A/N: You guys didn't think I'd leave you without more Emma, did you? So here's the new chapter, this is a few weeks before the actual beginning of the book, but I'll make big jumps later on. I'm working on chapter three, and I hope I'll be able to update tomorrw (since we don't have school!)
Enjoy!

Sara: Thank you for your review! I try to reply to everyone who reviews, so since you didn't have an account... I hope you'll like this!

And a big thanks to Xxrunnin-wit-pandasxX fo suggesting the title!

Chapter 1

It was the night before Harry's birthday, and I was trying to get everything ready. It would be my nephew's first real birthday party, so I decided it had to be spectacular, but not too big. Hermione, having visited the French version of Diagon Alley, would floo in tomorrow morning, while her parents visited the Louvre.

Harry had been at the Weasley's so he wouldn't be in my way, and so he could personally invite all of them for the party. I had also invited Remus, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Neville Longbottom and his grandmother, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, but of those only Neville, his grandmother, Hagrid and Dumbledore had been able to come. Harry had complained, and told me that he could invite his own friends, but I could tell he was secretly a little pleased.

I mentioned to Molly that Ginny was welcome to bring a friend, as she would otherwise be the only girl her age.

I checked off 'guest list' from my 'to do' list, skipping decorations, and went on to the next item: presents. I already had the Lord of the Rings book I'd bought in June, and of course there were piles of sweets, but my last present had taken quite a while to procure. I had also made sure to have some small presents ready for Neville, since it was his birthday today.

The decorations were mostly in place, and every guest had received a letter from me with the address. Not the Weasleys, of course; Ron and Harry had been going back and forth between the two houses almost every day, and once the other Weasleys had heard that I had a professional grade, covered Quidditch Pitch in my back yard, there had been no keeping them away from here.

I had taken up Arthur's offer to come over for tea soon after school had ended for the children. Molly was a wonderful woman, and it was no wonder Harry had found a second mother in her. Our first meeting had been a little strained, probably because of her obvious protective feelings toward Harry, but she soon warmed up to me. She was coming over after breakfast to help out with lunch. I was a bit ashamed that I sometimes relied on Harry to make sure we didn't eat take-out all the time, though I did take him out as often as he wanted – only in muggle restaurants, of course. Preparing an omelette and toasting bread were about the limits of my cooking skills.

I sighed and put the list down on my night stand. Everything was ready for the party, and it was past twelve; I needed sleep.

/*/

The next morning came far too early, but I made sure to be up before the birthday boy and set up breakfast. Harry didn't allow me much time, however, since he was an early riser.

He came into the kitchen just as I put a pitcher of orange juice on the table. "Happy birthday," I said with a smile, and handed him a plate of eggs, bacon and sausages. "How does it feel to be fourteen?"

He grinned at me and filled his glass. "Not that different from being thirteen," he replied.

As he started shovelling food in his mouth, I put a present in front of him. "You get to open this one now, but all the rest have to wait for lunch."

His smiled broadly and ripped it open, not caring about the painstaking work the saleslady had put into wrapping it. "It's a book," he said, frowning at it.

I rolled my eyes and started eating breakfast myself. "Just because it's not about Quidditch doesn't mean you won't like it. It's the first in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I first read it when I was in America, it's a really good book," I said. I watched from the corner of my eyes as he read the back of the book. He seemed interested, but right then the fireplace chimed. I had an alarm installed after the Weasley twins nearly scared me to death by sneaking in.

Harry looked up, and abandoned his breakfast to see who it was. He walked back in with Hermione, the latter chatting at a thousand miles per hour. "And I saw the Eiffel tower, that was great, but we had to stand in line for hours! We also visited the national library, you wouldn't believe how many books there were! Oh – Hallo, Mrs. Potter," she said politely when she saw me.

I held up a hand. "Please, I'm Emma, calling me Mrs. just makes me feel old. Why don't you show her around, Harry, I'm sure she'll love my father's library."

The girl's eyes brightened at the prospect of more book, and she eagerly followed Harry out. I finished my coffee – black, I'd definitely need it today – and went to check on my special present for Harry, taking a basket of food with me. I was just lucky Harry hadn't gone looking for secret passages in the mansion yet, because there were quite a few. The one I was headed to lead to a secret safe-room that my grandfather had installed during the Grindewalt War.

I opened the door with the password and entered, bracing myself for the inevitable impact.

A huge black dog bound over to me, jumping up and sniffing the basket enthusiastically.

I laughed. "Get down, you mutt!" I shouted as he started licking my hands. "I'm serious, stop it!"

The dag suddenly backed off and changed forms. A man now stood before me, sporting long hair, and the gaunt look of someone who hadn't been fed properly, but a smile was present on his face. "You're Sirius? I think you're confusing yourself with me, Emmers," he joked, stealing the basket from my hands and ducking my swat.

"You're incorrigible, Padfoot! Now eat up. I'm cutting your hair today, you still look horrible!"

"Oi! I take offense at that!"

"Great, that was exactly what I meant to do," I said, but a smile tugged at my lips. Holding in laughter at his pout was far harder than it should have been.

"I only got here yesterday and you're already insulting me!" he whined, but dug into his food with vigour.

"You deserve it," I joked, and sat down on a chair to watch him eat.

It had taken weeks to convince Sirius that living with us wouldn't put Harry or me in any more danger, it's not like anyone we didn't trust could actually enter the house. I'd put him in the safe-room for now so Harry wouldn't discover him, and planned to move him to the guest room closest to Harry's room – Sirius' old room. The room didn't look inhospitable: my grandmother had prided herself on her accomplishment to make the windowless room look cosy. It held two bunk beds, a table with four chairs, at which Sirius and I were now sitting, a kitchenette and two doors leading to a small bathroom and a pantry, which was empty at the moment.

When Sirius finally finished licked all the last crumbs from the pates, I got to work on him. I washed his hair with a charm – not as good as the real thing, but it would have to do for now – cut it, and made him use a shaving charm on his stubble. I gave him fresh robes in a standard black and waited for him to get changed in the bathroom. When he came out, he looked far more like the man I remembered. "That's better. Now, can you keep yourself amused until one-thirty? I'll come and get you."

He nodded, his face serious again – no pun intended. "Are you sure about this Emma? If they find me here…"

"If you they find you here that means the Death Eaters can get in just as easily, and we're dead anyway. Harry wants you here, and so do I. If it were up to me, Moony would be staying here too, but he's too stubborn and proud to give in. But at least he's not on the run, and he can drop in anytime he wants to. Now stop your whining, you've already given in, and there's no way I will let you go back on your word, got it?"

A grin tugged at the corner of his lips, but he nodded anyway.

"Good. I'm going upstairs and prepare for the party. I think there's some games and such in the cabinet. See you in a few!" I said and went out the door, sealing it behind me.

That room was so secure because only someone with the Potter blood could open it, or make it open for someone else. The Potter had to do it out of free will and couldn't be coerced into opening it. I thought it was ridiculous to have a safe-room in one of the most secure houses in Britain, but I already knew my grandfather had been paranoid. He was the one who keyed in so many wards around the house and properties.

I suddenly became aware of someone shouting my name. "Emma!" It was Harry. I raced down the corridor and went through the secret passageway that opened into the living room. "Harry?" I shouted back and ran towards the noise. It sounded like it came from the kitchen, so I hurried there. He met me at the door, nearly running into me. "What's wrong?" I asked, looking him over for injuries.

He frowned at me. "We couldn't find you, and you didn't answer our calls. We looked everywhere!" he exclaimed. I now noticed Hermione standing behind him, a slight worried frown marring her face.

"I was preparing your present, I had a silencing charm on the door," I replied. Not entirely a lie: I had been preparing his present, and there had been a strong, permanent silencing charm on the door, just not the door of my bedroom.

Harry's frown deepened. "We looked in your room."

I smiled. "Harry, this house has almost as many secret rooms and passages as Hogwarts does! We had some paranoid relatives. Why were you looking for me?" I asked curiously.

"Mrs. Weasley's here, she's waiting in the kitchen."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I gave you a scare, but I can't have you figuring out what your present is before the party, now can I?" I said, and slid by them, into the kitchen.

Molly was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of tea Harry had no doubt offered her when he couldn't find me.

"Good morning, Molly, how are you?" I asked pleasantly, as I put on an apron.

She smiled. "Very good, thank you. And thank you for letting me help."

"Are you kidding? I desperately need your help if I'm going to feed over a dozen people. I don't want to serve them toast!"

"Well then, let's get to work!"

I showed her where everything was, and she told me what to do; a perfect partnership.

A/N: Tell me what you think! And suggestions are always welcome!