Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. However, since Rowling discarded my favourite characters I picked them up and took them into my care to give them the love and attention they deserve...and occasionally give them reason to need that love and attention no matter how much they deserve it without needing a reason.
Summary: Twenty years into the future, the Potter children are very excited to spend Sirius and Remus' twentieth anniversary with their grandparents and Harry couldn't be happier.
Warnings: Strong bromance, can't stomach boys being extremely close without it being sexual, then this is not the story for you and you should hit the return button.
This story is part of a series called A Bond of Family. If you are interested in reading the entire series, then the chronological order can be found on my profile.
Special thanks to Kitty for beta-ing this story for me and giving me endless support and inspiration for this series. Thank you for your endless patience with my grammar and for all the lessons you've taught me and are still trying to stamp into my brain.
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"Grampy!" Remus was quick to step aside as four dark-haired children launched themselves at Sirius, the man almost being knocked right off his feet by them.
"Look at you guys, all dressed up," Sirius laughed and he hugged them before Remus lifted Lily up into his arms as they greeted him as well.
"You're getting heavy, Lil."
"No I'm not, tell him, Grampy!"
"Don't listen to him, sweetheart. He keeps insisting I'm getting heavy as well," Sirius winked at her, making the ten year old laugh.
"You're not," she wiggled down from Remus' arms to wrap her arms around Sirius' waist as far as she could, which to Harry's uttermost relief wasn't nearly as far as his own had come when he was only a little older, though the man was still very slender. "See?"
"Are you trying to lift me up?" Sirius raised an eyebrow as the girl turned red and harrumphed in displeasure as she failed.
Sirius leaned down a little to murmur into her ear and a moment later Harry rolled his eyes as his youngest daughter managed to lift her grandfather up magically, grinning triumphantly.
"See Grandpa! He's not heavy at all!"
"I stand corrected," Remus dipped his head at her, yelping comically as Harry's youngest jumped onto his back while Lily let Sirius down again. "And what do you think you are doing?"
"Ally dared me to ride on the back of a werewolf; she forgot my own Grandpa used to be one and I can easily jump you!"
"Oh yeah? Maybe I should show you what happens to fearless little ones, eager to attack me," Remus roared, grabbing the nine year old and swiftly tossing him off his back and into his arms where he tickled him mercilessly.
"Help!" Charlie squealed, tears running as he laughed. "Grampy!"
"Should I? What do you think, pup?"
"Well, we can hardly leave him there, can we?" Harry laughed.
"I'll rescue him!" Dora jumped onto Remus' back, making the older Marauder pout.
"They're ganging up on me!"
"You don't say," Sirius stepped forward, pulling Charlie out of his arms before doing the same to Dora. Turning with two laughing children tucked under his arms, he raised an eyebrow as a third jumped onto his back and a fourth tackled his legs.
"Let our brother and sister go!"
Not able to keep his balance with four healthy children attacking him, Sirius stumbled and they all went down.
Harry burst into laughter as they were clearly all unharmed and Sirius immediately tossed his oldest into his lap and messed up his hair.
"No!" Jamie tried to scramble away, but Sirius had no trouble capturing him against his chest, making Dora, Lily and Charlie tackle him again to try and free their brother.
Harry winced as Jamie grabbed Sirius' wrist to try and push his arm away from him, remembering a time where he'd have reacted badly to the touch.
But time had healed parts Harry had never dared hope to see healed and his godfather merely laughed at his actions, tickling him despite three other children hanging onto him.
"Are you guys keeping him in one piece?" Luna reached forward to pull Charlie off of Sirius and a quick move from Sirius made Lily fall from his neck and into his arms as well, pulling her close.
"I think he'll manage," Remus laughed, picking Harry's youngest up as he reached out for his grandfather.
"Not fair!" Lily giggled, wiggling to try and escape, successfully dislodging Sirius' grip so Jamie could get away.
"Aww, now look what you've done, my prisoner escaped!" Sirius pouted.
"You still have me!" Lily beamed, turning in his arms to throw her arms around him. "Grampy, guess what!"
"You cut your hair," Sirius feigned confusion, lifting part of her long black hair up to check its length.
"No!"
"You taught the cat to dance?"
"Cats can't dance, silly!"
"They can, Crookshanks knows how to dance, and very well, too," Sirius protested.
"Crookshanks can't dance, he's ancient!" Lily snorted.
"He could back when he was young," Sirius told her seriously. "But if you didn't teach the cat, then who am I going to dance with?"
"With Grandpa of course!" Dora piped up.
"But I already dance with Grandpa all the time!" Sirius complained.
"I'll dance with you, Grampy!" Charlie piped up from Remus' arms. "Or you can dance with Mum!"
"I guess I'll have to if Lil didn't teach the cat. But if you didn't cut your hair and you didn't teach the cat to dance, then what have you done?"
"I'm going to Hogwarts in two months!" It surprised Harry that his daughter had managed to keep it to herself so long, she'd been dying to tell Sirius since the letter had arrived the previous day.
"But we are in Hogwarts right now," Sirius feigned confusion, though Harry knew the man had been very aware of the girl's birthday coming up.
"As a student, Grampy!"
"No, that's impossible. You can only go to Hogwarts as a student after you've turned eleven," Sirius shook his head.
"But I'll be eleven Saturday!"
"No you're not. I am quite positive you just turned ten last year."
"Birthdays come every year, Grampy," Lily frowned, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of the smile Sirius was trying to hide. "You're teasing me again!"
"Would I do that?" Sirius laughed as she slapped him on the arm, pulling her close as she pouted. "But I guess that you'll want a present from your Grandpa and me then?"
"Yes!" Lily's face split up into an enormous grin.
"And what is on the list this year that'll leave your poor grandparents broke?"
"You could swim in your money if you'd like, you're not poor at all," Jamie chuckled from his mother's side. "Like the duck in the old magazines Charlie reads."
"I never got that," Sirius mused. "It must be cold and quite painful to swim through money. Not to mention that the paper would cut his skin when passing it."
"It's a comic book figure; of course it doesn't hurt him. Mummy, Grampy is being silly again," Lily laughed as she leaned into Sirius' embrace.
"Are you quite sure you want a present?" Sirius threatened and Lily immediately nodded, her dark hair springing wildly as she bounced on her heels.
"I want a snowy owl!"
"Like Hedwig?" Sirius curiously looked at her. "Why do you want that?"
"So that I can write to you while I'm at Hogwarts and not have to use Hedwig, she's too old for that! And Boo belongs to you and Grandpa."
"But I'll be right there," Sirius laughed, ruffling her hair.
"Yeah, but it won't be the same. You'll have to be all professional and not be all Grampy like. So if I write to you, you can still be my Grampy that way," the girl's logic made Harry swallow back a laugh, aware both Dora and Jamie had held the same concern when they'd begun at Hogwarts and he himself had been nervous about how he should interact with his godfather when the man had just begun to teach twenty years ago.
"I'll always be your Grampy, love, and don't you feel like you have to call me anything different while at school," Sirius knelt beside her. "And you know what? Jamie and Dora get hugs every day, even while in school and they call me Grampy as well."
"Really?" Grey eyes, so much like her grandfather's, widened and relief visibly spread through her entire body as he nodded and she launched herself at Sirius again, hugging him close.
"Really. But we'll get you a snowy owl of your own, just so you can secretly write to Grandpa and me without anyone knowing," he murmured in her ear.
"And you'll help me pick it? "
"If that's what you want, dear," Sirius smiled. "But your siblings got an owl when they received their letter as well; it's not really a birthday present, now is it?"
"But it's what I want," Lily nuzzled against his side.
"Tell you what. You'll get a lovely snowy owl, that we'll pick together and then you can pick your actual birthday present while we're in Diagon Alley, all right?"
"Yes!" Lily squealed in delight, hugging Sirius once more before running to Remus. "You'll help too, right?"
"Of course, sweetie. And maybe, if your Grampy distracts your parents, I'll even take you to the bookshop," the resulting squeal made both Sirius and Remus wince at the sheer volume.
"Someone's studying for background singer for Celestina Warbeck," Luna laughed.
"I hope not, are you thinking of doing so?" Sirius poked Lily's stomach.
"What if I am?" she challenged, trying to suppress a giggle.
"Then your Daddy will have to buy me a very good pair of earmuffs."
"What for?" Charlie jumped onto his back and Sirius shifted to accommodate his small weight.
"To come listen your sister perform without wincing at the sound that woman produces," Sirius tickled Charlie, almost dislodging him as the nine year old tried to avoid his fingers.
"Molly Weasley would be very annoyed by hearing you talk about her heroine like that," Remus teased.
"I couldn't care less, Rem," Sirius chuckled. "That banshee fled the country after Arthur got the divorce pushed through and I'd say it's good riddance."
"Couldn't agree more," Harry grumbled and Sirius gave him a knowing smile as he hoisted Charlie up more properly.
"But enough about annoying banshees, what about the two of you, excited to return to Hogwarts?"
"Yes! I'll be a third year now, the same year Dad was in when he met you guys again!" Dora beamed up to Sirius.
"Luckily you won't have a madman after you," Harry breathed out relieved, stepping forward as the man pulled him into a quick hug without dislodging either of his grandchildren.
"That's all right; Neville would be just as awesome a godfather as Grampy was to you!" Dora immediately said.
"I should hope so, or I'd have to give your godfather a stern dressing-down," Sirius threatened, laughing as Dora stuck out her tongue to him.
"Is that any way to treat an old man?"
"You're not old!" All four children immediately protested. "Auntie Minnie is old!"
"Can't argue with that," Sirius laughed, letting Charlie down onto the ground so the child could join his siblings as they discussed their aunt's age between themselves for a moment.
"Hello, pup," Sirius greeted him properly, once more pulling him into a hug.
"Hey, Siri," Harry smiled as he embraced his godfather tightly for a long moment before separating again and Luna stepped forward to give Sirius a hug as well.
"Hello, love. Have I said you look absolutely stunning yet?"
"No, you didn't. But it does leave me with the question as to why the two of you aren't dressed up yet," Luna smiled warmly.
Sirius ruffled Jamie's hair as he returned to his side, wrapping his arms around him. "Feeling left out?"
"Yeah," the fifteen year old nuzzled into Sirius' side, clinging to the man like a small child for a long moment as Sirius tucked him into his side. "And I don't see why we had to dress our best if you're not going to either."
"I wasn't aware we needed to be."
"Of course you do, it's your anniversary," Dora shook her head in disbelief as Sirius and Remus both looked at her blankly.
"Anniversary of what?"
"Honestly, you are both hopeless," Lily laughed. "Your twenty year marriage anniversary, sillies!"
"Did you really forget," Charlie giggled as he jumped onto Sirius' back again. "Daddy, they really forgot!"
"Seems like it, buddy," Harry snorted as his guardians shared a surprised look. "Luckily your Mum and I figured as much and made preparations."
"Smart, Dad," Dora grinned at her brother as she tucked herself against Sirius' other side. "You need to get changed so we can go celebrate."
"It's really been twenty years already?" Sirius turned to Harry confused, wrapping an arm around Dora automatically.
"You got married during the exams of my fifth year, on the fifteenth of June, and that was in nineteen ninety-six," Harry smiled. "It really has been twenty years."
"Time sure flies by," Sirius harrumphed as Lily quite literally threw herself against his chest to hug him like her siblings were and Harry laughed.
"Some things never change though, why don't you guys let your grandparents get changed so we can go on our way. I'm sure Fred and George will be waiting for us."
"Yay!" Charlie jumped down from Sirius' back to run to his father while the others let go of Sirius again.
"We're going to Triple W?" Remus asked as he allowed Luna to steer him towards the bedroom to get changed.
"Yes, so change out of your teaching robes and dress normally," Luna ordered, pulling on Sirius' hand and push him in the same direction.
"But I am dressed normally," Sirius protested.
"If you don't change, Remus won't either. So go on, get changed as well, put on the shirt the children got you for Christmas," Luna shooed him off and both men disappeared into the bedroom to do as they were told.
"When are we going to give them their present?" Jamie asked as soon as they were gone, grey eyes staring at Harry expectantly. "Mum took care in hiding the photo, but she didn't say when we'd give it to them."
"When we return from dinner," Harry promised, ruffling his oldest' hair, ignoring the protest the action produced. "You never complain when Grampy does that."
"That's Grampy, he's different," Jamie claimed, ducking away from his father to try and straighten his hair down again.
Although he had inherited his father's messy hair, he looked very much like Harry's godfather and although none of them were quite sure how that came to be, Luna claimed it was because Sirius had blood-adopted Harry as a baby, giving off his genes for his godson to share with his own children.
It made sense to Harry as he knew he'd inherited things from Sirius and as he watched his children impatiently wait for the return of their grandfathers, he couldn't help but be thankful his children had as well.
All four of them were good people and looked up to Sirius, much in the same way Harry himself had done and still did and it was easy to see Sirius back in his oldest son, though he could also see more and more traces of him in Lily and Charlie as well.
Only Dora was the spitting image of her mother, though she had inherited Harry's messy hair and Sirius' patience as she was the only one not bouncing on the heels of her feet as they waited.
"I guess animals aren't the only ones attracted to Siri's warm soul," Luna whispered to him, making Harry laugh.
"And here I thought they were little monkeys," Harry whispered back, though not quite soft enough for his children not to hear and a moment later he was tackled by four screeching children.
"Oi," rough-housing with them for a few moments, Harry laughed as he noticed his godfather leaning in the door opening. "This is your fault, you know?"
"I didn't call your children little monkeys," Sirius protested, shifting as the four immediately bounced back to him. "Think this will meet your mother's approval?"
"Yeah!" Lily nodded enthusiastically as they pulled him into the middle of the room so they could examine his clothing properly.
"I think it will have to do," Dora finally decided, glancing back at her mother for advice.
"Good, now what´s keeping Remus," Sirius huffed and turned to Lily. "Could you go see what's keeping your Grandpa?"
"I'm not allowed into the bedroom. Mummy always says I should knock and wait for permission before entering," Lily looked up to her grandfather, confusion in her grey eyes.
"A very good rule, but what's stopping you from doing the same here?"
Pausing for a moment as she realised he was right; Lily bounced to the bedroom door and knocked hard. "Grandpa, Grampy asks what's keeping you!"
Harry faintly heard Remus call her inside and sighed as the ten year old peeked around the door nervously before disappearing through it.
"She almost walked in on us yesterday because she forever forgets to knock," Harry slipped to his godfather's side as the other three were distracted by Crookshanks appearing through the entrance.
"I can imagine the mental scarring that caused, no one should walk into someone else like that," Sirius quietly replied, meeting the cat's eyes for a moment with a smile before turning back to Harry and Luna.
"We weren't really doing anything, unlike when you walked in on us. I swear, she got her inability to knock from you."
"I did knock, you shouldn't have said yes if you didn't want me to open the door," Sirius protested, shivering at the memory. "Let's hope your children won't be the third Potter generation I walk into one day."
"I'll slaughter the first guys that approach my girls," Harry growled, making Sirius laugh.
"I said the same to Remus when Ginny showed interest in you beyond her crushing on a distance. But then I saw how you had begun to look at Luna early in your sixth year and knew it would be all right," he shifted. "But I'll join you in slaughtering any guy approaching those two that are not worthy. Might have to castrate them first, though."
"Let us not give some poor boys a nervous breakdown before they have even looked at the girls," Luna rolled her eyes. "Lily is still only ten and Dora recently turned thirteen, I think dating is the last thing on their mind."
"I don't know, James started liking Lily when he was thirteen," Sirius frowned.
"Of course it took him until he was seventeen to actually get Mum to like him back, but although Dora's patient, she's not half so much as you've always told me Dad was," Harry smiled.
"That patience paid off as he married the love of his life and had you, but I think Dora will be all right, she inherited her mother's brilliance after all," Sirius smiled as Lily and Remus appeared out of the bedroom, Lily looking rather smug as she tugged on Remus' hand.
"There you are, where'd you find him?"
"He got his shoe lashes all jumbled up!" Lily exclaimed as she ran to Sirius again.
"Did he now? I hope you helped him?" Sirius smiled as he picked her up and she laughed, all traces of nervousness gone as he carried her towards her siblings and knelt down to scratch Crookshanks behind his ears.
"Neither of you like shoes with lashes," Luna murmured knowingly and Harry suddenly realised his godfather had already known about what had happened and had set this up to help the girl get over her nervousness.
Remus only gave a smile as Harry let out a huff of a laugh at his godfather's brilliance as the girl indeed seemed to have forgotten her nervousness as she played with the cat.
"How did you guys find out what had happened?"
"Have you forgotten that your children tell Sirius absolutely everything?" Remus laughed. "I think Sirius knew even before you managed to talk to her as she contacted him through the mirror right after running from your room."
"So that's why she was so composed when I tracked her down," Harry mused. "She didn't say she'd spoken to Sirius and he didn't warn me."
"No, she closed the connection when you knocked on the door, leaving him with no time to contact you. He was going to talk to you today," Remus ran a hand through his mostly grey hair. "I can't believe it's already been twenty years since everything changed. Sometimes it feels like it was only yesterday."
Humming in agreement, Harry watched his children play with Sirius and Crookshanks, all of them having gotten to Crookshanks' level as the old cat curled up onto Sirius' lap.
"Crookshanks is looking even worse than the last time I saw him," Harry commented as the cat managed to curl his bottle-brush tail around Sirius' arm, stretching contently as he allowed the children to pet him.
"He is already much older than I ever expected him to become, but Sirius said he is part Kneazle and they can get up to thirty years old when happy," Luna informed them. "How old is he now?"
"I don't really know. When Hermione got him, he'd already been at the shop for a long time so he must be nearing that age now."
"Sirius notified Hermione last week that Crookshanks is getting worse, but truth be told I don't think she will come to say goodbye to him," Harry wasn't surprised by Remus' words.
"She's not seen him for years, why would she visit him now," he ran a hand through his hair, watching how careful his children were with the animal and relieved they had such sense, though he suspected Sirius had a lot to do with that as they automatically copied his behaviour towards the cat and his godfather had always treated the animal like a close friend.
"To be fair, it is not like she had much of a choice as he refused to eat and his health rapidly deteriorated after she left Hogwarts," Luna pushed her hair back behind her ear as she smiled at the sight.
"I don't think I will ever forget his reaction when she brought him here, wanting to ask Sirius if he could ask what was wrong and the cat actually ran at him upon seeing him, mewing loudly," Remus grinned.
"Or that he tried to work his way into Sirius' shirt and refused to come out no matter what," Harry laughed, vividly remembering the pure desperation in the cat's every movement as he tried to crawl into Sirius' chest, trying to get closer. "I don't think he'd have survived long if Hermione hadn't decided to leave him with Sirius, but that doesn't mean she couldn't have come to visit him."
"That is true, Sirius might have bought him from her, she was still his owner for five years,' Luna agreed.
"I don't think Crook really cares as long as his Padfoot is with him," Remus chuckled. "I'm just lucky he likes me and tolerates me at Sirius' side or life would've been very difficult."
"How could he not like you, you are a fluffy wolfy," Harry teased.
"Were a fluffy wolfy and you hang out with Sirius too much," Remus grumbled good-naturedly. "But what have we dressed up for?"
"Aside from a trip to Diagon Alley, we have dinner planned."
"You do realise school is still ongoing for a few more weeks, right?"
"I do, but Filius and Alice can handle things for one evening, Neville, Hannah, their children and Professor M will meet us at the restaurant," Luna said.
"They are coming as well?"
"As well as the twins and their offspring; the whole family will be there," Harry hummed.
"It has been a while since I've seen the twins. Sirius meets up with them often to discuss business plans, but they are too busy with their company to come over much," Remus collected his and Sirius' coats, tossing them over the couch as his partner was still occupied.
"It's a miracle they have any free time at all, they've got thirteen branches all over the world, don't they?"
"Fourteen. Sirius told me they are taking over Zonko's here in Hogsmeade and are planning to make it their base," Remus revealed.
"Zonko's retiring?" Harry asked surprised.
"He doesn't have children and approached the twins when he decided it was time to stop. Said that with their flare for prank items he could do so, assured the future of pranksters everywhere was in good hands," Remus sighed. "I'll have to keep an eye on the secret passage to make sure they don't get crazy ideas."
"What secret passage?" They all looked down to see Lily had snuck up to them.
"The secret passage to drop eavesdropping little girls in," Remus grabbed hold of her, tickling her sides.
"Nooooo!" Lily squeaked in laughter, trying to break free from his hold. "Mercy."
"You give up?" Remus laughed, allowing her to catch her breath as she nodded and she looked up to him.
"What secret passage?"
"Ask your sister when you've arrived at Hogwarts. As your grandfather and future teacher, I cannot in good consciousness reveal that," Remus promptly answered.
"Just remember that when Dora tells you to be up to no good, you'll be careful and know how to call for help should you need it," Sirius joined them, Charlie once more hanging on his back and the other two on his tail, Crookshanks' tail just visible as he disappeared into the bedroom. "I seem to have attracted a monkey of yours. Care to free me of it?"
"I'm not an it!" Charlie protested as Harry pulled him off Sirius' back.
"So you're not denying being a monkey?" Jamie laughed as his little brother stuck out his tongue, denying it immediately.
"Then don't climb onto your grandfather like you are one," Harry grumbled.
"But Daddy, I do like monkeys," Charlie whined.
"Perhaps we could go see them in the summer holidays," Sirius suggested.
"But we're going to Italy for the summer."
"So? You think they don't have a zoo there?" Sirius ruffled his hair. "We've been to this big safari park once when you were little, do you remember that?"
"Yeah! Can we do that again? Please Grampy?"
"We'll see. Why don't you and your siblings discuss what kind of zoo you'd like to visit and I'll try to talk your parents into it?" Sirius bargained. "But you'll have to give me a good plan to convince me, though."
"You're giving us homework?" Jamie cringed. "I'm just done with my exams and you're giving us new homework?"
"But this is fun homework," Dora argued. "And we will get something enjoyable out of it."
"You make it sound like you hate school and homework," Sirius poked his side. "You do realise both your grandparents and your father are teachers, right?"
"Yeah, I just have big shoes to fill," Jamie ducked away, shuffling his shoes. "Both Mum and Dad had ten O.W.L.s and my grandparents had at least nine O.W.L.s, each, all four of them I might add. I'm named after two legendary students; there are lots of expectations on me."
"I wouldn't quite call your grandfather and me legendary, but what do we always tell you," Sirius lifted his chin and pulled him beside him on the couch.
"That I am my own person and as long as I do my best in school you guys will always be proud of me no matter what my grades are," Jamie mumbled. "But that doesn't stop people from talking behind my back."
"People always find reasons to talk about you behind your back," Sirius smiled sadly. "People kept whispering behind your Dad's back, too."
"Because he took down Voldemort as a baby and faced him again after the Triwizard Tournament, I know," Jamie sighed.
"But did you know that they also talked behind your grandfather's back and mine? As well as your Mum's?"
"Why did they talk behind your backs?" Jamie' head shot up surprised.
"Your grandfather James was very popular because of his skills and talents, but that didn't stop some students from whispering behind his back about his behaviour, saying he was a bully when in reality he was trying to protect other students from being bullied, such as your grandmother from your mother's side."
"Really?" Dora asked, all four of the children listening to Sirius in disbelief.
"Yes, and people talked behind my back all the time as well as I was the black sheep of my family and had turned my back on their beliefs. It especially got worse after I ran away."
"But you were very popular as well! Grandpa told us that several times," Jamie exclaimed.
"It's usually the most known people who are talked about the most," Sirius told him. "Or the odd ones. Your Mum was seen as odd because of her abilities and beliefs that were different than others."
"They used to bully me, call me names and hide my possessions until your Grampy stopped the bullying when he came to teach," Luna smiled at Sirius.
"How did you deal with people talking behind your backs?" Jamie asked.
"I don't think it's ever possibly to completely stop people from doing so. The most you can do is ignore them and remain true to yourself with your head held high," Sirius caressed Jamie's cheek. "I know it's hard, but a wise man once told me that those who care about you know what's true and what not and they are the only ones who matter."
"Who told you that?"
"The man after whom you were named," Sirius smiled, one Jamie immediately answered without hesitation.
"I was named after you as well, you know," Jamie leaned into his grandfather's side, wrapping his arms around his waist.
"I'm very much aware, kiddo," Sirius smiled. "Told your Dad he was insane for doing so, but he insisted."
"I'm named after Grandmum and Grandpa's mother, right?" Lily climbed onto his knee.
"That's right; Lily Hope," Sirius confirmed, "And Dora is named after your Mum's mother and your Dad's grandmother; Pandora Dorea."
"And I'm named after Grandpa and Great-Grandfather, aren't I?" Charlie piped up, leaning against Sirius' other knee.
"Charlus Remus, Charlie for short," Sirius nodded as he leaned back. "You are all named after loved ones and great people, but that doesn't define who you all are. You are your own person and decide upon your own life."
"But what if I end up in Slytherin?" Lily asked. "Would you still be proud of me?"
"No, I'd disinherit you immediately."
Lily stared at her grandfather, eyed wide as she took in Sirius' stoic expression for a long moment.
"You're teasing me again! No fair!" She slapped him on the arm and he cracked a laugh, ruffling her hair.
"It is when you are asking me silly questions. Why would I not be proud of you if you ended up in Slytherin?"
"Because you're Gryffindors Head of House and Hugo Weasley says Slytherins are bad people."
"Do you think Auntie Andy is a bad person? Or Blaise and Daphne Zabini?"
"No, they are all nice," Lily frowned. "What do they have to do with being in Slytherin?"
"They were all in Slytherin and they're very nice, aren't they? Hugo saying things like that is just his father's talking and not at all true. While it is true that Slytherin produced plenty of bad people, so did the other houses," Sirius advised her.
"Some of the worst wizards in history came from Gryffindor," Jamie said. "Like Pettigrew and Albus Dumbledore, you know about them don't you?"
"How could I not? That traitor sold out our grandparents to Voldemort," Lily nodded. "I did read your school books, you know? I like to be prepared for class."
"I have a feeling this one will end up in Ravenclaw like her mother and sister before her," Remus chuckled.
"She could be in Gryffindor as well!" Dora contradicted Remus. "She can be pretty brave when she has to be."
"We'll see in two months, I suppose," Sirius smiled as he caressed Lily's cheek. "No matter where you end up, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we will be proud of you regardless."
"You do," Harry nodded, having said as much several times over the years but it seemed that it was Sirius' confirmation that his daughter had been looking for as she relaxed against his side.
"Do you think our grandparents would've been proud of us?" Jamie's murmured question was soft and unexpected as Harry hadn't thought his children truly ever thought about their grandparents all that much. With Xenophilius having passed away from dragon pox shortly after Jamie had been born, Sirius and Remus were the only grandparents the children truly knew and ever spoke about.
"All four of them would be. Though I've never known Xenophilius very well, I'm very sure he'd be very proud of you and I know Pandora, Lily and James would've been more than proud of you all," Sirius' voice held no uncertainty and Harry's heart swelled as he knew how much the man's opinion mattered to his children and that if he said they were proud of them, then the children would believe him without a doubt.
"Do you miss them? Grandfather James and Grandmother Lily, I mean," Jamie looked up to him.
"Every day, kiddo and I miss your grandmother Pandora as well. Not a day goes by when I don't think of them and how much they'd have loved to have met you all. And how proud they would have been of their children, too."
"Of Daddy? Why would they be proud of him?" Dora asked, ignoring Harry's roll of the eyes even as Luna laughed.
"Why wouldn't they be? He's a good man, kind and generous. Married an equally kind, brilliant and smart woman. Has a good life and produced four little monsters that they'd have loved beyond anything," Sirius smiled as he met Harry's eyes. "I reckon they are as proud of him as I always am."
"Yeah, you're not so bad yourself," Harry cleared his throat, after all these years still always feeling his heart swell whenever his godfather said stuff like that and displayed how much he loved him. "But what's brought that question on, Jamie?"
"We've covered heroes of the second Wizarding war in History of Magic the last few weeks and the Marauders have been on my mind a lot since then. I already know what Grampy and Grandpa think, but I've been wondering about Grandfather James a lot, I guess."
"You know that you can always ask anything you'd want to know, right?" Sirius asked as he caressed Jamie's cheek, the teenager not quite averted to touch like his peers were and as always leaning into the simple touch automatically.
"I know," the teen smiled as he wrapped his arms around Sirius' waist and nuzzled against him, his siblings quick to join him in embracing their grandfather, never letting a chance go by to be close to him.
Luna cheerfully dropped down next to her daughter, joining the group hug and Sirius wiggled his arm free to pull Luna close as well.
"And now I feel kind of left out, don't you?" Remus grinned at Harry.
"Guess we'll just have to join, then," Harry laughed as they did just that before he could finally convince his children to let go of Sirius so they could make their way to Diagon Alley and he watched as Lily pulled Sirius and Remus to the Eeylops Owl Emporium to look at the various owls displayed.
They disappeared into the dark shop and ten minutes later they returned, a snowy owl perched on Sirius' shoulder as Lily carried a cage with difficulty, only allowing her grandfather to shrink it after she'd showed it off to her siblings.
They all spent a moment admiring the beautiful owl, which reminded Harry of his faithful owl and he remembered warmly how Hagrid had showed up with her on his birthday, and Sirius told him how she'd spotted the animal in the very back and had immediately been sold.
It took some convincing for Lily to let the owl go so it could fly home, but Sirius disappeared back into the store for a moment and returned with a sealed note, which he bound to the owl's outstretched claw and said Lily could only read it after it was delivered by her owl, after which she agreed to do so and the owl took off once their address was given.
"How are you?" Harry held back as the children ran to go greet Fred and George upon coming within view of Triple W's, Luna and Remus sensing he wanted to talk to his godfather alone as they followed and Sirius turned to him.
"I'm good, why?" He shot him a curious look.
"Just felt like asking, with Crookshanks and all."
"It will be weird when he's gone," Sirius admitted. "But we talked and he's happy and more than ready to pass over."
"He's your friend, though," Harry pointed out.
"And I'll miss him; miss our conversations and just spending time together. But although I have no doubt that I will be sad, it's all right, no need to worry about me."
"You should know by now that I always worry about you," Harry chuckled.
"That's my job, pup," Sirius pulled him close and Harry wrapped his arm around his godfather's waist as he leaned into his side.
"Thank you for what you did for Lily."
"What's family for? Told her that her daddy was very evil for letting her walk in on that, though. And that locks were invented for a reason and should never be disturbed or unlocked while at home," he joked, making Harry laugh.
"I never had to worry about a locked door while living with you."
"We've never had any reason to lock the door. It's a miracle only Jamie and Lily almost walked in on you two, with how Charlie's always bouncing around," Sirius grinned and Harry flushed.
"I've gotten so used to just being able to walk into your room even when you were sleeping that I've never really thought about it, and I doubt Luna has either as her father was odd enough as it was that I wasn't even surprised to learn he'd calmly walk around naked if he thought it would help bring out some creature."
"She's a Lovegood, they are a weird but very lovable bunch," Sirius laughed. "But I guess it's partly our fault."
"If you just had a relationship like normal people, I'd have learned early on not to enter bedrooms unannounced and to always lock my own," Harry tried not to grin as he berated his godfather, the man shooting him a bewildered glance.
"Normality is overrated," he protested.
"I guess so, as long as you are happy, and you are happy, right?" Harry looked at his godfather, taking in the warm grey eyes he loved and were faintly similar to Luna's silvery grey orbs, though he supposed it was a distant Black trait as Pandora's mother had been a Black.
"Happier than I could ever hope to be, are you?" Sirius' smile matched his eyes and Harry couldn't help but return it.
"Me too. You and Remus have to come over to stay for a while soon, though. The kids would love that."
"Think I'll survive a while of hugs and what did Lily call them the other day, glomps, without there being a small distance of our houses?"
"It's a word she picked up from the Muggles while we were in town, I think it's the same thing as a hug, but tighter?" Harry wasn't entirely sure.
"It's a hug that's performed in a flying tackle approach from what I understood when we were in Japan."
"I'm getting old," Harry complained, running a hand through his hair.
"Then what am I, ancient?" Sirius snorted. "You are thirty-six years old, hardly old."
"The same age you were when you adopted me," Harry smiled warmly at the memory, leaning in as Sirius tightened his hold for a moment, squeezing his shoulder in acknowledgement. "You don't look much different, though."
"That's what you think. Just because I haven't gone grey yet, doesn't mean I'm not getting older, pup," Sirius chuckled. "You just feel that way because Remus started going grey prematurely."
"Probably, though it's gotten better since you developed the cure with Luna ten years ago, hasn't it? I don't usually see you on full moons as Remus likes to watch them now as if to mock them."
"It has, though it doesn't undo the damage done to his body before Wolfspoly was invented, it's gotten better and his life expectancy has risen drastically, especially since he's eating well and taking care of himself."
"If he doesn't, you'll do it for him," Harry teased. "I love you, you know that, right?"
"And I love you, too. More than anything," Sirius easily answered him, dropping a kiss at Harry's forehead as it was easier to reach than to drop a kiss in his hair like he'd used to. The gesture never ceased to make Harry grin as he knew that no matter how old he'd get, he would always be Sirius' child, no matter what, and the man wasn't afraid to show him.
"Quit hogging our honourable mum to yourself, Potter!" George's call made them look up to see both twins and the Potter-Blacks waiting for them.
"Guess we'd better join them," Harry laughed.
"They can wait," Sirius grinned as he pulled him into a tight embrace, holding on for a long moment before slipping a hand in his, utterly uncaring of the people around them. "I don't get you to myself very often any more, even when we're teaching at the same school and are neighbours."
"We could sneak off sometimes beside our Tuesday game nights," Harry offered, squeezing his godfather's hand as they made their way to the others.
"Hide in the Owlery so no one can find us, I like that plan," Sirius grinned.
"But then I'd have to share you with the owls, how about the secret passage on the third floor where you brewed the Wolfspoly for the first time?" Harry enjoyed the playful thoughtful look that crossed his guardian's expression.
"Deal, you bring the board, I'll bring the snacks," Sirius bargained.
"It'll be our secret," Harry chuckled as Sirius' eyes sparked with mischief and used his hold on the older man's hand to pull him into another hug. "Happy Anniversary, Siri."
"You as well, Harry," Sirius' warm voice in his ear made Harry smile before the breath was knocked out of him as his children seemed to decide they wanted a part of the hug was well, though he realised it were the twins currently squeezing the breath out of them as they joined the hug and soon everyone was joined in, creating a very odd but loving picture for any bystander passing.
But Harry didn't care what others thought as he had decided years ago that as long as the people he loved were happy, he couldn't be bothered about anyone else's opinion.
And seeing Sirius and Remus share a warm smile, their hands slipped together as they listened to the twins while playing with their laughing grandchildren once more, Harry knew they were just that and that was the most important thing to him.
He shared a smile of his own with his wife and as he pulled her close, he couldn't help but admit that he'd never been happier either.