average human’s Reviews > Expecto Patronum > Status Update

“How’s school going?” Remus asked, hoping to put them at ease with a little small talk before beginning. “It’s a big year for you both.”

“We aren’t too fussed about the exams,” Fred said with an airy flip of his hand. “I’ve already got a business ready to go and Harry could pass the practicals with his eyes closed.”

“Think I’d get extra points if I did that?” Harry asked Fred curiously.

“You probably would,” Remus said with an easy grin. “Wouldn’t hurt either of you to do a bit of studying for the written part though.”

The identical looks of disdain the boys gave him had him chuckling and holding his hands up placatingly. “Or not,” he conceded. “How’s the club going?”

“Wicked,” Fred answered for them again, looking both proud and ridiculously in love as he smiled at Harry. “Harry gave everyone in the club a pocketknife for Christmas at the last meeting.”

Remus had enjoyed teaching, he enjoyed teaching the kids in the pack now, but by Merlin he’d never been so relieved that Harry had forced his resignation before.

“You gave knives to every student in your club?” he asked incredulously, forgetting his role for a moment.

“Not if Snape or McGonagall asks I didn’t,” Harry smirked. “No point in teaching them to defend themselves if they don’t have the weapon when a fight happens, is there?”

“I suppose not,” Remus thoughtfully agreed despite himself. He sat back in his chair, crossing his legs and hoping to communicate friendly body language. “Anything else exciting happening?”

“Suppose you didn’t schedule us to come in and talk about the escaped death eaters?” Harry asked wryly.

“I did not,” Remus chuckled. “But we could set up a day for you to come if you’d like to talk about that?”

“No,” Harry rolled his eyes and sank back on the tan sofa beside Fred. He gave Fred an accusatory look, leaving no doubt as to who it was that convinced Harry to come along today.

“Well then how are the two of you doing? Happy to be back together?” Remus asked, aiming his questions at them both.

“I was,” Harry muttered sullenly, giving Fred another unimpressed look.

“You still are,” Fred grinned, winking at him and slowly stretching his hand over to hold Harry’s. “Plus you know Snape said it was a good idea.”

“Snape’s had bad ideas before,” Harry said.

“Has he?” Remus asked with partial curiosity and partially to attempt to prove a point. “Like what?”

Harry sat there, blinking quietly for a long minute. The longer it took Harry to speak up, the broader Fred’s smile grew.

“See?” Fred said. “No bad ideas.”

“I’m sure he’s had at least one,” Harry huffed, drawing a small smile from Remus. “But I said I’d come, didn’t I? I’m here.”

“You are here,” Remus agreed. “Which I’m sure means a lot to Fred.”

“It does,” Fred said with a softer and more genuine smile. “It means a lot to me, darlin.”

Harry seemed reluctant to smile back, but his shoulders did relax from the tense position they had been in since he arrived. Remus took it as a positive sign and forged ahead.

“Why does it mean a lot to you that Harry came?” he asked Fred.

Fred twisted his lips up in thought before answering slowly. “Well it’s like you said, that if people want a relationship to work that they have to put in work, so if Harry’s willing to do something like this then he wants us to work, right?” Fred directed that last bit at Harry with a nervous sort of look that Remus wasn’t used to seeing on him.

Harry glanced at Remus quickly before turning his focus on Fred, apparently deciding to ignore his presence for the time being. “Course I do,” he said. “I told you I was sorry about before.”

“What happened before?” Remus asked with forced neutrality in his tone. He knew what Fred told him, but it would be nice to get Harry’s viewpoint directly as well.

“We broke up,” Harry said shortly, but lacking any real bite to his tone.

Remus was pleased that Fred was the one to attempt to encourage Harry to expand on that answer.

“Bit more than that,” Fred said gently. Remus saw him squeeze Harry’s hand and give him a light smile. “I told you Lupin’s a lot better at advice than he was teaching.”

Which was a rather insulting, heartening, and an intensely gratifying thing to say.

Remus had loved teaching, he always thought it was his passion in life, until Severus introduced him to mind healing and counseling. The more he studied, the more he learned, he realized that this was his passion, his calling, his place to make a difference.

Just another debt he could never truly repay Severus for.

“If you don’t want to talk about that right now, we don’t have to,” Remus assured Harry. “You could tell me instead what you hope to get from this?”

“From this?” Harry waved his free hand lightly around, indicating the three of them.

“Yes.”

“I...” Harry glanced curiously at Fred, “I don’t know,” he said, speaking to Fred mostly. “What d’you want from this?”

“Honestly?” Fred asked him. “I want us to be able to talk about stuff even when it’s hard, I don’t want us to break up again because we couldn’t talk something out.”

Remus was so proud of Fred for saying that. The two of them had been meeting regularly since he spoke with Severus about Fred’s second-hand trauma and for Fred to be able to say something potentially upsetting to Harry calmly like that? It was undeniable proof of the growth he was making.

“That’s... er... that’s a good goal,” Harry said with a slow nod. He looked back at Remus, “Can that be mine too?”

Remus had read over the transcripts Severus provided of their session with the muggle mind healer, and the fact that Harry was asking if he could use the same goal as Fred or not was proof that Harry was actually taking this seriously.

Which played in to Harry’s character as Remus knew it rather well. Harry didn’t care much for his own mental health and well-being, but was exceedingly concerned with not losing someone that he believes to be his.

And Fred was so obviously Harry’s that Remus doubted a single person on earth could be more in love with that boy than Fred was.

Remus truly couldn’t be happier that Harry and Fred had gotten back together. They were an odd match, not one that Remus would have immediately guessed at, but perfect nonetheless.

“I don’t see why not,” Remus said. “So you both would like to have better communication, and for difficult topics to not be avoided by ending the relationship, right?”

“Right,” they echoed.

“Great, what are some ways you think that could happen?”

The suddenly clueless look on Fred’s face and the carefully blank one on Harry’s was answer enough.

Remus thought about their specific most recent problem that caused their separation. “What makes certain subjects difficult to talk about? Harry?”

“Dunno.”

Remus privately thought that counseling would be more straightforward if he could use Veritaserum. It wouldn’t foster trust between him and the client (of which he actually only had two), but it would get answers.

“Can you try and think of what goes through your head when a difficult topic comes up?” he cajoled Harry gently. “Such as right now?”

Harry twitched a bit, his left hand flexing a few times, but Remus and Fred both waited patiently for him to answer.

“It’s embarrassing, isn’t it?” Harry finally said with a huff.

Remus held up a hand when Fred opened his mouth. Someone desperately needed to make Harry understand that talking about your problems didn’t make him any less of a man.

Merlin above knew Harry had plenty problems.

“Embarrassing or shameful?” Remus asked patiently.

“Er... the second one,” Harry said. “I think it makes me sound stupid and pathetic to talk about some stuff.”

Weak, is what Remus thought Harry meant.

“It doesn’t,” Fred told him quickly. “I like when you talk to me about stuff that’s bothering you.”

”Fred’s right,” Remus told Harry. “Talking about your thoughts and feelings isn’t pathetic, it takes quite a bit of strength to do so.” He left it there, giving Harry an opportunity to think that over while he turned to Fred.

“What about you Fred?” Remus asked him. “What makes certain subjects difficult for you to talk about with Harry?”

Remus and Fred had already discussed this in their private meetings, so he wasn’t surprised by Fred’s immediate answer.

“I don’t want to upset Harry or make him feel like he’s got to tell me something if he doesn’t want to.”

Harry looked up at Fred with his mouth parted in a little surprised ‘o’.

“Like what?” he asked hotly.

“Like the sex thing,” Fred said patiently. “I want to talk about what happened, but you don’t, so I don’t bring it up.”

Harry scowled, his cheeks turning a faint red, before snatching his hand out of Fred’s and crossing his arms with his fists tucked beneath his armpits. “You just did,” he muttered with a quick glance at both Remus and the door.

“We do not have to talk about that,” Remus told them both. “I’m not here to solve your guys’ problems, I’m here to help you find ways to talk about those problems and find solutions together.”

Harry’s jaw seemed to unclench at that, but it was Fred who now looked surprised.

“You’ve been helping me solve problems for weeks now!” he protested. “Why wouldn’t you help with this?”

“You’ve been solving your own problems,” Remus told him. “I’ve just been guiding you to finding solutions on your own. It’s you guys who have to put the work in, I can only offer advice.”

“Seems like an easy gig,” Harry scoffed with a small side-eyed grin for Fred.

“Easier than teaching defense,” Fred said teasingly, clearly eager to get Harry out of the guarded pose he held.

“Less risk of being tortured by Susan anyway,” Remus said with mock-solemnity.

“She’s scarier than Harry,” Fred agreed, causing Harry to chuckle and uncross his arms.

“I think she’s brilliant,” Harry said with all the never-ending loyalty that Remus has come to expect of him.

“You would think that,” Fred teased him. He put his left hand on his own knee, an obvious invitation that Harry accepted now.

“Susan’s terror aside, do you both understand what problem the other one has with bringing up and discussing difficult topics?” Remus asked them, attempting to gently guide the conversation back.

Harry let out a small sigh and tried to subtly glance at his watch. Remus wondered if Harry knew he loved Fred or not, because nothing short of an intense love clearly could have gotten Harry to voluntarily come here and talk as much as he had so far.

“I get it,” Fred said. He ruffled the back of his hair and shrugged. “I don’t like it, but I get it.”

“Why don’t you like it?” Remus asked.

Fred looked hesitant, but Remus was pleased to see Harry, despite his bored expression, squeezed his hand lightly.

“Well, it’s like I told Harry before, it makes me think he doesn’t trust me to stick around through the hard times, even though I told him I would.”

“I told you ab—“

“Hold on,” Remus cut Harry off. “Can you see where Fred’s coming from?”

Harry looked up at the ceiling, then over at Fred, then at the wall behind Remus’ head before answering. “I guess so.”

“Good, and what are you thinking now?”

“That it’s bullshit,” Harry said stubbornly. “Cause I’ve told him loads of stuff.”

“You can’t just say that my feelings are bullshit,” Fred rolled his eyes. “I don’t say yours are.”

“I don’t have feelings,” Harry scowled. “And this is fucking stupid.”

“Why is this stupid?” Remus asked, unsurprised that Harry was pushing back.

“Cause I’ve told him loads of things, haven’t I? But— what? They don’t count now?”

“Do you talk about the things you say?”

Harry’s irritated expression was wiped away at that. “What?”

“Do you talk about the things you’ve told Fred or do you just tell him something then move on?”

Both boys looked thoughtful now as they likely considered past conversations.

“I— what’s— why does that matter?” Harry asked. “It’s the same difference, isn’t it?”

“It’s not,” Remus explained patiently. “If you just say things and don’t discuss it then Fred doesn’t have a chance to share his feelings on the matter. Same thing goes for him. A conversation, all communication really, needs to be a two way street to be healthy.”

“That makes sense...” Fred said slowly.

Harry didn’t look so similarly convinced, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

“Do you guys think that’s something you can work on? Having a conversation instead of just saying things?”

Fred nodded quickly, Harry jerked his chin in what was probably the most of an agreement Remus would get.

“Alright gentlemen, so our time’s about up, Severus will be waiting for you to get back. But, I do have a small bit of homework for you before you come back next month—“

“Next month?” Harry looked startled now. “Why are we coming back?”

Fred squeezed his hand this time and gave him such a serious look that Remus let him handle this one.

“We don’t have to, not if you really don’t want to. But I love you, and I think this would make everything easier for us. Plus,” he grinned mischievously now, “an hour away from school? I think it’s a win-win darlin.”

Remus all but held his breath as he waited for Harry to decide. The two of them held eye contact for what seemed to be a very long moment, Fred silently asking and Harry considering, before Harry sighed heavily.

“Brill. What’s this homework then?”

“No essays,” Remus said with an easy smile, relieved that Harry would willingly come back. “All I want you guys to do in the next month is have a conversation about something important, it doesn’t matter what as long as it’s about the two of you. Not today though,” he added as he remembered something one of his professors at University had mentioned about not making counseling days all work. “Today just do something fun. It’s probably a bit cold for flying, but...” Remus trailed off at the looks he was getting.

“It’s never too cold for flying,” Fred said.

“You have heard of a heating charm, yeah?” Harry added with a smirk.

“Fine, fine, go flying then,” Remus chuckled. “Just nothing serious today, okay?”

“Done,” Harry agreed, jumping to his feet quickly. He tugged on Fred’s hand, urging him to his feet, obviously eager to leave.

Which was fine. He’d agreed to come back, and if nothing else— Harry was a man of his word.

And Fred Weasley was apparently a miracle worker.

“Thanks Lupin,” Fred said cheerfully. “I guess we’ll see you in a few days?”

“Molly’s letting you spend Christmas Break with Harry?” Remus was surprised by that, Molly hadn’t mentioned it last time he was at Grimmauld for a meeting.

“Kind of,” Fred said cagily. “We said we didn’t want to spend our holiday at Grimmauld Place, then Ronnie told her if we could stay with Harry then we’d come over Christmas Eve and stay til Boxing Day, but if not then we were all staying at Hogwarts.”

“That was quite a cunning plan,” Remus smiled approvingly.

“Ron’s idea,” Harry said proudly. “He’s a bloody genius, isn’t he?”

“He’d have to be or else he’d just be an extra redhead,” Fred winked at Harry.

Harry smacked his arm with a small, and genuine, smile of his own. “Ready to go?”

“Alright then, later Lupin.”

Remus got up to wave the boys off as they floo’d back to Severus’ office. Once they were gone, he went to the small desk he’d put in the corner of the room and grabbed his parchment and quill.

They didn’t have any miraculous breakthroughs today, but Remus hadn’t expected them to. Harry was a tough nut to crack, and Fred was obviously more concerned with Harry’s comfort than their communication. It was going to take time, and effort, to get them to a place where they were just as comfortable having painful conversations as they were with holding hands, but Remus truly didn’t see the two of them not working it out.

He smiled as he looked at their notes from today and the list of things he hoped to accomplish in their next few sessions.

All in all, Remus thought it was a decent days work.

Chapter End Notes

Up Next: ‘Host the Dark Lord within his house?’
Certainly.
‘Disinherit his son to protect him?’
Why not?
‘Allow his completely deranged sister in law to reside within his manor?’
Delightful.