I got this idea in the shower of all places. Actually, I've been wanting to write a piece like this for awhile. I got a review for Rainy Day telling me I should write something with Remus and Sirius having a fight or something, and I knew I should, but most of the fight scenes between Remus and Sirius are in the main story, but there was this one little bunny that wouldn't get out of my head that I knew I couldn't put in the story, I just couldn't think of a good way to bring it all together. Finally I figured it out and toyed with the Carle family and came up with this, I hope you guys like it!
This story is a part of a series I'm working on (very very slowly) and hope to have at leastthree quartersfinished before I start posting it. Those of you who have been around long enough to remember my starting days will remember what happened with my other WIP...WIPs actually. I'd rather not do that to you guys again. Anyways, this Series has a bunch of little random short stories I can't fit into the actual plot or aren't important enough, but are cute little things that I just want to share with you nutters. They can also, kind of, stand alone.
The basic story is this: Remus and Sirius get Harry a few months out of the year, and the Dursleys are forced to have him the other months. Remus inherited a nice little cottage out in the middle of bloody no where with several acres of land surrounding it (for those full moons) they really only have one neighbor, a large family (The Carles)about half a mile out. This is where our boys live, including Harry's best friend, Samantha. This is one day out of their lives. So...yeah.
Summary: When Remus and Sirius get in a fight, Harry is forced to wonder--what will the out come be? And will they have an unmarriage?
Rating: T, strong language.
Warnings: Slash! Remus/Sirius, Strong language,AU
Divorce
A seven year old Harry Potter sat on the fence, his bare feet swinging back and forth in the warm summer air, with his best friend Samantha Carle on one side, and her little brother Teddy on the other. They all held large-ish pieces of watermelon in their hands, and their faces were smeared with the sweet juices.
"Here, watch this one," Harry said, spitting a small black seed. They were silent as they watched it soar through the air and land a few meters away. Samantha huffed in the realization that Harry had once again made his seed go farther.
"Aw, that's nothing. I bet I could beat that, easy!" she said. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Bet you can't."
"Bet I can."
"Well then go on."
"Wait a second, I gotta get warmed up," Samantha said. Harry grinned. The back door of the house they were facing slammed and a tall lanky man came out with short spiky brown hair.
"K'is!" Teddy cried, dropping the watermelon rind along with the few bites it had left and hopping off the fence to go hobbling after the man who had turned towards the garage.
"Stephen! Hey! Stephen!" Harry and Samantha watched as an older man stepped out of the garage, wiping his hands on a cloth. They couldn't see him as well from where they were, but they both knew who it was.
"Sam?" Harry asked. Samantha looked up from her watermelon.
"Mmhmm?" she hummed, before taking another bite.
"Why does your brother call your dad by his first name?" Samantha paused and looked up; she spit a seed to the side and swallowed.
"Cause Daddy isn't Chris' Daddy." Harry's brows furrowed and he looked over at Sam.
"But your Mum is his Mum, right?" Samantha nodded.
"Yep. Mum was married to some one else before she married Daddy though. That's when she had Chris. But they got a divorce," Samantha said with a shrug before going back to her watermelon. Still confused, Harry looked over at the brunette sitting next to him.
"Divorce?" he asked. Samantha nodded.
"Yeah a divorce."
"What's a divorce?" Samantha crinkled her brow and looked up over at the garage.
"Well, Mum says that a divorce is when two married people fight a lot and don't love each other any more, so they get unmarried. So a divorce is an unmarriage," she explained. Harry nodded and looked over at the garage.
"Oh, an unmarriage," he said, as if that explained everything.
"Yep. Hey! Watch this one!" Samantha spit out another seed and they watched as it soared through the air and landed a few centimeters ahead of Harry's.
"I win!" she shrieked, dropping the watermelon rind and jumping off the fence.
"Nu-uh! No fair! That one didn't count!" Harry said, following her leading.
"I want a rematch!" he shouted as his feet touched the ground. Samantha stuck out her tongue at him.
"Okay, fine, who ever makes it to the lake first wins. Ready, set, GO!" she cried dashing off. Harry shouted and ran after her.
"Hey! That's not fair! I wasn't ready!"
--
Harry opened the door and slammed it closed. He plopped down on the ground and tugged off his shoes, sweating and panting.
"I'm home!" he shouted cheerfully, tossing his shoes next to Sirius' motorcycle boots. Harry paused when no one answered his greeting. Frowning he listened carefully and heard yelling from the kitchen. Quietly, Harry curiously crept through the hallway and into the kitchen, and peered in.
"I'm not supposed to be here, damn it! I'm not supposed to be settled down in a house in the bloody country with a kid! I can't handle it!" Sirius shouted, standing near the kitchen table. Remus, who was facing away from him at the counter, whirled around, looking about ready to cry.
"And you think I can? You think I'm perfectly happy with my life right now Sirius? I asked for this as much as you asked for this, but you don't see me stomping around pulling stunts like yours!" he cried. Sirius made a strange noise and started talking animatedly with his hands, waving them around as he screamed.
"Merlin's Balls! Listen to me Remus! This…this thing! I can't…" Sirius trailed off and made a strange noise before continuing.
"I hate this! I hate everything! I didn't want kids. I didn't want to be tied down. I wanted to travel and explore, why can't you just allow me to go off for one bloody weekend?" he cried.
"Because you have a kid! And you are tied down! And I'm sorry it's not your blood child, but he's still just as important! And you made a promise to him, and to me! You can't leave this weekend!" Remus shouted.
"It's only once!" Sirius cried. Remus stepped forward, looking menacing.
"And how many promises did you make to me only to break them later, using that same fucking excuse," he growled.
"That was during a war!"
"It doesn't matter! A promise is a promise! I refuse to let you break your promise to…" Remus stopped dead, a look of pure terror crossing his face as his senses kicked into action. He smelled fresh air, dirt, and the lake…Harry.
"Harry," he whispered, before turning to face the boy. Harry stood there, tears streaming down his face, his mouth open slightly, trembling. Sirius frowned.
"What?" he asked turning around and seeing his godson. He cursed as Remus stepped forward.
"Harry, oh Harry, sweetie, how long have you been there?" Remus asked in a broken, urgent tone. Harry focused his gaze on Remus pleading face before sucking in a deep and shuddering breath and turning and running off, up the stairs, and slamming the door in his room shut. Remus lifted his hands to his face and let out a strangled sob as Sirius slammed his hand on the table and stormed up the stairs to their bedroom, also slamming the door.
--
Harry was curled up on his bed, trembling slightly. He sniffed and scrubbed at his face viciously as Sirius lightly knocked and opened his bedroom door.
"Pup?" he whispered into the quiet room. Harry squeezed his toy lion, Aslan, tighter. Sirius sighed and walked into the room, carrying a small over night bag. He sat down on the other side of Harry's bed and rested a hand on the boy's back.
"Hey, Pup, I love you, okay?" he whispered. Harry nodded and Sirius smiled, gently rubbing the boy's back.
"I'm going to go spend the night at a friend's house tonight, I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. You and Moony, you guys can stay here and have a party all right? Stay up all night and eat all the chocolate and tell stories and play games, okay?" Harry nodded. Sirius looked down and sighed.
"I really do love you Harry."
"I know. I love you too. I'm sorry," Harry replied quietly. Sirius looked up.
"Sorry for what Pup?" he asked cautiously. Harry turned over to look at him, the light from the hallway making his tear-filled eyes glisten.
"I'm sorry I messed up your life," he answered. Sirius stared at Harry for a moment before smiling softly and shaking his head. He pulled Harry up into an embrace.
"Oh no, Pup, no. You didn't mess up my life, kiddo. If anything you made it ten times better, okay?" Harry buried his face in the fabric of Sirius' shirt and nodded, crying. Sirius rocked him back and forth, rubbing small circles on the boy's back.
"I didn't mean a word of what I said back there Harry. I was just really, really angry. I love you so much, I don't know what I'd do with out you," Sirius whispered. Harry nodded before pulling back off his godfather. He scrubbed at his face, and Sirius chuckled, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping Harry's face before giving him the cloth.
"I'll see you tomorrow Pup. You be good, okay?" Harry nodded.
"Love you Padfoot," he mumbled as Sirius got up and headed to the door. Sirius turned and smiled at him before shutting the door.
Harry waited, listening as Sirius went down the staircase, before carefully slipping out of his room and sitting on the top stair, watching as Remus came out of the kitchen and grabbed Sirius' sleeve.
"Sirius please," he begged quietly.
"No," Sirius replied, tugging his sleeve out of the other man's grasp and continuing on. Remus followed him, they both kept their voices low, and Harry had to strain to hear.
"You don't have to leave. I'll sleep in the guest bedroom Sirius, please."
"This isn't about sleeping arrangements, Remus. I just…I need to get out, just for one night. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. I promise." They had left Harry's line of sight, so the boy carefully moved down one step to hear them better.
"Sirius, we can—"
"No Remus. I need a change of scenery, just for one night. I promise you, I will be back tomorrow." There was a pause, and Harry could imagine Sirius pulling on his boots.
"I love you," Remus whispered, so quietly Harry at first thought he had imagined it. There was silence for a few moments longer before finally Sirius spoke.
"Make sure Harry brushes his teeth." The door closed and Harry stared at the wall in front of him blankly before getting up and quietly moving back to his room. He closed the door and dashed back to his bed, burying himself under the covers with Aslan and staring into the darkness quietly.
A while later, Remus knocked quietly and entered Harry's room.
"Harry?" he whispered. Harry closed his eyes and shifted slightly, pretending he was asleep. Remus sighed and nodded.
"I love you Harry, good night," he whispered, closing the door quietly. Harry's eyes opened and he stared back into the darkness, this time tears falling down his cheeks.
--
The clock read 11:45 PM as Harry snuck out of his room and carefully tiptoed to Remus and Sirius' bedroom. He peered in and looked at the bed, there was Remus, muttering something in his sleep, clutching to the mass of pillows next to him and whimpering, while tossing and turning.
Harry had his fair share of nightmares, and knew that that's exactly what Remus was having. He crept in the room and crawled on the bed from Sirius' side. He lightly poked Remus and whispered his name. Remus shot up with a gasp.
"Sirius?" he asked, looking next to him and seeing Harry. The night's events came crashing back and he frowned.
"Harry? What is it?" he asked quietly. Harry lifted up Aslan.
"We couldn't sleep," he whispered. Remus blinked, before smiling and pulling back the covers.
"Well, come on in," he said. Harry immediately crawled under the covers and Remus laid down next to him. Harry curled up next to Remus, who wrapped his arms around the small boy and tucked his head underneath his chin. Remus stared at the empty space behind Harry, and silence settled around them before Harry made a small whining noise and shifted.
"What's up Pup?" Remus asked quietly.
"Nothing," Harry replied. Remus smiled slightly.
"Oh?" Harry nodded.
"Well then, what'd you have for dinner at Sam's?" Remus asked. Harry huffed.
"Cornbeef Cabbage stuff," he said. Remus grinned.
"Did you like it?" Harry shook his head.
"It tasted like dog food," he replied. Remus chuckled.
"I'll try and remember that," he said. Harry squiggled out of his grasp and stared at him.
"Do you like it?" he asked. Remus nodded.
"I do. But your godfather despises it. Of course, he thinks dog food tastes much better than it." Harry huffed.
"He would," he mumbled. Remus chuckled again. They quieted down and curled around each other again. Silence fell for a few moments until Harry shifted silently once more.
"Remus?" he whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Are you and Sirius getting a divorce?"
Silence. Remus finally pulled away from Harry and sat up, pulling the boy in his lap.
"Repeat that, please," he requested, staring at Harry. Harry looked away and bit his bottom lip.
"Are you and Sirius getting a divorce? You know, an unmarriage?" he mumbled. Remus cupped Harry's face and gently forced him to look the man in the eye.
"Harry, where did you get that idea?" he asked calmly. Harry stared at him before beginning to babble.
"Samantha told me that her Daddy isn't Christopher's Daddy and that her Mum was married to Christopher's Daddy, and then they fought and didn't love each other no more, so they got unmarried, and that's called a divorce. And when I got home, you and Sirius were fighting and Sirius said he hates all of this and then he didn't say 'I love you too' when you said that you loved him and so that means you guys don't love each other no more and that you're getting a divorce!" he cried before bursting into tears and clinging to Remus, sobbing. To say Remus was shocked would be an understatement. He quickly recovered his nerves and hugged Harry tightly, rocking back and forth and hushing the sobbing boy. After Harry had quieted down and was only occasionally hiccuping, Remus pulled him back so that he could look the seven-year-old in the eye.
"Harry, your godfather and I are not getting a divorce, or splitting up or anything, okay?" he asked. Harry nodded and Remus continued.
"We just had one fight Pup, and we said stuff and did stuff we really didn't mean. Your godfather loves you and me very much, and I love you and him very much. But even people who love each other get on each other's nerves. Sirius…just needed time to calm down, okay?" he asked. Harry sniffled and nodded, suddenly feeling very tired. Remus sighed and laid back, pulling Harry with him.
"Come on Pup, let's get to sleep," he whispered. Harry nodded and almost instantly fell asleep.
--
The next morning Remus woke up first, carefully covering the still sleeping Harry with the covers before going downstairs to start breakfast. He stopped at the entrance of the kitchen and smiled lightly, watching Sirius flip pancakes up into the air and catching them with the frying pan.
"Pretty fancy trick," Remus commented. Sirius paused and looked over his shoulder.
"You're up early," he stated. Remus nodded.
"Yeah, I am," he said. Sirius nodded and they stood there awkwardly before Sirius coughed and motioned to the kettle.
"Tea?" he asked. Remus nodded.
"Yes, that would be wonderful," he replied. Sirius quickly prepared a mug for Remus and handed it to him.
"Breakfast should be done in a few minutes, I hope Harry gets up soon," Sirius commented. Remus nodded and sat down at the table, picking up the Prophet.
"He should be. You know, he asked me a very strange question last night," he stated casually.
"Oh?" Sirius asked, not looking up from his cooking. Remus nodded.
"Yes, he asked if we were getting a divorce," he replied. Silence filled the kitchen.
"Oh," Sirius muttered after a while. Remus nodded again.
"Yes, oh," he replied. Sirius swallowed and put down the spatula and turned to Remus. He took a few steps forward before pausing.
"Remus?" Remus looked up from his paper and at Sirius.
"Yes?" he asked quietly. Sirius shook his head and bit his lip.
"I love you so much, I'm so sorry," he whispered. Remus stood up quickly and they embraced each other in the middle of the kitchen.
"I know, I love you too," he replied. Sirius nodded and tightened his grip.
"I was just…I needed to get out, to go see something different," he mumbled. Remus nodded.
"I know, love, I know, you don't have to explain." Sirius pulled away and cupped Remus' face.
"Merlin, divorce you? What sane being would leave you?" he asked. Remus blushed and grinned.
"Oh don't," he said, and Sirius smiled and leaned down to kiss him. Remus returned the kiss before pulling away quickly.
"Your eggs are about to burn," Sirius cursed and let go of Remus, turning back to the stove as Remus chuckled slightly. He turned to the doorway of the kitchen and saw Harry standing there, nervously smiling. Remus nodded and winked.
"Morning Pup! Look who came to crash our party," he said cheerfully. Harry grinned and dashed in the kitchen, only to be picked up by Sirius and swung around before being passed to Remus, laughing happily.
Really, fights weren't that bad, Harry thought to himself, especially if it meant pancakes with strawberries and whip-cream on top when everything was better.
Please Review!