"Well, all the Death Eater activity kept the Aurors very busy. Lily would bring you here with her when she was studying under Filius for her Charms Mastery. Madam Pomfrey would usually watch you at that time, but when the three of you went into hiding James had more time to spend with you."
Severus' eyes narrowed, but Remus didn't see it. He knew from Lily's letters to him that James sulked and complained because he couldn't leave the house or have Sirius over as frequently as he had had before, refused to help with anything around the house, and rarely paid any attention to Harry. Lily had complained it was like having two children instead of one.
Harry frowned also. He suspected Remus wasn't telling him the whole truth about his father because he sounded like every inch the git Sirius had presented him as. He's supposed everyone was going to skirt around the issue of how he really was since he was considered a hero.
"Well, thanks for the information, Professor," Harry said. "I'm glad you're going to be teaching defense the rest of the year."
Remus put his teacup down carefully and got up. "I'll see you in class on Tuesday then, Harry."
"Okay."
When Remus had left, Harry slumped down on the couch and crossed his arms, a mutinous expression on his face. "Why won't anybody tell me the truth about my father? I could tell Professor Lupin was kind of hedging things."
"Harry," Severus sat down behind him on the couch. "The truth is we are all trying to protect you and maybe, that is not the best thing to do. I still have all the letters your mum sent me. Would you like to read them?"
Harry's face lit up. "Yes, please, Dad. I promise I'll be really careful with them and I won't let them come to any harm."
"I know. I'll go and get them," Severus replied with a smile. If Harry was going to find out about James' faults; it was better if he found out from Lily. He took a bundle of letters tied with a green ribbon out of the wooden box he kept on the top shelf of his closet and returned to the living room.
Harry's hands trembled slightly as he took the letters from Severus. He had never been allowed to ask his aunt anything about his parents so he knew virtually nothing about them, but now he was reading letters that his mum wrote in her own hand.
While Harry was reading Lily's letters, Severus poured himself a cup of tea and settled back in his favorite recliner to read his copy of the Potion Master's Quarterly which he'd just received by owl post today. He heard Harry giggle a few times over something Lily had written. "She wrote a lot about me, didn't she, Dad?" Harry asked putting down the letter he'd been reading.
"Yes, she wrote me about every one of your milestones, large or small," Severus joked.
"But she complains a lot about my father that he doesn't help her with the household chores and he doesn't pay attention to me."
Severus sighed and said, "Your father was an only child. Your grandparents had pretty much given up on ever having a child when your grandmother found out she was pregnant. When your father was born he was the center of their universe and love and attention were lavished on him. Your grandparents were very wealthy and probably had anywhere from thirty to forty house elves so your father never had to lift a finger to do anything around Potter Manor."
"Not even straighten up his room?"
"He did not need to; the elves were happy to do it for him. He continued to act the same way with his wife even though they had no house elves while they in hiding. I think while James grew up in some respects that Black did not; he never grew up enough to be a proper father."
"I guess it doesn't matter to me, Dad because mum had more than enough love for me and so do you so I don't care if my father didn't."
"We do not know what the future might have brought had Voldemort been defeated before that night, Harry. Perhaps given more time your father could have grown to appreciate what an exceptional son he had."
"Thanks, Dad," Harry said giving him a hug. He carefully put the folded pieces of parchment back into the envelopes, tied them back together with the ribbon and gave them to Severus. "Thanks for letting me read these."
"You are more than welcome, Harry. It is getting late. You should get ready for bed and I will come in and tuck you in."
"Okay, Dad," Harry said getting up and heading down the hallway to his room.
Severus sent the teapot, cups and saucers back to the kitchen, washed them, and put them away with a wave of his wand. He did the same with straightening up the living room and then took Lily's letters into his bedroom and put them back in the wooden box. He stepped back and stared at it, a kernel of an idea forming in his head for a Christmas gift for Harry. He went down the hall to Harry's room and knocked on the door and then opened it. Harry was laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling with a smile on his face. "Mum was really great, wasn't she?"
Severus smiled and tucked the covers in around him. "She was a very exceptional person," Severus agreed. "Goodnight, Harry. Sleep well." Severus kissed the top of his head. "I will see you at breakfast."
"Okay, Dad. You sleep well too."
Severus noxed the lights and went back to his own room. He put the wooden box back up on his closet shelf, got undressed and went to bed. Before falling asleep he made a mental note to himself to check on the status of Potter Manor with the goblin in charge of the Potter inheritance the next time they were in Gringotts.