Choices Without Regrets

Chapter XIV: Shocking Talks and News

They left the nursery and got ready for the day ahead; Tom leaving to go set up plans for setting up the new security wards for the homes of the former Order members that did not remain. Harry went to the eastern wing, and was not surprised to see that Remus was already awake and having coffee.

"Good morning Moony; or at least, I hope I can still call you that." Harry said hesitantly, "I know that my actions of late have hurt you a lot and have made little sense."

Remus paused as he sensed Harry there. The scent of Riddle was still all over him; though not as pronounced as the day before. Their was also a new scent to him...one that made his eyes widened slightly.

He sat his coffee mug down and gestured to Harry to sit. Harry didn't need his permission to do so, he was merely being polite.

"Of course you can, Harry. Even if I feel that I no longer deserve it; you will always be my pup. I spoke to James the other day while you were out." Remus began, "A lot of things that didn't make sense about you and your actions; they now do make sense. James was, honestly, very protective of you even from his portrait...explained to me a lot of topics that only someone dead could have known about, and was rather...ticked off at me for how I had acted. I cannot even blame him; I let my emotions control me and that is extremely dangerous for a were-creature to do."

Remus shuddered suddenly, "I don't want to think about what would have been said or done had your mother been in the portrait too. Her temper...is legendarily frightening. Much like yours."

Harry eyed him now and considered, "Does that mean you have accepted my choices, then? That you are not going to force me to cut you out of my life because you can't accept them. That is what the consequence would be."

Remus eyed Harry now and then the fire, "I do not know if I could say that I personally accept them all right now; I haven't seen enough of the changes between you and him to really say I accept them. But I accept they are your choices, and there is nothing I can do or say to change them.

I do not want to be forced to abandon you either, Harry." He said softly, "Yet, these choices you've made; they rattle the wolf inside with anger. Even while I now know that these choices would have been made at some point in another manner."

"Now, what the hell is wrong with Fenrir Greyback? I haven't ever seen him so...unhinged, nor to suddenly act so docile?" Remus asked

Harry smirked suddenly, "The problem with that question is that the answer is unanswerable. Because Tom and I have not a clue what changed with him. It started when I first met him; he was lost to the instincts of the wolf when he had found the place Tom took me to...to hide me until I was ready to return. We had just returned there for several days after spending time alone together and celebrating my birthday while Gringotts was working overtime on matters for me."

Harry eyed the ceiling softly, "I was outside in the garden, alone. Tom has never held me captive at any point after I let him whisk me away as if he had kidnapped me. I was free to roam the house and the grounds whenever I wanted; so long as I didn't destroy anything. I sat underneath a tree and was thinking on how peaceful I felt now; with how my choice had allowed me to feel safe."

Harry snorted, "Ironic. Because the man I felt safe with had also tried to end my life more than five individual times. Yet, I had always...always felt a draw to him; one I could never explain nor one I examined too closely until I discovered certain secrets."

"Anyways, Fenrir found me in the garden and must have...smelt the changes in my magical core. Were-wolf mating season had also just begun then; his wolf was driving him to the loony bin in trying to find me. He first scented me when I went to the bank to begin the process of ironing out the problems in the Potter estates. When he had finally found me; he didn't even wait to consider anything. He pounced onto me and pinned me to the tree I was leaning on."