Don't Dream it's Over

Sirius and Remus woke up the next morning wrapped in each other's arms on the sofa. They'd had another long day yesterday and couldn't be bothered to get up and go to their beds.

"Mornin'..." Sirius whispered groggily.

"G'mornin Padfoot." the other responded happily, it never seized to annoy the ravenette how much of a morning person his boyfriend was. He leaned over and kissed the long haired man on the head. "You hear Harry at all last night?"

"Mmm.. No I don't think so, hopefully he slept a little more soundly now he's settled in." he said, stretching whilst sitting up.

But he was proven mistaken as the boy trudged through his bedroom door, teddybear in one hand, as the other rubbed the green eyes behind his glasses that held unmistakably clear bags. He shot a tiresome smile over at the pair and wished a quick good morning before scurrying into the kitchen. Remus gave his boyfriend a knowing look followed by a frown.

"Stay here, I'll have a word with him." the brunette murmured, giving Sirius a comforting squeeze on the shoulder (as he nodded and closed his eyes again) before getting up and slowly opening the kitchen door.

"Morning Bambi, what you up to?" said Remus, peaking his head round the door before fully entering.

"Hi Moony. Just making breakfast." Harry smiled, reaching up on his tip toes to get something down off the shelves. 

"You don't need to worry about that, I thought we told you that we don't expect you to do this for us." he replied, lifting the boy up onto the kitchen counter.

The ravenette stared back at the other, a slightly confused expression laced into his features whilst he swung his legs back and forth. "I know! But I needed to say sorry for yesterday... And- and don't worry! I'll go sit in the cupboard after breakfast. Unless you want me to go now!" Harry went to hop down from the counter but Remus stopped him and placed him firmly back on the counter.

"You don't need to worry about that, you were upset and Sirius is fine." the brunette smiled.

Harry stared up into the other's deep brown eyes, resuming swinging his legs off the edge of the counter, "Mmm 'kay then.." he didn't really understand why Remus was letting him get away with what he'd done, Uncle Vernon most definitely would've never let something like that slide. In fact, he recalled that just a few months ago he earned a broken nose and a black eye from Vernon as he'd attempted to push him away as he screamed and spat in his face. Another charming memory he'd never forget.

"Now then, how 'bout I get started on breakfast and you go see Padfoot?"

The boy nodded his head and smiled as the taller man picked him up again to place him on his feet again. He sauntered back into the living room where he was met with Sirius lounging on the sofa, still half asleep as he flicked through the channels on the telly. 

"Hiya Padfoot." he smiled as he sat next to his godfather.

"Hey Bambi, sleep well?"

"Er..." Harry's smile faltered as his eyes flickered to the scratch on the other's face and then frowned. Seeing this, Sirius lifted a hand slowly to ruffle the dark mop of tresses on the younger's head. "M'sorry Pads.."

"Kid, don't worry about it. Water under the bridge, yeah?"

The younger quirked an eyebrow but moved his head up and down regardless. He couldn't grasp at all why the pair were letting him off the hook so easily. His eyebrows furrowed and posture tensed when the possibility that they were just waiting to serve his punishment later popped into his head. Harry was very aware that his new guardians wouldn't hurt him, they'd proven this in the past few days, but it didn't stop him from the worry bubbling up inside him. Becoming aware of the grip the man had on his shoulder, Harry shrank back at the touch. He'd tried not to make it too obvious but Sirius had noticed nonetheless.

"Do you- D'you wanna talk about anything at all?" he said softly, removing his hand from the younger's shoulder.

"Like what?"

"Anything, you want to."

"Uhhhh.. Dunno." he said sheepishly.

Sirius cautiously chose his next words. As much as he'd wanted Harry to speak up about everything he didn't want to risk setting him off. "I'm just curious.. Yesterday when you were upset, you mentioned something about someone saying that we'd send you back if you were naughty. Could you tell me who said that?" the man watched his godson's demeanour instantly shift.

"-'ts nothing.." he mumbled in response.

"Please, Harry, I just want to see if there's anything I can do to help."

"Well there's not! You don't understand!"

"I can try to... I promise whatever it is I won't judge."

There was no response to that.

Sirius just sighed and decided to leave it, for now anyway, since it was so early in the morning.

Eventually, Remus had finished with the breakfast and brought it to the dining table. The scent of bacon, fried egg and toast filled the kitchen making Harry smile to know that he'd be the one to eat some instead of just making it like a servant for the Dursleys.

The three sat around the table and happily ate their breakfast. That was until the brunette realised how little the boy had eaten.

"Do you not like it?" said Remus, eyebrow raised in a perplexed manner.

"Hm? No I like it.. Thank you Moony!" the ravenette beamed.

"Why'd you leave so much?" 

Harry looked down at his plate, shocked as if he'd done it unconsciously; without realising. He frowned before his eyes met back with the other's. "Sorry... I- I didn't mean to. I really like it, promise!" he said nervously, eyebrows knit close together. "I was never allowed nice meals like this at my Uncle and Aunt's.... And whatever I was given was really small amounts. So I started to not eat all of and sneak some back into my cupboard so if I ever got really hungry there was always something to have!" the ravenette smiled slightly, looking impressed with his own tactile thinking.

Whilst Remus and Sirius were happy that the boy was opening up about the treatment from the Dursleys, they were nevertheless furious that this seven year old had his food rationed and had to resort to hoarding half his meals.

"Well- I can assure you that you don't need to do that here. Eat whatever you like, Prongslet." Sirius chimed in...

"..'kay!" Harry smiled a toothy grin, gap between his teeth showing clearly. He carried on eating until he was full; the amount of food he could stomach severely reduced from the years of starvation.

When they'd all finished and piled up their plates along with cutlery, Remus brought it all into the kitchen and cast a quick scourgify spell to automatically clean the dishes. Sirius snuck in behind the taller man and wrapped his arms around his waist from behind. Remus jumped slightly at the sudden touch.

"Oh piss off you toss pot." the brunette said, bemused. 

"Well that's not a very nice thing to say, Moony.."

"Oh yeah? What you gonna do about it?"

"Hmmm... This." Sirius said as he spun his boyfriend around to kiss him passionately on the lips.

"Whats... Gotten... Into you?" Remus gasped, trying to catch his breath. "Not that I'm... Complaining."

"Nothing.."

"Well clearly somethings up.. You're never like this randomly."

"Well.. To be honest, just need a bit of a distraction. That alright?" he kissed the brunette again.

"S'ppose so.."

The pair kissed fervently, Sirius trailing his hands underneath Remus' shirt. He eventually reached down to the other's belt buckle about to undo it.

"Wait- Padfoot..." he breathed heavily, chest rising and falling deeply, "What about Harry?" he whispered.

"What about him? He's in the living room watching the telly... He'll be alright."

But Remus frowned and created a bit of distance between himself and the ravenette, "No, I- I don't think we should continue." he kissed the man one last time before patting him on the back firmly and then opening the fridge to pour a drink.

"Ugh.. Remus you absolute tease." Sirius groaned.

***

The day went smoothly for the most part. Lunch had been alright, though Harry didn't really eat much. They supposed he was still full from breakfast, Sirius chose to ignore the way he secretly shovelled food into his pockets.

By the afternoon they'd all settled down on the sofa and chose to put on another film. Harry lay his head calmly on Remus' shoulder lulling into sleep.

That was until the fire place suddenly burst into a mass of nauseating green flames. The crackle of the fire made Harry jump out of his skin, sitting upright instantly as he clutched his burn-scarred hand to his chest. His eyes fixated onto the fire place, memories flashing through his mind of the broken hand and the sizzling flesh and the cupboard and- 

Sirius laid a hand on his shoulder, drawing him back to reality. That was when he realised the old man that had appeared in replacement of the flames. He had long grey hair to match a lengthy beard of the same shade, eyes that were hid behind half moon shaped glasses and a light purple gown that resembled a nightie.

"Harry." the man smiled calmly, staring directly at the boy with twinkling eyes that clearly showed he was happy to see him. Harry raised his eyebrows, looking back at him, confused at how the strange man knew his name. He was sure that he'd never met him in his life, maybe he also knew his parents?

"Er- Bambi, how about you go to your room and draw us another picture." Remus said, anxiously glancing over towards Sirius. The boy complied happily and scuttled away to his room. 

"Professor Dumbledore," Remus nodded courteously, in a manner that greeted him into their home, "We weren't expecting you." That was a half-truth, as they sort of were expecting the elder wizard just not knowing it'd be so soon. They'd figured he would be too busy, considering it was still in-term time.

"Yes, well, just thought I might as well pop round now and discuss.. well, you know." the man motioned towards Harry's room. 

Sirius felt his eyes fixated onto twitch, he'd not really be on good terms with Dumbledore since the war. He'd finally come to realise he just used them all for the sake of never having to lift a finger himself in order to defeat Voldemort. "Want anything, Albus? Tea? Glass of fire whiskey, perhaps?"

"No that's quite alright, Sirius." An awkward silence lingered in the room, making Remus' skin crawl, his eyes narrowed sceptically as he observed Dumbledore. "Well, I won't keep you, so I'll get straight to the point: Harry needs to go back to his Aunt and Uncle's."

"Awe, no. Please can we keep him." Sirius smirked, chuckling at his own sentence.

Remus shot him a stern look, "Shut it you."

"There's nothing to discuss. The boy must go back."  said Dumbledore, challenging the pair.

"But- Professor that's absurd! He's covered in bruises and scars! Those people are evil, I won't allow it. Harry stays." the brunette retorted, flabbergasted at the proposal.

"Yes, Mr Lupin, I'm aware. But should You-Know-Who return, the blood wards between him and his Aunt will assure he's safe."

"Pshh, safe?! How is beating and starving a seven year old keeping someone safe?" Sirius scoffed, "We can-"

"No, Sirius. My decision is final. Anyway, you clearly cannot handle him." Dumbledore said as he referenced to the fresh scratches his the other's face from the previous day. The ravenette glared back towards him and brought a hand up to his cheek, fingers dancing over the marks. 

"Dumbledore, please. You know I'm not the type to beg like this, but the way he's treated.. It's worse than how my parents were with me." the silver haired man slightly raised hid eyebrows at that. Sirius continued, "James helped me get away from my family, the least I can do is return the favour for his son. Lily and him would be devastated to know this is how he's been treated. They would've never laid a hand on him." his blue-grey eyes glazed over but he blinked the tears, that threatened to spill, away quickly; he hated crying.

"And I sympathise with that but-"

"No. I refuse to allow it." Remus added, "He's terrified, Professor. Scared of doing anything right and wrong."

"Remus you don't understand. Of course I want the boy to be safe but whilst he's away from his Aunt he's simply too accessible to You-Know-Who."

"Fine! Then we'll use protective charms, wards, ancient ruins, make our flat unplottable! But I am absolutely not sending him back. Good luck changing my mind."

Dumbledore stared back at the brunette, silence suffocating them as the awkward tension hung in the air. He inhaled deeply then exhaled a heavy breath. "Okay..." he started and Remus let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. "Fine, but I will be checking in with you regularly. I'll have to let the Ministry know of the situation, so expect a drop in from someone over there or at least a floo call."

"Thank you Dumbledore. You won't regret it, we swear to Merlin."

"Yes, well, I hope I don't." he mumbled as he walked back towards the fire place and then teleported back to Hogwarts.

Sirius placed his hands firmly on the other's shoulders and they both shared a knowing look and then smiled. Remus leaned down slightly to kiss his boyfriend, lips upturned as they both did so.

"He's safe, Padfoot. We did it." 

They kissed again, resuming what they started in the kitchen earlier. Hot breaths filled the room as they collapsed onto the sofa, Remus straddling Sirius'  waist, hands trailing underneath his shirt.

The pair quickly hopped off each other when they heard the door from Harry's room click. 

"Is the man gone? He said he wanted to take me back...." he said meekly, twisting the fabric of his shirt around his fingers. A nervous habit he developed years ago.

"He's gone, Bambi. Don't worry, you're definitely here." Sirius smiled at his godson and ruffled his hair.

"I'm glad... I like it here. I don't ever want to leave."

Remus and Sirius were happy to hear it, they just hoped the Ministry would allow him to stay as well. At the end of the day, their word over ruled Dumbledore's. They were choosing to ignore that, for now.