#packties

[ravenloveless13]

Pack Ties (Pack Ties Series)

"Pack Ties?" Remus asked, putting the kettle in his hand to turn and look at Lily.

“Yes, apparently it is a magical contract” Lily replied back as she carefully reads the large book that rested on the kitchen table while with her other hand, she was thoughtfully stroking her swollen belly “a werewolf creates this magical bond with the members of their family, that way when the full moon comes and he loses control, they would be the only ones he could not hurt”

Remus took the two cups of tea; Lily's, with milk and sugar, and his only with sugar. He brought them to the table to sit across from his friend. That was his day to "take care" of Lily because since she had become pregnant, James had become paranoid about her safety and although all the marauders knew that the redhead was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, no one in their right mind would attempt Lily's wrath in this state. They had agreed that for Jame’s and their peace of mind (because James could become a real pain in the ass when he gets worried about Lily and the baby safety) one of the marauders would stay with his wife if he had to go out on an Order mission. On that day it was Remus's turn and although he loved spending time with his friend, he was a bit nervous about it since the night of the full moon is near.

"I've never heard of that," he said once he took a seat across from Lily and handed her her cup of tea.

“Well ... apparently it is an extremely ancient ritual, but it is not entirely proven. This contract does not guarantee that the werewolf will preserve their human mind during the transformation as the Wolfsbane potion does, but it does guarantee that the wolf does not attack their family. It says that the contract links the magic of the wolf and the other person, making it feel like they're part of their pack.

"Hmmm makes sense..." Remus muttered as he leaned back into the chair and stared at his reflection in the cup of tea in front of him.

During several of his missions from the Order, Remus had encountered several wizards with the same curse as him and had observed that no matter what, they never hurt each other on the full moon.

"We should try," Lily said smiling as she closed the book.

“Hey?”

“We should try it, maybe that will help you not to have so much pressure during a full moon. We could all join you, that way you could finally spend the nights here with us instead of in the woods”

“Lily I don't think that's a good idea, it's too dangerous”

“So are all those missions that Dumbledore makes you do and you do not protest about it.” “Those are different…”

“How is that different ...? Remy, whether you like it or not, you are part of this family, we’re your pack. James, Sirius, Peter, and I care a lot about you, especially when you have to spend the full moon all alone. And now with this war that breathes us, the ingredients for your potion will become scarce and those idiots will find it difficult to accompany you. Also when Harry is born I will not allow you to get away from us. Let us try this, please. Look, the ceremony must be done under the new moon which will be super safe. James and the others can get the ingredients that we need and I'll make the potion, so you don't have to worry about a thing…Hmmm, I wonder if by drinking it now Harry will be bonded or if we will have to do it all over again when he's older? Well, it doesn't matter.”

Remus let his friend keep talking to herself while she planned and organized everything. He just couldn't say no to her and understood that Lily wanted to help him. After all, ever since she joined them and discovered that the boys had turned into Animagi to help him, she had not only kept the secret but was responsible for making and giving him his Wolfsbane potion whenever she could. Remus's mind wandered off a bit at the thought of not being dangerous to his friends. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but he couldn't deny the fact that if the potion could work, then it would take a huge weight off his shoulders. Knowing that no matter what, he wouldn't hurt James, Sirius, Peter, Lily, and soon Harry, allowing him to breathe calmly.

"So Remy, what do you say… shall we give it a try?" Lily smiled excitedly with bright eyes. It had been so long since Remus had seen her so excited about something that he just chuckled before sighing.

“Even if I tell you no because it is dangerous and maybe it won't work, I know you will ignore me and move on or worse, you will make our idiots bother me until I give in, so why deny me if in the long run you always get away with what you want?” Remus smiled and Lily approached him to hug him or so she tried because she ended up smashing her belly in his face where Remus felt the baby kick him.

"Wooo I think even Harry agrees," she agreed.

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Summer 1985

Uncle Vernon's car pulled up outside the forest that looked dark and scary. The huge man got out of his car still mumbling under his mustache and yanked the back door open before pulling the little boy out of the car.

Harry let himself be dragged by the arm, too scared to say anything. He knew he had done something wrong, although he still did not understand what it had been. All he had done was ate a cookie that had flown into his hand when Aunt Petunia's friends were in the living room drinking tea. Harry had quickly learned that he could have a few extra snacks if he waited for Aunt Petunia's friends to come over for their weekly tea party because being surrounded by other people, his Aunt Petunia couldn't yell at him and wouldn't tell Uncle Vernon because she didn’t want to have to suspense her tea parties. Harry was quite small for his age, but his teacher always said that what Harry lacked in height, he made up for in cunning. And although Harry did not understand the meaning of that word, in his head that must be a good thing because his teacher always said it with a cute smile in her face instead of the typical grimace of disgust that his uncle made him every time they called him an ungrateful freak, two other words that Harry still didn't understand but made him feel bad inside.

Uncle Vernon released Harry causing the little boy to stagger a bit since they were already deep in the forest and if it weren't for the full moon, everything would be pitch black.

"Where are we, Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked, rubbing his arm where his uncle had gripped him so tightly.

"Don't ask questions boy!" The man yelled which caused Harry to turn away in fear, he didn't like it when his uncle yelled at him, that only meant that he was going to get hit or have a long time out in his cupboard, and Harry didn't like either one or the other.

“You are going to stay here freak so that you learn that you should be grateful for the ceiling over your head and keep all your freakiness under control!!”

“bu..but ... it's scary here” Harry is scared but not as scared when he sees his uncle's face turn red in the moonlight.

“But? Did you say but?!” Vernon growled before raising his hand to slap the little boy so hard that made his glasses fall off. “UNGRATEFUL FREAK!!! EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE FOR YOU AND THAT'S HOW YOU ANSWER ME!!! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUR FREAK FACE AGAIN!!” He yelled before turning and leaving Harry there alone sobbing as he tries to find his glasses.

When Harry put his glasses back on, he realized that he really had been left alone in the terrifying forest. Still sobbing from the blow, Harry winced when he heard a howl in the distance. He remembered that once his teacher had read them a book about animals like wolves, foxes, and owls that usually lived in the woods. Harry's favorite had undoubtedly been the wolf, but the teacher had assured them that these were the most dangerous out there and that they should never approach one or it could eat them.

Trying to ignore the pain from his face due to the slap and his little arm, Harry wiped his nose on his shirt and started walking, unsure of where to go. Maybe if he was lucky, he would find a candy cottage like the one in the story they had started reading at school. They had not finished the story yet because the teacher stopped when Aunt Petunia completed that the teacher was fully their minds with nonsense. Harry remember that his teacher stop the story when the kind old woman let the siblings stay to eat and sleep at her house. Hopefully, Harry might be as lucky as them.

The little boy walked for a long time until he felt Dudley's old shoes hurt him, so he opted to curl up next to a tree to get some rest. He felt really tired because, after the cookie incident, Aunt Petunia made her friends leave and forced Harry to clean up the backyard, which was not strange, however, what was strange for him was that his uncle came later with his face exceptionally red and forced him to get into the car. Harry didn't like the car very much because he would always feel sick or slide down from the seat when his uncle made a hard turn, which he had done all that afternoon by not knowing where to go. When night fell, the journey slowed down, Harry thought they were heading home. The truth was he didn't understand why his uncle had taken him on such a strange ride when it was clearly noticeable, from the rudeness that he kept mumbling, that he was very angry with Harry. But now lost in that dark forest, Harry understood that this had not been a fun ride because he doubted his uncle would come back for him.

The howls were heard again closer now and Harry snuggled up in fear. A wolf was nearby and he sounded angry, very angry. Suddenly, in the moonlight, a huge wolf appeared in front of Harry. It had a stunning brown fur that Harry would have liked to be able to pet if it hadn't been showing its teeth as it growled.

Harry froze and for some strange reason in his mind, he was grateful that he didn't feel like going to pee as he wouldn't have liked being eaten by a wolf with his pants wet. The wolf's footsteps were silent as he approached Harry, still growling as his nose moved frantically in his direction. Harry noticed that the wolf's eyes were a beautiful amber color that did not leave his face. When Harry felt the hot breath of the wolf breathe on him, the little boy closed his eyes and tried not to cry in fear but the tears were already running down his face.

Suddenly and without any explanation, a large and wet tongue licked Harry's face, causing the little boy to giggle when the wolf licked him again, this time down to the base of his hair which remained half stopped by saliva.

"No Mr. Wolf, don't do that," Harry laughed as the wolf continued to lick his face, however when it licked his cheek where his uncle had hit him, Harry let out a groan of pain.

The Wolf pulled away and growled as Harry was startled again for a moment as he thought he had made him angry. The Wolf began to walk in circles, growling even louder before letting out a furious howl. The boy did not move but something inside him told him that although the Wolf seemed angry, he was not angry with him.

After a while of walking in circles, the Wolf approached Harry again, staring at him. The emerald green eyes were lost for a moment in the amber gaze until a growl came out of the boy's stomach which made him look away in embarrassment. With all the fright of being lost in the woods, Harry had completely forgotten how hungry he was, after all the last thing he had eaten had been a cookie.

The Wolf who had sat across from Harry stared at him until he seemed to make up his mind. Then, with great care, the Wolf moved closer to Harry and crouched low enough for the little one to climb onto his back.

"Can I ... can I get on?" Harry asked not quite sure why he thought he understood what Mr. Wolf wanted to say to him.

With a single nod from the Wolf, Harry scrambled up onto the animal's back. Once Harry managed to get comfortable and grab onto his fur, which was actually quite soft, the Wolf got up and started trotting through the forest, not going too fast so he would not scare or make the boy fall.

As the wind was blowing Harry's hair, he wondered for a moment if he was not dreaming because riding such a huge wolf was the kind of dreams that his aunt could considered like stupid nonsense.

After a while, the Wolf led Harry to a small log cottage in the middle of the forest. Harry was a bit disappointed to see that the cottage wasn't made of sweets, but he had to admit it looked like a nice place to live. The Wolf crouched down and let Harry get out.

"Do you live here, Mr. Wolf?" Harry asked and the wolf nodded before getting up on its hind legs to open the door. It seemed unreal to Harry that a wolf could be nearly as tall as his Uncle Vernon. When the door finally opened, the Wolf nudged Harry inside.

Again Harry was a little disappointed that inside the cottage there were no chocolate tables or candy chairs as in the story, however, the boy had to admit that the place was quaint.

The cottage had a single large room where the kitchen was, a table with two chairs and a sofa in front of a fireplace that was lit. Harry also saw some stairs that probably led to a second floor and a basement, but what really caught the boy's attention was a photograph he saw on a pile of books next to the sofa.

The photo was moving! Harry saw in this a very pretty woman with long reddish hair who laughed out loud with her eyes closed as a deer went in and out of the photo making very ridiculous jumps.

‘That is indeed a silly image’ Harry thought, but for some reason, it also made him very happy. Harry didn't realize how long he'd stood there staring at that beautiful photo until he felt Mr. Wolf sting his back with his snout. Turning around, the boy found that the Wolf had brought him apples.

"Are they ... for me?" Harry asked, unable to contain the emotion in his voice and the Wolf nodded. Harry held up the two apples and not caring that they weren't candies like the ones the siblings in the story ate in the cottage, Harry devoured them. Rarely on Privet Drive aunt Petunia would bring apples or any kind of fresh fruit since Dudley hated them, however, once she "forgot" to send Harry his lunch, the teacher had given him an apple and for Harry, it had tasted delicious. The Wolf simply stared at the boy eating the fruit with such emotion and wondered when was the last time the little boy had eaten since he hadn't weighed anything when he had carried it.

When Harry finished his fruit, he spotted a trash can and tossed the apple cores there before yawning. Already calmer and enveloped by the warmth of the fireplace in the cottage, Harry started to feel sleepy. The wolf approached and without waiting for Harry to say something, he carefully lifted him from that big shirt that the boy was wearing and carried him to the sofa, where he sat him before jumping on it and putting his head between his legs.

Harry yawned again and rubbed his eye under his glasses, careful not to bruise his sore cheek. The wolf did not stop looking at him at any moment and when Harry turned to see him, he licked his injured cheek very, very carefully. That had felt different from how Mr. Wolf had licked it in the forest, for some reason Harry felt in his heart that the Wolf seemed to want to push away the pain he felt on his cheek and that only made the boy feel safe with the animal.

“Mr. Wolf ... do you think ... I can stay here with you?” Harry asked when the Wolf stopped licking his face. His cheek didn't hurt so much anymore.

The wolf's amber eyes returned to Harry's and Harry thought that if he didn't say something quickly, the Wolf might say no.

“I promise I will be good, and and and ... and I also can clean the floor and wash the dishes. I even know how to cook eggs and bacon” Harry said quickly with his hands a little shaky. He wasn't lying, he knew how to do that and more because they were the typical chores that Aunt Petunia made him do almost every day, but he still had problems cooking the bacon because it still burned a little because he was afraid of the oil since it had been burned the first time, but he couldn't let Mr. Wolf know that or he wouldn't let him stay.

The Wolf averted his eyes from Harry thoughtfully and suffocating anguish flooded the boy's chest. What if Mr. Wolf says no? where would he go? Uncle Vernon had told him that he never wanted to see his freaky face again which meant he couldn't go back to them. What would he do now that he was homeless?

A soft sob rose from Harry's chest as he hid his little face between his knees. Since he was little the Dursleys had taught him with a strong hand that he must not cry, so Harry always waits for the darkness of his cupboard to let his tears come out if he had had a bad day, and that had definitely been a bad day, at least until Mr. Wolf had arrived. Now with a full stomach and in a warm place, Harry allowed himself to cry because now he was truly alone and forever because no one wanted him.

The Wolf got off the couch and walked over to Harry to look at him as the little boy tried to hold back his tears.

"I ... don't have a home, Mr. Wolf ... please ... please ... let me stay" Harry sobbed.

It was moments like those when Harry felt the loneliest. Where he was aware that there was no one in the world who cared about him. No one would give him a cookie once in a while or worry if he would get hurt or wasn’t home or stay with him at night until he went to sleep.

No one...

Because the only people who could have done that for him were his parents, who had died in a car crash and Harry would never see them again. The Wolf moved closer to the boy and let out a groan of sadness. To Harry, it was as if the Wolf was trying to comfort him or was sad for him, which made him calm down a bit. Perhaps no adult cared for Harry but Mr. Wolf seems to and that was enough to make the boy smile again.

Harry hugged Wolf's head for a while before the Wolf leaped back onto the couch and pulled Harry by his shirt to lie on top of him.

"I promise you will not regret it, Mr. Wolf, I will always be very good and obedient ... so please, let me stay," Harry muttered, hiding his half-asleep face between the brown fur of the Wolf that smelled of chocolate.

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Harry shifted a bit on the couch as the delicious smell of bacon hit his nostrils. Sitting a little sleepy, Harry noted to his delight that he was still in Mr. Wolf's cottage, however, when he looked around, Mr. Wolf was nowhere to be seen.

No, the only thing Harry saw, other than the incredible amount of books and photos that were moving around, was a young brown-haired man in the kitchen with his back to him who was whistling to himself. Harry crouched nervously on the couch. ‘Where was Mr. Wolf? Was that man the owner of the cottage? What if that man made him leave? What if he got mad at him? What if he hurt him more than Uncle Vernon did?’ Harry thought to himself.

The man turned away from the stove and turned, making his eyes fall on Harry, but instead of looking angry, Harry sees happiness in them.

"Good morning Harry," he said approaching Harry, allowing him to notice the different scars that adorned the arms and neck of that man.

"How ... how do you know my name?" Harry asked, forgetting the rule of not asking questions that his uncles had imposed onto him.

The man calmly approached and knelt down in front of Harry who was still curled up on the couch. The man's amber eyes reminded him of Mr. Wolf's eyes.

"I've known you for a long time, Harry, even before you were born," he said calmly looking at the boy with a fondness that Harry had only seen in his Aunt Petunia's eyes when he looked at Dudley.

"Really?" Harry felt something strange inside him that made him trust every word that man said.

“Yes, your parents and I were good friends, practically family.” he said as he raised his hand carefully so as not to scare Harry and stroking his hair.

“Family ... like a pack? That's the family of wolves, isn't it?” Harry asked excitedly to remember something they had taught him at school.

The man looked at him with an expression of surprise and amazement before letting out a very pleasant laugh that caused Harry to giggle. He definitely liked that man, he wasn't scary.

“You are absolutely right cub, like a pack,” said the man taking Harry in his arms, and although Harry had learned to stay away from any type of contact that adults wanted to give him because usually they always wanted to harm him.

But something in that man's eyes told Harry that nothing and no one would ever hurt him if he stayed with him, so the boy concluded that it was okay for him to put his little arms around that adult's neck as well as had done the night before while he slept on Mr. Wolf.

"What's your name, sir?" Harry asked as the man sat him on one of the dining room chairs to put in front of him a plate of eggs with bacon and orange juice.

“Remus Lupin, cub. But you can call me Moony”

[katkit-junkie]

I repotted the Packti-of-Cacti!!! ~ Kit x

[ravenloveless13]

Alpha's Call (Pack Ties Series)

《A wolf without a pack is not a surviving wolf, it is a dead wolf》.

Lily paused for a moment to appreciate how round the circle of mushrooms that she had planted in the garden glowed with an almost ghostly luminosity under the stars. The redhead was barefoot in a long white dress that was already accentuating her enormous belly.

"I still think it's not a good idea," Remus muttered as he watched James approach with a small vial which had inside a tiny golden flame that Remus himself had created.

"Nonsense Moony, this is by far the best idea we've had in a long time." James smiled, turning a flask in his hands.

Remus let out a sigh that clearly said "how come I always let myself be convinced by you guys?" but he said nothing as he approached the circle of mushrooms just as barefoot as Lily and opened his shirt to take it out, careful not to ruin the runes that were painted on his heart and that ran down his chest and arms.

A soft growl was heard behind Remus's back as he dropped his shirt to the floor outside the circle and if it weren't for the keen ear that 'Moony' gave Remus, he would not have heard James's taunting to Sirius.

"Do you want me to pour you cold water Pads?"

Ignoring his idiots, Remus stepped into the circle and sat on the grass crossing his legs and closing his eyes. Now he had to begin, not the most difficult part of the ritual, but the more uncomfortable for him because he had to connect with his internal Wolf in order to create the bond. He had been working on it since Lily mentioned the ritual to him, and while it hadn't been as difficult as Remus had thought, it was overwhelming and a bit terrifying. Ever since he had been bitten, Remus had refused to acknowledge his inner Wolf as much as possible. In part for fear that by doing it, part of his humanity would be lost and he would become the monster he felt he was, the other reason was that this makes him reject his own body for having to share it with the wolf. However, after the initial shock and some help from Sirius, Remus managed to synchronize his mind with the wolf's and now he was more aware of his instincts. Of course, most of the time he used to ignore them but he also had to admit that if it weren't for those instincts; both James and he would have died in that ambush that the Death Eaters had made just over 3 weeks ago. It was that very discovery that made James, who at first was not happy with the idea of the experiment that his wife wanted to do, become enthusiastic and fully supportive of the ritual now.

"Ready Remy?" Lily asked outside the circle as she took the silver dagger that Peter offered her and made a small cut in the palm of her hand as James helped her to support herself with his arms around her waist. Her dude day was now very close and she had a little trouble standing for too long.

Remus nodded with his eyes slightly open. These were still amber but looked brighter, a little wilder. Lily stepped into the circle and sat across from Remus before placing her injured hand on his heart.

"Colligo, vincula, et dabo luna" she began to mutter under her breath over and over while James; Sirius, and Peter took their places, each one of them with a flask just like James had.

Remus closed his eyes again and felt a slight chill as he felt something inside him move, wake up.

Don't panic, everything will be fine

Remus' magic shook and he felt a little uncomfortable tingle where the runes were painted. Careful not to move, Remus opened his eyes again just  a little to see how the runes paint on his skin had taken the golden color of the fire that his friends carried. From the largest rune, the one in his heart, a golden thread had started to come out that had begun to travel down his friend's arm to reach her chest; however, before it could reach her, the thread split and one part connected to Lily's heart and the other rest on his belly.

"meque tibi lunae servaberis" Remus said confidently and the threads tightened, pulling the air out of him with a gasp.

The book had mentioned that the pack bonding process could be uncomfortable for the werewolf if it was performed with someone who did not share blood but it had not mentioned that it hurt like boiling water traveling through the veins. Luckily for everyone, Remus had a high tolerance for pain, so as the runes danced on his skin and slowly got closer to his heart, he managed to give Lily, who was looking at him worriedly, a soft smile. Lily pulled her hand away a bit as the runes began to disappear and only the largest one remained, stained with her blood.

Lily had the feeling that she heard a comfortable howl in her chest before the rune melted into Remus's chest and the mushrooms died away. Looking at her hand, Lily noticed that on her cut had the shape of the rune that had been on Remus's chest but that it disappeared as the wound closed.

For a moment, the garden was silent and dark as the fire that the marauders were holding had gone out as soon as the ritual began. Sirius was the first to draw his wand.

"Lumus" he said and the light illuminated the circle where his "sister" and his partner were. Remus looked exhausted and his hair was stuck to his face from his sweat.

"Luckily ... this can only be done ... one every new moon" Remus gasped when he found his voice "I don't think my magic ... would resist another ritual tonight, are you okay Lily?"

"I'm the one who should ask that, silly," she said worriedly as James helped her up. "Do you want anything?"

"A chocolate frog and a nap would be ni…" Remus couldn't finish his sentence as his eyes closed and he fell asleep in Sirius's arms when he caught him.

"We're going to get old and Moony will continue to fall asleep mid sentence," James laughed before giving his wife a kiss on the cheek and gently stroking her belly.

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Summer 1985

Moony was hurt.

But not only hurt for the transformation, which had been brutal in comparison with the one previous month, but for something that was tearing him inside.

His pack was broken.

Moony could not understand what was going on. Whatever had happened, it happened when his human part was in command and he had broken his connection with Moony a long time ago, but Moony knew that something very bad had happened to the members of his pack.

Were they injured?

Moony howled again in pain and began to circle the basement. No, if they were injured he could feel the bond he had with them and could come to their aid. No, some members weren't injured… They were dead.

The howl Moony let out this time was more agonizing, more heartbreaking.

Moony remembered the war, had it been there? had it been in that time that he had lost them all, even his cub?

A growl came from Moony and he began to bite himself for even considering that possibility. No, his cub was not dead. He knew that, he could still feel his bond attached to him but he didn’t know where his cub was. His cub was missing and Moony needed to find him.

The wolf approached the door and began to scratch the wood with intensity. It was splintered and hurt his paws but Moony did not stop or care. This was something he did every full moon. He barely remembered what had happened with his pack and was getting hysterical  to go out and look for his cub. If he was the last member of the pack, Moony's duty as Alpha was to protect him. The cub was the smallest member of the pack and Moony must protect and love him until the cub could take care of himself.

Moony kept knocking on the door like every month, and just as every month the wolf knew that his human counterpart, who had refused to communicate with him for many moons, had put different spells to prevent Moony to go out or at least that was what the wolf though until he heard a click and the door opened.

The wolf sniffed the air carefully before climbing the stairs. The cottage  smelled like wet wood and parchment, but it also smelled of pain and loneliness. Moony stood in the room for a moment, waiting to see if someone from his pack appeared out of nowhere, which made him momentarily forget why he was there.

His pack was broken. The members were dead, but not all. Moony was sure of that.  He could still feel three ties in him. One had to be his cub, then there was another that Moony ignored when he realized that his partner was still tied up even though that only caused anger and pain.

What had Padfoot done to hurt them? He was clearly not responding to his Alpha's call but Moony rarely got angry about it. No, Padfoot must have done something that Moony's counterpart refused to share.

Moony's angry growls began to come out again as a stream of air crept through an open window and the wolf's fur bristled.

A human… There was a human nearby. Moony growled loudly, he wasn't going to allow any humans to get near his territory. Humans meant danger and the alpha was supposed to protect all members of the pack, even if he was angry with them.

With a furious howl, Moony ran out of the house. He was going to rip apart any human who dared enter his territory. The race through the forest was nothing for Moony, the moonlight was enough to illuminate the path and his paw guided him without any problem.

When Moony felt close to the human, he slowed down, howling again as the last warning, but the human didn't move. Pushing his way through the bushes, Moony came to a clearing and grunted. The human was in front of him and trembling.

The human was afraid of him. Good, they should be.

That human had entered the territory of an alpha who was looking for his lost cub, the worst mistake of their life.

Moony's paws made no noise as he approached the human and the wolf realized how small the human was. Well, all humans were small to him.

Moony could smell the human more clearly now. In addition to the smell of fear that that little human emanated, there was a strange stench that covered the natural scent of that human. Surely the human had approached something really disgusting because it smelled of grease and sweat everywhere, however under that stench, Moony managed to smell something different ... something familiar.

He smelled of wild berries and treacle… He smelled like… His cub!

Moony's heart skipped a beat and he couldn't resist the thrill of running his tongue over his cub's face just as he remembered Padfood used to do when the cub was baby.

The cub chuckled and Moony's ears twitched happily. That laugh was that of his cub! although it sounded less childish, it still had the same sweet tone that made Moony want to howl with happiness.

"No Mr. Wolf, don't do that," his cub laughed and Moony didn't stop. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy. Moony even felt like his counterpart seemed to pay attention so he continued licking his cub's face until the little one let out a whimper of pain.

Moony quickly pulled away from his cub and felt his human counterpart yell angrily so he growled to shut him up. Moony hadn't hurt his cub, Moony would never do that! Looking closer at the cub, the Wolf's eyes saw how one of the little one's cheeks was redder than the other and had strange markings all over it.

The growls got louder this time. Someone had dared to hurt his cub! Someone had hit him and Moony wanted to rip apart in pieces the human who did it. Moony pulled away from his cub a bit and began to walk in circles, hoping to find the scent of who had hurt his cub to make them pay. However, the pestilential smell that surely came from whoever had beaten his cub was only perceptible to what extent his territory ended because beyond that point Moony knew that there was a spell that did not allow Moony to leave that area.

Frustrated and still angry, Moony let out a howl before turning to face his cub. The little one still looked scared but not as scared as before. The cub's eyes were shining beautifully in the moonlight and Moony allowed himself to appreciate how much his cub had grown. How long had it been since he had last seen him? Too many moons no doubt but Moony didn't know how many for sure. The cub looked back at him before a growl rose from his stomach, snapping Moony out of his thoughts.

What was he doing? It was late at night and his cub must not only be hungry but also tired, right? Cubs usually sleep a lot. However, what should he do? The logical thing would be to take the cub home, there he would be safe and sound, and surely his human counterpart would have something appropriate for him to eat.

Yes, that would do

Moony approached his cub carefully and crouched in front of him so that he could climb on his back as Moony doubted that the little one could walk the distance to the house.

“Can I ... can I get on?” Asked his cub shyly so Moony nodded.

The cub climbed awkwardly on the poor wolf who felt how his fur was been pulling and the knees of the little one were digging into his ribs but he did not care, he simply waited patiently for his cub to settle well and hold on carefully before standing up and start his way back home, not too fast since he didn’t want to scare the little one. Moony knew that there was no one else in the forest at that time apart from them but still, he did not lower his guard and remained alert while trying not to turn his head to check that his cub was still on him because the little one weighed almost nothing and on several occasions, if it wasn’t for the slight tug on his fur, Moony would have thought his cub had fallen from his back. When they finally reached the cottage , Moony passed the gate before bending down again to allow his cub to come down.

"Do you live here, Mr. Wolf?" Asked his little one with an astonished and tired tone at the same time. Moony nodded at him before standing on his hind legs to open the door.

Surely the door had been shut with the wind when he had left and now he was having trouble with the thing his counterpart used to open it. After several attempts, Moony finally managed to open the door and turned to his cub to gently nudge him into the cottage .

The cub seemed intrigued as he looked inside the cottage so Moony took the opportunity to close the door and go to the room where he remembered that his counterpart used to store food. Usually, there were not many things in that place but Moony felt full at that moment of the transformation, which meant that his counterpart had eaten before it and that there must be something in that place for his cub.

Following his nose, Moony came across something round, red, and sweet"smelling that he remembered seeing Prongs eat in the woods. Since the cub was technically Prongs' blood calf, that meant he would surely like those things too. Moony carefully took two of those things and carried them over to where his cub was examining some of the things of his human counterpart. Careful not to scare him, Moony touched his pup with his nose and he turned to see what his Alpha had brought him.

"Are they ... for me?" Asked his cub with emotion in his voice so Moony nodded at him.

The little cub took those things and began to eat them eagerly, which made Moony’s tail move proud. He had finally provided for his cub successfully after a long time. However, Moony also felt uneasy, when was the last time his cub had eaten? Well with Moony arrow now taking care of him, the little one would eat daily. That was something Moony did not have to worry about as he knew that his human counterpart would starve himself as long as his cub was fed properly. It was in the pride of an Alpha to provide first for the little ones before himself after all. When the little one finished eating, Moony watched how he clean up his own mess, so Moony approached him to take him by his clothes; the Wolf really hoped that his counterpart would do something to get rid of that stink cloth that was covering the pleasant smell of his cub, and let him on the chair before he climbed to rest. 

It was time for the good cub to go to sleep.

The cub yawned eagerly before rubbing his eyes, although Moony noticed that he was being very careful with the side where he had the blow, so Moony approached his little one and gently licked his cheek to calm the pain. Moony was like this for a while until his cub spoke.

“Mr. Wolf ... do you think ... I can stay here with you?” the cub asked in a very low voice.

Moony stared at his cub and managed to hear how his counterpart tried to protest but ignored him. After all, his human had been ignoring him for a long time and now he also deserved that Moony did not listen to him.

“I promise I will be good, and and and ... and I also can clean the floor and wash the dishes. I even know how to cook eggs and bacon” his cub said anguished while his little hands trembled. Moony's counterpart finally fell silent and both of them looked away a little embarrassed when they understood the little boy's words.

Something was not right, the cubs should not sound distressed or beg for a place to live. It was the duty of the Alpha and the other members of the pack to take care of the little ones when the parents couldn't. See that they were safe and happy.

But Harry is not safe and clearly, he has not been happy ... we have failed him. The voice of his human counterpart was clear in Moony’s head although he was in control, and yet the Wolf refused to accept his words. Perhaps he had neglected his duties as Alpha but not anymore. His cub was finally in front of him when the rest of the pack was broken and it was his duty, no, his desire to take care of him until the little one was big and strong enough that could take care of himself.

A soft sob rose from the cub's chest and ripped through the Wolf's heart. His cub was sad, he could feel it in his being. He feels how lonely and abandoned the little one felt.

"I ... don't have a home, Mr. Wolf ... please ... please ... let me stay" his cub sobbed and Moony felt like crying along with him. His once giggling and joyful cub was broken, as broken as Moony had felt all those moons alone, completely cut off from his pack.

Very slowly, Moony got off the couch and rubbed his snout against his cub who hugged him and cried some more until he began to calm down little by little. When Moony was sure his cub was calmer, he climbed back onto the couch and pulled his cub close to him to make him lie on his back.

"I promise you will not regret it, Mr. Wolf, I will always be very good and obedient ... so please, let me stay," the little one muttered, hiding his little face in Moony's fur. It wasn't long until the Wolf heard a soft breath and knew that his little one was asleep, safe and sound at last.

♡/~/~/~/~/~♡/~/~/~/~/~/♡~/~/~/~/~/♡

Remus was aware of something else besides the terrible migraine that threatened to cloud his vision and how sore his muscles felt when he regained consciousness at dawn. There was something what still kept Remus sprawled on the basement floor of his little cabin as he forced himself to remember the 12 uses of dragon blood to avoid the impending panic attack he felt take control of him by the unexpected visitor who must still be where the wolf had left him before going down to the basement for transformation.

Remus's heart was pounding so violently that the young man could feel it thudding like blows against his temples. What had actually happened the night before? How was it that the wolf had managed to get out of the basement? Why was Harry, of all people, in the middle of the forest last night? And was the child still alive?

A growl rumbled in the brunette's head, accelerating his headache. Apparently the wolf had taken offense at that last thought from Remus.

Trying to ignore that, Remus made an effort to stand up and go to the corner of the basement where the loose floorboard was. Careful not to splinter, it had already happened several times, Remus lifted the board and took out his clothes; his wand and a flask with half a gulp of pain potion which he drank before dressing. As the liquid trickled down his throat, Remus felt the familiar heat the potion produced as it traveled through his muscles and joints to relax them a bit. With a sigh, Remus finished dressed himself and wielded his wand before walking up the stairs on shaky legs. Usually Remus had to crawl upstairs in order to get to the couch and lie there, hoping not to bleed to death from his own injuries, but this had been the first moon in a long time where Remus did not hurt himself deeply and he was anxious to think that the wolf might have dug its claws and teeth into something more… soft.

The wolf growled again this time louder, causing Remus to stagger and have to lean against the wall as the growl had caught him off guard.

"oh hush" Remus huffed. It had been a long time since he had consciously addressed his wolf but it was being more annoying than usual.

Once out of the basement, Remus took a deep breath and tried not to imagine the small body of his late friends' son, torn to pieces on his couch. With his legs somewhat shaky, partly from nerves and muscle weakness after the transformation, Remus leaned over to the back of the sofa and leaned out to see the mess.

However, he found none there. All he found was Harry, Lily and James' son, asleep curled up on the couch. The little boy was breathing deeply, his glasses twisted on his face and one thumb resting lightly between his lips while the other hand rested on his little face.

Remus let out a breath without realizing he was holding his breath and walked around the couch to kneel in front of the boy and stare at him more closely. The messy black hair, so characteristic of James, fell on the little boy's face all over the place while his little nose, the same as Lily's, parted a little every time he took a deep breath. Harry was there, in front of Remus, in his house and unharmed after a full moon night with the wolf.

The wolf growled again at Remus but this time the brunette felt that it was more of a snarl of mockery which made Remus rolled his eyes and tried to ignore it, however it was difficult for him when he felt someone trespass the protections of his house and the wolf became defensive.

Remus stood up with his wand in hand. Who could it be at that hour? Was it a Death Eater? Did they know that Harry was there? And if it was, what should I do? Where should he go with the kid?

A soft knock on the door put Remus on full alert who felt his mouth dry as he slowly approached to answer. Whatever it was, he wouldn't let anyone or anything try to hurt his cub. Very cautiously, Remus opened the door far enough to just poke his head out and sighed as he found his former headmaster.

"Good morning Remus" Dumbledore greeted with that calm tone that always characterized him

 "Good morning Director," Remus said, trying to get out of his tense posture but the wolf didn't relax.

"You looked exceptionally well for the morning after the full moon, did you have a good night?"

"I wouldn't really know how to answer that sir" Remus sighed moving his lips. As much as he wanted to be hospitable to his former headmaster, that was not a good time at all "how can I serve you so early in the morning, sir?

"Always so direct, isn't it Remus? " Dumbledore sighed and Remus thought that the old director looked older than normal "I know that with this topic maybe I'll open old wounds in you Remus and believe me, it's not my intention to bring you more grief and pain than you've already suffered lately, however I need your help. Harry Potter disappeared from his relative's house last night.

Remus knew that he should put on an expression of pain, horror or anything other than the guilt he felt. For a moment he felt himself back at Hogwarts as a student right after being caught doing some of his shenanigans.

Dumbledore did not ignore the curious expression that Remus had and the werewolf thought that the most sensible and easy thing at that moment was to simply show the headmaster who was inside his house even though he himself was not completely sure how the little one had arrived in the forest last night.

"Remus?" Dumbledore asked and the young man sighed.

"I think Sir ... it will be easier if you go in and see for yourself" Remus said, giving way for the magician to enter his cabin.

In other circumstances Remus would feel embarrassed by the disorder in his home as there were piles of books piled up everywhere, as well as old newspapers, dirty cups, blankets, among other things on the floor. Since the death of his father, Remus had lost interest in taking proper care of the cabin and since he spent most of his time between his multiple Muggle jobs, he only showed up there to sleep. Yet at that moment that was the least of it. Dumbledore made his way through the small room and did not have to be guided by Remus to see the little boy who had not moved from the sofa.

A lot of things started going through Remus' head at that moment as his anxiety made his stomach knot. The most obvious thing is that Dumbledore would blame him for kidnapped Harry, which was not entirely true; I mean, Remus hadn't known where Harry had been taken after that fateful Halloween night, and Moony bringing him to the cabin in the middle of the night was more to protect him than to keep the boy permanently.

Now, if by some miracle Remus managed to convince Dumbledore that none of his intentions had been malicious, even when those had been made by the wolf, the most likely thing is that his cub would be returned to the place from which he had been kick out and that was something that Remus couldn't allow. The memories of the previous night were still somewhat cloudy for Remus but if he was sure of one thing it was the bad feeling that he had about Harry’s previous home. If a family that was capable of abandoning a small child in a forest in the middle of the night, they were not fit to take care of that child at all and less if that child was the cub of their pack. Remus wondered hopelessly how long he could run with Harry before Dumbledore caught him and sent him to Azkaban for it.

"Well ... This is definitely a surprise that I wasn't expecting," Dumbledore said after a while and turned to see Remus. The director's blue eyes tinkled behind his half moon glasses, as if he were solving a fascinating puzzle without all the pieces "I have to say I'm really intrigued to hear what must have been a really interesting night for you Remus but before that I would like to ask you to allow me to make a small diagnosis in the child, he does not look hurt but I would like to check something before continuing, if it does not bother you."

Remus narrowed his eyes. It seemed odd to him that his former headmaster was asking permission for something he could have done without his realizing it.

"I don't see why not sir, but can I ask why you ask my permission?"

"Well, first of all I'm a guest in your home, Remus, and it would be very rude and inconsiderate of me to draw my wand and start doing magic without your permission. Second; the spell that I'm going to use is not one that I do in my darly bases and requires me to concentrate a bit, so your grunts make my job a little ... difficult" Dumbledore said kindly.

Remus's cheeks turned pink as he became aware of the constant warning growl that was coming from his throat. Something like that hadn't happened to him since he was a young teen.

"I ... I'm so sorry sir ... I ... I didn't realize it" Remus wanted the earth to open up at that moment and swallow him. It didn't help that Dumbledore chuckled softly, apparently he found the whole situation amusing.

"No harm has been done my boy," said the old man calmly, drawing his wand.

"I… hmmm I'll make some tea," Remus said awkwardly.

"Oh, that would be lovely," added the old man as he sat on the other end of where Harry slept and began to run the tip of his wand over the boy.

Remus moved somewhat disoriented to the kitchen where instead of using magic, he decided to make tea in a traditional way, mostly to keep his hands busy. Once finished, he took two mismatched cups and poured the tea before returning to the living room where he placed one of the cups on his coffee table before sitting in the armchair next to the sofa with his mug in his hands.

That chair, actually; it was Remus's favorite as many times he had snuggled there in his mother’s arms after the full moon to rest. It was one of the few things he still had from his mom that warmed Remus's heart instead of breaking it.

With pursed lips and cold hands still holding his cup between them, Remus watched as Dumbledore put away his wand and turned to take one of the cups without looking at Remus. The silence started to get really thick and Remus wondered how long Dumbledore waited to accuse him of kidnapping or whatever was going through his head. The elderly headmaster took his time sipping his tea before lowering his cup and finally glancing at Remus who hadn't been able to take a drink from his.

"Well, beyond a few minor injuries, I don't see young Harry being seriously injured," Dumbledore started to say but Remus cut him off.

"Moony didn't hurt him, I'm sure of that," he said without thinking twice and felt like deep inside him, Moony thanked him.

"Moony?" Dumbledore asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

"The wolf ... that's how I call it" Remus replied now avoiding the old man's gaze. He did not feel the ability to explain where that nickname had come from or why it was.

"You seem to have a more conscious awareness of your lycanthropic counterpart, is that always the case?

"It hadn't been in a long time," Remus replied looking at the old man, "not since ... that night."

Albus's eyes stared at Remus for a moment, as if trying to read him. Remus was usually good at hiding his things, or so he believed when he was at his full capacity, which was not the case the morning after the full moon.

"Remus, I know that you didn't bring Harry Potter to your cabin last night, or at least you weren't the one who took him out of his home to bring him here. Clearly that issue is among my priorities to clarify, however right now what I am most interested in knowing is how young Harry Potter is still alive and mostly unharm after spending a full moon night with an adult werewolf.”

Dumbledore's last words hadn't been said maliciously, but still Remus sensed that the elderly headmaster had a bit of a misgivings for the wolf and to be honest, who wouldn't? After a sigh, Remus put his still full cup on the table and leaned back to rest his hands on his knees so he could rest his face on them.

"I'm honest, sir ... I don't even know that answer. My memories of last night are not very clear."

"Hmmm I see," Dumbledore said thoughtfully as he ran his hand through his long beard before looking back at Remus. "Would you mind if I used a bit of legitimacy on you? Perhaps, if I browse through your memories of last night, we can see more clearly what really happened and the motivations of your wolf. I promise not to inquire beyond the last 12 hours."

Remus pursed his lips not knowing what to answer. On the one hand, he really needed to know what had happened the night before, however he did not feel comfortable with the idea of ​​Dumbledore looking at all his memories of last night because he knew that at some point in this, the wolf had thought about Padfoot and that was something which Remus didn't want to deal with at the moment.

Albus waited patiently for his former student's decision. He had to admit that he was immensely intrigued by the possibility that Remus had found a way to maintain his control the night before without the wolfsbane potion. On top of that, upon examining the little boy, Dumbledore had found traces of what looked like very ancient magic and wanted to know where it came from or what it was. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Remus spoke:

"Hmmm ... If you’re only going to check my memories for last night...I guess there would be no problem," he said in a low voice as he bit the inside of his cheek.

"Very good" Albus agreed, taking out his wand and pointing it at Remus's face "Legeremens

Definitely the feeling of someone entering and invading your mind was not something Remus wanted to experience often, but what Remus did not expect was Moony's loud barking that forced him to cover his ears and left his temple throbbing when the connection was broken.

"That was… unexpected," Dumbledore said clearly surprised.

"I'm sorry sir," Remus muttered slightly annoyed. "Hmm let me just a moment, maybe I can calm him down so we can try again." Dumbledore simply nodded and watched curiously as Remus crossed his legs and closed his eyes.

Remus hadn't discussed that connection with Moony since James and Lily's deaths, but despite the time, the connection came to him as easily as it had been when his friends were alive. Suddenly Remus felt overstimulated with the wolf's senses and somewhat overwhelmed with all his thoughts. Forcing himself to focus, Remus tried to organize the events of the night before as Moony barked and growled, demanding answers.

Where was the pack?

Why were they mad at Padfoot?

Why was the cub not with the pack?

"ENOUGH" Remus ordered irritably "If you don't shut up we will lose Harry again" and with that the wolf finally fell silent giving him the opportunity to find the memories of last night and break the connection.

"Are you okay, Remus?" Dumbledore asked, looking at him with a worried glint in his blue eyes as the brunette had started to breathe heavily and was paler than normal.

"Yes ... yes ... don't worry about me. Try again, the wolf will not interrupt"

Dumbledore examined Remus with his gaze but said no more, he simply raised his wand and entered his mind again. True to his word, Dumbledore did not explore the previous events of that night's transformation, however that meant that the elderly headmaster was now aware of the wolf's feelings and how he had captured Harry's essence and had gone to hunt him down until he recognized his cub.

"That was undoubtedly the most interesting thing I have witnessed in a long time, my boy. I had no idea that werewolves had a separate conciente between the wolf and the human and that they could behave in such a way with humans."

"I can’t talk about the others but for me...the wolf had always been just another entity in me" said Remus, more recovered from his connection with the wolf "however, the behavior that you witnessed isn’t common, my type only can do with the members of their packs. If last night I had crossed paths with a different human, I..."

"I see" Dumbledure interrupted so that Remus wouldn't follow the thread of his words. The old wizard knew Remus well enough to know how horrible those words would hurt him if he allowed him to finish the sentence, so he decided to change the subject to one that interested him more. "You said ‘the members of their packs’ I apologize for my ignorance Remus but I think I'm going to need you to be more… explanatory."

Remus opened his mouth before pursing his lips and looking at the fireplace. For some reason James's voice had resonated in his head the moment he had intended to talk about the ritual he had done with his friends. Amid the nearly extinguished embers of the fireplace, Remus remembered a conversation he had once had with James in the Gryffindor common room.

"Moony, knowledge is power and as possessors of this, we cannot show all our cards at the same time. Take my example with Evans, I only show her what everyone already knows about me, but when I make my move and give her one of my hidden cards, she will surely fall for me for sure"

"I don't think that's how Prongs works"

"Maybe not but you get the idea."

Remus didn't remember why they had even had that talk or know why his mind had decided to bring that up in that moment precisely. However, that memory had given him a card that perhaps he could use to his advantage even though he wasn't entirely sure how to use it. Usually he was the one who made the plans, not the one who executed them, that had always been Sirius and James, but now they weren't there and it was up to him not to spoil his chance to keep Harry.

"You mentioned Harry had minor injuries," Remus began, choosing his words carefully, "and as you saw in the wolf's memories, someone had hit him recently. Who has Harry been living with since Lily and James died?" It was the first time Remus said his friends' names out loud since their deaths and he didn't expect that it would burn him so much.

Dumbledore let out a long breath before removing his half moon glasses to clean them with the tip of his robe . For a moment he looked older than he really was or so Remus thought.

"After that Halloween night, I made sure that Harry was left in the safest place possible for him. So I leave him to the care of Lily's sister and her husband ..."

"With Petunia ?! But have you gone crazy?! Despite all the suffering that Lily went through because of that sister of hers, what made you think that was a good idea to start with?" yelled Remus jumping to his feet "no wonder he was so ruthlessly abandoned in a forest as if he were a dog. And that blow he had on his face, who knows what else they have done to him during all this time"

"I personally hoped that Petunia Dudsley could get past the childish hatred she had against her sister and look out for the good of her nephew now that he was an orphan. I genuinely thought that she would at least take good care of him, Remus, if not come to love him. However I was wrong when judging her character" said Dumbledore imperturbable before the imminent threat of a furious werewolf in front of him "Voldemort could have vanished that night, but I suspect that he is not completely gone and the only way to protect to Harry it is through the protection given by Lily's blood."

"I have Lily's blood, I could take care of it!" Remus yelled before realizing that he was practically on the headmaster, so as best he could, he regained his composure and returned to his chair.

"That's what I just realized, Remus. My diagnostic spell not only worked to see if young Harry was physically okay but to see where his mother's protection fell and I can guarantee you that some of Lily Potter's magic flying here around Harry. However, I would like to hear how that happened and from there we could make an action plan that not only meets the protection needs that young Harry requires but also his integral development as a child."

Remus bit his lower lip for a moment as he thought of the best way to explain everything to the old headmaster. After a long sigh and putting aside the fact that the other Marauders had been accompanying him on their full moons from Hogwarts, Remus explained to Albus as best he could the whole thing about the Pack Ties ritual, the rules and who was involved. When he finished speaking, the room fell into silence again, barely broken by the soft breathing of Harry, who had moved a little more even asleep.

"Well, this changes everything then," said Dumbledore after a while.

"sir?" Remus asked cautiously.

"Well, you'll see Remus. As I explained to you before, I don't think Voldemort is really gone and if he ever returns, Harry of all people will be the one who will be in the greatest danger but at the same time he will be the best protected by the sacrifice of his mother. However, such protection can only be given to Harry through an adult who shares Lily Potter's blood. Someone who is willing to accept Harry voluntarily into his life so that the child himself considers that place as home. Unfortunately because of their intolerance, the Dursleys have broken that protection, so even if he returns there, he will not be safer than in any other house ... Except for here, with you. So I think the issue that concerns us now is whether you, Remus John Lupine, are willing to take over Harry James Potter under your care."

Remus pressed his fingers to his eyes as he tried to control the frantic pounding of his heart that threatened to choke him. He could feel Moony restless awaiting his decision. While Remus had loved Harry from the moment he was born, he couldn't deny that he felt somewhat incapable of filling James and Lily's shoes when it came to raising Harry. By Merlin, he was barely 24 years old and had a semi steady job at a Muggle bookstore in the downhill town. What would they do if he lost his job because of his condition? How was he going to provide for Harry? He didn't have the money to be able to give his cub everything that he deserved, because in his eyes, Harry deserved the stars and more.

Mom and Dad never had a lot of money but we still grew up happy, right?

Remus blinked. It was true, his parents had never had much money. Between his mother who had to always be at home to take care of him and the contempt that his father received from the ministry for having a son in his condition. The only thing Lyan and Hope had to spare for their son was love. Love by taking care of him when the moon went down, love by teaching him how to cope with everything and love by accepting him as he was. And that was something Remus was going to give his cub a lot. The same kind of love that both Lily and James had started giving him from the moment they allow him to be their friends despite what he was. 

"I will," Remus replied without hesitation, causing his magic to shake with euphoria and he felt a strange tingle on his fingertips. Remus stared at Albus and noticed the old man's eyes blazing with pride.

"Very well then," Dumbledore smiled as he got to his feet and Remus followed him to the door, "I'll send a letter to Gringotts for the goblins to give you full access to the Potters' vault and ..."

"No" Remus said firmly, "that's Harry's money for when he goes to Hogwarts and grows up. Until then I am perfectly capable of providing for my cub."

"Remus…."

"I'm not negotiating that sir. I'm doing this because I love Harry, not because I want a life of comfort and luxury with the Potters' money. Unless it is an emergency, that gold will not be touched."

Dumbledore stared at his student before nodding:

"Very well, however there are a couple of things I'd like to agree with you then."

"And those are?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The first thing is that you do not bring Harry closer to the wizarding world, at least not until it is time for him to go to Hogwarts. We both know that there are still many Death Eaters who managed to evade Azkaban, ready to attack the boy-who-lived."

"It seems reasonable, however I will not let Harry grow in ignorance. I doubt his uncles told him anything about our world and he should be ready when he goes to Hogwarts."

"In that case I could recommend making contact with the Weasley family. They have a son who will go in the same Hogwarts year with Harry and they could be a good source of support in case you need help with him. I can arrange to send you an owl to reintroduce yourself with them"

"Okay," Remus replied as he opened the door for Dumbledore to come out.

"Very good Remus, I feel that things will have a better development from now on for you and young Harry. Best of luck for you two and feel free to contact me in case you need anything. I'll arrange to have a chat with Harry's uncles so the Muggle authorities will bother you two"

"I appreciate it sir" Remus said and watched as the director gave him one more smile before turning and with his hands behind his back, he left whistling to the edge of the house so he could appear.

Once Dumbledor left, Remus closed the door and fell back on it with his knees shaking.

Harry was at his house ...

Harry Potter was at his house and he would stay with him ...

His puppy was at home.

Remus felt like Moony began to howl euphorically so he sighed before speaking:

"If we are going to do this, we must do it together. You must help protect him and I… I'll tell you about Padfoot. But not today, I'm exhausted" said Remus and felt how the wolf calmed down to finally go to sleep

Sighing one last time, Remus stretched out and headed for the kitchen. Luckily he had two days off until Monday to try to do a half routine with Harry and incorporate him into his life as well as join the boy's. There was a lot to do and talk about but all it could be done after a good breakfast of eggs, bacon and orange juice.