AN: Notes on this Chapter: Remus gets a surprise at his mothers funeral, James and Lily have a decision to make and Peter upsets the Dark Lord.

Thank you everyone so much for all your support on this :D I've never written anything this long for fan-fiction before and I'm really proud of this chapter. Though I must say, Voldemort is darn hard to write!

Thank you so much for all the reviews and views. :)

"You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don't you?"
"Yes, Master," moaned Wormtail, "please, Master … please …"
"Yet you helped return me to my body," said Voldemort coolly, watching Wormtail sob on the ground. "Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me … and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers. …"
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Chapter 10 – To Hope

The day of Hope's funeral came much quicker than James had expected. Lily was still getting ready when he slipped on his funeral robes; she liked to handle things herself, to the best of her ability. Seven months pregnant and looking it, Lily to James seemed to glow. He held out her cloak for her so he could slip it over her shoulders.

"Are you ready?" he asked her gently and Lily nodded, her eyes smiled at him as she turned away from the full-length mirror.

"I look okay don't I?" Lily said turning back to the mirror. She was wearing mostly black, but with a green scarf to match her eyes. She was sure Hope would want a little colour at her going away party.

"You look great Lily," James said to her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. This was going to be a sad day for all of them. Hope had always been kind to the boys at Kings Cross. He remembered one year she had made them all sandwiches to Remus's semi embarrassment – having insisted that Sirius and James would certainly buy from the trolley. "I'm sure Hope would be happy you're there, and be less fussed as to what you're wearing."

Lily nodded softly, leaning into her husband before they made their way out to the car. After much heated debate Lily had forced him to get a driving licence once they had left school and it wasn't really all that safe for Lily to apparate, use a portkey or floo in her pregnant state, that and any excuse for James to drive.

The car was a scarlet red Ford Capri, and if Sirius loved his motorbike, James loved his car. Not that it was like riding a broom, but it felt like it was similar, it was a love for the control of driving something big and powerful on a road. Not that he told Lily he loved speeding in the car when she wasn't in it.

"Have you spoken to Sirius? About how Remus is doing?"

James nodded, checking Lily was belted into her front seat before starting the engine and taking it out of first gear to leave the driveway, towards town, so they could head towards Yorkshire. It would be a long drive, but they'd left in plenty of time.

"Sirius has been there every day, helping with Lyall."

"He's feeling guilty." Lily murmured as she looked out through the windscreen "about what he said the night we found out."

James swallowed, not speaking straight away, straight into his driving gear as they finally met other cars in the road as they headed out towards the motorway.

"He was angry, Sirius is always doing things he doesn't mean when he's angry…"

"But what if he had acted upon that?" Lily said worriedly. "If we hadn't found out about Ho—"

"I know, I'm not saying it was good, Lils." James told her, "I just…we can't think about what ifs. Sirius knows he's made a mistake. Thinking Remus was against the Order is ridiculous…."

A pause, Lily puts her hand to her stomach running it over where their little baby was getting ready to say hello to the world. She smiled as she looked back to James. "Have you made a decision yet?"

"On who will be Godfather?"

Lily nodded, settling in for the ride in her seat and she could see the creases that seemed to line James's face.

"Sirius I think, I can't imagine Peter being a godfather and as much as I think Remus would be excellent…his furry problem makes it difficult…if it was an honorary title…no problem, but if anything was to happen to us, Remus wouldn't get custody…and…well-"

Lily swallowed, "All we'd have is Petunia...and Vernon in terms of legality."

James laughed a little bitterly. "Stupid muggle-" but then stopped himself. He swallowed very hard, looking to Lily. "Sorry…I just…really don't like that Dursley guy she married."

Lily forgave him quickly, had to learn to, even though she was still watching him sternly. "She's not heartless…but I don't think Harry being with her would be the best idea…"

James nodded very sternly. "If Sirius has custody, as Godfather, I'll sleep easy."

Lily laughed a little, looking a little concerned "I don't know if I will - our son or daughter would live on takeaways and a diet of bad muggle movies…"

"But he'd have the others," James implored to her, "Remus wouldn't let Sirius take on that task alone, no one would in fact. Besides, Sirius has been good with his cousin."

Lily smiled gently, "He has…but a baby is different…"

"A baby is different, but this is all hypothetical anyway, because we'll be taking care of the baby, and they'll be surrounded by his unofficial uncles and aunts who will watch out for them…"

James and Lily became very quiet, both with the same thought on their minds, wondering if they could be so certain.

"So, is that okay then, if I choose Sirius?" James said, as he changed lanes, casually and continued driving. Lily couldn't help but admire his prowess on the road, but she figured that James was used to brooms that seemed much faster than cars and he was much calmer than she imagined Sirius would be on the road. How he had a motorbike and hadn't crashed it she didn't know.

"Yes, that's okay, but don't tell him until after the baby is born, please. It would be nice to tell him together."

James grinned, "Sure, I wont tell him anything," he said. He briefly took her hand, resting on her stomach, squeezed it, before putting his own hand it back on the wheel, and his mind back on the road and the day that was ahead of them. This was the day they said goodbye to Hope. This was the day that Remus would need them more than ever and James was sure that Hope would be more than happy to know that they would be there to support them on this very sad day.

"Dad, your tie's all skew-if." Remus said as he put his suit jacket round his shoulders and looked to watch his father standing in the door way.

Lyall hadn't even noticed, his eyes raw with tears. It had been two weeks and he was constantly fighting tears back, even after the smallest things. Everything reminded him of his wife. Everything.

"Oh, sorry…I..."

Remus tended to his father's mangled tie, undoing it and fiddling with the ends.

"Don't apologise Dad, it's alright…" Remus told him and Lyall changed weight under his foot. "It's just a tie."

"Right…" Lyall offered, licking his lips, he took a very hard breath. "We can do this…can't we?"

Remus looked to his father and gave him a large smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. "Yes, yes we can, everyone will be there for us…and we'll say goodbye…"

Lyall sniffed, he rubbed his eyes. "Yes…yes you're right. Time to say…goodbye…"

"Yes, I am…" Remus told him and was finished with the tie, looking perfect between his father's shirt, "For once…" He rubbed his father's shoulder. "Lets get going…"

They were taking a portkey to the funeral and on arrival Remus was surprised at the numbers. It was a small church but people were already outside, so many who had come from his father's old work and his mother's homeland in Wales to say goodbye to this beautiful woman. It took Remus's breath away and his father was suddenly thrust into people's attention, Lyall was able to put on a persona he hadn't before, smiling kindly, and telling his old friends from work, friend's of Hopes, his thank yous for turning up.

Remus didn't know many of them, Lyall and Hope had made many friends over the years they'd travelled across the country hiding Remus's condition. For a long time, Remus's friends in town thought he was the son of an army officer – always on the move.

The funeral still wouldn't start for a few minutes, and Remus found himself concerned as to where James and Lily were, they had said they'd be on time…

"Hey, Remus – over here!" came a voice, and Remus turned to see who called from behind him. If he had lost his breath before, he was had lost it all now.

James and Lily were standing there, along with Sirius and Peter, Benjy and Dorcas and Fabian and Gideon, Frank and Alice and Sturgis – even Edgar Bones, Dorcas's mentor.

"What…are you all—"

"We're here for you of course." Sirius said carefully, he looked good in his robes, all black with a red tie. It appeared his friends had really thought it would be better to come with some colour than none at all.

"Your dad's got an army of people over there. Thought it was about time you had one of your own."

And then they flocked him, taking his hand, patting his shoulder, sharing smiles. Remus said nothing but swallow, very hard.

"Well, there might not be room…you'll have to stand." Remus said, his eyes watery.

"That's not a problem," Dorcas said, "besides, it's not supposed to be comfortable this…is it?"

"No…no I suppose it isn't…" Remus told them, he was still so taken aback that he struggled to speak. He'd not seen most of these wonderful people in two weeks, he'd not mentioned to them about his mother's death and yet here they were.

"Lets get you inside then…" James said, "Before your father thinks you've done a runner."

"And Albus sends his apologies, he wanted to be here…but something's come up. He said he'd visit afterward…when it was convenient." Lily told him.

Remus just nodded, and Sirius put one arm around him, and Lily took his other free hand and the werewolf felt that their touch was an anchor to the world they were in, an anchor to feeling himself again and not the calm respectable boy that had been keeping his father in check.

Together, Remus's army of friends flocked to the church doors, sharing a small joke and comforting the werewolf so that as they entered Remus's heart started to finally not feel as heavy as before. He felt like that something had opened up inside him and light was pouring through.

Sometimes, just sometimes, the world gave back from all the hardship it put them all through and that was what Remus knew he lived for, he hoped for.

"You haven't been avoiding me, have you Wormtail?"

The shiver that went through Peter's spine was unconscious. His eyes flitting about as he tried to avoid Voldemort's gaze. He didn't want to do this anymore and he was going to say something.

"No-no…"

"Liar…."

His body curled as Voldemort's curse caused him to convulse. A surge of pain and then it stopped. Voldemort and Peter stood alone in this terrible place that he had been transported too.

He circled Peter's fallen frame. "What news of the traitors?" Voldemort asked

Peter continued to shudder, holding himself on the floor, his voice betraying him.

"They've had…major loses…recently," Peter murmured, "With the McKinnons dead" His heart shuddered even saying her last name. "…and and…their headquarters lost…and they are still looking for Caradoc Dearborn…they suspect Fenrir Greyback is behind it."

A laugh. Peter shuddered. "The half-blood will not be found…"

"So…they're working their way back up…with new headquarters, more discrete but still in the London."

Peter had got up onto his knees before sitting cross-legged on the floor. He knew immediately that was a mistake. Voldemort lifted him with his wand to his feet.

"Stand, Wormtail." A vicious flash of his red eyes un-missed by Peter, which caused him to wince.

"Y-Yes, My Lord."

"Rumour has it that the Order are more concerned with their pups than in me."

Peter, his head low and un-looking at his master spoke. "A birth this month is expected…yes."

"Tell me more, Wormtail...don't lie to me"

Peter looked up, eyes wide. If he knew about the births already, why was he asking him? He shook his head, "B-But—"

"Wormtail, must I curse you again."

"But it's all public knowledge." Wormtail said, anxiously. "The Longbottoms have been hounded by reporters for the last three months…"

"Tell me your secrets, Wormtail."

Wormtail swallowed, "I am but—"

"ANSWER ME! WHO ELSE IS HAVING A CHILD?"

Peter screamed this time as the curse hit him, his knees buckled, which he swore caused his knee cap to crack as he cried out into the ground.

"LILY AND JAMES. LILY AND JAMES POTTER." he cried out between painful sobs. "PLEASE STOP. PLEASE!"

Satisfied apparently with his words, Voldemort stopped, as Peter swore as he struggled to get up from the floor. "One more question Wormtail…who is the new secret keeper?"

As Peter stood, rubbing his knees, which now meant he was going to hobble for a while he swallowed, confused. "Secret keeper?"

"For the New Order Headquarters."

"Oh, it's Dumbledore…" Peter said, carefully. "But you won't get to him—"

"AND WHY IS THAT?"

If Voldemort had been angry before, he was angrier now. What were left of his nose flared and his eyes wider than ever. Peter stepped back in fear, stammering.

"I…I mean…he's at Hogwarts…all the time….and err…they say…it's the safest place in Britain…"

It appeared Voldemort was satisfied with the answer, the Dark Lord turned on his heel away from Peter, lifting his arms in an nonplussed gesture.

"Leave me Wormtail, I will send for you again."

And Peter, his knees still bruising from hitting the floor, took his opportunity to apparate away.