Work Text:
Harry had been pacing in his room for hours, the same thought rushing through his mind on a brutal loop. What if I called him Dad? The thought had been floating in his head, flying in and out for weeks. Over the past few days, while he was staying at The Burrow, he noticed all of the Weasley siblings calling Arthur ‘Dad’. Over these past few days, he realised how much he wanted someone in his life that he could call Dad. Almost everyone who had cared for him until he moved in with Sirius and Remus had been doing it conditionally. Vernon only cared for him because Dumbledore had told him and Petunia to, and Dumbledore wanted to keep him alive regardless of condition.
Living with Sirius and Remus was different; they never locked him in his room, they never deprived him of food, he was allowed to learn about his parents and see photos of the Marauders all together and happy. There weren’t any conditions to their love. If Harry messed something up, there was always someone to help him fix it. It was indeed an adjustment for everyone. The Weasleys had never seen Harry arrive in such good condition; he looked as though Sirius and Remus had fed him regularly, he had clothes that fit him properly, and he had a smile on his face both when he got there and when Sirius came to pick him up. Living with Sirius and Remus is the happiest Harry has ever been.
Harry slowly walked down the hallway, avoiding the floorboards that creaked. Some old habits have been harder to break, and he was still quiet around the house. He stopped outside Remus’ study and quietly knocked on the door.
“Come in, Harry,” Remus called from the other side of the door.
“How did you know it was me?” Harry asked, opening the door as slowly as he could.
“Have you ever seen Padfoot knock on my door? He usually just walks in without any regard for what I’m doing.” He says with an endearing smile.
“You may have a point. Would I be able to talk to you about something?” Harry walks over to the seats in front of Remus’ desk.
“Of course, you can always talk to us about anything. Merlin, that made me feel old.”
“You know Padfoot better than anyone, right?” Harry began to fidget with his hands, something he always did when he was anxious.
“I believe so. If you want something to fidget with, grab pretty much anything from my desk. I can never concentrate on anything if I’m sitting still.” Remus said, gesturing to the array of brightly coloured objects spread across his desk.
“Oh, no, thank you. I'm okay. I was just thinking about how Sirius would react to me possibly calling him… Dad.” Harry’s voice trailed down to a murmur.
Remus’ face involuntarily pulled into a smile. Sirius had always wanted to be a father figure to Harry, and he always tried to raise Harry like he was his son.
“Prongslet, I don’t believe that Sirius can physically be mad at you. He’s always been completely transparent with you, so I can’t see why this would be different. He’s always wanted to be a Dad to you. I’m sure it wouldn’t be an issue. I’m happy to be there while you talk to him if you’d like. He’s out at Diagon Alley, so he should be home in a few hours.” Harry’s face relaxed, and he stopped fidgeting with his hands.
“Thank you, Remus… How would you react to the same question?” Remus’ smiled, a small voice in the back of his head had hoped Harry would ask that question.
“I don’t mind how you refer to me. If you want to call me Dad, that wouldn’t be a problem with me; if you're going to still call me Remus or Moony, then I don’t mind. As long as you are comfortable, I’m happy.”
After Remus finished talking, the mood in the room dramatically lifted. Huge amounts of Harry’s anxiety lifted. The soft pattering rain on the windows behind Remus allowed for quiet white noise as the pair continued talking about Remus’ work, Harry’s life and the occasional story about James. Sirius shuffled through the door, slipping off his boots and damp coat while trying not to spill the contents of his numerous shopping bags all over the entryway.
“Remus! I’m home! I stopped by the bookstore while I was out. I know you need a constant stream of new books to survive, so I picked up a couple you were looking at last time. I also found the one you were looking for on Hinkypunks.” Padfoot called out while walking up the stairs. The only light on in the wide hallway was in Remus’ office. He opened the door and strolled in, arms laden with books.
“Come here, love. Harry and I wanted to have a word with you.” Remus invited Sirius to sit on the arm of his chair, wrapping his arm around the other’s waist.
“Am I in trouble?” Sirius asked with a half-hearted laugh.
“I was actually wondering if you would be okay with me calling you Dad,” Harry said after a moment of awkward silence. Harry lifted his eyes to meet Padfoot’s. A smile Remus had only seen once before crossed Sirius’ face. He wore the same smile after their first kiss.
“Sprog, I would love that. As long as that’s what you want, then I would be over the moon.”
“That’s a little hard when you are five inches shorter than me,” Moony muttered under his breath, earning him a playful slap from Sirius.
“Come here, kiddo.” Sirius wrapped his other arm around Harry’s shoulders and squeezed him gently.