Draco heard his cousin's words and his heart dropped. He knew something had been wrong. He knew there was some reason that his fiancé and his dads had not come for the party yet. Chloe and her parents had over heard the comment. He could see that Chloe had been as worried about her brother as Draco had been. The Potters and the Malfoys all headed for the hospital. They were not told but Tonks what was going on and they knew that it was bad. When they got to the waiting room of the emergency room they noticed a few but it was who was missing that struck them. Severus and Regulus were there but Remus, Remy and Sirius were no where to be found. They could see that Regulus was covered in blood and since he was not being tended to, they knew it was not his. Severus was pale ad he had a bandage over his head but he seemed more shaken by what ever happened.

They were motioned into a side room where they could talk. Draco's heart was pounding through his chest. He wanted to see Remy and he knew if his fiancé's father was out of his room, something was seriously wrong. He listened in horror as he learned some people dressed in the robes that were similar to both the Death Eaters and Dumbledore's men had appeared among the protestors and had attacked the group as they were coming out of the ministry.

Draco held Chloe who was shaking and spoke. "Remy? Please tell me he isn't....."

Severus shook his head. "My husband and son are alive. Remy had to be rushed into emergency surgery but they say it has gone well. He is in recovery."

They knew something was wrong. They could see they had been crying and in shock when the others had arrived. Draco looked at his Uncle Regulus and he knew that it had to be Remy's father that had been hurt badly. He was the only one his Uncle Severus had not mentioned. Severus quietly mentioned Remus had sustained a few hexes and was unconscious. He was not with his husband right now as he was being moved to a private room.

Lucius was the one who found his voice. "And Sirius?"

Regulus showed the family ring. "My brother was killed. He took a hex meant for his son. He died before they could get him medical attention."

The blood made sickening sense to them all. Regulus had held his brother in his arms as he had bled to death on the stairs of the ministry. He had taken a severing charm aimed at Remy, and had his throat slit with it. Draco was sobbing in his father's arms. He knew Remy had his two dads but this would kill him. He had only recently come to realize he could have three dads. He had only come to embrace Sirius as his father and allow the man to play that role in his life. It was Remy's dads who raised him who would have walked him down the aisle and who would be Grandpas to his and Draco's kids but still.

James was in tears in hearing his old friend was dead. "Does Remy know his father is dead?"

Regulus shook his head. "He lost consciousness soon after the charm. He had been hit already with several hexes, why Sirius dived in front of him."

Though Remy had put up a good defence he had been worried about hitting some of the innocent people in the crowd. He had taken several serious hexes right at the start of the attack. No one had seen it coming ad before they had got their wands out they had been badly hit. Tonks and Sirius had moved to keep Remy safe and while Tonks had managed to get Remy out of the line of danger, at the same time Sirius was hit. Remy had not been awake to hear the news his father was dead.

Draco was sobbing. "How do we tell him his father is dead? He will never forgive himself. He blamed himself for Aunt Annie. And now this?"

Regulus shook his head. "We will just have to help him understand. Sirius always loved his son more then life itself."

Beyond Remy the worst shaken would be Regulus. He had spent so many years watching his brother and nephew from a distance. He had wanted to tell his brother he was alive. He had not because he wanted to protect him. He and Sirius had become so close. They had been working together. They had been living together. He had believed that he would finally have a chance to be with his brother and have his nephew in his life. Remy had on the death of his father become Lord Black and all of the money and estates save for what had been left to Chloe in his will, fell to Remy. There was some land and money left to Reg by his parents and he knew his nephew would honour Sirius' wishes on the land and money he waned Regulus to have beyond that. None of that mattered to Regulus. Like his nephew he did not care for the money. He was devastated by the fact that after yeas of being forced part he and his brother were finally reunited and now Sirius was dead.

For Regulus and Remus there was further guilt. If anyone should have felt guilt they thought over his death it was them. It was their work that had brought the protestors out. Sirius had been their to support his brother and his best friend as well as his son. But the guilt game would help no one and it was unfounded. Sirius had supported his brother. He knew the changes needed to be made. If he had more time from work he would have been working with Remus instead. Sirius would never for a moment regret losing his life to safe his son. He may never have had the chance to raise Remy but he was his son and always would be.

A healer appeared in the doorway. "Both the senior and younger Remus Snapes have been moved to a private room. You can come and see them now."

Severus explained as they followed. "I knew my husband and son would want to be together and had them put in the same room. Remy will need his dad."

They knew as they looked at both of them sleeping there that Remus would need his son nearly as much. Sirius had been his best fiend and like a brother. He would be nearly as devastated by his death as his son and Regulus were. It would make it easier as well for Severus and the others to be there for both of them. Remy had suffered a punctured lung and liver, and while all the damage was repaired and he would make a full recovery, the healer told them he would be sedated for a day or two to give his body some time to heal. Remus would wake with time. He had suffered no real damage, just a concussion keeping him out now.

Regulus sunk down next to his nephew who was on oxygen and put the ring on him. "Your father will always watch over you. And I swear I will always be here."

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Remus had woken to the news that the attackers had been caught ad they would stand trial soon enough. One faced the charge of murder as they knew who had cast the charm and the others faced among a number of other chares, attempted murder. The killer was looking at the curse and the others at probably life. The papers had printed articles about the death of the brave and heroic Sirius Black who had been awarded the Order of Merlin first class in his death. His death protecting the life of his son had been heralded through all of the papers. As was the news that Remy was now Lord Black making him the richest wizard in the UK and one of them in Europe. The room filled with flowers and condolence and get well cards but Remy remained unconscious as his body continued to heal. Those who had come had left his side rarely and the Weasleys and other came through as well. The celebration of New Years had long been forgotten.

Draco was by his side two days after the attack, along with Regulus and Severus when the sedation was wearing off and Remy started to come around. They had been told he would some time that morning. They saw the confusion in his eyes when he realized he was in a hospital bed and the pain in his eyes when the memories of the attack came flooding back through him,

He looked around. "Dad and Father where are they? Please tell me that they were not hurt. Please Papa, please."

Remus answered for himself from the bed next to his son. "I am here cub. Just a bit of a blow to my head but I will be released this afternoon. Nothing more."

They could see that Remy knew they were not telling him something. He knew his father would have been there if nothing was wrong. He was either too badly injured and in the ICU so he could not be in a room with them or he had not made it. He looked at all of them and wished that someone would tell him what was going on but a healer came in first to check him out and explained the injuries he sustained but assured them all that his body had nearly made a full recovery already. He needed answers though and when the healer had left he looked at all of them there ad he needed them to tell him.

He needed to know. 'Where is my father? Uncle Reg where is he? I want to know where my father is. I want my father."

Regulus sunk down next to him. "I am sorry Remy but your father didn't make it. He was just too badly hurt and did not make it to the hospital."

Remy would not believe this, he could not believe this. "No. He stood in front of me. He took a spell for me. Is it what killed him? Tell me is it what killed him?"

No one wanted to tell him. No one wanted to confirm that the spell he had stepped in front of Remy for had been the one to slit his throat and kill him. They had no idea how to tell him that his father had died protecting him. But he knew it without their words. He saw it in their faces and he heard in their silence. He knew that the spell he remembered coming at him and seeing his father step in front of him before he had passed out, had been the spell that had taken him from him. He knew that the man who had always loved him and wanted to be his dad, but he refused until recently to call father, had died for him.

He broke down sobbing. "No. No. He couldn't have died for me. He shouldn't have died for me. I can't have lost him. I need my father, I need him."

Regulus collected him into his arms. "I know Remy. I know. I miss him too. But he loved you. He loved you so much. He would never regret dying for you. Never."

Remy clung to him full out crying in his arms. "I just let him in. I just let him in. I can't lose my father He can't be dead Uncle Reg. He can't be dead."

As he held him and Severus from behind and tried to comfort him they knew. They knew the memories of when he saved Sirius and his Papa from Bellatrix in his fifth year flooded back to him. The first time he had called Sirius father. The time when he was right years old and he found out Sirius was his father. The man had always been there. He had always been there even before he knew he was his father, even before Remy was willing to call him his dad. He had always been a part of his life. He had always been there as a friend and Uncle, as a teacher, as a confidant. He had helped teach Remy to be an animagus. He had given him advice on love. He had given up his own son wanting only the bet for Remy. Remy was his entire world even when Reg came back into his life. And no one was surprised he died for him.

Severus had got a potion from one of the healers and got Regulus to help him feed it to his son. "You need to rest prince. You are still healing. Please take this."

Remy struggled with him but he was still extremely weak and the men forced him to swallow. "This can't be happening. I can't have lost him. I can't."

They laid him back against the pillows as he had drifted off and their hearts were breaking for him. They knew it would be a hard road to recovery from this loss. They were reminded how hard he had taken Andromeda's death. His father would be a hundred times worse. The fact that he still had the two dads who had raised him would soften it a bit but they knew that it would take time. The funeral would be on hold till Remy was strong enough that he could attend the funeral. They would not have it without him. They would have him buried in the plot where his cousin was.

Draco was in tears and sitting with his Uncle Remus who had been holding him. "I don't know how to help him. I don't know how to make this better for him."

Remus held his nephew. "We will all do what we can to help. He has me and his Papa, and his Uncle Reg and you. He will get through this with time."

Regulus reached over and squeezed his hand. "He will need you a lot Draco. You will help your fiancé by just being here. He will just need your love and support."

They had a feeling though Draco would be a main support and he would need his dads, his Uncle would be the main source of comfort right now. Regulus was his living link with his father. He was the one who had convinced Remy that he could have three dads. He was the one who convinced him that he could have a proper relationship with his father so that he could not feel guilty about his other dads. Regulus knew and he swore he would do anything for him. He had once sworn to his brother if this day had ever come he would be there for Remy. It had been back during the war, back first with Voldemort and then Dumbledore. They had never thought the promise would be needed when the wars were over and they were living in peace. Sirius was an auror so there was always a chance but they had never imagined that he would die in a political protest protecting his son from heaving his throat slit.

Draco looked at his cousin and was thinking the same thing. "It is cruel that he survived both wars just to loose his father like this. I can not believe this is happening."

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The others were asleep when Harry came round later except for his Uncle. Regulus was worried about how calm his nephew was this time around. He was expecting Remy to still be shaking and crying but he just lay there watching him till Regulus realized he was awake. He sat down with his nephew and saw for the first time his nephew notice he was wearing the ring on his hand.

Regulus kissed his brow. "You became Lord Black when he died. He would have wanted you to have that. You have to know he would never regret his choice."

Remy nodded. "I know. But I want him so bad. I wanted him to see my kids. I wanted him at my wedding. He would not walk me down the aisle but I wanted...."

Regulus stopped him. "I know I am not my brother but I love you. You are the only family I really have left. I will be there for what he misses, if you let me be."

Remy was starting to give in to the tears a bit again. "I want you there but it is not the same. I want my father. I just got him. I just let him in as a father, not Uncle."

Holding his nephew Regulus assured him he knew and understood. He understood that he could not take his brother's place. He reminded Remy he would have his two dads to walk him down the aisle. And Sirius would always be there with his son. He would always be watching over him from the heavens. He would always be proud of the young man that his son was and became. He would watch over the wedding and the kids to come. And Regulus would as well.

Remy clung to him. "Will you stay with me at the funeral? I don't think I can face this without you. I don't know if I can see him buried without you."

Regulus tightened his hold. "Your dads and Draco, and your Uncle Moody and Lucius, everyone will be with you. But I swear I will be there with you as well."

They knew the ext weeks and likely months would be hard as he dealt with the loss. And when things like his wedding ad the birth of his first baby came he would be hit again but Regulus swore he would be there. He would be there for the wedding ad to hold his brother's first grandchild for him. He would be there for all those milestones his brother would miss out on. Remy would always have a member of the Black family there with him. Remy knew he would have to ask his fiancé but he thought that perhaps when they had their first son they could call him Sirius. A way of honouring the baby's grandfather he would never know.

Regulus smiled when he heard that. "I am sure Draco would be happy with that. And I know my brother would have been so honoured to hear that."