Rescued

Summer: Remus

Harry stepped onto platform nine and three quarters, laughing with Ron and Hermione about something. Then he spotted Sirius and I, and hurriedly shouted goodbyes.

"Hey, little bugger!" Sirius cried, enveloping Harry in his arms as Harry ran towards us. I smiled. Harry wasn't such a little bugger anymore. To think he had finished his fourth year already!

"Moony?" A voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Harry and Sirius were both staring at me. Harry grinned and collapsed in my arms. "Pondering the world's mysteries as always, eh, Moony?" I laughed.

"Yep. I was wondering how on earth you've gotten to be so big already!" Harry pulled away.

"Geez, Moony, you sound like Mrs Weasley," he said, scrunching his nose. Sirius barked with laughter. "I'm fourteen, not five," Harry continued, smiling.

"Oh, I know." I agreed, lifting his trunk. "We'd better get going, though," I added, grabbing Hedwig's cage.

"I can grab that," Harry interjected, and relieved me of the item. Sirius stretched, acquiring many approving looks from surrounding admirers, and led the way.

"Sirius, you cad," I muttered, grinning. Harry laughed quietly. Sirius pretended that he didn't hear, and jangled the motorcycle keys, whistling.

We made it home, barely. Sirius revved and zoomed around the corners. I could feel the blood drain out of my face as my stomach and heart switched places. I had never been so glad to see stable ground before. I rolled off the bike, moaning.

"Next week," I groaned, clutching my abdomen, "we are getting a car. " Harry nodded, but he didn't look uneasy. He ruffled his hair and pushed up his glasses.

"A really sweet car," Sirius agreed. "How about a corvette?"

"Or a nice, safe, Volkswagen," I said.

"No! Those are hideous," Sirius shuddered.

"Well, whatever type the car may be, I will be the one driving," I said, opening the door to the cottage.

"No! Harry, help me," Sirius moaned. "You know how Moony drives, my grandmother drove faster! He always drives five below the speed limit, and slows down on turns, and never parallel parks!" Sirius continued complaining, and Harry laughed the whole walk in.

"I guess I wouldn't know, Siri," Harry said, wiping tears from his eyes. "I've never driven with Moony before."

"You don't want to," Sirius said, and settled the subject. I opened the door only to be knocked over by an ecstatic, gigantic, Lily. She had grown since Harry's first year. A lot.

"Lily!" Harry shouted, getting knocked over too. The boy and dog wrestled for a moment more, while I picked up the unfortunate Hedwig, who was screeching on the ground. I set the trunk and cage on the bench near the kitchen, and sent the trunk upstairs with a wave of my wand. Honestly, sometimes I even forgot I had it.

"Harry's grown, hasn't he?" Sirius remarked, and I looked at him in surprise. He never preferred to talk about the past and what was, he was very in-the-moment and lived in the present.

"What do you mean?" I said, putting the kettle on for tea. The sounds of Harry running and yelling with Lily sounded in from the kitchen windows.

"Just-his- character or something. He's changed. " Sirius's eyes were far away, gazing at something I couldn't see.

"Well, everyone changes." I said cautiously.

"He's different." I looked up sharply.

"We all do, Sirius. The prophecy, Voldemort... The Death Eaters." Voldemort may have changed, but for the better, no one knew. "We have to prepare ourselves that-Harry might-" I cursed that lump in my throat. "Harry might die someday, and we have to be ready. "

Sirius opened his mouth to reply, but Harry rushed in, with Lily at his heels. They were both covered in mud, Lily's beautiful snow-white coat now a light brown. They were both panting, happy expressions on both their faces. The somber mood that had previously filled the cozy kitchen lifted, as if a breath of fresh summer air had blown it away. I didn't have the heart to be sad anymore. I smiled weakly.

"What's wrong?" Harry caught our expressions the split second before we smiled. Sirius took it in stride, pouting miserably.

"Oh, well, some people just don't see things right," Sirius sniffled.

"What do you mean?" Harry said, puzzled.

"We keep getting these remarks," Sirius  moaned. "'Cute couple' this, 'cute couple' that. Apparently having friends of the same gender isn't okay anymore," Sirius said. At this, Harry burst out in laughter. We sat, staring at him stoically. Tears streamed down his muddy cheeks.

"Is that--why--you've been--" he wheezed.

"This is serious stuff, Prongslet," Sirius said, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smirk.

"Yes," I put in. "Do you not understand the pain and misery we've been through?" Harry smirked.

"Well, it doesn't help that you two bicker like an old married couple," he said. Sirius stood up from the bench, eyes glistening in mock rage.

"I'll get you for that, Potter," he snarled. The two ran out of the room, the stairs thundering above my head as they ran. I shook my head, glad for the change of subject. Lily poked me with her snout, and I handed her the rest of my pastry.

It was so good to have Harry home again.