A/N Hi guys here's chapter 3. I'm having fun writing this but so far I have no idea whether any of you guys are enjoying reading it. Please review I could use the criticism/advise/support whichever you feel this warrants. Enjoy.

Chapter 3

It was already near dark when 6 o'clock rolled round in rural Dorset. Nestled in a green valley with a small river at the base of the slopes, the picturesque village of Godric's hollow was winding down for the night. The twilight crept like a purple wave down the slopes of the eastern hills and bathed the white houses of the village in blues and muffled all sounds. The silence was broken by the laughing and joking of the three young men who appeared as if from nowhere in the church graveyard. The tallest man, with receding light hair looked around appreciatively at the pretty tudor cottages with white walls and dark woodwork. His companions, a tall man with long black hair and a goatee was dressed in a biker jacket. The third, a small man with sandy hair and a long nose was quieter and timid next to his taller companions. The dark haired man in the middle pulled an elaborate gold pocket watch out and glanced at it with a raised eyebrow, as the three hopped the low stone wall around the church yard and strode across the green.
"For gods sake Remus you can admire the pretty village later, we're going to be late!" Sirius whined to his friend.
"I'm not slowing us down, anyway we wouldn't be late if wormtail hadn't been so late."
"Guys I've already apologised I got off work late."
"ah yes your job that you won't tell us anything about." Sirius smirked giving Pettigrew a small shove. "what're you so embarrassed about oh my god you're not a gigolo are you?"
The mortified Peter argued back "I'm not a gigolo!"
"You sure about that Peter?" Sirius grinned. "I don't know what you're so ashamed of. You know it's the oldest profession in the world."
"I am not a male gigolo!" this last was delivered as the three friends turned down a small lane between the hedges on the outskirts of the village.

"You know what I think that should be the new password." A jaunty laugh came from a disembodied head followed by a fourth young man removing an invisibility cloak. James Potter complete with glasses and messy black hair grabbed Sirius and pulled him into a hug. "It's so good to see you mate."

"Whoah there mate I only saw you last week . Lils not driving you crazy is she?!"

"Don't even think about answering that James Potter!" Came a disembodied feminine voice from a few feet to the left. Chuckling the friends crossed over the wardline and another cottage appeared surrounded by a pretty garden. Standing by the gate, four month old baby on hip the willowy figure of Lily Potter née Evans was scowling at her husband.

"Cub!" Yelled Sirius completely ignoring his mother and ran to the gurgling black haired baby giggled as Sirius took him and bounced him gently. "Oh hi Lils…" He gave the redhead a wink as the baby began sucking on a finger that got to close to his fist. "Crikey the little tyke has got a grip, a future Gryffindor beater if I'm not mistaken, just like his uncle Sirius."

"Beater? Don't be silly snuffles he'll be Hogwarts' star chaser like his da." James argued back taking his son as Sirius, Remus and Peter all kissed Lily on the cheek as she lead them into the house.

"Or he won't be able to play Quidditch to save his life, like his mum." Lily threw her two pence into the argument.

"Well we all know that's not true, let's not forget the time in first year that you the muggleborn who had only read a book on how to fly beat James to the snitch!" Remus smiled as James scowled. "For the life of me I don't know why you didn't go out for the team you were the fastest in our year."

"Only because I hadn't read the chapter on stopping! And anyway why on earth would I want to sign up for a team which would mean spending four hours a week with the two biggest prats in the school?"

"Hey!"

"Shush darling you matured." She teased her husband. Turning an eye on Sirius and winking. "You however are still a prat." Sirius however was looking pensively at baby Harry in her arms and appeared to have missed the insults. Typical boy thinking about Quidditch when a girl was talking to him.

"You know what this gives me an idea." Sirius stroked his goatee in what he assumed made him look wise and knowledgeable. This was spoiled by James, Remus and Lily rolling their eyes at each other.

"Do we even want to know what hair brained scheme you've thought up this time."

"Hey this is legitimately a good idea, but I shant say it'll be a surprise." He feigned a hurt expression at their lack of faith in him.

"Suit yourself." Lily replied turning to put Harry down to sleep in the cot. "Don't you dare ask him James!" She called without turning around knowing that the next ten minutes of James and Peter pestering Sirius while he refused to answer.

"I see what you mean James when you say she spoils all your fun."

"I didn't say that! Remus tell her I didn't say that." James cowered before the gaze of his better half, failing to spot the amused twinkle in her eye or the slight smile hiding at the edge of her lips. Lily raised an eyebrow menacingly and turned to Sirius.

"What exactly did my dear husband say Sirius?"

Briefly considering loyalty to his best friend and fellow marauder, Sirius immediately plumped for trying to get him sleeping on the couch for a week.

The good natured banter back and forth lasted all the way through supper and well after. Remus had to duck out at nine after supper as he had a job to do for the order early the next day. It was getting on for eleven when Sirius finally brought up what had been troubling him for two days. Just like that the happy bubble of innocent friendship was broken as all at the table remembered why the house was invisible even to friends. Why Lily had not seen her sister in a year. Why James had been forced to wait for Dumbledore's report to the order to find out about the murder of his parents. Lily understood now why Peter had seemed quiet and pensive throughout dinner. Sirius had discovered that the dark lord was now seeking the potters and had guessed who the secret keeper was.

"Don't get me wrong guys, I'm not a coward and well without seeming to sappy I would happily die for you and Harry. I love you guys. James you were my first real family. I cannot bare the idea of a world without the three Potters. But I cannot be your secret keeper. Voldemort knows it's me. I'm a good dueller, but I can't beat Riddle." Sirius paused in his speech and focused on Lily. "Lily I know that I was not your first choice you would rather it had been Alice or Marlene before they died."

"Sirius I trust you with my life. Clearly, as I chose you." She interrupted attempting to ignore the pain at the loss of her two friends.

"Thanks Lil, but this will all be in vain if Voldemort gets hold of me. The strength of this charm is in him not knowing who can tell him where you are. I am too obvious, they knew it was me immediately. You don't trust Dumbledore which with the way this war is going makes sense. Remus is in danger already as a were-wolf so that leaves only one Marauder left." Turning to Peter to seek reassurance from his quiet friend Sirius continued. "Peter has agreed to swap with me if you're willing Lily. That way if I die, which frankly I can definitely see happening before Harry's old enough to defeat Riddle, then at least I'll die knowing I can't betray my friends.

There was complete silence around the table as everyone looked at Sirius with expressions in varying degrees of sadness. Finally Lily turned to Peter and asked him the question which would change the fate of the wizarding world.

"Peter, will you be our secret keeper?"

"Jack!"

"What honey?"

"Someone's at the door, can you get it for me please."

Jack stood up from the sofa and stretched. Glancing at the clock on his laptop where he was working, he groaned upon seeing that it was only eight o'clock in the morning. He had been up all night on baby duty while Audrey got some sleep. The cost of having little Catherine had proved slightly too much for the couple at first and the sleeping in shifts was a result. To try and earn some extra money during the summer, Audrey and Jack had become examiners for their subjects and now spent nearly every hour they weren't asleep or looking after Catherine marking exam papers. The money was good, but they both taught in private schools with hectic terms and Jack secretly resented giving up his holiday to do more work. He knew that Audrey was also exhausted and well suffering together made it seem easier. Who'd have thought it eh? We didn't even have the baby and we still get the no sleep, no money treatment. Smiling ruefully Jack made his way to the front door to look through the peep hole. Recognizing the face behind the door his blood ran cold.

"Good morning Mrs McGonagall!"

"Good morning Mr Edwards can I come in?"

"Sure, of course come on in. I apologize for the mess we haven't really woken up yet."

"Quite alright Jack while I've never had kids I can recognize a house with them quite easily. Why don't we go into the sitting room and talk about how it's going. Oh and could you get Audrey and Catherine I need to have a chat with your wife too."

Jack lead the older woman into the lounge and then raced up the stairs to see his wife.

"Audrey you up yet?" He turned into their room to see Audrey completely naked cradling Catherine and feeding her from a bottle of formula. Leaning on the door frame Jack smirked at the scene. "Sorry to break up this tender moment, but our social worker is downstairs on the sofa."

"TAKE her now!" The end of his wife's expletive was a hushed whisper as she remembered the precious bundle in her arms. No one had shouted in their house since they brought her back from the hospital a month ago. Frankly Catherine made enough noise for all three of them.

As Jack took his adopted daughter from his wife she sprang to the wardrobe and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. As Audrey was tying her hair into a pony-tail, Jack was attempting very hard to concentrate on the squirming baby in his arms and not on the apparent lack of underwear in his wife's frantic dressing.

Quickly they made their way downstairs to a shocking sight. The living room which had been strewn with cushions and little chew toys was spotless and also completely devoid of social workers.

"In here." Came McGonagall's Scottish accent through the connecting doors to the kitchen. "I assumed you hadn't had breakfast so I took the liberty of making us some tea and some toast for you."

"Uh..thanks."

"My pleasure. Now to business." McGonagall fixed them with a stern gaze as they sat at the dining table. Clasping her hands together she surveyed the pair with the bags under their eyes and the squirming happy baby in Jack's arms. "So…how's it going?"

"Um good/well." The pair responded at the same time. Glancing at each other with sheepish smiles Audrey turned to McGonagall. "It's taken some adjustment I'll admit and it'll be a while before we go on any expensive holidays but we're managing."

"Excellent. That's good. No one expects quite how much work goes into caring for a child until they actually have to but it's good to see that you two are coping. How are things on a financial front really? Because there are funding options available to you under the orphan welfare act if you are struggling."

"I wouldn't say we are struggling." Audrey said turning to her husband with a hint of worry that didn't go unnoticed by the older woman across the table.

"Not struggling, we've had to tighten our belt and take extra summer work."

"Extra summer work?"

"Well we are both now examiners, I'm coaching the local football team and Audrey is tutoring."

"Uh huh" McGonagall again took in the blood shot eyes and dark shadows beneath them. "Mr and Mrs Edwards I am very impressed. You are doing exceptionally well for new first time parents. The lengths you are going to ensure the welfare of your family are admirable. However I need to write a report on the status of your family and frankly at the moment I will be forced to include the comment 'working to hard'. Foster care benefit is normally means tested but under the circumstances I feel that it is necessary that you receive those benefits."

"Oh I don't know if we need benefits. Sure money's tight and we're working a lot but we've got schedules and Catherine's always with one of us."

"Mr Edwards let me make myself very clear. This is not a question of pride this is a question of the welfare of your child as well as her parents. You cannot raise your child effectively if you are constantly exhausted. Eventually you will snap and suffer some form of breakdown under the stress or in worst cases resent the child for the loss of lifestyle you are suffering. In early stages you do not feel the same level of commitment to the child as a biological parent and as such this is a dangerous time for Catherine. I am recommending you to receive the full foster care benefits and associated tax breaks. That will result in a direct debit of three hundred and eighty pounds a week into your joint account. I would recommend with this additional income that you scale back on your commitments. Looking after a child is not just taking care of them. You have to look after yourself as well. Good day to you I shall phone ahead before are next meeting.

Jack slumped back in his chair with a sigh as the scary grey haired woman left. "She's right we've been so focused on making sure we have enough money we've been wearing ourselves out." Catherine woke up from the short nap she'd had and after a curious tug at her fathers' nose she immediately scrunched her face up preparing to give her lungs a work out. Recognising the signs and the slight smell Jack turned to Audrey. "It's your turn to change your daughter." She looked at him with a raised eye brow. "Huh why is it she's your daughter right up until it's my turn to changer her nappy? You do it I'll do the next one I've got to get ready for Bobby Jackson's lesson in half an hour. I can't teach a fourteen your old kid without wearing any panties can I?"

Jack grumbled good naturedly as he carried Catherine into the bathroom and made short work of her nappy. Catherine giggled as he wiped her and Jack couldn't help being overcome with emotion as he stared into her deep violet eyes. They had darkened from their baby blue quite quickly but unlike Audrey who missed the bright eyes Jack thought the new shade was even more enchanting. He would happily stare into those dark pools for hours, if Catherine would keep them open long enough without falling asleep. Which she chose that exact moment to do. Cradled and wrapped in his arms he stroked and rocked his beautiful daughter singing softly to her as she drooled on his shoulder. "Rock a bye baby, on the tree top. When the wind blows the cradle will rock. When the bow breaks the cradle will fall and down will come baby cradle and all." He whispered the last line as he lay her in her cot. His wife now dressed again came and stood beside him and he tenderly wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her two him as he began to tear up. Glancing at his face Audrey smiled as her big strong husband was overcome by his emotions. "We're going to be alright aren't we."

"Yeah" she replied giving his arm a squeeze. "We'll be just fine."

"Well Wormtail you have done well. Very well indeed. I am actually quite surprised you held your nerve."

"Thankyou my lord there's just one thing."

Raising a hairless eyebrow and glaring with his scarlet eyes he hissed "What one thing?"

"Um well you see my lord um well they"

"SPIT IT OUT YOU SNIVELLING RODENT!" Wormtail's shocked squeak was followed immediately by a scream as the dark lord turned his wand on his spy. Rocking in a foetal position after being released from the curse, Wormtail finally whispered.

"They're going abroad for a year until you give up looking for them. I am the secret keeper to Godric's hollow but the Potter's won't be there until next September.

"I hope it was not within your power to allay them from this most vexing course of action?"

"No my lord" came the whispered reply."

"Very well Wormtail, once more I shall be forced to wait. Get out of my sight."