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Chapter 9: Firewhiskey

"Are you feeling okay?" Harry asked Remus, when he finally brought his head up. Remus had bags under his eyes and looked exhausted.

"I should be the one asking you that, Harry. I'm fine, just a bit tired." Remus looked like he wanted to add something else, but held back. Harry nodded. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why did he hit you? What happened?" Remus asked slowly, scared of Harry's reaction. Harry sighed, looking up at Remus and searched his face for any kind of emotion. Harry could only see care in Remus' features, and he wasn't used to seeing the emotion aimed towards him.

"Well, it all started when Sirius adopted this girl my age called Carina, who he explained to me a few days before as his ex girlfriends daughter. He said she was an orphan, and he wanted to take her in because he felt he owed it to his ex girlfriend or something. But  when my friend Ron came over and we pranked Sirius, we ran and hid in the room with the tapestry, and she was joined to Sirius, and so was I." Harry paused to see how Remus would react. He sighed.

"I was hoping he would tell you himself, but I guess not."

"Wait- You knew?" Harry asked, mouth agape.

"Of course I knew. Quite a few people did."

"Like who?"

"James, me, obviously Sirius, Peter, Severus-"

"Snape? Snape knows? Why does Snape know?" 

"Has Sirius told you why you look like James but-"

"Yeah polyjuice and stuff."

"Well Snape has quite a knack for potions, and the polyjuice potion is very difficult to make. But for it to work on you, it had to be made a little differently. So that's how he knows. And then there's Dumbledore. Only six people, seven now, including you." Remus explained.

"Eight, you forgot my mum."

"Well, not exactly."

"What do you mean? She would know, she was there when I was made."

"Well, the thing with Polyjuice potion is-"

"Wait, she didn't know? She just thought it was James? You didn't tell her?" Remus shook his head. "That's disgusting!" Harry yelled, and Remus looked shamefaced. "Is there anything else about my birth I don't know?" 

"No, that's all. Would you mind... continuing your story about Sirius?" Remus tried to change the subject.

"Oh, right." Harry had gone so off topic that he had blanked for a second. He told the rest of the story, not leaving anything out or sugar coating it, figuring it didn't really matter anymore. Harry almost broke down near the end, but took a deep breath and paused, then continued. When Harry had finished, Remus sat for a moment, contemplating the story.

"I never pegged Sirius for the...angry type." Remus mumbled, investigating Harry's bruise. 

"He isn't usually, but I-"

"Harry, don't for one second blame yourself for this. Yes, you said some things you shouldn't have, but that should only have resulted in a telling off, not a hit." Remus said sternly. Harry just mumbled something Remus couldn't understand, but did not protest.

"Don't bother about me, you look exhausted. Go have a sleep. I can make myself dinner." Harry said, uncomfortable with the amount of attention he was getting. Remus rolled his eyes.

"You look like you've had much less sleep than I have. I need to get this bruise fixed up, but I don't have any bruise paste. I'll have to send a letter to Albus and ask him if he has any." Remus replied, stopping his poking.