See chapter one for disclaimer

Normal

"Talking"

'Thinking'

/Parseltounge/

/Sirius-Harry mind talking/

Chapter Five: Settling in

In the few days that followed after the move to Grimmauld Place, things changed drastically. The house had been cleaned from top to bottom, by everyone. Harry had argued with Sirius over making the poor old elf clean the entire place by himself. This had sprung an argument that had lasted almost all day.

"I don't want you cleaning the house Harry; it's not your job!"

"And I don't want Kreacher doing this all by himself! He's a house elf, not a slave! Asking one person to clean the entire place…it…it's…"

"Oh Harry-I"

"-Don't even, alright. I am going to help clean. No one is telling you that you have to, but don't talk to me right now."

.

.

.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so stupid Harry."

"I forgive you. I'm sorry to. I overreacted."

"So…does this mean that I'm allowed to talk to you again?"

"You're talking to me now."

"…Oh…"

"Idiot."

Kreacher was far more pleasant after that. Whether it was being considered a person in his master's mate's eyes, or the fact that someone actually bothered to help him neither of the wizards, but they were very pleased with the mood change.

The best change had definitely been getting rid of the portrait of Walburga Black. Harry had had an accidental encounter with the portrait on his first day and that was one encounter too many. With the combined magics of Sirius and Kreacher they managed to blast the old woman off of the wall and silence her. Sirius sent Kreacher to bring her to Gringotts where she would stay with the rest of the Black family portraits.

Surprisingly, the most upsetting change had been the new clothes.

Harry wandered down the hall, looking for the kitchen. Sirius was still sleeping in his bed and Harry had wanted to surprise him with breakfast as a thank you for getting him out of the Dursley household.

Ah-Ha! There were the stairs! Figuring that the kitchen was somewhere downstairs, Harry quickened his pace. He stopped about halfway down the stairs when he saw the dozens-literally, there were a good three dozen-bags packed in the entrance hall.

"Uh…Sirius?" He called out. When no reply came he called it out a bit louder. There was a thump down the hall and soon a black and red blur was rocketing in his direction.

"Harry! What is it? What's wrong?" Sirius asked, eyes darting about, looking for danger.

"What is all that?"

Sirius's brow furrowed. What was Harry talking about? "What's what Harry?"

Harry pointed to the multitude of bags, grey eyes followed until they noticed the 'problem'. "They're bags Harry." Sirius said calmly. Harry's face pinked in a very adorable way (stop it Sirius and pay attention!).

"I know they're bags, but why are there so many?"

"We needed new clothes, so I sent Kreacher out to buy us new wardrobes. We can't keep wearing my old robes for forever, love."

"So you decided to just buy an entire wardrobe for the two of us?" Harry narrowed his eyes, much to the older man's confusion. Shouldn't Harry be happy that he was getting spoiled for once?

"Well, it's not like I don't have the money to waste. This didn't even come close to denting the Black fortune."

Things had escalated from there. Sirius, who had come from a rich pureblood house hold, could not comprehend the situation from Harry's point of view. He was used to spending copious amounts of money on trivial things. It was how he was raised. Harry, on the other hand, had grown up without much of anything. No new toys, all hand-me-down cast-away clothing from Dudley, only scraps of food, and for the longest time, his room in the cupboard under the stairs. He never spent any more than he had to and he never bought anything more than the necessities. For Sirius to go and spend a small fortune on clothes of all things…well it didn't sit with him.

They didn't talk for a good three days. It hurt Sirius more than he would admit, but he didn't think that he had done anything wrong. In his mind he was providing for his mate. Why couldn't Harry see it his way?

Harry wasn't as affected by the silent treatment as Sirius was, but after the first day he would admit to feeling loneliness blossom in his chest.

It was Kreacher, the clever little elf, who had ended the 'argument'. He locked the two wizards in Sirius's bedroom and refused to allow them out until they had talked.

After a very long and very insightful conversation, the two came to an accord. Sirius would limit his spending sprees while Harry had to allow Sirius to spoil him every now and them to make up for not being spoiled for the past twelve years.

Oddly enough, the subject of his mate was not breached since the night Sirius had brought Harry to Grimmauld. Often Sirius would find Harry staring off into space, but once Sirius tried probing his mind to see what was bothering him, Harry would snap out of it, smile, apologize, and ask a random question about…well anything, but mostly his parents.

Harry loved hearing stories about his Mum and Dad. Sirius had told him about all of the pranks that they had pulled back when they were at Hogwarts, he spoke about the man who really betrayed his parents (Peter Pettigrew), and he spoke of a man named Remus Lupin.

Oh Moony.

Sirius had planned to write to his old time friend days ago, but every time he actually sat down to write he would lose his courage. Some Gryffindor.

He was having one such moment, he was in the library this time, when Harry walked in.

"Siri? What are you doing?" He asked softly.

Sirius looked up at the boy, letting a small smile break out on his tired face. "I'm trying to write a letter to my friend Moony, you remember I told you about him (Harry nodded). Well, I can't seem to start the letter."

Nodding in understanding, Harry sat down next to the older man. "Why don't I write it then? That way he won't know who sent it by the handwriting." Harry was gifted with the largest smile that he had ever seen on the older man's face, making him flush. Sirius looked so handsome when he smiled like that.

"You are absolutely brilliant my dear!" Harry's blush darkened. "And then we can add copies of my memories for him to view, I know that he has a penseive because Lily gave him one for one of his birthdays. There's no way that he would get rid of it." The man was rambling now, but Harry was too confused. It was possible to send copies of a memory? And what the hell was a penseive?

"Err…What on earth are you talking about Siri?"

"Oh! I'll explain it to you later Pup, but right now let's start on that letter!"

Dear Remus Lupin,

This is rather weird since I haven't seen you in twelve years, but how are you? I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Harry Potter, James and Lily's son. Do you remember me? I'm sad to say that I don't remember you too much. I have dreams sometimes with you in them, I'm a baby in them so they must be memories. I am so sorry if this letter seems strange to you, but you were family to me once before, and I really hope that you could be family again.

As you know I was left with my aunt and uncle. Well that was a complete and utter disaster. I was recently rescued from their 'care' by a surprising person. I would love to meet you in person, but before we can I must ask that you view these memories and keep an open mind while doing so. Please wait to reply until after you have seen them all.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter.

Remus was astonished when a strange owl had flown into his small house and dropped a letter on his lap. He had been eating breakfast, which had been quickly forgotten after reading and rereading the first few lines over.

Harry. His precious little cub, the only cub in his pack, had written to him. Although, it was mind boggling at how he had even heard about the werewolf, Remus didn't care. He was going to review the memories sent to him and then meet with his cub!

Now where did he put that penseive?

"Sirius, can I talk to you?"

Harry hated interrupting Sirius when he was reading, but Harry really needed to talk with him.

Sirius looked up from his book, putting it down when he saw the serious look on Harry's face, and motioned for the boy to sit next to him on the couch. "What is it, Pup?"

Harry didn't speak for a while, too focused on wringing his hands together. Sirius waited patiently for him to say something, but after so long, Sirius started getting antsy. After what felt like a lifetime of worrying, Harry finally spoke.

"When we first met, you told me that you had a mate. I thought that you were a dog so I didn't think too hard about who it was. But…then you turned into a human and everything that you told me seemed…odd. Black hair, green eyes, his parents were betrayed and subsequently murdered by someone that they trusted, the last time that you saw him was when he was a baby…I've been doing research. Research on soul-mates. Did you know that soul-mates can communicate through their minds?"

Sirius, who had seemed to become as stiff as a statue, didn't answer. He knew everything about soul-mates, and he knew where this conversation was heading.

"I'm your soul-mate." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Sirius didn't answer. "I used to dream about being rescued from the Dursleys, but I had dreamt for so long that I had given up. I started dreaming about one day having a family of my own one day. A spouse, kids, maybe a few pets to keep Hedwig company." At the wistful smile on his small mate's face, Sirius smiled as well (though there was a hint of anger in the back of his minds. Oh he would definitely be going back to the Dursleys and give them hell). It was a cute little dream. He could already see himself and Harry in about ten years. There would be two little kids, Harry-bonded to Sirius-would be heavily pregnant, and there would be a pet here and there, jumping around. Hopefully, Remus would also be there as the godfather to their children.

"It's ironic that the man who can fulfill both dreams is not only and escaped criminal, but also my godfather, not that I'm complaining." The words didn't exactly register in Sirius's head at first. All he had heard was 'criminal' and 'godfather'. For one depressing moment, his heart sank. Then, it clicked.

"What did you say?"

Harry smiled at him, god was it a beautiful smile. "You are my mate. You are so dear to me Sirius. I don't love you yet, but I know that one day I will. And I hope that you will stay by my side until then."

Arms wrapped around Harry so tight that for a second he couldn't breathe. "I will stand by your side for forever, my little one."

Remus stumbled out of the penseive. What he had just seen…everything he knew was wrong. He felt awful, no, what he felt was beyond that. How could he have thought that Sirius would ever betray Lily and James? Why? Why was he so stupid!

He had a letter to write.

Cub,

It's wonderful to hear from you. Not a day goes by where I don't wonder about your well-being. I wish that I had been there when you grew up, but there were…circumstances that did not all it.

Perhaps we could talk over tea? Before you say no, I want to tell you that I have seen the memories. Tell Pads that I'm sorry. I will never forgive myself for letting myself believe that he betrayed your parents. If we do meet, can you bring Pads along? If he doesn't want to come along, I'll understand. I wouldn't want to see me either after everything that he has been through.

Write back to let me know?

Uncle Remus Lupin

Harry had read the letter aloud with Sirius sitting next to him. Without looking, he could tell that the man was in tears or close to it. His frame shook every so often and he clenched Harry's knee in his hand.

"Siri? Are you alright?" Harry asked. He turned, first putting the letter on the coffee table in front of them, and stroked the side of Sirius's stubbled face. He was right, Sirius was close to crying. Tears were gathered in his eyes, but they refused to fall.

"He…He's such an idiot!" Harry jumped back, surprised at the outburst. "My best friend and he thinks that I wouldn't want to see him! Write him back and tell him to get his arse to number 12 right away. When he gets here I am going to beat the shit out of him!" Sirius wandered out of the room muttering about how he was going to kill his long time friend for thinking that Sirius would want nothing to do with him. Harry sat on the couch, watching with an amused smile as he prepared his reply.

Remmy,

By the demand of one irritated dog, I must inform you that you must get over to Number 12 as soon as possible or you will have said dog pounding on your doorstep. Please come over for dinner, I don't think Pads will wait that long for you to get here. He wants to see you, we both do.

See you at six!

Harry