his lap.
Draco shrugged. He didn't understand the apology. Teddy did that a lot too. He'd apologize without reason, like the default word was just sorry.
Draco swallowed. He supposed that came from their upbringing. He walked to the other side of Harry and sat down next to him. Harry looked at him curiously.
"What are you doing?" Draco asked.
Harry shrugged and looked at the thing in his lap.
"Listening to music." Harry said softly.
Draco nodded.
"Does that play music?" Draco said pointing to the box.
Harry nodded and pulled the things from his head and held them out for Draco to take.
"These are headphones. Put them over your ears." Harry instructed calmly.
Draco took them and immediately managed to tangle his arms in the cords.
Harry huffed a soft laugh and reached out to take the headphones back. Draco shook his head as Harry attempted to untangle the cord from his arms.
"Well hold still." Harry said softly as he tentatively took Draco's hand and glanced up at him.
Draco fought not to blush. Just be friends, he tried to remind himself.
Harry's hands felt warm against his skin, and he smiled softly as Harry detangled his arm and then held out the headphones.
Draco just tipped his head down this time.
Harry smirked and Draco's heart fluttered. Harry put the headphones over his ears. Draco could do nothing about the blush on his face when Harry's finger gently brushed against his cheek.
Harry smiled and nodded when they were in place.
Harry fiddled with the box in his hand and suddenly music started to play. It was nice. A little strange. Draco's breath caught when Harry leaned into his side and put his head against his. Maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe Harry did like him back.
The moment vanished quickly, and Draco could see Harry nodding his head. Draco realized Harry had been listening to the headphones to make sure it was playing.
Draco closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He tried to calm his racing heart and just listen to the song. It was sad and Draco let himself just melt away with the music.
He opened his eyes as the song faded out. Harry clicked something on the box before the music stopped all together.
Draco took the headphones off and handed them back to Harry.
They sat there quietly for a while.
"Two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl. Is that what we are? Lost souls?" Draco asked softly.
Draco felt Harry shrug next to him.
"I've been feeling pretty lost." Harry answered quietly.
Draco nodded.
He felt lost too. Adrift from his friends and family. Unsure about the future. He'd been so sure about everything before this summer but now… now he wasn't sure of anything.
"Sirius! What is this place?" Remus shouted over the loud music.
Sirius smiled widely.
"Well, we aren't going to have a stag party. So, I thought maybe we'd just have a wild night before we get hitched." Sirius answered loudly.
Remus raised an eyebrow.
"A club? I think we're a bit old for that." Remus said with a nervous chuckle.
They'd gone to a few clubs when they'd first been out of school. The nights were long and full of drinks and new friends.
"Nah, this place is perfect." Sirius said, pulling Remus further into the dark club.
Remus heart was nearly pounding in time with the loud bassy music. The place was packed which surprised Remus since it was a Monday night.
They had gotten all of there paperwork done at the magical congress building. Unfortunately, it had taken up most of the day. They'd gone to get a quick dinner and then Sirius had excitedly dragged them here.
They would be returning tomorrow to do his testing and hopefully Thursday to get his certification. They planned to get married on Friday. Sirius had told him they were going to be going on a bit of an adventure for their honeymoon. Then they would be returning to the castle Saturday night to start setting up.
Remus blushed at the people they were passing. Remus had concluded two things about the club Sirius had brought them to. Firstly, it was a Wixen establishment. Secondly, it was certainly curtailed for a certain kind of clientele. Remus felt like they stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone here was dressed up in party style clothing. Where as he and Sirius both were dressed in business casual for their day at the congress building.
As they approached the bar Remus started to notice more wizards dressed in more casual clothing and felt a little better.
"Whiskey neat, and…" Sirius ordered before turning to Remus.
Remus sighed. He wasn't sure a drink was the best idea for Sirius. He hadn't even been having wine at dinner. He supposed Sirius just wanted to cut loose a little.
"Gin and tonic, please." Remus said softly to Sirius who turned back to the bar tender and ordered.
Remus let his eyes roam over the crowd of writhing bodies and flashing lights. He took a deep breath. This was certainly unexpected. Though whether it was a good unexpected, or not, was yet to be seen.
Sirius got there drinks and nodded towards the far end of the bar. Remus followed and tried to keep his head down. The crowd was making him a little uncomfortable. He wasn't used to being in such a crowded place.
Sirius set there drinks down and pulled off his jacket before shrinking it into his pocket. Sirius waved his wand at his black slacks, and they transfigured into well fit dark muggle blue jeans. Sirius hadn't bothered with a nicer shirt today, and had let his jacket carry a lot of the weight. He now stood in a tight black shirt and jeans that hugged him in all the right places. Remus let his eyes roam over Sirius for a moment before he took a seat.
"Like what you see?" Sirius whispered in his ear.
Remus huffed a laugh and nodded.
"Always." Remus said bringing his drink to his lips.
Sirius smiled widely.
"In fairness these pants started this way. I just switched them up for our errands." Sirius said with a grin.
Remus shook his head. That sounded like Sirius all right. Remus wasn't sure Sirius even knew how to dress properly. He wondered what Sirius would wear for their wedding.
Remus snorted as an image of Sirius in his leather jacket and ripped jeans came to mind.
"What?" Sirius said with a smile.
Remus shook his head. He didn't care what Sirius wore. He never thought he'd have to worry about such a thing. He couldn't believe they were actually getting married.
"I love you." Remus mouthed as the music got loud again.
Sirius grinned widely before reaching up and softly cupping his cheek. The look in Sirius' eyes made him feel seen in a world that would rather believe people like him didn't exist.
"I love you too Remus." Sirius said.
Sirius stretched his back and took in the environment. He'd finished his drink and was considering asking Remus to dance when a wizard around there age approached. He was wearing a skintight mesh shirt and tight leather pants. He had messy chestnut brown hair and sharp blue eyes.
"Would you like to dance?" The man asked Remus.
Remus looked him over and turned to look at Sirius with a raised eyebrow. Remus already had a bit of a shine to his eyes. The alcohol was clearly starting to affect him. He'd had a second drink already and he rarely drank. Sirius wanted to pace himself. He hadn't had a drink since starting the mood potions and didn't want to ruin the night by overdoing it.
Sirius smirked.
"Go for it Moony." Sirius said.
Remus shot him a slightly concerned look, but Sirius could see the fun in his eyes. If Remus really didn't want to go, Sirius had no doubt Remus would have just turned the guy down.
Remus had rolled the sleeves of his shirt up and unbuttoned the top few buttons. Sirius had thrown a color changing charm at his shirt. It was now a dark green that complemented his complexion nicely. Remus had rolled his eyes at the change but not fixed it.
The guy held out his hand and Remus took it before following the guy out into the mess of people. Sirius smiled. Remus had been so stressed all day. He hoped this would be a nice break.
"Another for you, sir?" The bar tender asked.
Sirius considered his glass and glanced back out at Remus. He decided he could have one more.
Sirius nodded and the bar tender took his glass, pouring more of the amber liquor in it.
When the song was about half done a young man approached him. He said nothing but held out his hand and nodded towards the dance floor. Sirius considered him for a moment before nodding. He turned back to his drink and took a slow sip before tossing back the rest. He stood and sized up the man that had approached him.
Sirius nodded and followed him. He'd lost Remus in the crowd of people but hoped he was having fun.
Remus laughed as Sirius led them out of the club. They'd had a wonderful time. Tim, the man that had asked to dance with Remus, was a wizard here on vacation from Ireland. He had actually been rather fun to spend time with. They'd discovered he'd been at Hogwarts with them just a few years younger and in Ravenclaw.
He'd bought them another round of drinks and they'd chatted for a while before his friends had swept him back into the crowd.
Remus had caught sight of the man that Sirius had danced with, but he'd faded into the crowd after a few dances.
Sirius had pulled Remus back out to dance, and they had enjoyed themselves greatly. The music was different then anything either of them would normally listen to, but it had been a pleasant experience.
"Thank you, Pads. I think I needed that." Remus said with a grin.
Sirius nodded.
"It was fun. Nice to remind ourselves were in our thirties not our fifties." Sirius said wrapping his arm around Remus' waist.
Remus laughed a little and nodded. He supposed sometimes they did lose sight of that. Their lives had kind of collapsed at twenty-one. The last decade had been difficult, and they both found it difficult to live the lives that others there age did.
Remus was pleased that while they both had a bit of a buzz neither of them were too far gone. He'd worried Sirius might drink more but he'd sipped water between each drink and had stopped after his third.
Sirius pulled Remus into an alleyway. Remus was surprised when he felt himself pushed up against the brick wall and Sirius warm lips against his.
Remus hummed happily. He felt the pull of Apparition and suddenly found himself being pushed back on the bed in there hotel room.
Sirius stood at the end of the bed and studied him. The fire in his eyes sent a shiver up Remus' spine.
Sirius pulled his black shirt off and stalked closer to the bed. He knelt on the bed and slowly laid over Remus. He propped himself on one elbow and looked down into Remus' eyes.
"You're so beautiful." Sirius said softly.
Remus blushed and looked away. He never felt like anything but a monster when he was with anyone but Sirius. Sirius saw something in him.
Sirius threaded his fingers through Remus' messy hair. He leaned down and kissed him softly. Remus opened his mouth and let Sirius' tongue dance with his. His body felt like it was on fire. Sirius had one hand knotted in his hair and the other skillfully undoing the buttons of his shirt.
Remus groaned as Sirius fingers tickled along his exposed hip bone and danced along the top of his pants.
Remus had no idea how he'd gotten so lucky to end up with Sirius. It had never made any sense to him. Sirius was the good-looking bad boy. He could have anyone he wanted.
Remus thought of himself as ugly and nerdy, always buried in books and parchment.
He knew why they worked though. They had both been lost. Two souls unsure of where they belonged. They'd always had a special bond that was different then their other friendships. They understood that loneliness. That lost feeling.
Sirius worked his way down Remus' neck and bit gently before sucking hard.
Remus moaned and Sirius peppered kisses along his collar bone.
Just as Sirius was about to pop the button on Remus' pants, Remus smirked and rolled them over. Sirius smiled up at him.
Remus descended on Sirius neck in a frenzy of kisses. Sirius hands came up and started roaming over his back before grabbing at his hips. Remus rolled his hips against Sirius and captured Sirius' mouth again as he gasped.
Harry sighed as he looked around the guest room. He'd brought up the cleaning supplies from the kitchen and scrubbed every inch of the room. He'd washed the bedding and remade the bed. He needed the space, but he couldn't be in here with the smell. He couldn't smell it in human form and was sure it had gone unnoticed by Draco and Snape but in his Animagus form the smell of blood was overwhelming.
Draco had stopped by once and offered to help but Harry had just shaken his head and dismissed him. This was his mess to clean up. They'd had to deal with enough.
It had been nice to just sit with Draco earlier. He'd shared a few more songs with him. He seemed to enjoy them.
He pulled his bag from his pocket and then his trunk before enlarging it at the end of his bed. He tried not to pay too much attention to the place it sat.
He sighed when he opened the trunk. He looked down at the things Sirius and Remus had gotten him. He hadn't touched them. Despite the letter he really didn't feel like he deserved them. He had been nothing but trouble for them all summer.
Harry sighed as he set the clothing in neat piles on the end of his bed. They were nice clothing. He didn't think he'd ever owned anything so nice.
He looked back into his trunk and pulled out the bag of toiletries. These too were nicer brands. The kinds of things the Dursley's would buy for Dudley.
Harry sighed and set the bag on his bed with the clothing. He pulled up his wall a little more. He didn't need to have another breakdown. He'd already done some crying while he'd been cleaning the room. He'd been thankful no one had noticed.
He made a separate pile of the clothing he had bought when he'd gone shopping in Diagon Alley with McGonagall. There was nothing wrong with them, but they were arguably in rougher shape. He pulled out his tattered underpants and baggy pajamas next and tossed them on the floor.
He moved things around until he was able to access the hidden compartment in his trunk and pull out his old one. He resized it and removed the box with Regulus journal and the Dark Arts books. Then he dumped the rest of his ratty clothing onto the floor.
He felt like burning them. With a sigh he transfigured one of Dudley's old shirts into a bag and shoved all the other clothing into it.
Slowly he rearranged his trunk. This one was a lot nicer then his old one. There were actual compartments. He was amazed that the wardrobe compartment was nearly full now. It had all of his new clothing from Sirius and Remus as well as his Weasley jumper from last year. He put his older Weasley jumpers in his old trunk. He didn't want to get rid of them, but he could no longer wear them. He also put all of his first and second year textbooks in his old trunk. The material in them was well memorized by now.
He added in his two completed sketchbooks and novels he'd read over the summer. He was unlikely to reread them anytime soon.
With that complete his trunk looked nearly ready to return to school. He'd still need to get his school supplies but there letters had yet to arrive. Harry felt it was rather late in the summer to still be waiting for them, but he knew things had been crazy this summer.
He sighed and retrieved the photo albums he'd been gifted for his birthday. Then he closed his trunk and climbed on his bed.
He pulled his Walkman from his bag and popped in a new tape. Settling back against the headboard, he closed his eyes as soft guitar music filtered into his ears. He'd been surprised by how much of the music was rather soft. There had been plenty of loud rock but not all of it. He felt he understood Sirius better listening to this music than he ever had before.
There were three photo albums sitting in front of him. He sighed. He wondered if this would be all the photos he'd ever see. The thought made him sad. The knowledge that his parents were little more than photos in an album. That there would never be another photo taken, another memory made. He would never truly have his own memories of them.
He tried to bury the thought. It was more then he'd ever dreamed he would have of them. He tried to be grateful for what he had.
Pulling the first album into his lap, he sighed as he prepared for what might lie inside. It was rather large and had a lovely leather cover on it. He flipped it open and found a picture of a baby. Harry studied the dark hair and thought it might be himself. There wasn't anything else in the picture. Just a sleeping baby swaddled in a blanket.
Harry flipped the page and found people he didn't know. A man and a woman holding the baby. The wizarding photo shifted from them looking down at the baby to them smiling at the camera. The house in the background was grand. There was old fashioned furniture made of dark woods, and elegant tapestries hung on the walls.
Harry flipped through a few more pages and as the baby got bigger Harry realized it had to be his father. He had hazel eyes, and his unruly hair only got crazier the older he got.
He studied the other people in the photo's that must be his grandparents. There were others in some of the photos. He wondered if Sirius would know who they were.
Harry smiled when he got to photos of his dad from his Hogwarts days. Many of the photos were of the Marauders. There were some with others but mostly it was his dad and his friends. Sirius and Remus looked so young. He'd seen photos of them at Grimmauld but many of those they'd been in there late teens. Some of these they had to have been first years.
He flipped through the last few pages and found pictures of his parents. His mother looked happy in most of them. There were a few were she looked horribly annoyed. Harry laughed even as tears began to fall down his cheeks.
He closed the album and pulled up the next one. This one started similarly, though these were obviously muggle photos of his mother.
There were photos of her parents and of Aunt Petunia. It was nice to put faces to Rose and Johnathan. They looked like nice people. He could see how Mary had picked out his eyes though. Johnathan and his mother had the same bright green eyes that he did.
He flipped the page and just stared at the photo in front of him. The bottom of the photo had 'Lily & Sev Summer 69 ' written on it. It was his mother and Snape. They were about the same age as the photo that Snape had given him.
They were sitting on the front steps of the Evan's house. They both had what looked like strawberry ice cream on there faces and were smiling widely at the camera. He'd never seen Snape look so happy. It made his heart hurt for the man.
Harry flipped through the next several pages and saw lots of pictures of the two of them together. Mostly playing at the Evan's house. There were a few that looked like they'd been taken at the park and one that was somewhere in town he didn't recognize.
Petunia popped up frequently in the background as well as another blonde girl that Harry was fairly sure was Maggie.
Harry smiled at a picture of the two of them smiling brightly in there Hogwarts uniforms on the platform. Harry scanned the background of the picture and was able to pick out a few faces he recognized. Including Neville's grandmother. She must have been dropping off Neville's dad.
Harry sighed as he remembered seeing Neville at St. Mungo's at Christmas. Like Harry himself Neville had been forced to grow up without his parents. He wasn't sure which was worse.
Harry shook his head. They were both horrible options.
He bit his lip and considered his healing books. He wondered how much research had been done on prolonged exposure to Cruciatus.
Harry grabbed a pen from his bag and just wrote 'crucio' on his palm to look into it later.
Harry continued to flip through the pages. His mum with various friends. Harry wasn't sure who they were. Again, he knew he'd need to ask Sirius and Remus…or Perhaps Snape. He felt to raw to talk about these photos with anyone right now though.
He smiled when he found one of his mother and Remus in the common room. They had books and homework spread out around them. His mother was laughing and shoving Remus' shoulder and Remus was blushing and shaking his head.
As his mother got older there were fewer photos of her and Snape. The final one, his mother had a prefect's badge on. Harry suspected that it must have been some time in the winter of there fifth year. Snape wasn't smiling in the photo and looked to have perfected his scowl already. His mother also looked closed off. Harry wondered why they'd taken the photo at all.
The next several weren't of his mother but of places around Cokeworth. Some people he recognized, including Jack and Jane in the diner. Harry smiled at how young they both looked.
He found one of Mary standing behind the counter at the Book Nook and one of Kelly and Maggie sitting on a half wall near the river. Kelly looked to be about sixteen and was wearing a faded denim jacket and was smirking over her shoulder at the camera. Maggie was a little older, maybe twenty, and had long braids down her back. She was smiling softly.
Harry wondered if his mom had been friends with Maggie and Kelly at some point. He'd noticed Maggie in the background of some of the pictures. She had clearly been friends with Petunia when they'd been children. He resolved to ask Mary.
With a sigh he popped the cassette out of the player and flipped it over before going back to looking in the album.
The rest of the photos were mostly of his mother at school. Eventually his father was in a few. The last one was of a large group of people. Harry suspected this was likely the end of their time at Hogwarts. Harry could spot the train in the background, and they were clearly at Hogsmeade station.
Harry closed the Album and sighed.
He flipped open the last album and stared at the picture he'd seen the other night. It must have been his first birthday. He'd gotten a picture nearly identical to it from Sirius last year for his birthday. Only this one had Sirius and Remus in it as well.
The photos in this album weren't linear like the ones in the other two. They seemed to jump around a lot. Some looked like they'd been taken just after they'd gotten out of school, and some had him as a baby. He saw a few faces he recognized from the Order picture Sirius had given him.
He stopped when he came to a pair of photos. First was of him asleep in Hagrid's arms. He had no idea where the photo had been taken. Outside somewhere. The half-giant was smiling, and his eyes were shining a little. Harry thought he was probably under a year old in the photo.
The next photo was of him crawling, chasing a very recognizable silver tabby cat with distinctive square markings around its eyes.
Harry wondered if McGonagall had ever seen this photo. Harry thought about his interactions with her over the summer. He should try and talk to her more this year. She'd been exceedingly kind to him over the summer.
Harry flipped the page and found another of him and McGonagall. He was a bit older in this photo. The warm sweater he was wearing suggested fall. This had likely been taken shortly before his parents' deaths.
He was sitting in her lap with a picture book. The wizarding photo didn't move much. McGonagall's mouth moved a little. She was obviously reading the book to him. His chubby baby hand was fisted in the front of her robes and the other was reaching for the book.
He sighed and flipped to the next page. There had been so many people who had spent time with him as a baby. He wished he would have known. Wished they had reached out to him. He'd always felt so alone.
Harry sighed and continued through the album. There were various birthdays and group photos. Lots of Harry's first year. He ran across another surprising one near the end of the album.
He was sitting on Dumbledore's desk in his office. He had both hands wrapped in the old man's beard and was smiling widely up at him. Dumbledore seemed to be laughing softly.
Harry stared at the photo for a long time and thought about his last interaction with the man. It wasn't his fault that Harry had had the life he had. The man had made a mistake. It had been so painfully obvious in his eyes.
Harry swallowed thickly as he looked at the picture. He still wasn't sure how to feel about Dumbledore. He knew he'd need his help to end the war. He couldn't think about that right now. He was barely holding it together as it was.
With a sigh he looked through the last few photos.
The last one was of him with his parents sitting on the floor. His mother had her wand out and was making bubbles. His father was gently rubbing his back and baby Harry was laughing and clapping as he watched the bubbles.
He closed the album and wiped the tears from his face.
He just stared at the albums for a long time. Finally, he picked up the one with the pictures of his mother's childhood and flipped it open to the first photo of his mother and Snape. He thought the man might like to have these pictures. He knew a duplication spell he could use.
Slowly he duplicated all the photos of them and stacked them in a neat little pile. He knew it might be painful for Snape to see them again, but like Harry, he had been grieving for years and could use some closure.
He wasn't sure if Snape would find comfort in knowing his mother had kept these pictures. The fact that she had and that she had named Snape as an emergency guardian had to mean something though.
Severus watched as Harry fidgeted at the table. He hadn't seen much of him today. He knew he'd cleaned his room. The smell of bleach had been so overpowering for a while he'd fled to the back garden to read.
Draco had joined him for a bit but hadn't said anything. He'd seemed content to just sit and think. When he'd gone upstairs later the door to Harry's room had been closed and Severus had been tempted to knock and check on him. He'd eventually decided against it and had let him be.
Now though, he was second guessing that choice. Harry had looked like he'd been crying when he'd come down to start dinner, and he had been incredibly quiet despite both him and Draco trying to engage him in conversation.
"Draco, would you clean up tonight?" Severus finally said when it seemed they had all finished there meal.
Draco sent a worried glance at Harry and nodded.
"Harry, why don't you join me in the sitting room." Severus said before standing and walking out of the kitchen.
Severus watched Harry walk into the sitting room. He didn't take a seat, he didn't look hesitant like he had in the past. Instead he was nearly pacing in place.
Severus raised his wand and cast a silencing spell over the room.
"What's going on Harry?" Severus asked neutrally.
Harry sighed and ran his hand through his long hair.
"I um…. I." Harry started then bit his lip.
He was obviously nervous about something. Severus worried about all the possibilities.
"Why don't you take a seat." Severus suggested.
Harry sighed and nodded before taking his regular seat. He fidgeted a little more before seeming to bring up his occlumency shields. Severus sighed. He didn't like that Harry was still hiding that way, but it could be addressed a different time.
"Could um…Well I was wondering if…" Harry started but kept stopping himself.
Severus watched as Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes before speaking.
"I'd like to ask a favor. Two actually…I suppose I'm feeling a little anxious about asking." Harry admitted, opening his eyes and looking at Severus.
Severus nodded. He would do what he could for Harry. He never asked for anything. It showed real growth that he was willing to ask for something.
"I have some items I would like to burn. I didn't figure setting them on fire in the guest room was wise, so I'd like to know if there is a place I can do that." Harry said.
He had his head down but was glancing up at Severus through his hair.
Severus brows furrowed.
"What is it you wish to burn?" Severus asked.
Harry sighed and twisted his hands in his lap.
"My old clothes." Harry said softly.
Severus sneered. He would happily let him burn anything the Dursleys had ever given him. Especially the horrid clothes he'd been forced to wear.
"I believe with the right wards we could safely do that in the back garden." Severus answered.
A small smile pulled at the corner of Harry's mouth, and he nodded.
"Thank you." Harry all but whispered.
Severus nodded.
There were a few moments of silence as Harry seemed to gather himself to ask his next favor.
"Could you take me to Gringotts?" Harry asked.
Severus was confused now. What could the boy possibly need at the bank? He'd be going to Diagon with the Weasley's in less than a week. Surely, he could wait.
"Can your business not wait until Saturday? I imagine you'll be going with your friends to collect your school supplies." Severus answered.
Harry sighed.
"Remus gave me the key to my parent's vault. I…I'd like to take a look for myself, but I don't think it would be wise to do that while I'm trying to shop for school supplies." Harry answered quietly.
Severus sat back in his chair.
He was not inclined to take the boy to anything related to his parents. He could still hear Sirius screaming at him about having taken Harry to the Cemetery.
"I do not feel comfortable doing that without Sirius and Remus permission." Severus finally said.
Harry shoulder sagged a bit, and he nodded.
"If they say it's alright, would you be willing to take me?" Harry asked.
Severus sighed and nodded.
"You may ask when they call tonight. I imagine we can go on Wednesday." Severus said.
Harry nodded and stood.
"Would you mind if I went and handled my clothing before Draco and I sit down to talk?" Harry asked.
Severus nodded and stood as well. He followed Harry down the hall and back through the kitchen. Draco peeked over his shoulder at them but said nothing.
When they got outside Harry pulled something from his pocket before enlarging it. Severus watched Harry descend the stairs and walk to a bare spot in the yard.
He turned the bag over and dumped the ratty clothing in a pile on the ground.
Severus waved his wand and cast some disillusionments over the garden. He didn't need a neighbor thinking his house was on fire. Nor did Harry need Draco to run out to find out what was going on.
Harry raised his hand and Severus watched as white light poured from his hand. The flames engulfed the bundle of clothing. Severus could see Harry's face clear in the glow of the fire. His jaw was tense, and his eyes shined brightly.
Severus hoped this would help Harry. Sometimes you just needed to set things on fire. Simply throwing them out wasn't enough.
Severus watched nervously as Harry made his way out of the sitting room. The boys had talked, and the mutts had never called. Harry looked worried and dejected. They'd called the last two days at this time. Perhaps they'd just gotten busy. Severus hoped nothing was wrong.
Draco watched Harry leave and sighed.
"He's worried about them." Draco said softly.
Severus nodded.
"Why don't you head up to bed." Severus instructed.
Draco nodded.
"Good night, Sev." Draco said as he headed out of the sitting room.
Severus waited to hear the bedroom door close upstairs before he stood and threw some floo powder into the grate.
"Twin Witch Hotel, New York, Room Six forty." Severus called.
He kneeled and stuck his head through the green flames.
"Black, Lupin." Severus called.
He glanced around and saw nothing. There was light pouring through the windows, but clearly neither of them was in the room.
Severus pulled his head out and closed the floo.
He sighed and rubbed his face. He hoped Harry didn't take them not calling too personally. He was sure it was just the time difference.
He pulled himself from the floor and made his way upstairs. The light in Harry's room was still on and the door was closed.
He couldn't placate his worry as he had earlier and stepped up to the door before knocking.
There were some shuffling sounds before the door swung open.
Severus smiled softly. Harry was dressed in real pajamas tonight. They looked brand new. His hair was pulled up into a mess of curls behind his head. Severus was pleased to see that his face was starting to fill out a little. He'd noticed that Harry was finally eating a bit more. The sip of calming draught at meals seemed to be making a difference.
"Are you doing alright?" Severus asked.
Harry sighed and wrapped his arms around his waist.
"I'm fine." Harry said softly.
"You don't seem fine. Don't worry about them. I'm sure they're alright. I know it's late here but it's not even dinner time there. They likely just got delayed." Severus tried to placate.
Harry sighed and nodded.
"Did I do something wrong?" Harry asked very quietly.
Severus' heart broke at the slight wobble in Harry's voice.
"No, of course not. These things happen. I'm sure they will call tomorrow, and you can talk to them." Severus tried to reassure.
Harry nodded but it was clear in his eyes that he didn't feel reassured at all.
Harry walked back into his room and sat on his bed.
Severus followed cautiously and took a seat in the desk chair.
They sat quietly for a few moments before Harry broke the silence.
"It was so nice to meet someone that had known my parents. Someone that was willing to talk about them. Remus was so nice to me. I…I was hesitant to except private lessons with him. I always tried to avoid being alone with adults. I was willing to risk it though to know more about my parents." Harry said softly.
Severus nodded. He could understand Harry's hesitation. He thought back to the times he'd had the boy in detention and realized it had always been him and Weasley. The only time before this summer that they had really been alone together had been occlumency lessons.
He certainly hadn't relieved any concerns about being alone with an adult in those lessons. He'd yelled, manhandled, and even thrown things at him. All of that was beside the fact that he was forcing himself into the boy's mind.
Guilt rolled in his stomach as Harry continued.
"I felt so conflicted the night everything came out. It was just a lot. Sirius offered to let me come live with him. I didn't think I could even feel that happy. Then we almost died and a lot of crazy stuff afterwards." Harry muttered.
Severus nodded. He wasn't exactly sure how Sirius had escaped but it sounded like the boy had been involved. Not that it was surprising. Harry and his friends always seemed to be in the middle of all the things happening at Hogwarts.
"Watching him fly away on Buckbeak crushed me. I went to talk to Remus the next day and he told me he was leaving." Harry bit his lip and shook his head.
Severus could see tears shining in his eyes.
"I didn't see Remus again until I came to Grimmald last summer. Sirius tried to stay in contact, but I was so afraid if I said the wrong thing he would stop replying to my letters, or worse he'd do something to get himself captured." Harry whispered, as he pulled his knees tight to his chest.
"When I thought Sirius had died…I felt like part of me died too. The part of me that longed for family, for a place to belong. I didn't hear from Remus…I know he was hurting too, but it felt like he was blaming me. I was blaming me." Harry said.
"I've messed up so much this summer. I just felt like nothing I did was right. Then I was with them, and I thought it was what I wanted…and it is but…" Harry cut himself off and shook his head.
"I'm just messing that up too. Sirius started drinking again and they've been fighting. I tried really hard this last week to just be happy for them. They seem like they were doing better. I just…" Harry trailed off with a sigh.
"I don't want to lose them." Harry said softly as the first tear slid down his face.
Severus heart ached for Harry. He was trying so hard to manage everyone else's emotions and reactions and what he needed to be doing was just worrying about himself. It wasn't his job to keep everyone happy. He was exhausting himself and hiding away from everyone.
Severus supposed he had been doing that here as well, but it wasn't quite the same. When he would hide here it had mostly been to protect himself when he was feeling overwhelmed.
Severus took a deep breath and tried to find the right words.
"Harry, look at me please." Severus said softly.
Harry turned tear filled eyes to him and Severus swallowed thickly.
"We've all made a lot of mistakes where you're concerned." Severus started.
Harry went to protest, and Severus silenced him with a shake of his head.
"We have Harry. Maybe you can't see it right now, but we have. I won't tell you that the people in your life will always be there. It's not true. People drift apart, they leave, they die. We all have to accept that. What I can promise you is that the weight of those relationships does not solely lie on your shoulders. You can't control how others will react in a situation. It's not your job to control how they feel." Severus said.
Harry bit his lip but just kept his focus on Severus.
"Sirius and Remus have both had difficult lives. Lives for which you aren't responsible." Severus said firmly with a nod.
"They love you Harry, they aren't just going to abandon you. I know that's hard to see right now but they're not." Severus said.
Harry's eyes filled with tears, and he nodded.
"They just want to see you doing better. We all do. We can't help if you hide away from us. Let us help you." Severus added.
Harry nodded again and sighed.
Severus could see how exhausted Harry was.
"You should get some sleep." Severus said standing from his chair.
Harry wiped his face and pulled the tie from his hair. Severus stayed put until Harry had climbed under his blanket and settled. Edgar meowed from under the bed, and Severus bent down and collected him before setting him next to Harry.
Harry smiled softly as he reached out and pet the kitten.
"Thanks." Harry said softly.
Severus nodded. Harry was so loved by those around him. He hoped that eventually he would see that. Draco was right about what he had said earlier. Harry really wasn't like anyone he'd met before.
Severus reached out and pet the kitten as well. Without thinking Severus' hand moved from the top of the kitten's head to Harry's and pushed his long hair out of his face.
"I love you too, and I'm not going anywhere either." Severus said firmly looking into Harry's eyes.
There was shock in Harry's eyes for a moment before they filled with tentative trust.
Harry closed his eyes and leaned slightly into Severus' hand. Severus gently rubbed the boy's messy hair before pulling his hand away.
"Good night, Harry." Severus said.
"Night Sev." Harry mumbled.
Severus was surprised by the use of his nickname. The only ones who ever used it had been Lily and then Draco. Severus supposed Harry had just heard Draco say it a lot.
Severus glanced worriedly one last time at Harry before turning out the lights and pulling the door mostly closed.
Harry stumbled out the front door with Draco following him. He'd tossed and turned all night having nightmares of Sirius falling through the veil. He'd made a quick breakfast and asked Snape if he could go out for the day. He needed the fresh air.
Snape had been hesitant but eventually agreed when Draco said he would go with him. Harry was fine with that arrangement.
"Where are we headed?" Draco mumbled from beside him.
Harry sighed. He had no idea where they were going. Just out of the house.
"The Park?" Harry said with a shrug.
Draco nodded and they headed off.
When they reached the Park, Harry sat heavily under the tree. Someone had evidently moved the large branch that had fallen into the pond, and it now sat near the edge of the park.
Harry shuffled through his bag and found his Walkman before pulling it out.
"We should go to the music shop today and see if we can get a splitter so we can both listen." Harry mumbled as he pulled a tape from his bag and popped it in.
Draco nodded next to him. The other boy didn't seem very awake yet. Not surprising given the early hour. Harry slid the headphones on his ears and leaned his head back against the tree.
His eyes opened when he felt a tap on his hand.
"Are you practicing unforgivables?" Draco asked, his brows furrowed in concern.
Harry shook his head as he pulled the headphones off.
"What?" Harry asked.
"You have 'Crucio' written on your hand." Draco said, pointing to Harry's palm.
Harry glanced down and nodded. He'd forgotten about the note he'd written.
"I wanted to do some research about long-term exposure." Harry said softly.
Draco got a pained look on his face before he turned away and stared out at the pond.
They sat quietly for a while before Draco spoke.
"Do you mind if I just lean against you to listen." Draco asked softly.
Harry shrugged. The music was helping him relax and Draco didn't seem like much of a threat.
Draco scooted closer and Harry could feel the distinct parts of his body that were now in contact with Draco. It felt strange to sit this close to someone else, but he relaxed a little as Draco leaned his head against Harry's and they both listened to the music.
Remus shivered as he groped across the bed for the blankets. He allowed one eye lid to open slightly. He snorted when he realized Sirius had wrapped himself in the blanket. The room was dark, and Remus head felt slow and a little fuzzy.
He rolled out of bed and attempted not to trip over discarded clothing as he shuffled to the bathroom.
He'd been having a pleasant dream. He was laying in the warm sun and listening to the wind rustle the trees above him. He'd been listening to Sirius and Harry laugh and splash in the water nearby.
It reminded him of their time at the lake.
A sudden realization hit him. He'd not called Harry yesterday.
"Dammit." Remus cursed as he stumbled back out of the bathroom and grabbed a robe that was laying over a chair.
He shuffled out of the bedroom and into the small sitting area. He grabbed a pinch of floo powder and tossed it into the fire.
"Spinner's End." Remus called and shoved his head into the green flames.
"Severus." Remus called.
The sitting room was empty, but he waited a moment then heard footsteps approaching.
Severus walked into the room with an unimpressed look on his face.
"May I speak with Harry?" Remus asked.
Severus raised his eyebrow.
"He's left for the day." Severus said coolly.
Remus sighed.
"I'm sorry. We got stuck at the congress building for hours yesterday. I forgot to call." Remus said with a sigh.
Severus nodded and took a seat in his chair.
"Harry was rather upset that you didn't contact him last night." Severus said stiffly.
Remus sighed and nodded. He knew he'd messed up.
"Was he okay this morning?" Remus asked worriedly.
Severus sighed and sat back.
"He didn't say much this morning. Just that he wanted to go out. Draco has gone out with him. I don't suspect they will return before dinner time." Severus answered.
Remus nodded.
"How is he doing overall?" Remus asked.
Severus seemed to consider his words for a moment.
"I think he is struggling but working through it. He has been talking to me and Draco. I think that's all we can really ask right now. I'd be more concerned if he seemed fine because I know it would just be masking." Severus answered.
Remus felt his heart clench. He hated to hear that Harry was struggling. He was glad Harry was talking to them though. Harry tried to carry far to much on his own.
"You're son has made a request that I told him he would need to run past you first." Severus said.
Remus nodded. He was glad Harry was asking for anything. He'd seemed so hesitant to voice any need or want while he'd been staying with them.
"He informed me that he has the key to the family vault, and has asked me to take him to Gringotts. He says he doesn't want to go with the Weasley's." Severus said neutrally.
Remus nodded. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised by the request. He'd told Harry it should be another time. Though he'd planned for it to be he and Sirius that took him.
"I think there are items in there he may want to have, perhaps before he returns to school. I would be comfortable with him going but I'd like you to go with him. There are weapons in the vault and I…I don't want him to have access to those at this time." Remus answered.
Severus nodded.
"Very well. I believe we will go tomorrow unless something changes. I would not miss your call this evening." Severus said firmly.
Remus nodded.
"We will be having dinner with Mary on Thursday. We might be returning later than usual so if we are not here when you call on Thursday, you may need to call back later." Severus explained.
Remus nodded as he took in that information. He'd need to write a note. His brain was still not fully awake.
"Thank you again Severus. I'll call this evening." Remus said.
Severus nodded and Remus pulled his head from the floo.
He sat back on his legs and wanted to scream. He couldn't believe his carelessness. His big worry for Harry staying with Severus was that Harry might feel abandoned. Then he had to go and miss the only point of contact he was getting from them.
With a sigh he pulled himself to his feet. He walked to the small closet and pulled down the spare blanket before shuffling back to bed.
He caught sight of the clock and realized it was nearly four in the morning.
Remus groaned as he lay back down on the bed and wrapped the blanket around him. Today had certainly taken a turn. He hoped the next few days would go better.