Second chance at life- editing and continuing

t w o

Remus gave a small smile towards the baby in his arms; he felt a growing attachment and a sense of strange familiarity. Gently, he rocked Harry back and forth edging him into a deep and comforting sleep, a sense of protectiveness growing the longer he held onto the tiny fragile baby.

A quick check towards the clock, had Remus realise the pure look of confusion and horror and his two friends faces. He gave them a smirk and continued out the door towards the great hall. "It's dinner time boys," He called to them.

"Should we take him with us?" Remus stopped at the question posed by Sirius. It was obvious that he shouldn't be left alone or with a random member of staff, especially since he'd fallen asleep as it may scare him to wake up to strangers. But then again, he was 17, what did he know about looking after baby's? Without a second thought, Remus continued toward the door to leave.

"I say we take him," Remus said, gathering his thoughts quickly, "I don't think it would be a good idea to leave the pup alone with someone he doesn't know," he continued, summoning a tone of logic and authority. "Granted, he may have just appeared in front of us, but at least he's familiar with us. If we just dump him with someone, say Madam Pompfrey, we don't know how he would react; after all he can see Hogwarts, he's obviously not a muggle so we should try and reduce the risk of accidental magic before he breaks the windows or turns the Slytherins to snakes or something. Come on, I'm bloody starving."

When Remus finished, the two marauders, shrugged there shoulders and followed suit behind Remus towards the Great Hall. Whilst Remus held himself with composure and authority through the corridors inside he had the most horrendous anxiety looming at the pit of his stomach.     What if people think I got someone pregnant? Or if- if they think I stole him? Breath. Breath. Breath. Babies can sense fear right? Or is that deer. Fuck. Breath. We'll just say we're looking after him for a little while and then immediately talk to Dumbledore. Yeah, that works, we don't owe anyone an exp-. Remus was abruptly ripped from his anxious through process when Harry stirred, turning his head around and immediately falling back to sleep. That was close.

"Moony?" He turned and was greeted with two of his best friends semi-wrestling for who could speak first, clearly they had been whispering about something on their way towards the hall.

"Yes?" He forced a smile and acted as though any anxieties had simply vanished.

"If you want, I can get the baby," James held his hands out towards Harry, Remus instinctively gripped slightly tighter than before.

"I'm good mate, why? You can hold if you want it's just that he's asleep right now, so I wouldn't want to disturb him you know?" It slipped out before he even had time to second guess himself.

James looked slightly taken aback, but quickly smoothed over his expression before giving him a smirk.

"Getting protective there Moony?" Sirius could barely get it out for laughing.

Sighing, Remus made sure he had a firm grip on the baby in his left arm and headed towards the large doors of the Great Hall, at a much more relaxed and graceful gait than he was previously holding. It didn't take long to realise they'd done that purposefully, he was showing his anxiety by the way he held himself, he felt much more like himself after his friends calmed him down.

Remus hesitated slightly before getting a tight grip on the door handle. Giving James and Sirius a quick look before finally heading in, immediately he moved down the long aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables. James and Sirius rushed forward clearly spotting Peter before Remus had even had a chance to look for him. It didn't take long for him to locate a pale looking Peter, who was hurriedly shovelling food onto his plate not even realising his friends had entered the hall. As soon as he stepped through the doors, he could hear the whisperings, not that they were really whispers, more stag whispers.