Chapter 10: Reunions and Introductions

Emily's eyes instantly found Harry's and she quickly moved to his side. 'Harry! How are you? You looked awful back at the orphanage. You were covered in blood and shaking and… he is okay, isn't he?' she inquired of the matron.

'He is not 'okay' by any stretch of the truth, but he is in no immediate danger and will fully recover in time.'

Blinking back tears, Emily pulled Harry in her arms and held him close, but suddenly gasped and pulled away. 'You're so thin,' she whispered. 'Why didn't I notice before?' She gave him another hug, this time much longer.

Harry initially tensed, unaccustomed to such a caring gesture but gradually relaxed and returned the hug, resting his chin on her shoulder. 'I'm okay, Em,' he said as she drew in a shaky breath. 'How are the others?'

'All fine, they're sleeping for now.' Emily turned to face Madam Pomfrey. 'Would you mind checking on them?'

'Certainly, which room are they in?'

'I'll show you. I'll be right back, Harry.' Emily stood up to leave the room but stopped dead when she caught sight of Sirius near the door. She had walked right past him in her haste to see Harry. 'Sirius?' she breathed, staring at him as if he were a ghost.

Harry's godfather was in a similar state of shock. 'Emily?' He gasped, pale and shaking. Fortunately, Lupin had the foresight to gently guide Sirius to the couch. Emily walked slowly to her husband and perched beside him. She raised a shaking hand to his shoulder. Sirius seemed to come out of his trance. His hand came up to tenderly wipe the tears from her eyes, his own unnaturally bright. 'You're alive.' His barely audible voice was filled with incredulity and longing. 'How?'

'During my last mission for the Order, I was ambushed; I was hit with a spell that put me into a type of stasis. To this day I haven't the slightest idea what the Death Eaters hoped to gain from it… but I woke up 4 years later… all alone…'

Sirius put his arms around her and held her in a tight embrace, stroking her hair and whispering soothing words in her ear. They remained that way for a long time.

Harry watched the tender reunion. It was nothing like the interaction between his aunt and uncle, who would brag about the other in public but maintain a rather formal manner when together; Harry could tell Sirius and Emily still loved each other greatly even after so long apart. At some stage, Lupin and Madam Pomfrey had left the room, giving Sirius and Emily some privacy.

When Emily regained control of herself, she told Sirius of how she had been taken into the home of an elderly Muggle woman. 'She's dead now… but she was such a dear woman. Her name was Marie Parker. She was patient with me, didn't care that I didn't know more than my name… Marie treated me like a daughter while I gradually regained my memories. I owe her my life, I never would have managed without her.'

Emily suddenly pulled away from Sirius, an anxious expression crossing her face. 'Sirius…' Emily began before faltering. She bit her lip and glanced at him uneasily.

'What's wrong, Em?' Sirius asked in concern, taking her hand in his.

'It's… difficult to know how to tell you after all this time…'

'Would you like to think about it and tell me later?'

Emily shook her head. 'No, I want you to know now.'

Sirius waited patiently as Emily contemplated how best to share her news.

'Sirius… when I was attacked… I-I was pregnant.'

A range of emotions crossed Sirius' face: shock, rapidly followed by exhilaration and pride. However, when the significance of her sentence hit him, he looked torn with grief. 'So… the baby… is gone?'

'No,' Emily shook her head. 'He lived. He was also in stasis so, like me, he's 4 years younger than he would be naturally. He'll turn 10 next month.'

'I-I have a… a son?' Sirius had the appearance of someone who had been bombarded by several rogue bludgers. 'C-can I meet him?' There was no mistaking the anticipation in his voice, though it was tinged with nervousness.

Emily beamed; she was elated at her husband's favorable response to the bombshell she had dropped on him. She hadn't been sure how he would react after the many terrible years he'd spent in Azkaban.

'He was asleep when I first came up but he won't mind being woken up for this,' said Emily. 'Should I get him? I'd better explain a few things to him before he meets you. He knows you're innocent, but he thinks you're still in Azkaban.'

'Sure.'

Before she stood to leave, Emily leant toward Sirius and brushed her lips against his. 'I won't be long,' she assured him, for her own benefit as much as his. Emily smiled widely at Harry as she walked out of the room.

'She's amazing, isn't she?' Harry commented once she had left.

Sirius started, having forgotten his godson was in the room. He grinned widely, happier than Harry had ever seen him. 'She certainly is.'

He got up from the couch and walked over to Harry's bed, where he sat down, folding a leg underneath him as he faced his godson. 'Those potions are wearing off, aren't they?' Sirius commented, noticing that Harry tried to hide a flinch as the bed moved slightly.

'Not exactly,' Harry answered evasively. When his godfather gestured for him to continue, he consented reluctantly. 'They didn't do much to start with, they just took the edge of the pain, if that makes sense. I'll just have to put up with it. It's not so bad if I keep still.'

Sirius wasn't happy with the way his godson brushed off his wellbeing so easily, as if unused to having people worrying about him, but he put it aside to discuss with Harry once he was feeling better.

They sat in a companionable silence until Harry spoke up. 'Emily didn't tell you everything about her life after being in stasis.'

At Sirius' questioning look, he pressed on. 'She never believed you were guilty, not for a second. She knew you were fiercely loyal to your friends; that was something that couldn't be faked. Once she got her memories back, she searched for you and the other Marauders. When she found out what had happened, she tried to convince the Ministry you were innocent, but she had to stop when they threatened to admit her to St. Mungo's Mental Ward.'

Harry waited a few moments to let this sink in, and then looked Sirius straight in the eye. 'She only stopped because Ben needed her. Otherwise, I'm convinced she would have kept fighting for you, regardless of what they did to her.'

After a few moments, Sirius spoke. 'Thanks, Harry,' he said sincerely. 'That... that means a lot to me.'

At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door and Emily walked in with Ben trailing close behind, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Madam Pomfrey followed supporting Lissa, whom she set down gently on the couch before leaving the room. When they were seated, Emily turned to her husband.

'Sirius, this is our son Ben. Before you two talk, I'd like to explain a few things. Years ago, once I regained my memories and realised I was alone, I had to find a job. I came across the one at the orphanage. I put glamours on Ben to alter his appearance. I planted false paperwork and modified a few memories to make them think he was just another orphan, also to hide his parentage. I knew he wouldn't be safe if any Death Eaters came searching. There's no need for the glamour's now we're back with wizards, so with your permission Ben, I'd like to remove them.'

Ben nodded solemnly, fidgeting nervously.

His mother continued to reassure him. 'Now, it won't hurt at all; it just might feel funny because the shape of your face will change. It will also be a bit of a shock to see your reflection, because it will be different from what you are used to.' She paused to allow him to take this in. 'Alright, are you ready?'

'Yes,' Ben said bravely, earning a smile from each parent.

'Okay, just sit still and it'll only take a minute. Finite.'

Before their eyes, Ben's blue eyes lightened until they were almost grey; his nose and cheekbones became more pronounced; his blonde hair turned black and grew slightly longer, his fringe hanging into his eyes with a casual elegance that few could manage.

When his features stopped changing, Emily conjured a mirror and handed it to her son. Ben studied his reflection, glancing up at Sirius with a shy grin when he realized how closely he resembled his father; if not for the age gap, a passerby might mistake them for twins.

Sirius beamed at him. 'He is a handsome lad, isn't he, Em?' he commented proudly.

Harry, Lissa and Emily burst into laughter.

'What?' Sirius demanded.

'He looks like you, of course you think he's handsome!' Emily giggled. She gazed at the boy beside her. 'But yes, he is rather good-looking. It must be the Stratton side showing through.'

Harry saw Ben reach into his pocket. While his parents continued their good-natured debate, he pulled out the Wizard equivalent of a Muggle water balloon; he lobbed it at Sirius, completely soaking the unsuspecting man. The boys laughed uproariously as Sirius stared at Ben in shock, his mouth gaping opened and closed in a way that bore great resemblance to a fish. Once she had realised what had happened, Emily began to laugh as well.

Finally catching on to the fact he had just been on the receiving end of a prank, from his own son no less, Sirius chuckled merrily. 'That,' he declared, 'was brilliant! Defying authority barely minutes after meeting me for the first time.'

'Sirius, don't encourage it,' Emily reprimanded. 'You have obviously never woken up to find frogs in your closet. You're supposed to be a responsible parent!'

'You put frogs in your mother's closet?' Sirius repeated excitedly, completely glossing over Emily's last sentence.

'Er, no. That was Lissa. I put the food colouring in her shampoo.'

'That's not the only thing,' Harry piped in. 'During one of his bursts of accidental magic, he turned my bed into a block of ice… while I was in it!'

'Now, there's an idea… I'd love to try that on Moony,' Sirius smirked. 'Any more?' he quizzed his son enthusiastically.

'Yeah, a few,' Ben answered modestly. He suddenly smiled mischievously at Harry. 'Remember the one with Harry's Firebolt, Liss?'

Harry grimaced. 'No, don't tell that one.'

'Yes, do, it was excellent,' Lissa insisted. 'Harry totally flipped out.'

'Well, once while I was in our room by myself I came up with an idea to get Harry back for a prank he had played on me. When he came back in the room, I pretended to be all worried and waited until he asked me what was wrong; then I told him that I was looking through his schoolbooks when I had another burst of accidental magic which transfigured his Firebolt into a stick. See, I had hidden his broom under my bed and replaced it with a dead stick that I had found outside. The expression on his face was hilarious!'

Everyone laughed but stopped abruptly as Harry gave a gasp of pain and clapped a hand to his scar.

'Harry? Is it him?' Sirius asked anxiously.

His godson couldn't answer; he was too caught up in the agony of sharing Voldemort's emotions. He seemed to lose consciousness for a moment before he suddenly began to thrash around on the bed as if under the Cruciatus Curse.