A Life More Ordinary

Grimmauld Place, 26 June 1993

Remus knotted his tie with deft fingers, ran his hands over the silk to make certain it was smooth and was about to turn away from the mirror when Sirius came up behind, Remus' robes already in hand. Smiling softly at Remus' reflection, Sirius draped the brown fabric over his shoulders, reaching around to fasten the clasp.

His hands trailed down the edges of the robes, smoothing just as Remus had done with his tie a moment before. The lingering brush of his fingers sent a warm tingle over Remus' skin. Sirius smirked, knowing very well what he was doing and probably relishing in it.

Remus skimmed the tips of his fingers over Sirius' wrist and down his fingers, finally catching a hand and bringing it to his lips. He kept Sirius' gaze in the mirror as he pressed a delicate kiss to the palm, smiling against the skin as Sirius pressed against him in reaction. Remus turned around and let himself be pushed against the mirror as Sirius bent to meet his lips, urging them open with his tongue. The kiss became more insistent as Remus walked his hands up his husband's chest.

Both of them were breathing heavily when they broke apart. Sirius' hand was still at his back, and Remus' arms wound round Sirius' neck as he was tugged closer.

"We really should be going," Sirius breathed against his ear.

Feeling a bit muddled--an effect Sirius' kisses always tended to have, Remus asked somewhat breathlessly, "What?"

Sirius drew a line from ear to jaw with his lips, which didn't help Remus' efforts to think properly.

"To see Snape," Sirius murmured.

"Oh." It took almost more will power than Remus possessed but he nodded and pulled back slightly. Sirius didn't seem inclined to follow suit, busy as he was nibbling Remus' jaw. Remus swallowed. "Sirius..."

Sirius sighed and let his hands drop; though he let his hands wander over Remus' arse, smiling as Remus twitched. "Later," Sirius muttered, leaning in for another slow kiss.

Feeling light, Remus straightened his tie as they left their bedroom. He paused in front of Harry's open door. "He left his lamp on," he explained when Sirius threw him a questioning look. Sirius slouched against the frame as Remus stepped over to the desk and turned the lamp down and then stooped to retrieve a crumpled shirt from the floor.

His brow furrowed when he saw the Hogwarts' engine wedged between a desk leg and the wall. Harry usually kept the model on his shelf...

Frowning, Remus ran a finger over the crooked smoke stack before he picked it up. It looked like it had been run over by the life-size Express. Turning to Sirius as he straightened, he held it up. Sirius' face shift from its earlier happiness and Remus was at a loss to understand it.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

Sirius didn't answer immediately, instead coming into the room, his gaze fixed on the misshapen engine. "Harry was very upset when he realized you weren't coming home," he explained softly. "I hadn't seen him lose control of his magic in years. It exploded."

Remus' throat tickled at the news. "I didn't realize..." Sirius lifted his eyes and Remus wanted to look away from the emotions that Sirius was trying so obviously to hide. "He didn't seem angry," Remus explained as his chest tightened.

"He doesn't like to quarrel anymore than I do," Sirius pointed out, gently for all it made Remus feel about two centimeters tall. He should have realized... of course, he had known that Harry was hurt.

But this...

"Sirius!"

Remus nearly lost his grip on the train at Harry's shout. He blinked back the unwelcome moisture that had climbed up his sinuses. Harry's pounding footsteps echoed on the stairs.

"Sirius?" he called again. And before Remus could decide what to do with the engine, Harry careened into the room, his cheeks lightly flushed and his hair more mussed than usual. "Oy," he breathed with a grin, "Annwn can't run as fast as I can fly!"

Sirius' pinched features melted into a smile. "You were racing her?"

"Yeah!" Harry grinned. "She likes it. I want to take her out to fly against my broom. The garden is too small. Can we try that?" he asked eagerly. "Over in the field where we play Quidditch?"

"We could bring her to the Weasleys on Friday, if Mrs. Weasley doesn't mind."

Harry's eyes had strayed to Remus though, and he didn't answer. His happiness drained away in the same way Sirius' had a moment ago and Remus felt like he'd been kicked. But before Remus could think of something helpful to say, Harry flicked his eyes back to Sirius.

"Are we still going to Hogwarts?"

Sirius nodded. His grey eyes were soft as he murmured, "The headmaster is expecting us."

Harry flattened his hair with a palm. "Are we... leaving then?"

Sirius reached a hand out to smooth the rest of Harry's wayward tangles. "Yes, we do need to. We'll Apparate, I think?" he said, glancing at Remus. Remus nodded, his fingers still gripping the model.

For a moment, Sirius looked uncertain. It was only in the quick glance between Remus and Harry--and the line between his eyes. And Remus knew he should say something, but he had no idea what might end the awkward détente.

So, in the end, he set the model on Harry's desk and tried a smile. "Shall we?"

Harry pulled his eyes away from the train, flattened his hair once more and turned back for the stairs. "Friday, yeah?" he asked over his shoulder, tearing Sirius' attention from Remus.

"I think Annwn will like that," Sirius said, falling in step beside Harry. Remus straightened his cloak, ignored the squeezing sensation around his heart and followed.

oOoOo

"Can't I just come with you?" Harry asked as Sirius opened Hogwarts' iron gate and gestured for him to go ahead.

"That is the third time you've asked me," Sirius reminded him, not quite chiding but Harry sighed anyway.

"But I'll be quiet," he promised. "I won't ask any questions."

"You'll have more fun with Hagrid," Sirius said as he and Remus began walking up the path toward the castle. Harry dragged his feet, the unfairness of the world settling in to make them heavy.

It wasn't that he didn't want to see Hagrid--he did. And he knew it wouldn't really make sense to just sit quietly in Dumbledore's office when what he actually wanted was to ask Snape some questions about his mum.

And maybe a few about the new Wolfsbane.

"Our meeting will be rather dull," Sirius spoke again, this time in a tone meant to reassure him. They had stopped halfway down the path to the main door. Harry could see Hagrid's hut in the distance.

Harry squinted up at his godfather, gauging the likelihood that Sirius would agree to let him go along to Dumbledore's office. Found patience in the grey eyes, but patience would only do so much. He pushed his hands into pockets and kicked a stray pebble back into the grass.

Sirius smiled gently. "Hagrid has new Puffskein pups."

Harry dug a toe into the dusty path. "Yeah."

"You've never seen a newborn," Remus added. Harry glanced at him but didn't answer.

"We won't be gone long," Sirius assured him. "Less than an hour. And then we'll have lunch and work on your Animagus lesson. Your first go at transforming," he added in an encouraging sort of tone.

Harry sighed. He allowed Sirius to muss his hair, didn't bother to smile though as he mumbled his farewells and began his trek down the long hill to the hut, which looked entirely too cheerful.

He picked his way through the tiny pumpkin vines, being careful not to step on any of them. As soon as he cleared the patch, Hagrid's door was flung open and Hagrid burst out, with Fang bounding down the few stairs after him.

"Harry!" Hagrid greeted breathlessly, "Bit o' an emergency with Buckbeak!"

"With what?"

"Buckbeak!" Hagrid called over his shoulder as he charged toward the Forbidden Forest. "Jus be a minute! Have summat ter eat!"

Harry stared after him until both Hagrid and Fang were swallowed up by the trees.

Something to eat...

Cauldron cakes, Harry assumed. Baked rocks, more like. Scowling, he plopped on the top stair. He could see Gryffindor's tower from here. Couldn't see much else.

Not that he needed to see anything stuck down here. And now he was stuck here, waiting for Hagrid. Hagrid--doing something with a buckbeak...

When his legs began to twitch from impatience, Harry pushed himself up. If Hagrid wasn't going to come back, he wasn't going to just sit here, staring at pumpkin blossoms. He could be just as bored sitting next to the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office.

oOoOo

Sirius took the seat offered by Dumbledore, murmuring his thanks when the headmaster held out a cup of tea.

"And for you, Remus?"

"Thank you, no," Remus said, shaking his head slightly at Albus' next suggestion of orange biscuits.

Albus busied himself with sugar and lemon, while Sirius squeezed Remus' fingers gently. Remus' eyes flickered a brief smile before pulling away and folding his hands in his lap.

"Now then," Albus said, the words punctuated by the soft clink of china, "Severus, if you would like to begin?"

Sirius' gaze shifted to Snape, who was sitting, ramrod-straight, across from them. He pursed his lips, a gesture which Sirius recognized from their student days. It was comforting, in a childish sort of way, that Snape was nervous as well.

"The new formula," Snape began, giving no further indication of his emotional state, "will need to be tested. There is no other way to be certain it will be more effective than the last."

"How many months would you recommend?" Remus asked softly.

"Three, at the very least."

Sirius read the lines of distress in his husband's jaw as Remus nodded.

"I should like to be kept apprised of your reactions," Snape continued on in that same detached voice. "For my research."

"Of course..."

"If the new formula is successful," Albus added as he adjusted his spectacles, "it will be most useful to Severus' other customers." He smiled at Snape, but Snape did nothing more than incline his head. It was eerie, this statue-version of the boy who had sparred with Sirius and Remus on a regular basis when they were children.

"However I can help," Remus murmured.

Snape reached into an inside pocket of his black robes and extracted three flasks. "If the first doses do not produce sufficient results, I will need to know that as well."

Remus accepted the proffered potions with a nod. "Thank you."

"I believe that you were hoping Remus might detail his experience with the failed potion, Severus?" Dumbledore said into the following silence.

Beside Sirius, Remus' hands clenched; his face paled a shade. Sirius wound his fingers in the edges of his robes, stilling the urge to slip his hand into Remus' again.

Snape slid his eyes to the headmaster. Dumbledore smiled, but prompted no further.

"Is that..." Sirius cleared his throat when Snape's gaze snapped to him. "... necessary?" he finished, gesturing feebly.

"No," Snape said, the word barely audible.

Straightening his spine, Remus flattened his palms against his thighs. "If it would help..."

Snape kept his eyes on Sirius as he answered with an impassive, "It would."

"Very well," Remus said softly, interrupting Snape's skin-prickling study of Sirius.

But even when Snape's eyes were no longer boring into him, Sirius' nerves wouldn't settle as he listened to Remus' soft voice.

oOoOo

After skipping rocks across the lake and wandering in aimless patterns through the lower corridors, Harry took the stairs to the seventh floor two at time, only just managing to avoid Filch two floors below. No matter that it was summer, Harry had decided in a split-second dash that the caretaker would find some way to order him to a detention.

"Mr. Potter!" a sharp voice rang out.

Harry nearly lost his balance as he came to a tip-toed halt on the top step. McGonagall was coming around a corner with a square-jawed wizard with hair the color of straw.

"Hello Professor..." He took the last step slowly, his face already warming under her dark stare. "My parents," he explained, gesturing to the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office, "are with the headmaster."

"Yes, I know, Potter," she said with a nod. "And even though term is not in session, I would prefer you not run pell-mell up the stairs."

Harry nodded quickly. "Yes ma'am, sorry."

Smiling, she gestured to the man beside her. "This is our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Sturgis Podmore. Sturgis, Harry Potter."

Podmore was already grinning--quite cheerfully. He stuck a hand out. "How do you do, Harry? It is a pleasure to meet you. You look remarkably like your father, did you know?"

Harry half-smiled at the question, but he nodded seriously. "Yes sir."

Podmore's grin widened. "I knew your father quite well. And your mother. Lovely people, both of them."

Any discomfort drained. "You knew my mum and dad?"

"Oh yes," Podmore said with several bobs of his head. "James was two years behind me--I was in Gryffindor as well. He bested me out of the Chaser position his second year." He didn't look too heart-broken over it though and Harry grinned.

"He had the best ideas for mischief, your father. The tower was much more fun with him and Sirius Black around; because of course you would never see one without the other," he added, chuckling. McGonagall cleared her throat, and Podmore glanced at her.

"Yes, well," he amended as color darkened his cheeks, "of course I don't condone that sort of thing--the mishief--any longer, you understand, Harry. As a student at this fine institution, the utmost discipline is required..." His hand flapped in a vague circle as he trailed off.

McGonagall's eyes were crinkled with amusement, though her mouth kept itself dutifully sour. "Quite so, Sturgis."

Podmore nodded, embarrassment still dusting his cheeks.

"Potter," McGonagall said suddenly, her dark eyes suddenly appraising, "you were to be visiting with Hagrid."

"Yes ma'am, but he had to go find a buckbeak."

Podmore cocked his head. "A buckbeak?"

"I've never heard of one either," Harry admitted. "But Hagrid knows loads more about magical creatures than I do."

"You are in third year next term?" Podmore asked. "Third years study dark creatures," he added when Harry nodded. "I have several if you would like to see them."

But before Harry could answer, the wall behind Dumbledore's gargoyle parted, revealing the familiar spiral staircase.

"Of course he is, Severus," Dumbledore's deep voice could be heard faintly. A rumbling response that Harry couldn't quite make out.

"It would be much simpler," Dumbledore answered, "if you would simply allow them to thank you. Sirius has been attempting to contact you for years."

"You know why I cannot," a deep voice replied. One which Harry thought he recognized, and since it wasn't either Sirius or Remus, it was obviously--

A sigh. "I know why you think you cannot, Severus. And--" Dumbledore's feet appeared in Harry's line of vision, followed swiftly by his bright yellow robes and in sharp contrast--the deep black of Severus Snape's. Dumbledore smiled. "Good afternoon, Harry. How did you enjoy your visit with Hagrid?"

It was difficult for Harry to pull his gaze from Snape. "He had an emergency with a buckbeak."

Dumbledore nodded. "Ah." He extended a hand toward Snape. "You remember Mr. Snape, I think?"

"Yes sir." Harry smiled. "Hello sir."

His face staying just as still as it had in Knockturn Alley, Snape inclined his head. "Good afternoon."

"I see you've met the new Defense teacher, Harry," Dumbledore went on. "And Sturgis, I believe you and Severus were acquainted during your student days."

Podmore was no longer smiling. He nodded stiffly. "Yes," he agreed, no trace of enthusiasm in his voice, "we were. In the years after as well."

Snape's jaw had tautened. "Podmore," he said just as tightly. And then to Dumbledore, "I have an appointment, Headmaster. Thank you for the tea."

"I will walk with--"

"No need," Snape interrupted the headmaster's offer politely. "I believe I know the way. Madame," he said with quick bob for McGonagall. He skipped over Podmore, his eyes flicking briefly to Harry once more before he turned away and swept down the staircase.

Once he had disappeared from view, Podmore murmured, "I didn't realize you were well acquainted with him, Albus."

"He provides the potions for the school," Dumbledore said, something about his expression not inviting more discussion. Podmore frowned, but Sirius and Remus appeared on the spiral staircase then, drawing everyone's attention.

"Harry?" Sirius asked, his eyes crinkled in confusion as they emerged. "What happened to Hagrid?"

"He was having a bit of difficulty with one of the magical creatures for his class," Dumbledore explained.

"His class?" Sirius and Harry echoed together.

"Oh yes," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Hagrid is taking over Care of Magical Creatures this year. It should be a wonderful year. Sturgis, you remember Sirius and Remus, of course. And now if you will pardon me, I have a staff meeting to prepare for. Minerva, if you are ready?" He offered an elbow to McGonagall, who made her farewells and the pair disappeared up the stairs.

"Podmore," Sirius said, grinning as he extended a hand."It's been too long."

"Much too," Podmore said with a matching grin. "I was just telling Harry how much fun we used to have in Gryffindor tower with you and James running amuck."

"Amuck? Now, now," Sirius chided as he slung an arm around Harry's shoulders, "you'll give my kid the wrong idea."

"Or precisely the right one," Remus said with a raised eyebrow. Harry smiled as Sirius pretended to be insulted.

Podmore chuckled. "You were nearly as mischievous as they were, Lupin," he said. "Though I admit you was better at hiding it."

"Remus has always been the sneakiest of us," Sirius said, sending a smile to Remus, who accepted the backwards compliment with a nod of his head.

oOoOo

Once they returned from Hogwarts, and after a short lunch, Harry made his first attempt at an Animagus transformation.

"I'll never manage it," he moaned after his fourth go. Sirius tapped the back of his fingers against Harry's head.

"One more time, and then we'll call it a day."

"Why is it so difficult?" Harry asked, but he'd already straightened up and set his lips in concentration.

"Because," Sirius said as he moved back a few paces, "usually you force your magic up from your core and out of your body. And right now, you're asking it to rearrange you while it is still trapped. And, it is a form of wandless magic."

"And non-verbal," Harry pointed out.

"Yes," Sirius said with a smile, "and both of those require a tremendous amount of control over your magical core."

"Right," Harry said with a nod.

"Close your eyes," Sirius said quietly. "Visualize your magic," he murmured when Harry had obeyed. Harry nodded again, pursing his lips as he concentrated. It was a very strange thing, he decided. To visualize magic. Because, as far as Harry knew, magic didn't really look like anything.

But each time he closed his eyes and did as Sirius asked, he pictured something sort of white and very sparkly. Why magic seemed sparkly, Harry didn't know. But it always did as he pictured it gathering in his core, which he imagined was somewhere in the vicinity of his stomach.

"Pull it up," Sirius directed softly. "Slowly now..."

Harry took a deep breath, visualizing a sparkly pulse coming up with the breath, slowly, just like Sirius had said.

"Again... bring it all the way out until you can feel the magic through your entire body..."

Another breath and the sparkly white began to fill him, through his lungs it crept. And outward it spilled until he could feel the familiar vibration in his fingertips. The same one that usually seeped into his wand or exploded outward when he used to lose control of his magic.

He could feel it through his legs and in his toes. His skull tingled with magic.

"Don't let it go," Sirius' soft voice washed through the magic; it was sort of like a dream, but it reminded Harry that he wanted this magic to do something. Wanted it to change him. Transform him.

"Imagine that your arms don't have to be arms... Your legs are just one way to be. Feel how insignificant they are." He felt his godfather's fingers pressing into the crook of his elbow. His magic gathered there, dispersing just as quickly and making the white magic tumble when Sirius shook the weightless elbow. "Do you feel that?"

Sirius voice was right next to Harry's ear, low and deep. Harry nodded. He could feel it. It almost felt like his arms were made of jelly. Almost.

It was a bit like floating.

"Tell the magic to change you... let it change you..."

Harry focused on the sparkling threads, imagined each one had the power to turn his limbs to liquid. Or something else--something he couldn't even dream of yet.

His arms and legs--his entire body--was hot. Cold somehow as well. He felt nothing but the magic. Silver now.

Silver and power, blended into one as his legs trembled.

And all at once it was gone, the magic fading to a low thrum as it seeped from his skin and trickled back into his core.

He barely managed not to curse as he opened his eyes, settling instead for an overdone sigh that heaved his chest. "It didn't work."

But Sirius was staring at him, a mixture of delight and confusion making his eyebrows look like they had been cursed by a mad scientist. He was still holding Harry's arm. Grinning, he held it up. "Look at that!"

A surprised squeak from Harry and Sirius was laughing. "Look at that," he said again, crowing now. "Remus, look at this!"

Remus joined them with soft footsteps. All three stared at the black fur covering Harry's arm. Or was it hair? Harry ran his fingers tentatively over it. Whatever it was, it was soft. And as black as his own hair. As if something had rubbed Hair Growth Elixir all over his arm.

"It's on your other one as well..." Sirius grasped his other arm, turning both to inspect them, his eyes narrowed.

"Looks like fur," Remus said quietly, joining in the inspection.

"Certainly not feathers," Sirius said, still grinning. "Do you realize how hard that should have been?" he demanded, his smile bringing one to Harry's lips as well. "You managed... fur! Before any of us did, you little bugger." He tilted his head, nodding as he gazed solemnly at Harry. "Harry James, I do believe you are some sort of prodigy."

The proclamation, no matter how exaggerated it might have been, sent a flush over Harry's cheeks. "Sirius," he grumbled, not quite able to still his smile.

Sirius released his wrists and with a renewed gleam in his eyes, gestured to Harry's feet. "Let me see your legs." He waved his fingers impatiently when Harry stared at him. "If you've sprouted fur on your arms, your legs might have as well."

Frowning as he realized his legs did feel a big strange, Harry hiked up a trouser leg. Sirius chortled. "Oy... puts us to shame..."

Fur... No matter that it was completely bizarre. "What do you think my form is going to be?" he asked, letting his trouser fall in place around his ankle as he straightened up excitedly. "Padfoot it black!"

Sirius pulled his gaze from Harry's arm, still shaking his head in wonderment. "Animagi tend to have the same features as their human forms," he said, "so if your Animagus animal can have color variations, it would make sense it would be black. Padfoot has grey eyes. And your dad... Prongs had freckles under one of his eyes, just like James did; Prongs' weren't really freckles, I suppose, but darker bits of scattered fur."

Harry didn't ask about any of Wormtail's defining features. "McGonagall's cat form looks like it is wearing spectacles," he said instead, adjusting his own without thinking about it. "Do you think I'll be a cat?"

Sirius cocked his head. "You could be..."

"Or a horse?"

Harry glanced at Remus, already shaking his head. "Horses have hair. Annwn does."

Remus nodded.

"It could be hair though," Sirius mused. "It's short and black... I suppose we will simply have to wait." Harry smirked at the wistful tone.

"Let's have another go," he said, bouncing a little on his toes.

"Not a hope, kid," Sirius said, mussing Harry's hair. "You would collapse into a puddle of sparkly magical threads and black fur."

Harry made a face. "It wasn't that hard."

"No?" Sirius eyebrows met his hairline. "Take out your wand and cast a Lumos."

Harry felt his brow scrunching. "Why?"

"Go ahead," Sirius said, dipping his head in a little nod.

So Harry pulled his wand, moving his fur-wrapped wrist in just the right way. "Lumos."

Absolutely nothing happened.

Frowning, he put more force behind his swish. "Lumos!"

Not even a tiny spark of magic against his palm.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice rising in panic.

"You overtaxed your magic," Sirius explained, though he was still studying Harry's furry arm and didn't look at all concerned that Harry couldn't cast a spell which he had been able to cast since he was nine.

"But where is it?"

Sirius raised his gaze from Harry's arm. His easy smile didn't do anything to alleviate the twinge of nerves in Harry's stomach. Neither did the crinkle of amusement around the grey eyes. "It hasn't gone anywhere. You simply need to let your core rejuvenate. You remember I told you that your magic not be quite mature enough--"

"But what am I supposed to do about this?" Harry asked, holding up his arms for emphasis. "I have fur!"

Sirius looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.

"It isn't funny!" He barely noticed Remus' slight frown.

"Easy, kiddo," Sirius said, his lips finally stilling mid-twitch, "don't panic. Here..." He took Harry's hands in his own, twining their fingers together and ordered quietly, "Visualize your magic again; it will be more difficult this time, but you can do it... deep breaths..."

Sirius' voice lulled the panic into hibernation, and once again as Harry concentrated on the place where he thought his core resided, he could imagine the white magic. Less white now, filmy as though it had been stretched until it was ready to snap.

"Feel that?" Sirius' soft query mingled with the lazy sparkles. "Your magic is exhausted." Harry was about to ask how his godfather knew that, but then he could sense a silvery white wave surging through his fingertips, coming from Sirius.

Familiar magic; the same magic he always felt when Sirius cast spells, especially ones specifically aimed at him--years' worth of warming charms and healing spells.

He relaxed as the familiar warmth coursed toward his core to collect his spent magic and draw it upward again.

Harry opened his eyes as his own magic took control again, pulsing to his fingertips before Sirius' drew away.

"There," Sirius said, smiling as well. "Feel better?"

Harry flexed his fingers, grinning. "Yeah, thanks. Er..." His arms were still furry. "Should I--"

"Just a moment..." Sirius drew his wand, pointed it at Harry's chest and uttered a soft spell. "Homorphus Charm," he explained as they watched the fur ripple and sink into the skin.

Harry scratched his fingernails over the bare skin to relieve the sudden itch, shivering a little. "That was..." He struggled for a word. "... weird."

"Just wait until you transform completely," Sirius chuckled. He rumpled a hand through Harry's hair. "Still want to try again?"

Harry shook his head, his hand running absently over his wrist. "Not just now, I think." He nudged his smirking godfather with an elbow. "'snot funny," he muttered.

"If you had seen your face," Sirius said, his eyes dancing.

Harry smiled. He supposed his panic had been a bit much.

"Well," Sirius said as he holstered his wand and set his hands to his hips, somehow managing to look at least as proud as he had when he first noticed Harry's fur. "I would say that was a successful first go, wouldn't you Remus?"

Harry shifted, only remembering then that Remus was in the room--had been the entire time.

Remus cleared his throat as he nodded. "Yes," he agreed with a smile. "That was very well done."

Harry scrubbed a hand over his forehead, pushed his fringe away from his scar. "Thanks." Realizing he was still holding his holly, he slipped it away, then wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands so he hooked his fingers into his back pockets. "Do we have any of the roast from yesterday's dinner?"

"In the cold cupboard... are you hungry?" Sirius' eyebrows had peaked in surprise. They had only just had lunch before beginning the lesson.

Harry's stomach grumbled its answer. "I'm starved."

"Maybe your Animagus is a bear," Sirius said as he bent to collect his book on human transfiguration from the table.

Harry smirked. "Or a really big, scruffy black dog..."

"Scruffy?" Sirius echoed, his face filled with exaggerated offense as he straightened and gave Harry a one-eyed squint. "Padfoot is not scruffy."

"He is a bit scruffy," Remus murmured, so quietly Harry almost didn't catch it, except that he wouldn't have been able to miss Sirius' sudden grin. Remus smiled, the lines around his eyes deepening the way they always did when Sirius smiled like that.

Remus turned his amusement to Harry. Harry quirked a smile of his own before he turned for the kitchen. His parents trailed behind, Sirius insisting that Padfoot was adorable, and that anyone would be thrilled to have him for a pet. Remus chuckled at that while Harry made his way to the cold cupboard.

TBC...

A/N: Thanks to PadyandMoony, who tipped my quandary on whether or not to include the train scene over to the 'yes' side. Thanks to jogger--the Animagus lesson was for you, my dear. Hope you liked it. And as always, thanks to Jade, who honestly, I wouldn't know what to do without.

Sturgis Podmore is a canon character. He was one of the members of the Order sent to collect Harry from Privet Drive in OotP. Caradoc Dearborn, from previous chapters, is also a canon wizard, though I have taken liberties with his back story (and I will continue to fill it in as the story goes on). According to Moody, Caradoc was a member of the first Order, who was assumed lost in the war, though his body was never found. Sneaky, sneaky author. ;o)