I own nothinh, and take inspiration from other fics.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
And y'all thought I was dead... PFFT
You all have my sincerest apologies. Like i said, I do this for fun and hope it works. I've recently gotten the itch back, so I'll see where it takes me. I have 2 other story ideas as well, but I'd like to get through this first.
Serious Poll: Hadrian or Harry? Seriously, I get mixed reviews from everyone. But this is the last poll that will lead up until i post the next chapter. I apologize for starting with Harry, then switching to Hadrian in this chapter. Hopefully it helps the poll.
Thank you to all who have read and will read this. I hope to see some familiar names back.
What are other fivs are y'all currentky reading/following?? Lmk
also, also. If there are errors, lmk. I type this on my phone. Be gentle. I am a lowly amateur.
It was during that short snort of amusement that something else from James' letter struck him. Picking up the letter to read it again, Sirius finally got to the line: Except for the purple hair, you look just like him as a baby.
Sirius looked from the letter to Hadrian then back to the letter. Eventually, the gears in his head started to turn, and the thick cobwebs started to clear. With wide eyes, and a slap to the head, Sirius Black remembered something.
'Oh my god. He's a metamorph'
OoOoOo
When Harry awoke from his nap, it was to the smell of a wonderful dinner. Blearily opening his eyes, they were out of focus, but he could see Sirius setting the table, gentle music coming from Sirius' room, and a snowy white owl in her cage. With a yawn, he reached for his wand. The movement caught Sirius' attention.
"Evening, Prongslet." Sirius said with some cheer. "Have a good nap?'
Harry yawned and stretched. "Great nap. I was knackered."
Sirius gave a nod and finish setting the table. "You have great timing. Dobby is almost done with the roast."
As if on queue, Harry's stomach gave a low growl. Sirius snorted and told him to go get washed up. Hadrian reminded Sirius to thank Dobby profusely for his cooking.
Harry got up, said hello to Hedwig, who was taking a much needed nap, and washed up before dinner.
The first thing to hit his nose upon his arrival back to his room was the savory smell of a nice roast. "Dobby, you are a godsend." With his eyes closed, his only warning for Dobby's arrival was a soft pop.
"You is most welcome, Master Hadrian." Harry nearly jumped out of his skin, but kept his balance. He opened his eyes to find an amused Sirius who was receiving a salute from Dobby. Hadrian gave Sirius a two-finger salute of his own, which only served to make Sirius laugh even more.
The two wizards shared a wonderful meal, both going back for second and third helpings of the roast, as well as dessert. Due to the regime of nutrient potions, their bodies needed more than they would normally eat. It allows the body to make up for all of the malnourishment it received for an extended period of time.
Once they had their fill, and thanked Dobby for the meal, Sirius spoke.
"Long day, huh?" Sirius probed, not really sure how best to broach the topic. Hadrian merely nodded, not knowing if he was ready for this discussion with everything being so raw. But not wanting to be pitied by Sirius, Hadrian spoke up.
"What would you like to talk about first?"
"Well." Sirius started unsurely, drumming his fingers on the table. After a second, he looked to Hadrian. "Your dad's letter was pretty straight forward. I'd recommend you keeping it close to you. It had some great advice, and will serve as a great reminder for your future endeavors."
Hadrian nodded, recalling what his dad wrote to him. It had been very nice, and how he imagined a father talking to his son. He would definitely start reading the family grimoire tonight before bed. This gave Hadrian a thought.
"Are there other books that the Potter's have that I could read?" He asked Sirius.
Sirius nodded. "Of course. In fact, if I remember correctly, the Potter's grimoire is enchanted. There's a directory in there with most of the books in the Potter family library. All you have to do is tap your wand, and the grimoire should change into the book you seek."
"Wow." Hadrian said, amazed at the magic that probably went into that enchantment. Hermione would have a field day with a book like that.
As if reading his thoughts, Sirius spoke again. "That Grimoire is for Potter's only. You wouldn't want to touch that book not being of Potter blood. In fact, you should never leave it out, or anywhere where people might accidentally touch it."
"What would happen to them?" Hadrian asked with a bit of fear. He knew that some books could have nasty enchantments. He was vaguely reminded of a few books he'd come across in the past. But Hadrian didn't need to be told all of that. It was his. His family's. He wouldn't let anyone so much as look at it if he could help it. He's done his fair share of hiding books in the past.
If the uneasy look of Sirius was anything to go by, then Hadrian knew that it couldn't be good. "Let's just say, the Black's grimoire is similar. I believe my father once said, 'They'll wish they were dead.'" Then Sirius shuddered, followed by Hadrian.
"There's also something else he mentioned." Sirius spoke up again. "The Potters have Roman origins, and every Potter male has learned to speak Latin. It's apart of their tradition. You would've learned it before you ever went to Hogwarts, but I'm sure we can get you a private tutor."
"He said it should come easy to me, being a Potter." Hadrian stated, drawing on his memory of the letter.
Sirius shrugged. "Maybe. That reminds me." Sirius started as he remembered something else mentioned with Hadrian learning Latin. "Moony wrote back. He invited me to come and visit. Said he's looking forward to seeing me."
"Did he say anything about Hedwig?" Asked Hadrian, his worry resurfacing.
Sirius smiled. "He did. That's another reason why he's eager to see me." Sirius caught Hadrian's frown and worry, so he decided to try and squash it down some more. "I trust him, Hadrian. I know he has some explaining to do, but Remus' circumstances are different. You have to understand."
Hadrian didn't fully understand, but he nodded his assent. It would be selfish of him to deny Sirius the opportunity to reconnect with his only remaining friend. It just stung Hadrian that Lupin spent all that time teaching him the Patronus charm, but he never mentioned how close he was to his parents.
Looking at Sirius, Hadrian can tell that something was bothering him. He was was looking at him, eyeing him as if he was expecting something strange to happen. It was quite unnerving. It reminded him of how others, including his friends, would look at him. He did not like that.
But before Hadrian could say anything, or ask what was wrong. Sirius hesitantly started to speak. "H-Hadrian... You haven't... Done anything with your hair? Have you?"
Hadrian was confused. "My hair." He sent to look up with his eyes, but he knew that was stupid. He would need a mirror.
"Has anything weird ever happened with it?" Sirius questioned further. "Has it ever changed color? Or grew at random?"
Hadrian frowned. His hair has always been the same, for as long as he could remember. It's always been a mess. Not overly long, but dark as night, and it sticks up at odd places. But there was that time when he was younger...
"Oh." Hadrian remembered sheepishly. "My aunt kept trying to get it to flatten out, but she never could. She ended up giving me a buzz cut, but it always grew back over night."
Seeing the dumbfounded expression on his godfather, Hadrian asked. "Why do you ask?"
Sirius shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Remember how your dad mentioned you having purple hair?" Hadrian thought for a second, then nodded once he remembered. "You were born a metamorph. I can't believe I don't remember. You used to change you hair all the time. Your favorite being a glowing shade of purple. I seriously can't believe I didn't remember that."
Hadrian frowned. "A metamorph? What's that?"
"A metamorphmagus." Sirius stated, as if that answered everything. "A shapeshifter. You can change your appearance at will, and your hair can change based off of your mood. Meaning you can have a default hair color when you're at your most content. It's a Black trait that's been dormant for years. I actually have a cousin who's a metamorph as well."
"But if I'm a metamorph, why can't I change anything?" Hadrian asked logically.
"It's blocked." Sirius said simply.
"I don't follow."
"When you have a child who's a metamorph, one that's exposed to muggles, you have to prevent their hair from changing colors at random." Sirius explained. "Your mom was a muggleborn, and they lived in Godric's Hallow. You needed a blocker until you were old enough to learn how to control it."
"Dumbledore probably kept it on when he dropped me off here." Hadrian followed Sirius' logic. He didn't know why, but he felt wrong knowing that his magic had been tampered with. He felt bonded with his magic. The thought of it being harmed unnerved him.
His thoughts were disrupted by a snort from Sirius. "I don't think anyone knew you were a metamorph. Knowing both of our grandfathers, they wouldn't have wanted that getting out."
"Why's that?"
"Tactical advantage." Sirius answered matter of factly.
'Made sense.' Thought Hadrian.
"How do we remove the block?" Hadrian asked Sirius.
"We'd need a healer." Sirius answered apologetically. Hadrian frowned. Of course, his life was ever complicated. It's not like he could waltz into St. Mungos and ask for a healer to remove his blocks. Hadrian could only imagine the headlines and backlash he would receive from Dumbledore.
"It's not impossible." Sirius said uncomfortably. At Hadrian's curious gaze, Sirius sighed. "I have another cousin. My favorite cousin, who is a healer. She'd be able to remove it, but I'm not sure how keen she would be to see me."
Sirius may have looked uncomfortable, but Hadrian could see a wave of emotions flickering in his godfather's eyes. He obviously cared deeply about this cousin of his, but he undoubtedly struggled more with how fractured their relationship has become. For the first time, Hadrian understood just how similar, and different, him and Sirius were. He hardly had anyone left, and it must be hard knowing that someone thought so negatively towards him.
An idea suddenly came to Hadrian. "We're technically related, right?"
Sirius nodded, not quite sure where this was going. "Second cousins."
"Then how do I relate to this cousin of yours?"
Sirius frowned. "Andi would be your second cousin too."
"Do you think I could, perhaps, write to her? To see if she'd be interested in meeting?" Hadrian asked, a hint of hope and curiosity in his voice.
"And meet where, exactly?" Asked Sirius flippantly. "It'll be kind of hard to sell her on meeting the 'Boy-Who-Lived' at an undisclosed location. You two aren't exactly close in age. She wouldn't even expect you to know who she is."
"I was just trying to help." Hadrian grumbled, but then another thought came to him. "I got it! We can have Hooktooth send her a summons. Have it pertain to family business."
"Hadrian." Sirius sighed, scratching his chin. "Andi despises our family name even more than I do."
"But there's nothing more important than family." Hadrian interjected. "Dad, Gramps, and Uncle Artie swore by it. If it's worded correctly then it could work. Don't just do this for me Sirius, do this for yourself. Nothing is more important than family."
"You, are my family." Said Sirius, voice thick with emotion.
"Honour thy blood, Sirius." Hadrian said simply. There was another pause where emerald green looked into steely grey. For a fraction of a second, Hadrian imagined if his grandparents had similar discussions like this in the past. He knew Sirius was starving for the same love and affection he, himself was starving for. He needed this. They both needed it. Perhaps for selfish reasons, but this was their family they were talking about. A family that needed mending.
"You keep that up, and you'll turn into Uncle Charlie." Sirius said with a soft chuckle. "I'll send a letter to Hooktooth. We can schedule that for next week. I'll also send my reply to Remus. It's close to a full moon, so I'll try for next week as well."
The rest of the evening progressed smoothly until it was time for them to turn in for the night. Sirius wrote both letters, and sent them off with Hedwig while Hadrian showered.
Once done, Sirius vaguely broached the topic of Lily's letter. It was a very intimate letter, and one Hadrian would come back to from time to time, much like his father's. It was a difficult read for both of them, but the small story she wrote jumpstarted Sirius on a trip down memory lane.
Hadrian had never laughed so hard in his life, and it was great seeing the spark reigniting in his godfather's eyes. Sirius needed this just as much, if not more than Hadrian did.
He didn't know how much Sirius may have been embellishing, but one thing was certain, Sirius Black could tell a story. 'And people have the gall to think the twins are bad.' Hadrian thought after a story where the marauders charmed the suits of armor to shout profanities at random people in the halls.
When Hadrian's yawns started coming within minutes of the others, Sirius had called bedtime. Hadrian then went to bed, anxiously awaiting for a new day to spend with his godfather.
He was completely ignorant to the fact that Sirius purposefully didn't bring up the ending to his mother's letter. He also didn't know that it was that very topic that kept Sirius up for a bit longer that night.
OoOoOo
To those who don't know him, Remus Lupin is a humble man with humble beginnings. But to those who knew Remus Lupin, really knew him, they knew that Remus Lupin's life had been one tragedy after another. Not that that mattered much to him. He hated pity in all forms.
He was infected with Lycanthropy when he was four, his mother died before he started Hogwarts, and his father died shortly before his graduation. He still had those that he considers family, or his pack; but it would only be a few short years until his pack would be taken from this world, leaving him to drown in his pain and grief.
Lost in a whirlpool of overwhelming grief, confusion, and anger, the lonely werewolf did the only thing he could. He hid himself from the world.
He did work the odd job here and there to provide for his basic needs, but it was nearly impossible for him to hold onto steady employment. Remus Lupin spent twelve long and difficult years away in solitude.
But then one day, out of the blue, he received a letter. He had no idea how anyone managed to find him, both magical or muggle, but they somehow managed. The letter contained the opportunity of a lifetime for the werewolf. It was perhaps the second greatest letter he had ever received, second only to his Hogwarts acceptance letter.
He had been offered a teaching job at Hogwarts.
At first, he couldn't quite believe it, and he was very much on the back foot, given his condition. There was also something about the letter that reeked of something deeper going on.
His instincts proved right. The headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, gave him an interview, which was more of a formality. And it was during this interview that Albus Dumbledore explained the circumstances. The best friend who had betrayed his pack had escaped from Azkaban, and with that, came the fear of who he would possibly be targeting. All avenues pointed to one person. A boy who Remus hadn't seen in twelve years. The lone survivor of his pack: Harry Potter.
Remus didn't need much more convincing on the matter. He understood why he could never had been apart of young Harry's life after that tragic night, but the need to protect one of his pack's cubs became overwhelming. He knew what he needed to do, so he accepted the job.
But throughout the course of the year, Remus could never find the courage to reconnect with young Harry. Telling the son of your deceased best friend that you pretty much abandoned him for twelve years wasn't easy. He also couldn't reveal the real reason as to why he had to. Not only was it supposed to remain a secret, but he wouldn't be able to deal with seeing the look of fear and revulsion in his eyes.
Seeing Harry all grown up brought the first genuine smile to the werewolf's face in nearly twelve years, but it only added to the pain and guilt that he felt. Harry was every bit his parent's son, and seeing him was like seeing everything that he had once lost.
Then, through absolute chance, Harry had came to him and requested to be taught the patronus charm. While it was a highly advanced charm, there were many reasons why Remus didn't want to have these private lessons with him. But somehow, someway, Remus was able to spend time with the child he once held in his arms. He wished so badly to tell him everything that he knew of his parents. He could see it in the poor boys eyes, how much he craved stories of them. Learning the charm had been difficult, but he wasn't at all surprised when the thirteen year old Potter, son of James and Lily Potter, mastered it.
Unfortunately, the troubles that plagued both of their lives for that year, slowly started eating away at them. And once Remus confiscated the old marauder relic from Harry, he never spared Remus a second glance. Remus had no way of knowing just how much their lives would change based off of that one act of Professor reprimanding his student.
Then one full moon night in early June, something happened that would flip both of their worlds' on its head. Something that nobody could have ever foreseen. Remus' mind became a blur, and he was once again blinded by emotions he spent twelve long years shoving into the far reaches of his mind and heart.
Sirius Black, former best friend and marauder, betrayer of James and Lily Potter, was innocent. He'd been falsely accused and convicted of crimes he had never committed. Instead, Peter Pettigrew, who everyone had long thought to be dead, was revealed to be the true traitor. Remus had his best friend back, and young Harry now had his godfather.
For approximately half an hour, all seemed to be right in the world, but fate had decided that it wasn't meant to be. Peter escaped, Remus transformed, and the life of Sirius Black was left in the hands of a thirteen year old Harry Potter. How on earth Harry managed to free Sirius, Remus probably didn't want to know. Much like many of James' escapades.
And now, things were almost the exact same as they were before. Harry was sent to live with his aunt and uncle, Sirius was on the run, and Remus was back to living in isolation. But the lonely werewolf could rest a bit easier after having had some long overdue closure.
The one upside is that Sirius reached out almost immediately following the school year. Having been hidden away from the world for so long, Sirius could freely visit, as long as he remained vigilant. He should be arriving sometime today.
Remus had to admit, it's definitely a lot better having a wanted criminal to talk to, than to remain isolated. The one thing that did bother the lonely werewolf, though, was the very familiar owl that Sirius had been using. If Remus didn't know any better, he'd think that Sirius and Harry were living with each other.
If only the werewolf knew how terrifyingly true that ridiculous thought was.
OoOoOo
In a small forest outside a small village in northeast England, a soft pop of apparition announced the arrival of three individuals.
"Thanks, Dobby!" Sirius chimed as he let go of the tiny house elf.
"Yous most welcome, dogfather." Dobby happily replied with a salute. Hadrian rolled his eyes at their antics. Ever since Sirius taught the elf that saluting is a sign of pride and respect, he has taken to doing that over bowing.
"Ready?" Asked Sirius. Hadrian nodded and donned his cloak, thanking dobby before the elf left.
Sirius cast the charm to remove Hadrian's scent, carefully doing the wand movement and incantation for Hadrian to see. Hadrian had been a bit surprised with how well Sirius could actually teach. He had been a huge help, and was even teaching a few things that were useful but weren't taught until later on at Hogwarts.
After explaining that the Marauders taught themselves much of everything they knew, and experimented quite a bit on each other with new spells, most of the time unwillingly, it made sense. They were all pretty good at teaching by the time they graduated. The exception being wormtail.
With everything set, Hadrian fell a few paces behind Sirius through a narrow path in the woods. The idea was for Harry to not make his presence immediately known. Sirius and Remus needed to hash some things out first, and Sirius hoped Harry would get the answers that he wanted. The timid werewolf wasn't really one for confrontation, and forcing the issue could make things go south rather quickly. Harry wasn't quite sure how to feel, but he knew that Sirius needed this more than he did.
As Hadrian followed Sirius through what seemed to be a random path in the woods, he found that if he looked closer, he found an overgrown path of gravel and stone. Both Hadrian and Sirius had to be careful to not slip on the slick mossy surface.
The path eventually lead to a particularly large thicket, and it was through this thicket that Hadrian saw an average sized cabin that had he not known somebody lived here, he would think it to have been abandoned. The windows head strong, though some obscured from age. The wood was very worn and weathered, but still appeared to be holding strong. And there was a lone chair and small table on the porch.
Sirius turned to make sure Hadrian was still there, then shook his head when he remembered Hadrian was under the cloak, before he carefully approached the front door, the wood creaking under his feet. Sirius hastily cast a spell that Hadrian didn't hear before Hadrian had time to take that step.
Sirius didn't get so far as raising his hand before the door opened. Hadrian didn't have the best look at Remus, but he could see the hesitant, yet curious look on the man's face. Sirius' face held the same trepidation, so for what felt like hours, the two friends stood there in awkward silence.
'You smell a bit better.' Remus started. 'But there's still essence of dog on you.' That was all the ice breaking needed for Sirius to immediately quip.
'At least I don't have fleas.' Sirius then made a not so subtle hint that there was a flea at Remus' hairline.
The man jerked wildly, slapping his hand to his hairline before roughly running his hand through his hair, causing Sirius to breakdown into peals of laughter.
Once Remus knew Sirius was having him on, he stopped and glared at him, though there was no real ire held in his amber eyes. 'Ha ha, Sirius. Very funny.' Remus then turned and retreated into his home.
Sirius caught the door with his hand and foot, still shaking with laughter. He managed to keep it open long enough for Hadrian to follow in behind him, but it took him a minute to regain his composure.
'I can't believe you still fall for that.' Sirius said as he began to fully reign himself back in.
Remus just shook his head as he offered Sirius a cup of some fresh made tea. Try as he might, Remus couldn't hold back the smile that threaten to split his face.
Harry made his way over to the corner of the room while the two men took a seat in the very worn, but very cozy looking furniture. Taking a closer look around, Harry could tell that Remus did his best to keep things as tidy and neat as he could. It obviously wasn't anything compared to the rooms Hogwarts had to offer, but it was simple and quaint.
The two men sat in near unbearable silence. There wasn't any tension in the room, but their seemed to be a stalemate between the two as they both fought on what next to say. Harry couldn't find the fault in the situation though. Over twelve long years sepersted the once inseparable friends. But after another tight smile as they both made hesitsnt eye contact, the dam broke.
'I'm sorry.' They both said in unison then chuckled lightly.
'You first.' Sirius said, guving the floor to Remus.
Remus sighed longily and rubbed his face, still searching for the right words to say. It did not take before the man started apologizing for seemingly everything. It started with his zealous for being with other werewolves to fully losing his trust in Sirius after that night. Once it started, it didn't seem to stop. He didn't just apologize to Sirius, but he was apologizing to James and Lily as well. And once Remus lost the ability to continue, that was Sirius' cue to begin with his applogies.
By the end of it, both men were supporting each other whilst crying and mourning the loss of the only family they'd ever known. Something the both of them have done without for the past twelve and a half years. The grief they felt amplified by the blame they put on themselves for what they did and didn't do.
It was in this moment that Harry was actually thankful for the years of abuse he suffered from the Dursley's. Without it, he wouldn't be a silent crier. He'd grieved for his parents plenty, even with Sirius, but Sirius had held it together for the most part. Harry now understood that Sirius had remained strong for him in those moments. He felt guilty for not having the wherewithal to notice this pain within Sirius, but he was thankful that he was getting this moment with his only remaining friend. Seeing this only hardened Harry's resolve for justice and vengeance, and seeing to the rebuilding of his family
A wet chuckle brought him back to the two men. 'I forgot how much of a messy crier you are, Padfoot. My shoulder is wet.'
'I am not a crier.' Sirius said indignantly, blowing his noise in a conjured handkerchief. 'You cry more than me.'
'I will not fall for a boy who cried wolf joke.' Remus sighed.
Sirius snickered. 'No, that was Snivellus'
Remus only shook his head. Out of all the hilarity that came with their school days, that incident was definitely not one of them.
'How is Harry?' Remus asked conversationally. 'Judging by the owl you used, I'm sure you've heard from him.' Harry froze.
'Harry is fine.' Sirius answered cooly.
Remus frowned. 'What's that about?'
'What's what?' Sirius asked innocently, but there was am edge to it that wasn't missed by the fly on the wall. There was a brief pause where Remus stared at Sirius while Sirius took a drink from his tea.
'Sirius, I understand you wanted him to live with you but-'
'Why didn't you visit him?' Sirius cut off Remus. Remus looked confused. 'You knew where he lived. You knew who he lived with. Why didn't you ever visit him?'
'Well, it's not like I can just waltz up to the front door.' Remus said sarcastically. 'You know what Petunia is like. I can imagine whoever she married is worse.'
'I did.' Sirius shrugged. Remus paled. Before Remus could recover enough to speak, Sirius continued. 'In fact, we've been living together for the entire summer. It's been great, thanks for asking. You are correct though, Petunia and her husband are the muggle equivalent of my parents. Which further empathizes my question: 'Why didn't you visit him?'
Harry and Remus both coukd sense that the mood of the cabin had drastically changed. Sirius was idly sitting there with his tea, talking as if he were talking sbout the weather, but there was something underneath that was threatening to blow.
When Remus wasn't quick to answer, Sirius leveled him with a glare. 'They kept him in a cupboard Remus. A cupboard. Lily and James' son has spent most of his life in a cupboard.'
Remus looked as if he'd seen a ghost, but Sirius didn't stop there.
'When I made it into his room, I noticed a cat flap on his door.' Sirius said with the same dangerously calm voice as before. Remus stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to say or what to think. Sirius then down the rest of his cup before continuing. 'Of course, you wouldn't know. You weren't there.'
Sirius then calmy stood up from his chair and threw the cup into the wall behind Remus with all his might.
'Why?!' Sirius exploded. 'Why didn't you visit him?! Why didn't you send so much as a letter?! Why?!'
Between each question, Sirius would find something slse to throw in the direction of Remus. Sirius looked absolutely feral. Harry had only ever seen him like this on the night in the shreiking shack. Harry and Remus both were caught unawares by Sirius' sudden outburst, but Harry had to give Remus his credit. He wasn't drawing a wand, but he sure as hell wasn't cowering to the mad man in front of him.
'TELL ME!' Sirius roared as he flipped the coffee table.
'I DID' Remus roared back. Sirius paused in his reach for the cushion on the chair he'd been sitting in. Harry's thoughts too had come up short. He'd never remembered Remus visiting.
'At least, I tried.' Remus sighed before wiping his face. He then moved over to the wall and leaned his weight up against it before sliding down to the floor near the shattered cup.
'I tried multiple times to see Harry.' Remus carried on. 'I even tried to send him things for his birthday... But I was denied.' Remus finished in a near growl with a hint of bitterness.
'Who?' Was all Sirius asked in a growl that resembled Remus'
'Dumbledore.' Remus stated bitterly.
Harry audibly gasped, and it was this gasp that triggered both men's heads to turn in the direction it came from. Both of their eyes settling directly on where Harry was. Harry didn't much care about that. He cared more about the fact that Dumbledore had denied him Remus. Dumbledore had denied him an escape from his relatives. Harry had once held a great deal of respect for the man, but the more he seemed to fuck with Harry's life, the more that respect was slipping.
'Really, Padfoot' Remus chuckled as his shook his head at the ridiculousness of what he was witnessing. 'Taken a page out of the old marauder textbook have you?'
'Well, I was the one who wrote it.' Sirius quipped with a smirk.
Remus rolled his eyes. 'And I proof read it.'
'You can come out now, prongslet'. Sirius said towards harry.
Harry took off his father's invisibility cloak and looked at both of the men with a sheepish smile. 'Sorry about that.' He then rubbed the back of his neck in a way that was reminiscent of James. Both men laughed. 'Hey Moony'
'Hey Prongslet.' Remus returned with a slighlty sad hit warm smile. 'I figure this will be easier with me telling you directly.'
'Why would Dumbledore stop you from seeing me?' Harry immediately asked.
Remus sighed again. 'I'm not completely sure to tell you the truth.' He then stood up and gestured from them all to take a seat, ignoring the flipped table. Once they were all seated, Remus continued. 'You heard earlier that I didn't receive news until about 2 weeks after that night. It wasn't until i got back to England that I found what all had happened. James, Lily, and Peter were dead. Sirius was in Azkaban. You had survived, but no one knew what happened to you. Of course, all of those previously mentioned were my family, so i went to the only man who would have answers. He hemmed and hawed and ultimately denied my request to see you. He mentioned your safety and your relatives' privacy as primary reasons. I'm sorry, i should've fought harder, but he was unwilling to budge. Then i tried sending a gift to you every birthday until your seventh, and he continued to deny it and essentially told me to move on. I then had a brilliant idea around your eleventh birthday. Knowing you grew up around muggles, I thought it'd be nice to take you on your first tour of diagon alley to do your school shopping.'
At this, Remus had to pause in order to swallow the lump in his throat. Sirius was looking completely affronted by what he was hearing. Harry, on the other hand, was pissed. Who gave Dumbledore the right to deny Remus like this? To deny him like this?! Harry would have loved this growing up. Hell, he craved something like this. Someone who actually cared about him and knew his parents. Harry wod have loved having someone like Remus take him to diagon alley. Hahrid was great. He loves Hagrid, but having one of his parent's friends would've made it even better for him.
'And I'm sure you're wondering why I avoided you this past year.' Remus stated after having composed himself. Harry frankly didn't care anymore. He could see how much Remus cared for him, for his family, but he was curious as to what he had to say.
'I knew I would run into you at school, but I wasn't expecting you to pick the same compartment i was in.' Remus chuckled hollowly. 'After all the preparing I'd done to work my way back into your life, I was immediately confronted with you. And with all of the emotions of the year, and having been told that you didn't know exactly who Sirius was, I couldn't bring myself to throw more onto you than what was already there. You were happy. You were healthy. And i ran from you. And I'm sorry.'
'I'm sorry too.' Said Harry. Both adults snapped to Harry. 'I shouldn't have been mad at you from keeping things from me. In all honesty, if you'd told me everything from the start, my head would've probably exploded in the shrieking shack.' At this, the two men started to chuckle, which then led to peals of laughter from all three of them.
The moment was broken by a rumble from someone's midsection.
'I guess it's time for you two get going.' Remus said a bit sadly.
'Nonsense.' Sirius waved him away. 'I'll have Dobby bring us some sandwiches.'
Remus frowned. 'I thought your house elf's name was Kreacher?'
Sirius looked as if he'd smelled something horrid. 'That decrepit thing probably died at the feet of my mother. Dobby is Harry's.'
Remus looked confusedly towards Harry who shrugged. 'He's more of a friend than a house elf. He wanted to serve me.' At this, Remus grew more confused, and it wasn't aided by Sirius' snicker.
'How'd you get him?' Asked Remus, knowing that house elves don't just spawn in front of people.
'I pranked Lucius Malfoy into freeing him.'