A/N- Okay. So. I have some explaining to do. So almost 10 years ago I posted a story. About a year after that, I posted an update and now here we are. I never stopped getting questions about this story but after about a year passed, I was sure I wouldn't be able to pick it back up again. I read the first chapter and could barely recognize it.
I honestly probably would have ignored it forever had I not gotten an EXPLOSION of emails over the past few weeks about this story. I realized that I owe you guys a story and now here I am! I do apologize in advance because the voice is different. The style is different. 10 years will do that to a person ;) If you hate it and it's too unlike what came before, please let me know and I'll write a quick and tidy ending and let sleeping dogs lie. If you don't mind it, I can pick it up for ya'll.
SO FOR REAL THIS TIME, THE LONG-AWAITED CHAPTER TWO. Please let me know what you think in the reviews.
"Are you ever going to put that silly old map away?" Ginny raised an eyebrow, the corners of her lips turning up into a grin.
Harry, sat at his kitchen table, spared her a glance before he went back to looking at the rapidly disappearing ink on the Marauder's Map. "Just wanted to check in this morning."
Ginny sighed sympathetically and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sure they love hearing from you but you are going to be late for work if you don't hurry."
"My boss is Hermione. I'm not too worried."
"Your boss is Hermione. That's why you should be worried. Now go," she laughed, smacking him lightly on the back of the head before walking away to make breakfast for herself and Lily.
Harry cast a long look at the Map, now blank, before he impulsively reached for it. Please tell me no one has to go to work in the afterlife. He waited a few seconds but there was no reply.
He sighed in resignation, folded up the Map, kissed his wife goodbye and headed off to work. It was always disappointing when he didn't get a reply. He always tried to reason with himself that they were busy but what in Merlin's name was there to do in the afterlife?
He'd started to imagine it as the Three Broomsticks, where there were warm fires and plenty of butterbeer for everyone. His dad and Sirius probably drank too much on the weekends and Lupin and his mum had to take care of them. In his imagination, it was a cozy place and everyone was happy. The thought had helped comfort him during the years where everything had felt unstable.
Now everything felt stable. Well, as stable as anything could be while being an Auror. He got to work with his best mate and work for his other best mate. For the most part, he and Ron were relegated to investigating crimes against Muggles and murmurings of uprisings but, thankfully, there hadn't been much movement with anything involving Death Eaters since he'd gotten the job. He supposed the magnitude of the last war would stick with people for a while. Eventually, they'd forget, but he was resolved to enjoy this golden era as long as he could.
It was a golden era in the afterlife, too. Sort of. What had once been influxes of people arriving on trains that were always pulling in and out had trickled down to a handful a day.
The little house on the platform had settled into a routine now that they weren't inundated with new faces every other day. Lily was still the house chef, despite her protests, and James and Sirius had developed impressive Quidditch skills which, as Lily pointed out, would have benefitted them infinitely more had they been developed while they'd still been alive. (To which James had answered, "That's neither here nor there.")
The little house on the platform had also grown quite a bit, so that 'little' became a term of endearment more than an actual description. James and Lily had managed to add rooms for Sirius and Tonks and Remus. They'd also built a guest bedroom for the nights Dumbledore visited or Fred drank too much.
Fred had moved a little further out but dropped by every Tuesday and Thursday which was when George went to visit Harry and wrote to his twin on the Map. It was impossible to unstick Fred from the Map on those days but truthfully, no one really tried.
The one connection that hadn't been made was the one between Teddy and his parents. Remus had asked that Harry not tell Teddy about the Marauder's Map. He hadn't wanted Teddy to grow up attached to a piece of paper. It had been a hard decision on him and Tonks but they had stuck with it admirably.
It was a hard secret to keep though, because James, Albus, and Lily were well-aware of their grandparents 'in the paper.' James and Lily had gotten to see nonsense scribbles grow into haphazardly written words and that, along with the one-way window, had essentially allowed them to see their grandchildren growing up.
What Lily wouldn't admit to James and what James wouldn't admit to Lily was that both thought it'd be easier if they hadn't had the Map. There was a special kind of grief that came with knowing their grandchildren but never being able to touch them. But each of them silently held onto their opinions since they were twelve years in now and there was really no going back.
Normally, Lily sat with the Map before and after breakfast. This morning though, Tonks had set the house on fire right before breakfast and because fire still apparently destroyed things in the afterlife, they'd all gone to tend to it and had missed Harry's last message.
"So how did you 'accidentally' end up setting fire to the wardrobe again?" James asked, wiping soot off his face, as they walked back into the kitchen.
"I already told you," Tonks scowled. "I was trying a new spell, I dropped my wand…"
"And all of a sudden, the fiercest Auror in all the land forget how to use non-verbal spells?"
Tonks furrowed her eyebrows. "Yeah, I'll run that by you when you've got half your head on fire."
James' irritated expression finally broke down into a smile.
"I'll remind you again that it was my wardrobe. It's always my wardrobe," Remus sighed exaggeratedly, trailing them into the room.
"But your clothes always makes it out unscathed," Tonks grinned at him.
"Wish I could say the same for my nerves," he tossed back lightly.
"Ugh, the two of you. Get a room," James pretended to grimace.
"Smoke's clearing out of ours so if you're offering…" Remus trailed off.
Lily threw a tea towel at Remus. "There will be no shenanigans in our bedroom."
James nodded apologetically. "Sorry, mate. The wife has spoken."
"Anyone written today?" Tonks asked, pulling up a chair at the table and staring at the Map questioningly.
"Not since Harry this morning," James answered. "I suspect he's at work now. In a few minutes, little Lily's due to snatch it off the table and write. Her mum and dad don't know she does that," he couldn't hide the pride grin.
"She's going to be trouble when she's in school," Lily went on, voice echoing James' pride.
"With her bloodline, was there ever any other possibility?" Remus pointed out.
"Fair point," James relented.
"Here's your toast, here's your eggs, and here is your eggplant," Lily announced, placing full plates in front of Remus, James, and Tonks.
"Looks good as ever, Lily," Remus thanked her.
Lily smiled in return.
Helo Nan. Helo GrAn.
The words appeared on the Map. James picked up a quill and Lily immediately plucked it out of his hand.
Hello, dear one
She grinned at the paper.
"You could've just told me to write that," James grumbled, peering at the paper. Lily ignored him and went on.
How are you?
They all waited in silence until words appeared.
I am OK. I mis Albus
Everyone collectively frowned.
I know, love, Lily bent forward to write. But you'll get to go to school soon and see him and James again! Only two more years!
Another moment passed.
Yes. Thatz what he told me
Yes. Your father knows a lot of things.
No. Not papa
Lily's brow furrowed and she looked over at James. James shrugged his shoulders and helped himself to the quill in her hand.
Who, Lily? Your uncle Ron?
No. The man who visitts me. The gray one
"Okay, I cannot be the only one who finds this alarming," Tonks broke the silence, helping herself to a piece of eggplant.
"It is a bit strange," Lily reluctantly agreed. "Maybe we should mention it to Ginny."
James didn't respond. He was staring at the Map which was staying resolutely blank. "What is she talking about?"
"I'm not sure," Lily answered. "We'll talk to Ginny about it this evening."
James nodded but his eyes never left the table. Concern was etched into his features. "Lily's not answering. Think we could get a hold of Ginny now?"
Lily tsked. Of course he didn't know how busy a mother was during the day. She was about to chastise him when she saw his expression and thought better of it. "You can try," she finally said, shrugging.
GINNY. GINNY. GINNY. COME IN GINNY.
There was no response.
"Maybe it'll help if you scream at it," Tonks offered with a smile.
James was quick with the retort. "Very funny. Come on, I can't be the only one alarmed by the fact that a mysterious man visits our grandchild."
"It's probably just an imaginary friend," Lily consoled him. "I had one when I was that age."
"Well, I didn't."
Lily scoffed. "Merlin, that must mean this is the end of the world. If the great James Potter didn't have an imaginary friend, surely no one else has," she winked at him. "It's alright, love," she began again in a gentler tone. "We'll talk to them today and I'm sure clear this whole thing up. Now eat your breakfast. We've got a big -"
"James! Remus!" Sirius' screams echoed through the house. The men jumped out of their seats and sprinted down the hallway. The sound of their colliding into Sirius echoed into the kitchen. "James… Remus…" he was quieter now, panting. "It was just a dream."
