The Other Potter

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: New Home

When Percy arrived at the werewolf's house, a sense of extreme relief washed over him. They were in a cosy living room, the moon showing outside of the window, illuminating the vast forest around the house.

They were finally out of that place.

Without another word, he turned to his godfather and hugged him. Moony, a bit surprised about the sudden show of affection (considering that some time earlier he had closed a door in his face), recieved the warm gesture with his own.

No words could describe how glad he was to be out of the hellhole, and without being separated from Harry. After all the years spent there, he had somewhat lost the last bit of hope he had to escape safely to somewhere better. But Moony managed to give him just that. He deserved a hug, at least.

Harry Potter was really confused. Who was that man and why was his brother hugging him? Why did he decide to be their guardian?

Although Percy had explained him a bit about his parents and the magic world, he had never mentioned a disheveled man being related to them in any way.

"I am really happy that you remember me, Percy" said the man, hugging him loosely. Even if he wanted to hug his godson to the point of asphyxiation, McGonagall told him about the abuse which that sorry excuse of a muggle had done, so he didn't want to hurt Percy more.

He blamed himself for letting that situation happen. When McGonagall came suddenly to his house to tell him about the harsh conditions the boys were living in, he knew he had to do something. After waiting for a week, in which he hardly caught any sleep, to have all the documents ready, he finally was able to rescue them.

After the little reunion they had, Harry finally asked what was on his mind:

"Who are all of you?" he said, direct as always. Apparently all traces of sleep had washed away by his curiosity.

Taking a sit at nearby couches, in front of the chimney, each of the adults started introducing themselves.

"My name is Minerva McGonagall, it's a pleasure to meet you both" the lady with the pointy hat said, shaking the brother's hands.

"Harry Potter" the younger brother said.

"Percy Potter" he said "The pleasure is mine. Sorry for being rude earlier" he scratched his neck, with a cheeky grin.

"Don't worry about it, you were just being cautious" answered McGonagall.

"I'm Rubeus Hagrid, at yer service!" Said the enormous man in a surprisingly warm voice. He waived his giant hand at both of them.

Guess you can't judge a book by its cover.

Finally, the disheveled man presented himself:

"Remus Lupin, or, as some people call me, Moony" he said, winking at Percy "I hope we can get along, seeing as I'll be your guardian from now on"

Both of them smiled widely. Even for Harry, who wasn't treated as bad in his uncle's house, hearing those words was a relief.

"We have a lot of things to catch up on. But, for now, lets go rest. I'm sure the answers can wait until tommorrow" said McGonagall "Remus, can you please show the boys their rooms?"

Without complaining, the brothers followed Moony, giving the others a quick goodbye.

The house, althought it looked a bit small from the exterior, turned out to be quite large. With a classy style, the hallways and rooms seemed taken out of a 70's movie, if that makes any sense. There were some pictures and paintings in the walls, most of them moving, and some books scattered around the place. It was clear that Moony lived alone, by how the decoration-or lack of it- was seen.

After a while, they reached some doors. The one on the left was green, while the one in front of it was blue. They didn't match at all with the house's style, and it seemed that they were made especially for the brothers.

That thought spread a warm feeling through Percy, but it didn't last long, because the years with Vernon made him remember that there was just no way anyone would bother with him.

Moony would get tired of them soon enough, and he'd need to prepare for that.

"These are your rooms, I hope you like them" Said Moony, smiling anxiously "the blue one is for Percy, and the green one for Harry" upon hearing this, the brothers said their goodnights and went excitedly inside their rooms.

However, once Harry closed his door, Moony went behind Percy, entering the boy's new room after him.

"I want to talk with you" he said, with a face full of concern.

Those words never meant anything good.

The room they were in was nothing too special. A bookshelf, an actual bed, a big closet and a bathroom. But, for Percy, who was used to a little closet and a bed made of stacked blankets, it was the paradise.

So, when Moony suddenly came, he felt the fear of being hit once again. His uncle had taught him in the hard way to never trust an adult.

But this was his godfather. His father's friend, who had gone through the bother of getting them out of his uncle's grasp. Could he also be like Vernon? Or had he escaped the hellhole just to get into a new one?

This doubts flashed his mind before Moony actually started talking.

"Are you okay, Percy?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm fine" he answered. Obviously, it was a lie. He didn't have enough time to take care of the wounds his uncle's belt had caused, so he had been holding in the pain all night.

Apparently, that answer wasn't enough, as his godfather was looking at him with a concerned gaze. Could he actually be worried about him? Percy didn't have anyone to worry about him for a long time, and just the thought seemed ridiculous. Why would Moony bother with him?

"Percy, please, if you are injured anywhere, tell me. I don't want you to hide this kind of thing from me" He said. To Percy, it seemed like he wasn't faking his concern.

Still, it was too risky to just tell him everything.

He pondered his options. If Moony was anything like uncle Vernon, he better not reveal anything... but, he didn't seem to be a monster. For an instance, he cared enough to get Percy and Harry out of the hellhole, and even gave them their own rooms.

Was it worth it to take the risk?

The years of abuse made him hesitate. How could he ever trust a male adult again? The guy standing in front of him would surely beat him if he messed up.

But, what if he didn't? After all, he was his father's friend. The guy who, even in a post-werewolf-night, used to visit him to play. The man who his mother decided to register as his godfather.

He didn't yet trust the man in front of him, but he trusted his mother's judgement.

Looking at the floor, Percy decided to tell Moony all the truth, following what his instinct told him. Hoping it was the right thing to do.

Years after that, he would look back into that moment and be glad of the decision, for it was something that deeply united him and his godfather.

Something that made it easier for him to adapt to his new home.