67Author note- So sorry about the long wait. I have been really stressed out and editing is stressful to me. I've been writing a lot, but editing is a different matter. So, on a good note I have about five more chapters for this story. Hopefully you will enjoy this longer update. Leave me a review and let me know what you think.
Song inspiration- Is This The World We Created-Queen
Chapter 10
Creatures and Cures
Harry was quietly staring at the ceiling in his room, trying to settle his mind from a nightmare when he was startled by the floo flaring in the sitting room.
"Lupin?" Snapes voice called.
Harry walked down the hall, still dressed in his pajamas. It was Saturday and he'd stayed up all night studying runes.
"Good morning, Professor." Harry said with a yawn as he stepped in front of the fireplace.
"Good morning, Is Remus around?" Snape asked neutrally.
Harry glanced around and didn't see any sign that they were up yet for the day. He caught sight of the clock and realized that it was only just now past six in the morning.
"I don't think they're up yet." Harry said with another yawn.
"I see. Could you ask him to come to my quarters when he's up?" Snape asked.
Harry nodded as a thought occurred to him.
"Um…would it be…um…could I possibly work in the classroom for a while today? I um…I think I might have come up with an adjustment to the nerve potion." Harry asked.
He wrapped his arms around himself. He'd discussed this with Remus in one of his sessions earlier in the week. He felt uncomfortable asking for things he wanted and needed because he'd been denied so much growing up.
Remus asked that he attempted to voice his wants and that he may be surprised at the results. He'd been hesitant but as the week progressed, he'd tried to ask for trivial things. A preference at the meal they had shared in there quarters Thursday night, to borrow a book from Sirius, and if it was okay to keep up his routine of running in the morning. He'd expected it to be denied but all of his requests had been granted with little fanfare.
"I plan to be working in my personal lab today. If you don't mind sharing space your welcome to join me." Snape answered.
Harry smiled. He'd not expected to be allowed access to the man's private lab. He'd just hoped to work in the classroom.
"Thank you, sir." Harry said earnestly.
Snape smiled back at him and nodded.
"Come down when you're ready. I suppose I'll make myself some tea while I wait for the wolf." Snape said, rolling his eyes.
Harry laughed slightly before closing the floo connection.
Harry felt a rush of relief and a little bit of excitement as he sped out of the sitting room. Unfortunately, in his excitement he hadn't heard the door to Sirius and Remus room open. As he turned the corner into the hall he ran directly into Sirius.
"What the fuck?" Sirius cursed softly as Harry bounced off his chest and hit the floor.
The excitement drained from his body and was quickly replaced with anxiety as he looked up at Sirius from the floor.
His chest felt tight, and he froze to the spot waiting to see what would happen.
Sirius grumbled at the sound of the floo and voices. It was surely too early for anyone to want anything from him. Teaching was more exhausting then he'd expected, but he was getting through with Remus' help.
Sirius kissed Remus' bare chest before rolling out of bed. The moon the night before had gone smoothly. Other than Remus scratching himself raw in a few places.
Remus deserved a morning to sleep in. The new potion allowed them to stay in their quarters during his transformation, which Sirius was thankful for.
Running the woods all night was for the young.
Sirius rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pulled on sleep pants as he trudged to the door. He opened it and stepped into the hall only to have something run into his chest, hard.
"What the fuck?" Sirius mumbled in the mostly dark hall.
A thud on the floor only further confused his half-awake brain.
Sirius looked down and saw Harry sitting on the floor.
Not sitting, cowering on the floor in front of him.
Sirius stepped closer and went to reach down but stopped when Harry brought his arms up to cover his face and flinched away.
"Harry." Sirius called softly.
Harry didn't say anything, but Sirius could hear how hard he was breathing. Sirius looked over his shoulder into his room and considered waking Remus. He shook his head; he could handle Harry.
Taking a deep breath Sirius popped into Padfoot and lay down. He lay still for a moment then slowly crawled on his belly closer to Harry.
Harry gasped slightly and looked down at Sirius.
Sirius could see tears collecting in Harry's eyes. He whined slightly. He didn't want his pup to be afraid.
"Sorry." Harry said softly.
Sirius whined again and nosed Harry's leg slightly. Harry gave him a watery smile before gently petting him.
Sirius scooted closer to Harry and waited to see what Harry would do. To Sirius' surprise Harry shifted into his Animagus form as well.
"Scared." Harry whined as he curled up.
Sirius scooted closer and nosed at Harry's ear.
"Safe." Sirius chuffed.
Sirius could feel Harry shaking and curled up with him. It was as close to cuddling his pup as he had had since Harry was a baby. Harry occasionally whimpered and Sirius would just cuddle closer. Slowly Harry settled and eventually seemed to fall into a restless sleep. Sirius wondered why he had been up so early.
Closing his eyes, Sirius tried to calm his own thoughts. He and Harry hadn't had much contact since they'd come back to the school. Harry had avoided them as much as possible after the incident outside the Hospital wing, then he'd come to stay with them but even with him in their quarters every night he still felt distant.
Their Sunday dueling had been a small way for them to connect. At least that had been the intention, but it had felt like any other training Sirius had done with the Order.
Remus had told him to give him space, that Harry would reach out. Sirius hoped he was right. Remus hadn't been able to tell him about his sessions with Harry but had indicated that he thought that they were making progress, which Sirius hoped was true. He was so worried about Harry.
The thought of fleeing the country entered his head again. Just packing up and taking Remus and Harry away from everything that was happening. The last war had taken so much from him, and he didn't want to lose anymore.
Sirius sighed and let his mind settle. He buried his nose in Harry's fur and tried to remind himself that at least for now his pack was safe.
Remus brows creased at the sight that met him when he walked out of his bedroom. Sirius and Harry were balled up in their Animagus forms at the end of the hall, almost in the sitting room.
Remus looked at them closely as he stepped around them quietly. They were nearly the same color of black and looked like one giant beast laying on the floor like that.
Quietly he slipped into the kitchen and set the kettle. He watched his sleeping family as he waited for the water to heat. Obviously, something had happened. He didn't remember Sirius leaving bed and wondered how long they had been sleeping like that.
The kettle began to boil, and Remus pulled it off the heat before it had a chance to whistle. Sirius often slept as padfoot when he was upset. He'd noticed a similar habit with Harry. He knew they both found comfort in their animal forms.
He wanted a chance to talk to Sirius before Harry woke up.
Taking a deep breath, he pursed his lips and gave a low whistle that he used to call Padfoot in the forest.
He was thankful that the faint sound hadn't woken Harry, but he saw Sirius ear twitching. A sign that he was waking up. Padfoot raised his head and looked into the kitchen. Sirius nuzzled Harry a little before he stood and loped into the kitchen. He quietly popped back into human form.
Remus handed Sirius a cup of tea before pulling his wand and casting a silencing spell.
"What's going on?" Remus asked quietly, though Harry couldn't hear them now.
Sirius groaned and ran his free hand through his hair.
"I'm not completely sure. I think someone called this morning and Harry talked to whoever it was. I heard the voices but obviously he'd already finished by the time I came out. Harry ran right into me and fell. I…I went to help him off the floor and he flinched away from me." Sirius started.
"He um…He raised his hands like he thought I was going to hit him." Sirius said, pain etched deep into his face.
Remus knew that the unfortunate similarities between his own upbringing and Harry's hurt Sirius.
"He was panicking, and I remembered…I thought about when we were in school, and you would have panic attacks, and I would turn into padfoot and just let you pet me until you felt better." Sirius said.
Remus smiled softly and nodded.
Petting Padfoot had always been very grounding for him.
"So, I shifted, and he did pet me for a minute but then he shifted too. I could tell how afraid he was, and I just curled up with him and kept trying to remind him that he was safe. Eventually, he fell asleep. I only drifted off a little while ago." Sirius concluded.
Remus nodded and sighed deeply. Harry had been making progress this week and he really hoped that this wasn't going to be too big of a setback.
"Let's go sit on the couch. Will talk to him when he wakes up." Remus said, collecting his tea and heading to the sitting room.
Harry let his eyes open slowly. His mind felt slow and groggy. He remembered running into Sirius and let out a whine. He hoped he wasn't in trouble. He hadn't done it on purpose. He really wanted to go work in the lab with Snape. He missed living with the man. He loved Sirius and Remus, but it felt like a lot was expected of him living with them.
He wasn't even sure it the expectations were ones they had, or if they had been ones, he'd put on himself. Either way he always felt on edge, and it was becoming exhausting.
He whined again. He just needed something that felt familiar. He raised his head off of his paws and looked into the sitting room. Sirius and Remus were talking quietly.
Pulling himself to his feet he hesitantly walked to the couch. He knew that he should shift back. It almost felt childish to stay in this form, like he was hiding.
"Hey, pup. Are you doing all right?" Sirius said softly.
Harry lowered his head a little and walked closer. Sirius didn't sound angry, he sounded worried. Harry hesitantly set his chin on Sirius knee. He'd seen Padfoot do that with Remus, but he didn't know if it was just something they did or if this was okay. He wished he understood how normal families worked. He just didn't.
Sirius smiled down at him and tentatively brought his hand in front of Harry's nose. Harry sniffed it and felt overwhelmed by the scent of family and safety. He closed his eyes and slid his head a little closer to Sirius' hand.
Sirius laughed softly and began petting his head and gently scratching behind his ears. He'd never really felt this. A pat or two but not really this kind of attention. It was nice. Sirius hit a spot near his ear and suddenly his back leg started twitching. He pulled away from Sirius and looked questioningly at his leg.
Sirius and Remus both laughed softly. If Harry had been in human form, he might have blushed or rolled his eyes. In this form, all he could manage was a huff.
He stepped further away from Sirius and shifted back.
Sirius smiled softly at him but there was worry in his eyes.
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked.
Harry took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around his stomach before he nodded.
"Am I in trouble?" Harry asked softly.
Sirius shook his head.
"Of course not. You didn't do anything wrong." Sirius said firmly.
Harry nodded.
He bit his lip and looked to Remus.
"Snape called this morning. He wants to talk to you." Harry said.
Remus gave him a soft smile and nodded his understanding. He also didn't seem upset about the delayed information. He hoped Snape wasn't angry that it had taken so long. Harry glanced anxiously at the clock.
"Alright. I'll call him back shortly." Remus said.
Harry nodded. He felt heat rise in his cheeks. He wanted to ask about going down to Snapes to work in the lab but now he felt unsure. He didn't know if he'd be allowed to leave, or if Snape would still want him down there.
"Why don't you take a seat." Remus said in his 'therapist tone'.
Harry wanted to groan. He'd been more honest with Remus this week but that didn't mean he wanted to do this right now. Especially with Sirius.
Harry sighed softly and sat down. Clasping his hands in front of him, he waited.
"Harry, I'd like to talk about what happened this morning. I know you probably would like to just move on, but I think it's important that when things like this happen, we address them right away. I think this will help us all. Can you tell me what happened?" Remus asked calmly.
Taking a breath Harry explained talking to Snape and then running into Sirius. He didn't mention wanting to go to the lab or why he hadn't been looking where he was going. He'd been excited but he still should have paid more attention to what he was doing.
"Can you tell me what you were feeling or thinking after you fell?" Remus asked.
Harry twisted his hands more. He hated looking so weak in front of them.
"I was scared. I was thinking of my uncle." Harry admitted quietly.
Harry looked up through his fringe and saw Remus nod.
"What about your uncle?" Remus asked.
Harry looked quickly at Sirius, his face was blank, and he seemed to just be listening, but Harry could see something in his eyes. Guilt maybe. Harry swallowed thickly.
"um…I was a little surprised to run into someone in the hall. I hadn't heard the door." Harry started.
He didn't want to talk about the Dursley's. He never wanted to talk about them, but he knew that it probably needed to be done.
"It um…it reminded me of something…I don't know…I just… I was afraid. I'm sorry." Harry breathed out, wishing he could be anywhere else.
"Can you tell us what it reminded you of?" Remus asked.
Harry clenched his jaw. He glanced at them both before focusing his eyes back on his hands and slowly nodding.
"They um…er." Harry realized this story started with the cupboard…he hadn't talked about that with them. He suddenly wished he was having this conversation with Snape instead.
"It's okay Harry. We're just here to listen." Remus said quietly, as he sat back a little on the couch.
Harry nodded, though the words weren't very reassuring.
"When I was a kid, I didn't have a room. I slept in the cupboard under the stairs." Harry whispered.
His hands twisted together, and he could feel the heat rising on his face. He was horribly embarrassed to share that with them. He did not look up. He didn't want to see the disgust on their faces.
"They um…They kept me locked in there a lot." Harry continued.
He didn't know why it was so hard to admit. It had been a fact of life for ten long years. It was embarrassing though. He didn't want to be seen as something unwanted.
"I learned how to…" Harry broke off and bit his lip. He knew that magic wasn't bad. It didn't make him a freak. Talking about it in this context felt bad though. Like some dirty secret he wasn't supposed to tell.
"It's okay Harry, you're doing great." Remus reassured.
Harry's eyes flicked up to him and Harry could see the love in his eyes and remembered the feeling of it in the memories that he now had.
Taking a deep breath, he continued.
"I learned how to unlock the door. My aunt called it freaky…I didn't know it was magic…I just knew…I just knew I was hungry, and I had to get out of the dark." Harry all but whispered.
"One night I waited for them to go to bed. I'd been locked up all day and I couldn't umm…" Harry cut off again. This story was only going to get more embarrassing. He really shouldn't have started telling it.
He remembered Snape's reaction when he'd told him about the television. What if this only upset them? Harry took slow deep breaths and tried to focus on the feeling of the material of his jumper as he softly ran his hands over the sleeves.
Remus watched Harry anxiously. This was the first time Harry had really talked about the Dursley's in more than vague terms. Usually saying things like, they didn't let him eat much. This was the first story Harry had ever told him. He was proud of Harry, even with the anxiety he was feeling about what they might be told.
Harry was clearly becoming overwhelmed though, and he didn't want to push him.
"I can see this is difficult for you Harry. I'm proud of you for focusing on your breathing. Just take your time. We're not in a hurry." Remus praised lightly.
Harry's cheeks colored slightly, but he continued to take deep breaths.
"It's just embarrassing." Harry admitted softly.
Remus nodded. He appreciated Harry recognizing and naming the emotion he was feeling. Harry often downplayed how he was feeling or tried to ignore emotions entirely. Remus was also pleasantly surprised that Harry didn't seem to be occluding. They had discussed his heavy use of occlumency shields again and Harry had agreed to try and use them more sparingly. He still wasn't ready to attempt lessons with Severus again, but Remus suspected that he would eventually agree.
"I hear you, Harry. Just know that anything you tell us won't change how we see you." Remus said.
Harry nodded and looked hesitantly at Sirius.
Remus knew that there was an added pressure because Sirius was here. However, he wanted them to discuss this as a family. Not only for Harry but for them as well. They couldn't start to understand Harry's triggers if he didn't explain them a little. This incident was obviously an accident but if Remus could use it as a way to push Harry to acknowledge some of his trauma, he thought it was important.
"Um…When they locked me up, I wasn't allowed out for any reason. By then I knew that if I um…. if I wet myself, I would just be stuck in wet clothing." Harry admitted.
Remus kept his face neutral, but he could feel the anger behind his shields. He'd seen on Harry's diagnostic that he'd had many bladder and kidney infections. This was likely the cause. Harry had been forced to hold it for far too long, seemingly for no other reason than he didn't want to be covered in urine.
Who wouldn't try.
It was despicable that they would allow him to stay in soiled clothing, but not surprising knowing everything else they had done.
"It um… it was really starting to hurt so I laid my hand on the door and thought about the lock opening. When I heard it click, I opened the door. I don't know how it happened but when I turned around my uncle was standing there. I thought he'd gone to bed." Harry said shakily.
Remus nodded along and waited for Harry to continue.
"I um…I ran into him trying to run for the bathroom and fell to the floor." Harry said softly.
Remus nodded at the similarity to this morning.
"He reached down and grabbed me by the shirt. I…I was so afraid. He um…he hit me in the stomach and I um…. I wet myself." Harry admitted quietly.
Harry's whole face was blushing with shame and embarrassment. The color was even staining the tops of his ears.
"It's not your fault Harry." Remus said softly.
Harry shrugged and began digging his fingers into the fabric of the chair.
"He was yelling at me for being a freak. That a normal person wouldn't have been able to get out of the cupboard. That I was disgusting…." Harry trailed off but he seemed more resigned then anxious.
"He thought I was trying to run away again. He told me I wasn't going to embarrass his family again. That I needed to learn a lesson." Harry's voice cracked a little.
Remus shook his head in disgust at the treatment Harry had been forced to endure.
Sirius was doing a decent job of keeping himself calm but as he turned slightly, he could see the anger in his eyes. Remus took a deep breath and focused on Harry.
"I heard a sound in the kitchen, but I didn't really understand what I was hearing." Harry said biting his lip.
Remus took another deep breath and waited. He wanted to give Harry the space to say what he needed.
"It was the kettle. Vernon had come downstairs to make Dudley tea. He'd been sick. I should have known someone would come downstairs. I was lucky that I'd gotten away before. It was stupid." Harry sighed.
Remus jaw clenched. Harry didn't even seem to see how bad this all sounded. The Dursley's had been doting on their ill son while Harry was being tortured. Locked up without access to address his basic needs.
"He pulled my shirt over my head as he threw me down. I didn't get my hands out quick enough and caught my chin on the floor." Harry said running his thumb over his jaw.
Remus could see the haunted look in Harry's eyes.
Harry sighed and clasped his hands together again and stared down at them.
"He threw the water from the kettle at me." Harry whispered.
Remus winced. He remembered reading over Harry's diagnostic and seeing how many times Harry had been burned. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised that they had burned him on purpose, though when he'd read it, he had assumed that they had been accidents. He knew that Harry had been neglected and asked to cook when he was young. Knowing that they had done it to hurt him was gut wrenching.
"He was yelling at me, but I don't even know what he was yelling about at that point. I thought he was just going to throw me back in the cupboard. He didn't, not right away. He started hitting me with his belt right on top of the burn." Harry said, taking deep breaths.
"I passed out." Harry whispered.
Remus nodded. He couldn't imagine how much pain Harry had been in.
They all sat quietly for a few minutes letting Harry's story sink in.
"I'm so sorry Harry." Sirius said softly, leaning forward to look their son in the eye.
Harry shrugged.
"It's in the past." Harry answered softly.
Sirius looked sadly over his shoulder at Remus. He gave him a tight sad smile.
"How old were you?" Remus asked softly.
Harry sniffled a little before he sighed and looked up at Remus.
"Four." Harry said softly.
Remus felt like he'd had his heart ripped out. There wasn't an age that this would have been acceptable, but as Harry had told the story he was imagining Harry closer to the age he'd come to Hogwarts. Thinking that Harry was not even old enough to start primary school was horrific.
"I'm so sorry you had to live through that Harry. I want us to practice one of the grounding exercises we've been working on." Remus said much more calmly then he was feeling.
Harry gave a shaky nod and began to look around the room.
"Red… the blanket." Harry said, taking a deep breath and nodding to the blanket over the back of the couch.
Remus nodded and smiled reassuringly at Harry.
"Orange on your sweater." Harry said next.
His eyes scanned the sitting room.
"Yellow, the fire." Harry said, swallowing thickly.
"Green on Sirius shirt." Harry said, giving Sirius a sad look.
Sirius smiled softly back at him.
"Blue on my socks." Harry said, wiggling his socked toes.
"violet…" Harry hesitated.
Remus looked around. He kept a few things of every color in his office to make this grounding exercise more effective.
Looking back at Harry he smiled softly.
"Look at your shirt, pup." Remus said, realizing Harry was wearing Sirius' old Pink Floyd shirt under his open sweatshirt.
Harry looked down and smiled, laying his hand over the rainbow.
Harry nodded.
"Violet on my shirt." Harry whispered.
"Good job." Remus said softly.
"Thank you for sharing that with us Harry. I know that it was difficult, but I think it will help us all move forward with better understanding. Can you tell me why this morning reminded you of this memory?" Remus asked.
Harry took another deep breath and nodded. Remus was proud of Harry for focusing on his breathing.
"It felt similar. Maybe the lighting a little. I couldn't see very well and then I ran into Sirius and was on the floor. Sirius stepped forward…um probably to help me but I…Um my mind just thought about my uncle grabbing me. I thought I was going to be in trouble." Harry answered.
Remus nodded.
"I can see how that would be scary for you. Can you tell us what might be helpful in moments like that?" Remus asked.
Harry bit his lip and looked at Sirius.
"Um…just don't reach at me…I guess. I know when I'm calm that you're not going to hurt me…But when I'm…when I'm scared, I don't think I do." Harry whispered, as he twisted his hands a little.
Sirius nodded his understanding. Leaning forward Sirius braced his arms on his knees and looked at Harry.
"You're right, I wouldn't hurt you. I'll try and remember to give you a little space if something like that happens again." Sirius said somberly.
Harry gave him a soft smile.
"I like that you got closer as Padfoot. It was…. It was nice." Harry admitted softly, his cheeks blushing darkly.
Remus sighed a little. He knew it was hard for Harry to admit to wanting or liking comfort, but it was nice to hear that he wasn't completely adverse.
"I find Padfoot comforting too. When we were in school Sirius would shift when I was having a challenging time." Remus shared.
Harry gave him an incredibly sad look that he didn't really understand. He wondered if he'd said the wrong thing. Harry eyes went a little blank and then a tight smile spread across his face.
"Who wouldn't want a fluffy dog to cuddle." Harry joked.
Remus nodded and smiled back, He still wondered what the look had been but let it go. They were ending on a good note, and he'd let it go.
"Thank you for talking with me. I do feel better." Harry said.
Remus looked to Sirius who seemed to be having his own struggle, but he was thankful as well that they'd discussed this.
"You should probably call Snape." Harry said standing from the chair.
Remus nodded. He would call Severus, but he wanted to make sure Harry was all right first.
"What do you plan on doing today?" Remus asked.
Harry blushed again and looked down.
"I um…I asked if I could work in the potions class today. I…er have some research I want to test out. Snape said I could work in his lab since he was going to be working today. If that um…if that's okay with you." Harry mumbled out.
Remus smiled. He was proud of Harry for stating his wants. It had been a little shaky this week, but he was getting there. He also knew that Severus would keep an eye on Harry.
"Of course. It's Saturday, do you have Quidditch practice today?" Sirius asked.
Harry shook his head.
"It's the first Hogsmeade weekend. We agreed we could miss today's practice so they could go." Harry said.
Remus nodded. He and Sirius were meant to be chaperoning the outing. He wondered why Harry wasn't going.
"You don't want to go to Hogsmeade?" Remus asked.
Harry just shrugged.
"Not today." Harry said.
He didn't seem anxious or upset so Remus just nodded.
"We'll be in the village today, are you sure you'll be alright here?" Sirius asked.
Harry gave them a smile.
"I'll be up to my eyes in research and potions ingredients. I'll be fine." Harry said with a laugh.
Remus shook his head. It was obvious that Harry really enjoyed potions. He was thankful that Harry and Severus had gotten over their old animosity. Harry was brilliant and clearly enjoyed what he was doing.
"Alright, well, I suggest we get ready for the day, and we can both floo down to Severus quarters." Remus said.
Harry nodded and headed down the hall.
Remus took a deep breath and turned his attention to Sirius. He could see tears collecting in his eyes. Raising his wand Remus cast a silencing spell.
"Are you going to be alright, Siri?" Remus asked.
Sirius looked at him with broken eyes and nodded.
"I will be. It was a hard thing to hear. I fucking hate them. Who could do that to a little boy?" Sirius said, shaking his head.
Remus took a deep breath. He didn't understand it either. He couldn't understand the level of hatred that Harry's relatives had for him.
Harry had been the sweetest baby and even now as a teen he was kind and generous. They never had any reason to treat him so horribly.
"I wonder how many times he ran away over the years?" Sirius said softly.
Remus considered that. It wasn't the most important part of the story, but it certainly brought up an interesting question. Albus had said Harry had run away before. Did he know that Harry had been running away when he was four? Or Had Albus just been talking about when he'd run away before his third year?
"I don't know. You could ask him." Remus answered.
Sirius just gave a defeated shrug.
"Why don't you grab a shower and get yourself together? We'll head to the great hall when I get back. Maybe we can enjoy a day in town?" Remus suggested.
Sirius nodded numbly before he stood and walked out of the sitting room.
Remus sighed. He knew that there would be many more painful moments before any of them would truly be able to heal, it didn't make the process any less trying though.
Severus tapped his foot. He'd floo called the mutts almost two hours ago. Surely, they couldn't still be sleeping. He'd woken early to analyze the particles he'd taken from Remus' fur last night. The itching had been slightly understated. Even if the werewolf had still been some sort of blood thirsty animal, Severus didn't think he could have done anything last night other then scratch at himself.
Remus was twisting around on the floor whimpering and scratching himself bloody.
Sirius had told him that this had been the worst it had been but that the itching had happened every time since he'd taken the new potion.
He had a good idea of what had caused the issue, but he needed to speak with Remus before he would be able to brew a solution.
He was broken from his musings by Harry tumbling out of his floo and then a moment later Remus stepping out.
Severus raised an eyebrow at Remus.
"Sorry, we had a bit of a rough morning." Remus said calmly glancing at Harry.
Harry's cheeks pinked and he kept his head down.
"No matter. I was able to look at the sample I collected last night." Severus said.
He glanced at Harry. He'd hoped to talk to Remus in private. He was sure this might be a difficult thing for Remus to talk about and if Harry had already had a hard morning, he didn't want to make it worse.
"Harry if you'd like to head to the lab, it's at the end of the hall." Severus suggested.
Harry gave him an unsure look and then turned to Remus.
"I'd like to know what the issue is. Is it all right if I stay?" Harry asked, unsurely.
Severus wanted to say no, but he supposed it wasn't his place.
"Of course. You did a lot of work on this Harry." Remus said.
Severus groaned internally. Remus was right but he wished it wasn't the case. He felt protective of Harry and explaining this was certainly going to upset him.
"Very well, you may as well take a seat." Severus said.
Remus took a seat on the couch and Harry sat in the other armchair. Severus picked up the small vile off of the coffee table and took another look at it. The small particles inside shimmered. He was fairly certain of what he was looking at as well as the cause. He couldn't brew a treatment until he was sure though. If he didn't ask the treatment might be wrong and cause further issues.
"Can you tell me about the night you were bitten?" Severus asked.
Remus paled slightly and nodded. He worriedly looked at Harry and then nodded again.
"I was four. I was in my bed asleep. At the time, my father had been hunting werewolves. There was a group that had become especially violent. He was making progress on turning them into the ministry. The night of the full moon a werewolf named Fenrir Greyback shifted in the woods near our home." Remus said slowly.
Severus jaw clenched. Greyback was a violent person. He often targeted children and had for years, hoping to turn as many people as he could.
"He broke the glass of my bedroom window. I um…" Remus trailed off and seemed to be shaking the memory from his mind.
"I woke to the glass breaking but before I could do anything he was on top of me. Teeth and claws and… and blood everywhere." Remus said shaking his head.
They sat quietly for a moment.
Severus could see tears in Harry's eyes.
"My father came in and began casting at him. I don't think he did much damage. Greyback was gone a moment later. I could hear my mother screaming and my father telling her not to touch me." Remus said thickly.
"I thought for a moment that he was going to let me die. My father hated werewolves." Remus admitted painfully.
Severus couldn't imagine how terrifying that must have been.
Remus cleared his throat and continued.
"He got his supplies from the closet and came to the bed. He still wouldn't let my mother near me. I was crying for her, but he told me it was too dangerous. That I needed to be brave. I can remember holding my breath, waiting." Remus said, his words came out shakily. The man was clearly lost in the memory.
To Severus' surprise Harry stood from the chair and shifted into his Animagus form. It was a strange reaction but perhaps the story had been too much for him.
A moment later Harry nosed Remus' arm that was laying in his lap, and Remus chuckled. Harry laid his large head on Remus' leg and Remus began gently petting the top of Harry's head.
It was an interesting interaction.
"I assume your father healed your wounds?" Severus asked.
Remus looked up and nodded.
"Yes. I think I was going into shock by then or maybe it was blood loss. I was sure I was going to die." Remus said softly.
Severus nodded. He wondered if Remus was going to be able to give him the answers he needed.
"Popular wisdom at that time would have advised that he treat the wounds with silver powder and then bind them to minimize blood loss. Is that what your father did?" Severus asked.
Remus grimaced and nodded.
Harry whined and Remus went back to petting the wolf-dog.
"In the years since you were attacked the treatment for werewolf bites has been amended, though it isn't known if it is the best treatment. Silver powder has stopped being used after it was discovered that it was slowly poisoning those that had been treated in that manor. Silver entered the blood, and as you know it is caustic to those who become werewolves. It acts as a slow poison." Severus said.
Remus' face greyed slightly, and Harry whined again before pulling away from Remus and shifting back.
"Are you saying that it's killing him?" Harry asked worriedly.
Severus sighed and nodded.
"Yes, in a manner of speaking. It was previously believed that werewolves naturally just had shorter lives then Wixen, but it is now healer's understanding that one contributing factor to the shortened lifespan is actually the silver that was used to save them from their original bite." Severus explained.
Harry swallowed thickly and laid his hand comfortingly on Remus' shoulder. Remus smiled sadly at the touch and turned back to face Severus.
"What does this have to do with the itching?" Remus asked.
"The silver is working its way out of your blood. I imagine that the same mechanism that caused you to vomit when you took the potion is now forcing more of what it sees as part of the curse out of your body. The silver worked by binding to the werewolf saliva." Severus explained.
"Does that mean it's killing him faster? Or that it's curing him?" Harry asked worriedly.
With a sigh he held out the vial.
"This is the sample I took last night. It is silver powder. The same silver powder that your father placed in your wounds. I don't think that it is killing you any faster, though from what I saw last night you could easily cause yourself life threatening damage. I'm not sure it is curing you either. Certainly, there will be less silver in your blood but any still remaining will still have the poisonous results." Severus explained.
Harry's jaw clenched and he looked worriedly between Severus and Remus.
"I would like to examine your initial wounds and then attempt to brew a potion that should be able to purge the silver from your body. I imagine it will be painful, but after you shouldn't be at risk of premature death from silver poison, and you should no longer want to rip at your skin while you are transformed."
Remus looked relieved but Harry still looked a little green.
"How painful?" Harry asked worriedly.
Severus smiled softly at Harry. He remembered the worried expression on the boy's face when he'd explained that the first transformation had been successful, but that Remus had been in pain. Though he'd later learned it hadn't been pain but fear.
"I don't know for sure. There is a possibility that a potion could be taken to numb the skin or even put him to sleep for a while." Severus answered Harry's question.
"I'm sorry Remus." Harry mumbled, rubbing his shoulder a little.
Remus turned and looked up at Harry.
"It's okay Harry. This is good news. We know what's going on and it sounds like Severus has a solution. I admit that I'm scared that if this isn't treated that it could kill me, but I trust Severus. I also know that I'll have you and Sirius to get me through any pain. I'll be all right." Remus said reassuringly.
Harry's brows scrunched together but he nodded.
"Yeah. We'll be here." Harry said calmly.
Remus nodded before turning back to Severus.
"Thank you for looking into the matter Severus." Remus said with a small smile.
"Of Course. I will begin the brew today. It will take a few weeks the brew to be complete." Severus said.
Remus nodded and stood from his chair.
Severus remained seated and tried to give Harry and Remus a moment to themselves. Remus said something softly to Harry before they hugged and Hary headed down the hall to the lab.
Remus turned and looked at him before raising his wand and casting a silencing spell.
"Harry had a rough morning, and we won't be in the castle until the Hogsmeade trip is over. He says he wants to stay here and work on something, but I can't say I'm not worried. Please keep an eye on him." Remus said.
Severus nodded. He had a meeting this afternoon but thought Harry might like to be a part of that as well.
"Not a problem. He's safe here." Severus said, standing from his chair and nodding.
Remus sighed. Severus felt slightly awkward asking the man to disrobe but he did need to see where he was bit.
"Before you leave may I see your original bite." Severus asked.
Remus blushed a little and nodded before unbuttoning his shirt.
Severus tried to keep a neutral mask on at the sight of the man's chest. He was nearly as scarred as Harry.
"These scratches and this bite as well as the ones along my face." Remus said indicating the marks.
Severus stepped closer and looked at the marks. They looked well healed and didn't appear to have been affected by the silver.
Severus nodded.
"I don't think your father used too much silver. I read some reports where the wounds were filled with it, and it affected the healing. Yours appear like they healed well. The silver is most likely not trapped in the scar tissue. There is a risk with the potion that if there is silver trapped in the tissue that it will reopen the wounds." Severus explained.
Remus winced slightly.
"I'm sorry." Severus said stepping back and looking the man in the eye.
He'd found himself unexpectedly fond of the mutts and didn't wish them further hardship. He'd been able to put the past in the past and now found comfort in the familiarity of people with a shared past and present. Harry was obviously a large part of that right now and he also did not wish to see more stress added to the young man.
"I appreciate everything you've done." Remus said as he buttoned his shirt.
"Still, I wish I had better news." Severus admitted.
Remus gave him a lopsided smile.
"It could have been worse news." Remus said.
Severus snorted slightly. The man was hopelessly optimistic.
"Please send your patronus if we need to return sooner than the scheduled end of the trip." Remus said.
Severus nodded.
"Be careful." Severus offered.
Neither of them acknowledged what Albus had said at the last staff meeting but they both understood. Hogsmeade wasn't necessarily safe anymore. Albus hoped to keep the trips open as an option and wanted as many staff member's present as possible but that wouldn't prevent an attack if the Dark Lord decided to send Death Eaters to the village.
Remus sighed wearily and nodded before grabbing some floo powder and flooing out.
Harry was looking over his research again when Snape finally broke the silence, they had been working in. They'd been quietly working side by side for hours now. Harry had locked into his research and was attempting his experimental potion. He didn't want to think about this morning with Sirius or what Snape had told him and Remus.
"I've got a meeting soon." Snape said.
Harry raised his head at the unexpected comment.
"Can I keep working?" Harry asked.
He thought he was at a place where he could cast a stasis spell, but he'd much rather keep working.
"You can if you'd like. I'm meeting with Artemis if you'd like to join me." Snape said.
Harry's eyes widened.
"Your friend from France that you contacted about the blood replacement potion?" Harry asked.
Snape smirked a little.
"Most people would have just said vampire." Snape said, the smirk staying on his face.
Harry shrugged.
"I suppose. Is that all he is?" Harry asked, his tone a little sharp.
Snape smiled softly at him.
"No, it's not. He was interested in meeting you if you'd like to join me." Snape said.
Harry bit his lip.
"Because he wants to meet the boy-who-lived." Harry said uncomfortably.
Snape's brows creased.
"No. I suspect that Artemis couldn't care less about that. He knows what this potion could mean for him and others like him. He wants to meet the man behind that discovery." Snape said.
Harry raised his head and felt himself stand a little taller.
"It was your research. I just tweaked it a little." Harry said, though he appreciated Snape's words.
Snape smirked at him again.
"Don't sell yourself short. Come on. Let's get cleaned up. I suspect he will be here shortly." Snape said.
Harry smiled and nodded. He couldn't explain the excitement he felt at the prospect of meeting Artemis. Snape's story of how they had met, and Harry's subsequent study of vampires had intrigued him.
He cast a stasis over his cauldron and then gathered his research.
"Your welcome to leave your work. I'm sure you can work on it more later." Snape said.
Harry bit his lip but nodded as he stacked his notes in a pile near his cauldron.
Severus watched as Harry paced a little. They'd gotten themselves cleaned up and were now waiting.
"Are you anxious?" Severus asked.
He didn't want to push Harry into doing something he was uncomfortable with. Most people would find a meeting with a vampire nerve wracking, but everything he'd learned about Harry told him that creatures didn't frighten him.
In fact, his question of 'Is that all he is?' Had made a point of just how Harry views every living being. Harry had also talked this summer about his friend the house elf and the goblin. Still, he didn't know if vampires might frighten the boy. Severus himself had been afraid the first time they'd met. Though it had been an attack not a friendly cup of tea.
"No, just getting lost in my thoughts I suppose." Harry said.
Severus nodded.
"Anything you want to talk about?" Severus asked.
Harry shrugged and shook his head.
"Not right now. I appreciate it." Harry said with a sigh as he gave up his pacing and sat in the other armchair.
Severus assumed he was overthinking whatever it was that had happened this morning. Or perhaps he was thinking about what was happening with Remus.
The floo flared at that moment and the pale face of Artemis appeared.
"Severus." Artemis said with a coy smile.
"Artemis." Severus said standing from his chair to address his old friend.
"Is the space closed off to sunlight?" Artemis asked.
Severus heard Harry snort from behind him. Severus own lip curled slightly in amusement.
"My quarters here are in the dungeons. If there were sunlight in here, I imagine we'd be buried in rubble." Severus quipped.
Artemis smiled back.
"Very well. I hope you won't mind if I bring my daughter along. Her mother is a bit under the weather." Artemis said.
"Of course not." Severus answered.
Artemis disappeared from the flames and a moment later the floo flared and out stepped Artemis holding his young daughter.
Severus smiled and approached Artemis. It had been far too long since they'd seen each other in person. The man hadn't aged a day since his first meeting over two decades ago. He had chin length black hair and porcelain white skin. His black eyes shined with mirth.
"Good to see you Severus. It's been far too long." Artemis said, holding out his hand to take Severus'.
"It has." Severus replied.
"This is my daughter, Iris." Artemis said, turning slightly.
The little girl had two long braids down her back in the same jet black as her father's hair color. Her skin was just as white and eyes just as black.
Severus knew that some vampires were born but they were usually born of two vampires. The last time he had known Artemis' wife was a human. Perhaps things had changed.
"Ivy agreed to change when we wed. She wanted us to always be together." Artemis said his voice was loving but there was sadness in it too.
Severus nodded. It was always uncanny the way Artemis seemed to pluck questions from his mind. He would accuse the man of Legilimens if he didn't know better.
"It's nice to meet you, Iris." Severus said, giving the girl a smile.
He didn't have much experience with young children.
"Hi." Iris said, before burying her face back into her father's chest.
Artemis smiled fondly at the girl.
"And you must be Harry." Artemis said, turning abruptly to face the boy who had just been watching the whole interaction.
Harry rolled his shoulders back and nodded.
"Yes, I'm Harry Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you. Snape talks highly of you." Harry said, stepping forward and taking Artemis' hand. Severus was impressed with the formal way he had introduced himself. Even the stance he had taken was reminiscent of old pureblood family customs. Severus wondered if Sirius had taught him that at some point.
Artemis chuckled softly.
"You call him Snape? How peculiar. I'd assume an apprentice would call a master by their first name or their title." Artemis said.
He turned to Severus with a raised eyebrow.
Severus smiled.
"He's a student at the school here not my apprentice. Though you may call me by my first name if you are inclined." Severus said, looking to Harry.
He'd considered making the offer over the summer, especially after he'd called him Sev one night, but it had never felt right.
Harry blushed again. The boy was embarrassed by the strangest things.
Artemis laughed and set his daughter down who promptly hid behind his legs. Severus knew the girl was around five but hadn't spent much time around humans. It wasn't safe for her.
"Would you like some tea?" Severus offered.
Artemis nodded and headed to the couch to take a seat.
Severus was surprised when he returned with the tea to see Harry sitting on the floor with Iris. He had conjured several glowing balls that were now floating in front of the girl and talking softly to her. Iris was nodding along.
Artemis was smiling at the pair.
"Thank you." Artemis said taking the cup from Severus hand.
"How have things been?" Severus asked, taking his seat, and sipping his tea.
Artemis frowned and shook his head.
"It's been dangerous. Ivy and Iris never leave the house anymore. Some of the clans have fled. I fear some of them are being seduced by what is happening here. A Dark Lord that offers them blood is worth the risk to many of them." Artemis said softly.
Severus nodded.
"I've told them it's too much of a risk but they're starving." Artemis said, pain thick in his voice.
"I hope what we have discovered will help. The Dark Lord will throw them away once they are not of use to him. I saw many people come to horrific ends when he no longer thought they were useful." Severus said, thinking back to the first war.
Artemis nodded.
"I'm very interested. You said in your letter that you thought a vile would replace a whole feeding?" Artemis asked.
Severus nodded.
"I believe so. If you are willing to assess it, we could see how long it nourishes you." Severus said.
Artemis sighed.
"I hunt for my family as well. If I'm not feeling the call to feed, I worry I won't be able to take care of them. I won't let them test this until I can be sure that it's safe." Artemis said, watching Iris.
Severus nodded his understanding.
"I would be willing to feed your wife and child while we assess this. I don't know another vampire. At least not one that would trust me enough to test this. If it works, I may risk going to other clans to make the offer." Severus said.
Artemis looked back to Severus.
"You would feed them?" Artemis asked unsurely.
Severus was surprised by the waver in the man's voice. Artemis was a confident man; Severus had never seen him seem so fearful.
"We've been friends for years. Of course I would be willing to do that for you." Severus said earnestly.
Though he wondered at his own ability to supply enough blood to keep two vampires fed.
"Thank you, Severus." Artemis said, his eyes shining with relief.
Severus nodded and looked back at Harry.
The boy had scooped the child up into his lap and seemed to be showing her some sort of muggle magic trick with a piece of string.
Severus was surprised at how at ease the boy seemed with the child. He'd never seen Harry interact with younger children, but he clearly had a knack for it. Severus then had a painful thought.
The boy would likely grow up to be a good father, despite not having known his own. Though there was a chance the boy would never reach adulthood.
That thought pulled heavy at his heart strings.
Harry would live through this war. He would do anything he could to make sure of it, he told himself.
"This is Lily's son, correct?" Artemis asked.
"Yes." Severus answered with a nod; thankful he'd been pulled from his thoughts.
"You always spoke about how bright she was. I suppose it didn't come as a surprise that her son seems to be just as talented." Artemis said.
Severus laughed slightly.
"I suppose I should have known. Though I didn't really see it until this summer." Severus said.
Artemis nodded along as Severus spoke. They both kept there eyes on the boy a little longer. Iris was laughing and Harry was smiling. It was nice to see the boy actually look happy. He'd seemed to enjoy his time in the lab but he wasn't happy. He'd been focused. Now though he actually looked like a kid should, happy and carefree. It reminded him of Mary telling him about 'Max' and the puppy.
"I'd like to try your potion." Artemis said more confidently.
Severus nodded and pulled a vial from his pocket. The color had turned an interesting shade of dark blue. He hoped the non-blood color wouldn't be a deterrent.
Artemis took the vial and turned it in his hands.
"Fascinating." Artemis murmured.
He pulled the cork from the vial and smelled the contents.
"It should still smell like blood." Harry chipped in.
Artemis smiled over at the boy and nodded.
"It does. I'm surprised. The color had me thinking it might taste like candy." Artemis joked.
Harry smirked.
"I'm not sure Sn…Er Severus knows how to make anything that doesn't taste like socks and swamp." Harry joked back.
His eyes flicked to Severus unsurely. Severus wondered if he was seeking reassurance for using his first name or if it was the joke he'd made.
"You've been in potions for six years and you still don't understand why you can't just add sugar to make it taste better?" Severus said with a smirk.
Harry seemed to relax.
"I know why. Still would be nice if it didn't taste like it was trying to dissolve your insides." Harry said with a smile.
Severus nodded.
"Well, this one smell's very appealing." Artemis said.
Iris stood from Harry's lap and walked over.
"Can I smell?" Iris asked.
Artemis hesitated for a moment before he nodded.
Iris's eyes got wide and a little sleepy as she smelled it.
"I'm hungry." Iris whispered.
Artemis sighed and looked down at the vial.
"You can't have this sweetheart. Maybe one day. Daddy's going to test it for Severus." Artemis said softly.
Iris nodded and glanced up at Severus. He hadn't gotten a clear look at the girl's face earlier. It was obvious that she hadn't been getting enough to eat. She wasn't as thin as Artemis had been the first time he had fed from Severus, but it wasn't good. Especially for a child so young.
Severus glanced past the little girl to Harry and caught his eye. There was something in them. He had seen it too. The boy certainly knew what it was like to go hungry. Perhaps that's why he had taken a shine to the child.
"I can feed her Artemis. I…If you'd let me know sooner, I would have helped." Severus said quietly.
Artemis straightened. The man could be as proud as Lucius in some ways. Severus just hoped that he wouldn't be about this.
"I appreciate it Severus." Artemis said, with a nod.
Iris looked at Severus and then back at Harry. She was obviously hesitant.
"I can do it." Harry offered from the place he was sitting on the floor.
Apparently despite the hushed conversation it was obvious he'd been following along. Severus gave him a hesitant look. He wasn't sure how Sirius and Remus would feel about their son feeding a vampire.
The little girl walked over and sat right down in his lap like she had been.
"You're not afraid of me?" Iris asked.
Harry smirked.
"Of course not. Your just a little girl." Harry said softly, brushing a loose hair away from her face and looking her in the eye.
Iris smiled shyly.
"I haven't eaten in a long time." Iris whispered to Harry, though it was really too loud to be a whisper.
Harry gave a girl a tight smile.
"I know how that feels. I'm sorry it's been so long." Harry said sympathetically, reaching down and taking one of her little hands into his.
"Is it okay?" Harry asked, looking up at Severus and glancing at Artemis.
Artemis looked completely taken aback by this stranger willing to feed his child. He nodded numbly.
Severus decided he would take the fall out, if there was any from the mutts, before he nodded.
"How do we do this?" Harry asked, looking at Iris.
"At your wrist. She's still too little to drink properly from the neck." Artemis said.
Harry's brows furrowed in concentration before he nodded.
Severus took a deep breath.
"Why don't you take your potion. I can keep an eye on your reaction while Iris feeds." Severus suggested.
Artemis seemed to have forgotten that he held the cure to his own hunger. Nodding he raised the vial and tipped the contents into his mouth.
Severus kept his eye on Artemis, but he didn't seem to be having any immediate reaction. Glancing over he saw Harry quietly talking to Iris. She hadn't begun to feed but they seemed to be okay.
Harry rolled up his sleeve and cast a cleaning charm at it. He'd washed his hands after working in the lab, but he wouldn't want to accidentally expose the kid to something that he didn't realize he had on him. He then held his arm up for her.
Harry had found the girl to be very sweet and quite smart. She was a little shy, but she didn't seem to have much exposure to other people, and for that he thought she was doing well interacting with a stranger. He was thankful he could help her.
Her hands felt cold as ice but very smooth almost like the glass on a window in winter. She raised his wrist to her mouth and Harry felt the cold press of lips and then the sharp puncture of teeth. It didn't hurt badly. About as painful as using his knife on his arm.
He felt an unexpected wave of guilt at that thought. He'd spilt so much blood that could have gone to feeding this child. He hadn't known that, and it was such a ridiculous thing to think but he didn't think he could ever cut again knowing what his blood could be offering someone else.
The soft suckling reminded him of Edgar, who sometimes comforted himself with trying to suck on Harry's earlobes when he was on his shoulder.
Harry looked across the room to Snape and Artemis. They were talking quietly but Artemis' eyes seemed brighter, and he seemed like he was feeling better. Hopefully, that meant the potion was working.
Harry had listened to Artemis and Snape talk. It sounded like the war was really impacting the Vampires. Snape had told him that things had been bad for a long time now, but clearly it was getting worse. The wars had only made it worse. Harry's stomach twisted thinking about how many people had been hurt by this war. It all felt so pointless. His resolve felt firmer in this moment to do what he could to end it.
Harry felt Iris head lean against his chest and the suckling at his wrist slowed. There was a final lick, and the little girl was asleep in his arms. It was a little unnerving that she didn't breathe. He had read the book Snape had given him and knew that vampires didn't need air, but it felt a bit like holding a dead body. Though he knew that she had simply filled her stomach and fallen asleep.
Artemis looked a little sleepy as well.
"We should probably go home. I will floo call you soon to let you know how long the potion lasts." Artemis said standing.
Snape looked stressed.
"Would you like me to come with you? Does your wife need to feed?" Snape asked.
Harry looked between the pair.
"If you're available, that would be appreciated." Artemis said.
Severus nodded before looking at Harry.
Harry adjusted his grip a little and stood with the girl in his arms. It was a little bit of a struggle, but he had gained quite a bit of muscle since the school year had begun.
"Thank you, Harry. That was an exceedingly kind thing of you to do. I also appreciate the work you have done with Severus on this potion. This could change everything." Artemis said with a soft smile as he took his sleeping daughter.
"Not a problem. I'd be happy to feed her again. And the potion was all Sn…Severus. I just helped him tweak it a little." Harry said with a smile.
He was feeling a little lightheaded and hoped that he could lay down for a while.
"You're a good man. I hope to see you again." Artemis said, with a slight bow before he headed to the floo.
Snape walked closer and looked him over.
"Are you alright?" Snape asked.
Harry nodded before he yawned widely.
"A little tired. Think I'll head back to Sirius and Remus quarters and take a nap." Harry said.
Snape got a pinched look on his face.
"Why don't you just take a rest on the couch. I should be back shortly. I'd like to make sure you don't need a blood replenisher before I send you back." Snape said.
Harry nodded. A nap on the couch sounded good too, It was less walking, which seemed like far too much effort at the moment.
"Okay." Harry said through another stifled yawn.
He trudged over to the couch and kicked off his shoes. His eyes seemed to heavy, and he quickly felt himself curling up on the couch a falling asleep to the sound of the floo.
Severus stepped back into his sitting room and swayed. Artemis' wife had not been sick, she had been starving. Severus had given as much as he possibly could without passing out. He stumbled to the bathroom and collected two vials of blood replenisher and drank them both quickly. He set the empty vials on the counter and stumbled back into the sitting room before collapsing in his chair.
Harry was snoring softly in the same spot that he'd fallen into earlier. He looked well enough. Severus tipped his head back and closed his eyes. He would only take a short rest, he told himself.
Sirius took Remus' hand as they made their way back from the great hall. Remus had told him about what Severus had said. He worried about Remus, but he hoped that the solution was as simple as he had made it out to be.
Their day had been lovely. Going to Hogsmeade hand in hand with Remus and watching the students had felt like a strange throw back to their own school days.
They'd walked through the shops and kept an eye on the students. They'd both been thankful that the trip had gone quietly. Nearly the whole staff had been asked to go into the village today. Albus was worried that an attack could happen.
There hadn't even been issues amongst the students.
"I'm beat." Remus said shuffling his feet a little as they reached their door.
Sirius hummed in agreement. They'd not gotten much sleep last night with all of Remus' scratching. Sirius had dressed his wounds before they'd left but he was sure they would need another looking over.
"Maybe a nice bath before bed. I think your muscles could probably use it." Sirius suggested.
Remus used to always want to waste away in the tub in the days after the moon. The new potion eliminated many of Remus' pains but after last night it might be nice.
Remus smiled as he swung the door open.
"I like that idea. I think I still have a few of my muscle relaxer potions." Remus said.
Sirius smiled. He wished he could help Remus more.
"Would you like a massage?" Sirius offered.
Remus sighed a little.
"Maybe after the bath." Remus said, flicking his wand and turning the lights on in the sitting room.
Sirius wandered into the kitchen and set the kettle. He fancied a cup of tea after the long walk-in town.
"Doesn't look like Harry's been back. I didn't see Severus at dinner either. Do you suppose they're still working in the lab?" Remus asked.
Sirius shrugged. He couldn't imagine working on potions for that many hours, but it had never really been his subject.
"I'm going to call." Remus said.
Sirius could hear the slight worry in his tone.
Remus stuck his head through the floo and looked into Severus' sitting room. He could see Harry asleep on the couch. Then he caught sight of Severus and felt a little alarmed. Severus also seemed to be asleep. Something didn't feel right.
"Sirius." Remus called over his shoulder.
Sirius appeared at his side quickly.
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know. I called down and Harry and Severus are both asleep in the sitting room." Remus said.
Sirius brows creased.
"It's barely past seven." Sirius said in confusion.
Remus nodded.
Sirius reached for the floo powder and was gone a moment later.
Remus rolled his shoulders back and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He hoped everything was fine and they were just tiered after a long day.
When Remus stepped out of the sitting room a strange smell hit his nose. He wasn't sure what the smell was, but it had the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.
"Harry." Sirius said walking closer to the couch.
Harry didn't respond at all. He seemed a little pale, but he was breathing softly.
"Severus?" Remus said as he walked closer to the man leaned back in his chair.
Severus groaned slightly.
Remus hesitantly reached out and put his hand on the man's shoulder.
"Severus can you hear me?" Remus said worriedly.
Severus only groaned again.
"Should we call Poppy?" Sirius asked worriedly.
Remus looked over. Sirius had knelt down next to Harry.
"Is he waking at all?" Remus asked.
Sirius shook his head. His mind raced to a million different possibilities. They might have caused a potions accident in the lab and had breathed in something toxic. They could have been attacked or poisoned.
Remus pulled his wand.
"Expecto Patronum." Remus cast.
"I need you in Severus quarters right away. Go to Poppy." Remus said.
The wolf bounded through the wall and Remus turned back to Severus. He tried to look him over a little. His clothing didn't seem out of place, and he didn't notice any wounds.
"Is Harry hurt?" Remus asked over his shoulder.
There was a little shuffling noise behind him.
"Nothing I can see. His breathing is kind of shallow, but it doesn't sound like he's wheezing." Sirius said.
The floo flared behind them.
"What's going on?" Poppy said, immediately pulling her wand.
"Harry spent the day with Severus. When I called to see if Harry was doing okay, I saw them both passed out. We can't seem to rouse them." Remus said.
Poppy walked to Harry first. She waved her wand over him and waited for the parchment to appear. Poppy snatched it out of the way and her brows knitted together.
"He's suffering from blood loss. It's not fatal but it's concerning." Poppy said before walking over to Severus.
Remus watched as she repeated the diagnostic on the unconscious man.
"Severus is also suffering some blood loss." Poppy said in further confusion.
"Were is the blood?" Sirius asked, looking around the small sitting room.
Remus shook his head.
"I don't smell blood. There's a strange smell here but I would smell blood if it was here. Especially enough for them both to be suffering from blood loss." Remus said shaking his head.
"Let's get them to the hospital wing. We must be missing something." Poppy said worriedly.
Remus stood at the end of Harry's bed as Poppy worked around him. They had vanished his shirt and pulled down his glamour. Remus was glad to not notice anything immediately alarming. Harry didn't have fresh cuts on his arms or signs of attack.
Remus glanced over to Severus and noticed that he also looked unharmed. It didn't make any sense.
Poppy raised Harry's hand and looked along his arm. Her brows furrowed and then she turned around and repeated the action on Severus. Shaking her head she looked along Severus' other arm, then along the top of his shoulders, before turning his head from side to side and looking at his neck.
"Vampires." Poppy finally said.
"Excuse me?" Remus said in alarm.
"Harry has healed double punctures at his wrist and Severus has the same marks at his neck. They were fed on by vampires." Poppy said worriedly, shaking her head.
She pulled multiple vials of blood replenisher from her pocket and spelled two into each of them before banishing the vials.
"How the hell where they attacked by vampires inside the castle?" Sirius said from beside him.
Remus shrugged. Albus and the staff had added many layers of protection to the castle at the start of term to keep nearly everyone out.
He remembered the smell and feeling in Severus quarters and shook his head.
"It's what I could smell in Severus quarters. Vampires. I couldn't identify the smell when we got there but I knew something was wrong." Remus said numbly.
He couldn't believe that they'd just been sitting quietly in Hogsmeade while Harry had been attacked. He felt anger well in his chest.
"Shouldn't take long for them to wake up." Poppy said calmly.
Remus nodded.
"I'm going to contact Albus. We need to make sure no one else was attacked. Most of the students and staff were in the village and it wouldn't have been possible for an attack to have taken place in daylight. Still, the younger years and a few of the others were here today." Poppy said.
Remus nodded again. He couldn't think about the other students right now.
Just as Poppy disappeared into her office Harry began to moan softly.
"Harry." Remus called stepping up next to the bed.
Harry's eyes flickered open slightly.
"Remus?" Harry said in confusion.
"Yeah pup. I'm here. Sirius is too. You're going to be okay." Remus said softly.
Harry's brows pinched together.
"What's wrong? I feel like my head is full of cotton." Harry mumbled.
Remus swallowed thickly.
"A vampire attacked you. Do you remember?" Remus asked.
He knew there was a good chance Harry wouldn't remember. Vampires could manipulate their victims, calm their minds, or even remove the memory all together.
Harry frowned.
"I wasn't attacked. I fed Iris. She was hungry." Harry mumbled; his eyes flickering closed a little.
Remus shook his head.
"Who's Iris? What are you talking about?" Remus asked worriedly, glancing up to Sirius.
Sirius shrugged.
Harry hummed.
"Iris is Artemis' daughter. She came with him today. Sev was giving Artemis the new Vampire nutrition potion. She was hungry, so I fed her. She said it had been a long time. It made me sad." Harry muttered slowly, taking long pauses between his words like he was half asleep.
Remus looked up to Sirius again. He then turned to glare at Severus in his bed. He'd let a vampire feed on his son.
Remus trusted Severus with Harry but this was unacceptable.
"Just rest Harry." Sirius said softly, taking Harry's hand before sitting in a chair next to his bed.
"mmmkay." Harry mumbled before his breathing began to even out.
Remus pulled up a chair and tried to calm his racing thoughts. He was thankful that it hadn't been an attack, but he couldn't say he wasn't livid at Severus. What on earth had the man been thinking?