Please...

Chapter Twenty Seven

"Pappy, why d'you hafta go?" Harry whined. "Stay!"

Remus shook his head. "I have to go see someone, cub. I'll be back in a few hours, and I'll meet you and Daddy at the park! Maybe I'll even bring you some hot chocolate? With mallows, of course."

Harry still wouldn't let go of Remus' leg. "Gone long?" 

"No, I won't be gone long," Remus said softly. "Now please let go of my leg? I'm going to be late."

Harry huffed, but let go of Remus' leg. He stuck out his lower lip in a pout.

Remus chuckled, then lifted Harry off the floor. "Oh, you silly boy." He kissed Harry's forehead. "You'll see me soon, I promise."

"Harry, I thought you were getting dressed?" Severus asked, coming out of his room. "Don't you want to go to the park?"

"Pappy's leavin'!" Harry exclaimed, starting to squirm.

"Don't squirm like that, you'll fall," Severus scolded lightly. He took Harry from Remus. "Pappy's going to meet us at the park, but he has something important to do first."

Harry nodded slowly. "Buh-bye Pappy."

"Let's go get dressed, Harry. Then you can have a snack, we'll go to the park, and we'll play!"

Remus decided to make a quick exit while Harry was distracted. He knew he would never leave otherwise. 

Once he was off Hogwarts grounds, he Apparated to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, where he thought Sirius was hiding. He felt the wards let him through, which meant Sirius knew he was coming.

Remus knocked on the door, then waited.

No response.

He knocked on the door again.

Again, nothing.

He made to knock on the door for a third time when it swung open, and he almost hit Sirius in the face.

"Sirius!"

The man gave him a small smile. "Come in, Remus. Be quiet, that horrid portrait of my mother is still here and I can't get it down."

Remus followed Sirius down the hall, being as quiet as possible, to the sitting room. 

"I've cleaned up as much as I could," Sirius said. "But this house is so full of Dark magic, I doubt it'll ever be nice."

"Sirius-"

"Zip it, Remus," the man snapped. "Why did it take you four years!?"

"I-"

"Why the hell did you let me rot in that... that... that place for four years! I thought we were friends! More than that, dammit, we were bloody brothers and you just... you just decided to say 'fuck you, Siri'!"

"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed to get his attention. "I... I didn't know, alright!? I didn't believe it was you, but... But Peter was gone, alright! And I thought you were Secret Keeper, not him! I only just found out, okay? And do not blame me entirely, it is not my fault. If you had resisted and forced them to give you a trial instead of just going with them!"

"I was in shock! My friend... Who I thought was my friend helped You-Know-Who to kill James, and then he killed thirteen Muggles, and I saw it!"

Sirius shook his head as he sat in an armchair. "Us fighting isn't going to do anything... I'm sorry..."

"Sirius, it's okay."

He shook his head, but chose to switch the topic. "How's Harry? You do get to see him, right? Do you have custody?"

"I... Well, I practically live with him and his... guardian. Now, Sirius, you don't get to start screaming at me, but did you read the Prophet article about Harry?"