It is quiet here, forever peaceful. She looked at the expanse around her, thinking about their old home. The white-scape slowly changed, morphing. A hand landed on her shoulder as she laid a hand on the iron rail around the wizarding house. James smiled at her. She and James had come here years before and Sirius later. Even Dumbledore visited. No one was in a hurry. Death was no rush.
"The old Goderic's Hollow house Lily?"
Lily looked at her husband sadly. "What if he comes back James?"
James sighed.
"Then we'll pick him up and shove him into our merry little band." Sirius threw his arm over the couple. He was as young as they were but just as scraggly as in life. "Harry will fit right in. Wait look."
The house vanished suddenly. A figure slumped in the whiteness. The dead never popped nor had any sort of bells and whistles. They just appeared sort of fuzzy in their outline but recognizable.
"Who is it?" James asked without actually asking.
The figure lifted his head from the ground.
"Remus!" Sirius yelled.
The scarred man didn't look up or even flinch.
"Pads, he can't notice you at all remember?" James put his hand on his friend's shoulder.
The rules of this place were odd. People appeared and couldn't see you for a full what they called a day. Sometimes people appeared that you couldn't tell who they were even if the other person said their name. You just couldn't recall the person's face or name or what they did. All you could retain was what was said about them.
"Yeah." Sirius knelt in front of Remus.
The werewolf was looking around. It probably looked pretty desolate. It had looked so empty to Sirius when he arrived. He couldn't tell if it was heaven or hell. Just complete destitution.
"Hello?" Remus called. "Hello? Anyone?"
They sat together just watching their friend.
"He's not as exciting as Sirius." James groaned. "Remember him running about like a chicken with its head cut off?"
"Yep." Lily giggled. "And cursing the ground under his feet."
The sun or the light the group assumed to be the sun roamed across the sky as Remus learned what they had. The scenery changed with their thoughts. Remus reached down to drag his fingers across the conjured dirt. It stuck to his fingers and felt completely real. He couldn't find anyone but it was peaceful none the less. He summoned food just like changing the scenery. He wasn't actually hungry but it was nice to eat. To taste. He couldn't find himself to be concerned. He sat in his imagined area. It was the Hogwarts ground near the Whomping Willow though the tree itself wasn't brought in. The only thing that changed was the light. It rose and fell along with the moon like being to mimic night and day. The full moon rose bring anxiety for the man.
"Please no." Remus prayed sitting tense.
The moon hit him and nothing happened. He relaxed and fell completely backwards laughing helplessly.
"I guess lycanthropy doesn't carry to the afterlife." James said.
Remus grinned, pleased. No more werewolf.
"Funny we're still animagi." Sirius said.
The night finally passed and they slept only because they wanted to. It felt good but it wasn't necessary.
"Ready?" James asked.
"Four. Three. Two." The two men counted down.
"One!" They shouted.
The sun reached exactly where it had been the day before. The hazy outline of the werewolf suddenly came into focus completely.
"Remus!" Sirius landed on top of the man.
"Sirius? James?" Remus choked.
"Hey Remus. Welcome to the land of the living dead." James pulled the werewolf up.
"Good morning Remus." Lily hugged him.
"Lily." Remus gaped around.
"Come on." Sirius shook the shocked and gaping young adult. "What's going on down there?"
"How's Harry?" Lily asked anxiously.
Remus frowned and started explaining since Sirius left. Everything he knew down to Harry's friends, Ron and Hermione and his made up relationship with Ginny. He couldn't explain why they were pretending to be together because he didn't know but they had told him later on. Sirius and James slapped him on the back when he got to Tonks and baby Teddy. Lily fussed a bit but got better when he told her he had sent Tonks home before he died. He reached the Battle of Hogwarts and wrapped up the tale.
"It wasn't finished when I back killed. Hit in the back as his forces were being withdrawn for the moment and Voldemort was offering Harry his friend's lives for his own. I'm sorry. I don't know anymore."
"Well Moony, quite an adventure." Sirius clapped him on the back.
"Look!" Lily pointed.
Everyone turned.
"Harry." Remus said pained as the summer green eyes opened.
Sirius sunk to his knees. "No."
Lily's eyes watered and James hugged her tightly.
"No." Sirius said again as Harry spun on the balls of his feet.
The observed figure ran a hand through his hair. "Hello?" He called softly to the whiteness. "Hello?" He asked a little louder.
Harry paced around looking at the unending fog.
"Ron? Hermione?" He called his friends who he was just with. "Ginny? Neville?"
There was no answer and Lily sniffed.
"Anyone? Am I dead? Mum? Dad?" Harry spun is circles. "Sirius? Professor Dumbledore? Remus?"
"Dragon?" Harry had two more people he could call on, but that was it.
"Dragon?" James looked questioningly at Remus.
Remus shook his head. "I don't know."
"Papa Bear?" Harry hollered.
Remus shrugged to James and Lily's queries.
"Dragon?" Harry called one last time out of desperation. He was alone. All alone.
"Potter?" A voice called from way off.
James and Lily and Harry all turned in response to their name but only Harry could answer.
"Dragon! Where are you?" Harry walked forward.
"I don't know. Where are you?" Harry broke into a run toward the definitely male but young voice that sounded as if it were running as well.
The adults pursued Harry as another person came into view just barely. He was wearing a Hogwarts robe as was Harry. They looked about the same age but it was one of those people that couldn't be identified, even by Remus who swore he knew the other male. They could see features but couldn't place who it was at all.
"Dray!" Harry yelled to the blurred figure.
"What's going on?" Remus asked clearly confused at not being able to communicate with his student.
James said. "Later. Just know they can't notice you at all no matter what you do."
The two figures ran at each other and collided. They hit dead on wrapping up in the other's arms. Harry had a bit more force than the smaller male though and he fell backwards pulling Harry with him. They both laughed and Harry relaxed at the thought that he wasn't alone.
"You alright." The blonde haired teen asked.
Harry set his forehead on the other male's. "Mmhmm, as long as you're with me."
Lily's eyes widened.
"That's not overused." The other answered sarcastically.
Harry sat up a bit. "So … where are we?"
"Dunno." The male propped himself on his elbows. "What do you remember?"
"The Great Hall?" The dark haired male touched his forehead. "Fight."
"Fighting Voldemort."
"Yeah. We were fighting Voldy together and we won right? Killed him."
The blonde nodded. "We won; we killed the dark lord then, and then green?"
"Avada Kedavera green." Harry nodded.
They studied their surroundings.
"Dead." They simply stated together.
The other male shrugged and lay back down stretching. "Doesn't actually matter. There's only one green I care about."
"My pretty, pretty veela." Harry murmured and rolled to straddle the other and ran one had down his side.
Lily gasped as two massive sail like wings spread across the ground from the veela's back. Harry didn't even flinch as they engulfed the couple.
"Well that is quite a lot to take in." Sirius huffed. "How long has this been going on?"
James smirked. "They look happy so …" He cut off with a flush and wide eyes.
Harry chewed gently up the veela's neck, mouthing at his jaw bone. The other male purred deeply like all male veela could. Their lips skimmed then locked together. One wing ran down Harry's spine in a petting motion. Harry broke off and started to giggle.
"What?" The other male propped up a bit.
"Making love in the afterlife." Harry fell to the side.
The veela was intoxicated with his mate's laughter. He chuckled then burst out laughing too. They rolled across the ground and laughed until their ribs ached.
The smaller male went suddenly solemn. "Do you think Papa Bear made it?"
The other dark haired male stopped laughing immediately. "No. He didn't. I watched him …"
"Die." A new voice answered as another frustratingly unidentifiable but tall and dark figure appeared out of the haze.
"Bear!" The two younger males launched themselves at the new figure.
All three of them hit the ground with a muffled Omf! The newcomer was taller and much older than the boy. He was pale as the veela but had shoulder length black hair.
"Are you two alright?" The man touched both Harry and the other gently.
"We are now. All together." The couple sat close together in front of the man propped up on his elbows.
"We are all together." Harry grinned. Then his smiled melted rapidly. "Wait. What about Marissa?"
The two looked sadly at the man but he just laughed. "We talked about this before and if it had to be this way. We wanted it like this. Me here with our two boys and she'll be down there with the two girls."
Smiles painted across the group.
"Do you think they'll stay at the cottage?" The pale young veela asked.
The surroundings warped with his thought. Grassy green hills roved and rose carrying up a two story cottage with them. It was a cute, neat looking cottage, surrounded by flowers and crawling vines. Its hill overlooked a sparkling lake with wood s beyond it.
"The cottage." Harry said in wonder. "Can we just change the scenery? Just like that?"
The cottage turned into Hogwarts, then another building and back to the same cottage on the hill.
"I guess so." The older male drawled.
"What should we make it? I mean the cottage of course, but when?" The veela asked.
Harry looked around. "How about Christmas time?"
The yard filled with snow and it fell from the sky in dusty flakes. Lights of different colors glowed through one window of the cottage. The rest were filled with warm light that shone through the falling snow. The lake iced over and the leaves of the trees turned to mountains of white. The older man trudged toward the house a ways admiring the splendor of the reds and greens. The snow didn't feel bitingly cold here but cold enough for you to remember it was snow.
"Christmas?" The veela male asked.
"You remember what happened then don't you?" Harry wrapped his arms around the other and snuck a quick kiss.
He turned. "I remember something else that happened here Harry. Animagi?"
The black haired male grinned and fell in a large black creature. The large wolf grinned and slapped its front paws on the ground in a let's play manner. The blonde leapt forward into a pristine white fox. He gave the white mark on the wolf's forehead a lick then darted right under him. The wolf jumped around pleased with the new game of chase. They bounded about and the man sat watching them until the stopped suddenly eyeing their laughing watcher. They looked at each other then charged forward. He stood up into a huge brown bear with colossal paws. The bear loped down the hill being pursued by two canines. The rumble and yipped together in the snow. The three tussled and played together and ended up in a heap in a circle free of snow. The man lay with his arms crossed under his head looking at the sun setting in the sky. The other two had their heads resting on his stomach and pressed together.
"Can we sleep out here?" The darker young male asked.
The man looked up. "I don't see why not. Your fox looks to be asleep already." His chest shook with laughter.
The white wings moved of their own accord and wrapped Harry to the veela's chest. Harry hugged the figure closer to him and nuzzled his pale hair.
"Not on me you don't." The man rolled over putting his back to everyone.
Harry's head still touched his spine. The smaller male contracted to Harry at the motion. His face buried under Harry's robe and the wings pulled tight in a squeeze then relaxed. Harry put his head down too. He closed his eyes and inhaled his veela mate's scent.
"So many questions." Sirius sat down.
"Who is that?" Lily frowned. "Who are they?"
The all turned to Remus. "I am just as in the dark as you are on this." He shook his head.
James stood over Sirius. "Did you know any of this?"
"No. Not a thing." The ever ragged man ran a hand through his hair.
The sun like orb lowered and the moon, ever full, came out with its shining face. Remus examined his hands with a small smile.
Lily took it between her hands. "The wolf is gone."
"Yes." The scarred man sighed.
The moon traveled. The adults didn't sleep at all. Just watched the moon travel over the hazy trio in the snow. The cottage was foggy and blurred like everything else. The night finally waned and the sun shone its face. Light crept over the scene, sharpening edges and exposing crevasse. Bring everything to glowing, revealing light. The dark head lifted slowly and came into sudden focus along with the other figures that were still sleeping. The green eyed son of Lily and James carefully moved out from under the veela wing. To Lily's disappointment the other male's face was still covered when Harry rose and the man's back was still to them. Harry stood and stretched, pushing his hands toward the sky and closing his eyes in the warm sun. His eyes shot back open to something he had vaguely seen.
"Mum? Dad?" His voice shook.
"Hello sweetheart." Lily held out her arms and Harry ran to them
He was enveloped by his long lost mother and father. They hugged each other tightly. Harry grinned and looked them over then turned again.
"Sirius." Harry grabbed the old convict too.
Harry even hugged his old professor. "Remus."
Harry stood back.
"What happened at the battle?" Remus asked at the same time Lily asked. "Who are they?"
Harry just nodded. "I'll start from the beginning but most of it concerns him so it won't take too long." He glance at the sleep wrapped persons. "I'd like them not to hear this though. They're a little touchy about their stories." He paused. "I suppose I was too in life. I don't know how they will be now."
The five people shuffled up a hill a little ways. The snow crunched merrily under foot.
"Well first off he is my mate and I love him." Harry looked up defiantly expecting protests.
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "So we noticed."
"You saw?" The teen squeaked blushing. "Ummm. Beside the point. I'm gonna tell you about him first because his name doesn't name him I well. I mean." He thought for a second. "He doesn't fit his name is what I think I meant to say or… Never mind. You get it."
Lily nodded. "That's fine Harry."
He took a breath. "He isn't from a light family. In fact they were about the definition of dark. My Dragon might have been fine with that if it weren't for his father." His fists clenched up. "His dad beat him. Daily. And as if that wasn't enough. He wasn't allowed to show it at all. His bastard father when as far as" Harry swallowed heavily. "He raped him at the age of six."
Lily gaped. She had tears in her eyes and Harry's matched.
Harry turned to her. "Mum. Where was I supposed to go if you died?"
She cleared her throat. What was the sudden topic change? "To Sirius of course …" She trailed off. "But he was in prison."
"Then Remus was "James put in.
"Marked as a werewolf and cast out of society." The man himself groaned.
"But then Dumbledore was supposed to" Lily looked at her son.
Harry nodded. "That's what I thought. He put me with the Dursleys."
"No." Lily put a hand up to her mouth. "Did they?"
"Hurt me?" Harry looked away. "Yes. Physically." He touched his ribcage. "And mentally." He skimmed his fore head with his fingers.
"Oh baby." Lily held her son and she cried.
"How long?" Remus growled with an edge of anger to his eyes that was strange to see in the usually gentle man.
Harry sighed. "The whole time, but at seven." Harry looked straight up, not able to meet anyone's eyes. "I could take it anymore. At seven I ran. Busted up and bleeding I ran. Thank Merlin someone was watching. That someone cared." Harry's eyes teared up again. "A man walked right up to me. He wrapped his arms around me. He started me promising it was going to be ok. That he was going to fix it."
James wiped his eyes. "Who?"
"Later." Harry inhaled deeply. "He took me home, patched me up, love me, truly fixed everything. I stayed with him all the time but my birthdays. He threatened the Dursleys to behave for that one day. I never knew why but I guess Dumbledore was checking on me once a year there. We were walking one day when we passed an alley. Someone was crying. A boy my age, so beat and bruised and only in trousers. Papa Bear knew him and took him home with us. We grew up together as brothers. Dray had to go home for every weekend or his parents would have thrown up a great big political fuss. They only wanted him for appearance anyways. Then Papa married Marissa and she pretty much adopted us too. We bandaged Dragon up after every visit to his parents together. We were a family." Harry grinned.
"How did I not learn this?" Sirius asked.
Lily shushed him. "Go on."
Harry nodded gratefully. "We knew he had to pretend to hate me and him back at school. I also had to play clueless. We hated every second of it. That first summer we fell back together sobbing as soon as Papa got us. Papa and Marissa surprised us by taking us to the new cottage they bought." Harry smiled fondly at the little house. "This one. We came back as often as we could. I had to pop back and forth some times to keep the appearance for the order members. Sorry." Harry shrugged looking from Sirius to Remus. "Then third year was exciting. Dragon came into his veela inheritance the first day of Christmas break. Marissa brought her and Papa's twin girls Lissa and Ana that were born while we were at school. Then Dray sniffed me out as his mate and we ahh … bonded."
Harry flushed bright red. Sirius smirked and Harry cleared his throat.
"Anyway." Harry started again. "Things went to hell fourth year. People hated me for the tournament. Dragon got sent to Voldemort for the first time that summer. I can heal him usually with a simple touch. The mark was forced on him. He panicked and tried to cut it out himself. Dragon crawled home. I was alone and Papa was out with Marissa and the girls. I had homework. He knocked on the door and" Harry was sobbing. "There was so much blood. I dragged him to the couch and wrapped my hands around the wounds. They wouldn't close. I could close them. I couldn't save him. I was helpless. Useless." Harry cried. "I could only sit there and watch him bleed to death. Papa got back just in time but we were both a mess and wouldn't be separated until the next school year." Harry dried the last of his tears. "We fought Voldemort together. In the very last battle. That was the secret power, love. Ours. We killed him together." Harry grinned. "We were killed but our friends, our sisters, our adopted mother are all free now."
"Kiddo, you've been through a lot." James bear hugged the smaller version of himself.
"Can you two forgive me?" Harry asked his two guardians who he had lived with.
"For what?" Remus asked. "For protecting yourself and your mate? None needed."
Five heads turned to a whimpering sound behind them. One white wing was bobbing about over the ground searching.
"Want to meet him?" Harry smiled.
Lily nodded furiously. Walked back over the hill with his crowd. He motioned for them to stop a few meters away and knelt down next to the veela. He stroked the probing wing once and it opened invitingly. The black haired teen crawled under and hugged the paler one to his chest. He dropped his head to his mate's ear and Harry mouthed a few words too low to be heard. A pair of silver blue eyes opened questioningly. Harry whispered again and the wings jerked quickly off of him and clung to the veela's back. He looked at the adults and fear highlighted the violent quicksilver azure. The two stood together.
"You know or knew Lucius Malfoy?" Harry asked as they approached with the veela pretty much attached to Harry's side, tucked under his arm.
Sirius huffed studying his godson's mate. "Who could forget that snake?"
"This is his son, Draco Malfoy." The blonde waved uneasily.
"So he?" Remus covered his mouth. "Lucius?"
Harry nodded but begged with his eyes for them not to mention it. Silence fell. Draco twitched nervously and slid behind Harry a bit. The motion pushed up his sleeve enough to expose numerous older scars and massive fresh looking ones surrounding a faded black snake. Lily inhaled and took the small male into her arms. Draco's eyes widened and he froze. It was so comical everyone laughed.
"You can hug her back." Harry smiled.
The pale teen lifted his arms and put the awkwardly around the woman. His sleeves fell, showing off the immense damage to him. Lily put her hands on his shoulders and held him at arm's length. She smiled. Draco smiled a bit back.
"See I told you it would be ok." Harry hugged his veela. He mouthed a thank you to his mom.
"That was ok." Draco croaked, speaking for the first time. "Shall we wake Papa Bear?"
"Yeah." Harry grinned. "Ready to meet him? You have to promise good manners though alright?"
"Whatever for?" Remus stood up from the ground. "He saved your life, we are indebted to him."
Harry cocked his smile uneasily. "Just promise."
"Fine." James said. The rest nodded.
"Come on Dray." Harry nudged him with his shoulder.
They both turned to the last sleeping lump in the snow. The dropped down with one hand touching the ground like Olympic runners. The veela's wings quivered in anticipation.
"Three." Draco hissed.
"Two." Harry replied.
"One." They said in unison launching themselves forward.
They yelled as they rampaged down the hill. They landed on top of the black cloaked man with a dull thud. A tumble of black robes flailed together in the snow. White and black scrambled around and separated into three people. The dark man sat up with his back to the others of his age group. He examined his two children.
"Even after death you're still going to do that?" He groaned in good humor.
"Of course." Draco grinned. "Can you make us pancakes again like Christmas time?"
"Of course." He lifted himself off and dusted off his robe and hauled the teens up with either hand.
Harry smiled happily then glanced behind him. "Oh. Wait. Umm."
The man turned and looked at the foursome behind him. "I see."
"Snivellus." Sirius hissed.
"Lily, James, Sirius, Remus." Severus Snape nodded with a distinct lack loathing and tangible evidence of amusement. "I suppose you'll be wanting pancakes as well?" The Slytherin smirked and stalked up the hill toward the cottage.
Harry took one look at their faces and burst out laughed so hard it hurt. Draco chuckled along with him.
"What?!" James finally sputtered out.
"That's Sev for you." Draco said. "Everything in stride."
He grabbed his mate's hand and they ran up the hill toward the house.
Lily and James looked at each other and followed Sirius and Remus. They trudged up the hill following the smell of warm breakfast pancakes.