Chapter Ten
“Is there a reason you didn’t want us in there when Harry and James talked? It feels like we should be there, especially if it’s about this.” Sirius asked when they walked into his office, Remus closing and locking the door behind them.
“Because I feel like this is a conversation they need to have privately just like we need to talk privately.”
“Talk privately about what?” Sirius turned to Remus, “Remus we’re not just the two of us anymore, we can’t keep leaving Harry out of conversations.”
“I know that, but this one I think we should. At least the majority of it.” Remus said moving further into the room, “We need to talk about some things.”
“Like what? Haven’t we talked about everything we need to talk about?”
“Like the fact that Moony is not very happy that Harry is going to be away for who knows how long this time with NEWTs and everything else happening these next two to three months. So we need some type of plan, you and I like for when he’s back at school.”
“So what you’re saying is Moony wants more time with his mates?” Sirius asked with a grin, “That’s fine. We can talk to Harry-”
“But he’s going to be busy.”
“Remember during our seventh year and almost all of April and May was spent with our heads in books studying?” Sirius asked stepping closer to Remus
“Of course.”
“Was Moony satisfied then?”
“Yes.”
“So what makes you think it’d be any different with Harry?”
“Are you saying I’m worrying too much?” Remus asked
“Yes. I am and you are. It’ll all work out you’ll see, even if we have to lie to James about where we are going.”
“Sneaking around like teenagers? Really?”
“Oh come on, it could be fun. Just think of fifth year when you and I were snogging in broom closets behind James’ back.”
“We were doing more than snogging.”
“I know…that was the fun part.” Sirius said with a wink as he pulled Remus closer towards him, “Speaking of doing more than snogging.”
“Absolutely not.”
Despite his begging Remus did not have sex with Sirius on his desk while they waited for enough time to pass to return to the room. Something about Harry smelling it and that Sirius had to wait until Harry was gone much to his disappointment.
Walking back into the room they found James sitting in the room alone.
“Everything okay?” Remus asked
“Yeah Harry promised Charlie he’d spend time with him so he went to go look for him, something about rescuing him from Lily as he left. And I told him I wanted to talk to you two alone and that we could all talk about it together another time and he agreed.”
Sirius and Remus came into the room and sat together on the sofa while James sat in the chair.
“I really am sorry Remus. I hope you know I don’t actually think you would do anything like that.”
“Of course I do.” Remus said
“I thought I was coming to terms with it, I mean I really thought I was doing great with it, but then I was confronted with it in person with you three together in the same room and Remus and Harry alone in the room. It hit me suddenly and I just…I got upset and took it out on you.”
*******
Harry sat near the edge of the Black Lake beside Charlie as he took in what Harry told him.
“So you, Uncle Remus-”
“Please don’t call him uncle Remus.” Harry begged
“Right. You, Remus, and Sirius are mates…which means you are going to have sex with them at some point.”
“...uh…yeah…I guess that is going to happen in the future.” Harry said, “I’m not really focusing on that part.”
“Really? Sirius is like every teenager’s wet dream. Or at least that’s what it seems like.”
“I’m not denying he’s hot, they both are, but I really would rather not think about that right now. Especially because if James has his way sex won’t be on the table until I’m twenty.”
“Whatever. I don’t want to hear about sex with my uncles anyway so please never tell me anything.”
“I promise.” Harry said with a laugh, “Though since you mentioned it…any specific teenager comes to mind that I should…meet?” Harry asked making Charlie turn to him before he laughed
“You’re joking.”
“What?”
“Actually we have a dueling club friendly competition in two weeks. You should come to see all the girls and boys who are there just to impress Sirius. It’s embarrassing, but also very funny especially when Pansy accidentally unbuttons the top few buttons of her blouse within the first few minutes of club meetings.”
“Maybe I just might.” Harry said with a shrug, “Who is Pansy?”
“Sixth year Slytherin girl. I’ll be sure to point her out to you if you come.”
“Deal.” Harry said
“Hey…thanks for telling me.” Charlie said, bumping his shoulder into Harry, “I’m not sure why Dad hasn’t told me yet, but I’m glad you did.”
“Well you are my twin brother. I don’t think twins are allowed to have secrets from each other. It’s like in the twin handbook or something isn’t it?”
“I think I heard Fred and George mention that once or twice now that you’ve mentioned it.” Charlie joked
The rest of the day Harry spent it with Charlie and Ariel, all three of them returning to the rooms around dinner time. Harry and Charlie sitting beside each other on the floor as Charlie told him about his Hogwarts years and the adventures he had with his two friends Harry had briefly met earlier that day.
Harry only had one friend, he had never really been the social type and he told Charlie this when Charlie asked him about his best friends.
“Well who’s the one friend?” Charlie asked, “Is he a rich boy at Kreasiara too?”
“No you know him, it’s Neville Longbottom. We met years ago and stayed in touch and eventually became friends. We go to different gardens for our birthday in different countries. I pick the country and he picks the gardens then we decide on the hotel together.”
“Oh…so you won’t be here for our birthday?” Charlie asked
“No, probably not. We always leave the last week of July.” Harry said before he thought about it then he turned to Charlie wide eyed, “I can ask if he wants to do it another week this year. Like the first week of August or the week before last in July. Or you can come with us and bring a friend or two. I’m sure he won’t mind. It could be just us four or five in a completely different country than our parents for our big seventeen.”
“Oh yeah that could be fun!” Charlie said grinning again.
“Yeah and just think the more people we have the bigger the hotel room which means usually the nicer it is. Not that Neville and I ever go cheap, but now we have an excuse to get the bigger suites without feeling guilty.”
“Totally! Dad can I?” Charlie asked looking at James who was staring wide eyed at them.
“Well…I was hoping we could be together for the 31st this year. But I tell you what if you do it the week before or after then I will pay for the entire trip for everyone okay?” James said and while Harry really wanted to tell him it was practically tradition at this point he could understand why James wanted to be together this birthday and he knew Neville would too.
“I am sold as long as there isn’t a budget.” Harry said making James laugh rolling his eyes
“No budget. I promise. Charlie, you decide if you’re taking one or both of your friends and then you all decide where you want to stay and tell me the details and I’ll get it all handled okay? As long as you are here for the 31st and 1st. Not sleep deprived.”
“Deal.” Charlie said, turning to Harry with a grin, “I’m sure Ron and Hermione will both want to go and it’ll be great. We can get together the next weekend you're over here.”
“Sounds good.”
*****
That night Harry slept better than he did the first night though in the middle of the night he still had to shift into his wolf form to sleep properly. Sunday was spent with everyone doing their own work either it be assignments or grading. Sunday night was the same as the other nights and very early Monday morning Harry was knocking on the door to Remus and Sirius’ room.
“Yeah?” Harry opened the door and stuck his head into the room spotting Remus with his head slightly raised to stare at the door, “Harry? Everything okay?”
“Is it safe to come in?” Harry asked
“Yeah of course. Do you need something?” Remus asked, he was whispering as SIrius was still asleep beside him.
“I just didn’t want to leave without telling you. I already told James I was leaving before the sun rose last night and I left him a note on his bedside table. But I didn’t want you to wake up and not know where I was in case your wolf got upset.” Harry said softly as he stepped into the room and walked towards the edge of the bed.
“Oh. It’s morning?”
“Sort of.” Harry said, “I also had my house elf pack this without touching it so his scent didn’t get on it. It’s one of my comforters from my nest at home, it’ll help when you start getting rut symptoms. When you start needing this make sure Sirius owls me so I can get my classwork and be near so your wolf isn’t tempted to hunt me down.” Harry said, holding up a sealed bag before placing it near the foot of the bed.
“Oh right I completely forgot. Thank you. Actually can I walk you out?”
“Out to the hall or the gates?” Harry asked, earning a playful glare from Remus as he threw the covers off himself and got out of bed.
“The gates of course.” Remus said. Harry stared at him taking in the scattering of scars on his chest before they disappeared underneath a sweater. Remus walked towards Sirius and shook him gently, “Pads?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m walking Harry to the gates. I'll be back in a minute.” Sirius mumbled something that was unintelligible, “What?”
“D’wan’me’come?”
“Will you be able to walk more than two steps before collapsing?”
“Yes.”
“Then sure get up.”
“Now?” Sirius asked, rolling over with a frown as he looked around the room, “It’s still nighttime.”
“It’s actually four thirty.” Harry said amused, “I need to get back early. You don’t need to walk me, you know? I can manage just fine.”
“No no. I can do it. Just…two minutes” Sirius said rubbing his face with groan, “Fuck it’s early. How do you and Moony do this?” Sirius sat up and stretched his arms above his head.
“I’ll get you a sweater.” Remus said amused as he moved to the closet then tossed a red colored one to SIrius, “Hurry up we don’t want to make Harry late.”
“He just said he’s leaving early. Me taking my time to get out of my comfortable warm bed in the morning is not going to ruin his education I promise.”
“Ignore him, he's snarky in the morning especially if it’s before the sun is up.” Remus told Harry
“That’s because if the sun is down I should be asleep.” Sirius said climbing out of the bed and pulling the sweater over him.
“I didn’t know at thirty seven you had a bedtime.” Harry said, making Remus laugh and Sirius to give Harry an unamused look.
“Very funny. You’re absolutely hilarious Harry. Really.” Sirius said, Harry chuckled as he stepped out of the room Remus and Sirius followed him. He grabbed his bag he had set on the couch before knocking on their door.
“You sure you don’t want to wake James?” Remus asked
“I already tried, then I opened his door and saw a lot more of him than I ever wanted to.”
“Yeah James always slept like that. Spread eagle and naked. He at least had the courtesy to have the covers stick to his hips in his sleep when in the dorms. Occasionally he wears pants though.”
“Well tonight was not one of those occasions and his covers were definitely not on his body.” Harry told him
“Come on, let's talk about something else.” Remus said as they left the room together, Harry between as they walked through the dark and quiet halls of the school not yet awake.
“Do we have to talk at all? My brain can’t function at this hour?” Sirius asked
“Once again ignore him.” Remus told Harry, “Actually Sirius and I were talking the other day and we thought we could come visit a few times while you’re at school. I know with the NEWTs studying it can be a little busy trying to find time to come here so why do we go to you?”
“Yeah though I should warn you I’m not a great multitasker when it comes to studying.” Harry said with a grin as he looked at Remus, “But I wouldn’t mind the company.”
“Neither was I. Sirius and I used to just sit in silence in the library during our seventh year around these months.”
“The lamest time in our entire relationship.” Sirius said, making Remus roll his eyes, “But we will grade papers and you can study and it would be a way to see each other away from James too.”
“Yeah, sounds good. I told James I probably wouldn’t be back until mid or even late April unless it was an emergency. Probably skipping the Full Moon this month too which is not pleasant and not something I like to do. It upsets my wolf and the moon is the only time I get to see my Uncle Frankie these days.”
“Does it hurt to not shift on a Full Moon?” Sirius asked
“It actually hurts to not shift any time the Moon is out on clear nights, not just Full Moon, but I’ve just gotten used to it. On Full Moons though, it’s different. Our wolf learns we can shift at will very fast, mostly because at thirteen it’s the coolest party trick especially when you grow up around werewolves your entire life. So every night the moon is clear your wolf wants to run and just be out. It’s harder the stronger your relationship is with your wolf too which is the opposite for werewolves who have better and easier transformations when they are close to their wolf.”
“Is the same for Werewolves? Like is your wolf separate from you?”
“Like his personality? Sort of. Werewolves are different from Lycans in the way their wolf is. Werewolves have it worse in that regard, their wolf is more controlling, but it’s worse when it’s an Alpha as well. I was, we thought I was five when I got attacked, but really I was only four so my wolf is four almost five years younger than I am. So I’m sixteen, but my wolf is elven. Not like mentally or anything like that, but in the way it reacts to different circumstances. It’s more impulsive and is pushing boundaries. It’s hard to explain I guess, but it’s like an inner voice and a second instinctive nature clashing with my sixteen year old inner voice and instinctive nature.”
“I’ve tried to explain it to him many times, but animagi don’t have that second voice, only the weird sudden urges they can easily ignore.” Remus told him
“I walked in a circle one time before sitting on the floor and you have never let me live it down.” Sirius said
“It was cute.”
“It was embarrassing.” Sirius countered, “Anyway so is that the same for Werewolves?”
“Yes it’s why so many don’t have good relationships with their wolves because they usually don’t get attacked until they're older, so there's a twenty something year old with a wolf pup counterpart that just wants to bite everything and run around. It’s hard to control your wolf the first few years for both werewolves and lycans.”
“Is that why you and Moony never got along?” Sirius asked looking at Remus
“Moony just hates me. It had nothing to do with age differences.” Remus said, shaking his head, “he never liked me even when I was a kid.”
“How old were you?” Harry asked
“Ironically it was just a few months from my own fifth birthday like you. Fenrir Greyback, it was revenge against my father.”
“Uncle Frankie killed the wolf that attacked me as soon as he drew blood. It was a new wolf on its first moon, stronger, faster, and young too I think. Uncle Frankie doesn’t like to talk about it, but I think he was young. He would have gone into a bloodlust and would have killed everyone if Uncle Frankie hadn’t done it. Papa told me he didn’t leave my side until they were sure I’d pull through then he left and came back the first moon after the attack so he could be with me in case I turned.”
“It must have been the longest month any of them had.” Sirius said
“I don’t know, I don't remember it. Most of the time I was asleep, drugged, or high on pain relievers that were definitely not made for children. Papa said it was our little secret when the kids pain relievers didn’t last long enough for me to sleep properly. I was also bedridden so I think they were more concerned about what the transformation would do to me and my healing and how it would affect my health each month than they were about the actual werewolf part. They didn’t even put up any real precautions that night Papa stayed in the room even with Uncle Frankie there.”
“Parents are stubborn and reckless when it comes to their kids.” Remus told him as they slowed once the gates were only steps away, “You’ll be okay?”
“Of course. It’s not my first time coming and going before the sun rises. I’m used to it.” Harry said, turning to them with a grin, “I’ll owl you my new class schedule once my NEWT schedule is made.”
“Okay. We will see you soon then.” Harry nodded then stepped through the gates and after ten steps away he was free to apparate so he did landing a few steps outside of the gates of Kreasiara Institue.