"That managed to resolve itself remarkably quickly," Severus said suspiciously, though it was anyone's guess what he was suspicious of. Then again, Severus could find a reason to be suspicious of the sun's motives if he wanted to, so it wasn't as though it was terribly out of character.

"Remus is quite taken with the child; Harry seems to have that effect on people," Albus said, wry hints to his tone. Severus was clearly not in the least bit amused by Albus's insinuations, but Albus was plenty amused by Severus's reaction to the insinuations, so it all worked out.

"That is precisely my point. You gave me every indication that he was reluctant to take guardianship of Harry because he saw himself unfit for the task, yet after a month of knowing him, Lupin is suddenly eager to take the responsibility on? One has to wonder if his feelings for Harry aren't overriding his common sense."

"I'll remind you that I never once doubted that Remus was equal to the task. It's my opinion that his feelings for Harry are allowing him to overcome his fears. But never mind that, I didn't ask you here to share my opinion, I wanted your assessment on the matter before I speak with Harry: do you think Remus will prove an acceptable guardian for Harry, or have you managed to find a preferable alternative?"

Severus did not respond right away, which wasn't surprising, but Albus was concerned about how very torn he looked, as though waging some inner battle with himself. It was possible that Severus really hadn't come up with any other options, but was reluctant to admit it, but that didn't seem to quite fit to Albus. Yet when Severus finally did speak, it was only to say, "No, the wolf is the best choice."

Albus frowned. ‘Best choice' implied that Severus thought there were other, if less preferable, choices to be made. "Was there some other possibility you were considering? If so, I'm more than happy to discuss it with you to be sure as to whether Remus is a better option. My main concern is that we do right by Harry."

"I tell you I think you were right all along and that Lupin is the best choice, and now suddenly you want to discuss it?" Severus said, favouring Albus with look number 5. "I've agreed to what you wanted, so just call Harry up here and let's get this whole thing over with."

Albus gave Severus a long look, but whatever was bothering the man, he seemed bound and determined to keep his own council on the matter, and it would be a bit hypocritical for Albus to fault him for that. "Very well then, I just have Minerva tell Harry that I want a word," Albus said cheerily, before doing just that - the Protean charm was such a useful invention.

At no point while Albus was contacting Minerva did Severus make any attempt to leave, which was unusual; Severus was not given to lingering somewhere if he felt his presence was unnecessary. Of course, the only conclusion that could be drawn from there was that Severus did feel his presence was necessary, perhaps for a cause related to whatever he was holding back. Well, no reason to run him off, unless Harry objected to him being there, which seemed unlikely in the extreme.

Severus and Albus chatted amicably while waiting for Harry to arrive from Gryffindor Tower, Albus found himself suspicious of Severus once again when the man suggested, a little too firmly, that if Harry were agreeable to the arrangement then Remus should be brought in immediately so the two could settle things between them. Severus did have a general distaste for delays once a course of action had been decided on, but still... He was almost certainly up to something. Albus almost pressed him on it right then and there, but decided to let it go. Whatever dramatic reveal Severus had planned was unlikely to be anything too drastic, given Harry's marked distaste for drama, and Albus was sure that ultimately Severus had Harry's best interests at heart. Whatever else was going on, Albus would find out in due course.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, Harry arrived. "You wanted to see me Professor? Oh, hullo Professor Snape."

"Hello Harry," Albus said, while Severus gave the boy a nod. "Yes, please come sit down, I have a matter of some importance to discuss with you."

"Now, I told you at the beginning of the year that you wouldn't have to return to the Dursleys care, and I know we haven't discussed it since then, but I hope you don't think that's because I've forgotten about it or think it's unimportant."

"Professor Snape said you've been working on it," Harry offered, and Albus shot Severus a grateful smile.

"Yes, I have been. I'm sorry that it took me as long as it has, but after the last time, I wanted to be extra careful that nothing like that happens again. The good news is that I now have someone that I, and Severus too I believe, think is a suitable choice and who says he would be very happy to take you in. But before we finalize anything, I wanted to speak to you first and see how you feel about it. Would you like Remus Lupin to be your guardian?"

"You mean I really don't have to go back to the Dursleys? I can live with Remus instead?" Harry said, sitting up straighter in his chair.

"You won't be going back to the Dursleys regardless," Severus interjected.

"Severus is right; I don't want you to think this is a choice between Remus and the Dursleys. If we have to, I'll come up with excuses to keep you at Hogwarts all summer long for the next six years before you go back to the Dursleys. But I rather it not come to that. Hogwarts is meant to be your home away from home; I want you to have a real home as well. With Remus, if that's what you want, and if you think he'll make you feel happy and safe," Albus said.

"Yes, I want to live with Remus," Harry said. Albus had been originally planning on questioning him just a bit further, to be absolutely certain that this is what Harry desired and he wasn't just putting on a show to avoid being sent back to the Dursleys, or to avoid offending Remus, but that degree of enthusiasm couldn't be faked. Nor could the very real dejection when Harry slumped back in his chair and said, "If you're really sure he wants me."

"Quite certain," Albus reassured him. "In fact, if you wait just a few minutes you can speak with him yourself." Albus sent off a Patronus requesting Remus's presence, when Harry looking heartbreakingly nervous, nodded in agreement to Albus's proposal.

It was actually closer to ten minutes later when Remus flooed through to Albus's office. "Harry, Albus, Severus," Remus said, giving them each a nod in turn. He didn't seem the least bit surprised by Severus's attendance to this meeting, which seemed to suggest that whatever Severus was up to, Remus was in on it too. That was a fairly comforting notion, anything that the two of them were in agreement on was very doubtful to be something that Albus would object to.

Albus and Severus returned the greeting silently, and Harry gave an uncertain smile and said, "Hello, Remus. Did Professor Dumbledore tell you what we were just talking about?"

"He did," Remus said, answering Harry's smile with a reassuring one of his own. "He said that you were discussing the possibility of you coming to live with me."

"If that's what you want," Harry said quickly.

"Very much so," Remus said. He opened his mouth to continue when Severus cleared his throat pointedly, and Remus paused for a moment to give him a sardonic look. "Yes, thank you Severus, I was just getting to that. As I was saying, that's what I want, but I'm much more concerned about what you want, Harry. But before you decide whether or not that is to live with me, there's something I need to tell you about myself. Professor Dumbledore hasn't mention it because, I think, he was attempting to respect my privacy, but my privacy isn't nearly as important as you are. Now, I'm going to tell you a secret about myself, one that I'd appreciate you keeping this just between the four of us. If after I tell you it, you aren't comfortable with the idea of living with me anymore, you just say so, and I promise I won't be upset, okay?"

Oh, was that what all this fuss was about? Remus was quite right in that Albus had never told Harry out of respect for the other man's privacy, but the reason he had never brought it up as something that Harry should be told was Albus didn't see as it mattered, something that he had no doubt that Harry would be in agreement with him on... though Albus did suppose he could see Remus and Severus seeing it as something important for Harry to know. Still, all this secrecy and arranging things behind Albus's back was quite unnecessary; if Remus wanted to tell Harry, then Albus didn't particularly care one way or the other.

"Okay. And I won't tell anyone; I'm good at keeping secrets," Harry said, and Albus had to hold back a frown as he was unintentionally reminded of why Harry was so good at keeping things hidden.

"Thank you," Remus said. He walked across the room to crouch in front of Harry's chair, so he could look the boy in the eye for his next words. "The truth is I'm a werewolf."

Harry's eyes went wide, and Albus imagined he could see the wheels in the boy's head turning as he sorted out this revelation. "Does that mean you can talk to wolves like I can talk to snakes?"

Nonplussed, Remus looked to Albus as though for guidance, but he had none to give. He supposed it was entirely possible that the topic of werewolves hadn't come up for Harry at any time over the past seven months while he had been at Hogwarts, but Albus had thought that even Muggles were aware of the basic facts surrounding werewolves. Severus was looking thoroughly confused    , at least by Severus's standards, by Harry's question as well, so there was no help to be had there.

"Harry," Remus said slowly, "a werewolf is someone who is forcibly transformed into a creature very similar to a wolf on the night of the full moon."

"I know that," Harry said dismissively. "I was just wondering if when you were in your wolf form you could talk to regular wolves."

"I don't know," Remus said. "I've never tried."

"You should try the next full moon! Draco says there's a pack of wolves in the Forbidden Forest, so you could do it there. Well, actually he said there was a pack of werewolves, but we all decided that that didn't make a lot of sense and he agreed that he must've heard it wrong," Harry said blithely.

By now both Remus and Severus were looking completely baffled - Albus decided to dub look number 28 as ‘The world is not what I thought it was and now I don't know what is going on' - and it was all Albus could do not to laugh at the three of them.

"You aren't bothered by this?" Remus asked tentatively.

"Why would I be bothered? You can turn into a wolf; that's awesome," Harry said, now also looking confused, though not nearly so much yet as Remus and Severus.

"I think Remus is referring to the prejudice the wizarding world tends to have against werewolves," Albus added helpfully when it seemed the other three would be content to stare at each other in puzzlement indefinitely.

"Oh, that," Harry said, with a tone that suggested that such notions were not worth his time. "Hermione says that that's a travesty of justice, and I think it's stupid. The only other person I know who can even turn into an animal at all is Professor McGonagall, and she only turns into a cat. Wolves are much cooler."

"Professor McGonagall doesn't turn into a mindless, bloodthirsty beast when she transforms," Severus spat out.

"Severus!" Albus admonished, but was quieted by a gesture from Remus.

"No, he's right," Remus said. "I want you to promise me that if you ever come across me while I'm in my wolf form, you will get away to somewhere safe, preferably with an adult to help you, as quick as you can, even if you think I'm on Wolfsbane."

"What's Wolfsbane?" Harry asked.

"A potion that allows me to retain my right mind while I'm a wolf. Your promise, Harry," Remus prompted.

"I promise," Harry said dutifully. "You know, Professor Snape is really good at making potions." This last was added with a glance over to Severus that was not nearly as covert as Harry probably thought it was.

"There's no need for flattery. I've already made it clear to Lupin that I have no intention of letting him loose around schoolchildren unless he's taking Wolfsbane made by a brewer that I trust to get it right," Severus said, the only such brewer being Severus himself being heavily implied.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, beaming at the man, and Albus favoured Severus with a small smile as well. Severus had come around to the idea very quickly, and without any pushing from Albus whatsoever. Albus had been tempted, because he really did believe Severus would find it therapeutic, but had resisted because he thought it would undermine the feeling of control Severus was meant to gain a bit if he felt forced into it. And it did seem to be helping Severus, since he appeared a bit less on edge around Remus now than he had been the first time Remus had joined them for tea. Though Albus supposed that could just be due to the repeated exposure over the past month.

Severus gave Harry a look in reply that suggested that Severus did not do things for gratitude, and that neither Albus nor, he would guess, Harry believed a single bit.

"So Harry," Remus said, still crouching in front of the boy's chair, and that had to be getting uncomfortable by now. "Did you want to come live with me, or would you rather Dumbledore find someone el-"

"I want to come live with you," Harry said all in a rush. He blinked a few times as though surprised by his own words, then added more slowly. "If you don't think I'll be a burden."

"Harry," said Remus, his voice breaking a bit. "I don't know what your relatives told you, but taking care of someone you love as much as I love you could never be a burden."

It was hard to say which of them moved first, but in less than an eye blink, Harry and Remus were suddenly gripping each other in a tight hug and Albus felt obliged to look away, lest he intrude on something private.

Severus, Albus noticed, did not look away, instead watching the two with the oddest expression on his face. Longing foremost - the full moon occurred the Monday after school got out; perhaps it would be prudent to have Harry stay on campus for a few extra days after all - but also resolution and resignation and uncertainty all in equal measure. And, for the first time, Albus found himself completely at a loss to put a name to it.