Chapter Eleven
It took two days before Harry owled off a copy of his new updated class schedule with only twelve classes and a copy of his NEWT testing schedule to Remus and Sirius, He also sent a copy of those new schedules to James and his Papa with a little note explaining what it was to James because Harry didn’t remember if he told James his schedule would change or not.
The next day they replied that they would be by Friday since neither of them had classes after lunch. Harry was nervous, but he was also excited because this part had always been what he had been most excited for, spending time together even in silence.
Harry didn’t have any classes after one o'clock that Friday, but he did have a NEWT Saturday morning meaning he was excused from the few classes he had that day, but had to do the work during the weekend. The day was the perfect day for inside work which was perfect since Harry completely intended to study his dorm room with Sirius and Remus no matter how awkward or how much they tried to protest. The gloomy day made sure that the library was full and other study spots were taken.
“There you are.” Harry turned surprised, but excited to find his Papa and Uncle Frankie coming up to him.
“Hi, what are you guys doing here?” Harry asked turning to them
“I know you’re busy and you forget the essentials when you’re busy so I bring gifts.” His Papa said holding up a gift basket.
“And I just miss you so I tagged along.” Frankie said pulling Harry into a hug that Harry quickly returned snuggling into his chest a little
“I missed you too.” Harry told him, pulling away and taking the gift basket, “Chocolate, the good kind I see.”
“The expensive kind you mean.” His Papa teased, “Chocolate, bags of different things you like, salty and sweet. Your favorite teas you like to drink when you’re trying to focus on your work, and other stuff you’ll find buried in there. I went a little overboard I’m afraid.”
“When have you not gone overboard?” Frankie asked amused.
Frankie was an older man, but he was fit. Long curly gray-black hair falling to his chest that was more broad and muscular than your normal fifty-something year old man. He had a thick beard and mustache perfectly trimmed that covered a deep scar along his right jaw line from one of his many ‘adventures’ as an alpha wolf. Despite the scary and hard demeanor and aura he grinned easily and freely and he had always been the best player in all of Harry’s imaginative games.
“Shut up Franklin.” His Papa said, “I could say the same to you.”
“At least I don’t try to pretend I don’t spoil the lad. I’m very honest about my spoiling.” Harry shook his head, this happened every six months or so, Frankie and Papa fighting about ‘spoiling’ him.
It was never a real fight of course and when Harry was younger he had assumed it was more than playing, but he had grown out of that ridiculous thinking. Frankie and Papa were brothers in everything but blood and name. They had known each other for years, none of them ever told Harry the real truth as to how they met, but Harry had stopped asking when he recognized the deflection wasn’t because he was too young, but rather because Frankie always looked a little broken than before he had asked.
“Well thank you for the basket. I am sure I will use everything in it by the end of next week.” Harry told them glancing out to the pathway finding Sirius and Remus making their way towards the school.
“Does James know they’re here?” Papa asked, smirking lightly as he folded his arms, Harry refused to admit he was blushing even if he could feel his face getting hot.
“I’m not sure. We had a little fight Saturday and then Monday morning they proposed they come here a few times since I’d be too busy to go over there.” Harry explained
“Fight? Fight about what? He seemed accepting when we spoke at lunch two weeks ago.” Papa frowned, folding his arms again, it was his tick Harry had come to realize.
Papa had to fold his arms when he asked Harry something he deemed important so he wouldn’t get distracted by doing something with his hands. It was especially effective in the kitchen where he would normally start doing anything and soon got distracted by whatever it was he was doing.
“It’s nothing.” Harry told him with a small shrug which made both his Papa and Frankie raise their brow at him.
“What happened?” His papa asked
“I’ll tell you about it another time just…not right now.” Harry said lowering his voice as they grew closer
“Fine. But I’m asking again later.” Harry nodded, turning to Remus and Sirius as they entered the school. Sirius was laughing about something as he shook his head much like a dog would, Remus looked resigned as he had water shook on him as if it happened everyday.
“Must you do that everytime your hair gets wet in the rain?” Remus asked
“Yes. It keeps it fluffy.” Sirius said smiling as he walked to Harry, “Hello Harry.”
“Did you do that before or after you became an animagus?” Harry asked
“After.”
“Don’t lie to him. He did that when he was eleven coming out of the shower with only a towel around his hips. It’s no wonder he is able to turn into a long haired dog later in life.” Remus said, running a hand through his own wet hair, “Good afternoon Harry.”
Harry could see his Papa and Frankie share a look between them with a secret smile that Harry decided to ignore.
“Hi. Oh um this is my Papa and my Uncle Frankie.”
“Henry.” His Papa greeted holding his hand out, Remus took it with a grin.
“Remus.”
“I’m Frankie.” Harry knew Frankie and Remus would take a minute to get used to each other, both being alphas, but they didn’t let it affect them outwardly. Harry only knew because he could hear the slight growl in each voice and the territorial way they were acting around him. Even his Papa knew something was wrong as he grabbed Frankie’s arm and pulled him back two steps, Harry doing the same to Remus. Sirius looked wide eyed but stood closer to Remus as if prepared for anything.
“I’m Sirius.” Sirius broke the tension a little bit as he shook both of their hands, “It’s great to meet you both finally.”
“You as well.” Frankie said much more relaxed as he took Sirius’ hand in his then he turned to Harry, “Love you. I will see you soon, okay cub?” Harry nodded, stepping forward and hugging him tightly, but very briefly, “I’ll wait outside, but it was great to meet you both,” Frankie smiled at them both then he stepped outside just enough for their shoulders to relax and for Remus to grow a little sheepish.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s normal. He probably likes you more because you acted that way.” His Papa said with a laugh, “anyway Harry if you need anything-”
“I know. Owl you any time day or night no matter how big or small.” Harry said with a smile as he looked at his Papa, “You’ve told me that anytime I’ve left the house for a night. Just think in just a few weeks I’ll be home so much you’ll be begging for me to leave.” Harry joked smiling
“I doubt that.” His Papa said, stepping forward and gripping his chin gently before kissing his head, “Love you Harry.” Papa pulled away and looked at him, “Be good. Take care of yourself. I mean it, you better eat. I didn't go all the way to Switzerland to get you the expensive chocolates, just so they will sit in the basket untouched. I know how you get when you’re cramming for an important test. Pretty sure you lost ten pounds during OWLs.”
“Six pounds.” Harry corrected with an eye roll, “Are you going to leave or do I need to invite you to sit with us while I study too?” His Papa laughed shaking his head
“Alright I’m leaving. I know when I’m being kicked out. It was great to meet you two finally, make sure he eats anytime you’re with him he forgets sometimes.”
“We'll make sure he eats.” Remus promised
His Papa looked to Harry for a moment before he nodded and turned to leave before he stopped after a few steps and turned to Harry.
“What now?”
“Have I told you how proud of you I am this month?”
“Considering it’s the first of the month and I’m just now seeing you? No you haven’t.”
“Well I am very proud of you.”
“I know. You tell me almost every month. You’ve missed a few, but I don’t hold grudges.” His Papa laughed, shaking his head as he turned and left the school stopping briefly beside Frankie before they walked together.
“He seems great. No wonder James likes him and tells us how lucky it was you had him.”
“He’s overbearing at times, but yeah I suppose he’s great too.” Harry said as he walked between them, “Don’t worry about Frankie, it’ll just take you two some time to get used to each other and he looks intimidating, but he once pretended to be a cat because we were playing some game and I guess I told him the spell turned him into his nemesis. I was a very dramatic eight year old apparently.”
“Just the right type of intimidating that if we hadn’t been thirty seven and fought against Voldemort in the first war we’d probably be terrified.” Sirius told him making Harry laugh, “it’s good thing you’re not mated to a teenager, they'd never survive that stare he gave us.”
“They would have survived just not as dry.” Sirius laughed and Remus shook his head, “We can go to my dorm and before you give me any look, trust me you do not want to be in a crowded room with the type of students I call classmates. Even Frankie doesn’t like being in the library with more than a few people in it, he says the synchronized page turns give him nightmares.”
“Wherever you’re comfortable.” Remus said, “though we definitely will be telling James all about the synchronized page turns.”
“Does he know you’re here?” Harry asked
“Yes and No. He knows we planned to see you away from him occasionally, just not today. He’s trying, but the three of us are never going to get anywhere if James is there and we feel the need to be so cautious around you for his sake.” Remus told him
“He’ll come around.” Sirius said, “We suggested he talk to your Papa actually and he seemed to consider it. Maybe he can help him more than we can.”
“Maybe.” Harry agreed
The walk to the hall that housed his dorm was quick, the dorms were scattered in different corridors, no real organization to it at all. His dorm was on the fifth floor in the West Wing Corridor. It also housed a few seventh and sixth year girls and a few other boys from all different years. Celeste was outside in the hall looking out the open archway that served as a window with spells to keep the weather outside except the occasional breeze. She turned when she heard them.
“Oh hello Harry.”
“Hello Celeste.” Harry said politely as he walked to his door.
The cubs at the pack makes him a sign each year he leaves, this one was horrible. It was atrocious though they all are to be honest, but this one hit a new trier. It was orange and pink and some sort of green shade with ‘Harry’s Dorm’ written in white lettering. Harry loved it. Though he felt the need to explain that he didn’t make it and five three year olds who couldn’t decide on the color had. He didn’t, but mostly because Celeste was staring at them. Harry opened his door and let Remus and Sirius enter first.
“Goodbye Celeste” Harry said, closing the door behind him as he entered the room.
His dorm room and he assumed everyone else’s dorm room was almost like a flat style except it lacked a kitchenette. It had its own bathroom with only a shower, toilet, and sink, it had a full size bed, a desk, a wardrobe, a couch with a small fireplace that didn’t connect to the public floo network only the Headmasters’ office so a student could inform the headmaster of an emergency or an illness without leaving the dorm. It was a one way connection, opened only from inside the dorms so there were no accidental…anything.
The room opened up into a short hallway, the door on the left side leading into the bathroom. The hall opened up into a bigger room. The bed was in one corner, the foot of the bed nearest to the fireplace in the opposite corner. The couch beside the head of the bed and the desk and desk chair opposite that. The wardrobe beside the desk in the last corner available to use.
“Okay I am officially jealous.” Sirius said, “Well the teenager who had to share a dorm with other boys while trying to sneak my boyfriend into my bed for a very quiet slow paced sex is jealous.” Harry laughed as he walked further into the room and set his bag down on the bed then removed his school robes.
“Yes I’m sure my peers have taken advantage of the single room style many times. Imagine how many teenagers have had sex on that very couch.”
“On second thought-”
“I’m kidding. We’re allowed to change the furniture we’re in these dorms for seven years after all. I couldn’t stand the smells of the furniture when I moved in after my thirteenth birthday, I had to have Uncle Frankie and Papa get me new everything before I could sleep properly. Two years later I went shopping and bought a few different things. I’ll probably just leave everything here when I leave except for that desk.”
“The desk? Why?”
A second passed. Two. Then Harry spoke as he pulled his books out of his bag.
“It has secret ink pot holders.” Harry said with a grin laughing and dodging the stinking hex Sirius aimed at him.
It was a cover, they all knew it was a cover for the real reason, but no one said anything. Harry didn’t even know if they knew about Matteo, he didn’t know what James has told them or what he hasn’t told them since learning they were his mates. It was not a story Harry wanted to get into today or any day when he had a NEWT so soon. Though the secret ink pot holders were the second reason was neve getting rid of the desk.
“So you’re taking eight NEWTs this month.” Remus said
“Yeah I was going to go for ten, but they would have scheduled one of them on the Full Moon and I didn't want to risk it. Sometimes my leg hurts so badly I can’t leave my bed for a few hours so it was best to just go with eight. I did ask if my testing location could be changed so if I need to go to Hogwarts this month they can accommodate considering each of my NEWTs I’m getting a private instructor since not everyone is doing them this month or that day.”
“Why would you need to go to Hogwarts?” Sirius asked while sitting on the couch with Remus, Harry laid on his stomach on his bed facing towards them so they could continue to talk.
“Well we don’t really know how Remus’ first rut is going to affect him and there are different types of Ruts too just like there are different types of Heats. Like my first heat I cried the entire week and just needed to be with my Papa cuddled up in bed. When he left to pee I would feel like he was leaving me forever. It was terrible, Papa barely slept that week. Typically the sex crazed ruts and heats are the most common of course, but there are different kinds. The comforter I left there should work for most if not all ruts. It’s heavily scented, but if it doesn’t I’ll need to at least be in the family room where he can sense I’m close by.”
“So is it true I can’t have sex with him during his rut?” Sirius asked
“Again it depends, but it’d be safer if you didn’t just in case. This is the first time he’s going to be getting a knot and you won’t be able to take it safely until you’ve trained your body to do so. There are toys to do that and certain lube types to make it easier the first time or two.”
“There are toys? Remus! You never told me there are toys!” Sirius said, turning to Remus who had stayed silent determinedly ignoring the conversation going on around him.
“Can we stop talking about this?” Remus asked
“You prude. Fine but we are definitely coming back to this conversation.”
“Great. See what you did Harry. You’ve gone and- are you seriously turned on right now Sirius?”
“I am always turned on, Moony. This shouldn’t be a surprise to you.” Remus shook his head
“Grade your papers and stop talking about sex. Both of you.”
“You’re very bossy.” Harry said opening his Magical Creatures Studies class, it was his first NEWT and it was the one he was the most confident about this month mostly because it had been so easy with his Papa being a magizoologist. But he wanted to just read up on some more of the tricky creatures just in case.
“Tell me about it.” Sirius mumbled, “OW!” Harry laughed, glancing over to see Sirius rubbing his leg.
“Grade your papers.”
Sirius grumbled but otherwise did as he was told. The room fell into a soft silence…for five minutes then Sirius was talking again. Sirius apparently couldn’t work in silence, Harry had seen that last Friday when he and James spoke while grading their own papers.
“Was Magical Creatures Studies just a class to have an easy O or are you actually interested in it?” Sirius asked
“Kind of. I knew most of the coursework, but there were a few things I didn’t know and so it was interesting in that aspect, and when I signed up for it I wasn’t yet an Omega so I thought I would go into Magizoologist like my Papa. But some animals don’t react well to werewolves or Lycans especially omega ones so I had to change plans. It wasn’t that big of a deal, it was just an interest at twelve. I’ve changed career paths so many times before and since then that it didn’t bother me too much.”
“Is it similar to Care of Magical Creatures that Hogwarts offers?”
“I think so though ours is probably more in depth. All of our coursework is more in depth than Hogwarts I think. It’s really amazing how much they took out and yet you guys still have things to teach the student for ten months of the year.”
“Well some of us find little loopholes to teach the students a few things the Ministry doesn’t want us to, but not much. Like the patronus charm is considered unessential, but Remus still teaches it and gets away with it because he says he’s preparing his students in case they ever want to be a guard at Azkaban.”
“Everyone’s dream job I’m sure.” Harry said as he read over the passage about the Chimaera, “Just the fact you have to find loopholes like that for a spell that doesn’t even harm anyone is ridiculous. I might go into politics just to tell everyone how stupid they are.”
“I really don’t want to be seen with a politician can’t you do something cool like be a quidditch star.”
“I used to play quidditch. We have an international team which means we play schools who don’t have houses that play each other like Beauxbatons and Drumstrang. The winning house team at Hogwarts used to play us, but they stopped during Grindelwald I believe.”
“Oh yeah? What position?”
“Seeker. Got on the team my first year. Youngest Seeker in a Century.” Harry said
“Does James know this?” Remus asked
“No, I don't think so. It hasn’t been brought up. Besides, I stopped during my fourth year. I only stayed long enough for a new seeker to be found and trained and to play a few games we knew we were going to win. After Yule I was off the team.”
“Why’d you stop?” Sirius asked
“I wanted to focus more on my academics.” Another cover, but they didn’t know that like they did with the first one. Harry bit the pad of his thumb as he turned to the Fwoopers chapter.
“Don’t ever tell James that.” Remus told him making Harry laugh
“Yeah I wasn't planning on it. Poor guy would die of a broken heart.”
Conversation continued. It was light and easy. Sirius liked to talk, he liked conversation even if it was meaningless. Harry came to realize that Sirius talking and his classmates talking were very different, or maybe he was just biased, but he didn’t mind being pulled into a conversation about his favorite type of cuisine while he read about the Ramora. When Sirius declared he was done grading despite the large stack of ungraded papers and came to lay beside Harry on the bed and ask about the creatures Harry was reading up on or passing, Harry didn’t mind. He also didn’t mind when his study session turned into him telling Sirius about the creatures he hadn’t learned about at Hogwarts. He also told him about the animals he had around when he was growing up and all of his past and present pets.
***
“So…” His papa said the next day as they sat at a table for lunch after his NEWT test. Harry looked at him confused.
“So?”
“How was studying yesterday?” Harry was unable to stop the blush as he thought back to the day before, but Harry just shrugged as he grinned at his menu.
“It was fine.” He said
“Oh come on tell me.” His Papa begged
“There’s nothing to tell. Remus graded his papers, SIrius graded some of his papers then came to lay beside me on the bed while I studied and told him about the creatures he didn’t learn about at Hogwarts and about the ones we had around the house growing up.”
“He laid beside you on the bed?”
“Yes.”
“And asked about magical creatures? A topic you know almost if not everything about?”
“Yes.” His Papa grinned suddenly, but Harry was confused, “What?”
“And did his shoulder brush yours on occasion as you two laid beside each other?”
“I mean..yeah..I guess?” His papa gave him a look, eyes wide, eyebrows raised, “What?”
“Merlin's Balls Harry he was flirting with you.”
“What? No he wasn’t. Why would he need to flirt with me? I'm his mate.”
“You think flirting just stops once you’re serious with each other?”
“Doesn’t it?” His Papa laid his head back with a groan laughing.
“No it doesn’t. I’ll have you know Matteo and I flirted a lot when we were married. I’m sure Sirius and Remus still flirt with each other. It’s fun.”
“Lying beside each other and talking about magical creatures was his way of flirting?”
“For someone so smart you are so clueless.” His Papa said, shaking his head, “No. Lying beside each other and talking about a topic you are clearly interested in and like and touching each other was the flirting part.”
“That’s incredibly lame. Isn’t flirting sexual? That wasn’t sexual.”
“Flirting is not sexual-”
“Pretty sure that’s the definition of Flirting.”
“Harry stop being so literal. Flirting is a lot of things. This was probably his way of just telling you he likes you and he doesn’t see you as only his best friend's son. A way to get closer to you.”
“He could say those things in words?” Harry suggested much to his Papa’s exasperation as he laughed.
“You’re hopeless.” His Papa said, “Anyway you were going to tell me about the fight you apparently had with James last week.”
“It was nothing.” Harry said, but his Papa didn’t drop it so Harry told him exactly what happened and about the lunch and about the conversation afterwards. He was angry, Harry knew this as soon as he told him what James had said to Remus, but he was also angry because he knew, even if Harry didn’t tell him, that it had hurt far more than Harry had let on to James.
“Do you want me to talk to him?”
“Sirius and Remus suggested he talk to you and that maybe you could help him, but no I don’t know. It’s up to you.
“I’ll owl him and ask him when he’s available.” His Papa said, “If he ever hurts you to a point where you can’t or don’t want to forgive him it’s okay to stop talking to him. Temporarily or permanently. I don’t care.”
“Papa it’s fine it’s not like that. He didn’t-”
“I know he’s still learning but I mean later. If you need time away from him at any point tell me and I’ll make sure he gets the message loud and clear.”
“I know Papa.” Harry hesitated for a moment, “What have you told James about Matteo?”
“That we were married and then when you were thirteen, during your fourth year he left. What have you told them about Matteo?” Harry shrugged as he looked at the menu again
“Just that he is your ex husband and we no longer talk to each other.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.” Harry said with a shrug, “So I am thinking about getting a soup. What are you thinking?”
His Papa pressed his lips together, narrowing his eyes a little at Harry, but after a few moments he sighed and finally told him he was thinking about a salad. THankfully his Papa decided to be nice and not bring it up again as he instead asked him how he thinks his NEWT went and if he was ready for the others. Their lunch passed quickly after that and once it was finished Harry went back to school to do some more work.