Midnight Talk
Remus thought the day went brilliantly. The kids had fun and were all excited to go to school soon. The twins protested, they didn’t want to leave Harry alone at home with Luna, who was only sleeping and not as much fun as they were. But Arthur reminded them of their promise to Prank’s parents, so they agreed to go to school.
The trouble with being back home came later when Harry kept asking when Steve would wake up. They knew it would happen the next day, but it’s not as if the journal gave them a precise hour. Unfortunately the more they answered ‘tomorrow’, the more Harry was getting nervous and angsty. Remus got it really, Harry was a little boy to him an hour was an eternity, especially when he is waiting for something to happen. But there was nothing they could do to help.
Well, most of them couldn’t do anything. Severus did put him in the corner after a tantrum and then gave him a hot chocolate bottle -he admitted later- spiked with a drop of Sleeping Draught.
Everyone was tired after such an eventful day, and knowing the next day wouldn’t be any easier, they all went to bed early.
Remus was… surprised wasn’t the right word as he was expecting it to happen earlier, but it was the only word coming to mind at midnight. After knocking lightly Sirius entered Remus’ room without waiting for an answer. He looked sheepish, almost shy, which with Sirius meant only one thing; he wanted advice. Remus just hoped it wasn’t about Steve again as he didn’t know how to convince his friend that Harry loved him and wouldn’t abandon him for Steve. And to be honest, so close to the event in question, Remus just hoped that witnessing it would set Sirius straight.
“Sirius,” Remus said and patted the bed while holding the sheets open so Sirius would join him, as they did so often in their dorms.
“I missed this,” Sirius told him.
“Are the cubs okay,” Remus asked. He wasn’t really worried, but he knew Sirius wouldn’t just get out with it, so he made small talk.
“Severus offered to keep them for the night, as he was the one who drugged Harry,” Sirius said with a chuckle.
“He shouldn’t have done that,” Remus reprimanded.
“Which is why he is keeping an eye on them now,” Sirius agreed. “I think Harry won’t be happy with him when he wakes up, and I hope Severus is ready for that.”
“I won’t be helping him,” Remus announced with a smirk.
Sirius sighed, “I believe Harry is just clinging to his memories too hard. He gets frustrated when he can’t react as he did when he was an adult and it just gets worse as he doesn’t know how to express his frustration. Telling him to just let go or forget doesn’t help. We need to find a way to help.”
“I think he is trying,” Remus told him. “I talked to Severus about it, and he believes the more conflicting happy memories we create for him, the more Harry will let go of the old sad ones. If we can prove to him that we can change his future then he will let go. No one wants to live with the memories he has if they don’t need to. They’ll be there still, he’ll remember people or places, but he won’t rely on them to know what to expect in life.”
“Do you think Steve will come to the tower,” Sirius asked.
“Maybe not immediately,” Remus admitted. “I get that it might be hard on Harry, but we can’t force the man just to make him happy. Steve was frozen for over 65 years, most of what and who he knew is gone. We don’t even know if he knew about magic before he crashed. If he will believe us. Tony said Howard might have told him and Bucky as they were close, but he can’t be sure. Natasha said that the Red Room worked with the Winter Soldier, but she can’t remember if he ever escorted them to Durmstrang.”
“Speaking of the others,” Sirius said but didn’t finish his sentence, only turning pleading eyes to him.
“Did you come to my bed at night to gossip, Padfoot?” Remus joked. “I’m shocked.”
“Well, we met Nathan, and even I can tell that Darcy thought one of us was her father’s mate,” Sirius said. “Do you know who it is?”
“You know being a werewolf doesn’t give me superpowers,” Remus reminded him.
“But you know,” Sirius insisted.
Remus rolled his eyes but nodded. He noticed that since THAT night he and his wolf were closer, they were more in control. He didn’t know if it came from finally holding Luna, or being away from Dumbledore. Since the purges, it only became more obvious. They were his pack, and the wolf knew exactly how to take care of them. It was a new feeling. A feeling he enjoyed very much.
“Is he yours,” Sirius asked.
“No, Sirius, he isn’t my mate,” Remus told him. “Is that why you slipped in my bed? You think I am going to abandon you for another pretty boy?”
“No,” Sirius told him, but it was clearly a lie.
“Even if we find my mate, Sirius, I’ll never abandon you or the others,” Remus assured him. “You are all mine. Only the cubs have more influence, more power over me than you do, and you know that.”
“Your mate could be some super alpha who will make you abandon all of us,” Sirius countered but Remus could tell it was meant as a joke.
“They could,” Remus teased, “but then we’ll just sic the twins on them.”
“Sounds fair,” Sirius agreed with a laugh.
“It’s late, Sirius,” Remus stated. “How about you tell me what you wanted to talk about?”
“Hmm.”
“Sirius, please.”
“Phil said we should think about changing the pups’ last name as they are too recognizable.”
“Okay,” Remus said, wondering where Sirius was going with this. “I don’t have a problem with that, though I’ll need to think about it since the name Luna Lupin would be just as much of a neon light for Dumbledore.”
Sirius nodded.
“Did you have something in mind about Harry,” Remus asked, thinking that Harry Black probably wasn’t a good idea either, but Harry had other names to choose from.
“I’ve been thinking about it and I… hmmm,” Sirius trailed off.
“What? Is it some horrible punt I’ll have to send you to the corner for,” Remus asked him.
“I was thinking Harry Coulson would be nice,” Sirius mumbled not looking at Remus.
Remus smiled and ran his fingers through Sirius’s hair. “I think it would be a great name.”
Remus saw how his friend looked at the older man. He wasn’t sure if Sirius noticed Phil’s equally heated gaze on him, but he thought it could wait until things settled. He wasn’t going to prevent it. He knew Sirius, if the Animagus came to him, it was to get his alpha’s approval on a possible future life mate.
James had done the same when Lily finally agreed to go on a first date with him; after years of refusal. He laughed it off at the time, telling James to do whatever he wanted, but he had to admit it settled his wolf a lot to know that who were hierarchically his lieutenant, emotionally his brothers, learned enough about his condition, and accepted him so completely that they didn’t hesitate before following pack rules over that of the wizarding, or even human world.
Sirius seemed startled so Remus soothed him.
“Phil is a good man, Sirius. He seems just as attached to you as you are to him. My only concern would be the death threat Harry told us about, but for some reason, I don’t feel overly worried about it.”
“You’re not?”
“No,” Remus affirmed. “I know it should frighten all of us. Phil is important to the pack. But every time I start thinking about it, it’s like a swift breeze goes through my mind and all my doubts fly away.”
“It does that to me too,” Sirius admitted. “I’ve been thinking about it often. I worried I was getting myself into something that would only end up hurting me. But it disappears as soon as it comes.”
“Did you ask him out, then,” Remus asked, curious to know his friend’s plan.
“I don’t…” Sirius stopped, nibbled at his lower lips and asked, “Can I be the submissive this time?”
Remus couldn’t help himself, he laughed his heart off, Sirius pushing him off the bed in retaliation.
“He is a No-Maj, Sirius,” Remus pointed out when he calmed down. “If you want him to court you, you’re going to have to explain it to him first.”
“That’s not how this works,” Sirius argued.
“Do you want me to talk to him?”
Sirius blushed but nodded.
“I’ll do it,” Remus assured him and hugged Sirius. “Now if that was all it’s time to sleep for all the cubs, even the grown-ass ones.”
“Hey, you didn’t tell me who Nathan’s mate is,’ Sirius protested when Remus pushed him out of bed.
“Natasha,” Remus told him and turned his back to him to sleep.
“Love you too, Moony,” Sirius told him and climbed back onto the bed to kiss his cheek.
Remus grabbed his wrist and returned the gesture before he could move away. “Everything will be alright, Padfoot. Sleep well.”
And just before Sirius could close the door, he added; “Love you too, Mangy Mutt.”
Remus would invite Phil for tea after they dealt with Steve. If Sirius had a chance at happiness and was so enthralled by Phil that he was ready to let himself be courted, Remus wasn’t going to wait around for him to psych himself out of it.