Author's Note

Please forgive any spelling and/or grammar errors. I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think!

PS I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't own anything :(

Chapter 12

July 31, 1980

It was finally happening. Today was the day Harry would be born. I didn't know when it would happen - I don't think he'd ever known himself. But I woke up early anyways, unable to sleep past five. I'd flooed Severus at seven, too impatient to wait any longer, and begged him to grab breakfast with me. I needed something to occupy my time as I anxiously awaited the birth of my best friend.

Apparently, Harry wasn't as anxious to meet the rest of us.

Severus took one look at me as he grumpily entered the Hog's Head and sighed. He knew it would happen soon, but I don't think he'd put it together until he saw my reaction.

"So the world will be inflicted with another Potter today, won't it?" he asked with the patented sneer he reserved for Sirius and James. I gave him a dirty look and pursed my lips, but didn't reprimand him.

I knew they'd never be friends, but I wished they'd at least try to be friendly with one another. I'd tried a couple times, enlisting Lily to help me. But it had been unequivocally unsuccessful. Hell, at this point I'd settle for genuine civility.

Professor Dumbledore was delusional if he honestly believed all it took was being on the same side of a war.

"Sorry," Severus muttered as he slumped tiredly into the seat across from me. It was rather early to be up over the summer holidays.

At least Severus respected the fact that I was friends with them, and he usually tired not to insult them too frequently around me. They were the same way. Biting back snide retorts in favor of silence and telling looks since learning I'd begun dating Severus.

That had been an interesting conversation, and honestly a particularly awful one. James just stared in incredulous amazement, acting like I had lost my mind. Sirius on the other hand, had turned nasty.

"Snivellus? That's disgusting," Sirius said, performing an exaggerated fake gagging scene for those still assembled after the most recent Order meeting. Most had left already, but a couple had loitered, including James and Sirius.

"Si - " Lily tried to intervene, but at my hasty gesture of silence, she gratefully backed off to let me handle it. I appreciated her willingness to defend Severus, something she'd always done as a child, but had quit doing in more recent years. But now was not the time. This was my battle.

"As if you're any better! You're nothing but an arrogant, in-bred, hypocrite!" I'd shouted, catching Sirius and the others completely off guard.

"WHAT? I'm nothing of the sort!" Sirius cried, looking supremely outraged and offended.

"All you do is show off, and act like you're better than everyone when you aren't! I've see - heard what you were like in school, and you haven't changed all that much," I accused, anger making my blood boil and my vision narrow. Not to mention almost making me slip up.

Thanks to Harry, I'd never been able to properly tell Sirius off for the things he did, and there were a number of them that I didn't agree with. The one time I'd tried, he'd jumped all over me, furious that I'd dare suggest Sirius wasn't perfect. Granted, some of my issues with him didn't apply in this time, but several things did. Now, I could finally say something without fearing I'd upset Harry.

My accusation wasn't entirely true. I knew that, and felt slightly guilty, but fighting any perceived injustice was ingrained in my very nature. I always felt pushed to stick up for those that either couldn't, or wouldn't, stick up for themselves. I knew Severus was perfectly capable of sticking up for himself and often made the exact same mistakes Sirius was guilty of. He'd already admitted that he'd given as good as he'd gotten many times over the years, but he wasn't here now, so I felt the need to be defensive on his behalf.

Besides, I wanted them to one day get along. I needed them to all own up to their mistakes so we could move forward. I'd recognized that Remus had tried that when he worked with Severus at Hogwarts during my third year. And it had worked - to some extent. Severus hadn't had anyone urging him to grow up and see it for what it was, but now he did. Hopefully, that's all it would take… Well, that and time.

Seeing Sirius's stricken expression right now though, reminded me that I wasn't being entirely fair saying the things I'd just said. I'd noted the differences between the memories I'd seen and the man in front of me, but I was too furious to care. I'd also realized that Azkaban had done a number on him and likely emphasized all of his less desirable traits, such as his recklessness, selfishness, and bitterness. It was a perfect case of arrested development, at least as far as his childhood and emotional development went.

But right now I was too upset to let that knowledge temper my words.

"You say one thing then go and do another!" I continued, really on a roll now. "How can you fight to stop Voldemort's prejudice when you're guilty of doing the same?"

"I am nothing like him! How dare you suggest - "

"What do you call it then?" I screamed. The entire room was silent, watching our verbal volley.

"It's not the same. He - he's evil!" Sirius stuttered out like this was a well know, obvious fact. And one that justified his every action.

I remembered him once saying, "Yes, but the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters," yet he failed to believe his own words where Severus was concerned. The idea that nobody is wholly good or wholly evil seemed to just be something he preached, rather than practiced.

Tears were flowing unchecked down my face, almost sizzling against my burning cheeks.

"And what you're doing isn't? You bully and traumatize those less fortunate than yourself or those that remind you of the life you escaped. You act like it's alright because it's all for a laugh, but you don't care who you hurt in the process! You make assumptions because of the House a hat places someone in when they're only eleven years old! Severus was just a child when you decided he was evil and not worth your time! It's no different from Voldemort's thinking all Mudbloods are worthless because of who their parents are!" The words were hard to understand through my tears, despite their volume, but once I started, there was no stopping.

"Hermione… " James whispered, holding out his hands placatingly. Both boys were shaking their heads furiously in denial of the accusation, their eyes wide with shock.

"No! No, I won't sit here and let you insult him. He's a good man and I care about him," I choked out between sobs.

"But why?" James asked, still looking confused, but at least willing to listen.

I think becoming a father, even if Harry wasn't born yet, had helped mature him more than anything else, including Lily's influence or fighting in a war. He was more respectful and tolerant than I remembered hearing about in the stories of his youth. He had new priorities now, and his actions and opinions reflected his need to do right by the innocent life he was now charged with protecting and raising.

Sirius just looked furious over what I'd said about him, though he was no longer protesting or arguing. Underlying all of that, however, was unmistakable hurt. I felt a brief flash of guilt stab me over my harsh words. He really was a good person, but sometimes he could just be so cruel and vicious.

"Every day he risks his life to make sure we have the information we need to win this war," I explained.

"But how do you know he isn't really loyal to Voldemort?" James asked, sounding almost desperate to understand. He needed this reassurance. It was his family at stake.

"Trust me. I know. He has his reasons. They aren't for me to share, but you need to trust him," I said without an ounce of hesitation or doubt.

"He's always been so quick to turn to the Dark Arts," James continued though slowly, questioningly.

"You lot shut him out! If you'd tried befriending him instead of targeting him, maybe he wouldn't have felt like that was his only option!"

"He chose to become a Death Eater," Sirius said, like that justified his every prior action against Severus and vindicated him from my earlier allegations.

"He made a mistake. One he regrets and is trying to set right. Don't pretend you've never made a mistake. You've proved capable of just as much cruelty as any Death Eater, haven't you? But can you say you've learned from it? Because I don't think you have," I said, wavering between pleading with them to understand, and blaming them for their youthful follies. At the confused expressions, I elaborated, "Using Remus in a deadly 'prank' ring any bells?" Both Marauders and Lily paled hearing that.

Neither said anything more and I left immediately after, too upset to spend any more time with them or listen to any additional excuses.

I hadn't told Severus about the altercation, reluctant to have it out with him for the same reason when my emotions were already so raw. I knew if we did, I'd just throw similar accusations at him.

Things were awkward and tense after that, everyone walking on eggshells around each other. But they made it clear they were respecting my choice by trying to withhold judgment and comments. I'm sure they'd had a long talk after I'd left. Maybe something I said got through and they understood each other a bit more now. I didn't apologize for what I said either. Sirius needed a wake up call and his friends seemed both unwilling and unable to do it. I did truly care about the man and considered him a friend, but this needed to be said.

We were almost back to being comfortable friends again. Harry's impending arrival helped. Yesterday when I'd asked, Sirius had even promised to let me know immediately when Lily went into labor. Of course, he didn't know he'd be doing that today. I knew he was staying with the Potters' this week for extra protection, just in case, so he'd know right away when it happened. I couldn't wait for his message to arrive!

After breakfast we went to Diagon Alley to pick out a baby gift. I already had one, several onesies with dancing Gryffindor lions, but with nothing better to do, and my mind unable to focus for more than a few minutes at a time, I figured I could also get something else for Harry. We ended up picking out a mobile with fluttering Snitches that would flutter around above his crib.

Severus had actually helped pick it out, making snide comments about how the child would likely follow his father onto the Quidditch pitch, desperate for the same fame. But it had lacked the heat that normally accompanied such words. He'd also groaned in mock horror when I confirmed that would indeed happen. He swore at once that he'd be gone from the castle long before that day came to pass.

It was weird being away from the castle. I'd settled in there, made a home for myself, gotten into a routine, talked daily to friends. That all seemed to be paused now that summer was here. Only Filch remained at the castle, performing a deep clean of the place before the students returned to mess it all up again.

This also meant less time with Severus. Or I thought it would, but I was pleased to find he was actively taking steps to maintain daily contact. We had at least one meal together every day and true to his word, we'd tried to invent a new potion. We spent so much time together that I worried I'd bore him, but that didn't seem to be happening. He sought me out more frequently than ever, coming up with excuses to Floo me throughout the day or visit outside of meals and potion brewing. Overall, things between us were wonderful.

The potion we were trying to create was meant to stave off the effects of dementors. Aurors and Ministry officials could take it before going to check on Azkaban. Warding off the initial effects of the dementors would make it easier to cast a Patronus, or render needing one unnecessary. This would help many of the witches and wizards who were incapable of producing a Patronus in the first place. We'd decided to start with something easy, well relatively easier, since he already had a good idea of what would be needed. At first, he'd been put off the idea because a Euphoria Potion already exists, but that had a tendency to induce feelings of extreme giddiness and recklessness. We were going for something more subtle, something similar to a Muggle antidepressant that would feel like a properly cast cheering charm, since those were useless when facing a dementor.

So far we hadn't had any luck, but I enjoyed trying all the same. The first attempt had produced a distasteful blackened lump worthy of Neville. The second did nothing, it was just a foul smelling liquid. The stench had lingered in my hair for days and every time I moved, I caught unpleasant whiffs of rotten eggs and decomposing trash. The third attempt emitted rainbow sparks periodically. Severus had frowned, frustrated when he could explain where exactly we'd gone wrong.

This last week we'd both been too busy working with our respective 'masters' to do much in the way of brewing.

Voldemort had called Severus to his side at some point nearly every day for the last week. Evidently, he was taking advantage of Severus's break from Hogwarts. I struggled to hide my concern. He'd worn a haunted expression the one time he'd returned to my side rather than heading straight home. His entire person had been closed off from intrusive questions, and it had taken considerable restraint on my part not to pry into what had caused him to look so… tortured. There'd been no news from the Order and nothing in the Prophet, so I was ignorant of the cause.

While he'd appreciated my restraint, he'd also been careful not to come again afterwards until he had his emotions under better control. I wanted him to trust me enough to let me help him with whatever he was experiencing, but I understood that he might never feel comfortable sharing those things. His shame over becoming a Death Eater in the first place was just too great.

At least we didn't need to fear Voldemort discovering us like we did at first. Severus had used his reports to Voldemort as a way of indicating that I was a weak link in Professor Dumbledore's Order and that I was prone to gossiping. A gossip he had easy access to, to use for his own means. He'd been careful to spread these hint out, and slowly give them over the last several months. Then, finally late last week, Voldemort had suggested Severus either befriend me or seduce me in order to learn Professor Dumbledore's secrets.

I'd been surprised to learn that, but Severus had admitted that he hoped to see if I may be interested once Voldemort approved of the idea. I'd just made a move first and he hadn't wanted to wait longer after learning of my feelings. He'd been grateful not to have to make the first move since being vulnerable and demonstrating physical affection weren't things he was very familiar or practiced with.

He was, however, starting to become more comfortable with demonstrating his affection. We'd hold hands on evening strolls around the lake at Hogwarts, now free of any students and potential for awkward classroom situations, and he'd kiss me whenever we had a private moment.

A few weeks ago, he'd brought me a book he remembered me saying I was interested in reading. After my initial shock that he'd even remembered the name I'd only said in passing, let alone taken the time to get it, he'd suggested we stay in for the night rather than go out. We'd ended up curling up in front of the crackling fire on the sofa in my rented room and each read our receptive books for hours. It was relaxing and intimate. I'd sat pressed against his side while he'd absently played with the ends of my hair as he read. The feather-light tugging had spent chills arching over my skin a number of times throughout the evening, demanding I acknowledge his silent presence. When he'd kissed me good night, his grip had been so tight I'd feared I'd either wind up with bruises or demand he never leave.

I couldn't imagine any other guy I'd ever know planning such a considerate and enjoyable date, especially not Ron. Severus and I were both content to stay in reading rather than play Quidditch or go out drinking.

Most recently, he'd taken me on a picnic in a Muggle park. When I'd commented on how delicious the meal was, he'd admitted to making it himself. That knowledge wasn't as shocking as I thought it would be. He was such an accomplished brewer, that of course he'd be good in the kitchen. "Unlike you, I don't lack imagination, so of course I can translate the skill," he'd teased drolly when I brought up how bad I was at cooking while I'd been on the run with my friends.

Sirius still hadn't contacted me with news about Harry when we'd finished lunch, so Severus took me to the bookshop, correctly assuming that would serve as the best form of distraction.

We were just leaving when the owl finally came with news that Lily was in labor.

At my pleading expression, Severus sighed, allowing me to drag him along to the hospital. He looked mutinous, arms crossed and scowl fixed firmly in place before heading there, but he went without protest. I hated that I wasn't sure if he was going for my sake or to check on Lily for himself. I pushed the thought away, angry with myself. We'd only been together a month and a half. That wasn't enough time for our relationship to progress to that level. I also hated that Ron had left me feeling so insecure that I bothered with questions like this at all.

Severus had recently warned Professor Dumbledore that Voldemort's interest in the various Order members was on the rise. He was curious who he could turn against Professor Dumbledore, and failing that, eliminate the person or persons from his opposition altogether. He was particularly interested in those who also worked for the Ministry, so he could use them as part of his gradual takeover, but blood traitors were fairly high on his list as well.

To that end, the Potters had decided to have Harry at a Muggle hospital instead of St Mungo's. Their thinking was that Voldemort would be less likely to learn of Harry's birth that way. They didn't want to give him any additional ammunition to be targeted, such as a half-blood baby. They were keeping the whole affair quiet, only involving Order members. Lily also hadn't been seen in public for several months now. She'd begun seeing a Muggle doctor rather than a Healer for her check-ups as soon as they came up with the plan. She'd decided that if they were going to do it this way, she wanted Harry born at the same hospital that she had been born at.

The Longbottoms had been in a similar predicament the day before, but they'd chosen to have Neville at Frank's family home. No one had been invited to visit yet. I was hoping they'd start letting Order members drop by next week. I was nearly as anxious to see baby Neville as I was to meet baby Harry.

After quickly transfiguring our outfits to something more suited to Muggles, we headed to the hospital Sirius mentioned in his owl.

There were already a number of people in the waiting room when Severus and I arrived. If I hadn't been holding his hand so firmly, I was certain he'd have turned and left immediately. I'd still had to pull rather insistently to get him to actually enter the room and join me on one of the worn, broken down sofas that littered the room.

The ugly tan leather, which reminded me disturbingly of baby poop, was cracked in places, and scratched irritably against my legs when I sat. Severus watched me shifting restlessly, failing to get comfortable for several minutes, amusement dancing in his eyes. When I caught sight of the look, his lips twitched as they fought back a grin at my antics. I huffed and leaned back, crossing my arms loftily and heard the faint whisper of his quiet chuckle.

Remus was watching the whole exchange assessingly. When Severus looked at him defensively, Remus offered a timid smile. He must have heard about my fight with Sirius and James. It seemed he'd formed him own opinions regarding it and had decided to try making amends. Gratitude had me grinning back at him.

Looking around I also saw Fabian, Gideon, Dorcas, Emmeline, Hestia, and Peter assembled throughout the room. The twins looked bored as they whispered to Dorcas. Emmeline was looking through a stack of papers and making notes periodically. Hestia was busy eyeing one of the Muggle nurses, and I wondered if she intended to use the opportunity to further Muggle and wizarding relations. She blushed and bit the lower lip of her smile when she realized I'd caught her. I winked and shooed her after the built young man.

Remus had gone back to having his head back and eyes closed as he had been when we'd first arrived. He looked more haphazard, yet alive, than I had ever seen him. He was, thankfully, freshly showered and shaved this time, which was a relief, but his Muggle clothes were obviously borrowed. The shirt was meant for a broader body, likely Sirius, and the dark pants were rolled at the cuffs having been meant for someone taller, likely James. I was glad to know they were looking out for the werewolf, and more importantly, he was letting them. He had the air of someone loved and well-cared for.

Peter was another story. His mouth had gaped open for so long, that Remus eventually elbowed him in the side.

For a moment, I was worried about Peter being there, and seeing Severus and me together, but it was too late to do anything about it now. Not that it really mattered, considering Severus was ordered to start spending time with me. Voldemort would probably see this as an ideal time, surrounded by so many Order members as he was. But in all the excitement, I'd honestly forgotten Peter had returned to Britain. I hadn't seen him yet. I also had yet to tell Severus that Peter was the ultimate betrayer, so he didn't understand the true significance of Peter being here today in particular. I wasn't sure if I'd ever tell Severus. He might just kill the rat himself.

No one else gave any indication that they were surprised by Severus's presence. I hoped that meant I could include him in more things in the future, though I wouldn't count on it.

"Where's Sirius?" I eventually asked the two Marauders.

"In with James. He was driving Lily batty, so she demanded he 'get in there and control the old wart before she permanently sealed his mouth shut'," Remus explained with a grin. Severus looked supremely smug upon hearing that, but thankfully didn't say a word.

It was tense and uncomfortable for the next couple hours. The others shot Severus furtive looks every so often, particularly the twins, but no one said anything outright provoking or hostile. No one spoke to him at all in fact, aside from Dorcas, something he seemed completely fine with. As for her, she was trying to be friendly for my sake. I could tell Severus disliked her the least because they talked for several minutes here and there throughout the course of the evening.

Peter was probably the worst though. Openly staring, his beady eyes calculating in a way that left me weary and disappointed. At one point, he'd sat up straight, disturbing eagerness lighting his eyes when he'd spotted someone coming down the hall. It was Sirius. Peter deflated, lips twisting like he'd eaten a mouthful of sour grapes when Sirius came in, looked at Severus, then proceeded to ignore him altogether as he gave everyone an update on Lily.

After the first two hours, Fabian got the bright idea to sneak in and visit Lily, mentioning something about speeding things along. Her displeasure could be heard clearly down the hall and was enough to draw the attention of two nurses who went to investigate. Fabian was escorted back to the waiting room soon after looking sheepish with his face the same shade as his hair.

His face turned even redder at my scolding glare. The last thing Lily likely needed right now were juvenile pranks. He nudged his brother over when he resumed his seat on the couch perpendicular to mine, using Gideon as a barrier between himself and my disapproval.

Remus offered to scare up dinner, even offering to get some for Severus. Peter looked so horrified by the idea that it was actually enough to make Severus agree, just to spite the twitchy man.

"The nurse thinks it's probably going to be a few more hours, if you guys don't feel like waiting. You can always come back tomorrow," James said to the waiting room some time after we'd finished eating, leaving Lily's side for the first time in hours.

It was already well past ten, nearly eleven in fact. Harry certainly was taking his time.

All, except Remus and Peter, decided to clear out for the night and try back in the morning.

I looked at Severus, judging how well he could handle staying here longer. I was honestly surprised he'd held up this long. At least James and Sirius were in with Lily more often than either were in the waiting room with us.

"Let's go out for a bit," I said. His relief at the suggestion was palpable, but he hesitated when I stood.

"What if you miss something?" he asked.

"Just a short walk. Stretch our legs a bit. Harry will still be here when we get back - one place or another," I said, though I knew it would happen soon. It had to for his birthday to stay July thirty-first.

A simple Confundus Charm was all it would take to get the staff to let us see Lily and Harry after visiting hours were long over, after all.

We ended up outside in a little garden and picnic area.

"This is near where you grew up, isn't it?" I'd Floo called him at home before, this morning even, but he'd never invited me over. "Do you still live in that house?" I questioned, curious, but prepared for his unwillingness to talk about this.

His childhood was one subject we still hadn't broached. As were his parents.

"Don't you already know all of this?" he asked, confused.

"No, actually. Your life has been fairly mysterious." At his look, I explained, "I know the major events involving your defection and relationship with Lily, but I don't know the other personal aspects of your life, except what you've told me yourself."

"How have you managed to restrain yourself?" he asked drily, teasing me.

"I like to respect your privacy," I said.

His rather unattractive snort made me look at him sharply. Incredulity was etched across his face. I winced a little knowing I did have a tendency to pry and push on occasion - though I usually found it was warranted for me to do so.

"I'd hoped you would open up when you felt more comfortable with me," I admitted.

We'd been officially together for over a month now and it hadn't happened yet. He'd never once mentioned his family.

"You're not exactly rushing to share either," he shot back.

I opened my mouth to deny the accusation, but found I couldn't. To my surprise, he was correct.

"My parents knew too much. They were a danger - to us and to themselves," I finally said, gathering my Gryffindor courage to share one of the most painful events in my life. If I wanted him to open up, it was only fair that I be willing too. But it was hard, much harder than I ever believed it would be to share.

"What happened?" he prodded gently, urging me to go on instead of letting the weight of the memories drown me.

"I modified their memories. Made them forget they had a daughter and made them believe they wanted to move to Australia," I explained.

"And after the war?"

"I'd never tried memory spells before, and as you know, they're tricky."

"What went wrong?" he asked, catching on at once.

"I didn't modify them, so much as erase them completely. They was nothing left to retrieve. I was too thorough," I said bitterly. So much for being the cleverest witch of my age.

"You tried? Did you have a specialist look at them?" he inquired. He was intrigued, but I appreciated that he was still trying to be sensitive to my feeling as he satisfied his curiosity. I couldn't always admit to doing the same, as Lavender was quick to point out. Like when her rabbit died during our third year.

"There was no need for that," I said, feeling self-hatred well up within me. "But, yes, I tried. I ended up doing more damage. I was so upset when it wasn't working, that I tried harder… tried to force the memories to be there… by the time I realized… they ended up with huge gaps - entire months, almost years, even - missing from various parts of their lives," I finished brokenly.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, wrapping his arms securely around me as I sobbed into his chest. I'd never messed up so catastrophically before that. Then I'd nearly done the same with my other family - Harry, when I first got here.

It was a long time before I had composed myself enough to step back and Severus didn't rush me, content to offer strength and understanding as he lightly stroked my hair. Occasionally, he'd utter quiet, soothing words, but they barely registered.

"Guess I'm not quite as clever as everyone thought," I finally muttered aloud, admitting my secret evaluation and condemnation of myself as I wiped the last traces of tears from my face.

"Did you tell your friends?" he asked consideringly. It must be so obvious that this is the first time I'd let myself break down over what happened.

"I couldn't! They'd have felt so sorry for me. That was the last thing I needed when I just wanted to move on and forget," I told him, hoping he'd understand. Besides, there had been everything with Ron to deal with when I returned and there just hadn't been an ideal moment to share everything with my friends.

He nodded, and I let out a relieved sigh to have gotten that off my chest and out in the open.

"My mother died the summer after I graduated," he said as he took my hand in his. He studied it, running his fingers over it and threading them between mine as he talked. Confessing to our joined hands rather than me. Maybe that was easier. "I was with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy when it happened."

"How did she die?" I asked, returning the favor he'd done for me when I struggled to tell my story.

"There was no proof, but my father did it. He was an abusive drunk," he spat in disgust, a vein pulsing in his temple as he grit his teeth together.

"Oh, Merlin!" I exclaimed, unable to hold it back. "Severus - "

"It's why I joined. I was so angry. They'd been trying to recruit me - the Death Eaters, Voldemort - and for some reason I'd been holding out," he said, cutting me off. We both knew the reason he'd been holding out, but neither acknowledged it. "He offered to make my father pay for his crime… so I said yes."

"And your father?"

"He vanished a day later. His body washed up three days after that. He was found downstream in the river that runs near the local pub about ten minutes from here. He was a frequent customer. He was barely recognizable," he said, a lost look descending over him. It made him look very young, so different from the man I'd come to know.

He'd withdrawn into himself as he spoke. His fingers had stopped moving over mine and his grip had loosened noticeably. I think he expected me to be disgusted with him, to pull away and repudiate him now. I was disappointed. He'd handled the situation all wrong, but I'd always been the forgiving sort with those I cared about. After all, how many times had I forgiven Harry and Ron? And look what I'd done to my own parents - however unintentionally. The damage was there all the same. Not one of us was perfect, especially during a war. What mattered most, was learning from your mistakes, so you could do better in the future.

I tightened my own grip on his hand and pulled him closer. I waited until he looked at me before I leaned in to kiss him softly, tenderly.

He stared at me with such wonder, that for once I felt like the most important person in the world to him.

We stayed outside, just watching the stars for another hour or so before heading back in to meet the littlest Potter.

Just before we headed back in, I said, "Thank you - for today. You've been so incredibly supportive. I don't know what I'd have done without you."

Hopefully, he understood all that my words encompassed.

It was after midnight when we reached the deserted waiting room. Harry must have already arrived a little after we'd gone, making his appearance at the last possible moment. Guess he took the line 'as the seventh month dies' literally.

"Should we check her room?" I questioned Severus after a couple minutes when it became clear that Remus and Peter were already gone too.

"He has Lily's eyes," I whispered to Severus just before we entered, assuming he'd appreciate the warning.

I could see just enough inside the room when I said it to see Sirius's head snap up and watched as his eyes narrowed on me. He was as still as a dog on a hunt when it caught a whiff of its prey.

I shifted nervously. There was no way he'd heard me, right? He couldn't be on edge because I'd said something I had no way of knowing, could he? It must be because I'd brought Severus in here and he didn't trust him around his loved ones. All the same, I found it difficult to swallow, a wicked dryness lining my throat.

Sirius's expression was intent, unreadable as we stepped up to the bed. He didn't say a word.

James was talking about how once Harry had decided he was ready to come out, it'd only been a matter of minutes before he was here. Remus and Peter had left a good twenty minutes ago, but James, Sirius, and Lily weren't ready to let Harry go yet.

That sounded about right. Definitely in line with the Harry I grew up with.

James was obviously filled with excitement and adrenaline. He paced the room restlessly as he talked, his little family watching him with tired amusement. He tugged on his hair every few words, which was about three times as much as usual. I wondered if he'd be bald by the time he was thirty - if he lived that long this time.

Lily looked worn, but thrilled, when she offered to let me hold Harry. I took him carefully, cradling his tiny form to my chest. I could scarcely believe how small he was. It didn't seem possible that this was my best friend.

His eyes were open and he stared first at me, then Severus over my shoulder. A little spit bubble expanded from his gurgling mouth.

I ran a finger delicately over his unmarked brow, bending to place a tender kiss against the soft skin, no lighting bolt scar visible. It would stay that way - if I had my way.