Aug.15, 6:30 pm, continued

I haven't seen Remus since the day I almost killed Snape, when we were flying, and before that, not since just after I got Sirius killed. Will he even want to see me? What if he hates me? I wouldn't blame him, not really. He and Sirius were really close.

But Snape said he was asking after me. So maybe it'll be okay. He didn't seem too mad when we talked in the infirmary. Well, Snape is waiting, so I better go . . .

Harry quickly washed his face and peered at himself in the mirror. God, he looked awful. Just the thing to go and talk to Remus and make him all worried. He splashed more cold water on his face and deliberately kept his eyes open to let the water cool them, too. Then he went out to join Snape in the sitting room.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Snape asked.

"Yea- er, I mean, yes, sir." He hitched a shoulder up. "It'll be okay."

Snape gave a grunt of acknowledgement, and Harry didn't bother to ask what he meant by that, merely followed the man out of his quarters and towards the stairs leading from the dungeon.

"Sir, when do you suppose we'll know?" he asked.

Snape looked at him. "Know what?"

"If the Ministry has approved you as my guardian?"

With a small sigh, Snape held up his hands. "I'm not sure, Harry. They will undoubtedly send someone to question your . . . and my sanity with regard to this plan," Harry snorted a laugh as Snape continued, "and they may want some proof that I have nothing nefarious in mind for you."

Harry gave him a sidelong glance. "Well, I'll be sure and not mention the times you've threatened to use me for potions."

Snape's lips twisted in the familiar almost-smile, and Harry was glad to have seen it.

As they neared the second floor, Harry realized they were heading towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office. He glanced at Snape again, to find the Potions Master watching him. "Is Lupin . . .?"

"It's Professor Lupin," Snape said with a trace of his sneer. "Again."

"Oh, wow. That's great!" He stopped and gave Snape a worried look. "I mean . . ."

Snape's face grew more stony. "Don't for a minute try and make me think you're less than thrilled to have that wolf here," he growled. "Not for my sake."

Harry bit his lip, not sure what to say. He knew Snape wanted the DADA position, everyone said so. . . . although he'd never heard it from Snape himself. Steeling himself for the inevitable explosion, he ventured, "Well, don't you want to teach Defense?"

Shaking his head minutely, Snape's expression softened, just a little. "I see all my efforts at rumor mongering did not go to waste."

"Huh?"

"Succinct as always, Potter. And points off for illegal use of a blacklisted word. In answer to your . . . ill-phrased and nearly unintelligible question, I have never had the desire to teach Defense. I did, however, need for certain people to think that's what I wanted, and to believe that only Dumbledore's mistrust kept me from the position."

Harry turned that information over in his mind. It made sense, in a way. "And now you don't have to pretend anymore," he said quietly.

"Indeed." Snape pushed them along to the door, which was open a crack, and waited while Harry knocked.

A voice called, "Come in!"

Snape started to turn away, when Harry caught at his sleeve. The Professor glared down at his hand, and Harry hastily removed it, but only after whispering, "Please stay."

Dark brows drew down over darker eyes, and Snape studied him for a long few moments, while Harry tried not to look away. Finally, he said, "Very well," and jutted his chin toward the door so Harry would open it.

Remus was most of the way to the door already, obviously wondering why someone had knocked and then not entered, and he broke into a grin as they came in. "Harry! Good to see you!"

"You, too, Professor." Harry backed up a step when Remus came close enough that it looked like he might want to give him a hug, and looked him over a bit. Remus looked worn and tired, more so than usual, and his hair had more gray in it than even a week ago, he was almost sure.

Without remarking on Harry's aversion to a tactile greeting, he backed off; Harry was very grateful. "I see you heard," he said with a glance at Snape, who was leaning against the wall near the door, arms crossed over his chest.

Harry smiled. "Well, that and you being in this office."

"Ah, yes. Quite a clue, that." Remus turned and gestured to the seats by his desk, where he had talked with Harry last time he'd been a professor here, about Quidditch, and how to fight Dementors, and sometimes, about Harry's Mum and Dad. "Come and sit down and I'll make tea."

Harry sat, but with a look at Snape said, "No tea, thanks," and could've sworn Snape's lips twitched again.

"No? Well, maybe just some biscuits? I could have the House-elves send them up."

"That'd be great, Professor, thanks."

"Harry, you can still call me Remus, at least until classes start."

With a smile, Harry said, "Okay, thanks."

A few minutes later, a House-elf had delivered a tray of ginger biscuits, and some shortbreads, with or without chocolate. Harry selected a chocolate one and nibbled at the edge as Remus said, "Severus, won't you join us?"

With the air of someone pressed into a duty they loathe, Snape bent his head the merest bit in acknowledgement and sat down nearby. He held up a hand when Remus offered him the tray. Thinking about it, Harry could not remember ever seeing Snape indulge in sweets. He wondered, if, as his guardian, Snape would not allow Harry to have any, either. He'd have to ask, later. In the meantime, he would eat all the biscuits he wanted.

"How have you been, Harry? I asked Dumbledore a few times if I could see you, and he said you were well, but . . ."

"I'm doing okay, Remus." He bit his lip and flicked a glance at Snape. "Like I told you before, Professor Snape's been helping me."

Remus leaned forward. "With what, Harry? Please, I want to understand. You can tell me anything."

Not this, Harry thought. Never this. "It's um . . . I can't really talk about it."

"You were hurt when you were captured, weren't you? What did they do to you?"

"I . . . I can't . . ."

"Lupin. Leave him alone." Snape's voice, cold and cutting, saved Harry from his floundering, though Harry's chest was already tight and his face hot. "He'll tell you about it when he wants to, or never if he doesn't."

Remus sat back in his chair, startled. Then he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Harry. I won't push. I was just very worried."

"'S'okay, Remus." Harry swallowed, grateful for Snape's intervention, but wishing now he hadn't eaten the biscuit, as now his mouth was very dry. "Really, I'm doing better."

"Good, that's good."

"Er, it'll be great to have you back as a professor. You were the best we've had at Defense."

Remus gave him a rueful smile. "That's damning with faint praise, I do believe."

Harry relaxed a little. "Well, maybe. But you're the only one who didn't want to kill me."

"Though I still could have." Remus sat forward again, looking very serious. "I will be taking my potions like clockwork."

"See that you do, Lupin," Snape said, still coldly. "I will not have you putting the boy in danger again."

"I know, I know . . ." He gave Snape a shrewd look. "You're taking his protection a little personally, aren't you, Severus?"

Snape scowled. "Only as personally as I should."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That, Wolf, is none of your business."

Remus' eyes narrowed. "What's going on here . . . Harry?"

Snape merely gave Harry a raised-eyebrow look, as if letting him know that it was his decision whether to tell Remus of their new standing. Harry sighed. Better to get it out in the open now. "Professor Snape's going to be my guardian. At least, he's put in the paperwork for it."

It took a few minutes for Remus to recover. Until then, his mouth gaped open and his gaze warbled back and forth between him and Snape. Finally he said, "What?"

"Your erudition does you credit," Snape sneered. "Though, perhaps your hearing should be checked."

"Harry . . ."

"I'm telling you the truth, Remus. He offered to be my guardian, till I'm of age, and I said it was okay." Please don't make a scene, Remus, Harry begged in his thoughts, even as he realized that Sirius would have been shrieking right about now. But them if he were here, Harry would have been staying with him. How would Sirius have dealt with Harry right out of that manor? These last few weeks . . . ? The idea made him shiver.

Remus stared at Snape now. "Severus?"

"I assure you, Potter is not lying." He looked Harry over with his sardonic gaze, and curved one half of his mouth up as if to say, "This time," but he didn't say the words, which Harry found oddly reassuring.

"But why?"

"Because up till now, his guardians have been woefully incompetent when it comes to protecting him, in either mind or body, from Muggles, Dark Lords and their minions, or even various Defense teachers who can be classified as ‘other.'" Snape gave Remus one of his most condescending smiles. "And I believe I can do better."

"So this is one-upmanship is it? Still trying to outdo Sirius?"

"I do not consider seeing to Harry's welfare to be a competition, Lupin. I can imagine, however, that the dog might have needed--"

"Please!" Harry cried, stopping the tirade. "Please, sir, don't argue about it. Remus, I want Professor Snape as my guardian, okay? Honest. I trust him, and . . ."

"And you don't trust me," Remus said softly. "I'm sorry, Harry, for whatever I did to--"

"You didn't do anything!" Harry yelled.

"And that's the crux of it, I'm sure." Remus' golden eyes closed, and he put his head in his hands. "I don't know if you were listening, that day in the infirmary, when you brought Professor Snape in, and I couldn't see you, but I admitted that I never checked on you with those Muggles. I wasn't there for you when it mattered. After James and Lily died . . . I just wasn't myself." He looked up at last. "And I am deeply sorry for that."

"It wasn't your fault." Harry reached a shaking hand out to touch Remus' knee, and Remus covered it with his own hand. "It was just . . . a bunch of things went wrong. But it's no one's fault. And now the Dursleys are gone, so I wouldn't have to go back there anyway."

"Thank you, Harry." Remus still looked sad, but he didn't try to hold on when Harry pulled his hand back. "Oh! I almost forgot." He jumped up and went to his desk, where he opened one of the drawers. "I went to check their house, right after we heard you were caught, to see if I could find anything that might help us find you." He pulled a bundle of cloth and a book out and came back toward Harry, holding them out. "Most of the house was empty, but I found these in what I assume was your room, under the bed."

Oh, god. His Invisibility Cloak. And the album of his parents that Hagrid had put together for him, and that he'd added to over the years, with pictures of himself, and Ron and Hermione, many taken by Colin Creevy. His hands were shaking again as he took the two items from Remus. "Thank you," he breathed. "I thought these were gone . . ."

"The Death Eaters searched the house," Snape explained, sounding much less cross than he had a minute ago. "You must have been there right before them."

"Maybe," Remus said, even as Harry flipped through the first couple pages of the album, while draping the cloak over his legs. "But they were hidden pretty well. At least, the album was, tucked down in a secret compartment in the floor."

Not really thinking, Harry said, "Yeah, I bet you found part of an old plum cake there, too. Sorry, it was prob'ly hard as rock."

"In fact I did." Remus paused. "Why did you have a petrified plum cake under your bed?"

"It was all that was left of Mrs. Weasley's care package." He traced his fingers over a picture of his Mum and Dad together, this one taken at their wedding, he thought. They looked so happy. Smiling back at them as they waved, something loosened in his chest. He hadn't realized how very much he missed this album until he got it back in his hands.

"Care package?"

"Mm-hm. ‘Cause Ron told her, I guess, they don't . . . didn't feed me real well over the summers. You know. So she'd send me meat pies and cakes and stuff, and if I was careful, it'd get me through. I didn't get anything this year, though, with the bars again and all." He looked up then, saw both men staring back. "What?"

"I was under the impression, Mr. Potter," Snape said, his face complete blank and his words quite clipped, "that the abominable tendency of those Muggles to maltreat you ended when you started at Hogwarts."

"I'm putting ‘Mr. Potter' back on the list," Harry murmured.

"This is no joking matter," Snape snarled.

Harry set his jaw. "Maybe, but I don't like it when you call me that. You're always angry when you call me that. Besides, I never said they treated me better."

Snape glowered at him. "You said, about the cupboard . . ."

"Yeah, so I got Dudley's second bedroom. Nothing else changed." He gave Snape a sneer of his own. "You think they wanted to reward my freakiness? Especially after Moody tore my uncle a new one, at the train station, in front of everyone? No way. I knew I was in for it. I mean, the first time the bars went on the window was summer after first year, and that was just for dropping a pudding. Sometimes they shoved a tin of soup to me through a fucking cat flap in the door. You know, when they remembered. Ron and the twins broke me out. This year . . . the bars were up before I even got there. They must've been glad to be able to leave me behind though; didn't even need to get tinned soup."

Harry turned his glare on Remus. "Oh, and you can say thanks, by the way, to the Order for making a scene with him and promising to check if they didn't hear from me every three days. I can't tell you how happy that made him. But I still think it was a sight longer than three days before the bloody Death Eaters found me."

"Harry, I--"

"Save it, okay?" Harry pushed up from the chair. "I don't need to hear any more excuses." He looked at Snape. "I'm going back to your quarters, if that's all right." When Snape nodded wordlessly, Harry fled.