Drifting by relative1983
Past Featured StorySummary: Remus and Severus are being sent out to find Harry, after Hedwig shows up bloodied and nervous. When they find Harry they are in for a surprise. Will Harry ever recover?
Categories: Parental Snape > Guardian Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Remus
Snape Flavour: None
Genres: Drama
Media Type: None
Tags: Slytherin!Harry, SuperPower! Harry
Takes Place: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 19 Completed: No Word count: 46871 Read: 88088 Published: 01 Feb 2005 Updated: 01 Nov 2005
Werewolf? by relative1983

The next morning dawned bright and early, as it often does in stories. Although the three people in the large bed didn’t see anything of the early bright morning since Severus was clever enough to have large, dark curtains covering the windows in his bedroom. So it wasn’t until around ten o’clock that there was movement in the bedroom. And Severus was the first one to awake.

Slowly he opened his eyes, soft breathing could be heard. Severus wasn’t sure at first who else was in his bedroom, but then he remembered the previous evening: Giving the potion to Harry, Harry saying that they would remain friends (Severus smiled softly at that), and Harry changing his clothes and putting him into bed with just a wave of his hand.

Softly Severus rose up to look at the other two in his bed. Remus had his mouth opened slightly, and seemed to be mumbling something like, "chocolate cookies, peanuts, hmm..." Severus decided he didn’t really want to know about that. Then he looked at Harry, who lay a bit curled up - like a small child would do for comfort – and seemed to be starting to wake, if the twitching of his eyelids was anything to go by.

Severus brushed some hair out of Harry’s face and whispered, “Good morning Harry. Why don’t you rest a bit more, and I’ll make us some breakfast?” Harry nodded sleepily and seemed to be falling back asleep.

Severus finally got himself out of the bed and into the kitchen where he produced a very large breakfast. The smell seemed to have woken up Remus, for Severus could hear the shower turn on and, unfortunately, some off-key singing start to take place. Yes, it was definitely Remus who was awake, Severus thought. Although, Harry wouldn’t have been able to get himself out of bed.

“Oh, damn!” Severus conceded that he was a bit out of sorts to have forgotten that Harry would need to go to the toilet, and he should be helping him. Quickly putting the fire of the stove out, he placed the eggs on the table and walked quickly towards the bedroom. Remus was still singing in his own bathroom when Severus entered the bedroom and looked towards the bed.

Silent tears streamed down Harry’s face. He sniffled softly and kept repeating: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” There was a yellow wet patch on his pyjama trousers and on the bed.

“Shh, it’s alright Harry. I completely forgot about taking you to the toilet. I’ll go and make you a nice bath, hmm?” Harry nodded, still sniffling.

It seemed that even though his memories had returned, he had still retained some of his innocent boy-ish soul that he had been for the last month or two. Then Severus thought of something else.

“Harry, you can do magic now, remember? Why don’t you clean the spots up?”

Harry just looked at him for a moment, and then shakily started to grin. “I-I guess, I didn’t even think of that, I just thought that you would be really angry at me for making your bed dirty, and I didn’t even think of using magic.” So with a muttered "Scourgify!" the bed and his pyjama bottoms were clean again.

“Will you still give me the bath? A cleaning charm doesn’t make me feel clean enough,” he muttered.

Severus had already waved his wand in the direction of the bathroom and had let the bath fill up with warm water and bubbles.

“Of course, Harry. Come along, I’ll lift you up and throw you into the bath!” with that he swept Harry up in his arms and walked into the bathroom. Luckily Remus was using his own bathroom, although the singing had finally stopped. Putting Harry on the toilet lid, he started to undress him, and gently put Harry into the bath.

“It’s strange you know.” Harry mumbled.

“What’s strange?”

“That you’ve been giving me baths for some time now, and only now that I have my memories back, I feel a bit embaressed. Although I can certainly remember that there’s no reason for it, and that you’re much better at cleaning me up than Remus, 'cause he just sort of splashes the entire bathroom. It’s just strange, that even though I’m embaressed now, I still don’t want you to stop giving me baths. And I can’t really tell why that is.”

Severus kept quiet for a while, and just scrubbed Harry’s back.

“Perhaps it’s because you like being taken care of. It wouldn’t be surprising, and besides, Remus and I have enjoyed taking care of you. We were afraid you might want us to stop completely after regaining your memories. I’m glad I can still care for you. And as for being embaressed? Well, that’s not so strange. You’re a sixteen year old boy. Now that your memories have returned, your puberty hormones also seemed to have returned. And as far as I know, teenagers want to get loose of their parents' nurture and care, so it’s only natural.”

Harry smiled at Severus and kept silent during the rest of the bath. Severus understood that Harry got the message and didn’t need to say anything on that topic for now.

When they finally arrived in the kitchen, Remus was waiting for them, having stacked their plates with toast, eggs and some bacon.

“Finally, there you are. I thought I was going to starve in here you know, with you all taking such a long time in the bathroom. Everything alright?”

Severus nodded, wanting to spare Harry the embarassement, but Harry reacted otherwise.

“Err... I wet the bed, forgot I could do magic again, and then Severus gave me a bath. So that’s it really.”

In reaction to that message Remus’s mouth opened a little bit, and all he seemed to be able to say was, “ah, eh, hm, well...”

Severus couldn’t take it anymore and started to laugh.

~

Later on in the day, after Harry had finished his exercises, he sat puffing in his wheelchair.

“Urgh! It’s so frustrating to do these exercises now that I know what I was capable of. And even though I’m used to it now, having only one eye is going to be a disadvantage.”

Remus nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, but when we got you from the hospital you couldn’t do anything at all. Now you can move your arms, and you’ve made your very first wobbly steps. But then again you can also remember your former mobility. This makes it seem as if you’ve had no improvement. Just remember, Harry, that were you a Muggle, you would have been dead, or your recovery would have taken more than a year. Your magic saved your life, and it made it so that you’re recovering much faster. I’m just glad we still have you.”

Smiling, Harry looked up at him, but soon his face morphed back into a thoughtful frown.

“Alright, Harry. Spit it out. What is it?” Severus demanded.

“I’m just thinking about something. Something personal. There’s a problem I’m working on and I think I’m very close to finding the solution.”

Remus and Severus looked at each other. “Would it be in The Room you’ve been using ever since your first year?”

Shocked Harry looked at them. “How-how do you know about that?”

“Simple, we collected your trunk from Privet Drive and looked it over for clues. Then we found and read your diary.”

“You...you’ve read my diary? All of it?”

Seeing how uncomfortable this made Harry, Severus felt a bit guilty. “Yes, Harry, I read the entire diary. Remus and Dumbledore only read important bits and pieces. It’s how we found out about the treatment the Dursleys gave you, the talent you obviously have and The Room you’ve been using. The Room is certainly a nice piece of work.”

Harry looked shocked for just a moment longer and then slowly his face lit up. “You really think it's good? I mean, I just figured out how to work the charms, but it was my first try, so there could still be problems.”

Astonished, Remus and Severus looked at each other and then to Harry. His first try? And he got it perfect? What ever would be the problem?

“You know the last room that changes into what you want it to be? I never included a forest room, but for some reason the room just keeps coming back. I don’t know how that happened.”

“Perhaps it’s something you just haven’t figured out yet.” Remus suggested. Harry nodded.

“Well, don’t pull your hair out in frustration, let the problem rest for a little bit, that always helps me.”

Harry suddenly looked up at Remus. “Pull your hair out?”

“Uh, it’s just an expression.”

“No, no, no. That’s it! That’s what I’ve been looking for. Ha!” laughing with happines, he grabbed Remus, and pulled out several strands of his hair.

“Of course it wouldn’t have worked with the werewolf hairs, it’s the wrong form!” Crowing happily, the other two didn’t have a clue as to why Harry had taken some of Remus’s hair.

“Please, we have to go to The Room right now. It’s very important. Oh please, hurry up!” Harry was practically bouncing in his chair by now.

The other two shrugged, stood up and started pushing the wheelchair towards The Room. Luckily it was only two flights up. Harry let himself be rolled up to the door, lay his palms on it, and that was all it took for the door to open up. Impressed, Severus and Remus followed.

Harry let himself be guided towards the worktable, where the big silver cauldron still stood. From a cupboard he picked up a silver rune inscripted goblet, and filled it with the potion. Then he dropped several of Remus's hairs in it.

Everyone held their breath, sure that something important was about to happen.

Then the potion sizzeled, bubbled a bit, and turned into a silverwhite substance.

Sniffing it, Harry’s smile grew. “Of course, it has to be personalized as well.”

Then he turned towards Severus and Remus. “Remus, what would you say if I told you I can cure you of your lycanthropy?”

Remus's mouth fell open. “I-I’d say that I would love to be cured, but there’s no cure available, Harry, you should know that.”

Harry smirked. “Well, I’ve just invented one. It doesn’t rid you completely from the lycantrophy, but it sort of twists it, to change your werewolf form into an animagus form. Of course, drinking this potion has risks; after all, you’d be the first one to try it. But since all my other experiments blew up as soon as I added the final ingredient, I can only assume this has worked. So, will you try it?”

Hesitating, Remus nodded stiffly. Promptly a very thick carpet appeared under his feet.

“Well, it seems The Room has decided that you need something soft to lay on. So, Remus, sit down, and drink it up then.”

Harry’s tone didn’t entirely hide the anxiety and fright he felt, so Severus took the goblet from him, and handed it to Remus. He hissed when he came into contact with the silver.

“Drink it quickly Remus, that way you can stop holding it.”

Remus nodded, and while looking at Harry and Severus, drank the potion down.

For a moment nothing happened. Then he dropped the goblet, and curled into himself. Harry closed his eyes in fright. Severus took his hands in his and squeezed.

Remus groaned, then screamed.

His body was twitching and shuddering. It seemed as if he was going to transform. Wolf-parts would appear, but then disappear as well. It was strange and frightening to watch. After what seemed an eternity, but was actually only five minutes, it stopped.

Remus slowly uncurled, and sat up straighter. He had changed. His hair was darker brown, his eyes no longer amber, but matched his hair. The aging lines had nearly all gone. In fact, he looked his own age for once. He seemed lighter, less weighed down, and was smiling.

“My gods Harry, I can’t feel the werewolf anymore. It’s gone!”

Harry smiled and said “Well, not really gone. Think about being a wolf, about being able to run around on four legs and have a tail. Go on, try it.”

Remus nodded, closed his eyes and concentrated. And without any sound, in Remus’s place there suddenly stood a large brown-coloured wolf. He looked around surprised, gave a happy yelp, and started licking Harry’s face.

“Oh, yuck, Remus! That's gross. Stop it!”

Severus couldn’t do much more than laugh. Until Remus started licking him of course. Then he just threatened to hex him if he didn’t change back. So soon they had Remus sitting there again.

“Oh, this is even more wonderful. I’m an animagus... Harry, you’ve made me so happy. Wait until I tell this to the werewolf community. They’ll be lining up in no time.”

“I think there’s enough in the cauldron for at least forty werewolves, but we’d have to brew more after that. Why don’t Severus and I start brewing, while you go tell this community and, of course, the Headmaster.”

Remus nodded, jumped to his feet and was out the door in no time. Harry and Severus looked at each other, tried to hold it in, but in the end they were both roaring with laughter.

To be continued...


This story archived at http://www.potionsandsnitches.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=309