Shooting Star

Chapter Forty-Eight

"Mum?" Harry asked that summer break.
"Yeah?"
"Can Ron come stay with us for a while? Next week, maybe?"
"Sure." I said.
"Thanks. I'll go write them."
Remus sat at the table, reading. He was pale, the scars on his face standing out more than usual. His hand shook a bit as he turned the page. I stood beside him, smoothing his hair. The full moons were hard, especially now that he was alone. I felt so bad.
"Do you want something to eat or anything?" I asked softly.
"I'm all right."
"Are you okay, Moony?" Harry asked at dinner as Remus picked at his food.
"I'm good." Remus nodded. "I'm gonna head home."
"Already?" Harry sounded disappointed.
"I'll be back tomorrow, don't worry." He tried for a smile.
I stood and hugged him tightly. "See you later, Remus." I said.
"Yeah."
"Mum?" Harry asked as we were trying to pick out a film to watch that night.
"Yes, love? How about Cinderella?"
"A princess movie?" He wrinkled his nose.
"I'll take that as a no. What did you need?"
"I was wondering..."
"Yeah?"
"Why's Uncle Remus around all the time without Dad?"
"What do you mean?"
"I thought he was Dad's friend."
"He's your dad's best friend, yeah."
"So why's he here more when Dad's not than when he is?"
"He's my friend too." I shrugged.
"You sleep together." He stated.
"Sometimes, yes."
"Isn't that... Wrong?"
"Are you trying to ask if I'm cheating on Sirius?" I asked.
"Not that I think you would. But generally, you know, you're only supposed to sleep together when you're married." He didn't look at me.
"No, Harry. Don't worry. He's more like my brother. That would never happen, I promise. We wouldn't do that to Sirius." And if we were, we'd be a bit more secretive about it. "Would you like for us to stop sleeping together?"
"No, it's fine. I was just making sure."
"See, we just never plan how long he's staying, so he always plans on sleeping on the couch because he doesn't want to mess up a room, but I think there's no point in him sleeping on the couch."
"Why doesn't he just sell his house and move in?"
"I don't know." I said. It'd be kind of hard to explain the whole werewolf thing if he moved in.
We ended up just watching television. Harry fell asleep, and I carried him to his room. He was getting so big...
It's hard to believe it's been so long since James and Lily died.
I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. Poor Remus, all alone... It's sad. It started out the four of them, then Peter was evil, and it went down to three. Then James was killed, and now Sirius has been framed and imprisoned, and now Remus is all alone for these. I wanted to go more than anything, but that would be stupid on my part, and I knew he would hate himself if he were to hurt me. Plus I couldn't leave Harry alone at night. I think that may be illegal.
After staring at the ceiling for a few hours, I got up to write a letter to Petunia Dursley.
Petunia;
I know you and Lily never had a marvelous relationship, but if you'd like to at least meet Harry, I'd be more than willing to meet you somewhere.
~Eliza Black
I would send it in the Muggle post tomorrow.
I paced around the kitchen for a while, eating an apple and worrying about Remus. This was a good apple. Sirius doesn't like apples, so Harry was bound and determined to not like apples either. I liked apples though.
When I finished my apple, I went outside, feeling like I was taking a smoke break while babysitting.
I had caught Sirius out here smoking once. I knew he used to smoke, but I had thought he'd stopped in sixth year when Lily and I had started lecturing him on it. I guess that time here had been right after Lily and James died, and old habits died hard, especially under stressful circumstances. He'd smoked a bloody pack, just that night. I had tried one, and half choked. I made him shower, brush his teeth, and change before he came near Harry.
I stared at the stars for a moment, but it wasn't as enjoyable by myself, much less when I was worrying about Remus and Sirius both.
"Mum?" I heard Harry call.
"Yes, love? What are you doing up?" I asked from the ground.
"What are you doing on the ground?" He stared over the porch railing at me, probably worried.
"Watching the stars. Come here."
He came and curled up beside me, putting his head on my shoulder. "Could you not sleep?"
"No. What's your excuse?"
"I woke up." He said casually. "Who's Petunia?"
Had I left that open?
I guess I had.
"Your mum's sister."
"She had a sister?"
"Yes."
"Why haven't I met her?"
"She doesn't much care for wizards."
I couldn't quite remember what I wrote. You'd think I would, considering I spent an hour on that short little thing.
"Why didn't she and Lily have a good relationship? Is that why?"
"Yeah."
"Does she have children?"
"Last I checked she had one. His name's Dudley."
"Why did you and Dad never have kids?"
"We have you."
"But I mean biological kids."
"I don't know." I said.
"Yes you do."
"Well, we hadn't been married for very long when your parents died. I mean, we'd been married longer than your parents, but Sirius wasn't exactly a 'settle down' type."
"What changed?"
"Well, when your parents died, Professor Dumbledore had tried to get us to let Petunia and her husband Vernon raise you, but your parents had explicitly said that Sirius and I were to raise you if anything happened, but it's not like we would have let you go live with them even if they hadn't."
"So you didn't want kids?"
"We did at some point."
"Why did you keep me? If you didn't want--"
"No, Harry. That's not it at all. We loved you more than anything even before you were living with us. Remus too."
"You don't regret it?"
"Never."