Work Text:
Evenings at the Lupin-Black household were typically quiet affairs. The table was set, dinner was eaten, dishes were cleaned, and children were put to bed. This Wednesday night was no different.
“Think it might be time for you to hit the hay, huh Teds?" Sirius says as he makes his way over to where his two-year-old son was still seated at the dining table.
“Not tired,” Teddy grumbles, but is given away by his drooping eyelids.
“C’mon,” Sirius lifts Teddy into his arms and walks over to where Remus is putting away the last of the clean dishes. “Say goodnight to Da.”
“Night, Dada.”
Remus runs his fingers quickly through Teddy’s curls and presses a kiss onto his head. “Goodnight, my love. Sleep well.”
“Can I go put on the telly now?” Harry pipes up, with as much juvenile attitude as he could muster.
“Go on then,” Remus dismisses him with a wave of a hand.
Harry grins and heads into the family room. With a final quick kiss to Remus’ temple, Sirius exits the kitchen.
Remus and Sirius often took turns putting Teddy to sleep. Sometimes the boy preferred to have his Da read him storybooks in the funny voices he always did. Other times, Teddy just wanted a quick cuddle with Sirius before he drifted off. On this particular night, however, it didn’t matter who it was tucking him into bed. Teddy was asleep on Sirius’ shoulder before the pair had even entered his bedroom.
Sirius makes his way back downstairs, sans Teddy, to see his husband stretched out on the sofa with a book in hand and his eldest son, not watching TV as expected, but rather sitting on the ground in front of the sofa, his lips drawn into a slight frown and his brow furrowed.
“What happened, Haz? Lose interest in the telly?”
Harry shrugs. “Nothing was on. Dad said I should try playing wizard’s chess, but none of my pieces are listening to me.”
Sirius takes a seat across the board from Harry. “Here, let me teach you.”
Remus scoffs but doesn't lift his gaze from his book. “And who’s going to teach you?”
“Oi! I take great offense to that, Moons.”
This time, Remus does lift his gaze towards Harry with a playful grin on his lips. “Don’t let him win, Harry. He’ll be terribly cocky about the whole thing.”
“Managed to beat you that one time in third year, didn’t I?” Sirius says, aligning his and Harry’s pieces at either end of the board.
Remus returns his focus to his book, muttering under his breath. “Terribly cocky.”
It had just gone half past 9 and Harry had taken a commanding 5-1 lead when Remus speaks again.
“It’s about time for bed, Haz.”
“Thank Merlin,” Sirius titled his head towards the ceiling. “Save me from this massacre, Moony.”
Harry grins proudly. Both he and Sirius stand as Sirius banishes the chessboard with a swoosh of his hand. Turning back towards Harry, Sirius notices that the furrow in his brow has made a return.
“Alright there, Haz?”
“You didn’t let me win, did you, Dad?”
Sirius lets out a small laugh. “‘Course not. That was pure Potter talent right there.” He runs an assuring hand over Harry's head.
Harry beams and runs off toward his bedroom. Remus pushes himself off the sofa. He gingerly wraps one arm around Sirius’ waist.
“You let him win, right?” Remus whispers against the shell of his ear.
“I know I’m bad, Moons, but I do have the ability to beat a 7-year-old if I so pleased.” Sirius steps slightly out of his husband’s grasp. “Y’know the fact that you even have to ask shows how little faith you have in my wizard-chessing capabilities. I’m beginning to question the foundation of our whole relationship.”
“You have only beaten me once over the course of 16 years. I think it's only fair that I am allowed to question your talents,” A smirk appears on Remus’ face. “And I let you win in third year."
“What?”
Remus laughs and stocks off to follow Harry.
“Moony! Come back here! What do you mean you let me win?"
Ten minutes later, Sirius and Remus find themselves laying on a child-sized bed, currently housing 3 people. Unlike Teddy, who always falls asleep rather promptly, Harry never goes down without a fight. On a normal night, Sirius and Remus are lucky if they escape the room within half an hour. Harry insists each night that both his parents lie with him as he drifts off. And, being that they would move heaven and earth for the boy, Sirius and Remus never refuse him.
“So, what’s it gonna be tonight?”
“A story with you and Daddy and Mummy and Daddy Prongs.” A typical request from Harry.
“Got any ideas, Pads?”
One memory rises to the forefront of Sirius’ mind. “Yeah, I’ve got something.”
Harry settles further into the bed, his head laying on Remus’ chest as Sirius begins his story.
“It was the end of our fifth year. By this time, Prongs had already fallen madly in love with your mum and I was all but obsessed with Da. The issue, young Harry, is that neither of them knew it just yet. So, in all our 15-year-old brilliance, Prongs and I hatched the perfect plan to get their attention.”
“Oh Merlin,” Remus rolls his eyes, the memory coming back to him now as well.
“Hush, Moony. Please, no interjections,” Harry giggles and Sirius continues on. “As I was saying, we developed this plan. We figured since both your mum and your Da spent all their free time in the library, how convenient would it be if the library were brought to them instead?”
“Did you check out all their favorite books for them?”
Sirius ruffles Harry’s hair lightly. “Oh, Haz. You are wise beyond your years. That would have been a much better idea, but alas we were not as bright as you. We charmed the library's entire inventory to follow them around for the day. Unfortunately, Prongs and I hadn’t quite gotten the hold on our spell-work that we thought we had and, instead of blissfully trailing behind our objects of desire… well, the books attacked.”
“No!” Harry sits straight up as Remus scrubs a hand over his face.
“Thank Merlin your mum was there,” Remus smiles fondly at the memory. “We would have never made it out alive. She managed to fight off the books and send them back to where they came from.”
Sirius holds up a finger. “And no serious injuries were sustained. That’s very important to include”
“So, did it work, Da? Did you fall in love with Daddy right there?”
Remus opens his mouth to speak, but Sirius gets there first. “Of course it did. From that moment on your Da was absolutely smitten with me and could never fathom being with anyone else, isn’t that right, Moons?”
“Not exactly. I seem to recall Lily and me yelling at you and Prongs for about an hour after. But, yes, Haz. About 3 months later, we went on our first date.”
“See? I got there in the end.”
“Not quite sure the killer book incident really helped your case though, love,” Remus reached across Harry to pat Sirius’ arm sympathetically.
Sirius was about to respond when a yawn from Harry cut him off. “Getting a little tired there?”
“No!” Another yawn. “Maybe just a little.”
Remus laughs softly. “We’ll let you get to bed then,” He reaches over to smooth out Harry’s hair and places a kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight, love”
Sirius does the same before they both slip out of the bed. He pauses once at the door to see Harry fast asleep beneath the covers. Sirius and Remus exchange a quiet smile before flicking off the light and gently closing the door.