Part 13 – Just Harry

Agonized screams pierced through the silent house, waking Sirius instantly from the deep contented sleep he had finally found. He exploded from his rooms into the hallway and straight across to Harry's door, nearly ripping it from its hinges. Wand at the ready, he stepped into the bedroom, prepared to do battle with whatever he found inside.

What he found was his godson writhing on the bed, clawing at his head in anguish, screams still being torn from his throat. Setting his wand on the nightstand next to the bed, Sirius caught hold of the teen's wrists and pulled them down, wincing at the sight of the self-inflicted scratches on the face before him.

Remus entered behind him, wand also drawn, and hurried to join him, "What's wrong? Is he having a nightmare or is it something with Voldemort?"

"Voldemort?!" Sirius demanded. "Why would this have something to do with Voldemort?"

"I can't explain it, Padfoot, but he has this connection with Voldemort and sometimes Harry's scar hurts when he's dealing with him."

Sirius nearly went through the roof when the realization hit that his precious godson could possibly be tortured by an evil wizard that was supposed to be dead! Nearly strangling on his rage, the adult wizard brought himself under control and pulled the boy into an upright position, sliding to sit behind him, and settling the child against his torso. He crossed his arms over Harry's and held them down while he pressed the teen backwards and began to speak softly in his ear.

Once he knew Sirius had the boy safe from harming himself, Remus bolted to the downstairs floo and put in a firecall to Hogwarts.

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Severus stepped through the fire gracefully and was greet by sight of a distraught werewolf on the other side of the room, peering out the door and up the stairs.

"Remus?"

"Hurry, Sev, I can still hear Harry's cries, he's not out of whatever is going on!"

They were about halfway up the steps when the Slytherin finally heard the screams that had led to him being brought here to help. He followed the wolf into the bedroom and found Black holding the Boy-Who-Lived in an effort to prevent injury to either of them while the child convulsed weakly in his arms. Bloody scratches covered Harry's face and Sirius' arms while dots of it had splattered all over the bed and both its inhabitants.

"Sev, thank Merlin! Any ideas would be helpful here!"

He dropped the bag he'd brought with him on the foot of the bed, "Impatient as always, Padfoot. Trust me; I will do my very best." Severus pulled out his wand and cast a diagnostic spell over the boy. "Well, the good news is, it isn't something related to you-know-who."

"And the bad news?" Remus inquired.

"It appears that Harry is experiencing a severe night terror," Severus announced.

Sirius lifted his gaze from the child in his arms to the man standing beside them and snarled, "If you see my eyes glaze over, Snape, take that to mean I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

Remus nodded, "Neither do I, Sev; what is a night terror and how is it different from a nightmare?"

The professor easily slipped into lecture mode and began to inform them of what they were dealing with, "Nightmares are brought on by dreams, visual creations of the mind that turn bad and cause fear in the subject. Night terrors, which are more rare, can happen when someone doesn't have the proper diet, get enough sleep, is dealing with a great amount of stress in their lives, and can also be genetic. In adolescents and adults, night terrors are often trauma-based, and the person can also show signs of passivity, anxiety, and the ability to ignore pain." He shared a look with the other two men and asked facetiously, "Sound like anyone we know?"

Harry's cries had begun to dwindle during Sev's dissertation on terrors and he suddenly slumped back against Sirius, completely relaxed and in a deep sleep. Severus pulled an ointment out of his bag, along with some soft cloth and applied it to the scratches marring the child's face and neck. The marks completely disappeared after one pass of the cloth, leaving his face unblemished except for the lightning bolt on his forehead. The animagus sighed in relief and gently settled the child back onto the bed and tucked him in, motioning the others to step out to the study area as he cast a scourgify to clean up the blood splatters.

Once he joined them, Sirius softly closed the door and turned to his friends, "Go back to bed, Remus, the full moon's only a week away and you need your rest. Sev, why don't you go ahead and crash here for the rest of the night; you can use your old room."

One black eye brow lifted as the potions master studied the grey eyed Marauder, "And you will be doing…what?" He caught hold of Sirius' arms and spread the ointment he'd used on Harry's face over the scratches there.

Sirius pointed back to the Gryffindor's bedroom when his arms were free, "I'm going to sleep in there with him in case he needs me."

It was Remus' turn to lift his brows, "And he's going to think what when he wakes and finds an adult male he doesn't know very well in his bed with him."

"There won't be an adult male in his bed," and with that, Sirius transformed into a huge black dog. He bumped the door demandingly with his nose and Severus made a snide comment about doing things for himself BEFORE he changed into a bloody dog without hands. The dog growled softly and scratched at the door this time, prompting Remus to open it before he woke Harry. The two men watched from the doorway as the animagus jumped lightly up onto the bed and lay down beside the teen who was now on his stomach. He stretched out his large form cautiously and draped his head across Harry's back before heaving a deep sigh and closing his eyes.

Remus and Severus slipped silently away to their own rooms to return to their interrupted slumber.

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Harry woke the next morning with his face buried in the neck of a black dog and his arms wrapped around its rib cage. Startled, he lifted his head and looked down at the animal, "Sirius?"

The wizard had awakened as soon as he felt Harry move and he now jumped down from the bed and transformed back, "Morning, pup! You had a pretty nasty night terror last night and I wanted to stay and make sure you were alright. I figured you wouldn't mind sharing the bed."

Yawning and stretching as he crawled out of bed, the boy nodded and teased, "As long as you don't have fleas." He laughed at the insulted look he was given, and then asked, "So what are night terrors?"

Sirius calmly explained what they were and carefully avoided telling him just how horrible the experience had been, "How are you feeling?"

Harry paused as he was gathering up clothing for the day and took stock of his body, "My throat feels scratchy, like I might be coming down with something and I'm a little stiff, especially my arms."

The animagus nodded as if not surprised, "Well, you go in and wash up, I'll see what plans are for breakfast, and you come on down when you're ready."

"Okay." Harry disappeared into the bathroom as his godfather left and was stunned to find the bathtub nearly full of steaming water. Well, he wasn't going to look this gift horse in the mouth as he shed his clothes and stepped cautiously in, mindful of the heat. He sank in up to his neck and sat on one of the ledges that ran around the sides with a happy groan, "Oh that feels good. The only thing this tub is missing is the little jets."

The words had barely escaped his lips when the water began to froth and bubble as jets appeared. Making a metal note to ask Sirius about the magics in the house, Harry happily relaxed in his own personal hot tub.

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About half an hour later, the boy made his way down to the kitchen and found not only Sirius, but Remus and Severus as well. All three men eyed him when he appeared in the doorway, causing him to freeze in anxiety.

The potions master approached him cautiously, not wanting to upset the boy further, "Harry, how are you feeling?"

"Fine?" Harry squeaked, uncomfortable with the attention he was getting. People didn't normally make a fuss over him having a nightmare, or night terror, whatever they thought it might be.

Realizing that his godson was about to bolt, Sirius quietly beckoned to him, "Harry, come sit with me. Remus should be about done with breakfast and we can all relax and talk while we eat."

Sidling around his professor, Harry scurried to the seat beside the older wizard and leaned into him when Sirius put his arm around the thin shoulders. Severus settled into a chair across from the other two as the werewolf floated several bowls and platters to the table. Harry's mouth started watering when he saw scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, fried potatoes, biscuits, and fresh sliced tomatoes being placed in front of them.

"Tuck in," Sirius encouraged, "we don't stand on ceremony around here. Most of the time we eat family-style like this and you can eat as much or as little as you want, there's always more." He planned on making sure the boy ate healthy and often to help build up the malnourished frame and put some meat on his bones. He knew that he also needed to eat as well and decided that he could use that to his advantage in getting the child to join him.

Harry took a little of everything, including several slices of tomatoes, which made the adults quite happy. Being the regular cook for the household, since it wasn't safe to allow the animagus near a stove, Remus began to inquire as to the teen's likes and dislikes when it came to food. He was very pleased that Harry enjoyed lots of fruits and vegetables and made a mental shopping list for later.

Snape rose as everyone was eating and took out four glasses from a cabinet and the jug of pumpkin juice from the refrigerator. Making sure his back was to the table so no one could see his actions, he not only poured everyone a glassful, but also slipped a nutrient potion in the ones for Sirius and Harry. He returned to the table while floating the drinks to everyone.

Remus looked up, abashed, "I'm so sorry about that, Sev, thank you. I completely forgot about something to drink." He knew exactly what the other man had been up to when he got the drinks since they had spoken briefly upstairs before rushing down to save the kitchen from Sirius and his idea of cooking.

A wave of one hand dismissed the apology, "Think nothing of it, Moony, you did a marvelous job with this breakfast, everything is delicious."

The wolf smiled and nodded as the other two added their complements around forkfuls of food. He was happy to observe Harry as he finished his plate and, after making sure it really was alright, went back for seconds. Sirius not only went back for seconds, he took thirds and added a bit more to the boy's plate beside him, earning him a nudge from the teen's elbow in reprimand.

"You and I are in the same boat, pup, we both could stand to add quite a bit of weight in order to be healthy. So we'll need to eat regular meals and snacks in between along with plenty of fluids." He turned a grin on the boy, "I also forgot to show you the Quidditch pitch out in the backyard."

"Pitch?!"

All three men laughed outright at his excitement, causing Harry to blush. It still amazed him to have Severus interacting like this around others, but especially with him and the remaining two Marauders. He'd always thought that the man hated him, his father, and his father's friends; now here he was eating breakfast with them, laughing, joking in his dry way, and actually smiling at Harry. And just yesterday, the man had not only saved his life, but had helped Hermione with her wound, and expressed pride in Harry's accomplishments!

"Sir?"

There was only one person at the table he could have been addressing in that manner, and Severus gave him his full attention, "Yes, Harry?"

"Sirius told me that I had a night terror, so I assume that's why you're here this morning. Do you think I'll have more?"

"I'll not lie to you, Harry, I really don't know. Some people never have them, other have them fairly often. I truly believe that you had one last night because of all the upheavals you've had in your life recently, the attack yesterday, finally talking about your history with Albus, Remus, and Sirius, and suddenly having a true family around you." Sev paused to take a sip of his juice before continuing, "I think, that if you let yourself go, relax, know that you're safe, know that the people here really do care for you and love you, the night terrors will not return."

"Merlin, I hope not," Sirius murmured, "that was a horrible thing to wake up, pup. I thought someone was trying to hurt you." He wrapped the child in his arms for a tight hug, content when he was embraced back.

"I'm sorry, Sirius, I've had nightmares before, but my aunt and uncle never said anything about me have night terrors. Maybe it was just a fluke."

"We'll hope so, Harry," Remus piped in. "But until something happens, you shouldn't let it worry you."

He nodded and pulled out of his godfather's arms as Sev stood up, "Well, gentlemen, as enjoyable as this has been, I'm afraid that I must return to the school. I have a lot of drafts to brew for the upcoming term." He cocked an eyebrow at Harry and inquired teasingly, "So tell me, Harry, are there any special potions I should lay stock in for you this coming year."

Harry made a face at him as he shook his head, "No, sir."

"Very well, I'm off to the grind. If anyone would like to assist me this summer while I brew," his gaze was aimed at Harry, "I wouldn't say no."

The boy nodded eagerly, hoping he would get another chance to spend some time getting to know the real Severus Snape and having the opportunity to work on his potions skills.

"Until later, then, Padfoot, Moony, Boy-Who-Lived."

"Please, sir, not that."

All eyes were fixed on the child in surprise as Remus asked, "Why not, Harry, what's wrong with it?"

"I don't really like being the Boy-Who-Lived. I'm Harry. Just Harry." He shrugged, "At least until a better nickname comes along."

Severus nodded in understanding, "Alright then, just Harry, I will look forward to having you pay me a visit soon." He gently chucked the boy under the chin and waved farewell to his friends as he headed for the sitting room floo.

Reaching over, Sirius ruffled the messy hair beside him even more and asked, "So, just Harry, how would you like to come take a pass through the pitch with me real quick?"

Remus paused as he floated the last of the dishes into the sink to wash themselves, "I need to make a trip to the store, so if there's anything you want or need, speak now."

They both tossed a couple of thoughts at him, which Remus jotted down on a piece of parchment, then everyone went their separate ways. Remus to gather some money from the safe in the study before he left, and Sirius and Harry to change into appropriate clothes for flying.

By the time the werewolf returned, the other two were flushed from the excitement of flying at top speed and chasing the practice Snitch Harry had gotten. They immediately returned to solid ground when called to help put groceries away and Harry helped Remus get lunch together while Sirius "supervised" from the table.

The day passed pleasantly and Harry was happier than he could ever remember being; if asked, he felt as if he could have cast the biggest Patronus Charm ever created. After dinner, the men decided to relax in the sitting room to talk and Harry excused himself to change into sleep clothes.

When he entered his bedroom, Harry realized that his clothes and robe from the day before were still draped across a chair and he had no idea where to put them for washing. As he picked up the robe, a soft rustling sound was emitted by one pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out a heavy cream colored envelope with Sirius' name on it. Slapping himself in the head for forgetting to give it to his godfather, the boy rushed to get changed and barreled back downstairs.

Both men looked up in concern as he flew into the room calling, "Sirius, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot to give this to you yesterday. I didn't mean to forget, I'm really sorry."

Sirius rose to meet the apprehensive child and wrapped his arms around him reassuringly, "Easy, pup, it's alright. Yesterday was pretty exciting all around; I'm not surprised you forgot something." He led the boy to the couch and settled down beside him and opened the envelope. As he read the first page, he stood again and began to pace.

"Padfoot?" Remus inquired, "What is it?"

"It's a letter from Dumbledore detailing the case he presented to the Ministry and Wizengamot on my behalf. He goes on about the evidence he offered, various testimonies given, and memories viewed by penseive." He tossed the first page on the coffee table beside him and looked at the second one.

Sirius froze in place so abruptly, it was surprising he didn't tip over. His eyes went wide as he whispered, "No."

"What does it say, Padfoot?" Remus rose to his feet, wand partially hidden in his hand, ready to control the situation if the other man got out of control.

When he didn't answer, Harry also got up and moved a little closer, daring to reach out one hand to lightly wrap around his godfather's forearm, "Sirius?"

The remaining page in his hand slipped to the floor as he finally fixed his stormy grey eyes on something other than the parchment. Harry nearly flinched when he became the sole focus of the man who whispered, "It's over."

The boy swallowed hard, fighting to keep his tears at bay, wanting, needing to be strong for this man he already loved so very much. Stepping closer, he tightened his hold, "What's over, Siri? What did Dumbledore do?"

Sirius Black, suspected murderer, escaped convict, supposed right-hand man of Voldemort, let out a sob and dragged the slender child into his arms, pressing him tightly to his chest. Harry clung to him, shaking with pain over his godfather's tears. Remus reached out a warm hand of support to grip his friend's shoulder as he hung his head in defeat.

When he finally released the boy, Sirius dropped to his knees in front of him, both hands coming up to frame his face tenderly, "I know I asked you this once already, Harry, but if you want to, you could come live with me, forever."

"But how?!" Harry wailed, grief-stricken, "How can I live with you when someone's always going to be after you? How can we finally be together if you have to spend your life looking over your shoulder for aurors?"

Sirius blinked for a moment at the devastated child before his words actually penetrated, "NO!" He pulled the child back into his embrace, fingers threading through the dark hair comfortingly, "Oh, Harry, sweet Merlin, I'm so sorry! You misunderstood; Dumbledore won. I'M FREE!!"

Harry jerked his head away from the protection of Sirius' chest to stare into the luminous eyes, "Free?"

"Yes, my dear, sweet child, free! Free to walk the streets again, free to get a job if I want to, and free to officially become the guardian of Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived!" The boy started to form a protest, but Sirius placed one finger over his mouth, "But I think I will tell them to put Just Harry on the paperwork, if that's alright with you?"

Remus dropped to his knees beside them and joined in a celebratory hug with a now free Sirius Black, and his beloved godson, who was just "Harry" to them.

Well, that's all she wrote, folks! Thank you very much to my reviewers, you've been an inspiration to continue and gave me the push I needed to think about writing some more. Until next time, happy reading!

Nikani