Sacred is the Windswept Time

Seven: Harry's Warning to Severus

James Potter sighed as he wrapped the invisibility cloak more tightly around him and watched the boy that looked so much like him tossing and turning on the bed. He wanted to reach out and touch the boy, sweep his wild hair back from his forehead, make sure the vision of his future son was real. He closed his eyes and lifted his head skyward, tears escaping the corners of his eyes as he opened them again. He was only seventeen years old, how could he deal with this knowledge? Then he turned to the boy, obviously weary beyond his own seventeen years and wondered how he'd been strong enough to survive all that he'd lived through.

The boy hidden in the invisibility cloak was startled as Harry violently sat up, gasping for breath and looking toward the infirmary window, as he snatched his glasses from the bedside table. The boy's green eyes widened behind his glasses and he said, "Oh Gods, Severus..."

Harry got out of the bed and noticing his clothing laying folded on the bed next to his, quickly began to dress, and then his attention was drawn to the seemingly empty chair pulled next to his bed. He sucked in a huge breath and looked skyward for guidance as he swore heavily, knowing who it was sitting in that chair in an invisibility cloak, the same cloak he'd used to sneak into the infirmary countless times to watch over Hermione or Ron whenever they were sick or hurt. The same cloak he'd used on countless adventures.

"I know you're there," Harry said and then sighed. "Now isn't a good time for questions, and I'm sure you have more than a few. Sirius is going to do something stupid, and Remus and Severus will be paying for it with the rest of their lives. Neither of them deserves it. I'm going to try and head off Severus. He needs to be warned. I want you there tonight near the Whomping Willow, incase my warning doesn't work. Will you do this for me?"

James cocked his head at the boy, as he removed the cloak, stood up, and said, "Anything to spare Remus, but tell me... Are you really my...son?"

Harry grinned wryly as he replied, "Not exactly what you had in mind, now am I, Dad?"

Harry was quite taken by surprise when James threw his arms around him in a crushing hug, and said, "I'm sorry I left you and your mum behind. I'll do my best to see that it's different this go around. No one deserves what you went through. You'll never know how truly sorry I am..."

"It's all right, you know," Harry managed to wheeze once James' grip loosened a bit. "I forgave you a long time ago. You must have really loved me to die for me. Once I knew the truth I understood. You did for me what I would do for anyone else. I just never got the chance to thank you for it. Sirius of course just dove right into the situation and... Well, I still haven't come 'round to forgiving him yet. We were so close to having a family. That's really all I've ever wanted... I kind of have that with Lucius and Severus, although I never thought I'd ever say that. It's like what I have with Ron and Hermione."

"So shall we call a truce, and I want to hear everything you have to say about Peter. I'll believe whatever you tell me. He did betray us didn't he? He destroyed my family, and hurt you?"

Harry nodded. "He did a lot of things, but right now we have to try and fix what Sirius has done. It's just after twilight. We only have a couple of hours before the moon is out, and Severus finds out about Remus the hard way. If we prevent this I'm going to get those two in a room and not let them out till Remus confesses or the next full moon comes around, whichever comes first."

"All right, but tell me what you were dreaming about when I came in?" James asked.

"I fell into Severus' pensieve when I was fifteen, and I saw many of the things you'd done to him over the years. I'd heard about what happened that night with Severus discovering Remus, but I actually saw it in the pensieve and at the time I didn't understand Severus' reactions. Now I know why he became what he did. He saw the man he loved turn into a monster and then turn on him. That's enough to make someone think that darkness with the promise of knowledge is acceptable. I can't lose them to the mark."

"You won't," James said. "I owe you that much. Although we should talk about your choice in friends, Harry. Honestly, Slytherins?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I know what you mean. Lucius' son and me have always been rivals, and I've never been overly fond of the adult Lucius, but he's seen the error of his ways, and while he's still a right sod most of the time, he's not so bad."

"Fine, but I think that undying friendship with a Malfoy is stretching things."

"Who said he had to be your friend?"

"Fine, now got a plan for keeping Snape away from the Whomping Willow?"

"I'll try to head him off, you're just the back up."

"Done."

"Hopefully it won't come to the back up, although... Maybe we should let Sirius think he got away with it, give him a little scare, and act as though Severus were critically wounded."

James' eyes widened and then he shook his head. "I can see how you got put into Slytherin. Just another thing for us to talk over."

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head at James before giving a sly grin and leaving the infirmary to head toward the dungeons, in hopes of preventing something catastrophic in the lives of two men he'd learned to greatly admire. He found himself wondering how the future would be once he'd returned, how things might be different with all of the little things he was changing in the now. He only hoped it really was better...

----------

Lucius looked up when someone suddenly ran into the Slytherin common room, they were doubled over, their black hair a complete mess, and breathing hard. Eventually they looked up and Lucius' grey eyes locked with Harry's green. Lucius' brow rose neatly in curiosity as he stood up and headed toward Harry, but Harry shook his head.

"No time for explanations. Where's Severus?" Harry spoke sharply.

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Off to meet with Lupin. He got a note by owl only a few minutes ago. Why? Something wrong?"

"What? Did he say where he would be going?" Harry asked, his tone somewhat panicked.

Lucius shook his head. "Bugger, he's going to the Whomping Willow already," Harry said and then turned to Lucius. "You are to stay here. If he comes back you keep him here no matter what. Hex him if you have to. Understood?"

"Now, wait a minute. I'm going with you. I don't know what's going on, but I've known Severus a lot longer than you have," Lucius said.

"How long you've known him doesn't matter. Don't think I won't hex you to keep you here, Lucius. I can't worry about the both of you. Now stay here," Harry snapped.

Lucius narrowed his grey eyes as he sulkily answered, "Fine," then he tilted his head, looked at the boy, and continued, "And why aren't you at the infirmary? I thought you were supposed to stay the night for observation."

"Observation got cut short," Harry replied nonchalantly and then turned around and left the common room. Lucius shook his head, wondering what was going on with the boy. There was obviously something highly unstable about him. If he didn't know any better he'd say the boy was a Potter, what with the way he looked and acted sometimes, but no Potter would ever be sorted into Slytherin.

----------

James was pacing in the common room, wondering whether he should just go and confront Sirius or go with Harry's plan. James had never been back up before. Usually he came up with the schemes. He couldn't help the grin that played across his lips at one of the traits he'd passed on to Harry. The absolute madness of the boy had to come from Lily's side of the family...

James was cut short in his pacing and reverie as he heard a commotion coming from just beyond the entrance to Gryffindor tower. His eyes widened behind his glasses as he realized that someone was actually cursing out the portrait of the fat lady, demanding access to Gryffindor Tower. Deciding that the poor portrait had endured enough of the foul language being flung her way, James went out of the portrait hole, the portrait swinging aside to reveal Harry and Severus Snape. James had to blink as he laid eyes on Snape, or more importantly Harry's hand securely holding Snape's collar and shaking the boy.

Harry looked up, his green eyes meeting James'. "Looks like I've headed the git off, now care to help me get him to your room, so that we can talk some sense into him and tell him that Remus didn't send him that bloody note?"

"Where did you find him?" James asked as he noticed that both of them looked as though they'd been tossed about in mud.

Severus was beginning to regain the use of his legs as Harry had only used a temporary version of the stunning charm, as the full version would have disoriented the boy. Harry gave him a firm shake and then sent a glare in James' direction. "We'll talk specifics up in your room. If anyone questions why we are here, say it's Head Boy business or something. Just get us the hell out of the corridor and to somewhere with some privacy where I can hold this bloody prat down if I have to. Bloody hell, Sev, I will deck you if I have to!"

James sighed before he said the password and the portrait swung open, James entering first, followed by Severus who was obviously being led by a very irate Harry. When Harry got his hands on Sirius... Well now that was something to savor thinking on...

----------

"This is a load of shite! You've having me on, and Remus is going to be out of his mind that I've missed our rendezvous! If I hurry now I'll only be a few minutes late!" Severus ranted as he glared at the two boys that looked nearly identical. James was rolling his eyes as he lounged on his bed, and Harry was sitting in one of the crimson chairs in the room, the two chairs turned to face the bed rather than the fireplace. Harry looked as though he could spring into action at any moment if Severus dared try to leave the room.

Harry finally having enough of his friend's ranting turned to James and then looked Severus dead in the eye. "Dammit Sev, I'm sorry you had to find out like this. What we've been telling you about Sirius sending that soddin' note is true, but there is something that we've been trying to keep from you..."

"Harry! You can't!" James cut in, but Harry shot him a glare and then continued, "When Remus was four years old there was an incident. He was attacked and suffered an injury. The injury healed with little trouble, in fact, considering the magnitude of the injury, the fact that there was no scarring is nothing short of miraculous..."

"What has that got to do with now? That was what? Over thirteen years ago?" Severus replied in exasperation.

Taking a deep breath, Harry exchanged a quick glance with James, who was looking decidedly ill at what he knew Harry was about to reveal. Knowing what needed to be said, Harry took the plunge. "It was a werewolf. Remus has been suffering from Lycanthropy ever since. His injury healed, but the damage was done. That's why the Whomping Willow was planted the year you all started Hogwarts, and that's why the Shrieking Shack is supposedly haunted. Remus transforms in the shack and stays there every full moon. He's distant because he's afraid you won't want him if you know the truth."

Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry. "Well, if all this nonsense is true, then why would Black risk Remus' friendship to stage this? To have me find out about Remus by stumbling across him in wolf form, not to mention how I could more than likely be physically harmed in the process?"

"Because he doesn't think things through. He just goes ahead with things, the consequences be damned until he royally fucks up," James said as he ran a hand through his untamed hair.

Harry snorted and looked at his father in surprise. "Well said, James, well said. He was the same way with Bellatrix. He just leapt first and... Well you can guess the rest."

"Yes," James said with a nod, "I probably can, kiddo."

Severus looked between the two boys and shook his head, before he settled his gaze on Harry and asked, "Since when have the two of you become friends?"

"Well, since he saved my neck," James said.

Severus' brow lifted. "Bollocks."

"The stupid prat was watching over me in the infirmary last night. He didn't know that I knew about his invisibility cloak until I told him to reveal himself," Harry answered with a shrug.

"Now wait a tick," Sev said and stood up, his black eyes focusing on James. "You have a bloody invisibility cloak? Ah hell, now that explains some things."

"Sev, we've got a plan to get Sirius. Hopefully it will at least make him think future plans through before jumping headfirst into things, but before we can go through on it, I want to know how you feel about Remus. Can you handle this? If you can't you tell me now, because he doesn't deserve the hurt of you rejecting him for what he is."

Severus looked at Harry and closed his eyes before he spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. "It doesn't matter. I don't give a damn about him being a werewolf. I love him. Now let's get tonight over with so that I can be up early enough to get a good start on a potion that will take over two weeks to prepare."

Harry grinned. "So you're going to go the Potions route to becoming an Animagus? Well that is the less painful method. Learning through transfiguration is tricky and very painful in the beginning. You'll be brewing enough for Lucius as well I assume? First you should do a potion that will reveal your inner animal. Lucius of course will more than likely end up as a ferret. That's what Draco became as I recall."

"Who is this Draco you keep mentioning around Lucius?" Sev asked curiously.

Harry chuckled. "He's someone that you will one day have the displeasure of meeting. And surprisingly he will be the one boy that Lucius will fall head over heels for..."

Severus nearly choked. "Lucius? He's as straight as Black."

"Not quite," Harry said. "Lucius is indeed straight, but I wouldn't say as much for Sirius..."

Here James did indeed choke and looked at Harry. "What?" he managed to wheeze.

"He's gone and fallen for you, but he won't say anything to you because you're so over the moon for Lily. For my sake, please stick with Lily."

"You've no problems there, but Sirius with a man?"

Severus just looked between his strange friend and the Gryffindor. "Enough with the prattle, what's the soddin' plan?

----------

Holding the large stick before him, Severus laid down on the ground, stretching his arm forward to push the knot on the tree with the stick to keep it from knocking him senseless. Just as he deactivated the tree a rather large hole appeared just at the base of it, next to the knot. Severus was about to enter the hole when he was knocked aside and he rolled across the ground and away from the opening just as the tree sprang back into life. He heard a strange crunching sound followed by a horrible cry of pain. Turning to his left Severus saw James Potter sprawled on the ground, his left hand clutching his limp right arm. Severus winced at the expression of pain on the boy's face, before he moved quickly, grabbing the boy by his robes and again wincing as the boy cried out in agony as Severus pulled him out of range of the enraged tree.

Panting, Severus looked at the injured James Potter, and actually felt sympathy for him. James groaned as he clutched at his arm and then looked at the Slytherin that was kneeling beside him. Severus helped him to sit up and then said, "I think, perhaps, that we should get you to the hospital wing."

Gritting his teeth, James replied, "For once I won't argue with you."

"Does this mean that you've just agreed with a Slytherin?" Severus asked with a smirk as he helped the injured boy get to his feet.

James rolled his eyes before he cried out again as his injured arm was shifted. "Don't let it go to your head. Now about the infirmary?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "Only looks like a broken arm. It could have been much worse."

James glared at the boy. "Well then, let's go back and see how you like being attacked by a bloody tree!" he snapped.

Severus snorted and slowed his pace to stay by James' side as the two of them headed toward the castle and ultimately the hospital wing, where Severus' acting would be put to the test. All for the benefit of one stubborn Gryffindor...