Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance	By : RikuRocks Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 5752 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Harry Potter, nor am I making any money from this work of fiction.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Chapter 16: Comfort, Vengeance, and Continuing.
Harry awoke slowly, and his half-conscious mind did not question the gentle warmth he was holding close, or the faint and exotic yet familiar scent that he was inhaling. He heard a soft mewing sound, and then felt something cuddle further into his chest.
Bespectacled eyes snapped open and instead of seeing Draco's bed across the room, Harry saw the wall. Then he looked down to see that he was still holding Draco tightly against himself as the sleeping blonde curled against him, lightly clutching his shirt.
After a brief moment of panic, the rest of Harry's consciousness caught up with recent events, bringing forth the memories of the previous night, and the distressing news that had preceded it. The green-eyed boy released a deep sigh and stroked the blonde head that nuzzled into his chest while he considered the evening prior.

Draco cried in silence for what felt like hours, however Harry knew that it was not; it only felt that way to him because he felt so helpless in the situation. Then, the silver-eyed boy had starting speaking softly into Harry's shoulder...and neither boy attempted to move away.

Draco spoke of his mother, of how she acted when she was alone with her son during the sparse moments when she did not have to be just the pureblooded mistress of Malfoy Manor and he did not have to be just the heir of his father�s legacy. The brief moments when they could exist without masks, and the rare laughter they shared over her favorite strawberry-vanilla tea while they talked about things they would never dare say to anyone else.

The pale Slytherin told brief stories of his time with her and his father, some that sounded like they belonged in a children's storybook and others from a sordid gothic novel.

Harry had not known what to say, but he kept the wan boy speaking by asking questions and making soft sounds of interest. Somehow, he felt that was what the other boy needed, even if he could not say why.

Now Harry thought that maybe Draco was trying to make him understand why Moody might have been wrong about Narcissa Malfoy, and how she had made the world that she and her husband lived in a bearable place for her only child.
If that had been his goal, then the blonde had succeeded, because Harry understood now that the Draco he had come to know as the real Draco over the past several days would not have persevered if his mother had not shown him how. Instead he would have been have destroyed by the mask he was forced to wear. Now, Harry understood why the death of Narcissa Malfoy truly was one to mourn.
Harry also had a worse image of Lucius Malfoy then he had to begin with, and that was saying something. However, he knew that it would still hurt Draco to lose his father. Therefore, Harry wanted to prevent hat from happening�he just did not know how he could do that.
Harry felt the thin form against him stir and heard a soft groan. "Hey," the raven-haired boy whispered, "Are you awake?"
"Unfortunately, yes," was the muffled reply.
"Sorry," said Harry, although he could not narrow down the reason he was apologizing.
"You didn't do anything that merits an apology, Harry," Draco murmured as he rubbed his eyes. "I had to wake up and face the world eventually."
"We should talk to Remus today." Harry was starting to wonder if it should concern him that he felt no desire to move yet. "We need to find out how long we have to come up with something." The Gryffindor did not want to say until your father loses his soul, although he doubted the man had one to begin with.
"We can't save him, Harry," Draco said forlornly. He did not need to say to whom he was referring. "He chose his path a long time ago� I- I wish�But it doesn't matter. We can't save him, but we can save others from this misery."
Harry gave the other boy a comforting squeeze before sighing and nodding. "You're right. We should still speak to Remus; I got distracted yesterday and forgot to contact him about the sword. I'm sorry, Draco. I'm sorry I couldn't stop this before you had to go through it all, but we're going to end this as soon as we can. If fact, I think it's time to start striking back."
"What do you mean by that?" Draco responded with a concerned tone. "Revenge sounds nice in theory, Harry, but it's not the same as justice. Stopping V-V- Him- is enough. Anything else only damages us as well."
Harry could not help but smile to himself at the thought of Draco trying to protect him from whatever madness had tainted his father and his father's lord. "Don't worry, Draco; I won't do anything like that. I mean the Horcruxes. We have a couple of them, as well as someone who knows what we're doing and how to destroy them."
"We need to find out more about them first," said the blonde, whose voice was starting to clear of the thick emotion it held since he heard about his mother's demise. "We should ask Granger and Lupin, if he has the time, to tell us what they've managed to learn about them."
Harry nodded awkwardly since he had yet to sit up or release the silver-eyed boy. "That's a good idea. Remus already learned about Horcruxes when he was researching for Dumbledore, so he might know loads about them, and Hermione was researching for nearly all of yesterday and some on the night before."
Draco released a worn sigh, "I suppose we need to get up then?"
"Eventually, yeah, that might be useful," replied Harry with a slight smirk.
"I think spending so much time around me is starting to bring out your inner Slytherin," Draco replied, but Harry frowned when he noticed it lacked the blonde's usual finesse.
"Are you sure you're up for this today?" The green-eyed boy asked tenderly. "It's fine if you just want-"
"No," Draco interrupted softly. "I think I need this, Harry."
Harry understood what the other boy felt; the need to do the only thing you could when you could not do the thing that you wished you could. He released a sigh, and when it brushed over Draco's face causing the pale boy to close his eyes, Harry quickly remembered their rather close and slightly suggestive position.
"Er�l-let's get started, then." Harry hoped the pallid boy beside him would assume his sudden stuttering problem was due to being tired.
As it was, Draco appeared too lost in thought to notice the raven-haired boy�s nervous speech or the additional color to his face. Grey eyes opened once again, and Harry found himself staring into them instead of getting up.
Neither had noticed when the door to their room crept open or the bushy-haired girl who had come in carrying a breakfast tray until she cleared her throat.
Harry made to jump off the bed, but forgot the minor detail that he was still holding a very emaciated, and therefore very light, Slytherin. Due to this temporarily forgotten fact, he ended up pulling Draco with him and missed his footing due to his surprise at pulling the other boy against his chest. Before he could register anything, the Gryffindor was falling and then he landed on his face across the bed�and on top of Draco, who was now looking at Harry with a subtle mix of surprise, concern, and sedateness.
"Um, would you like me to give you a moment?" Hermione asked and Harry could practically hear her grin.
"Yeah�er -no- I mean�" Harry muttered out something intangible as he detangled his legs from the lithe blonde's and pulled himself up to a standing position. "How did you get in here?"
"Through the door�?" Hermione said questioningly, as though she could not fathom there being any other response. Harry then realized that neither he nor Draco had set their usual spells the night before.
"Oh, I meant, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, deciding that saying anything about accidentally forgetting their usual nighttime spells would only encourage the girls' delusions.
"I'm sure you did," Hermione said with a knowing smirk, but soon her entire demeanor changed as she began speaking again too quickly for Harry to comment. "Mrs. Weasley told us about the news you received last night. She wanted me to bring you some breakfast, since you've been holed up in here all morning."
After a final smirk directed at Harry, the brown-eyed girl turned to Draco.
The pallid boy had righted himself and was sitting silently on the bed. His eyes avoided the bushy-haired girl's stare. "Are you okay, Draco?" Hermione asked kindly.
Draco cleared his throat quietly before answering, "Yes, thank you," in an equally subdued tone.
Hermione set the tray of food on the foot of Harry's unused bed. "Here, you both should eat something. I'll ask the others to give you some time. You can find us later, if you want to talk or anything. We're all really sorry about your mum, Draco."
She stopped just as she reached the door and turned to Harry. "Oh, I almost forgot� Lupin said he wanted to speak to you, Harry, after you were up. He's been in his room for most of the day, but he said you could either interrupt him there, or call him over here at your convenience."
"Thanks, Hermione," said Harry. He pointedly added, "I'll talk to you later," when the girl stood watching him with a small smile.
"Later, then," she said and then left the room, notably closing the door behind herself.
Harry turned to Draco after taking a breath that he hoped assisted his face in returning to its proper color. "Are you hungry?"
"No," Draco answered simply, and then he softly added, "I'm sorry�about last night. I didn't mean to carry on like that." He looked up to meet Harry's gaze, and Harry almost stepped forward to hug him again when he saw how sad his grey eyes were. "I don't intend to burden you."
"You haven't burdened me, and there�s nothing for you to apologize for about last night," said Harry firmly.
He finally did step forward, however he only placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder. The bespectacled boy felt another swell of anger at Lucius Malfoy; that he raised his son so that the boy could not even grieve without feeling the need to keep his poise. "I don't think I would handle what you're going through with anywhere near the level of composure you have�I tend to shout."
"You have reason to have anger issues," Draco responded sympathetically, which Harry had not expected. "I really am sorry I was such a prat at Hogwarts. I never knew how hard things were for you."
"That's okay, I was just as bad," Harry said with a nervous shrug. "I never knew how hard things were for you, either." Once again Harry could not help but wonder what his relationship with the fair Slytherin would have been had they ever tried to understand each other.
"What do you think Lupin wants to talk to you about?" Draco asked as he stood and took the small package of clothes that Mrs. Weasley had brought him from the foot of his bed.
"Knowing him, it could be anything, but it'll be useful or important." Harry answered as he moved to his trunk. "He'll want to know how you're handling last night's news; aside from that, it probably has something to do with the Horcruxes." He looked up and took a biscuit from the tray Mrs. Weasley sent up.
After eating the biscuit quickly and reaching to the tray for more, Harry decided to try to get Draco to eat something. He turned to the blonde and all sound, as well as cognitive thought, temporarily left him.
Draco always left the room to change clothes in the restroom. However now he had already pulled of his shirt from the previous day and was absentmindedly unbuttoning his pants as he toed off his shoes. His mind was clearly elsewhere as his body mechanically carried out such a menial task as undressing.
The only time Harry had seen the wan boy without a shirt on was when he assisted Remus in healing the tortured boy, and he had been far too distracted by the damage to notice anything else. Now, Harry noticed that even though he was too pale and far too thin, Draco managed to retain an elegant beauty. He still had a fair amount of bruising, and several scars.
However, the blonde also had a slender waist, well-shaped hips, and long graceful limbs. His fair skin looked smooth and soft, his hair silky and shiny, and his lips supple and delicate. Even with the current distant, haunted, and sorrowful appearance that plagued them, the Slytherin's grey eyes were mesmerizing.
Harry came to his senses just as the slender boy was removing his underwear, and quickly spun around to face the other direction, hoping to regain control of his pulse and a few other anatomical reactions to the sight he had just witnessed.
The green-eyed boy took a glance over his shoulder after the heat in his face had dissipated. The blonde was wearing jeans and pulling a long sleeved t-shirt over his head. Draco did not seem to notice Harry's odd behavior; a fact that the bespectacled boy was thankful for.
Harry decided he really needed to speak to Remus.
"Er� Draco?" Harry said as he turned to face the other boy again. The named boy startled as if waking from an unpleasant dream, before slowly turning his gaze to Harry. "Will�er, will you be alright if I go talk to Remus for awhile? If you'd rather I wait, or if you want to come with me, that's okay."
Harry was hoping that the other boy would decline, but he did not allow that to show. If Draco did not want to be alone, then Harry was not going to leave him by himself, and the blonde really did not know Hermione or Ron that well.
"That's fine, Harry," Draco answered evenly. "I'd actually like to stay here by myself for a moment, if you don't mind."
"No, that's�yeah. You know where his room is if you need either of us?" Harry stumbled to get the words out. His insides seemed to be doing some sort of dance when those grey eyes met his own. The blonde nodded slowly, and Harry grabbed a scone off the tray before heading towards the door. "I'll be going then�you really should try to eat something. Er�I'll see you later."
Harry slipped out the door and leaned against the wall for a moment until the heat in his face dissipated. Only then did it occur to him that the grieving boy in the room he just exited probably assumed that his lack of articulation was due to nerves at how to comfort him�or discomfort for the behavior for which the blonde unnecessarily felt the need to apologize. Harry released an agitated sigh at his own fumbling. He decided that he would try to convince Draco that his odd behavior was a result of the situation and not of the pallid boy's behavior, which he thought was perfectly reasonable.
Harry felt differently about his own behavior, however. "What is wrong with me?" He muttered to himself as he walked down the hall. "He's just lost his mother, and I'm thinking�great, now I'm whispering to myself." Harry stopped muttering and walked a little more quickly to Remus' room.
The green-eyed boy stopped himself from simply walking into his former professor's room just as his hand landed on the doorknob. He could hear the soft sound of music drifting through the door before it suddenly became slightly louder although still oddly muffled when the door suddenly opened.
Remus' tired face took on a small, kind smile when he saw Harry standing before him. "Good morning, Harry; would you like to come in?"
"Yes, please," answered Harry as Remus stepped aside and he entered the man's room immediately.
"Are you alright?" The lycanthrope asked with a look of concern on his face. "How is Draco?"
"It's nothing like that," Harry said quickly. "I wanted to mention something to you yesterday, but I never had the chance. Hermione said you wanted to talk to me, and Draco wanted a moment alone anyway, so�er, is now a good time?"
"Certainly, Harry," Remus said, it was obvious he knew something more was troubling Harry, but he thankfully seemed content to let the boy speak at his own pace. "Would you like to sit down? I could make you some tea if you'd like."
"Yeah, that sounds good," said Harry as he sat on the edge of the bed.
Remus turned the chair from his small desk around so that he could face Harry, but had to turn for a moment to make the tea. Harry heard that oddly muffled music, it sounded like a piano and then he looked around the room to find an old Muggle record player, the kind that one had to crank instead of plugging in to an electrical outlet. A woman's voice drifted from the device, and Harry found his eyes subconsciously drifting to the door that led to Sirius' room when he noticed the words she was singing.
"I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day;

In everything that's light and gay;

I'll always think of you that way.

I'll find you in the morning sun, and when the night is new�

I'll be looking at the moon but I'll be seeing you."

Harry blinked and shifted his eyes to the wall just above the door. There was a small plaque hanging. In various hues of blue, it showed the profile of two men looking out at a moonless sky filled with sparkling stars. The star, Sirius, could clearly be seen shiny more brightly then the rest. Engraved into the plague was a quote of some kind.
"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."

"It's from The Astronomer and his Pupil, by an American Muggle poet named Sarah Williams," said a kind, hoarse voice, which brought Harry's attention back to Remus. The scarred man handed Harry a cup of tea, and then sat down across from the boy. "It was selected by the Allegheny Observatory as the epitaph of the astronomer John A. Brashear, who was also the pioneer of the telescope."
Harry nodded slowly, his mind trying to sort through a thousand different facts and questions. "It's nice�I like it."
"So do I," Remus stated quietly as his own eyes glanced at the plaque before settling on Harry. "I brought Draco's trunk from Hogwarts. I'm not sure if he wants it, but I didn't think it could cause any harm to bring it here."
"I think he'll appreciate that," Harry said as he finally turned his eyes away from the plaque that hung between Sirius and Remus' adjoined bedrooms and looked at the mild mannered man. Only now, after hearing that unknown woman sing about all the many small, benign things that reminded her of her lost love, and reading words that could easily be perceived as an inside sentiment between his godfather and mentor, did Harry realize that one of the subjects he intended to bring up was probably quite painful for the werewolf.
Therefore, the bespectacled boy decided to start in territory that was more comfortable. "I meant to ask you if there was a way to bring back the sword, but I got sort of distracted. Do you think we'll be able to get it without having to explain too much to McGonagall?"
"Considering that you're sitting about two and a half above it, I'd say so," Remus replied in his usual mild tone, which caused Harry to pause for a moment whilst he ciphered what the werewolf just said.
"What�? You mean you already have the sword?" said Harry, who was confused, surprised, and impressed all at the same time.
"I also brought it back from Hogwarts." Remus replied mildly. "I'm glad you don't mind. I was hoping to hear from you first, but I decided to take the opportunity while I had it."
"Does McGonagall know that you took it?" Harry asked, decidedly more impressed than anything else now.
"Of course; I wasn't about to steal from the headmistress," Remus said seeming slightly surprised that Harry would think he had stolen the artifact. Noticing the boy�s concerned expression, he added, �Don�t worry, Harry. I just told her that it would be immensely useful in one of my current endeavors. I also assured her that I would return it shortly and in one piece. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that."
Harry grinned, "Well, I was also wondering if you thought it would be alright to start destroying the Horcruxes�and if you'd mind taking the first few since you're the only one who can so far."
Remus appeared to think for a moment. "Well there doesn't seem to be any concrete proof on whether a person can sense the condition of the piece of their soul they place into their Horcruxes. No one has ever been willing to test it�or test it and admit to it, at least. I'm sure you can see the dilemma; if Voldemort can sense it when we destroy a Horcrux, he may start gathering the other's once he realizes what we�re doing.�
"I hadn't thought about that," Harry admitted. After a brief moment of thought, he added, "But Dumbledore destroyed the ring without finding the other Horcruxes. Do you think he knew something?"
Remus looked thoughtful for a moment, as though he were deciding how to best phrase his response. "Actually, I think that the possibility of Voldemort retaining a connection to the fragmented pieces of his soul didn't occur to Dumbledore either. I'm sorry Harry, but if he knew that much about Horcruxes, he wouldn't have needed Snape or me to look into ways to evade death for him."
"That makes sense. Wait�Dumbledore sent you and Snape to look into it?" Harry could not fathom why anyone would be as cruel as to force Remus to work closely with Snape on anything. He himself intended to keep the two men as separate as he could while accepting both of their assistance.
"Not together, thankfully," Remus answered mildly. "He asked each of us to look into it before Voldemort's first defeat. I believe Snape focused more on potions and current procedures. I focused on archaic rituals and artifacts. We both looked into Dark Arts -separately, of course."
"Well, what do you think about it?" asked Harry.
Remus looked slightly surprised by the question. "I think I'd feel it if part of my soul was destroyed," the lycanthrope answered deadpan, and then he appeared to contemplate for a moment. "I don't see why Voldemort would not; after all, his entire goal was to achieve immortality. I think he would have protected his Horcruxes more closely if he didn't have any way to be aware of their condition."
"I hadn't thought of that either," said Harry. "It makes sense though�a lot, actually. I think we'll try to find the other Horcruxes first, and then destroy them together�except for Nagini. I don't know how hard it will be to find her."
"That sounds reasonable," said Remus. "Are you going to leave the Horcruxes here in Grimmauld Place?"
"Yeah, they'll probably be safer here then anywhere else I can think of." Harry thought for a moment before adding, "You don't think anyone in the Order would go through our room, do you? I mean Draco's and mine." Harry felt an odd surge at addressing the room as such, and hoped that it did not show somehow.
"Certainly not," Remus answered. "They know better then to try something so invasive. However, I can ward off your room after you leave as I do mine when I'm away, if you want me to. I should show you how to do that sometime."
"That would be great," Harry responded enthusiastically. "Both learning the spell and you casting the wards for me, I mean. Why do you ward off your room when you leave?"
"Force of habit," Remus answered simply; "Besides, I see no harm in being careful."
"Why were Ron, Draco, and I able to come in here when you were gone yesterday, then?"
"I take it you allowed Ron and Draco to read that note I left you?" Remus asked knowingly.
"Yeah, and Hermione, I didn't think-" Harry cut himself short when Remus slowly shook his head to let Harry know it did not matter. "Oh�reading it let us pass the wards, like reading the location of this house to see headquarters."
"Very similar to that, yes," the lycanthrope responded. "By the way, you should give this to Draco," the scarred man said as he removed a slip of paper from his pocket and offered it to Harry.
The bespectacled boy took the paper and looked it over; written in a tight, neat script was the name and location of the house they were in. "Be sure to destroy that once he's read it, please;" Remus commented.
"I will," Harry folded the slip of paper and shoved it into his own pocket. "I was concerned that he wouldn't be able to enter when we arrived. He couldn't see this place from out side when we left for Malfoy Manor."
"He should be feeling slightly disorientated and oppressed here, and anything that's significant to the Order should be hard to distinguish." Remus said with a hint of concern. "The fact that he's kin to the Blacks and most likely recognizes this house has probably helped a great deal. Not to mention that the owner of the house brought him as a guest.�
Harry furrowed his brows, and the werewolf explained modestly. �That was a suggestion I made when we chose another Secret-Keeper and recast some of the house�s protective spells. It didn't seem fair to keep you out of your own house, even if you are kind enough to allow us to keep it as headquarters for the Order."
"Sirius hated this place," Harry said offhandedly and then wished he had not when he noticed something change in Remus. He seemed to tense slightly, as if preparing for a blow and his eyes hardened somewhat. "I'm sorry, I just�"
"I'm sorry too, Harry,' Remus said softly. �You didn�t do anything wrong. I wish I had been there for you more afterwards�"
"You were there for me," Harry said quickly. "I was just too wrapped up in myself to even consider contacting you. It must have been even harder for you, I mean, you and Sirius were a lot closer than me and Sirius were." Harry stopped when he realized how dangerously close he was getting to asking a very personal and possibly painful question.
"So, Draco's been affected by the house all this time?" he questioned, both out of genuine interest and the desire to change the subject. The lycanthrope seemed slightly confused by this, but did not interrupt as Harry continued. "Why hasn't he said anything about it?"
"He has certainly been affected by it," Remus confirmed, although he still watched Harry with a touch of curiosity. "Considering the condition he arrived in, it�s possible that he assumed the effects of the house were actually the results of his injuries."
The scarred man seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking again. "I'd like to thank you, Harry; for allowing me to stay here. I'm glad that you don�t mind. I have other places I can go, but it's easier for the Order to always have at least one member here at all times, and this way, between Mrs. Weasley's extended stays and mine, there always is."
"They could figure something else out," Harry said, unsure of how to take that statement. It was clear that Remus was getting somewhere, but Harry could not tell what he was meant to understand. "I mean, you can stay here forever as far as I�m concerned. I told Dumbledore I didn't want this place. But if it's too hard�you don't have to be the one to stay here, just because it's easier for everyone else."
Remus smiled at Harry and released a slight chuckle; however, both responses seemed to hold an odd blend of fondness and sorrow. "I'm sorry Harry, I really am quite touched," he explained. Harry noticed that his warm eyes were a little brighter then they were a moment before. "It's only that you reminded me so much of Sirius and James just now. They were always so concerned that I would allow others to mistreat me rather then inconvenience anyone."
"Would you?" asked Harry, who was feeling an array of different emotions. He was touched and pleased that he reminded Remus of his father and godfather. He was also concerned and angry because he new that Sirius and his father would have based such a trait off past occurrences. Finally, He was irritated and sad that people would and certainly had mistreated such a kind person�and that the ones who were decent enough to try to stop such treatment were among the firsts to die.
"Once upon a time�Yes. Now�? No," Remus answered mildly. "Wait here a moment Harry; there's something I think I should show you." Remus stood and walked across the room to the door that separated his room from Sirius'; he crossed into the room and returned a few seconds later with the frames that had rested on Sirius' bedside table. Before returning to his seat, he took the frame from his own desk.
Remus handed all three frames to Harry. He bespectacled boy looked at the same magical photos he had seen the day before with Ron. Remus indicated his own photos first.
"I have had these photographs in this frame since they were taken at Hogwarts. Anywhere that I have ever lived or stayed, I have taken them with me." Then Remus indicated the photos that once belonged to Sirius. "Padfoot has also had these photos framed and with him since they were taken�with the obvious exception of when he was in Azkaban."
"How did they end up here?" Harry asked, looking up from the photos.
"Sirius brought them�you see, I kept most of his things when he was sent to Azkaban." Remus spoke in a tone that suggested he was simultaneously embarrassed, proud, saddened, and pleased by his actions.
"Why�?" Harry was watching the scarred man closely, remembering that he was quite skilled at muting his emotions. "Weren't you angry with him at first?"
"No, at first I didn't believe it," Remus answered, "But my point is actually the reasoning behind why we kept these specific photos with us all these years. Did you happen to go into the other room when you came in here yesterday?"
"Er, yeah�.Ron and I did, anyway;" Harry answered sheepishly. �Sorry.�
"No need for apologies Harry," Remus said kindly. "I'm sure you noticed that Peter is decidedly missing from all of Sirius� photographs, as are any taken during the few months following this one;" the werewolf pointed to the photo of mid-teen Remus with 'Snuffles' curled up in bed with him. "Sirius chose to keep the photos that represented the happiest moments of his life. He removed the photos that reminded him of any of the trials that we've gone through together; even if they helped to shape the people we became or strengthened the relationships between us all."
"So, even though he was happy when this photo of him with Pettigrew and my dad were taken, he wouldn't have kept it because Pettigrew betrayed the rest of you�or this one because you were obviously hurt very badly." Harry summarized to make sure he was following.
"Precisely," Remus answered with a subtle nod. "I kept these photos because of what they taught me, and how the incidents of the past changed me and my relationships with my friends. I took the photo of Sirius, James, and Peter near the end of our second year at Hogwarts, which -as you know- was the year that they learned of my lycanthropy and chose to remain my friends. Despite what Peter has become, he was still one of my best friends and somewhere deep down, that boy who cared enough to stick by a werewolf might still exist."
"You think he can be redeemed?" Harry asked incredulously.
"No," Remus answered simply. "In fact, if we ever cross paths again, I doubt we will both survive the encounter. However, that doesn't mean that I want to forget all the good experiences that came with the bad."
Harry thought back to what Remus had told he and his friends the night they returned from Malfoy Manor�that he could forgive but not forget, and that most of what he had left were his memories. "What about the other photo? That�s you and Sirius, isn't it? What happened�was it the full moon?"
"I don't know if you recall that I mentioned a trick Sirius played on Snape during our sixth year at Hogwarts?" Remus asked politely and waited until Harry nodded before continuing. "Well, it certainly wasn't the first time that my friends couldn't be there during one of my transformations. Even after they became Animagi, it would be foolish and far too risky for them to attend every month.
�However, between the absence of its pack, the fact that it was trapped in the narrow tunnel under the Willow, and the scent of humans, the wolf reacted more violently than usual that night. That's when I got these;" Remus gestured toward the twin scars on his face as well as one across the back of his hand and wrist. Harry suspected that the kind man had many more scars, but these were the only visible ones.
"I had to stay in the hospital wing for longer then I had since my first year at Hogwarts. James and Sirius had a nasty row; I became quite introverted for the next couple of months, and Peter was stuck in the middle because he did not want to choose a side. Well, apparently Sirius had taken to sneaking into the hospital wing and staying with me in his Animagus form sometime before that incident.
�I never knew about that, neither did your father, but Peter followed Sirius down one night to see where it was he kept disappearing to." Remus paused for a brief moment, and Harry wondered if he was deciding how much to say or if he was simply lost in the memory for the moment. The unruly-haired boy was pleased when the werewolf continued speaking.
"After the willow trick, Sirius snuck down to the hospital wing every night until I was released. One night, Peter decided that it might be a good time for Prongs to learn about Padfoot's post-moon habits, so he snuck down as well and took this photograph." Harry looked down at the photo just as Sirius looked away from Remus to warn Peter to keep away.
Harry wondered why the Animagus had wanted his friend to stay away from their other friend; if perhaps his godfather had been concerned that Peter would wake Remus up, therefore causing him to feel the pain that must have come with consciousness. Surely, he would not have though that Peter would hurt Remus at that point in time�
"When Peter gave that photograph to James, he realized how sorry Sirius was -not for what he did to Snape of course, but for the harm it caused me. After that, they started getting along again. So even though it was taken at a rather bad time, that photograph reminds me of what we can overcome and how strong our friendship was."
When the werewolf�s tone changed to indicate the end of the tale, Harry looked from the photo -which had regained his attention during the telling- to Remus again. "What about you and Sirius? How did you end up forgiving him�and how did you end up with the photo?"
Remus wore a fond but bittersweet smile. "I forgave Sirius as soon as he explained what had happened. I had always told him that his tendency to act without thinking would lead to trouble one day, and I knew as soon as he mentioned Snape that the day had actually come. Someone was bound to get hurt, and I would rather it be me then one of the others involved. I cannot imagine how terrible it would have been if I had injured or bitten James or Snape.
�They all thought that I was angry with him for longer, because I became so reclusive for a while, but I was just fighting my own demons. Sirius found me out by the lake one day, we talked it over, and he helped me lot afterwards. James could not believe the incident actually brought Sirius and I closer. After he understood that I truly was not angry with Sirius, he gave me that photograph and told me what Peter had told him about Sirius' visits.
The lycanthrope smiled softly and looked at the photographs; �I bought that frame in a flea market the following summer, put both of those photographs in it, and have never taken them out. Now they remind me of a few important facts; that things are rarely as they seem; that people can always surprise you; that change can be good as well as bad; and that someone like me can be accepted, even cared for. I didn't believe in these things when I first walked through the doors of Hogwarts, but I left believing them, and I still do."
Harry wondered if the kind man realized how much he had just taught and helped him�on second though, he wondered if that had been the point all along.
Note from the author: The song referred to and quoted in this chapter is Billie Holiday's I'll be seeing you. I do not own the rights to the song or the poem mentioned in this chapter (the poem is accurately credited by Remus). Thank you for reading.
- 15
- 16
- 17
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance