Work Text:
Harry loves hard.
He knows that. Every person that he cares for knows that, and they love him equally, ardently, with the same fierce loyalty. With the same fire that now burns him, while he lies under the bright August sun, in the fresh grass that grows at the back of the little cottage where he lives with his new family, as new as love appeared to him when he turned eleven.
He had never thought much about love, being neglected of it while he was at the Dursleys. He did not receive much of it, either. He hadn’t seen love since his mother died. He did not know what love was even if love was the only reason why he was alive.
Once he meet Ron, on the train that would lead him to his new life, he began to remember. How it felt to be loved. To love. Ron had met this new, strange kid at the train, and he had offered him something to eat. Harry responded buying all the sweets he could think of, even those he didn’t know about. Harry felt what love was the first time Hermione helped him with the homework, when that little girl, brave and fierce, started a fire in Snape’s pants just to save Harry’s life.
He understood family when Molly Weasley sent him one of the Weasley sweaters, when she accepted him and took him in her house, feeding him, loving him. When Arthur came tired and the Weasley family greeted him, asking about the long hours on a shift.
The first time he became conscious of the deep love his parent’s felt for him was when he talked to Remus Lupin, that sweet, broke man that hid a tragedy underneath all those scars. The first time he learned that Remus loved as hard as he did was when he saw the teacher forgiving Sirius Black. Later, Harry learned that Lupin loved him too, the first night they spend in the little cottage, the three of them. They mourned Peter Pettigrew, even if they hadn’t forgiven him, even when Sirius didn’t cease to repeat: “He deserves it, Moony, he deserves the Kiss” while crying. “How could he, Moony, how could he betray James”. They let Harry saw it, saw them. The hate, the despair, the love, the love, the love. Remus held Sirius, and Sirius held Remus, and then they both held Harry. And they talked, they talked a lot. About how much James had loved Sirius, about how much Lily cared for Remus. About how, during the war, they had given every single drop of happiness left in their bodies to their little kid, their wonderful, dear Harry. And they talked about how Remus and Sirius had gone to the Potter’s house just to see Harry, to visit him and gave him presents, and hugs, and love, love, love.
Remus explained the betrayal he felt, the anger. At Sirius, at Peter, at Dumbledore. How he had screamed and cried and fought Dumbledore.
“It cannot be him, Albus, not Sirius, not Sirius, how could he”.
“He did it, Remus.”
“He did not.”
He did not.
“I did not”
“I know, Padfoot. I’m sorry.”
And Harry saw how they forgave each other. And he forgave them both.
He learns a lot that summer. How James’ eyes grew bright every time Lily entered the room since they were 14. The absolute certainty he had: they belonged to each other. How Lily smiled every time Remus asked her about James, and how she fell in love with him during her seventh year. He discovers, surprised, that Remus and Sirius love each other too. That they love each other the same way Lily and James loved each other. How Remus kissed Sirius during their fifth year, and how James had known the second he saw Sirius’ face, glowing, happy, happy, happy. Loved.
Harry learns how to love a family he never has had. He now loves James and Lily. He loves Sirius and Remus. He loves Remus when the moon approaches, and when the moon is high in the sky, terrible, full; and he loves him the next morning, when Remus is sad, and tired, so tired. He loves how Sirius laughs, and gets angry, and cries at night, and then… then he laughs again. He loves them both, how they had to relearn to love each other, how they meet each other again. He loves learning about them, how their little family of three reacts, their dynamics. He loves their house, the little cottage Sirius and Remus had bought after Hogwarts. How their return, and clean the dust, and organize Remus’ books and Sirius’ shirts. He loves practicing quidditch with Sirius in their garden, while Remus seats reading below them. He loves how Remus takes care of their garden, and the hours Sirius passes cleaning his motorbike.
He loves Ron and Hermione more than ever, and their letters, and their plans of meeting at the Diagon Alley the last week of August. He loves that Sirius has bought another owl for Ron, and how Remus doesn’t shut up about Hermione and her love of books. He loves, and loves, and loves. And he is loved back.
Harry loves hard. And now, he has a safe space to do so.