Chapter Text
The end of first year was chaos, first Harry had woken up in the hospital wing three days after the events under the school. Harry found himself wrapped around his stuffed Dragon from Draco, his blanket from his parents tucked under his head like a pillow the scent on it preserved by his dad so he’ll always have that faint scent of home around him. The second he’d woken up enough to say something he’d found himself covered in a sobbing Draco Malfoy whispering into the crook of his neck that if Harry ever pulled something that Gryffindor again Draco would end Harry himself.
Then there was the fanfare from having been ‘sick’ for so long trapped in the hospital wing people wouldn’t stop asking him what he was wrong or how got so sick. His dad had told him to stick to the truth, he had become magically exhausted, and it took a few days for him to feel better. Draco stayed with him to make sure he had someone friendly nearby when he woke up. The Gryffindor boys had needed far less healing, Ron left the next day and Neville, by his grandmother’s insistence, told everyone he’d had the flu. Harry did not like lying to everyone. But his dad told him in a hushed whisper that there’s plan and Harry trust him, so he does what he’s told.
The leaving feast was an utter nightmare, everyone kept whispering his name talking about how he’s disappeared for a week, how he’d been too ashamed to show his face after getting caught on the third floor. Draco had no doubt that that particular rumor started with Ron spouting his typical overexaggerated stories in the Gryffindor common room. Slytherin had won the house cup, but by a far slimmer margin than when they’d first entered the Great Hall. Dumbledore stood in front of the school fiving both Ron and Neville points for playing Wizards Chess and standing up to their fears completely ignoring Harry and Draco contributions to the whole ordeal. Though that might have been for the best given they are Slytherins and probably would have lost points for being somewhere they shouldn’t have been.
Dad saved them from having to take the train home with the other students instead apparating them all back to the manor where Harry had nearly run his bedroom to unpack his trunk and settle back into being home for the summer. Back where he knows he’s always safe and where the house itself is on his side.
+++
“Harry, I’d like to talk to you about something,” dad calls out knocking gently in his bedroom door.
Harry closes the book he’s been reading on the window seat Aunt Cissa added to his room and a gift for finishing his first year of Magical schooling. She said it’s to celebrate him being one year closer to being a fully trained Wizard. Harry loves the warmth of the sun on his face when he sits on the comfy cushion surrounded by pillows. Iris even has a small shelf with a dark stone that soaks up all the suns warmth for her to bask on while Harry reads or naps. It’s also big enough that Draco can join him when they want to spend quiet time together.
“Come in!” Harry calls out to his dad.
“Harry, how are you today? I see you’re enjoying the window seat,” dad says his voice full of gentle warmth as Harry hears him sit down on his bed.
“It’s great, Iris loves it too,” Harry beams.
“I want to introduce you to someone, but I want to make sure you want to meet him first,” dad says sounding a little unsure.
“Who?” Harry asks curious, his dads never wanted to introduce him to someone before.
“His name is Remus Lupin, he was friends with your parents, he went to school with us. He’s been helping Lucius and Narcissa with some things and I thought you might like to meet him,” his dad somewhat rambles to Harry making him cock his head slightly.
“Does he want to meet me?” Harry asks hesitantly.
“Yes, of course he does,”
“Then why do you sound so nervous about it,” Harry asks suspicious, “He’s not your boyfriend or something is he?”
Harry hears his dad choke, then cough, then gasp for air.
“No, Merlin no, I do not have a boyfriend, nor a girlfriend, nor will I ever,” his dad finally splutters out.
“Why never?” Harry asks.
“We’ve become sidetracked, we can discuss my lack of romantic entanglements at a later date. Right now, Remus would like to meet you, he is in the green study,” his dad says moving from his bed so Harry can grab hold of his elbow.
~Iris, we’re going to meet someone new, want to come? ~ Harry asks his familiar.
~Hmm, yes relocate me,~ Iris hisses out in her emperies tone she definitely picked up from Draco.
Harry lets his dad lead him through the halls of Malfoy Manor, to outsiders the house is impossible to traverse. Draco gave Harry a book about it the first week they’d been home for summer. Apparently, the manor is from a time when Magical’s were under siege on a regular basis from both muggles and other Magical’s. To combat and confuse enemies the house has a level of sentience where it can change, they layout at will moving rooms, hallways, even items from one place to another. If the house doesn’t want you to find something you never will. Only those deemed family by the magic of the home are able to navigate the halls.
It's one of the reasons why they’ve decided to stay here during breaks from school for the time being, the house is one of the most secure places in Britian because of its natural defences, not to mention the powerful wards surrounding the whole property.
“If he knew my parents does that mean he knows me?” Harry asks filling the silence.
“Yes, he would have met you as. A baby before that idiotic old man took you to that creature you’re unfortunate enough to have for an aunt,” dad says making Harry giggle, he’s happy someone finally hates her as much as Harry does.
“Here we are, I am going to stay with you and if you want to leave or feel uncomfortable just say the word and I’ll ask him to leave,” dad tells him giving the hand at his elbow a light squeeze before guiding him into the green sitting room, which also serves as the Herbology library. He knows the room had large windows allowing plants to grow amongst the shelves, charmed to make sure they can’t damage the books. The windows are on the south wall allowing maximum natural light throughout they year. Of all the sitting rooms this is one of his favourites. Harry suspects his Aunt Cissa used it as the inspiration for his window seat.
~It smells like furry beast and anxiety, ~ Iris hisses out from her perch around Harry neck.
~Don’t be rude, ~ Harry admonishes her giving her a light tap on her scales.
“Hello, Harrison,” a soft masculine voice says from in front of the windows.
“Hello not dads’ boyfriend,” Harry says back happily.
Behind him he can hear a hand making contact with a face, a soul deep sigh leaving his dad.
“Uhhh,” Remus splutters out.
“Ignore him, he’s a menace and nuisance. Disrespectful brat,” that last bit is muttered under his breath, but Harry can still hear him.
“That’s so mean, Draco says I’m a delight,” Harry snaps back smiling away.
There is a very notable silence between the two adults, one of the silences that Harry knows mean the adults are ‘talking’ with the eyes or gesture so he can’t tell what’s happening.
“You know it’s rude it exclude me just because I can’t see,” Harry pouts.
“I’m so sorry Harrison I don’t mean,” Remus starts to say.
“He’s fine he, the brat makes blind jokes incessantly, not to mention I know for a fact he and his snake have a running commentary on everyone around them,” dad tells Remus making the man across from them nervously chuckle.
“Sit brat and I’ll get tea,”
~He doesn’t look like a beast, he’s in the chair across from you,~ Iris tells him settling her head down on his shoulders, still not quite big enough to hold his neck and reach the top of his head.
“What is she saying?” Remus asks his skeptically.
“She says you smells ‘like a beast’ which to her could be just about anything,” Harry tells him.
Harry feels the atmosphere of the room shift around him becoming tense, the clink of spoons in tea has stopped his dad frozen in place. Across from him Remus has stopped breathing, not a single muscle moving.
“You may as well tell him, he’s unlikely to let it go and you know how Potters are,” dad says exasperated.
“Prince,” Harry huffs out his last name, a habit he picked up at school from of all the people insisting on calling him ‘Harry Potter’ to his face or when they whisper about him in the halls.
“I am a werewolf, that’s probably what your snake is picking up on. She can likely smell my wolf,” Remus tells him in a solemn tone that goes right over Harry head.
“Wicked! What does it feel like to become a wolf? Is it only on the full moon like the books say? Do you have a pack? Can I pet you?” Harry rambles off his questions in rapid succession.
“Wow, slow down pup, no you cannot pet me, werewolves re very dangerous and no one, least of all your father, wants you to be in danger,” Remus says clearly panicking with Severus in the room.
“If you’re taking wolfbane potion you should be perfectly safe on the full moon, like a sleepy puppy, that I can pet,” Harry turns slightly in his chair towards his dad, “can you make Remus wolfsbane?”
“I already make him wolfsbane and if you get all your schoolwork done before your birthday, I’ll consider it,” dad tells him handing Harry his cup of tea.
“Excellent,” Harry says taking a sip of his sweet tea.
“Severus, you can’t mean to let him near me transformed?” Remus lets out panicked.
“I created that potion with the intention of removing the uncontrolled anger and mindless actions of changed wolves. Are you attempting to say my creation is less than perfect?” Severus asks the werewolf.
“No, no of course not, it’s just, what if I scratch or bite him?” Remus asks.
“Dad, can I become a werewolf? That would be so cool,” Harry asks wiggling slightly in his seat.
“No, you’re Uncle Lu would never forgive you and I don’t need another mutt in my life,” Severus tells him closing the door on that discussion.
“For your other questions, changing is very, very painful, the most painful thing I have ever experienced. I only change on the full moon, and I had a pack. They were James, Sirius, Peter, Lily, and you. But it looks like it’s just us left now,” Remus tells him sadly.
“Well, we can add Draco! Draco would love to be pack; he’s more a dragon than a wolf but I’m sure we can make it work,” Harry rambles on excitedly.
“I have no doubts that Draco will be pack, Harrison,” Remus chuckles.
Harry reaches out with his magic feeling the room around him. The house gives off it’s normal warm pulse that makes Harry feel at home, like he’s being hugged. The plants radiate a faint aura of life and mild magic, each species a little different from the next, some with more magic, some with less. Harry brushes past the wards on the shelves designed to protect the books from damage. He can’t tell the different wards apart yet, but he thinks he could with practice. Finally, he reaches out brushing his magic against Remus’. The wolfs magic is wild, it reminds Harry if the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It’s wild with darkness tinging the edges, it’s not unwelcoming or hostile, just a reflection of the man and his creature side.
“How is school? Have you found the teachers accommodating to any changes you need to classes?” Remus asks him.
“Mostly, herbology was really hard at the start before we made paper plants for me to study with. Dads been teaching me astronomy since I can’t participate in the class at night. Transfiguration is hard sometimes when I don’t know what the thing is that I’m trying to make. Potions is great! Dad wrote me my own textbook so I can make potions based on the smell, texture, and timing,” Harry gushes over his classes. School isn’t nearly as hard as he thought it would be and he doesn’t need to worry about maths until third year when he can take arithmancy.
“That sounds excellent, and very kind of your dad,” Harry beams at Remus’ words happy that someone else sees how brilliant his dad is.
“Harry, one of the reasons Lupin is here for the summer is to be a tutor for you and Draco. Remus holds two masteries, one in History and one in Defence Against the Dark Arts, two subject I know you both could use an enhanced Education in,” dad says failing to keep the acid from his voice at the mention of both subjects.
“Who would have thought the Dark Lord would be an awful professor,” Harry quips to break up the awkward tension. It does not go as planned.
“Harrison,” his dad says exasperated.
“Daaaaad,” Harry replies.
“To offset your questionable teachers in both subjects Remus is going to provide lessons over the summer. I will work with you on your magic as well Harry and we will research schools like you asked,” dad tells him, Harry’s not sure how he feels about additional lessons during the summer. He loves learning about magic and doing magic. But he also wants to go flying with Draco, explore the house more with Iris, try cooking in the fancy kitchens, and relaxing in his window seat.
“Stop spiraling, it will be two maybe three hours a day three days a week, you’ll hardly lose your summer to schoolwork,” Harry can hear his dads eyes roll.
“Can Daph come for lessons?” Harry asks not wanting to leave out his other best friend.
“I will contact the Greengrass’ family and see if they would be amenable to Daphnie joining you,” dad says.
“Yay!” Harry exclaims.
“Go find Draco you menace I’ll give you the schedule of lessons at dinner,” Harry jumps from his chair giving his dad a big hug.
“See you for lessons Remus!” Harrys calls over his shoulder running from the room.
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POV Severus Prince
“Should he be running around like that?” Remus asks forehead creased with worry from his seat across from Severus.
“He’s fine, the snake will warn him of obstacles and the house likes him, he’s only run unto one suit of armour, and I think it was because the house wanted to make Draco laugh on. A bad day,” Severus waves off the wolfs concern. He knows his son and if the little menace runs into something it’s because he’s not paying attention like any child, not due to his disability.
“So… not boyfriend?” Remus asks eyes full of laughter.
“Silence, he made a dunderheaded assumption when I was informing him I had someone for him to meet,” Severus says pinching the bridge of his nose.
“So, he doesn’t know you hate the thought of romantic entanglements,” Remus teases him.
“I don’t hate the thought they simply do not interest me, my friendships are more than fulfilling,” Severus tells the man lifting his chin slightly.
“Mmm yes, that’s what it was,”
“Just wait until your husbands no longer in Azkaban, then you can explain the spectrum of sexuality to him,” Severus shoots back happy that someone else gets the honour of give the boys that talk.
With the poor press Dumbledores' been receiving after the Cerberus was found in the school easily accessible by children Sirius release is looking closer and closer. Lucius assignment of managing the headmaster has been going better than expected with these new revelations. Question abound about the safety of Hogwarts, where the missing professor is, how animal cruelty could be condoned on such a scale, and how safe are the children with XXXX creatures in the castle.
With any luck this time next year Black will be free, Remus will have his husband back, Harry will have a god father, and Severus will have a headache. They just need to keep chipping away at the man’s hold on the Wizengamot.
“Lucius has some whispers for me to look into once the boys return to school, whispers in Godrics Hollow for me to ask questions about. I remember the people there being quite tight lipped though, I may need to spend some time there before anyone will speak to me,” Remus muses.
“Do not forget you will also need to walk past that monstrosity of a monument to the lives of our friends,” Severus tells him shivering slightly at the memory of the house he’s found Lily and James in.
It had taken some time with Remus after his return from Albania to convince him that Lily and James forgave him integrating him back into their lives right before they’d gone into hiding with a little Harry.
“He seems well adjusted,” Remus says looking back to the empty doorway.
“There are good days, and there are bad days. More good now than the bad. He cannot be in tight spaces without having panic attacks, extended periods off loud noises or strong smells induce headaches. Draco has told me he has nightmares in the dorms but settle when he climbs into bed with him. Generally, he’s a happy boy, creative, more like Lily than James at this age, except the constant need to explore, that he gets from James,” Severus shares with the wolf.
“Here’s to more good days than bad,” Remus says lifting his old tea to Severus.