Harry Potter: Raised by Wolves.

"Somehow. Malfoy said it was just his floating head. I seem to recall several similar instances from our school years." Severus' gaze was pointed, and Remus chuckled.

"James' cloak. I didn't know he had that, either." He thought it over for a second. "That one must have been Dumbledore. James let him borrow it for an Order thing before he…"

Severus scoffed. "Of course. The headmaster does love to encourage Potter to get himself into trouble." With a sigh, Severus reached up for the hidden bottle of whisky on his top shelf. Remus' stomach warmed when the man summoned two glasses. "I take it Potter has no idea about the origin of the map?" "If he does, he hasn't asked me about it." Remus accepted the whisky with a grateful look. "I'm going to have to tell him, if he asks. He'll need a good reason why I'm not giving it back." He perched in his usual spot on the edge of the desk, setting his glass down and stroking a fond hand over the map. "Why didn't you open it in front of him? I can't see you passing up a chance to terrorise the poor boy."

Severus' pale cheeks flushed faintly. "Despite many attempts, I never learned the password."

Remus barked out a laugh. "Really? I always assumed you must've heard us, one of those times. You always talked about it like you knew exactly how it worked." He pulled his wand from his pocket, setting the tip against the parchment. His gaze met Severus'. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Watching the ink flow out over the map was like a physical punch to the gut, and he had to close his eyes for several moments at the fresh wave of grief. Cool fingers touched the back of his hand for a brief moment. Enough to ground him in the present. "Our pride and joy," he breathed, opening his eyes again and looking over the map. Several floors above them, the dot labelled 'Harry Potter' walked alongside the dot labelled 'Ron Weasley', walking away from the statue of the one-eyed witch. Remus stifled a smile. Legacy of the Marauders, indeed. "Merlin, James would be thrilled. His little boy, using the map and cloak to sneak to Hogsmeade. That's all his dreams come true."

"Yes, I'm sure he'd be delighted to hear his son put himself in danger with a mass-murdering lunatic skulking about the place," Severus retorted sharply. Remus' smile faltered. "The map could be useful. If Black decides to return."

He wasn't sure what he'd do if he ever saw the little dot labelled 'Sirius Black' reappear on the paper. But he owed it to Harry to keep an eye out, just in case. "I'll keep it with me. Check it when I can."

"Not going to take it to Dumbledore?" Severus' voice was taunting, and Remus shot him a look.

"We both know that would be a terrible idea."

Silence grew between them, and Remus sipped his whisky, his eyes returning to the map. Merlin, that felt like a lifetime ago, enchanting that thing. He hadn't thought he'd ever see it again.

"He asked me not to call him 'boy'." Severus' quiet words made Remus jump, caught up in his memories.

"Pardon?"

"Potter," Severus explained at Remus' wrinkled brow. "I called him 'boy'. He had… quite the adverse reaction. I've never seen him like that before." "When you say 'adverse'…"

"He acted like I was going to hit him." The words were resigned, and the bottom fell out of Remus' stomach. In the back of his mind, Moony growled.

"Petunia," he spat, grip tightening around his glass. "If she or that brute husband of hers have laid a hand on my cub."

"Calm yourself, Remus," Severus urged, his fingers brushing Remus' hand once more. He looked displeased as well, his lips curled in a sneer. "There will come a time when we will talk to Petunia. See how she's been respecting Lily's memory." That didn't satisfy his inner wolf, but Remus knew he couldn't just run off to wherever Petunia lived and give her a piece of his mind. "I've failed him in so many ways, Severus," he breathed in anguish. "Ways he doesn't even realise."

"Dumbledore is the only one who has failed him," Severus corrected, "and we will do our best to rectify that."

Remus stared at the map, watching the dozens of dots flood the Entrance Hall as they returned from Hogsmeade.

He wasn't sure his best would be enough.

.-.-. That evening after dinner found Harry knocking on the door of Professor Lupin's office, biting his lip anxiously. The professor had a knowing look in his eyes when he answered the door. "Professor Lupin, about that, uh, parchment that Professor Snape took from me. I was hoping I could have it back?"

"No, Harry, you cannot have the map back. Yes, I know it's a map," Lupin added when Harry's jaw dropped. "I'm incredibly disappointed in you, Harry; not only did you sneak into Hogsmeade unsupervised, where anything could've happened to you, but you've had this map for Merlin knows how long with Sirius Black on the loose and you never turned it in."

The way Lupin looked at him made him feel about three inches tall. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't think it was that important."

"Not that important? Harry, you've already seen what Black can do with things left lying about!" Neville was only just allowed to be told the password to the common room, even now.

"But he wouldn't know how to use it! It'd just insult him, like it did to Snape!"

"Are you so sure about that?" Lupin pulled the map out of his pocket, laying it flat on his desk. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Harry gaped at him as the map jumped to life. "But… how…"

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