The next morning Hydrus went through his usual routines and got up with Harry and made breakfast. This time making a full English breakfast with egg, sausage, bacon, beans and toast. Coffee was brewing, and the kettle was on. Harry was happily playing with a toy waiting for his meal. As usual, the smell of cooking meat brought the other two men stumbling down.
"So, Sirius," Hydrus asked as he served the bacon, "are you going to move your mother soon? I'd like to get that necklace as soon as possible."
"Yeah, I'll write a letter today."
With that they went back to talking about happier things, like teaching Harry his colors and trying to get the tot to watch the educational cartoons. Harry was content in letting the adults talk around him while he tore up his toast and shook his sippy cup so his juice would make the bits into a soggy mess.
The meal done and Harry cleaned; they all met in the living room to discuss plans for the day. Then Sirius went to his session, he'd be back in a few hours.
"Harry," Hydrus asked getting the tot's attention, "what color is this?" He held up a red block.
"'lue," Harry answered quite proudly.
"Red," his uncle corrected.
"'lue," the toddler insisted.
That went back and forth for about two minutes until Harry tired of the game and waddled away. Hydrus sighed. For all his education he had, he still didn't understand children. He had read the baby books before he came back, and knew Harry was a bit ahead of some toddlers. Not a genius by any means, but further along than normal. But, all said and done, he was still just a baby and a puzzle to the time traveler.
"Hey, Remus, I'm going to my lab and work on that toy and probably make your Wolfsbane," the immortal said as he got up off the floor. "Watch Harry for me, okay?"
"I can do that," the werewolf said as he put his reader away. The full moon was coming up in a week, and it will be nice to not lose his mind.
The study had been set up for putting together gizmos and potions, with two long tables on either side of the room, plenty of ventilation and spells on the walls to prevent damage from things that could go awry. Since Hydrus had his pocketspace there was little need for cabinets. That might change when the other two men joined him, unless they figured out how it was done. They had looked over the memory and Remus tried to recreate the spell, but so far no luck.
He spent two hours brewing the potion and another hour on this toy. He missed lunch and wandered to the kitchen to make a sandwich. When he got there he let out a groan at the mess. Tippy must still be reading, because the place was covered in food. You would think a food fight had happened, but he knew it was just because Sirius made lunch. It was one of the main reasons Hydrus insisted on cooking.
"Tippy," he called.
"Master Hydrus is wanting Tippy?" Hydrus had long ago given up on making house elves call him by his first name only.
"Can you help me clean this up?" he asked, indicating the food covered counters and floor.
Tippy looked around the room and made an 'Oh' sound. Then she got a contrite look on her face. "Tippy is sorry she is not doing her job," she said sadly as her ears dipped and her eyes watered. "Yous can be taking Tippy's pay."
"No, it's not your fault; you're only doing what I asked. We can clean this up together." He put a hand on her shoulder to show he wasn't mad, making the elf perk back up. For all that she was a free elf; she still thrived on approval of her master, uh, boss.
"Tippy can do," she said with a firm nod. And the two cleaned the kitchen wondering how tomato sauce got on the ceiling when it looked like macaroni and cheese was made.
"So how is the research going?" Hydrus asked when they were done as he pulled out makings for a pulled meat sandwich.
"Tippy is learning lots and lots. She is thinking she can start on the garden in two days, if it is not being snowing," the enthusiastic elf said as she bounced on the balls of her bare spindly feet. "Tippy is having great plans for the backyard, making it a wonderful place for Little Master to play in safely."
"That's great, Tippy, just show me your plans and let me know if you need help, okay? I don't want you doing anything you don't think you can handle." He knew house elves would work themselves sick if not told not to.
"Tippy can do," she said, and then popped away.
....
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