A/N: Ta-da! The chapter is finally done. It did turn out shorter than I wanted it to be, but hopefully you like it. I solemnly swear to update once a month from here on out! I am so sorry everyone! Feel free to incessantly spam me if you so wish. Well, maybe not incessantly, but seriously, feel free to message me! I hope you all like it!

Chapter 10- Repeats

Remus sighed heavily. He was currently in the Hospital Wing, waiting for someone to wake up. Sirius was still asleep, and the Potter's had all fallen asleep in a mish-mash of bodies after their reunion. They hadn't intended to, of course, but being able to relax in each other's arms after such heavy emotional weights, managed to do them all in. It also wasn't particularly helpful that Harry was still healing, and Lily and James had just come back from the dead, and hadn't truly slept.

The scene was just too touching (and blackmail worthy) to pass up, so Remus took his chance at summoning a camera. After a few moments of foot-tapping in waiting, and an old camera (that Remus was sure he recognized) flew towards him. Nimbly catching it in order to not be hit in the face, Remus then positioned it for the best shot. Well, as best as he could at the moment. Sirius had yet to wake up, so he was still magically tethered to his side. Smirking, Remus turned the camera on Sirius drooling face and snapped a picture. These pictures would stay hidden until needed, back-up plans were always needed when being a part of the Marauder's.

The Marauder's. Was he already accepting all of this so quickly? Normally he would be running and denying, not believing any of it until something finally pushed him over the edge.

No, he was actually accepting it. Somehow, he knew why. Remus could feel Moony crooning in delight at his pack being re-united. A place that he didn't even know was hollow had suddenly been filled in his heart. It was if when he lost everything so many years ago, the knowledge of anything but how to keep moving turned itself off. Oh, he could still use it. But the desire and willingness to had disappeared. With everyone back together, Remus was already slipping back into old habits.

It broke Remus' heart though. It was unlikely that this would actually last. Sirius would need good publicity so that no one ran screaming from him in public. James and Lily would want to avoid bad press to make things easier for Harry. A werewolf would never factor into any of those plans. Sure, not everyone in the wizarding world knew. It was only a matter of time though.

Sighing, Remus rubbed his hands over his face. As soon as he was untethered from Sirius, he would leave. An excuse would be needed, but if he could protect his pack at all he would. Remus had become a master of disappearing, so they would be unable to find him when he left.

"No."

Remus jerked his head up. Apparently sometime in his self-depreciating internal monologue Sirius had woken up.

"What are you talking about Sirius?"

"Moony cut the crap. Just because I've been in Azkaban for 10 years doesn't mean I don't know you. You're planning to do something stupidly self-sacrificing because you think it's the only way the rest of us can be truly happy."

Remus simply stared at him, his jaw dropped and eyes wide. He felt 11 again, when they had just figured out his secret. If he didn't know better, he would have suspected Sirius of using Leglimency on him. "I don't know what you're talking about Sirius. I was simply thinking of some things that Dumbledore needs my help with."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. For such an undernourished, pale man, he could look quite intimidating. "Remus that is possibly one of the worst lies you've ever told. That's the same look you wore back in first year when you told us you would ask Dumbledore to send you home when we discovered your secret."

Remus winced. Yes, he realized he felt like he was 11 again. He just had not expected his facial expressions to be so transparent. "Sirius what else am I supposed to do? You need all the good publicity you can get, and Lily and James will want all the time they can get with Harry. I'll just be in the way, and I won't prevent any of you from having the happiness you deserve."

"What about your happiness Moony?" Sirius whispered.

Remus sighed, sadness in his eyes. "Padfoot, I think…"

"You're wrong." A quiet voice cut him off.

Both Remus and Sirius's eyes shot towards the voice. At the end of the bed stood a mini-James, with brilliant emerald green eyes and a scar upon his forehead.

"Harry…." They both breathed out.

"I'm not sure who either of you are," Harry continued, ignoring their reaction, "but everyone deserves happiness. I may have known them for only a few hours, most of which we spent sleeping, but I doubt my, er, parents want you to stay away from them."

Harry shifted on his feet, feeling rather awkward. He had woken up a couple minutes ago, and had heard a camera going off. Opening his eyes, Harry had found that at some point in the hug turned into a cuddling session, both he and his parents must have fallen asleep. They were on either side of him, arms locking together so that they were holding onto both each other and himself. As amazing as this was, Harry felt a tad trapped and needed to get out of the bed. With some rather awkward maneuvering, he managed to get the blankets underneath himself, and shimmy out of the bed.

Harry paused at the end of the bed, when he heard a voice saying "No", in such a fierce tone that it took him by surprise. Listening, Harry decided that they must be discussing something important. While he knew eavesdropping was wrong, his "no interfering" policy probably should have gone down the drain as soon as he thought of it. While it was unlikely that these men actually posed any kind of threat, it didn't hurt to listen just in case. Plus, the Hospital Wing was boring, and there was only so much Harry could do to entertain himself until his parents woke up or Ron and Hermione came.

However, when Harry heard his parent's names, he knew he should interfere. Growing up with the Dursley's was a terrible experience, but allowed him to see just how important family and friends are. As much as he hated living with the Dursley's, the days where they pretended he did not exist were worse than when he had more chores than any human being could accomplish. In Harry's mind no one, not even Malfoy, deserves to feel that lonely.

"You're wrong," Harry cut in. Steeling himself, he continued to talk, "I'm not sure who either of you are, but everyone deserves happiness. I may have known them for only a few hours, most of which we spent sleeping, but I doubt my, er, parents want you to stay away from them."

At seeing both men's rather flabbergasted expressions, Harry faltered and stopped talking. Suddenly, the gaunt man lying on the hospital bed let out a loud, bark-like laugh.

"See Moony? Even Prongslet agrees. You can't think about running off now."

"He doesn't understand Sirius. He doesn't know what I am."

Harry crossed his arms, feeling annoyed at being ignored. Sure, what he said was acknowledged, but that was it. Both men seemed intent on finishing their conversation. "Look," he broke in, annoyance coloring his tone, "I don't care if I don't have all the facts. What I said still stands."

"He's right," James cut in. All three gave a jump, not noticing the man sneaking up behind them before. "Moony, I won't tell Harry your circumstances, but if I have to place a tracking charm on you myself, I will. Lils and I will need help, and even if you've been out of touch with the wizarding world, you know more about the muggle world than any of our other close friends. If anything, we will need your help, not the other way around."

Harry smiled, unnoticed by his father and Remus. It was nice for an adult to take him seriously, the Dursley's never did, and while he was treated better at Hogwarts, the only adult that listened to him was Hagrid. Harry was still debating with himself if Hagrid really counted as an adult, when he was more of a friend than anything else.

Shaking himself out of his stupor of thought, Harry refocused on the scene in front of him. His dad and Remus were still arguing (although it seemed to be the same argument, just said differently every time). Harry glanced at the man on the bed. He still looked rather gaunt, and there was shadow and light conflicting in his eyes. Curiously, he moved closer to the bed. The man, Sirius, noticed the movement and patted the side of his bed, silently inviting Harry to sit down. Harry started to contemplate whether to accept the invite or not, but, he was curious.

Sirius saw Harry debating internally, but whooped for joy when his godson came and sat on the edge of the bed with him. "I suppose you would like to know what's going on, huh kiddo?"

At this, a replica of Lily's emerald eyes gazed up at him with unparalleled curiosity. "I suppose…" he started, "I don't exactly enjoy being kept in the dark."

Sirius chuckled. Harry already seemed to be a brilliant combination of both James and Lily. "Well, let me actually introduce myself. I am Sirius Black, sometimes known as Padfoot. James and Lily made me your godfather. However, due to… unforeseen circumstances that just recently changed, I was unable to take care of you. Remus, the one arguing with your Dad, is also known as Moony. The three of us were like brothers, both in school and out. Moony, Remus, has a furry little problem that makes him tend to hide away in the Muggle world, to make things simpler. Your Dad and him are arguing about that right now. Moony wants to hide away again because he thinks it would be better for you. Obviously, you and I disagree, as does your dad."

"Mum would as well…" Harry mutters.

Sirius raises an eyebrow, surprised. Of course it was true, but he doubts Harry had spent enough time with Lily to learn that first hand. Harry must have seen his surprise, because he flushes in embarrassment and rushes to explain himself.

"It's just that… I don't think Dad would have married someone who would have such a giant issue with one of his 'brothers'. Also, for everything Snape says about Dad, he never has once insulted Mum. Snape insults everyone. Except Mum, even though I seem to be his favorite target."

Sirius clenches his fists at that logic. Oh, there were several reasons why Snape might not insult Lily, but he could not fault Harry's logic. It was very creative and observant.

"You're absolutely right Prongslet. Your mom would never let Remus run off like that. Smart thinking kid." Sirius ruffles Harry's hair at the end of the statement, expecting him to pull away, but instead, he flinches before relaxes into the touch. Unwilling to think about the possible implications of such an action, for the moment, Sirius settles in closer to where Harry is sitting on the bed and simply watches Remus and James argue.

Both content in their own worlds together, neither notice Lily sneak up on them.

"They are still arguing?" she sighs, seeming to not notice both Sirius and Harry's now racing hearts. A mischievous gleam enters her eyes. "Don't worry boys, I can fix this."

She stands up straighter, seemingly gaining almost 6 inches in height as she does so. A sense of power radiates off of her which makes Harry and Sirius both slightly wary for the two still arguing men. However, neither are willing to jump in the line of fire.

"JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER AND REMUS JOHN LUPIN. EXPLAIN. YOURSELVES. NOW."

The men stop arguing immediately, and go deathly pale. Both stutter, attempting to form coherent words and sentences. Lily holds up her hand, and both fall silent immediately. "This is what will happen. Remus, you may either come live with us or use another Potter property. We will not force you to stay with us, but either way I will assign you your own personal Potter elf to make sure you are taking proper care of yourself. If you run away from us, I will personally drag you back in the most creative way possible."

Remus nodded in acceptance, ready to be done with Lily's ire. When she chose to use it, that temper could send hardened Auror's or Voldemort's inner circle running. To his utter relief, she turned to James next.

"James, you will allow your friend to make his own decisions. It is his life, and I will not have his free agency taken away from him. I never want to hear you arguing with him like that again, especially not in front of Harry. Am I clear boys?"

Both nod, happy that her temper seems to be coming to an end. Harry just watches in awe, while Sirius fights to contain chuckles. Being on the receiving end of Lily's temper was never fun, but watching it will never get old. Harry whispers in awe to Sirius, "Mum's scary, isn't she?"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it pup. This was her partially acting, trying to get them both to shut up and the resolution that would have happened anyways. Never do something to actually incur your mother's wrath, because, believe me, it is not a pretty thing to be on the end of."

Harry shudders, "I believe it. Not even Voldemort is that scary."

Sirius winces at the reminder. It was easier to pretend that Harry was just a normal kid when the two were in their own bubble, but already Sirius can tell that that is not the case. Besides the flinching and the astounding observational skills, Harry had a certain presence around him that neither James nor Lily possessed.

Before Sirius could even contemplate what to say next, Lily had turned around to face Sirius and Harry, and eyebrow raised and one of her hands on her hip. Both smiled sheepishly, copying one another without even realizing it. Lily and James both saw this though, and felt a little stab of pain go through their hearts for what was lost.

"I think…" she began, looking at James. Immediately recognizing what she needs, James comes up to her and holds her hand while she speaks. "James, Harry and I need to talk for a couple of minutes, and then I need to sneak down to the kitchens and grab some food. I get the feeling none of us are going to be sleeping for quite a while, and it is already at least 10. Poppy would not take kindly to a house-elf popping in and disturbing her sleep or other patients."

Harry snorted, knowing just how upset the Medi-Witch could get if the slightest thing was out of order or not under her control. She means well, and takes her job seriously, but that does not mean that sometimes it was not frustrating. He learned this first hand when Ron had been in the Hospital Wing for the 'dog bite' he had received.

Harry reluctantly gets up from Sirius' bed, finding he already enjoyed the comfort of the man's presence beside him. Moving back to his own bed, with his Mom and Dad following, Harry lets himself think about what they may be discussing. What could they discuss? Do they actually want to talk to him, or do they just feel obligated? Shaking his head slightly, Harry relaxes against the headboard of the bed and makes room for his parents to sit at the end of his bed. As soon as they seem to be settled, each leaning onto one another, James opens his mouth to speak.

"Harry, we just wanted to tell you a couple of things. I know this may be strange for you, living without us for so long already, but we want to know more about you, and we want you in our lives. We promise not to force you to tell us every detail, but we are your parents. We need to be able to protect you. We want to be a family again."

Harry smiled. He had been worried about his parents not really wanting him, but apparently, that was untrue. Their need to protect him did make him a little cautious. Harry knows he is their son, but, what if they died protecting him again? Plus, Harry has spent so long taking care of himself, he isn't quite sure that there is another way to do things. Maybe he could tell them some things, but not the ones that could mean they get hurt? Yes, that is exactly what he will do. It only seems fair. They sacrificed themselves for him, now he can protect them as much as possible. Besides, it's not as if Voldemort is going to possess someone else next year. Everything should be fine.

"I would like that," Harry says with a smile, brain whirling already with plans to protect his parents from danger.

"Alright," Lily says with a smile. "I love you both, but I better get down to the kitchens and get us all some food. We can't all survive on Harry's pyramid of sweets," she says, glancing with a wry smile and the table next to, and at the end of, Harry's bed.

"Alright love, hurry back. We don't want you to get caught now, would we?"

Lily rolled her eyes. Just because her husband is a Marauder does not mean she is incapable of sneaking around the school. She had spent seven years of her life here as well. "Relax, oh Marauder. I am capable of sneaking to and from the kitchens, believe it or not."

He raised his eyebrows, taking this as a challenge. "Want to make a bet, oh sneaky one?"

Lily's grin looked like the cat that caught the canary. "You are so on. What are the wagers?"

James eyes alighted with mischief, "You get caught, I can start teaching Harry to be an Animagus when he is ready."

Lily arched an eyebrow. She was fairly sure he had planned long ago to do that with or without her consent. "Fine. If I don't get caught, you have to tell McGonagall that it was Sirius in his Animagus form who stuck her in her cat form and chased her around the castle all day in seventh year, courtesy of your plan."

However, Sirius had obviously heard and was not happy with this. "Oi, Lils, do not drag me down with him!"

James looked her in the eyes however, and nodded his head in acceptance. Lily smiled and headed out the Hospital Wing doors, confidence in her every step.

"Is it always like this?" Harry questioned. James smile just grew impossibly large, but Harry was almost positive he heard Remus mumble "You have no idea…."

A/N: Look at that! I actually know how to update something! Just so you all know, I have officially closed the poll for our mystery villain in third year. If you want to know who won, message me. Otherwise, I think I will leave it a surprise!

Anyone who may be reading Loophole, I updated that just a couple hours ago!

In case you missed at the beginning of the chapter, I do so solemnly swear to update once a month!

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW

I want to know what you think! Throw all your questions at me!

Please review. I swear, you will receive virtual cookies of the highest quality if you do!