Please...

Chapter Fifteen

"Harry, hold still!" Severus said, chuckling slightly. "I don't understand why you want to wear this. Halloween is tomorrow," he grumbled.

"I like it! I'mma doggy!" Harry exclaimed, shaking the tail that was attached to his pants happily. "I hate makeup," Severus mumbled as he tried his hardest to do 'puppy' makeup.

"What are you gonna be?" Harry scrunched his nose as Severus drew small dots on Harry's face. "I'll be a bat."

"And Moony?!"

"I don't know. 'Member, he is sick. He might not come." Harry frowned at that. It wouldn't be the same without Moony! Then again, it was his first real Halloween, so he couldn't complain. "I'll get him lots and lots and lots of coco then! He likes it, right?!"

"Yes, bambi. Coco is his favorite. What's your favorite, Harry?"

"Umm..." His nose scrunched up as he thought, shaking his tail once more. "Ooh! The peppy ones!"

"Peppermint?"

"Yeah! Those, with the coco around it!" Harry shouted. "Alright, bambi. You're doggy costume is done, so why don't you go surprise Moony, yeah?"

Harry's grin widened as he ran over to Remus, who was laying on the sofa, looking deathly ill and tired. "Moony! Lookit!" Harry exclaimed in a hushed tone, purposefully being careful about how loud he was. "I'm a doggy!" 

"Very nice, Hare."

"I have a tail, too!"

"Adorable, Harry. Why don't you read a bit?" Remus asked. "I dunno... I'm still not good..."

"Well, that's how you learn. Go fetch your book, I'll help you," Remus replied. He had taken it upon himself to teach Harry to read and write, Severus helped whenever he could, but at the moment he was grading papers. Thankfully, it seemed Harry was a fast learner, because he had the alphabet down in a week and a half.

As he tried to sit, he winced slightly. "Damned problem," he mumbled under his breath, referring to the transformation that had taken place two nights ago that caused a few new gashes on his back. He had hid in one of the abandoned dungeons, and because of the Wolfsbane potion, he slept through the night somewhat peacefully. 

"Will you help me?" Harry asked quietly. He climbed on the couch next to Remus, who moved to a sitting position. "You know I will, Hare. What book did you grab?"

"The bear one. I like Goldy, and the little bear," Harry said. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. She's lonely, and then the bears take her with 'em. Like Daddy and me." The explanation broke Remus' heart. He hated that his cub went through all of that alone, and where was he?! Hiding out in a stupid forest!

"Alright, Harry. What's this word?"

Harry looked at the first word, and he knew he knew the word, but it still confused him. He'd already read this book twice, shouldn't he know it by now?

"On... Onk... Unk..."

"Once..." Remus said gently after many failed attempts. "Once... uh... upon a t-time. I did it!"

"Yes, you did! Now go on, read the next one, Harry."

"Once upon a time... Goldy... locks went foe... fr... for! For a wall... wack... Moony, I don't know this one!"

"It's okay, sound it out. What does it start with?" Remus asked. And that's how they sat for the next hour, reading a few books, and Harry slowly learning with a smile on his face.

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"Alright Harry, you ready to go?" Severus asked. Harry was practically jumping up and down from excitement. His first time trick or treating ever! "Okay. Do you have your bag? Are you going to be warm enough? Do you have-"