Chapter 4: A Family Affair

Sirius, James, and Lily take Emeri and Harry to meet their new family at Max Winthrop's Sunday dinner, where they learn a great deal about magickal Boston and family roots in the New World. (Part 1): Anna Lee Winthrop talk about many things, including Dumbledore, the Dark Lord, the War, and the children's education.

*I do not own Harry Potter. I do however own Evelyn, Emeri, Max, Anna Lee, Gaius, Matthus, Judith, and Rosa Winthrop.*

Lily's POV

The week had gone by fast for the 5 of them, getting adjusted to their new home. At first, Lily, now Lilah, had been charmed by the beautiful colonial home. But as the days went by she became more and more fond of it, the sounds, creeks, and shifts reminded her of Hogwarts in a way. She had come upon a least a couple of ghosts since coming here, and had been so fascinated that she began studying the history of the town, and what led to the Revolution in the first place. Even dear Pads seemed absolutely fascinated, becoming apart of the very town another branch of his own family had established. She could not imagine the relief he must have felt, meeting apart of his bloodline that were not like his nightmare of a family back in Britain! All of them looked forward to exploring all the layers to the old city, muggle and magickal alike! And there was a side benefit that gave her a sense of relief. How in tune with muggles, and the muggle world, the magickals were here! It wasn't like how it was in England! Where the culture shock of leaving technology behind had hit her so hard, inspite of how much she loved her school.

Their house ran off electricity, just like the one she grew up in! They had a tellie, an electric stove, light bulbs, vacuums, and for the love of Merlin, refridgerators! Heating and cooling wired in the home. She could never make Sirius or James understand how much she had missed these things! And now a car! The joy of actually taking a journey each time you get behind a wheel. It reminded her of a favorite quote of hers from Fellowship of the Ring, "Its a dangerous business Frodo, going out your front door. You step out onto the road and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." she still made it a personal goal to get Prongs and Pads to read those books. Now they would have the chance to also get swept up into an adventure, like she use to as a child. That made her think, think of Severus. She shook her head. "No, I can't go there, not now! There is nothing I can do for him!" she thought to herself. Regardless of what he thought, she understood, even at the time, what he had been doing. She knew even as he called her mudblood, that in his own way, he was trying to protect her. He could never know that he actually did.

She also thought about her other, first friend at Hogwarts. Her mind turned to Remus Lupin a lot. It broke her heart that there was no token she could send, anything, to relieve the pain and the grief he must be in at the thought that he had lost everyone that he ever cared for. James and Sirius never spoke about it, but you could see it in their faces. There was nothing that could be done now. But she hoped, sometime, in the future, she could let him know that they were alive! She wiped her tears away. What was done now was done. And now, she had a family dinner to prepare for and just a day to prepare for it. When Max came to visit he called it a potluck. Where everyone had to bring a dish. As Americans did not use house elves, all of them thankfully knew how to cook. And she had been racking her brain on what to bring. A bit of inspiration came from the welcoming neighbors who had been supplying them with many goodies. Boston Cream Pie seemed relatively easy enough. She looked forward to actually going to an American grocery market for the first time. She had always wanted to go to America someday! Just as she was thinking these thoughts the sound of running feet and giggles could be heard. She laughed herself as Pads in his animagus form was chasing around Harry and Emmie (*side note, Emeri's nickname). The two toddlers had taken to one another, to the point that often they would call for each other when being put to bed.

"Get him Haar!" called out the little girl. "Shhhhhh he'll hear ussss Emm!" replied her little boy. She saw how Padfoot rolled his eyes. She laughed to herself while she started to make a list of the things that should would need for the pie. It felt good, for this to be her biggest concern, for her worries to be about meeting her new family, instead of about when the Dark Lord would come for them all. It felt right, normal, just what she had been missing the last few years since they were all thrown into this fight. After all that they had been through, even James and Sirius seemed to be thriving on normal, or as normal as an all out prank war between the two of them could be. She learned long ago to be nuetral, though that did not guarentee that she would not still get caught in the middle at some point. She wondered how Max would handle it, for as sure as she was standing there would be pranks upon Pads distant family members. She almost felt sorry for them, though she had a feeling that the Patriarch could give as good as he got. He had that special gleam in his eye after all! More noise as the toddlers continued to chase Pads all over the house, his joyous barking making Lily laugh. She was half in love with this new normal, this peaceful dynamic! She only wished that she and James had thought to leave the war behind long before now.

***1 day later***

Things were now hetic around the house. Lily was taking out the pie while Sirius chased Emmie all over the house in order to get the girl to wear shoes. James was chasing down Harry trying to get him to wear dress clothes. "Alright, everyone hurry up, or we are going to be late!" she yelled up the stairs, wearing a smirk. "You try some toddler wrangling Lils!" came the fustrated sound of Sirius' voice. She heaved a sigh. "Emmie! Want to see your Aunt Lils?" she said in a cheery tone. "Lils!" the girl gleefully shouted, running into the kitchen and plowing into her legs. Thankfully she held steady. "Sweet girl, you need to wear your shoes, or the gnomes will get your toes!" she said very seriously. Emmie looked up at her, eyes huge with concern. "They wiiilll?" she said. "You better hurry!" she replied. Emmie gulped and ran back to Sirius, who now took a seat at the dining table. He shot a smirk over the little girls head. "Thanks, Lils." he said while pulling the girl in his lap and putting on her shoes. "You have to have the touch." she said knowingly. Footsteps on the stairs indicated that James had gotten Harry ready as well. "Alright, its cold out so everyone get your coats on!" she said. She grabbed both of her pies to put in the trunk while the boys put coats on the children. She opened the door and breathed in the brisk, New England air. She loved the Fall here, everything was so lush and rich with color. She got the boot open and put in the pies.

She was still grateful about the car seats, though teaching Prongs and Pads how to buckle up the children had been a chore and a half! Took nearly a day before they were able to get the hang of it! After they were buckled Sirius went into his animagus form so as to make sure there was room in the back for him with the children and James took the passengar seat. And off they went, driving through the city. She found herself excited, heading towards the famous Beacon Hill district. As they got closer not only the homes but even the buildings with flats had a charm to them, a sense of design and history. They were heading to the home of Gaius and Anna Lee Winthrop, Max's son and his wife. They had children, the older 5 year old Mathus and the younger twins Judith and Rosa, the same age as Harry and Emmie. It warmed her heart to know that her boy would grow up not only with Emmie but with other children his age as well, so starkly different from his horrid upbringing in the other timeline. So bad was his treatment in the other timeline that she was more than happy to let Petunia and her cursed husband believe them all dead. But she could not let those bitter thoughts continue as they got closer to their location. She began to hope that her pies would go over well, they were a staple in this new town of theirs, and so taken very seriously!

It reminded her of Butterbeer in England. They reached the famed Acorn St, it's unique look reminding her of a different time, a perfect blend of the past and the present. She could not help but marvel how in such close quarters no one would notice that there was magick being used. They parked off street, opening the doors and Lily helping get the children out of their car seats. As soon as they reached the door they were greeted by two of the most gracious looking people! The man reminded him so much of their savior Evie, with the same dark brown hair and dark silver eyes. He was of medium build, hair short but wavy. He had a square jaw and a squareness to his shoulders that spoke of physical strength. However, unlike so many other purebloods she had known, the silver eyes spoke of mirth and micheviousness that seemed to match Sirius! Next to him was a striking redhead, hair darker than what she was use to, with eyes a golden green, light and happy. She was petite with a fire behind those eyes that told Lily that they would get along very well! "Come on in! Welcome! Welcome! I am Anna Lee, and that annoying man is Gaius!" the other redhead exclaimed in such a way that she actually reminded her alot of Molly Prewett. "And these must be the children!" she knelt down once in the door way. "Hello, you must be the big boy I was told all about! You look like a Hank to me!" Harry looked at her with big eyes.

"But I'm Harry!" he protested. Anna Lee laughed. "Oh I know that sweetheart. But nicknames show our love for one another! You should make one up for me too!" their banter had Lily smiling. Her son concentrated, looking at the other woman, deep in thought. "Kitty, cause you have kitty eyes!" he said solemnly. Emmie clapped her hands, pout ending in that moment with a smile. "Kitty Cat Aunt!" both James and Sirius laughed. "Perfect, and who is this lovely young lady?" Emmie blushed, but bold as any Grypphindor walked up and hugged Anna Lee. Not to be out done Harry followed suit. Gaius was looking down fondly. "Now Hank, and you dear little Princess, have some folks really eager to meet you!" and if on cue, another child's voice ringed out. "Can we come out now!" a head poked out, another dark haired brunette with dark silver eyes and cherubic face. She heard Sirius gasp behind her, a whispered "Regulus" fell from his lips, breaking her heart for her friend. "Come on out and meet your cousins Mathus, bring the twins!" Gaius replied in a happy tone. Slowly they came down the stairs, the young Mathus holding on to the hands of his siblings. She couldn't help but smile at the little darlings. The young boy had on an outfit identical to his father's.

As they came down the stairs Anna Lee grabbed the pies. "Let me get those for you and get them in the fridge! You must be Lilah! Wonderful to meet you!" she said. Lily turned her smile towards the other woman. "Yes, thank you so much!" she replied, happy to have her hands free. She gazed down for a brief moment to take in the twin Winthrop girls. The similarities between them and Emmie were immediate. Same dark hair, though the twins had more of a chestnut shade with hints of copper, obviously from their mother. Their eyes were the same as their brother's but they were of a petite, birdlike build, much like Anna Lee. Their eyes were large, and they looked at Emmie and Harry with fascination. Like Anna Lee before her, Lily knelt down to meet them. "Hello little darlings, I'm your Aunt Lilah." she said with a smile. Mathus approached her with all the solemn calm of a 30 year old man. "Mathus, but call me Mattie, everyone does. It's nice to meet you." and like the adorable little gentleman he was he took her hand and kissed it with a spark to his eye that reminded her so much of the Black brothers it was almost frightening. "Judy!" squeeled one of the twins that tackle hugged her. The only difference between her and the other twin, who she knew now as Rosa was the boldness of Judith and the shyness of Rosa.

She adored them already, thinking she would deeply enjoy being an Aunt again, like Petunia would never allow her to be. "Well, come on then! In we go, lets see about getting you all some drinks. Mattie, why don't you take your cousins into the playroom?" said Gaius. The little boy nodded. "Come on guys, the adults want to TALK!" he said with a snort, causing Sirius to break out into laughter and James to crack a smile. The children left while they were led to an actual living room, making her feel more at home than a pureblood sitting room, though she imagined there might be one at the Patriarch's home. "Anyone want a beer, whiskey, wine, scotch?" Gaius asked. James looked at the man like he was the Second Coming. "I have to go check on the food but I'll have a Scotch dear, as always!" Anna Lee said kissing his cheek. "If you don't mind I'll come with you and help, and maybe some Sweet Red, if you have it?" she responded. It was always a favorite of hers outside of school, one of the very few things her and Petunia still had in common. "Oh absolutely. I'll bring it in a moment." the man replied. Anna Lee smiled. "Oh thank you, I would be happy to have the help!" she said with a wink. She gave James a smile while Sirius asked for whiskey. "You know, I think I'll take a cue from Annie there and have a Scotch." she rolled her eyes, apparently James took the nickname talk Anna Lee had with the children to heart.

She came and grabbed Lily by the elbow. "Lets get away from the men, quick before they con more time out of us!" she said with a wink. Lily smiled at her and followed into a gloriously large kitchen with all the appliances she knew from her youth. How refreshing to see a pure-blood family do things the muggle way! Nothing was cooked magically, no house-elves popping in and out. Things were done by hand and there was a humbleness in that she felt that James and Sirius would never really understand. She admired the granite countertops so like the ones in their own home, the island, over which hung stainless steele pots and pans as well as various glasses. The stove was built into the wall, large and inviting looking. Lobster was boiling in a large pot, as well as the incredible smell of what could be only one delicous soup, New England Clam Chowder. Muscles were cooling and in the stove she could see freshly peeled corn on the cob baking in tin foil. "We figured to introduce you all to Boston in the best of ways. And now that we are alone we can talk. Max told us everything. All of us adults know who you really are, and what happened." she spoke, taking on a more serious tone. Lily let out a breath she did not even know she had been holding. "You have no idea how grateful we all are, for everything your family has given us! You are nothing like your Black cousins." Lily replied.

"We do things different here in the states. It looks like you all could have used a look at the bigger picture. Sirius was family, so of course we would step in if asked for help. But, by and large Lily, this is not our fight. And I don't think it was yours either. This is Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle's own personal little fued, and it is damn sad that they are throwing in others into their battle of wills. I understand the ideology you fight against, but do you acutally think the so called Dark Lord even really believes in it?" she asked. It was something she had wondered herself for a long time. Especially knowing now that the Dark Lord was really Tom Riddle, who was a half-blood himself. "No, I don't. This is about domination and power for him. I think it has alot to do with being powerless as a child and never wanting to be that way again, to morphing into something different and darker. The fact the child was never shown any real kindness that did not have a motive behind it warped him. It would warp any young child, especially one that grew up during the Great War. A child surrounded by so much darkness, left to fend for himself is bound to have issues that come up. It does not excuse what he has become, but I understand it. I wonder what would have happened, if just one person tried being a friend to a scared little boy." she remembered all of that from Evie's memories, and some of what she learned from the Otherside.

"Fair enough. But you know that had things gone like they could have, your son would have been turned into a weapon without a choice. And it would have started as soon as he is 11 years old. He would have never had a childhood at all, constantly under threat, with several attempts on his life under his belt. A 11 year old has no business in a war! My advice? Let those who actually started all this finish it. Dumbledore knows alot more than what he lets on. If you must tell him what you know of Tom Riddle. But keep the children out of it!" she said. "I do think knowing now what I know about the Dark Lord that the prophecy was utter rubbish, the only reason it has to be Harry is because that bastard turned my son into one of those cursed things. You all have showed me that there is more than one way to use magick, and I intend on finding the way to remove that portion of soul from my son, that way no one can turn him into a damned martyr!" Lily slammed her fist down on the counter of the island. Anna Lee smiled knowingly. "That is exactly what should be done! There is always a way, for those with the discipline to learn and to seek it. There was a reason we left the Old World all those centuries ago. There is so much more to magick than waving a wand and speaking Latin, you would think the Blacks and other so called "pureblood" families would know that! I am damn sure that the so called Dark Lord does!" she said.

That put a chill down Lily's spine to think about. "I won't send Emmie and Harry out to the slaughter, they are just children. But when they are of age, if they decide to fight, I will not stop them either. Emeri may be a Winthrop, but by rights she is also a Black, and now Sirius' daughter and has a right to be apart of the world of her ancestors and fight for it, and Harry was thrown into this, it is true, and this fight has already cost him so much. If he decides to fight as we did, when he is of age, he will. But I will not send them in blind! I know what the Dark Lord is capeable of, I've seen it with my own eyes! I am going to make sure they learn everything they can about magick, so that they will both be a force to be reckoned with should they ever meet him on the battlefield one day." she voiced what she had been thinking on for the last few days. "All of us Winthrops have a tutor for the children from age 5 and all throughout their school years. They teach them our ancestrial magick, as well as Norse, Celtic, Greek, Shamanic and Shinto magick as well. In fact tomorrow, I and Gaius are taking Mattie to get his first athame. It is the only thing a Winthrop casts with, and I suggest the same for Emeri and Harry, even for you three to learn yourselves." Anna Lee stated.

"I've wondered how it is different from a wand." Lily voiced. "It is not as restrictive as a wand. As much as a wand acts as a conduit, it also blocks excess power, closing off to full usage. An athame is not a conduit, it is a focusing point. It does not hold your power back, it stores some each time that you use it. Through the years you can call on that storage when you feel depleted, which is damn handy, I can tell you that! You can use it like a wand, but you can also use it to cast seals, to use runes, to create sacred space and draw on for ritual spells like you saw one of us do already. Think of it this way, your wand is like a flashlight, and an athame is a part of your arm. There is also another fact, no one can use your blade for magick but you, even should someone defeat you. Each blade only has one master." Anna Lee explained. It was all very interesting, and she thought to herself that it was more than likely that she would be sitting in on these tutoring sessions, already knowing that she would be having Harry and Emeri tutored in the same manner. "And Max has already arranged for them to be tutored just like my own children when they turn 5." Anna Lee smirked. "Am I really that easy to read?" Lily said aloud, sighing. "It would be what I would be thinking, were I in your position, so no worries. Now look, here's our drinks! Lets talk about some lighter matters!" she said.