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Remus rubbed his temples in hopes of staving off his forming migraine. It was his and Sirius' turn to babysit Harry and Draco while their parents were otherwise occupied. Normally the families took turns watching them. Narcissa was a stay-at-home mom, so she normally did most of the watching while Lily and James did their Auror duties and Lucius at the Ministry and Wizengamot. However, she needed to run errands, and the four-year-old munchkins were in a sparring mood today. Padfoot was off causing mischief with Wormtail, and therefore Remus was left on his own.
They were hard to handle like this. Usually when they were upset with one another, they had the habit of giving the other the silent treatment until apologies and sloppy toddler kisses were given. Occasionally, however, they fought like cats and dogs--or like Sirius and Severus. It was maddening! Their adorable chibi faces did nothing to take away from the fact that they were screaming at each other and breaking things. Accidental magic everywhere! Thank Merlin they didn't have wands yet.
His head swung around as he heard one of the whirlwinds of disaster suddenly give out a pained cry. He jumped up and raced to the other side of the Grimmauld Place, hoping none of the less-than-savory artifacts Sirius had yet to get rid of in his family's manor had hurt them. Instead, what he found was a teary-eyed Harry laying on the ground at the bottom of the stairs, holding his right elbow in apparent pain. Draco was three steps up, looking flushed with his usually neat blonde hair dishevelled, terror and indignance warring on his baby face.
"What happened here?" Remus demanded, immediately going to Harry to check on him. The elbow was swollen and red, and the little raven-haired boy was trying hard not to cry.
"Draco pushed me!" Harry cried, his voice breaking.
"He pulled my hair!" Draco defended, pointing at Harry in accusation.
"There was a spider!"
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"That's enough!" Remus barked, his werewolf rumble sneaking in and silencing the youngsters, who looked at the normally quiet and easily manipulated Moony in terror. "I've had enough," he said more quietly after a brief pause. "Draco, put your shoes and cloak on. We have to get Harry to St. Mungo's to make sure nothing was broken when he fell."
Draco clamped his lips shut and nodded, hurrying off to obey his orders. Remus picked up a sniffling Harry and carried him to the entryway, and Draco helped Harry into his cloak with fumbling fingers while the older wizard put his shoes on.
~*~~*~~*~
Remus sat on the couch facing the loveseat that he'd placed Harry and Draco on, staring at them as he waited for an explanation for their recent behavior. Harry's arm was sprained and would be in a sling for no less than 10 days. Since he was still growing, the Healers had forgone magical healing. They claimed that letting the injury heal on its own and in a more natural way would eventually strengthen it against similar injuries in the future. Since then Draco, had been unable to look at Harry directly, ashamed that he'd hurt his best friend and betrothed future spouse--an arrangement between House Malfoy and House Potter to help end years of conflict between the pureblood families.
When they'd come home, Kreacher had fussed over the four-year-olds and given them milk and biscuits to comfort them from the trip to St. Mungo's. Remus had hoped they'd straighten up over the incident, but they'd squabbled over crumbs on their clothes and put up a fuss, and Remus decided enough was enough.
"Harry, Draco, I'm waiting. I can wait all day. And don't think that you'll get out of this when your parents come to get you and take you home. I'm going to tell them exactly what happened, and I'm sure they'll join me on this couch to wait."
Harry squirmed and glanced over at Draco. Draco remained as stony-faced as an embarrassed four-year-old child could. Remus knew that Harry was always so worried of doing anything wrong in front of his parents. He had some issues with behaving badly in front of them, wanting to be perfect since he was their only child so far, and Draco seemed to never do wrong in front of James and Lily. Narcissa was pregnant with a new child, but Lily couldn't have another unless a miracle happened. The thought of having to admit he'd done something wrong to his parents, even at this age, terrified him.
"I went to visit the Weasleys last week," Harry admitted, still squirming. "And Draco came with me because he's jealous of Ron--"
"I'm not jealous!" Draco immediately denied, face flushing and eyes flashing.
"Draco, you will get your turn," Remus said soothingly, calmly. He already had an idea of where this was heading.
"And Ron and the twins and I were playing in the field, but Draco didn't want to because he'd get dirty. And Ron told me he loved me, like how he loves his brothers, and I told him I loved him back, and Draco got angry and grabbed me and wouldn't let me play with my friends anymore! I'm not allowed to have friends even though he gets to play with Blaise and Crabbe and Goyle, and I don't like them cuz they pick on me but I don't tell him he can't play with them!"
"They pick on you?" Remus and Draco asked, Moony concerned while mini-Malfoy looked like he couldn't believe it.
"They call me short and skinny and stuff," Harry mumbled. He obviously hadn't meant to admit that part. He rubbed the part of his forearm that stuck out of the sling. "And Pansy says Draco should have someone better than a dirty scarecrow for a wife."
"Harry, you know you should tell us when people call you names and bully you," Remus said softly. He would be writing letters to the children's parents after he told the Potters and Malfoys. Childhood bullying needed to be nipped in the bud before it got too far along.
"I know, but I didn't want anyone to worry, and I didn't want Draco to feel like he couldn't be friends with them anymore, but Draco doesn't want me to hang out with the Weasleys, and it just makes me really mad and sad and so I keep telling him to leave me alone because I'm mad, and he doesn't think I should be and keeps following me everywhere!"
Remus didn't think Harry breathed at all during that incredibly long store. What was more worrying, though, was that James' and Lily's son was already showing signs of being far too aware of relationships and personality traits that could be harmful. Moony was going to have to make a list of things to discuss with his best friends about things they needed to do to help Harry.
"You two are going to have to learn to get along," Remus said, standing.
"But Moony, I don't like the Weasleys! And they're too loud and always taking Harry away from me!"
"No one is taking Harry away. You both are allowed to have your own friends. You're never going to like each and every one of them, but you have to learn tolerance and acceptance. Harry will always love you, and Draco will always love you, Harry."
They fell quiet, glancing uncomfortably at each other.
Remus conjured a large jumper and walked over to the youngsters, gently but firmly shoving them inside it. He worked Draco's arm into the sleeve, ignoring his whiny protests. Harry would have to just deal since his opposite arm was in a sling and the other in the full of the jumper. He spelled the garment to tighten up more comfortable and so that neither could just slip out of it without some serious wiggling.
"This is what the muggles call a 'get-along shirt'," he told the boys. "You will stay in this jumper until you can prove that you can get along. Draco, you will have to help Harry along since he now has only one arm to use. Hopefully I can take this off before your parents get here."
With that, Moony stood up to go find some parchment and ink, ignoring the whining and protests as he walked away. He told Kreacher not to help the boys escape their punishment.
Later on, he realized that the house was suspiciously quiet. He stood up from his letters, putting away the quills and inkwell so that a mess wouldn't be made when he came back. He used his werewolf senses to find his charges and paused. He Summoned a wizarding camera to take a picture of the sight that he'd come across.
They lay snuggled together, the telly on but volume low, still in the shirt. Harry lay atop the larger blonde, messy black mop tucked under Draco's chin. Draco's one visible arm curled protectively around his best friend as they napped, and Kreacher had apparently removed their shoes and spread a blanket over their legs.
Padfoot was going to be so pissed when he found out what he'd missed. Maybe Moony could blackmail him into doing the dishes if he wanted a copy of this picture.