Harry Potter: Raised by Wolves.

Harry grinned, pride growing in his chest. "Thanks." He sipped at his hot chocolate, relaxing as the warmth slowly flooded through his body. He glanced up at the man opposite him. "I heard my dad." Lupin frowned at him, puzzled. "When the dementor… usually I just hear Mum, screaming for Voldemort to leave me alone. This time, before I passed out… Dad was there. He said he'd hold Voldemort off so Mum could take me and run away. I'd never heard his voice before."

Lupin's shoulders had tensed. "James would have done anything for you and Lily," he said eventually. "Since we were kids, he always said he'd never love another soul as much as he loved Lily Evans. Then they had you." He met Harry's gaze, tears shining in his eyes. "You were his whole world, you know? You and your mother. He was never so happy as he was when he was with you." A lump rose in Harry's throat, and he drank more hot chocolate. "What— what was it like? When they had me?" The only experience he had of a wizarding household was the Burrow, and that was an entirely unique brand of chaos.

Lupin seemed to understand what he was asking. "At first, James was terrified. He was an only child, see, and he hadn't had much experience with babies. It took Lily ages to convince him to hold you without her supervising — he kept insisting he'd drop you." He chuckled softly. "After about two weeks of him putting your nappies on backwards, he started getting the hang of it. Always said he was no good — told me the cat was actually watching you, he was just helping. But he doted on you, Harry. Every second since you were born. Even when times got dark, and things were difficult, there was so much love in that house."

Harry's heart ached when he tried to imagine it. "We had a cat?" he said eventually, not wanting to dwell too much on the thought of being loved. Of being happy.

"Sergeant Pepper," Lupin told him, lips curling in a smile. "Lily's cat, from when we were in school. He didn't like James at first. Warmed up to him eventually. We knew Lily had finally given in to her feelings when Pep started leaving dead mice on James' pillow. Well, once we realised it wasn't Sirius doing it as a joke," he added with a snort. A flash of pain crossed his features when he realised what he'd said. "No one found Pep when… after Voldemort. The house was in quite a state, we never knew if he'd run for it or…"

Harry hoped the cat had run. Hoped he'd found a new home, with a new family who loved him. That would make one of them, at least.

"So Dad wasn't great with babies?" That made Lupin laugh.

"Not exactly, but he muddled through. Lily, on the other hand, was a natural from day one. Took to motherhood like a duck to water. She, uh, she said she wanted at least one more. Said that being an only child sounded lonely, and even an awful sibling was better than none at all." Lupin set his mug down. "Sirius said the same, and he hated his brother. The rest of us were only children. Severus didn't understand it, not after— well. Never mind." His cheeks flushed, and he ducked his head.

"Why did Snape never tell me he knew my parents?" Harry blurted. That was the second time now that Lupin had talked about Snape and his parents like they knew each other better than just being classmates.

"Professor Snape, Harry," Lupin corrected automatically. "He… James and Severus never got along. I think it's safe to say they hated each other, actually," he said wryly. "I'll admit, James didn't help the matter. He was always jealous that Lily and Severus were friends, so he… well, most of the pranks he and Sirius played were on Slytherins, and Severus in particular. I tried to stay out of it, but… things happen. They were my friends."

Lupin sighed, rubbing at a scar on the bridge of his nose. "It's a very long story, Harry, that isn't entirely mine to share. Perhaps one day… Suffice to say, Professor Snape has a difficult relationship with his memory of your parents, and I don't think you make it any easier. Not that it's your fault," he added hastily. "He's just working under some… mistaken assumptions."

Harry slowly finished off his hot chocolate, pondering the man's words. He supposed he could understand it. If Snape and his dad hated each other when they were kids, and then Harry showed up looking exactly like James Potter; no wonder Snape didn't like him. It was hardly fair, being judged against a man he didn't even remember, but he could get it.

"You loved him, didn't you," he murmured, watching Lupin with a knowing gaze. The man choked on his hot chocolate, going wide-eyed. "My dad, I mean. And Mum. And… Sirius Black, and Pettigrew."

"I… yes. I loved them very, very much." Lupin's voice was hoarse. "They were my family."

In that moment, a burning hatred flickered deep inside Harry — hatred for Voldemort, and everything he'd taken away from Harry. Everything he'd taken away from all the people he'd hurt. For Sirius Black, and all those like him, who ruined so many lives; shattered so many families.

He wouldn't wish the dementors on his worst enemy, but Black deserved everything he got.

Christmas morning started out much like it always did now that Harry was at Hogwarts — with Ron throwing a pillow at him to wake him up, shouting about presents. They were the only two left in their dorm, so there was no worry about keeping quiet.

It still left Harry a little gobsmacked to see a pile of presents that was just for him. This year's pile seemed even bigger than the last. Most of them were wrapped in the same festive paper as half the pile on Ron's bed, so Harry assumed they were from Mrs Weasley. He looked to the others, picking up a small square parcel wrapped in plain brown paper.

Harry-

I've had this for a while, I thought you might like it. Merry Christmas.

- Professor Lupin

Tearing into the paper, Harry sucked in a sharp breath at the framed picture in his hands. It was of his parents, sat in front of a huge fireplace, Christmas decorations in the background and a huge log — a Yule log — burning in the hearth. Lily had green tinsel braided in her hair and a baby in her arms; Harry, dressed in a onesie that made him look like a tiny reindeer, complete with antlers attached to the little hood. He was beaming up at his mother, a little tuft of black hair peeking out under the hood, his arms stretching out towards his father. James sat beside Lily, a sleek ginger cat cradled in his arms like a baby, a Santa hat perched jauntily on his head. They waved out at Harry, and every few seconds James would swoop in and press a firm kiss to Lily's cheek, making her blush.