“Yes Harry, I love you!”

“The title says for the love of a father James. It’s not a question,” Lily said slowly.

“And I am telling Harry he doesn’t need to do anything for my love. He already has it.”

The next time Harry awoke Sirius was at his bedside with breakfast. Of course it was only porridge but it was certainly better than nothing. Sirius wasn’t pleased when Harry could only eat half of it but considering the past week, it wasn’t a surprise that Harry couldn’t eat much. Serving meals hadn’t exactly been high on the Death Eaters’ priority list in addition to the fact that Harry’s appetite had been slim to none at best over the past month. He had been too worried about everything around him including Voldemort, Sirius, his abilities and his job.

As it turned out, Madam Pomfrey had stopped by when he had been sleeping and had given Sirius a handful of potions to help with the final stages of recovery. Swallowing them hadn’t been easy though. After the third, Harry suddenly felt extremely ill and was forced to lie back down as Sirius placed a damp cloth over his forehead. His stomach slowly settled allowing him to quickly take the remaining two potions. Why no one could manage to make potions to taste something other than horrible was beyond Harry’s comprehension. More like it’s something Snape would do just to annoy me.

“No Harry, they all taste horribly,” Mr. Potter said grimly.

“And even so I can’t manage for you not to throw yourself in the line of fire,” Mrs. Potter huffed.

After checking for any side affects, Sirius grabbed a change of clothes and helped Harry out of bed before ushering him to the bathroom. Harry ignored the subtle waves of dizziness in his head along with the waves of protectiveness around him as he cleaned up and changed. He had to sit down on the edge of the bath a few times when his vision swam but he managed on his own. Looking into the mirror, Harry noticed how pale he was and how thin his face had become in the last week. There was also a faint scar that started at the edge of the right side of Harry’s jaw and traveled down his neck. Harry ran his fingers over the mark, trying to remember where it had come from. Most likely the explosion.

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened slowly. Sirius poked his head in before entering completely. The waves of protectiveness increased and were joined with waves of concern. Sirius gently pulled Harry’s hand away from the scar. “Just be grateful that’s all you have, Pronglet,” he said gently. “Snape said you were a mess after the explosion. We tried to find you but Voldemort had so many wards around that place. No one could do any sort of magic without him knowing it. Please believe me Harry. I never would have left you there.”

James glared at Sirius.

“What?”

“Is Harry’s personality contagious?”

“Uh?”

“Do you really think we don’t know you tried saving him?” Remus explained.

Harry stared at his godfather with tears in his eyes. How could he not believe that Sirius would do anything other than moving heaven and earth to find him? His doubts had never concerned Sirius’ ability to protect him. They had rested solely on Harry’s own fears and failures. Raising a shaky hand, Harry gently touched Sirius’ face and was instantly overwhelmed by bursts of guilt and despair. He quickly pulled his hand away as he swayed only to be caught by Sirius.

Sirius was assaulted by pillows and huffs.

“Harry, what is it?” Sirius asked worriedly while trying to help Harry out of the bathroom.

Blinking the confusion away, Harry looked around to see that Sirius was helping him back to his room. The guilt and despair were now at the same level of Sirius’ other emotions. “Er—it was acting up again,” he said as he rubbed his forehead. “I couldn’t block it out. Although, it’s never happened by touch before.”

Sirius abruptly stopped in his tracks. “Is it still happening?” he asked worriedly. “Am I causing you pain?”

Harry carefully touched Sirius’ hand that was resting on his shoulder and let out a sigh of relief when nothing changed. “No,” he said with a smile. “Maybe it was just a one time thing.”

“Or maybe your magic is still fluctuating,” Sirius countered as he continued walking with Harry to Harry’s room. “Honestly, I’m really out of my league here. Being an actual empath without relying on spells is extremely rare. There are also different types of empaths. Some rely on touch, some rely on scent—similar to a werewolf and there are the rarest that can just sense emotions. Unfortunately there aren’t many books on the topic in the Black family library. My ancestors seemed to be more interested in learning dark magic.”

“Though I bet that if they thought they could transform empathy into a Dark Art they would have had loads of information,” Sirius huffed.

Harry looked up at Sirius’ concerned face and bit his lower lip. He could still sense Sirius’ guilt and felt awful that he was making his godfather feel that way. “I know you did everything you could, Sirius,” Harry said as his gaze fell to the ground. “You have nothing to feel guilty for. It was my own fault. A Death Eater was scouting in the neighborhood I was staying. There were families there…children. I didn’t want them to be killed so I asked Fawkes to take me to Diagon Alley. I thought if I was spotted in some place other than Muggle London than the attacks would be called off.”

Sirius wrapped an arm around Harry’s shoulders and pulled him close. “I suppose being able to feel their emotions didn’t help either,” he said thoughtfully. “Tonks and Kingsley told the Order about your confrontation with them near the Leaky Cauldron. You do realize that Voldemort was expecting you to do something like that, right? There had been spies all throughout London waiting for you to appear. Several of the captured Death Eaters admitted it.”

Harry nodded regretfully. “It makes sense,” he said softly. “They were extremely prepared.” Staring straight ahead, Harry couldn’t help thinking bout the past month. So much had happened and the majority of it could have been avoided. “I can’t believe I fell for it all. I should have known the moment I head Dad’s voice at the Ministry that something was really wrong.”

“Well, er, you were a little preoccupied back then,” James said. “We understand.”

“Voldemort has fooled a lot of people, Harry,” Sirius said truthfully. “He is a master of manipulation. I can’t imagine what I would have done in your place. I probably would have listened to James too. Mistakes were made by a lot of people that night, not just you. People interfered who should have left us alone and people broke promises. What’s important is that we don’t make these mistakes again.”

“Could you have been more vague?” Lily huffed at Sirius.

“Probably,” he shrugged.

“I think that was a rhetorical question Paddy,” Remus chuckled.

Harry desperately wanted to ask who Sirius was talking about but figured that Sirius was being vague for a reason. Something else had happened the night Harry left Hogwarts or shortly after it; something that still angered Sirius whenever he thought about it. He’ll tell me when he’s ready. I know he will.

Entering his room, Harry held back a groan as Sirius helped him back into bed. The next few weeks were certainly going to be a challenge. Sirius was going to be extremely overprotective and wouldn’t stand for the independent Harry who had spent a month technically living on his own and having a full-time job. Harry knew Sirius had every right to act that way. He knew it was the way Sirius was. But if that was the case, then why did he feel the need to yell at Sirius to knock it off?

“He won’t mind,” Remus said. “We do it all the time,” he finished ruffling Sirius hair.

“See if I will be a concerned friend anymore,” Sirius huffed.

“Oh Padfoot,” James laughed. “Who are you kidding? Of course you will. Next full moon you’ll be back to pestering Remus a whole week before asking if he wants this if he needs that.”

Probably because that was what I always said to Dr. Rolands when he tried to act overprotective. I have to remember that Sirius has a right to be overprotective. He has every right after what I’ve put him through.

“Harry?” Sirius asked, pulling Harry out of his thoughts. “What’s wrong?”

Nothing. Everything. “Just thinking,” Harry said with a shrug. Change the topic, Harry. “So, I guess you want to know the rest, right?” Not exactly the ideal change of topic but certainly one that would keep everything away from the contradicting urges coursing through his head.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair as he sat down at Harry’s bedside. “Only if you’re up for it,” he said. “I won’t pressure you but eventually you will have to talk about it. The Ministry has been hounding Dumbledore for the past few days for a meeting to learn what happened after you had been taken. So far you’ve been the only one to actually be at Voldemort’s hideout.”

Harry couldn’t help groaning as he buried his face in his hands. The last thing Harry wanted to do was to be involved with the Ministry. He didn’t care who the Minister was. The only thing anyone from that place saw was the-boy-who-lived, not Harry. “But I don’t know anything,” Harry protested. “I wasn’t exactly in the best of conditions when I arrived and when I left I was more concerned about running for my life than taking in my surroundings. The place was in the middle of nowhere. It took me hours just to find a road to call the Knight Bus.”

“You took the Knight Bus dressed as a Death Eater?” Sirius asked in surprise.

“What did you expect! For him to stop at a store and buy clothes before calling for the Knight Bus?” Mr. Potter cried exasperated.

“Honey, Sirius is just trying to digest everything,” Mrs. Potter tried to soothe him.

Harry shrugged helplessly. “I really didn’t have much of a choice,” he said matter-of-factly. “A Death Eater came into my cell to gloat about how they were so close to capturing you and I would have to watch you die! What was I supposed to do? I thought Remus was dead! I wasn’t about to lose you too!” Turning his head away, Harry fought to calm himself down but it wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working?

Sirius ran his hand over his face in frustration. “I’m sorry, kiddo,” he said sincerely. “I didn’t mean it to come out like it did. I guess I’m just surprised. With the current state of things I’m surprised they let you on the bus.”

“I didn’t give them much of a choice,” Harry admitted softly. “Once I was on the bus I revealed who I was and they were eager to do just about anything.”

Sirius snorted at the comment. “Of course they did,” he muttered as he sat back in his chair. “You’re ‘The Chosen One’.”

“Uh?” James asked.

Harry stared at Sirius in confusion. He suddenly had a feeling that he had missed more than he originally thought. What had been printed in the issues of the ‘Daily Prophet’ that he missed? Was their a reason Fawkes brought the issues he did? “The what?” Harry asked uncomfortably.

Sirius silently cursed himself. “Nothing, Harry,” he said quickly. “Just the wizarding world being it’s usual self-serving self. We can talk about it later…when you’re stronger. It really isn’t that important. I promise I’ll explain everything but I think what you’ve been through takes precedence.”

“Sirius Black,” Lily said coming close to the bed and staring fiercely at Sirius. “What are you hiding?”

“Dunno,” Sirius fidgeted uncomfortable.

Taking the hint, Harry inhaled deeply and told the rest of his story. He told Sirius about Dr. Rolands, his job at the hospital, and the people he met. He explained a few of his duties, including ‘story time’ in the children’s ward. Harry couldn’t help smiling at the memories of the children hanging on his every word. That part of the day had always been what he looked forward to. It was amazing how satisfying bringing joy to others was.

Snapping back to the present, Harry continued on, explaining how he realized his empathic ability and how he used his position at the hospital to test it. He was still hesitant to tell Sirius about his ability to help people to heal. I’ll tell him after I try to help Remus, I swear. Harry revealed his weekly meeting with Fawkes and how he learned about the attacks on Muggle neighborhoods. He then moved on to the difficult topic of his imprisonment at Voldemort’s hideout. He told Sirius what he could remember and noticed the nervous look on Sirius’ face when he revealed what McDaniels discovered although he didn’t know whether he was nervous it was concerning what was learned or that Voldemort knew about it.

After three hours of talking, Harry was surprised when Sirius called for Dobby. The Hogwarts house elf quickly appeared and instantly started jumping up and down, telling Harry how happy he was that the ‘Great Harry Potter’ was safe and home with his ‘wolf and dog’. Sirius quickly put an end to Dobby’s proclamations that Harry was the greatest wizard of all time by asking for the elf to bring lunch. Dobby vanished with a pop only to reappear a moment later with two trays. Sirius was given a three course meal while Harry had a variety of bland dishes to choose from.

Harry and Sirius ate in silence, both deep in though about what hey had learned in the past few days. The need to see Remus was becoming unbearable. Did he look the same? Would he still appear to be dead? What would he be like when he woke? Would he still be the same Remus or had the poisoning been more than just physical? That was a frightening thought. Remus had always been so kind that it was easy to forget about the wolf.

“Well, you shouldn’t,” Remus huffed. Sirius launched himself at him and just said.

“We love you Moony.”

Eating his soup, Harry didn’t notice the occasional glances he was receiving from Sirius. He didn’t suspect anything until his bowl of soup was half empty. Everything was starting to feel hazy and the simple action of holding a spoon was difficult. Blinking tiredly, Harry barely noticed Sirius gently pulling the spoon out of Harry’s hand and setting the try aside. When his eyes started to droop, Harry realized that something strong had been put in his soup. Cheater.

“You drugged my son!” James said outraged.

Sirius smiled cheekily.

“Sir’us,” Harry said sleepily as Sirius repositioned him so he was lying down completely.

“I know, kiddo,” Sirius said, running a hand through Harry’s damp hair. “I know you don’t want to but you’re still recovering. Poppy said sleep is the best thing for you. It’s just for a few hours and then we can see Moony, all right?”

Unable to fight the call to sleep anymore, Harry closed his eyes and quickly drifted off. He was so out of it that he didn’t notice the monitoring spells Sirius cast around his bed before leaving in a hurry.

---

Darkness surrounded him. In the darkness rested cold, hate and anger. To a normal person, the situation would be frightening but to him, it was home. It had been home for years. He was feared and well known but it wasn’t enough to compete with a sixteen-year-old boy with a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightening bolt. He had attacked towns and killed countless people yet Harry Potter still covered the front page of the ‘Daily Prophet’. Because Harry Potter had escaped, the entire wizarding world was optimistic. Because Harry Potter had escaped, he had to abandon a perfectly hidden lair and retire several Death Eaters for their incompetence.

It was pitiful how much the wizarding world depended on a mere teenager. After the Charing Cross Road attack, all the ‘Daily Prophet’ could report about were possible locations of where ‘The Chosen One’ may be. Kill a town of people and you strike fear into the population. Abduct the-boy-who-lived and everything comes to a halt. He knew he should have killed the boy immediately but he had taken the boy’s immobility for granted. He left the boy alone for far too long.

Harry Potter was certainly an enigma. For someone who had faced so much pain, Potter had a remarkable strength of will. He would have been an asset if he could have been turned. Now he would have to be killed. It was such a waste of talent but his fate had been sealed. Harry Potter proved he could outsmart the Death Eaters and had an annoying habit of surviving like and death situations. There was also the small fact that Harry Potter was the beacon of hope for the hypocritical wizarding world. Killing the mascot would be the first step to ensuring victory.

It was almost comical how daft people were. Ever since Potter’s escape had been announced, the ‘Daily Prophet’ had kept a daily report of Potter’s status, notifying everyone (including his enemies) just how fragile the boy was. Apparently, Potter’s recovery has been progressing slower than expected. The Ministry had yet to hear from him and Dumbledore wasn’t revealing anything. That would raise his suspicions if Severus Snape hadn’t revealed that Black was preventing everyone from visiting the teenager. No one was allowed to enter the hidden home other than the blood traitor’s cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, and the Hogwarts medi-witch.

That had been another oversight. He should have known the blood traitor would have only called who he trusted to help Harry Potter recover and Poppy Pomfrey was the only medi-witch who was aware that Potter was indeed unique. After all, she hadn’t revealed any of her discoveries to anyone. Harry Potter’s medical file was the most protected file at Hogwarts (according to Snape). No one was allowed to see the contents without Pomfrey and a guardian consenting to it, something that made it impossible for Snape to discover Potter’s secrets. Those secrets were the final piece of information he needed to properly plan Potter’s defeat.

Once Potter reappears, his death will be slow and painful. He will beg for death in the end.

“You know what Voldie? You keep saying that and Harry keeps kicking your butt. So yeah, I’d rather you stop hurting him, but I wouldn’t bet against him,” James huffed crossing his arms.

A sadistic smile slowly appeared on his face at the possibilities. He knew the boy’s ultimate weakness and had every intention of exploiting it.

“SIRIUS!”

Sitting up quickly, Harry looked around his dimly lit room only to find that he was alone. He was breathing heavily as if he had just run a kilometer as fast as he possibly could. His shirt was soaked with sweat and clinging to him like a second skin. Panic coursed through him as he quickly pushed the bedcovers away and jumped out of bed, grapping his glasses off the bedside table in the process. Something was wrong. He knew it and it had something to do with Sirius. Ignoring the slight wave of dizziness, Harry hurried to the door and pulled it open. He had to find Sirius quickly. He didn’t know why nor did he care. All he knew was that he wouldn’t feel at ease until he saw that Sirius was safe.

“SIRIUS! WHAT’S WRONG?”

“I DON’T KNOW LILY!”

“BUT HE IS CALLING FOR YOU!”

“BUT I STILL DON’T KNOW!”

“Will you two stop shouting?” Remus scolded them rubbing his ears and Lily and Sirius blushed.

Harry grabbed the wall and waited for the dizziness to pass before he stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. The only sound was Harry’s own anxious breathing. It was too quiet here. Harry didn’t like quiet. The quiet reminded Harry of being in the cell. The quiet reminded Harry of the early mornings at the hospital where there was nothing to do but think of the past that haunted him. With silence, your imagination had a tendency to get the better of you.

The sound of someone hurrying up the stairs only increased Harry’s panic. Logic had no place in his mind. At that point, it didn’t matter how secure Black Manor was. All Harry could think about was that an intruder had done something to Sirius and was now coming for him.

Kick the intruder Harry!” Jamess yelled.

“Where’s your wand?” Mr. Potter asked. “Hex him!”

 He wasn’t strong enough to face an attacker. He could barely stand without his head swimming. Reverting to survival mode, Harry backed into the shadows, praying that he wouldn’t be noticed. All of the fear quickly vanished at the sight of Sirius entering the hallway in a run. Relaxing slightly, Harry stepped out of the shadows and was instantly checked over by Sirius.

“Hex me huh?” Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow. “Kick me?”

“Well, er, we thought you were an intruder,” James said sheepishly.

“Harry, what’s wrong?” Sirius asked frantically. “Is your scar acting up? Your magic? Nightmare?”

Harry shakily shook his head. “Just a feeling,” he said softly. It sounded stupid now but it had felt so real. It had been nothing more than a knowledge that Sirius was in immediate danger. Someone wanted to harm Sirius but he didn’t know who. It was both embarrassing and nerve-wracking. He was nearly sixteen and he was acting like a child, acting out because of a dream or nightmare. Why was he such an emotional wreak?

Sirius let out a sigh of relief before wrapping an arm around Harry’s shoulders. “It’s all right, kiddo,” he said with a reassuring smile. “We’re safe here, okay? No one can enter without permission, not even Dumbledore. Tonks thought that we would need some time alone tonight and decided to drag Viktor off to some pub. Truthfully, I think they just wanted a different environment to fight in. Those two can’t agree on anything.”

Harry could only nod in agreement as Sirius ushered him back to his room. It still felt odd that Viktor and Tonks were so close considering that they had only met a few weeks ago. Then again, it took me even less time to warm up to Tonks. Harry’s self-proclaimed aunt certainly had a way with people. She was like a female Sirius but clumsy.

“In other words a menace,” Mr. Potter nodded. “I mean, with the havoc Sirius wrecks normally, imagine if he was clumsy?”

Sirius puffed his chest proudly and Mrs. Potter couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing, “You’re supposed to deny the claims Sirius, not be proud!”

“Are they dating?” Harry asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Sirius looked at Harry for a moment before he burst out laughing. “Viktor and Tonks?” he asked as he sat down on the chair at Harry’s bedside. “I think they would kill each other first. They get along as well as they do because they have to. Viktor believes Tonks is annoying and Tonks thinks Viktor is too serious all the time. Also, they are both friends with Charlie Weasley so they have to put up with each other.” Sirius ruffled Harry’s hair then sat back in his chair. “Thanks for the laugh, kiddo. I really needed that.” His smile slowly vanished as he stared at Harry. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Harry shrugged his shoulders as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I just had a feeling that you were in danger and I panicked,” he said sheepishly. “It was so quiet and it sort of reminded me of…”

“When you were being held prisoner?” Sirius offered. Harry nodded, his gaze falling to the floor. “Harry, it’s understandable that you would be a little jumpy after what’s happened. I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke. Molly fire-called. Apparently, Ron, Hermione and Ginny are driving her mad. They want to see you, if you’re up for it.”

Harry bit his lower lip. Was he ready to face his friends? Not really. Was he ready to tell them what he had been through? Certainly not. Was he ready to reveal the secrets that he had been keeping for years? I’ll never be ready for that. “Er—maybe after I see Remus?” Harry asked hopefully.

“Yes! We want to see Moony!” James cried.

Lily looked at him weirdly.

“You do know you won’t actually be seeing him right?”

“But Harry will heal him and everything will be all right again,” James explained.

“I’d rather Harry just left me to Madam Pomfrey and not do anything dangerous.”

“No one asked your opinion Moony. Sush!” Sirius admonished him.

“But-“

“Sush!” he said again closing Remus’ lips with his thumb and forefinger.

Remus glared at him.

“We can do that,” Sirius said as he rose to his feet and extended his hand to Harry. “Are you up for a short journey?”

Harry nodded while taking Sirius’ hand and was quickly pulled to a standing position. His vision swam for a moment, forcing Harry to blink repeatedly and wait for the slight dizziness pass to pass. This was already becoming annoying and it had only happened a few times. Harry didn’t know why it was taking him so long to recover from this. Well, you’ve never had your magic suppressed before. This is probably normal.

“Sorry about that,” Sirius said sincerely. “I keep forgetting that occasional dizziness is a common side affect with the majority of the potions Poppy has been giving you. Are you all right or do you need to sit back down?”

Harry shook his head, willing for everything to return to its rightful place. I’m not going to lose my stomach. I’m not going to pass out when I’m so close to seeing Remus. “I’m okay,” Harry insisted. “How much longer do I have to take that stuff?”

Sirius loosely grabbed Harry underneath the right arm for support. “Poppy refused to give me an answer to that question when I asked her,” he said as they slowly walked out of the room. “I guess the timeframe varies from person to person depending how magically strong you are. Poppy was also upset at your weight loss so she has been giving you nutrient potions twice a day.”

“I didn’t lose that much weight,” Harry protested, walking towards Remus’ closed door.

Sirius looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow. “Harry, you lost half a stone in a month!” he said in disbelief, stopping at Remus’ door. “For someone who didn’t really have any extra weight to lose, that is a cause for alarm! Did you even eat at all?”

Harry shrugged his shoulders helplessly. “I wasn’t hungry,” he said softly. With everything going on how could he worry about food?

Sirius shook his head as he turned the knob and pushed the door open. “Well Poppy’s not too happy and neither am I,” he said firmly. “Remember how much you loved Dumbledore and Poppy being on your case during the Tournament?”

Harry couldn’t help groaning in annoyance. He had hated the ultimatum then and he was going to hate it now, especially if Madam Pomfrey was involved. The woman was so persistent that Harry always found himself doing what she wanted just so she would leave him alone. Thinking back, Harry realized that Madam Pomfrey’s overprotective nature towards him actually started before his third year. That was really when everyone’s attitude towards him had changed. It had been a shock to learn that the pampered savior of the wizarding world was nothing more than an abused child.

If Sirius hadn’t rescued me I would have probably died in that house.

That night had been the turning point in Harry’s life. Because Harry had formed a friendship with Midnight, he had sought the dog out at Hogwarts and demanded answers. Because Midnight helped a boy in need, Harry formed a father-son relationship with Remus Lupin. Harry didn’t want to think what his life would have been like if he was still living with the Dursleys. That life seemed so long ago. He had been a completely different person then; independent and naïve. Harry still had the independence in him but emotionally he was completely dependent on his family. That was why he still couldn’t believe that he had left it behind like he had, left Sirius behind.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Harry followed Sirius into the room and instantly moved to the bed. He couldn’t bring himself to blink as he stared at the figure that appeared to be frozen in time. The trademark light brown hair was still flecked with gray, showing how much stress the wolf had caused him. Kneeling down at the bedside, Harry tentatively ran his figures over the extremely thin face that still bore signs of silver poisoning. The purple lines that had been so distinct before had faded to simply tinting the skin slightly. Remus still felt so cold. If Harry didn’t know better, he would have believed his guardian was indeed dead.

“But he is not. Moony will never die!” Sirius said firmly.

“Er, Sirius, that’s imposs-“

“You’ll never die Moony!” Sirius said firmly through gritted teeth and Remus just thought wiser to stay quiet.

Sirius pulled up a chair and motioned for Harry to sit down. “I’ll call Molly and tell her Ron, Hermione and Ginny can visit,” he said as he rested a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I know it’s hard seeing Moony like this. Just remember he’ll be up in no time, yelling at us for doing something stupid.” Sirius squeezed Harry’s shoulder before moving towards the doorway to leave Harry and Remus alone.

Sirius and James glared at Remus.

“At least someone tries to stop them!” Mr. Potter sighed.

“That’s when he isn’t helping them,” Lily said bluntly and Remus smiled sheepishly.

“Sirius,” Harry said as he looked over his shoulder as his godfather stopped and looked at Harry curiously. “Thank you.” Thank you for understanding. Thank you for being Sirius.

Sirius grinned and winked at Harry. “Don’t mention it, kiddo,” he said. “Take all the time you need.”

Harry watched Sirius leave and close the door before turning back to Remus. Nervousness quickly crept in as Harry took hold of Remus’ right hand with his own and placed his left on Remus’ forehead. Closing his eyes, Harry concentrated on his memories of Remus. He remembered meeting him in the hospital wing and talking about ‘being dark’. He remembered when Remus became his temporary guardian. Harry had put Remus through so much that year yet Remus never abandoned him. Remus had treated Harry like a son.

“Of course I did Harry! And you didn’t put me through so much as you say,” Remus said firmly. “Okay, so maybe the Dementors and the outbursts and Quidditch stressed me a little, but not you!”

“I got plenty stressed with the Dementors and the outbursts,” James told Lily.

“And Quidditch James,” Lily reminded him.

“The Firebolt,” James said dreamily.

Memories of the summer following that hectic school year entered Harry’s mind. The duo had become a trio and a unique family had been created. Remus finally had the friend he had needed the past twelve years and Harry had two parents. Harry remembered the World Cup and the numerous times he had simply watched his guardians act like the immature pranksters they used to be. Christmas and the snowball fight. The Yule Ball. The aftermath of the second task when Harry had broken down because he didn’t feel like he could live up to everyone’s expectations. Then there was the aftermath of the third task. Harry didn’t know what he would have done if Sirius and Remus hadn’t been there to help him every step of the way.

Last year at Hogwarts had been nothing short of a disaster. Harry knew he had put his guardians through so much with the attack on the train, Malfoy’s attacks, Umbridge, his visions, the hearing at the Ministry, his outbursts, the D.A., studying for his O.W.L.s, and the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Harry couldn’t prevent the tears from falling as he remembered the sight of Remus being attacked by Pettigrew. The pain Remus must have felt as the poison ran through is body…and to be completely helpless…

Harry gasped in surprise as intense warmth filled him and flowed towards his hands. It was almost like the dam had finally been lowered and nothing would stop the energy from reaching it’s target. It was amazing and alarming. It wasn’t like his outbursts that completely overwhelmed him. This was powerful magic that had a purpose and wouldn’t stop until it was completed, regardless of the consequences.

Fighting to maintain his focus, Harry allowed the energy to flow through him and he concentrated on his love for his adoptive father. Come back to us, Moony. We need you. Sweat began to form on Harry’s forehead. His muscles started to scream in pain. His breathing became labored. Harry could feel his body weakening but ignored it. Remus’ hands were now warm in his own. It was working! Harry’s head started to pound but it didn’t matter. It was actually working! 

Pain started to overpower the warming sensation the flowing magic was providing. Harry bit his lower lip to keep himself from crying out. He wanted to stop but this was Remus. Just a little more. I can do this for Remus. I know I can. Dizziness quickly crept in, forcing Harry to rest his head on Remus’ chest. He tried to hold on but he was lost in a sea of confusion. His left arm fell to his side as the warmth that had flooded his body vanished, leaving pain and emptiness. Harry couldn’t bring himself to move. He was so tired, too tired.

Sleep came quickly.

“Rest Harry,” Remus urged worried. “And then you and I will have a chat about hurting yourself because of me. You should have left Poppy heal me her way!” he scolded and wrote down a quick note in his little parchment that never left his pocket.

---

The door slowly creaked open far enough for a certain Animagus to poke his head in and smile at the sigh of Harry resting his head on Remus’ chest. He had left Harry an hour ago and had figured that Harry would have fallen asleep by now. Whatever Harry had said to Remus must have worn him out. Not many actually knew how close Harry was to Remus Lupin since Remus was such a private person. Sirius was well aware of the long talks that Harry and Remus had concerning ‘serious’ matters. Remus was the ‘serious’ parent and Sirius was the fun parent. At the moment, Harry needed the ‘serious’ parent to help him through his problems. That was the main reason why Sirius had taken it upon himself to act a little more like Remus.

“And that is just plain weird,” James stated.

Opening the door open completely, Sirius quietly entered the room and knelt down beside his godson. He gently placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder only to pull it back quickly when he noticed that the shirt was completely soaked with sweat. Cautiously, Sirius rested is hand on the back of Harry’s neck and nearly cried out in shock. The boy was burning up! When had this happened? Harry had been fine only an hour ago!

Sirius carefully gathered Harry into his arms and lowered the boy to the floor. It was then that Sirius actually noticed that a fever was the least of his worries. Harry’s face was flushed, his breathing was uneven and his body convulsed periodically. Not knowing what to do, Sirius looked towards the doorway and saw three figures staring at him in shock. Harry’s never going to forgive me for this.

Time certainly wasn’t on his side as Sirius jumped to his feet. “You three stay here with him,” he ordered. “I have to call Poppy. If anything happens, come and get me immediately.”

Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley hurried to Harry’s side, taking one of his hands into their own. Ronald Weasley remained in the doorway, his eyes wide at the sight of his best friend lying helpless on the floor. Knowing that at least Hermione and Ginny had heard him, Sirius ran out of the room as fast as he could. Not a word was said as the seconds slowly passed. Hermione ran her fingers through Harry’s damp hair while Ginny gently ran her fingers down the side of Harry’s face, both holding some hope that their actions would be enough to wake Harry.

Ron finally snapped out of his wits and managed to approach. He had been warned, just like Hermione and Ginny, that Harry was still recovering but he had allowed himself to believe that Sirius was just being overprotective again. He knew that Harry had been caught in an explosion only to be captured by Death Eaters for You-Know-Who. It had been a long three days waiting while the majority of his family aided in the search. It had been a welcomed surprise when Charlie stepped out of the fireplace and announced that Harry had been found. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had immediately asked when they could see their friend only to learn that Sirius had forbidden visitors. Harry was recovering from injuries sustained during his capture, exhaustion and magical suppression. It was a lot to overcome but this was Harry. Harry always bounced back from his injuries before. He could do it again…right?

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Ron watched as Hermione and Ginny stared worriedly at Harry while touching his face and hair. He was about to tell them to stop it when something brushed against his arm, causing him to cry out in alarm and jump to his feet. Turning around, Ron stared, wide eyed at the sight of Remus Lupin breathing heavily as he weakly reached out. The werewolf’s eyes were still closed and he didn’t appear to actually be aware of his surroundings. However, when Remus spoke there was no denying what was on his mind.

“Harry?” Remus pleaded weakly before falling back into a deep sleep.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny stared at Remus for a long moment before they subconsciously agreed on the same course of action. “SIRIUS!” they all screamed.

“You know, hearing three children yelling for Sirius as the source of all that is going to make the world right again is just plain weird,” Mr. Potter mused and James and Remus laughed. Sirius scowled and when the laughing didn’t die he tried poking Remus who just laughed harder and ended up being smacked with a pillow.

---

Everything felt so warm and peaceful but strange at the same time. He was lying in a comfortable bed yet he couldn’t move for some reason. Why couldn’t he move? His mind was a clouded mess and pounding in pain. When did this happen? He didn’t remember doing anything that would cause this much pain, physically or mentally. Groaning, Harry moved the only part of his body that would obey: his head and even that was painful. He didn’t know what was going on and he didn’t care. He just wanted the pain to stop.

Gentle fingers ran through his hair, distracting him as something pierced his arm. Harry tried to protest but the sudden dampening of pain put a quick stop to it. Everything slowly cleared, allowing Harry to remember what he had tried to do and how hard it had been. That must be why I feel so awful now. Slowly, Harry opened his eyes to see several somewhat blurry faces staring down at him. He instantly recognized Madam Pomfrey and Sirius. It was the third face he was having problems with. There was something familiar about the man but Harry couldn’t put a finger on what it was.

Closing his eyes, Harry forced himself to relax and felt subtle waves of concern, nervousness and fear mixed with relief. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes again. This was certainly going to be difficult. “What happened?” Harry asked in a scratchy voice.

“That’s what we would like to know, cub,” a familiar voice said gently. “Padfoot’s been beside himself with worry when he found you unconscious in here yesterday.”

“THAT’S YOU MOONY!”  Sirius cried.

“Yes, and now we know the reason why my hearing went impaired in the future,” Remus stated dryly rubbing his ear.

“It did?” Sirius asked and Remus smacked his own forehead in desperation.

Harry gasped in surprise. It couldn’t be, could it? “Moony?” he asked hopefully.

“That’s right,” Remus said as he rested his hand against the side of Harry’s face. “With both of us restricted to bed rest, Poppy felt that it was best to keep you in here. That way we can keep an eye on each other.” He moved his hand up so it rested on Harry’s forehead. “We also have a lot to talk about.”

“Yes we do!” Remus said pointing to his list.

“Moony, future Remus can’t see your list,” James said calmly.

“That’s what you think!” Remus said.

Harry couldn’t take his eyes off of Remus as Madam Pomfrey started to check him over for any signs of lingering illness. “But you’re okay, right?” he asked. “The poison—”

“—I’m still healing, Harry,” Remus said truthfully as he ran fingers through Harry’s hair, ignoring the whispers between Sirius and Madam Pomfrey. “I don’t know what you did or how you did it. Poppy says my recovery has moved ahead an entire three months. I will still tire easily from time to time and I still need to take a potion twice a day but at least I don’t have to stay in stasis anymore. You, on the other hand, are suffering from magical exhaustion…again. That’s quite an accomplishment from someone who’s still recovering from magical suppression.”

Harry bit his lower lip nervously. “How much has Sirius told you?” he asked. He was torn. A part of him wanted Remus to know everything so Harry could avoid retelling it all while another part of him wished that Remus didn’t know of all of the mistakes Harry had made by acting without thinking things through.

Remus smiled in understanding. “I’ve been given a brief overview,” he reveled. “All I can say is that I’m sorry, cub. If I hadn’t let my guard down, none of this would have happened.” Harry moved to protest. “No, Harry. I think we all have to accept a part of the blame. We all made mistakes. What’s important is that we learn from them and don’t repeat them. That’s really all we can do.”

“Wasn’t your fault Remus,” James said icily. “It was the traitor’s.”

Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat. “Well, Mr. Potter,” she said sternly. “Would you care to explain what happened?”

Harry had to do some quickly thinking. Revealing his ability to Sirius and Remus was one thing but letting Madam Pomfrey know meant letting others know too. That was something he just wasn’t ready for. “I just wanted him to recover,” Harry said as he looked away. It’s the truth…just missing some of the details.

Sirius sat down on the edge of the bed as he picked up a pair of glasses on the bedside table and slid them on Harry’s face, making everything come into focus. Harry blinked a few times for his eyes to adjust as Sirius took Harry’s hand in his own. “Harry, Poppy knows,” Sirius said candidly. “I had to tell her. She was already suspicious when her tests kept revealing that your magic was more active than it should be.”

Harry closed his eyes as he let out a long breath. He couldn’t believe that Sirius would do that. It was his secret to keep or tell! It was also something he wanted to keep to himself! He didn’t want people treating him like a freak or a science experiment. Not everyone was simply going to accept him like Sirius had.

“Sirius didn’t have a choice, Harry,” Remus said gently. “We can understand that you don’t want everyone knowing about this but Poppy is—to put it bluntly—your Healer. She has to know in order to help you to the best of her ability. Sirius told us that your ability has been acting up ever since your magic was returned to you. What if it were to act up again but was similar to when your magic had been restored? We would need medical help to restrain it. We would need Poppy’s help.”

“Perfectly sensible,” Mrs. Potter nodded.

“Giving the enemy information is not sensible mum!” James said narrowing his eyes.

“Poppy isn’t the enemy James, your broom and your pranks are,” his mother said.

“Take that back! Take that back!” James cried appalled and Lily had to rub his back to calm him down.

“You also need to be monitored, Mr. Potter,” Madam Pomfrey added. “You may be able to handle a small group of people but what about when you return to Hogwarts, hmm?”

“Harry’s not going to Hogwarts!” Sirius said firmly as he quickly rose to his feet and glared at Madam Pomfrey. “He’s staying here, where it’s safe. We can teach him what he needs to know. I don’t care what Dumbledore says. Last year was all the proof I needed to know that Harry isn’t safe at Hogwarts.”

“I so agree with myself,” Sirius said and Remus shook his head.

“So much for adult Sirius being reasonable,” Mr. Potter snorted.

“He may be an adult but he is still Sirius,” Lily shook her head.

“I happen to agree with Padfoot,” James said.

“Thank you James!”

Madam Pomfrey took a step towards Sirius as she pulled her self up to full height. Sirius was still taller but the medi-witch made it clear that she wasn’t afraid of him. “Sirius Black!” Pomfrey scolded. “You can’t possibly believe that denying Mr. Potter’s education is the right decision! Secluding Mr. Potter won’t help him adjust with his new ability! He needs to be around people to train himself or else he won’t be able to be in a crowd without going mad! Is that what you want for your godson?”

“Is that?” Lily asked with narrowed eyes and James said:

“We just won’t let him near crowds.”

Sirius nodded and Remus moaned.

Remus let out a sigh and lowered himself to lie next to Harry. “This is going to take a while,” he said quietly. “We might as well get comfortable. Both of them are extremely stubborn.”

“I think Harry’s safety comes first,” Sirius said frankly. “What’s the point in learning if you’re dead?”

Harry turned his head and took a good look at Remus who was closing his eyes and getting comfortable. The man looked exhausted but he wasn’t anywhere near as pale as he was before. Hesitantly, he reached over and carefully touched Remus’ face. It was still hard for him to believe that it had actually worked. Remus was actually awake and their family was whole again. It didn’t matter that Harry was stuck in bed or that Sirius was forbidding him from returning to Hogwarts. From the subtle waves of happiness that were rolling off of Remus, Harry knew that his guardian felt the same way.

Remus wrapped his fingers around Harry’s hand and held it loosely. “You still haven’t told me how you did it, cub,” he said tiredly. “How did you heal me?”

Harry glanced over at Sirius and Madam Pomfrey who were now watching them instead of arguing. Closing his eyes, Harry knew there was no escaping it. They wouldn’t stop asking until he told and a part of him was glad for it. No more secrets. “Empathy isn’t my only ability,” Harry admitted reluctantly. He kept his eyes closed and didn’t see Remus’ eyes opening quickly at the revelation. “I can sort of help people heal by touch—” Madam Pomfrey gasped in shock. “—when it feels like working.”

“So this has happened before?” Sirius asked in alarm. “Harry, why didn’t you tell me?”

Harry slowly opened his eyes to see Sirius’ panicked face. Slowly, Harry sat up and met Sirius’ gaze, his eyes begging for his godfather to understand. “Because I didn’t want to disappoint you if it didn’t work,” he said shakily. “I can’t control it. It controls me. I just never held on for that long before.” Harry bowed his head and stared at his hand that was still being held by Remus’. He never wanted to hold on for that long again. The pain he felt, the emptiness he felt afterwards made him shudder. It had almost felt like a Dementor had been nearby.

“How do you know its working?” Remus asked worriedly as he loosened his grip on Harry’s hand.

Harry looked up at Remus and gave him a reassuring smile while tightening his own grip on Remus’ hand. “I feel it before it starts,” he said truthfully. “It feels like what my outbursts used to feel like but on a smaller scale. It really doesn’t happen often.”

Sirius ran his hand over his face as he turned to Madam Pomfrey. “What does this all mean?” he asked grimly.

Madam Pomfrey sat down at the foot of the bed and looked up at Sirius with a guarded look on her face. “I can’t give you a definite answer without running some tests,” she said truthfully. “In my opinion, Mr. Potter’s outbursts have transformed into these abilities and I find that unsettling. Those outbursts had been powerful enough to nearly kill him at times. If his empathy were to reach that magnitude, it could drive him mad. It is essential that he learns to control these abilities sooner rather than later. The healing is another story. Mr. Potter can’t afford to keep draining himself magically. His empathy is most likely fueling his healing but…I just don’t know.”

Remus squeezed Harry’s hand reassuringly. “I think it would be best if you ran your tests, Poppy,” he said tiredly. “The sooner we know more about this the sooner we can help Harry learn to control it. Now, if you don’t mind, I think Harry and I could use some rest.”

“What about Dumbledore?” Madam Pomfrey asked as she rose to her feet.

“We will tell Dumbledore about this when Harry’s ready,” Sirius answered for Remus then motioned for her to lead the way out of the room. Just as he reached the door, Sirius turned and winked at Remus and Harry. “No talking you two or I’ll have to separate you.”

Harry and Remus groaned in annoyance as Sirius closed the door. It was clear that Sirius was going to have a lot of fun with the situation now that Remus was in better health. “I swear your godfather has finally lost whatever remained of his sanity,” Remus said seriously.

“Like I had any to begin with,” Sirius snorted.

“Hum, Padfoot, that should be our line,” James said and Sirius shrugged.

“Is there anything else I should know about? It’s rather disconcerting to wake up and be told an entire month has passed.”

Harry shook his head as he took his glasses off and set them on the bedside table. “It’s nothing, Moony,” he said as he slowly leaned backwards until his head hit the pillow. He didn’t know how much Sirius had revealed and wasn’t about to say something that would keep Remus awake for hours. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Just concentrate on getting better.”

Remus looked at Harry skeptically for a long moment. “Why does it sound that you’re trying to convince yourself more than me?” he asked.

Probably because I am. At the moment, it was easier to simply forget what the past month had been like than to retell the entire story…again. It wasn’t that Harry wanted to hide anything from Remus. It was more of the fact that the more he thought about it, the more Harry realized how stupid his decisions had been. All of the training…all of the talks about thinking logically and I just pushed it all away. How could I have been so thick?

An arm burrowed underneath Harry’s shoulder and pulled him to Remus’ chest. “I know, cub,” Remus said as he wrapped an arm around him. “I know. You’ve been through a lot and it’s going to take time to work through it all. I won’t force you to talk about it if you don’t want to. I’m sure Dumbledore would even let us borrow his Pensieve if you would rather let us see your memories. Just know that ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away.”

“I know,” Harry said softly as he closed his eyes and listened to Remus’ heartbeat, gently lulling him to sleep. A Pensieve wasn’t a bad idea. There were so many things that needed to be seen rather than explained. Seeing makes everything feel more real.

A house-elf popped in and said.

“Master Moody is on the Floo sir.”

Mr. Potter looked at the elf and then cursed.

“HAROLD!”

“I forgot about work. Wait here.” And he ran off. The remaining readers heard though the open door:

“Yes, Alastor. So sorry I didn’t call, but I am under the weather and won’t be going to work.”

“You don’t seem sick.”

“Well, I am! Are you calling me a liar?”

“No, humph. Fine, then send the Evans girl so I can take her hom-“

“No!”

“What do you mean no?”

“Er, she’s sick too. We all are. I decided to quarantine us. Yes, you don’t want the muggles getting sick do you?”

In a suspicious voice Moody asked, “And when, pray tell do you predict this sudden bout of illness will end?”

“Huh, wait a sec.”

Footsteps where heard and Mr. Potter snuck his head inside the room.

“How long does each book take?”

“About a day,” Sirius shrugged.

“And there should be only one more?”

“Unless they go in his adult life,” Lily answered.

Mr. Potter ran away.

“A couple of days, a week maybe.”

“How do I know you are really Harold Potter and not someone impersonating him and keeping him and his family hostage?” Moody growled.

“ALASTOR! I’ve known you since Hogwarts!”

“Prove yourself!”

“Do you really want me to?” Mr. Potter asked threateningly. “Oh, well, who else would know you passed out naked and completely drunk on the girls loo after serenading Minerva M-!”

“Fine!” Moody cut him. “You’re you and you’re sick! Any orders.”

 “Oh, orders. Yes!” Mr. Potter said firmly. “Have Shacklebolt doing hostage recovery drills and learning by heart the Aurors’ duty and code of conduct. Especially where who is supposed to protect the victims is concerned.”

“What? Why?”

“Just do as I say. Oh and check out a blond woman named Audrey McDaniels, and a bloke named Truden.”

“Who?”

“Alastor! Who’s the boss here?”

“Okay, fine!”

After a small silence Mr. Potter reemerged in James room and sat on his chair. He looked at the boys and asked his wife.

“They look kind of sick. What happened?”

“Next time think of something that doesn’t involve one of their teachers,” she answered.