Separated By My Traitors

A step in the right direction

23rd of April 1989

"James? Harry? Where are you?"

"Get back here little prongslet!"

"Ah! Help! Uncle Moony! Help, help!"

Remus ran into the kitchen. He was wearing a cautionary smile, trying to cover the worried look that had previously been there. He bent over, resting his hands on his knees to regulate his breathing.

It was obvious James had been chasing Harry around the kitchen, trying to cover the poor kid in cake batter. Both of them had wild and sweaty hair, sticking out in different directions. Their glasses were skewed and James was currently holding a wooden spoon covered in yellow goop.

When Harry saw Remus he immediately barreled himself into the man. Remus made sure to open his arms to catch the mini Potter, before straightening up and cradling Harry to his chest. When the child was secured he made a mad dash through the house, trying and succeeding to save them both from James Potter.

He hid them in the downstairs bathroom, locking the door behind them. He opened the window and gently lowered Harry onto the grass. James was wandering around the drawing room, and then Remus heard him taking the stairs, heading for the bedrooms. Quickly squeezing through the small bathroom window, he and Harry ran across the large backyard.

It would have been easier to get the brooms and fly to safety, but with James upstairs he didn't want to risk being caught. Instead he led Harry to the forest just beside the homemade quidditch goals. The boy was now eight, but still skinny and small for his age. Just like James and Remus had been. Nothing to be concerned about, the boy just had a fast metabolism. They checked.

Swooping Harry into his arms, Remus hugged him to his chest. Carefully and quietly he walked the both of them further into the forest. This would have been such a quick trip flying.

"Where are we going Uncle Moony?"

"Mine and Uncle Padfoot's hiding spot."

Harry pulled away a little to rest his hand on Remus' chest and look him in the eye.

"Why do you need to hide? Do you not like me and Dad?"

He let out a breath of laughter and shook his head.

"Of course we do, Harry. You know I love you both, but I love your Uncle very much, in a different way."

"Because he's your boyfriend."

The bluntness in which the statement was delivered made Remus bark out a laugh. Harry wasn't incorrect but things had only recently become stable and good in the last few years. It was as if they had never been apart.

_ _

10th of March 1982

"I thought we could take a walk around the back, get away from all the fuss for the moment. I also... I think we should talk. About us I mean."

Remus was surprised by Sirius' straight forward approach. It had been a few months since everything had happened. Mostly settled into the Potter Manor. They still had separate rooms but found themselves sharing with James and Harry more often than not.

Transferring into the New Year had been tense with a lot of avoidance about the whole thing. Lily's death, Sirius' trial and brief Azkaban stay. No one talked about it. Until one night in late February.

Remus was sleeping in his own room that night, and he found himself being host to a late night guest. Sirius of course had snuck across the second floor into Remus' room and had approached the foot of the bed with his head bowed.