All You Need is Family

Warning: This story will be a Yaoi story; if you don't know what that is, or simply don't like it... Please, go away and bother someone else. I've warned you, so don't pester me later.

Pairings: SSHP (later on... Harry needs to grow up first), SBRL

Summary: What if Sirius and Remus got custody of Harry, instead of the Dursley's? This is a story full of love, drama and hopefully some humour (depending on if you understand my humour...)

Chapter One: The Birthday Party

The first three years together went by faster than any of them could have imagined. It was full of love and devotion, and Sirius pranks. Harry was a happy little boy, content with lying in their arms, or keeping an amused eye on Sirius as Remus yelled at him for his pranking.

Some habits die hard, but they wouldn’t have had it any other way.

~O~

“I can’t believe he’s already turning four! It feels like yesterday I had a tiny baby in my arms… Soon he will be big enough to fly from the nest, leaving us alone together, whilst going out to find his own way in the world!” Sirius was panicking.

“Well,” Remus began, decorating the birtdaycake, “would it be that bad to be alone with me?” He barely paused, afraid to give Sirius a chance to start rambling again. “Besides, when Harry does leave the nest, I am sure we will have helped him develop perfectly flyable wings.”

“You mean you actually think he will leave the nest???!”

So much for stopping the panicking ramble. Ah well.

“Sirius.”

“Yes?” Sirius asked, looking up at his lover, wanting him to say that it would not happen.

“Harry is turning four. I highly doubt that he will be leaving anytime soon.” Remus said, smirking as Sirius glared at him.

Sirius didn’t get a chance to talk back, as Harry chose that moment to fly in on his mini-broom for young witches and wizards.

“SIRI, REMY, LOOK AT ME!” Harry beamed, looping as much as the broom allowed him to.

“Merlin! Harry, you’re doing so well! I knew you would be a natural flyer!” Sirius beamed as well. He knew he was normally a smart and mature man, regardless as to what any Snivellius would proclaim, but when it came to Harry, he couldn’t help himself from letting go.

Harry jumped off the broom, flashing off a radiant smile.

“How is my favourite little birthdayboy doing on his very special day?” Remus asked, smiling at his cub. No matter how he acted with Sirius, he really loved Harry as his own.

“I am NOT little! I’ve grown loads over this summer!” Harry pouted, crossing his arms.

“Of course you’re not little, you’re a big boy now. How does it feel to become four years today?” Remus smiled.

“I’m scared.” Harry pouted, his bottom lip trembling the way only a child’s bottom lip could.

“What are you scared of, Harry?” Remus asked, getting down on his knees to be on the boy’s eyelevel.

“Am I going to leave you?” Harry asked.

“What? No!” Sirius gaped at the boy. “Wherever did you get such a horrendous thing from?”

“I don’t wanna be big enough to fly away from you…” Harry pouted.

“Oh, Harry!” Remus threw his arms around the boy, realizing the boy had heard their previous conversation. “You’re not leaving us any time soon.”

“But I am going to leave you one day?” Harry asked, a little teary eyed.

“Harry, no matter what, we will always be with you. Whether you are here, or have your own place. This will always be your home.” Remus said, gentle caressing the boy’s cheek.

“Good.” Harry beamed. “Then I want cake now!”

Remus and Sirius chuckled.

~O~

A few hours later, the guests started appearing. The Lovegood family, the Weasley’s, the Diggory’s, Albus Dumbledore and several others of the family’s friends arrived through the fireplace.

“Harry!” A redheaded boy named Ronald Weasley, Harry’s best friend, rushed towards him.

Another boy, named Cedric Diggory walked towards them as well, followed by the Weasley twins Fred and George. Harry beamed at them, giving each of them a hug.

After the children had eaten some cake, Harry blowing out the candles and making a gigantic balloon suddenly appear, Sirius had beamed at the accidental magic, Harry and the rest rushed out to play. The adults settled for some nice tea and conversation in the living room.

Suddenly a scream was heard from the garden. Sirius ran out, a bad feeling in his gut. And what he saw made him scream.

Harry was lying on the ground, his white shirt had a big red spot on it and he was not moving.

“I… I d-didn’t me-me-mean for th-that t-to hap-appen…”

Ron’s stuttering did nothing to help the situation.

An hour later, after yelling at the boys for scaring him so, Sirius spelled the strawberry stain off of Harry’s shirt.

~O~

Everyone gathered in the living room. It was time for the birthdayboy to open his gifts. Harry sat down on the floor, surrounded by presents in all kinds of shapes and colours.

Albus Dumbledore smiled at the boy, as Harry looked at the pan flute he had been given.

“What’s this?” Harry asked, shaking it, trying to understand its purpose.

“It’s a pan flute, a magical pan flute, which allows you to learn the magic in its melody by Pan himself. It’s one of a kind.” Albus explained, still smiling at him.

“Cool.” Harry beamed.

After opening the huge pile of gifts, having gotten a Wizard Chessboard, loads of chocolate frogs and a few muggle fairytale books, which sprung Arthur Weasley’s interest, as he was captivated with them the rest of the evening. He also got a potions kit, though from who it came from, was not mentioned in the card. Harry shrugged it off, opening the rest of his gifts.

At last, there was only one of the gifts from Remus and Sirius remaining. He opened the small box, revealing a very cool necklace. It was a silver lion with two emeralds as eyes. The lion hung on a leather chain. Harry loved it and said he’d never take it off, no matter what happened.

Remus blinked at Sirius. They had a tracking charm on the necklace, and the emeralds had protection spells and would alert them if anything happened to their Harry. They could only hope they’d never need it.

~O~

The next day found Harry sitting on Remus lap, as the werewolf read one of the muggle stories for him. It was called Beauty and the Beast, and Harry had fallen for it immediately. He had already got Remus to read it for him five times that very morning. A pout and puppy dog eyes always worked wonders.

“Remus?”

Emerald eyes stared up at him.

“Yes, Harry?” Remus smiled at the child. Harry could be a handful, but he was still such a sweet child.

“Why is the beast so mad at the beginning? Is he afraid people won’t like him as he is, and hides it behind a mask of anger, so no one will reach into his real self and no one will be able to hurt him?” Harry asked.

Remus stared at Harry, his mouth slightly agape.

“Uh… Yes. But as you see, the girl could see through his mask eventually, and when he finally did open up, he was rewarded with love. He was loved for what he truly was.” Remus said, smiling at the bright child in his lap.

“But what if he hadn’t dared to do that? How would the story have ended then?” Harry asked, thinking aloud, as many children do.

“Well, then perhaps there wouldn’t have been a happily ever after, and there’d be no story to tell. Never let bitterness or anger get the best of you, it may only hurt you in the long run and...” Remus said, but was interrupted.

“I wanna be Belle and fall in love with a Beast, and manage to convince him and everyone else he is not a Beast, but a Prince. My Prince.” Harry smiled.

Remus stared down at the child. He didn’t know how to reply to that. Luckily, he didn’t have to, as the floo turned blue at that moment. Severus Snape stepped out, sneering at the room. Remus got up to gratefully take the Wolfsbane from the Potions Master.

But Severus wasn’t looking at him. No, he was looking at the child sitting in the chair. A boy with black hair and big green eyes, eyes that were staring up at him, seemingly piercing into his very soul.

It was the first time Harry met Severus Snape, and although he did not remember it years later when he began his years at Hogwarts, he was mesmerized from the first look into the onyx eyes. It was a short-lived moment though, as the man with hair as black as the night hurriedly disappeared into the flames once again.

Harry stared after him for a moment, before Remus returned to continue reading for him. Little did they know this was only the beginning. But blissful unawareness only reaches that long...

A/N: Because I got much more response than I had expected (thank you all), I decided to update really fast... Plus, I'm in quite the good mood, as I've been on a ferry trip today and gotten my favourite chocolate ^^

Please review, or rate if you don't have the time to review! :)
Also, the one who figure out the purpose of the pan flute gets to choose one of the other subpairings ;)