Chapter Text
The dim light of the summer afternoon lit up the Defence Against Dark Arts teacher's office; swirls of light and dust sweeping through the air. Harry glared at the half-packed boxes with Remus' belongings and let out a heavy sign. He didn't understand why Remus had to leave Hogwarts. Yeah, he was a werewolf, but also this was Hogwarts; there were more than enough other and far more severe dangers to be found in the school.
"Filch actually wants to torture children, and nobody is sacking him! Quirrel had Voldemort attached to his head, and nobody even blinked an eye at him! There was a fucking Basilisk-".
"Watch your language, Harry," Remus interrupted him (not without a smile). Harry knew he was babbling, but it didn't matter. He just didn't want Remus to leave. Worst of all, Harry was sure that it was his fault that the health status of his favorite teacher had been exposed to the wizard community.
His thoughts going in circles, he didn't even listen to Remus and Sirius, and the latter had to repeat the question he had apparently just asked Harry.
Harry's eyes widened: "I …. to live with you?" In disbelief, he looked at his godfather, who gleamed back at him, suddenly looking very unsure about himself. His godafther shrugged, trying to make the gesture seem lazy and unimportant: "Only if you want…" lifting his eyes from Harry, he met Remus' smile.
"... and Remus would be there too… If that's okay with you".
Harry smiled (or more like grinned like an idiot), looking so much like James that the thought tore at Sirius' heart.
"Of course, we would need to decide where to live…." Sirius tilted his head in a dog-like fashion, as he often did when waiting for an answer.
"As long as it isn't with the Dursleys!" Harry blurted out, earning him a smile in response: "I will make sure of it, Pup."
Harry's eyes light up even more (how on earth was this possible):"...and Remus will be there too?!"
"If he will have us?" Sirius and Harry looked at the werewolf expectantly.
The man in question groaned but not without laughing through it: "I always liked James' flat…". He had said it before realizing what he did.
"My dad's flat?" Harry's voice, a second ago full of excitement, now only came out as a whisper. Sometimes Sirius forgot that he was only a teenager, a child really, not used to having a family.
Sirius stretched his hand over his godson's shoulder, awkwardly trying to comfort him. "I thought as much… but Harry, tell me, you didn't by any chance go through the papers in your vault?"
Harry's eyes widened, filling with tears rapidly: "I only went there two times, and I just grabbed the coins and left. Hagrid was with me the first time … and then the Weasleys, and I didn't want them to see …".
Sirius tightened his hand, drawing Harry into a hug. "We can go there and sort everything out. After the trial, okay? I …", he paused, eyeing Remus, who responded with a slight nod, "… we will take you".
Harry felt the weight of another person on his shoulders as Remus joined the hug.
"Sorry Harry, I forget that nobody told you anything … ever. But I promise we will… Actually, Padfoot never shuts up anyway", the hoarse voice of the teacher echoed in the hurdle.
To say that Dumbledore wasn't happy about Sirius officially being named Harry's guardian would be an understatement. He tried to reason with him, of course. Still, it was the first moment in a long time that Remus was glad that Sirius, in fact, could not be reasoned with, especially not when it came to his love for a Potter.
While Sirius did not even try to be constructive, he was just claiming his right as the officially named guardian, Remus had actually come up with a plan. The Dursleys had agreed to have Harry over for tea once a year (if Remus and Sirius promised to stay away from their house), they would keep his room ready for him, and Harry's official address with the muggle authorities would be with them. Dumbledore, of course, was not buying it. He was still mumbling about Lily's magic and blood.
When Sirius jumped from his seat and leaned over the desk, his nose inches away from the headmaster's, Harry was so impressed he almost giggled to release some of his nervousness.
"Listen to me, Albus! Lily's magic was about love, not blood, and you know shit! All this time, who knows why Harry was what you call "safe," but it wasn't for the fucking Dursleys or for you trying to use him as a pawn. Maybe you should be glad that the Death Eaters are actually as caught up in the idea of blood purity and magic as you are" Dumbledore stared at him as if he had just slapped him. "He is safe with me, with us, we are his family, and you are nothing more but his headmaster," Sirius finished, and that was that.
The trial had been set for the 18th of July and Sirius was cleared of all charges. This was largely owed to the accounts of Hermione Granger (brightest witch of her age), Ron and Percy Weasley (members of a family of the sacred 28), Harry James Potter (The Boy Who Lived ™) and a very nervous looking pet-shop owner who testified that he had inspected the rat that had turned out to not be a rat at all - a suspicion he had had all along, or so he said. Sirius' plan to call Crookshanks to the stands had thankfully been prevented (which Remus will gladly take credit for). But most of all, of course, it had helped that Sirius had agreed to take the Veritaserum.
"Oh, thanks Godric's ball, bloody hell," Remus had actually muttered when he saw his boyfriend swallow the potion.
They lived in a muggle hotel, Sirius being on bail (he grudgingly would agree that Dumbledore had made it possible). The day after the trial, when the Daily Prophet announced that Sirius was cleared of all charges on the front page, they made their way to Diagon Alley.
Even in all his childlike naivety, Harry could see that Sirius still looked tired. He had woken to the muffled voices of his guardians and knew about the nightmares that haunted his godfather. But when Sirius squeezed himself in sinfully tight muggle jeans, he could make out a glimpse of the man that was in his parents' wedding pictures. Harry entered the shared living room, rolling his eyes over the scene of his godfathers kissing.
"Get a room," he grinned.
It had been awkward the first time when he walked in on them kissing, and it still was (because as far as the teenager was concerned, all kissing was disgusting), but he was happy for them. Harry had also made a mental note to write a letter to Hermione that she also had been right about the second of Remus' secrets. Gay and a werewolf? Of course, he and Ron had laughed in her face when she had told them about her suspicions but whatever.
"Big day, Pup!" Sirius planted a kiss on his godson's temple and was instantly met with a disgusted sound (it was fine; they had talked about it).
"Harry, before we go… I wanted to ask if it's okay for you if we make a stop at St. Mungos. I can also go alone and meet you guys later?" Harry's brow arched. He wasn't used to adults asking him what he wanted and only was slowly getting used to it.
"Is everything alright… Is it about Remus' little furry problem?"
Sirius smiled; ever since he had told Harry what James used to call Remus' lycanthropy, he had taken it up.
"No… It's just now that I am cleared… I could visit some friends who… Well, they… Ever since the war…."
Harry understood. He nodded.
"Yeah, maybe Moony and I can have some ice cream and meet you later?"
Whoever these people were, Harry didn't think he wanted to know what they had suffered. Not today.
Three hours later, Sirius met them in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. The raven-haired wizard looked tired but smiled, a flower made from a candy wrapper behind his ear.
People were staring because, of course they were. Back in Muggle London, people saw a tall man dressed like a shabby intellectual, with grey streaks and a slight limp, a rough beauty with tattoos, too-long hair and constant smirk and a skinny Indian boy with strange green eyes and a peculiar scar, grinning from one ear to the next.
But wizards saw something very different: a recently outed werewolf, a pureblood ex-criminal, and The Boy Who Lived™.
Gringotts was a welcome change. The goblins didn't even blink at them.
"Wands, please."
Sirius handed Harry's and his own wands over the counter while Remus just stared on the ground.
"Should I get the dragon bells ready?" the Goblin grinned at Sirius, his dark gums showing.
"Just my personal vault, please. I will visit the others another time", Sirius' voice had taken on an exceedingly posh accent. But all Harry could think was: Dragons? He had to tell Ron and Hermione about this!
"But.." Sirius grabbed Remus' hand under the counter, "... I want to add a name to my account".
Harry's eyes wandered to Remus, who handed his wand to the Goblin. "Very well, Mr. Lupin. Mr. Black. And congrats to your… pardon", the Goblin grinned and grabbed Remus' wand.
The small wagon took them to Sirius' and Remus' vault first. Sirius took his partner's hands to pull him in and show him to a shelf of well-organized artifacts, papers, and bags of coins.
"I told you Alphard had a first edition of 'Hogwarts - a History," Sirius whispered and dumbed a dusty book into Remus' arms.
Harry had entered with them and turned; not interested in the ancient book, he inspected some old frames stacked with their backs to the room. Most of the canvases showed a beautiful garden. The expressive brush strokes got more fanatic towards the paintings marked with a later date. Some of the older ones featured a young man with long blond curls, wearing old-fashioned summer suits and a dashing smile. The last Harry uncovered was a double portrait, the same young blonde and next to him an older man that strangely looked like Sirius, but only at first glance. He had a broader face and was rocking a thin mustache and a beauty mark under his right eye.
Sirius had moved next to him: "Oh, you found Alphard and Eric."
"Who are they?" Harry asked, his eyes still fixed in the portrait.
"Uncle Alphard left me this vault and most of what is in it," Sirius sighed "..., and Eric was the love of his life. Muggle ... so I never actually met him, he died when I was a toddler. Alphard only told me about him when I came out to him." He followed Harry's eyes."... but maybe we should take the portrait with us. It's nice to remember the ones that loved us, and it will do nicely in our flat".
Remus raised his wand, and with a lazy flick, the portrait packed itself in brown paper. Sirius had just grabbed a small bag of coins but had insisted that Remus should take the first edition with him: "I can basically see how bad you want to show it off to the Granger girl."
"She will positively get a heart attack," Harry added, and all of them laughed.
Harry's vault was only a short drive away, but they all needed a second to recover from a loop over a bottomless pitch. Remus handed out a "Pepper-up" potion.
The Goblin had already opened the heavy door and tapped his foot in annoyance over the delay.
The light was dim, and Remus quickly cast a floating light to illuminate the vault. There were stacks of coins, and all in all, it was much more chaotic than Sirius' vault. Harry only now made out the dark cabinets that were placed in the back.
His fingers were sweaty as they closed around his godfather's arm.
"No worries, Prongslet, we are here together."
The cabinet's wooden doors were heavy and creaked as they opened. Harry's eyes widened, and a laugh escaped his mouth.
"Why are there shampoo bottles in the vault?"
He pulled one off the shelf: "Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and Scalp Treatment" he read the faded letters aloud.
"Your grandfather invented this stuff, made him a rich man, and you," Remus stood next to him smiling. He took the bottle from him, opened the cap, and sniffed over it.
"Smells like their house, too."
Sirius had turned towards some heavy-looking folders, his eyes looking a bit watery.
"Here we go," he placed the folders into Harry's arms, "maybe let's take them with us, and we can sort through them in the sunlight." Harry staggered a bit under the weight and was glad that Remus took them from him. A slight tap of his wand later, the files were spelled featherlight and placed into a Tote-Bag Remus had retrieved from his pocket.
Sirius looked at him in disbelief: "So you carry tote-bags now?" his lips curled around the words.
Remus just snorted, but Harry could see the werewolf blushing slightly around his nose.
"Do you know what's in there?" Harry pointed to the second cabinet. Sometimes Sirius forgot that Harry was just a child. "As far as I remember…" the man turned and opened the heavy door, "...its Euphemia's jewelry and some family heirlooms".
Harry's eyes grew wide: "... family heirlooms?"
The heirlooms (thankfully) had turned out boring as far as pureblood family heirlooms went. Nothing to be compared with what Harry had seen in his journeys to Knockturn Alley.
Harry had picked out something Sirius had told him was a genuine gold tooth to show to Ron and the twins. A big gold watch was decorated with Sanskrit writing he really liked, but that was probably worth more than the Dursleys' house. The next thing that caught his eye was a golden snitch lying next to an old monocle with long golden lashes.
He picked up the small ball, mesmerized by finding such a mundane thing in his vault.
"I can't believe James put it in here," Remus exhaled.
Harry looked at him questioningly. "He stole it after a game in the third year and wouldn't stop playing with it."
Sirius sighed next to him: "The magic got all wonky, and it started to follow James, so Lily made him store it away when you were born," he laughed "...she was worried that you would swallow it".
"He even thought about naming you Snitch, but thankfully Lily had a say in it," Remus added.
A burst of laughter bubbled from Harry's throat before he could stop it. The snitch in his hand suddenly sprang to life.
"Oh, it seems he picked up on your magical signature," Sirius' voice cracked a little.
"My what?" Harry replied.
"Honestly, Remus, what were you teaching them?"