Snitches get Stitches

Remus, quite desperately, needed a way to work off what he would wager was fourteen years worth of frustrations.

A fight would do nicely, but Remus was a grown man. Adults didn’t have the luxury to just spew a few hateful words to ignite a fight. Remus could, but it would be petty and he wouldn’t feel right beating another man to a pulp because he was in a mood. It was another thing about his youth that Remus never properly appreciated at the time.

Instead, Remus dressed down in a pair of grey sweatpants, a plain tshirt, and his comfortable trainers. He could go for a run, but during his search for Harry he had found an outdoor basketball court only a few blocks from his house.

Remus had once been excellent at basketball. Remus was coordinated, tall, had excellent aim, and never worried to play as dirty as he could. It wasn’t as much of a physical challenge when Remus played alone, but the familiar laps and layups had their own peace.

The basketball court was cracked in places and the ball Remus summoned from the park was slightly flat, but it worked for what Remus needed.

It was just Remus, layup.

Remus’s thoughts, dunk.

Petunia locked Harry in a cupboard, free throw.

Sirius was a bastard, three-point shot.

Harry had a plan, layup.

Remus missed his shot when his arm shook and he slammed the ball on the ground before hitting his knees and screaming.

It was too much. All of it.

Remus was never made to raise a child, Remus barely kept himself alive and he had a suicidal fifteen year old to keep track of? How? How?!

On his knees in the Back of the Yards neighborhood park was where Remus thought for the first time -

He could leave.

There were no legal ties that kept Remus there. The pregnant fifteen year old, the suicidal fifteen year old, the runaway sixteen year old, the sixteen year old with a handgun and in-depth knowledge of laws… they could all be someone else’s problem.

Whose?

Remus couldn’t say.

But they didn’t have to be Remus’s problems.

Remus slammed his fist in the frozen concrete beside him when he remembered the promise he made the James just a week ago. Remus swore that he would eclipse even James himself as a parent to Harry and he was ready to throw in the towel?

James didn’t choose you…

It was true.

James had chosen Sirius as godfather. There was the standard excuse of Remus gaining custody of a child as a werewolf, but there was no registry of werewolves that would have exposed him. Remus had suspected then that James was wary of Remus’s less than legal activities, perhaps Lily knew Remus too well to choose him, Remus never knew.

It was likely that Albus suspected a traitor and Remus unknowingly made himself out to seem most likely to be that traitor…

“James, please.” Remus stood outside the flat that James and Sirius shared, the one James would be moving from to a safe house with Lily.

It was May, the war was at an all-time high, and all the death and secrecy had Remus’s paranoia out of control. The Order did what it could, Remus saw that, but Remus could do more for his friends.

“Whatever plan Albus has, change it,” Remus said in an urgent whisper to James. “I have a safe house, James. I swear to you, there’s no safer place in the world.”

Sabini Headquarters was difficult enough to find - it would be even more so if James and Lily went there. In addition to the dozen odd members of the gang that lived there at at given time, Remus and James could magically ward it.

If Voldemort could get past the multi-levels of creative and ingenious wards that Remus and James could apply, he wouldn’t be expecting a room filled with the best sharpshooters Remus could find. And Remus would find them, that wasn’t even a question.

Remus had been one of the most loyal members to the Sabinis for over a decade, they always rewarded loyalty. If Remus asked for protection for his friends, they would become the safest individuals in the country.

The bloody Queen wouldn’t be as safe as the Potter family.

“Moony…” James scoffed a shoe on the ground and fidgeted with his glasses. When he sighed, Remus knew what his response would be. It wasn’t the first time Remus made the offer, but it was the most insistent he had been.

“We’ll be under Fidelus,” James said with a half-smile that didn’t reach his worried eyes. “It’s foolproof.”

No, it relied solely on an emotional, impulsive, fool. One who Remus trusted with everything except for the life of James, Lily, and the child they would soon have. Remus knew that Sirius loved James more than he loved anything, but Sirius had an ego three times the size of his head and had a tendency to think all his plans were brilliant and needed no further approval than his own.

Pranks planned by Sirius typically landed all the boys in detention, Remus was never caught. With the stakes so much higher, Remus couldn’t imagine James placing all his trust in their loyalty yet erratic best friend.

The only worse option would be Peter.

“Then make me secret-keeper,” Remus begged James. “James, I would never betray you, never. You know I wouldn’t slip up or sell you out.”

It was Remus’s mistake, saying that. Remus didn’t outright say that Sirius would make a mistake, but even implying it was a slight in James’s too large heart.

“This will be fine,” James said firmly, the refusal of Remus’s offers. “Sirius is the baby’s godfather, he won’t make a mistake.”

Remus had been flabbergasted. Sirius would be secret-keeper and godfather? If Sirius betrayed them - if something happened to James and Lily but the baby survived - they would still give him their child?

Remus was so shocked by the decision that felt like a slap in his face that he turned his back and left. There was a war happening and no time or place for wounded feelings so Remus pushed them all away.

If he had been asked then, he still would have taken up any of the key positions being offered to Sirius. Remus would have killed and died before betraying his friends; Remus would have killed or been killed before allowing anyone to take his godson from him.

In the end, they chose Sirius. And Sirius walked away.

Why couldn’t Remus?

Remus inhaled deeply through his nose and let out a shaking exhale through his mouth. He then pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the throb in what was certainly a broken few fingers. Remus could heal those when he got home, if he didn’t jam them as he continued to work out his frustration on the basketball court.

Abandoning Harry made Remus feel sick inside, but what had Remus accomplished since arriving in Chicago? Harry had been shot, been admitted to a psychiatric unit. Harry was arrested for a murder Remus committed. Harry knocked up his girlfriend. Harry was hit during a sexual encounter with his friend. And - the icing on the cake - Harry had ran away to go shoot himself in a graveyard where he was once tortured.

If Harry was making every wrong decision possible, it was because Remus was so God damned incompetent that it made Sirius look like the good guardian. Sirius hit Harry, something Remus would never do, but Sirius never killed a man and inadvertently had Harry arrested for the crime.

Harry could keep the house, Remus would make sure of that. The deed was in Sirius’s name, but it wouldn’t be difficult to have it placed in Harry’s. Remus could get Harry paperwork claiming him as eighteen as well. The bank card that Sirius left Remus could be given to Harry.

Sirius had enough money that Harry could charge his expenses to the Black vault for a decade before Sirius would notice. That was if Sirius were even alive- perhaps it was already Harry’s money that Remus paid the electric bill with.

Regardless, Harry would be fine. Or, at a minimum, Harry would be no worse off than he currently was. Harry could stay in his house, have his child if Mandy didn’t abort it, and Remus could go.

Just…

Go.

Remus would leave for the next full moon in a week and simply… not return. Harry had his cousin, the neighbors, Hermione. Nymphadora would even be around as long as her attachment to Fiona lasted. It seemed unlikely that Mandy would abort at such a late stage and so, come late spring, Harry would have his child.

Perhaps Sirius would be godfather.

They chose Sirius, Remus reminded himself as he slowly walked back to the house an hour later. Remus’s body was sore, his thoughts were calm. Perhaps his conscious was bothered, but Remus had plenty of experience in silencing that.

Remus called Mac and left a carefully worded voicemail for him, requesting that he call when he had a chance for a follow up on a job Remus had. If Mac could get Harry the paperwork he needed - give Harry the house Sirius bought, give him papers so clean that Harry himself might doubt his age - then Remus would be clear.

It would be an added bonus to find Sirius, hope he was finding sanity in his freedom. Sirius was more of a personal project though. Remus didn’t need to wait on Sirius before leaving.

Harry was resourceful enough to care for himself. Dudley was mature enough to get Harry medical help for his depression. Hermione was intelligent enough to keep them all from prison. Mandy was… well, truthfully Remus’s opinion on Mandy Milkovich took a deep dive after discovering she sold Lip Harry’s baby.

For Harry…

Because Lip Gallagher was obsessed enough with Harry to tattoo his name on Harry’s arm and purchase Harry’s child, but homophobic enough to hit the poor boy during a bout of oral sex.

Remus wished he could patch that up before he left, but it would be on Harry and his excellent interpersonal skills to deal with that mess.

Harry must have had the same idea.

Remus could hear shouting when he turned on his block and he jogged a little more quickly toward the sound. It was coming from the Gallaghers back yard.

There was a crowd in the yard, one too enraptured by the fight to take note of Remus joining them. Nymphadora stood tensed beside Fiona and that was where Remus moved.

Harry and Lip were the center of the loose circle and Remus decided that everyone must have agreed to let them sort out their issues on their own…

… with a grand audience.

“I AM NOT FUCKING GAY!” Lip shouted, only a few steps away from where Harry stood. Lip was red in the face and Harry was trembling slightly.

“You seemed pretty gay when you had your dick in my mouth,” Harry sneered at him, causing Remus to smile despite himself.

If nothing else, Remus was relieved to hear Harry’s sass make a return. Harry had seemed slightly more himself in the two days since returning from Surrey, but he had been quiet until then too.

Harry was just not a quiet child, it wasn’t in his genetic makeup and it made Remus uneasy.

Lip sent a quick and clearly panicked look around the gawkers. If Kevin, Veronica, and their foster children joined them, it would be a block party.

“I was fucking drunk!” cried Lip. “You - you fucking assaulted me!”

Hermione made a scathing noise and Dudley flung an arm out to prevent her from storming Lip. Neither Milkovich looked particularly impressed by Lip’s defense either and Fiona seemed positively exhausted.

Harry was enraged.

Lily Evans lived on in her son’s temper.

“I WAS DRUNK, YOU COMPLETE ARSE!” Harry screamed, loud enough for any neighbor not present to hear. “YOU’RE THE ONE WHO SAID WE SHOULD HAVE SEX!” Harry laughed and it was mean and cruel, a sound Remus heard twice from Harry’s mother. “‘I don’t have any lube…’” he mimicked Lip’s accent. “‘We could have sex’.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Lip warned him with his fists clenched.

“Why?” Harry stepped forward and got right in his face. “What are you going to do? Hit me? Do it.”

Lip would. Remus knew that as much as he knew anything. As much as the boy irritated and infuriated Remus, it was difficult to not see some of himself in him.

“Get the fuck out of my face,” Lip said through a clenched jaw. “I’ll will beat the shit out of you.”

“Yeah?” Harry had eyes for no one but Lip as he smiled mockingly. “Like you did when I was sucking. your. dick?”

Every single person outside took a step backwards just before Lip swung and hit Harry in the stomach. Harry huffed, but rebounded without pause as he grabbed Lip around the waist and tackled him to the ground.

At once, Remus held back Nymphadora, Mickey held back his sister, and Dudley had to physically restrain Hermione in a bear hug. It was a silent agreement that the two boys would work it out between them.

“YOU BOUGHT MY BABY!” Harry howled as he landed a few tight blows to the side of Lip’s head. Remus saw the opening Lip had just as Lip took it. Lip grabbed Harry’s left arm and twisted it hard, gaining leverage to flip until they were grappling for the upper hand.

“KICK HIS ASS, BLACK!” Mickey cheered.

Nymphadora laughed and finally took note of Remus with his grip like a vice on her arm.

“I told you he’s my favorite,” she grinned. She looked down at Remus’s shirt and crinkled her nose. “Why are you all sweaty?”

“I had issues of my own to sort,” Remus murmured, his eyes on the boys. “If we aren’t in a hospital later, I do need to talk to you.”

“Okay,” Nymphadora said cheerfully. Her entire body twitched when Lip used his heavier weight to flip Harry over before landing a punch directly on his nose.

The poor boy was going to end up with a nose as crooked as Albus if people didn’t stop breaking it.

“YOU WANTED IT AND I GOT IT,” Lip said. He grabbed Harry’s hands and pinned them on either side of his head. Harry still thrashed with his entire body, the bloodied nose didn’t slow him at all.

Remus was proud.

“I told you NO,” Harry snarled. “How much was my baby worth, Lip? Huh? WHAT PRICE TAG DID YOU PUT ON MY KID?!”

“I would have paid twenty grand, but your broke ass baby mama sold it for only seventy five.” Lip slammed Harry’s wrist to the ground when Harry tried to hit him again. “Guess you’ve got shit taste in people to fuck, huh?”

The sound Harry made was inhumane. It was something born of rage and hurt so deep that it had to have been there for Harry’s entire life.

That was when Harry broke from Lip’s grasp And punches and screams flew too quickly to be tracked. Neither boy stopped talking though, no matter how many times the other hit him in the mouth.

They were well suited, actually.

“I HATE YOU!”

“THEN WHY DID YOU PUT MY DICK IN YOUR MOUTH?”

“OH I’M SORRY! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DRUNK!”

“What a fucking train wreck,” Fiona breathed beneath the continued shouts. She looked around until she locked eyes with Remus and then she shook her head. “Have you ever seen two idiots so fucking out of their minds?”

Remus had, actually.

James and Lily certainly never fist fought, but they had especially heated arguments that were endlessly amusing to the other Gryffindors who watched it unfold. Remus ran a betting pool on when they would get together - though he had to disqualify his own bet when he interfered and began dating Lily.

Remus watched Harry and Lip fight until they were collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily and thoroughly covered in each others blood. If they could figure it out, Remus thought they might have an excellent future.

Hopefully one brighter than what James and Lily had shared.

When the fight dispersed and Lip was assisted home by his sister and Harry was taken home by Hermione, Remus led Nymphadora on a short walk far enough away to go unheard.

Nymphadora, delight that she was, pulled a joint from behind her ear - one of Remus’s, he was sure - and lit it to share.

“I need a doctor,” Remus said after he took a long inhale. Nymphadora chuckled and quickly shifted her nose to imitate Harry’s currently broken one before settling back on the little curved one Remus adored.

“I think Harry’s the one who needs a doctor,” she said playfully. When Remus said nothing, her pink eyebrows twitched in confusion. “Wait- does he? Is he sick?”

“This stays between us?” Remus asked, knowing it was moot.

They cut the arm off Lord Voldemort together; Nymphadora would be who Remus would choose if he ever needed a secret-keeper.

Nymphadora gave Remus a withering look and he conceded with a grin.

“Point,” he said. “I need either a healer with knowledge of muggle medication or, preferably and much more difficult to find, a muggle doctor who has knowledge of the magical world.”

“So nothing too difficult then,” Nymphadora said drily. She took the joint and her eyes fluttered as she inhaled. On her exhale, she watching Remus through the smoke with hooded eyes. “Why’s Harry need a doctor?”

“Because Harry ran away with plans on killing himself in a graveyard,” Remus said, forcing himself to stay flippant as if it didn’t kill Remus inside to think of that.

Nymphadora’s eyes went wide and Remus tilted his head in a nod.

“Harry’s cousin obtained anti-depressants in his name by describing Harry’s symptoms, but…” Remus hesitated. It wasn’t that he couldn’t confide in Nymphadora, just that all he had was speculation.

“But Harry’s ten pounds of crazy in a five pound bag and you think there’s something more than sweet dreams of suicide?” Nymphadora asked with a forced grin that added some levity to the heavy conversation.

“Precisely,” Remus agreed. “James had something… regardless.” Remus waved his hand to physically push away his thoughts. “Do you know of anyone that could help?”

“Mm, it’ll take a bit but I can find someone I’m sure,” Nymphadora hedged with a thoughtful expression. “I’ve got to go by MACUSA on Friday, mind if I check then?”

Remus would be gone by Friday.

“Fine,” Remus agreed evenly. “Would you go ahead and make the appointment when you find someone suitable? Let Harry know the details.”

“Yeah, I’ll tell the very stable teenager about an incredibly important appointment instead of his guardian.” Nymphadora snorted and once again took the joint from Remus. “You’ve had enough,” she teased him.

Remus didn’t laugh and he didn’t look away guiltily, he only repeated himself.

“I need you to make the appointment and give Harry the details.”

“I - alright,” Nymphadora agreed slowly. “You’re okay, right, Remus?”

“Me?” Remus smiled as brightly and falsely as he ever had. “I’m fine, thank you.”

Nymphadora didn’t appear convinced, but that was hardly Remus’s problem. In four days, none of it would be his problem.

Sirius left. Harry left.

Remus could as well.

Harry listened to Dudley recount all his good hits, the ways he could improve, and the weaknesses Lip had. Mostly, Harry held a bag of ice on his face and watched Mandy through his lashes, waiting to see if she had anything to say.

Seven thousand and five hundred dollars.

That was what the life of their baby was worth to her.

Lip never should have offered - it was cruel - but for Mandy to have accepted? Seven thousand and five hundred dollars to not abort their baby?

Dudley had fallen silent and he and Hermione watched as Harry and Mandy stared at one another. Harry waited for Mandy to speak first, to say anything that would make her the girl that Harry loved so damned much.

Mandy opened her mouth and then shut it and that was all it took for Harry to blow up.

“Seventy five hundred dollars,” Harry said flatly, somewhat nasally with the broken nose Remus would hopefully fix.

It was possibly the lowest priority problem Harry had, but it was a problem. Having a permanently crooked nose was fine for Professor Dumbledore, but Harry didn’t have a long white beard or brightly colored robes to distract people with for himself.

When Mandy still didn’t have anything to say, Harry shoved himself to his feet.

“OUR BABY’S LIFE WAS WORTH SEVENTY FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS?!” Harry screamed, too angry to try and hold back. Dudley threw an arm out to keep Harry from storming closer to Mandy but unlike Mandy, Harry didn’t want to hurt her.

Not really.

Mandy broke Harry’s heart over and over though. Every time Harry thought they would get through a hard time - something else happened.

Mandy dumped Harry, but she was pregnant.

She was pregnant, but it might not have been Harry’s.

The baby might not have been Harry’s, but it wasn’t her fault.

It was Harry’s baby, but she didn’t want to keep it.

She decided to keep it, but only because someone paid her to do it.

Mandy put a seventy five hundred dollar price tag on their child.

And she didn’t have a damn word to say to him about it.

Mandy’s brown eyes glossed over and Harry hated that. It hurt him to see her cry and then it was just Harry being hurt over and over and over.

“I’ll give him back the money,” she said quietly, too quiet to be the Mandy that Harry knew.

Harry might never have really known her.

“No, you won’t.” Harry let himself sag against Dudley as the anger that had been bubbling since he returned to Chicago cooled.

Harry was mad enough to wish he could go another ten rounds with Lip just to have someone to feel everything tearing Harry up inside. But Harry wouldn’t scream in Mandy’s face, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to fight her.

“I’ll pay Lip back,” Harry told her, not looking directly at her. Harry focused on the red string that was braided in her hair as he swallowed and said what he knew had to be said.

“I’ll give Hermione my card, you can get the abortion.”

Mandy made a miserable sounding noise, but Harry couldn’t comfort her. It was big of Remus to go with Tonks to abort their baby, Harry wasn’t that big of a man. Not then, maybe never.

Harry was big enough to turn and go upstairs to the privacy of his room rather than tell Mandy to leave.

It was annoying that Hermione followed Harry up the stairs after Dudley mumbled something about going for some air.

Harry sat at his desk and pulled out the notebook Remus made him a list in. There were a few things Harry took care of, more that he didn’t. Hermione sat on Harry’s bed and watched as he absently lit a cigarette and marked off a few items.

‘Tell Lip your feelings’ was easy and done. Harry told him he was mad that Lip went behind his back and paid Mandy for the baby. Harry also said he was mad that Lip hit him in the damn face.

Harry was hurt, but that wasn’t something he expected Remus would have wanted Harry to tell Lip.

If Harry told every person who ever hurt his feelings that they did so, it… well it would be a lot of people and Harry would just look stupid.

‘Make a decision with Mandy’ was done. Harry let Dudley talk him into returning to Chicago for his baby, but Harry couldn’t force Mandy to keep it. There wasn’t anything Harry wanted more than that little boy or girl he could just picture in his mind, but… but Harry had the bad luck to not be the woman who gets to ultimately make that choice.

Harry had a load of bad luck in general.

‘Make decision on housing’ was also done. Dudley was fine crashing in Harry’s room until Hermione left after Christmas. Then Remus could have the master bedroom - the one that belonged to Sirius, the one that Harry was going to paint for his kid - and Dudley could have a room, Mandy could have a room, and Harry… Harry probably would take Remus up on his offer to finish the basement for himself.

Then there would be a spare room if Hermione ever wanted to stay and Harry wouldn’t have to see Mandy and Sirius’s bedroom too often.

Harry flicked his cigarette in the mug he used as an ashtray before sighing and turning his chair to face Hermione. Hermione had been quiet, but Harry could just feel her staring him down.

“Let me fix your face,” she said, surprising him. When Hermione pulled her wand out, Harry raised a very sore eyebrow.

“America is very different than Britain,” Hermione explained between quiet spells to clean and fix Harry’s face. “They actually encourage us to practice spells outside of class. There’s restricted ones, of course, but - as Mrs Flett said - if we’re old enough to carry a wand, we’re old enough to use it responsible. Don’t move now.”

Harry grimaced when his nose snapped back in place. He rubbed it ruefully and nodded in thanks. Hermione slid her wand back in her pocket and then sat on Harry’s bed again with her hands folded on her lap.

“I missed you,” she said. “I was quite worried.”

There it was. Harry knew that the two days of Hermione tiptoeing around him would end.

Harry sighed and ignored the twitch Hermione seemed to have developed every time she caught him smoking. He did blow the smoke toward his bedroom window though, he wasn’t a complete arse.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to fetch Dudley?” Hermione asked when Harry said nothing. “I thought you were- I thought you were dead, Harry.”

If Harry had known he would come back to the mess he did, Harry would have been dead. But since Hermione probably didn’t want to hear that, Harry stayed quiet.

“I thought -” Hermione’s voice quivered. “I - it was just like last time. How could you do that to us? To Prof- to Remus and to Mandy and to me?”

Harry closed his eyes and took a long drag off the cigarette that did nothing to soothe the anger still lurking in the bottom of his chest. Hermione needed to be stop because Harry had already fought with Lip, fought with Mandy, and he didn’t want to fight with Hermione.

Hermione didn’t stop because Hermione never stopped.

“You can’t just run off, Harry. We were terrified. Did you know Remus had to—”

“I didn’t run off,” Harry snapped, his mouth moving without his permission. “I didn’t skip away in the bloody sunset to fetch Dudley. I was done, Hermione.” Harry slammed his fist on his desk and shook everything on there, causing Hermione to jolt as well.

“Done,” he repeated harshly. “I didn’t want to come back. Dudley made me. Dudley said I should come back for my kid. DUDLEY SAID MAYBE I SHOULDN’T PUT A BULLET IN MY BRAIN! BUT PLEASE, TELL ME MORE ABOUT HOW WORRIED YOU WERE!”

Harry didn’t know when he got on his feet, but he was standing and screaming and Hermione was crying. As quick as Harry’s anger rushed out at Hermione, it was gone again.

Harry was just the arse standing in his bedroom, screaming at his friend.

“God.” Harry groaned and looked up at his ceiling. It was exhausting, just being around everyone…

“Can you please leave my room?” Harry asked as calmly as he could. Not his house, Hermione was as welcome there as anyone. But Harry needed one bloody place where nobody would bother him.

Nobody except Remus.

Remus was… actually brilliant. Remus went and got exposed to all of Harry’s humiliating childhood secrets, the ones that Harry made himself joke about and the ones that Harry never discussed. Then Remus let Harry talk and talk and talk… unloading all of his problems, big and small, on his shoulders. And when Harry finished, did Remus say ‘This isn’t my problem?’ No.

Remus made Harry a to-do list and said they would figure it out.

So when Hermione left Harry’s room and he could hear her crying in her room, Harry laid on his bed and waited for Remus to get home.

Which he did… with fried chicken and potatoes and corn. And, because Remus was possibly the only person in the house that Harry hadn’t personally pissed off that day, he even brought Harry food and his medicine to his room.

“Thank you,” Harry said genuinely. He offered Remus a grin in exchange for the endless patience and kindness he had after taking a hungry sniff of the food. “Did you cook? It smells great.”

“I did not.” Remus grinned back but Harry thought it was less of a cheerful grin than usual, possibly the upcoming full moon giving him early aches. “Your cousin stole your debit card and bought KFC.”

Harry laughed and went to tell Remus about how Dudley couldn’t cook to save his life, it wouldn’t be like Fred who cooked meals on occasion, but Remus had already walked out of the room before Harry could.

Harry frowned, but his appetite had returned with his anger and so he focused on eating instead of what was bothering Remus. Maybe Harry should see if Dudley wanted to check out Hoosier Hills? They could browse through some potion shops, see if there was anything to ease Remus’s pains from his transformations.