Chapter Text
It had been almost two years and Harry had just turned 3 years old. Together they had healed, there would always be a scar but daily life was easy, they could talk about Lily and James without it ruining their day.
The days were easier, and happier, and it was Harry who helped with that. He as a toddler found the small joys in every day and that rubbed off on Remus and Sirius who cherished every day they got to spend with him.
Sirius spoiled Harry, and Remus would have to regularly reel him in, Remus knew Sirius was just doing his best to show Harry he was loved.
He tried to not dwell on the past too much, instead appreciating how their little house had grown warm and welcoming. Feeling his heart grow when Harry would line up his many plush animals and explain who was who to Remus.
“What’s this one called?” Remus would ask with a smile pointing at one of the toys, his book in his lap.
“Kenny” Harry answered after a moment of thought.
“Very good name, what about this one?” He asked again, pointing to a plush elephant this time.
“Kenny too!” He answered again with a big smile.
Remus couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, amused at Harry’s name choices.
“But this one is La La” he pointed at a stuffed giraffe.
“Wonderful choices Harry” there was few moments of quiet while Harry continued to putter about the lounge room “your hair gets crazier every day” Remus said quietly more to himself than to Harry.
It was mid-afternoon and the two of them were sat at the small dining table in the kitchen, both eating a tub of yoghurt.
“Rem, why haven’t you finished your yoghurt?” Harry asked, the lower half of his face covered in yoghurt.
Remus had learned very soon after Harry was put under his and Sirius’ care that being a clean freak and slight germaphobe was not an option.
“Why haven’t you finished yours hm?” Remus asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
Harry just giggled and continued shoveling yoghurt into his mouth as if it was what he was born to do.
After their afternoon snack, Remus decided they could get some fresh air by going for a walk up the country roads. Harry loved looking at the horses and sheep and the occasional dog running around someone’s front yard. He was running ahead of Remus who didn’t mind as long as they could see each other.
Then it was as if Remus was watching it in slow motion, and it wasn’t as if Harry hadn’t hurt himself before - but his hands and chin sliding along the gravel road made even Remus wince. There was a moment of silence, Remus clutching his hands together waiting for Harry to react, thanking whoever out there that his giant puffy jacket and long pants protected the rest of him from the gravel.
Harry pushed himself up so he was sitting on the ground, he looked at his hands for a few moments. Then he looked up at Remus, and Remus saw the scratches on his chin and the tears welling up in his eyes.
“Ah..” Remus bent down and picked Harry up off the ground with a quiet groan, thinking he was getting a bit old for picking children up already.
“Where did you hurt?” He asked softly, balancing Harry on his hip.
“Here” Harry hiccupped and held his hands out palms facing up for Remus to see.
Remus had seen his fair share of injuries, and far worse than some scrapes from gravel, but seeing small spots of blood and tiny stones lining the edges of Harry’s palm tugged on his heart strings.
“Let’s head home and get you patched up, yeah?”
Harry just nodded and wrapped his arms around Remus’ neck, burying his head into Remus’ shoulder. Luckily for Remus they hadn’t walked far as his arms began to ache by the time they reached the front door.
Sirius seemed to notice Remus walking up the path to the door with Harry in his arms and opened the door for them, a mix of worry and curiosity on his face.
“Is he alright?” Sirius asked, closing the front door behind them. Remus nodded to reassure him it was nothing horrible.
Remus walked inside and sat Harry on the edge dining room table, his small face red and tear stricken and his legs dangling over the edge. Sirius softened immediately noticing the boy was upset.
“What happened Harry?”
“Went on a walk with Rem and I fell” he held his hands out to show Sirius.
“Oh Harry.. you’ll be alright, Remus will fix you up”
And so Remus got out his wand and found that tiny scrapes on tiny hands and chin were worlds easier to fix than the injuries he usually had to tend to.
There was a ghost of a smile on Harry’s lips as he watched the scrapes disappear from his hands, and Remus found it endearing how still Harry sat when he waved his wand over his chin. Tiny pebbles and small spots of blood disappearing, as if they were never there to begin with.
-
Visiting the Weasley’s for dinner is one of Harry’s favourite activities. The Weasley house was loud and always full of people, mainly Harry’s best friend Ron.
It had only taken one or two trips over to the Weasley house for Harry and Ron to make a bond, being the same age definitely helped but Remus hoped Harry wouldn’t lose that friendship.
Sirius had once told the table that Harry and Ron were destined to cause trouble, but that was right before the twins blew up the large bowl of mashed potatoes, making Percy and Ginny cry and every other child present (and Sirius) howl with laughter.
“The twins might have a legacy like ours at Hogwarts, hey Moony” Sirius said jokingly, with a hint of longing behind his eyes.
“Please Sirius, do not worry Molly and Arthur further with a thought like that” Remus laughed lightly as he and Sirius shared a quick look.
James would have loved this.
By the time the adults had decided to call it a night it was almost pitch-black outside. Children were scattered throughout the house in various states of consciousness; Ginny was curled up and fast asleep in the corner of a couch, clearly having wanted to stay up with the rest of the kids but still a bit too small to actually keep up; the twins were sitting crossed legged in front of the fireplace, throwing stones into the dying flames to make it change colours; Bill, Charlie and Percy nowhere to be seen in the lounge room, all having taken themselves up to their beds.
Harry and Ron were sat close together in an armchair, a book with pictures of all sorts of creatures open on their tiny laps, they were looking at it with droopy eyes. Both trying to stay awake in front of the other and failing.
Sirius walked over and picked up a half-asleep Harry to carry him home. Remus and Sirius thanked the Weasley’s profusely for providing them dinner and good company and made their way out of The Burrow.
Remus had shrugged his jacket on to protect himself against the chill, he then draped Sirius’ jacket over Harry’s body to protect him. Sirius shifted his arms carefully so that he was holding a covered up Harry right against his chest.
They walked down the road for a few minutes before deciding it was a good time and spot to apparate, giving each other a look of pain knowing the movement would wake Harry up - but unless they wanted to ride a broom home there was no other choice.
Sirius was still holding tight onto Harry even after they had landed - Harry had let out a couple of groans of annoyance and an “I don’t like that Siri” before falling asleep again as they walked through the house.
“Do you want to put him down and I’ll close up?” Remus asked as Sirius was about to enter Harry’s room.
Sirius nodded and went to go change Harry’s clothes and tuck him in, whilst Remus checked the protective charms, locked the front door, and closed the blinds on the windows.
Remus and Sirius finally got to climb into their bed, and wrapped their arms around each other, always finding comfort within one another. Sitting in a comfortable silence, not having to say anything.
“Moony?” Sirius whispered through the darkness.
Remus hummed in response.
“Imagine if we had seven”
Remus couldn’t help but snort.
“If we had seven I think I’d die from exhaustion, I don’t know how Molly and Arthur do it” he responded lightly.
“But Moooooony we could have a quidditch team if we had seven” Sirius whined jokingly, Remus could feel his body shaking lightly with laughter.
“We are not inheriting six more children simply so you can have a quidditch team, you’ll have to settle for waiting until Harry gets to Hogwarts”
“Fiiiine, you’re so mean to me” Sirius slapped Remus lightly on the arm.
“Only when you deserve it”
Remus pulled Sirius closer, and held on as tight as he could until sleep overtook his body. His thoughts drifting off to Harry one day playing quidditch at the school he himself had once called home.
-
“Harry can you please clean up the table so we can have dinner” Sirius asked from his spot in front of the pot of pasta sauce he was stirring.
“No” Harry said defiantly, arms folded in front of him, not moving from his seat at the dining table.
“Excuse me” Sirius had stopped stirring the sauce, shocked at Harry’s reaction.
“I don’t want to clean up, I’m playing” His arms were still crossed and there was annoyance all over his face. Sirius couldn’t quite believe their little Harry was talking back.
Harry was looking directly at Sirius, wondering how much he could get away with – Sirius was always good cop. It wasn’t that Sirius didn’t have the heart to punish Harry for being rude, Lily wouldn’t have stood for that type of behaviour either, he just wasn’t sure how effective it would be coming from the regular “good cop”.
“Harry Potter, you will clean up the dining table before dinner and before Remus gets home or I’ll put you in the corner” Sirius said sternly, raising his voice slightly but not enough to be yelling. His face stony to portray how serious he was about his threat.
Harry seemed to think for a moment before taking his toys off of the dining table and into the lounge room quietly. Sirius let out a breath and turned back to the pasta sauce, thankful the situation didn’t escalate.
Remus arrived home with groceries and by the time they were all unpacked dinner was ready, the three of them sat down to their nightly “family” dinner. Remus filling Sirius in on any news he heard while at the grocery store, and Sirius recounting his time with Harry. Harry then told Remus and Sirius about some sort of made-up story which they both listened very intently to, despite not knowing anything that was happening in this story.
It may not be “normal” to other families, but this was their family.
-
“I found a spider Rem!” Harry yelled from a corner of the garden, he was squatted down looking at the garden beds for bugs and insects.
“That’s great! Just don’t touch it, okay!” Remus called back from his seat near the back door of the house.
“Why not!”
“It might bite you!”
“Okay!”
Remus returned his attention to his book, and thanked Merlin that he had actually listened to him and not touch the spider. Harry did however get covered in mud and grass digging up worms to show Sirius, he asked if Padfoot would eat them.
Sirius politely said no and almost changed his mind at Harry’s disappointment.
-
“Little shit” Sirius muttered before calling out “Harry get back here!”
All could be heard through the house was Harry’s maniacal giggles, Sirius’ pleas for him to get back in the bath, and Remus muttering scourgify on the trail of water and bubbles Harry left behind him.
Remus was also for once feeling lucky that he wasn’t physically up for chasing around a slippery three year old, so he got to stand back and watch Sirius wrestle Harry back into the bath, Sirius’s shirt and pants becoming soaked in the process.
Once back in the bath Sirius lathered up Harry’s hair, styling it into a bubbly mohawk which made Harry giggle. All Sirius ever wanted to do was make sure Harry was happy.
Finally, Harry had finished his bath, and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
“Ya know, I think chasing him around in the middle of bath time tired him out a bit” Remus said with a smile, watching a sleeping Harry curled up in his bed.
“Easy for you to say, you weren’t the one chasing him” Sirius nudged Remus with his elbow “he’ll make a good seeker”
“or he’ll be good at whatever position he wants to play, which may be no position at all” Remus added while he and Sirius got ready for bed.
“I just know he’ll want to play, he is James’ son after all”
“A much as it pains me to admit, you might be right on that one” Remus let out a light laugh.
After a few moments of quiet, Sirius spoke up.
“I think Harry might be the cutest kid to ever exist” He said with no hesitation or question.
“Once again, Padfoot, you just might be right”
-
A tiny knock and the sound of their bedroom door opening startled Remus awake, thus waking Sirius up also. When Remus looked over, he saw a tiny figure standing in the doorway, clutching a plush owl.
“Rem, Siri… I had a bad dream” His voice was quiet and scared.
Remus knew it must’ve been a particularly bad one as Harry had only ever come into their room once or twice before.
“Come on up” Sirius said in a croaky, half-asleep voice.
Harry walked in and climbed up onto the bed, snuggling into Sirius chest under the blankets.
“Do you want to tell us what happened?” Sirius whispered into the mess that was Harry’s hair.
“Very bad man, you and Rem gone” He shook his head, as if trying to shake the bad dream away.
“Its okay, Harry, Sirius and I will always be here” Remus moved closer, wrapping an arm around both Harry and Sirius.
Remus knew it was a promise he could only keep for so long, and he only had so much say in it, but Harry needed all Remus could give. He had already been through every child’s worst nightmare, and now his little brain was making him relive it.
Remus’ heart ached for Harry, and he knew Sirius felt the same when he saw a tear fall onto Sirius’ pillow.
-
It was another night they had planned to go over to the Weasleys for dinner, and once they arrived Remus almost regret it upon seeing the mayhem. Of course, The Burrow was always mayhem, but seeing Molly chasing the children around with a pair of scissors really raised the bar.
“Molly! What are you doing!” Sirius yelled over the top of the screaming children.
She stopped suddenly and looked over at them, a tired smile spreading on her face. Remus let go of Harry’s hand so he could go play with Ron.
“It is meant to be haircut day, except that Bill refuses and Fred and George keep running away from me so its hasn’t quite been as easy as hoped”
Remus chuckled and looked over at Harry and Ron playing on the floor together, chatting away about something or other. Harry’s hair now looked a complete mess compared to Ron’s. Molly seemed to have noticed Remus pondering this.
“Would you like me to give Harry’s a trim too?” She asked in a more calm and soft voice, having calmed down from the twins rampage.
Remus looked at Sirius, giving him a look that was letting Sirius answer, he was Harry’s godfather after all. Sirius contemplated it for a few moments.
“Sure, see if you can tame that mop a little” He responded with a laugh.
That is how Harry found himself sat in a chair in the Weasley’s kitchen with Sirius standing in front of him distracting him with coloured sparks created by his wand. Harry was giggling and would occasionally try to reach out and touch the sparks before being gently coaxed back by Sirius and Molly.
After ten minutes his haircut was all done, it was a visible difference but not enough that it didn’t suit Harry anymore. With haircuts out of the way the adults let the children run wild for an hour outside whilst they all helped prepare dinner, Arthur returning home from work just before it was all ready.
And then the tiny Weasley kitchen was full of the noise of chattering people and the sounds of knives and forks on plates. There was no rush, and everyone savoured the food and good company, Remus and Sirius most of all, they didn’t see many other people otherwise. Keeping Harry away from the wizarding world was difficult, but necessary.
The older members at the table had finished their food whilst the younger ones had taken to playing around with the rest of the food on their plates. Remus out of the corner of his eye saw Harry throw a pea across the table, and even though they were with company he had to say something.
“Harry, do not throw your food” He said in a stern voice, after two years the stern voice alone usually worked well enough to stop him doing anything minor.
But in his mild scolding of Harry, looking at him properly for the first time in a few hours, something seemed off about the way he looked, he nudged Sirius who was mid-conversation with Bill about school.
“Does Harry look different?” Remus asked in a low voice, not wanting the whole Weasley family in on what might just be Remus imagining things.
They both looked carefully over at their boy, analysing his appearance. Everything was the same, the lightning scar that broke off into jagged lines along his face, the beautiful green eyes he inherited from his mother. It was that train of thought that helped realisation hit Remus.
“Sirius, Sirius, its his hair” Remus continued nudging Sirius.
“What do yo- oh merlin…” Sirius’ eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open, mirroring Remus’ expression.
Remus for some reason started laughing, he mostly wasn’t sure how else to react, but felt a bit better when Sirius joined in the weird laughing session.
“He grew his fucking hair back, Moony, I can’t believe it, I mean of course he’s a wizard but he grew his hair back” Sirius had put a hand on Remus’ arm, which was shaking from their weird laugher.
“He’s a fucking wizard!”
Fred and George looked up at Remus and then at each other with less than subtle mischievous smiles, Remus did not envy Molly or Arthur having to deal with the fallout of his outburst.
“Harry? ‘course he is!” Arthur emphasised swaying his bottle of butterbeer around.
“He hasn’t shown signs of magic before, this is the first time, and… his hair” Remus explained.
“Well congratulations then” Molly said with her own proud smile.
Remus and Sirius took Harry home the same way they do every time they have dinner at the Weasleys – asleep in Sirius’ arms. They went through their usual night time movements before climbing into bed.
“I can’t believe it Moony, I’m speechless” Sirius said quietly into the darkness.
“Me neither”
“Prongs what the FUCK have you done!” Sirius shouted loud enough the whole of Gryffindor probably heard him.
“I thought maybe a new haircut would impress Evans” James proclaimed proudly.
“We’ve been at Hogwarts five years and you think a new haircut will impress her, you look like a git and its all uneven in the back” Remus said dryly, pointing his hand to the back of James’ head.
“Oh Merlin, is it really?” James rushed to the mirror in the bathroom again in a worry, trying to look at the back of his head.
“Of course it is, you cut it yourself, what did you expect?” Peter added from his spot on his bed, simply laughing at the chaos.
“Great, its going to take forever to grow back!” James threw his arms up and collapsed onto his bed “let me lie here until my hair is back to normal again”
And so the other three boys who were laughing at his misfortune left him to wallow in his mistake until the next morning.
“Come on James, you still have to go to class even if you look like a ponce”
James sat up, rubbed his hands over his face and put his glasses on, mentally preparing himself for the teasing all day. He began shuffling through his trunk when someone broke the silence of the dorm.
“What the fuck” Sirius had said, looking at James, dumbfounded.
“What?” James asked, confused.
Sirius started lightly hitting Remus in the arm, who was bent over his book bag, to get his attention. Remus finally straightened up and turned around to face James.
“How in the-?” Remus wore a similar dumbfounded look to Sirius’.
“What’s wrong with my face?!”
James then made a mad dash to the bathroom to see what else could be going wrong with his appearance only to find the complete opposite. His hair was perfectly in tact as if it had never seen the scissors he butchered with yesterday.
“Fucking hell!” He exclaimed with a relieved smile on his face, rushing back out to the dorm room “suck on that losers! No more shitty hair for me!”
“Well, it’ll never be my hair” Sirius quipped while flicking a section of his long dark hair over his shoulder dramatically.