Yes HI! This is finally here after months of planning.

A note: THIS IS NOTE BETA-ED. I am my own beta. I may miss things. I apologize. I am sure you can handle a few misspellings and still enjoy a story.

Harry Potter moved across the backyard of Number Four Privet Drive; his list of chores for the day had been quite extensive at best, but water his Aunt's flowers was perhaps his favorite. He was outside, away from his cousin and he got to enjoy the mist of water from the hose. He blinked several times as water droplets landed on his glasses and grinned widely.

Honestly, he was not sure why he had to water the flower beds that day. It was supposed to storm all evening and even well into tomorrow! Yet he did not dare to complain after he read the list over. The last thing he wanted was to be locked up for the day for 'talking back' against them.

Harry allowed his mind to wander, his grin remaining as he moved down the line of flower beds against the fence. The peace lasted only a moment before the hose was yanked from his hand, water spraying wildly at him. Both arms raised up defensively, Dudley laughing all the while.

"Hey!" The constant flow of water caused the nine year old to stumble back over the flowerbed, tripping into the bed of daisies. "Dudley stop!"

The much larger boy laughed, pressing his thumb against the flow of water to cause it to spray widely over Harry and causing the dirt to turn to mud under him. "Why are you playing in the water, cousin?"

"Stop!" Harry hollered, his left arm pressing down into the flowers as his right arm protected his face the best he could. Everything suddenly felt like it was too much. The laughter, feeling his arm sink into the mud of the now ruined flower bed. His chest felt tight, nearly *painful*. His aunt and uncle hadn't even run out with him calling!

He lashed his right hand out, a loud "STOP!" echoing through the yard.

There was silence before he heard Dudley's forced screech, "Mummy! Dad!" causing Harry to cringe at the sound. Pushing himself up, he stared over to his cousin who had landed several feet away from himself.

How?

Before he could ponder anymore on what had happened, the back door opened and his uncle stormed out into the yard. Harry quickly pushed himself up and out of the flowerbed, hissing as he held his left wrist to himself.

"I didn't do anything!" Harry took a step away as Vernon Dursley moved over to them, his aunt remaining in the doorway. That did not last long as she looked over to where he had been - her bed of daisies.

Her expression shifted, changing several times before a bitter one settled over her features. Lips thin as she glared over to him. She wouldn't dare say anything outside, not where neighbors could hear and snoop to see what was going on. That was what mattered most.

Vernon moved over to Dudley, who scrambled up and pressed against his father's side with a whimper. "What happened?" He hissed lowly, face turning a dark shade of red as he looked at the ruined flowerbed and mud within the yard. "Boy.."

"I didn't even touch him!" Harry voiced desperately, cradling his wrist to himself. "He sprayed me with water and made me fall! I swear!" His voice only raised slightly, causing his aunt to harshly tell him to quiet himself. He felt his shoulders slump down, feeling vastly outnumbered as the three stared at him.

"Then how did he wind up -here-?" Vernon pointed to the ground where Dudley had been only moments before and Harry quickly found himself at a loss of words. He didn't know.

"He waived his hand!"

All eyes landed on Dudley for the briefest of moments and Harry felt the tension only soar at the words for some reason. Harry glanced at his aunt and uncle, swallowing as Vernon nudged his son towards the door with Petunia.

"I didn't-" Harry was caught off roughly as his uncle grabbed the back of his shirt tightly, his face nearly purple as he was pulled back inside.

"I will not stand for *FREAKS* within this household!" He gruffed loudly, hand moving to dig into the back of Harry's hair once they were inside. The child stumbled slightly as he was pushed down the hall, wincing as they stopped at the cupboard.

Once his uncle had opened the door, Harry was roughly pushed under the stairs. He forced himself to remain standing the best he could, back hunched over slightly as the door slammed behind him. Harry recoiled, hearing the locks on the outside of the door before the small viewer was slammed closed as well.

He was filthy, and doubted he would be let out for the rest of the evening at that point. Grimacing, Harry sat down in a far corner; the farthest he could be from his bed at least, and pulled off his shirt carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was to dirty up anything more. Bundling the shirt up into a small ball, he placed it at his side before doing the same with his trousers.

Shivering, he crawled over to where his over-sized clothing was stored, opening up the small basket and withdrawing a fresh shirt and pair of sleeping trousers. "I didn't do anything.." Harry muttered softly once more, glancing at the closed door before sitting on the small mattress. Normally if Dudley got him in trouble, he was simply sent away out of sight and forced to make dinner.

This was different.

Harry raised his right hand, removing his glasses to rub his wrist across his eyes to clear away the moisture that started to form. Righting them once more, he looked down to his left wrist, his chin quivering just slightly. The skin was a harsh red color, no doubt sprained from his fall. There was nothing he could really do about it then.

Shifting, he slowly laid his right side and rested the injured wrist next to his head. Harry stared over to the door, hearing the muffled words of his aunt and uncle and sniffling when he heard footsteps above him. What had he done?

Remus Lupin was sure he had not felt his nerves on edge since the day Albus Dumbledore granted him access to Hogwarts at eleven years of age. The old wizard had jumped through so many hoops at that time, and now the man was doing so once more. There was no way with his… condition that he should ever be able to even *dream* of what had been offered.

Now that moment had come once more.

Now he sat across from the Headmaster, Minerva to his right with her lips pressed thin. She had only just arrived from the Hospital Wing after a very… eventful discussion with the Dursleys. As she put it at least.

"If you accept of course," Dumbledore pulled Remus from his thoughts, the man looking up with an expression that he certainly hoped displayed his disbelief. IF he accepted? Here he was, being offered to have the son of one of his best mates stay with him- to take care of him. How could he even choose to decline?

"I would love to, but…" An uneasiness entered Remus' tone as he thought of the full moons. He would not be able to watch a child like that, or for even days after.

Albus nodded, his smile gentle as eyes twinkled behind the half-moon spectacles. "We have, of course, considered that as well." The man leaned back slightly, hands clasping together in front of himself. "You will of course, be housed within Hogwarts, if you accept- and Severus has kindly agreed to brew the wolfsbane monthly."

Doubt quickly flooded Remus' mind at the idea of his old classmate willingly agreeing to such a thing. Not after all those years ago. Still, it was there… being offered by Albus Dumbledore himself. Where would Harry possibly go if he even declined? And the wolfsbane potion? That alone had been a dream of having the ability to take since he heard of it existing. It was of course far too expensive for him to even imagine creating, and he was absolutely rubbish at potions.

"..James would roll in his grave if I declined." Remus' lips twitched to a small smile, relaxing back into the chair. He stared at Dumbledore, the smile breaking out to a full grin as the older wizard simply smiled back. "Of course I accept." He breathed softly, hearing Minerva sigh in relief next to him.

"Good. Good. Right now, Poppy and Severus are looking him over and I believe he was given quite the sleeping draught." The twinkle within the elder wizard's eyes disappeared and Remus blinked at the sudden change.

"Why did he have to be given a sleeping draught? Did he not just arrive?" Remus glanced between Dumbledore and McGonagall; his worry clearly etched on his face.

Before Albus got in a word, Minerva quickly cut in. "Those muggles are the worst beings imaginable!" The older witch cast a stern glare over to her colleague. She had been right all these years yet the old coot simply ignored her!

"They were his only prote-"

"Protection! Yet they hurt the child!" McGonagall quickly interrupted, sighing as she closed her eyes. "He's fine now." She breathed, looking over to Remus who looked uneasy at the current information regarding his best mate's child. "But I told you," the woman glared over to Dumbledore once more with pursed lips, "I told you at the start those muggles were no good."

"May I go see him?" Remus quickly interjected. He knew very little of Petunia and even less of her husband. He would have plenty of time learning about them, but right then.. well, he hadn't seen the child since he was an infant.

Albus turned his attention away from McGonagall, who looked ready to continue her own ranting before sitting up slightly with a stern glare to the elderly wizard. "Of course." Dumbledore smiled warmly as he stood, eyes settling on his colleague for a brief moment as he moved around his desk. It was clear to Remus that the discussion between the two would be far from over, and he did not want to be in the middle. After all there was something else far more important for him to be concerned about.

Lips still pressed tightly together, McGonagall stood and followed the two out of the office door.

Remus' mind drifted to what he had just agreed to. To what the future would hold for them both. A smile graced his lips at the mere thought of it all. That would be if Harry wanted to. He would not force the child. To Harry he would be nothing but a stranger.

Absorbed into his thoughts, the man blinked once he heard the door to the infirmary open and stared at the headmaster as the man motioned him in. Amber eyes settled into the room before stepping in first, noting where the child was instantly by where Severus and Pomfrey stood around a small bed. His old classmate took a step away as the three entered, expression passive while the mediwitch tutted over the boy.

Approaching, Remus' steps were quick as he moved to the opposite side of the bed from Pomfrey.

Harry laid, eyes closed and wearing a sweater that seemed nearly three times too large for his frame and trousers that seemed to be just as large. His left wrist freshly bandaged, resting to his side. While the clothes seemed clean, the child looked filthy. Apparent dried dirt and mud across his cheeks and caked into his hair.

Frowning, Remus found himself gently brushing a small bit of mud from under Harry's left eye before looking over to the mediwitch. Pomfrey had busied herself into a clipboard, flipping through several pages of notes. "He will be out for a few hours. It was a small dose of a calming draught and he simply fell asleep instead. His body clearly needs the rest." The woman uttered as she placed the clipboard down on the table next to the boy's bed.

"What happened?" Lupin looked over the child, brushing back a bit of Harry's hair as the boy remained unmoving besides his even breathing. The man's thumb lingered, rubbing over Harry's forehead slowly as his frown remained.

"Where shall I begin? That," Pomfrey motioned to the bandaged wrist was Albus and Minerva moved closer. "That is new. Perhaps two days old at most. A sprain that will heal in a few days' time." She frowned, sparing a quick glance towards her notes before back down to the child. "Malnourished, severely. Because of that he's quite short for his age."

"Quite the opposite of that blasted woman's own spawn." Came the venomous voice of the potions master, to which Remus looked over to the man who stood farthest from the group. Severus' arms were folded, lips curling up to a sneer. "Yes, I fetched the child. I was sure Petunia would be much more agreeable with a familiar face." The man's tone laced with sarcasm as he tilted his chin up slightly at mentioning his own task.

Remus looked back to the child, deciding it wise to not respond to the words. There was much more to that story that he was certainly curious about, but it was not the time to ask. Right now he wanted the child in a much more comfortable environment than what he was currently in. The details could be explained later.

"I need to get him up to bed, as well as a bath.." He breathed, brushing his hand through the boy's hair and grimacing as his fingers caught into several knots. "Let him settle in and talk.." Lupin murmured softly, lips finally twitching as Harry shifted slightly. Yet the child remained in his slumber.

"He should stay here tonight." Pomfrey spoke, tutting as she picked up her clipboard to make a quick note.

Remus' frown returned, eyes settling up to the woman. He could not imagine the boy spending the night in the hospital wing of all places. No one enjoyed it as a student, he certainly couldn't see a child welcoming it. "He will be fine." The man forced, standing while choosing to ignore the woman's loud sigh. He looked over to Dumbledore. "Second floor, was that right?"

The old wizard nodded, the sparkle returning to his eyes at the words. "Second floor, first hall to the right. Three doors down. I believe everything should be ready for you. Severus kindly filled a cabinet of several potions you may need but if you find you're missing something, let a house elf know." Albus gave a kind smile as Remus nodded, looking down to Harry.

Leaning down, Remus curled his arms carefully under the child: one under his shoulders and the other under his knees. With far much ease than he would have liked, the man lifted the child. "Goodness me.." He murmured softly, choosing to adjust the child once more to rest at his hip.

Subconsciously, Harry curled his arms around Remus' neck with a soft groan. Whoever it was, they were warm and he sought that comfort within an instant.

The man smiled softly at the motion, one arm resting under the child while his free hand rested against the boy's back. "If anything occurs that he does need medical care, I assure you Poppy, I will bring him straight down." Remus rested his cheek against the child's temple as he looked to the mediwitch, stepping around the bed as he received a nod. He could feel all eyes on him, and the man tightened his hold slightly around the child. His goal then was to settle the child down until he woke. Everything would fall into place after. A discussion, a bath, and dinner would be the most important things.

Stepping out of the hospital wing, Remus allowed his mind to drift as he started up the staircase. It wasn't a far way to their new rooms, and for that he found himself grateful. The last thing he wanted was for Harry to somehow get overwhelmed with the amount of floors the castle had. Limiting it down to the first three helped greatly.

Moving down the second floor corridor, the man turned at the first right and counted the doors down before turning the knob at the third. Instantly it opened, revealing a warm colored parlor with touches of red and brown. The couch and two armchairs in front of the fireplace were a dark black, contrasting nicely with the room.

Allowing the door to close, Remus stepped further into the room, noting the stairs with a nod and a small hallway next to them. Connected to the parlor was the kitchen and dining room, colored a bit more brightly with whites and grays. Going down the hall, he adjusted Harry slightly while opening a small cabinet within the hall and found it labeled and filled with several potions and salves from pain relievers to bruise remover.

"Isn't this nice.." He hummed softly, moving to the first door on the left and opening it to reveal a full bath; the next and final door revealing to be a guest room. Or, if the child found himself ill, it would be perfect for him to be.

That led him to assume their own bedrooms and another bath would be upstairs, but that would be something to discover once Harry woke.

Moving back into the parlor, Remus stepped over to the couch and slowly peeled the child's arms from his neck. Moving a pillow from the corner of the cushions, he rested it down before laying Harry down carefully. Smiling, he pulled the red quilt that rested over the top of the couch and tucked it around the child's small frame.

"We shall get you settled in as soon as you wake.." He hummed, rubbing his thumb across the boy's cheek slowly before standing straight with a nod and moving over to one of the armchairs.

Sighing, Remus leaned back and closed his eyes while the past couple of hours settled in. It would be a drastic change for his life and all for the better. Not one detail had a downfall no matter how much he thought about them. He was at Hogwarts, to live with and take care of James' and Lily's son. A offered endless supplies of wolfsbane that any werewolf would, well, do anything for.

No, there was simply no downfall.

-TBC

Auth Note: I haven't written for so long! I do hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next chapter in the coming weeks!