A/N: And here it is! End of Part 3. In the AN at the bottom, I'll not only answer all outstanding questions on this section, but I'll give further details on Parts 0 and 4, which will be posted shortly after posting this. Keep an eye out today or tomorrow for them!

-C

Open your eyes and look at the day. You'll see things in a different way. – Don't Stop, Fleetwood Mac (Christine McVie)

Cynthia poured her tea on Monday morning – her mother's first day back to work in quite some time now, since Cecilia's accident, and she marveled for a moment at the banal normalcy her life had conformed to in the past few days. She looked across the table to where her mother was reviewing sales figures before going into Brum, and to where her father was making the fry-up at the stove.

"Mum," she said slowly, "Dad." When they were both looking up at her, she decided to out with it. "You do know I'm dating Colly, now, right?"

"Of course we do, darling," her mother said with a wry smile looking back down at her figures. "She's a good girl. I like her very much."

"Just remember to practice safe sex," her father said with a wink as he tipped sausages onto plates. "There's things to catch other than pregnancy."

Cynthia laughed, but she promised to be safe. She'd had more than enough wild rebellion to last the whole of her life, taking much more after her father and grandmothers than after her mother. Cecilia had always been the one most likely to do something mad.

"What do you have planned for the day, then?" her mother asked, not looking up from the sales figures, marking something in the bottom corner of one page.

"Cyn's going to do some reading this morning," her father said. "Dad and your dad sent over the syllabi, and notes on her progress. I'll review that while she reads, and then after lunch we'll make a plan together. It might take a day or two to work out everything, or at least get a rhythm, but by the end of the week, she'll be on her way to finishing school."

Cynthia was relieved to be getting a routine again, something normal and simple. She'd seen in the papers that she'd recovered from her grief-induced illness (details undisclosed) and was convalescing from home, finishing her schooling in seclusion while she regained her strength. Her mother said as she finished more of her work, they might parade her at a few events they had to go to, just to stop tongues wagging about all the silly rumors people came up with when they didn't know what was happening.

"Harry," her mother said, still not looking up, "I may be out later today. Lots to do, and I've got a meeting or two I might need to have toward the end of the work day. I'll let you know when I have a better idea of when I'll be done."

"That's fine, love," her father said, kissing her mother's hair as he slid plates onto the table. "Work away while you eat, Cat."

Cynthia laughed as her mother rolled her eyes dramatically and put her work away in her satchel. Her father was adamant about meals being a sacred time for human interaction and enjoyment of his well-cooked food, and not for other distractions, and Cynthia had always enjoyed this old-fashioned notion. Morning banter and the clatter of forks was broken up when her mother glanced at the clock, announced she had to leave now or be late for her first day back, and kissed them both before rushing away with her satchel and a thermos of tea.

When Cynthia and her father were alone with their breakfast, her father asked what was on her mind, as she'd not even touched her black pudding, which had always been a favorite of hers. She patted it thoughtfully with her fork, not looking up.

"Just feels different," she whispered. "Like…now there's two people missing from the house. But it doesn't hurt like with Celia."

He hummed, and she wondered what he was thinking. She'd been shocked by the death of Ryana Cotton, who had been her nanny as a girl, who had cleaned and gardened and helped her father with cooking – particularly for large parties. Cynthia had known for some years now that her mother and Ryana were lovers and her father knew and approved, in his way. She couldn't claim to understand the arrangement, but she knew it existed, and it had never seemed anything but a thing that existed to Cynthia.

"It's a bit weird, yeah," her father said, leaning in to kiss her hair. "Probably hurts me more than you. Actually, it seems to be hurting me more than your mum, but she's a very private, internal woman. I expect she's in more pain than she's letting on. Maybe it just hasn't sunk in yet."

Cynthia didn't say a thing. She thought, perhaps, that Rhiannon had not only taken her grief, but had taken her ability to fully grieve. She drew out not only the pain, but with it, maybe, the emotional structure for experiencing that pain. It was a possibility, something she probably would never find an answer yes or no, but one she'd be curious to study in her own time.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm."

"I've been curious about alchemy. Or, I don't know. Something other than the usual brand of courses. When I finish my school, what am I supposed to do with myself?"

"A job, maybe?" he teased.

Cynthia gave him a bored, annoyed look. It wasn't that she couldn't work, but she didn't have a passion for anything. She supposed someday she could start a foundation, like Uncle Jason and Aunt Laura, but she felt she was a bit more of a homebody, like her father. She could support whatever Columbine's ambitions were, without doing more than giving to charity.

"I'll talk to Professor Snape, Cyn. We'll see what he suggests."

/-/

The proposal was a sound one, and Severus looked over his desk at the two men who were making it. Cara would be pleased, no doubt, that Sirius was taking the rest of his life to spend with her and their children and grandchildren – and perhaps great-grandchildren, in not so long of a time.

"Very well, Mr. Barker," Severus said, setting down the application. "You will most certainly be welcome as the new History of Magic professor, pending the approval of the governors. Of course, Sirius has more sway with the governors than I, so even if I did not approve, it would be done. You are certainly qualified, and I believe we can make dispensation for your research."

When Mr. Barker thanked them and left, Sirius sighed with relief.

"You're certain you're not going to regret this?" Severus asked, raising his eyebrows. "You still have very many grandchildren to come through."

Sirius shook his head, rubbing his forehead and said, "I have been looking in at my life from the outside for pretty much as long as I can remember, now. I haven't been living it. I've been studying a time when I lived, and watching everybody else around me have a life, and I need to be with my wife, and my children. I want to do things, maybe travel, give Cat as many days out in Oxford as her heart desires, lazy afternoons in bed. You really ought to find yourself a wife, Severus. They're a truly wonderful thing."

Severus wasn't certain whether Sirius was teasing or whether he was simply that stupid, but the comment about marriage stabbed at his chest. If he could have done so and not ruined everything, he might have. Now….

"Other matters have occupied me, and I do not regret the preoccupation. You are sharing the news with your family today?"

"Telling Cat tonight," Sirius said with a shrug, scratching his head. "We'll go from there. Expect she already knows. I've got to get to my office. D'you need anything else from me?"

Severus shook his head and dismissed this man he somehow, over the years, almost thought of as a friend. From enemies to co-conspirators, and now somehow…friends. If someone had told him in school, or even during the war, that he would kill repeatedly for Sirius Black's daughter, that he would bend over backwards for Sirius Black's grandchildren, that he would have tea occasionally with Sirius Black's wife, he might have believed it half-possible, that some circumstances could exist to make this possible. But had he been told he would one day be Sirius Black's friend, it would have seemed impossible.

Even now, it seemed impossible, and yet here he was.

Severus pulled out the work Lily had done thus far on the retrovirus, attempting to slow it – the first step. Lily could worry herself over first steps, paperwork, testing and the potential of inoculation. Severus did not have the time to waste. He needed to find the cure, and he needed to find it quickly. If he had to live in Malfoy Manor, go there every moment he wasn't needed at the castle, he would.

Because Narcissa Malfoy was not allowed to die. He did not know, after all these years, what his life would be without her, and he was desperate not to find out. To deny himself of any affection she might give him was his identity, more than anything else, and he could not lose it.

/-/

James dropped by Potter Manor after his Monday obligations were dispatched, bringing around some sweets Lily instructed him to take for Cynthia, who greeted him brightly and showed off the Transfiguration she'd been working on while her father was getting caught up on her education.

"Brilliant, Cyn," he said with a wink. "When I come around for your lessons on Saturday, you and I are going to go over some things not on the curriculum. How's your project looking?"

"Not sure what I was thinking," she said, picking at a spot on her left forearm absently. "I'm trying to trace back through my steps, but it doesn't seem a logical thing at all, now, does it?"

Her project had always had flaws, but he'd hoped he'd have time to guide her onto the straight-and-narrow, and he still intended to do just that. He suggested she talk with Caroline about it, as Caroline knew a thing or two about animated transfiguration from her own research, and Cynthia said she certainly would.

"Hey, Dad," Harry said, entering the kitchen and waving his wand to put the kettle on. "What's that, then?"

"Sweets from your mum and me," James said, with another wink. "For our darling granddaughter. Are you lot doing anything Sunday?"

"We aren't going to the Falcons match, Dad."

Cynthia giggled, and James clicked his tongue at being caught out. He'd figured they'd decide it would be too soon for Cynthia to go out in public, but he had hoped they might. He'd try again in a month or two, when they'd had a bit of time for things to calm down. Cynthia might not love Quidditch the way Cecilia had, but she would almost certainly enjoy a day out with the family, doing something normal.

Like Quidditch. Everybody liked Quidditch.

"Where's Kitty?" he asked, checking his watch. "Isn't she usually back by now?"

"It's her first day back to work," Cynthia said with a shrug. "She reckoned she'd have a long day. And, anyway, she had to go to meetings. D'you want an ice cream?"

"Bit cold for that, isn't it?"

Cynthia grinned an almost wicked grin she'd never had before she went off on her adventure, and it made James's stomach turn uncomfortably. She said Nanna – Cara – always gave them ice cream when something big happened, or ice lollies, if they had them. Harry frowned, although he obviously knew all about this, and James momentarily felt sorry for Caroline, whose children were already terrors, without extra sugar and sweets from their grandmother.

"I think I'll pass, love," James said, accepting his tea from his son. "Your mum's probably coming around later in the week, Harry. She's been in Wiltshire a lot, lately."

Harry hummed, frowning at Cynthia again as if thinking of something. She'd tested negative for the retrovirus, thankfully, but perhaps Harry was thinking, as James now often thought, of Draco. To know that in a matter of years his mother and wife would both be gone, the very painful and slow way his father had gone.

James took a moment to be grateful for what he had, flawed though it was.

/-/

Catherine folded her hands in her lap in the stranger's home. She knew of the man through the papers, through his books, through the talk of her father and others, but she did not know him personally. When she'd showed up at his doorstep he'd been surprised to see her, but he seemed flattered, and he offered her tea, which he was preparing now, across from her in his tiny but cozy sitting room.

"So," Mr. Barker said, smiling as he passed her the cup, "to what do I own the pleasure, Mrs. Potter?"

Telling her daughter about what she'd gone through had been an eye-opening experience, had made her realize just how little she'd helped by not telling her daughters everything when they were younger. Perhaps the whole mess could have been avoided if she'd only let go of her pride.

"The deal you made with my father," she said, smoothing her skirt and examining the tea lazily. "I believe it's time we discussed it."

"Indeed. He's told you…?"

"That he's retiring and you will take his place?" she said, smiling grimly. "Yes. Congratulations. Shall we take the matters in order?"

"Karkaroff."

"The person who has the most to lose is my father," she said softly, rubbing her jaw. "No one would dare take away any of their positions, of course, but my father needs the veil of innocence, even if he's disgusted by what he's done. When he passes away, I see no harm in publishing everything in that sequence of events unaltered."

Mr. Barker's lips curled and he took a sip of his own tea. He was a clever man, and she began to sip her tea as he considered her words carefully. He set the cup down and said, "And what about the incident with Miss Patil would you like altered, Mrs. Potter?"

Catherine set down her tea, crossed her legs, and rested her arm on her knee, letting her eyes graze the man's bookshelf. He was well-read, even if he'd only read half the books. And she knew, from what she could divine of him, that he was a man who'd read every single one, and probably had more shelves filled with more books he'd read.

"You've heard, I presume, of the death of Ryana Cotton." Mr. Barker hummed, inclining his head slightly. "I have spent the last few days since my daughter's return considering my life, Mr. Barker. I find I am not pleased with much of what I see. A great number of people in my life have suffered, and could suffer even more for my sins, my mistakes, my selfishness, my pride. I don't know that I'm repentant, and I don't know that I'll ever change, but there is one thing I can do for the person who matters the most, and Merlin knows I've never done enough for him."

"Your father?" Mr. Barker asked smoothly.

"My husband," she said, smiling lightly. "It's a silly thing, you see, but if the truth of Padma Patil's death is known, it will change how our daughter looks at him. It will change how the world looks at him. But especially Cynthia, it would break his heart. It's different from the things my father did during the war, and Cynthia is not me. She might understand, I don't know, but it would not make it easy for them. There will be questions, and he will have to face some consequences. But he did it for me. They're my consequences, you see? For once, I need to face the consequences other people have sheltered me from. So, when you publish the story of Padma Patil's death…."

She licked her lips, fighting back the nausea.

"When I publish," he said, "I keep the official version of her death?"

"No," Catherine said, closing her eyes. "When you publish, I hold the knife. Not Harry. For all that history will ever know, I killed Padma Patil."

Mr. Barker said nothing for a long time, and the heaviness of the silence was suffocating. When a small popping sound from the fireplace ended their silence, he said, "This is why you really want to wait until your father is dead, isn't it? Because you know it would destroy him for you to take the blame."

She said nothing, picking up her tea again. Harry would be upset as well, but it needed to be done. She could hardly look her daughter in the eye when they told her what had happened – not even mentioning what Harry had done to end it – and she needed to do this one thing, a small thing, really.

"You won't face jail time," he said, eyes narrowed. "Being a Black, and a Potter, and so many years elapsing between. But the court of public opinion may be quite brutal."

"Mr. Barker," she said, amused, "there's never been a court, of law or public opinion, that has meant a thing to me apart from the opinion of my family. That damage is already done. There is nothing in the world that could touch me once my father is gone. I don't believe in history, and I don't believe in public opinion, and this may shock you, but I certainly don't believe in rule of law. The only thing I've believed in for some time is my family, and I don't know what that makes me, but it isn't going to change. Will you publish…Cynthia's…?"

"No," he said, firmly, not quite quickly. "She didn't hurt anyone. She hasn't broken any anything that can't easily be fixed. The truth is, she was away from school while grieving. That was the story, and that was the truth. What do details matter? I overlooked some of your father's indiscretions as well. Perhaps, with your gesture and his, we won't have these decisions to make, in future. Perhaps the light will shine in where it belongs."

Catherine didn't care, one way or the other, but she thanked him once he promised to rewrite history as agreed. If it was the only thing she could give Harry since the birth of their children, it would have to do.

But even this would never be enough for the life of love and sacrifice he had given her. Nothing could ever be enough.

A/N: So, Cyn and Colly are a thing, Sirius has resigned his position, Severus is committed to finding a cure, and Kitty is determined to put things right for her husband. Later today, I'll post Part 0 (officially called Unknowns, Part the Prior) and Part 4 (officially called Unknowns, Part the Fourth). And by later today, I mean immediately following uploading this chapter.

I'll put this in each of those first chapters, but here's the deal: I'll continue applying updates via weekly and bonus basis. Because you're getting two chapters for each update instead of one, if you choose to read both stories, I'm upping the threshold to 15 reviews for a bonus, from anywhere in the series. Never read Part 1? You can still go back, review all thirty-some chapters, and earn two bonus chapters per Parts 0 and 4!

As for review Q&A, every question will be earmarked with the part it was posted to, and I'll keep the questions for Parts 0 and 4 separated as much as possible, and questions for the other parts will be spread out between the two as is necessary.

If you want to read both parts simultaneously, you can definitely do so. You may get some tidbits of spoilers, of sorts, for Part 0 that way, but they're meant to be read more or less together. You don't need to read Part 1, but you should have read Parts 2-3 before embarking on Part 4, or you'll be terribly lost. If you've got here, I'm guessing you did that much.

For reference, Part 0 is set starting at the end of 1945, going through the late seventies. It covers the story of Cara's mother, Sirius's father, mother and uncle, and Rabastan's father; as well as Sirius, Narcissa, Cara, Rabastan, etc., as children. Part 4 is set on a much tighter time span, starting six years on from this point and covering perhaps a couple of years at most. I've not nailed it down as tightly. It will cover the changes in the wizarding world, giving a wide variety of characters great and small a second chance at love if they've yet to find it, and will focus mostly on the retrovirus, Sev and Narcissa, and Catherine's consequences for basically her whole life to this point. Albus Dumbledore will make a prominent reentry to the tale, and someone might have babies. Oh, who am I kidding? There will be babies.

Review Prompt: What are your thoughts on Catherine's little chat with Barker? I can't even tell you how much fun that was to write.

Q&A:

Q: James and Sirius seem to be cracking; how come Remus is fine? (Noahtheowl)

A: Obviously a question from a while back. Still, there's a few reasons Remus was alright, comparatively. For one, he had way more responsibilities on his plate, with Severus gone. He was the strong one because he had to be, which is something he has done throughout his life, including when the Marauders were children. The way Cara doesn't crumble because her family needs her to be strong and steady, even when she does want to fall apart. But also, Cynthia is James and Sirius's granddaughter, and they both lost Cecilia as their granddaughter. No matter how close Remus is to them, no matter how much like family, it isn't quite the same, and he's not as close to Catherine's children as Severus was/is.

Q: Who will Cynthia have the hardest time facing? (Th3Gingerwizard)

A: If Cecilia had been around, it would have been her. Cynthia defines herself by the people who look up to her. In that way, it will be hardest when she faces her cousins again—particularly Gareth and Issy, to whom she's closest. After that, definitely her father. She's absolutely daddy's girl, not quite the same way Catherine was, but in her own way.

Q: Can you please do a fic (even a oneshot would do) at some point that features [Severus and Narcissa] as the main pairing? (AvinaNox)

A: Hello, darling! I hope your first day at work was fabulous! Well, as stated above, Part 4 will have Sev/Narcissa as a primary pairing, even listed as such. If that's still not enough for you as we get into it, I'll do a oneshot. Just let me know!

Q: Would anybody try and do to Harry what Rabastan is doing to Catherine? (Th3Gingerwizard)

A: Gosh, what an interesting question. I really hadn't thought about this. Not that Harry isn't attractive, desirable, etc. But part of the problem is, Harry's been house-husbanding for years. Back when he was playing Quidditch and was a big star, absolutely girls would have tried it. But he's not the Harry from the books. He's not the Chosen One, so his importance to society has more to do with his surname, his bank account, and his wife than anything. At this point, no, I can't think of anyone who would try what Rabastan did to Catherine.

Q: Would you consider writing what [Catherine] went through with other characters instead of Rabastan, for example, Cedric? (Jonstark1995)

A: In a way, I already have, because what Rabastan put her through should certainly remind you of what Padma did to her, and what Karkaroff tried. But Cedric? He's way too nice and normal to do that. Even at his most desperate, the most he could do was pester her for a date. It would never occur to him to try something more extreme. Would another man try it? I expect if she had any history with Cormac McLaggen, he might have done, but she doesn't. So much of her immediate social circle is family, and not psychotic family, so at this point I think she's pretty safe from that kind of garbage. But don't worry. Part 0 is about Cara's mother, so we'll get plenty of heavy-handedness from that backstory to make up for the lack of it in Part 4.

Q: Does Harry suspect Rabastan has done something while they've been away? (Michand)

A: Absolutely not. Harry has come to trust Rabastan as someone who has done a lot for his family, especially Catherine and Cara. He would never have guessed something like this would happen, although he does feel something was wrong with Catherine. He suspects it was something more self-destructive than sinister. He's truly innocent and naïve enough to believe Rabastan has simply vanished, bless him.

Q: Would Catherine ever cheat willingly on Harry with Rabastan or anyone else? (Jonstark1995)

A: NO, absolutely not. Catherine wouldn't even have had a relationship with Ryana had Harry said he didn't want her to. For all her faults, Catherine does love her husband, and she does take their marriage very seriously. Particularly with Rabastan, it never would have happened had she not been manipulated magically and mentally.

Q: What happened to Rhiannon? (Th3Gingerwizard)

A: Rhiannon left. She had fed as much as she could feed on Cynthia. She could sense Cynthia's increasing restlessness with the lifestyle they were leading. She's gone off to find another source of grief to feed on. The mutual benefit she perceived was over, and so there was no point staying.

Q: Will Catherine ever suspect something about Ryana's death? (Jonstark1995)

A: While Catherine will forever thing Ryana's death was accidental, she will still feel she was somehow to blame, that perhaps she was part of the reason Ryana left in the first place and so she is partly to blame for Ryana having the accident when she did.

Q: Would Catherine be able to ever access the memories of what has happened to her, by accident? (Th3Gingerwizard)

A: I won't get too much into this, because there's still Part 4 to come, and this is covered there, but she can't access the memories because Severus didn't just lock them away or wipe them. He ripped them out of her, the way Rabastan ripped the memories from Cara of what he'd done when they were young. They aren't there to be accessed, even if she tries. As we saw with Cara, though, that doesn't mean the impression is gone. Catherine will feel something is wrong, and what form that will take, well, you'll have to wait and see.

Q: Would Harry and Catherine think about having more children? (Jonstark1995)

A: SPOILER ALERT! BIG SPOILER ALERT!

Well, at this point, Harry always thinks of more children, but he wouldn't ask. Catherine doesn't think of more children, and so would never bring it up. But in future? More children is something that would be on the table. Certainly. But lots of things have to be resolved before that is a consideration.

Q: Why was Rabastan so careless? (Th3Gingerwizard)

A: Toward the end? Rabastan was careless because he was confident in his abilities, and because he was desperate. The desperate are rarely sensible in all they do. He also didn't believe Severus would come until after Cynthia was found, at the least, and she still wasn't found yet when Severus came looking. I would say more reckless than careless: he thought he had enough time to push through the final phases of his plans, and he did not.

Q: Will Cynthia only date women now? (Jonstark1995)

A: Cynthia will not only date only women now, she'll only date Columbine now. Consider them committed. :D

Q: Wasn't the Floo turned off? (Th3Gingerwizard)

A: Ah, remember our only hint the Floo might be turned off was something Rabastan said to Catherine. Rabastan lies. It might surprise you to learn this, but he was definitely a liar. Haha. Anyway, turning the Floo on and off was more difficult than they wanted, and it would have set tongues wagging at the Ministry, so quite unnecessary. But Catherine believed him, and that was all he needed.

Q: Will James ever remember? (Noahtheowl)

A: James could press through for the memory if he really wanted to, but as everything was resolved so soon after and the matter was relatively trivial by comparison, he won't sit around wondering for the rest of his life about that small gap in his memory. He'll get over it, and he won't think of it again.

Q: Will Snape be able to save Narcissa? (Th3Gingerwizard)

A: Well, at the risk of SPOILING Part 4, I will say I'm not totally decided. I've gone back and forth a lot on two characters possibly dying. Three, really. Narcissa is one of these. At this point, I'm about seventy percent sure she won't die, but that's not set in stone. Initially I wanted to kill her off, but I don't know that I like that anymore. That was back when I wasn't going to do a Part 4, but just leave us on the hint that Severus would dedicate the rest of her life to looking for a cure, and that they would build a relationship from there. But you know me, enough is never enough. So, she'll likely live.

Q: How long has Severus loved Narcissa? (Noahtheowl)

A: Love's not exactly a simple thing to put a timeline on, but he started falling for her during the war, so…decades now. Over forty years, anyway.

Q: How will [Cara] react to losing her brother? (Th3Gingerwizard)

A: As we've seen, Cara has an idea of what happened to Rabastan, and she's accepted it. She doesn't know the details, but she doesn't need to. She has a sense of what's happened, a sense that hasn't left her since recovering her memories, and even before. He's always made her think of her own father, a bit uncomfortable, and in a way, this is closure for her, and for Delia, and for Catherine. A weight off all their shoulders.

Cheers, and on to the next ones!

C