The Dream Trilogy Book Two: Tread On My Dreams (A Harry Potter FanFiction)

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Harry felt a warm sensation of relief flow through him as Sirius' house came into view. Sirius would know what to do, everything was going to be okay. At the very least they could look forward to a hot cup of tea.  

Remus threw open the door before they'd even reached the front gate. "Harry!" he cried out, flustered. "What are you doing here, is something happening at the school, are-" But he stopped mid-way down the garden path, eyes locked on Draco. Harry already had his hands up defensively, but Remus started shouting regardless. "You, scheming, good-for-nothing, traitorous little - you've got something to do with this haven't you!" He wrenched the shiny black gate open, and grabbed Draco by the collar, completely ignoring Harry's cries of protest. "What have you done to my Godson!" 

"REMUS!" Harry bellowed, finally getting his surrogate uncle's attention. "Let him go, you don't understand."  

Remus scowled at the boy, then looked at Harry. "What, what don't I understand?" He looked haggard, face all drawn out, hair mostly grey and eyes that pleaded for a decade's worth of sleep. 

Harry sighed, exasperated. "Let him go and I'll explain." 

There was a few tense moments before Remus relented and removed his hand from Draco's jumper. He staggered back a few paces and Sarah jumped to steady him. Remus eyed her up suspiciously as Draco took several breaths in and out through his nose, fists curled into balls. Harry worried they might be moving past the broken, self-doubting Draco and fast approaching a violent, daddy-didn't-love-me time bomb. There was only so many unfounded attacks one person could take when they already thought themselves to be guilty without flying off the handle. 

"Explain," said Remus stiffly. "The school's been attacked hasn't it? How did you escape, and why is the Malfoy boy here." 

Harry couldn't help but glance at Hermione, who raised an eyebrow. Remus was the calm one, it was Sirius who tended to blow up like a volcano then come crawling back to apologise later. Draco must have really pressed a button. But Draco hadn't done anything wrong. 

"His name isn't Malfoy," said Harry evenly. "It's Draco, and yes the school's been attacked by Death Eaters, but Draco's the one who got us out so I'd like it if you could cut him a bit of slack." 

Remus narrowed his crinkled eyes at Harry, and he couldn't help but think back to his level-headed, healthier looking counterpart in Draco and Sarah's world. He had been instrumental in keeping the peace when Pettigrew had kidnapped his sister, defending Draco even before Harry himself had been convinced of his genuineness. But of course this Remus didn't know anything about that, because Harry had only ever told Sirius and even then sworn him to secrecy. Sirius, he figured, deserved to know what drove him to such an act of lunacy in front of the Minster of Magic last November, but he didn't want anyone else knowing for the same reasons he didn't like talking about it with Ron and Hermione. He thought that world was closed forever to him, so what was the point of torturing himself? How little did he know. 

"Draco?" repeated Remus in a tone that was almost scathing.  

"Yes," snapped Harry. He didn't know what had got into his second Godfather, but right now there was more pressing matters at hand. "Could we maybe come in before someone at the school realises we're gone and comes looking for us?" 

Remus stared at him for a moment, then seemed to deflate. "Yes," he said flatly. "Yes of course you should come in." He glanced back at the little house covered in ivy, before beckoning the group in and walking back towards the front door still hanging a jar. 

"Are you alright?" muttered Harry to Draco as they followed Remus. 

"I'm used to it," replied Draco coldly, eyes fixed on the back of Remus' head. "I know what he's like at home, it doesn't matter if this version hates me. My Remus has my back."