Nose to the Wind // tomarry

Chapter 11: Nothing Sacred

Remus was waiting for Harry when he stepped back into his bedroom, and he froze under the disapproving, gold-flecked stare of his godfather for a long moment before slumping. "How much trouble am I in?"

"Where were you?" Remus asked in return, because Harry had only put that he had business in his note.

Harry took a moment to decide whether he would be in more trouble if he refused to explain the reason for his outing, or if he admitted he'd spent the night with Voldemort. They're going to figure out when his birthday is eventually, he realised and sighed. "It's Voldemort's birthday," he offered, leaving it for Remus to connect those dots.

Remus' expression didn't change. "And you had to stay out all night to give him a gift?"

Harry straightened and crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to answer that.

Remus held firm for another moment, before sighing and rubbing tiredly at his face. "Have you slept?"

Harry tightened his arms over his chest. "I took a potion that'll keep me up for another couple hours," he admitted.

Remus gave him a tired look. "Which potion?"

Harry resisted the urge to wince as he admitted, "Orange Zing."

Remus started. "That's auror restricted."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I'm aware. I also know that I can't take it again for another fifty or so hours, and if I take any other stimulant potions to keep awake after its worn off, I'll end up with a blinding migraine and will throw up anything I eat until I can sleep. I'm not thoughtlessly medicating myself."

"It sure looks like you are," Remus informed him, and Harry refused to flinch at the accusation. Remus' mouth tightened and the gold in his eyes intensified. "You're grounded for a month."

"Fine."

"And we're not telling your dad or Uncle Sirius about–"

"The fact that I'm brewing and taking potions that I don't, legally, have any right to?" Harry finished drily.

"Exactly," Remus agreed, giving up on the disapproving look and going for a more resigned appearance, though his eyes still glinted gold. "Could you at least try to be a law-abiding citizen for more than two months at a time?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll work on that," he replied before motioning towards the bedroom door. "Shall we go assure everyone I'm back? And warn them that I'm going to crash for about six hours fairly soon."

Remus frowned as he stood. "Only six? I thought it was eight."

"That's for humans. We're different."

"Right." Remus nodded in understanding before waving Harry ahead of him.

Harry took a deep breath and left his room to face the music, as it were.

-0-

Harry mostly managed to keep his misdeeds on the lowdown for the rest of the school year and into the summer holiday. While he could hardly keep out of the Realm of Death completely, given his attempts to keep tabs on his quasi-spy network, he did avoid making any long trips via it. And, too, with his brothers and him going to the Weasleys' every afternoon, while Lily and James were both working, there wasn't much chance for him to run into people who irritated him the right way that he felt the need to just kill them.

As summer started and Ron started talking about getting his Hogwarts letter, Harry's mind turned to another close friend who would be starting Hogwarts that year.