Hours had passed since Dumbledore had abruptly shut down the meeting. As Sirius and Jamie had discussed their next moves, the other Order members had filtered out.

Now, they sat slumped at his kitchen table, discussing Jamie's contract and provisions she wanted to make regarding Harry. Remus, Kingsley, and Arthur sat with them. Guin and Molly were cleaning up the kitchen, listening as well.

"Wouldn't it make more sense if we adopt Harry, maybe Albus would be more amenable to that," Kingsley asked, eyes drifting to Guin.

"Actually, as next of kin, Jamie has the most unquestionable claim to him," Arthur shook his head. "As his last living magical blood relative, it wouldn't even deem a hearing. Jamie could quite literally stroll into the Ministry and sign a paper."

"Then why even tell her no?" Remus asked. "Surely Professor Dumbledore is not so unreasonable, it's very unlike him."

"Like Jamie said, it's a control thing," Arthur said, surprising Jamie by agreeing with her. "I understand his reasoning, however, seeing as we all want the best for Harry, it makes this decision a little more…necessary."

"Fine, so Jamie signs the paper," Remus sat up. "She wants Sirius to be his co-guardian…clearly, we can't have anyone else figuring out he's still hanging around, much less being housed by us."

"He has a point even thought I'd like to say screw 'em," Sirius mumbled.

Jamie propped her chin on her hands, elbows on the table, as she mulled it over. "Anybody else could do it…Remus you live here with Sirius right?"

Remus nodded.

"Well if you take over as co-guardian, which means Harry basically has a place to go out of school no matter what…basically you are the legal guardian in Sirius' stead. It's the same difference, you both should have equal say in his regard, and I trust you both to make those decisions in his best interest."

"That could work," Arthur nodded. "And Jamie? This is absolutely crucial to your contract, how?"

"Because it's one thing for me to have all of you and to also be an adult," Jamie said slowly. "Harry…he's limited because of his age and because Professor Dumbledore is able to go behind our backs and influence and use him. If we have protections set up, Professor Dumbledore has boundaries and Harry basically has an insurance policy of protection for when we aren't always around."

"Okay, so we word it as this: as Harry's legal guardians, either you or Remus must be in the same room at all times while any discussions pertinent to his life, his actions, and his education, no matter how small, are being held."

"Yes, and in order for Harry to be involved in any sort of mission, activity, or private meeting, Remus or myself must be made aware of it at least one hour before hand."

Remus was nodding and Sirius was practically jumping up and down in excitement of the idea of having Harry safely at home with him.

"The same goes for myself, any discussion regarding anything I do, any aspects of my life, and any actions made on behalf or involving me, must be consulted by me first," Jamie said. "Also, I want floo access during school to attend all Order meetings, unless otherwise impossible, and I want to be kept in the loop on goings on outside of meetings."

"When should they sign the paperwork?" Guin asked, a gleam of pride in her eye.

"Likely, the sooner the better," Kingsley said. "I'd not dare say Professor Dumbledore is someone to oppose or distrust, however…I think in this instance he may exercise his power because he believes what he is doing is best for Harry, and for Jamie."

"Harry has to be present, it's a contract sealed with blood from all parties," Arthur explained. "I know where the contracts are and as Ministry officials, Kingsley or I could preside over it and sign it. Then, all we would have to do is file it."

"Okay, so we go see him, we have him sign, and we move him here for the rest of the summer," Jamie shrugged. "Anything is better than being locked in a room all summer while that blasted family torments him, and Aunt Molly you said Ron, Hermione, and some of the others are coming here for the rest of the summer to help clean up, right?"

Molly nodded.

"And I'll be in and out, I'm guessing as long as my terms are agreed to," Jamie could see everything come together.

"Jamie…if we spring this on Professor Dumbledore, it will make him angry," Arthur warned her.

"It will," Jamie agreed. "But it also backs him into a corner, and it means we control the situation and we ensure everyone is safe."

"It's worth it, in my eyes," Kingsley admitted. Her mum was nodded, Molly looked weepy but seemed to be happy with the turn of events.

Bill, Charlie, Xolia, and the pink-haired woman, who everyone called Tonks, re-entered the kitchen just then. The four had gone for a drink in Diagon Alley and were in relatively good spirits.

Xolia squished into the chair Jamie was sitting in, giving her a proper hug. Jamie noticed, just as she had during the meeting, how Sirius's eyes seemed to track her every movement.

"Hiya Jamie, what sort of boss-lady power moves are you working up to take over us all?" Xolia teased affectionately, eyes sparkling with pride. Xolia had practically cheered out loud when Jamie had insisted on setting terms for herself during the meeting.

"Well…" Jamie, Arthur, and the others quickly filled them in on what they had decided. Xolia squeezed Jamie tighter, nodding her head in agreement with their decision.

"How soon can you have the paperwork?" Bill asked his father. Arthur and Kingsley consulted each other before rising.

"We can have it within the hour," Kingsley assured her. "Jamie, if we do this, we have to move Harry out of his aunt and uncles tonight…which means we have to go and retrieve him and bring him back here tonight. Dumbledore could very well show up and be incredibly angry."

"It's worth it," Jamie said quietly. Kingsley and Arthur said goodbye to their wives, heading out and toward the Ministry.

Kingsley, Tonks, Bill, Charlie, Remus, and Jamie would go to retrieve Harry. Remus sent Harry his Patronus, instructing him to pack up his belongings and be ready tonight, saying nothing to his aunt and uncle.

Guin popped home to grab a change of clothes for Jamie and returned quickly. Jamie slid on an old pair of chords, slightly too short for her now, a soft long-sleeve shirt belonging to Guin, and a warm jacket and flat-heeled boots.

The clock was ticking, Jamie would have custody of her brother soon—seriously turning the tables on Professor Dumbledore and everyone else. But she knew in her gut this was the right thing to do. If they were going to keep Harry safe and get The Order up off the ground—have a real chance against Voldemort, this was how they had to do it.

All they could do was wait.

Something about the way Professor Snape had looked so spooked when Professor Dumbledore came to collect Jamie led him to believe this would not be a normal evening for them.

Jamie was gone by the time Snape had waved him back into the house, looking agitated and continually pacing around the kitchen.

"Everything alright?" Draco asked after several moments of watching Snape yank at his hair, his eyes shooting from the front door to Jamie's bedroom with concern.

"I worry about her is all," Snape halted in his fretting, sighing. "I did not realize how attached I would become to her in such a short amount of time, but in a year…I very much look at her as if she were my daughter."

"Professor Dumbledore wouldn't do anything to hurt her, right?" Draco ignored the way the hairs prickled on the back of his neck at the thought of Jamie being put into danger.

"Not directly, no," Snape sighed. "Draco…there are things I've been asked to speak to you about tonight. More than that, man to man, as someone who truly sees potential in you and your abilities…I myself have things to discuss with you separately."

"Okay, let's talk then," Draco sat at the table. They pulled out Madame Rosmerta's takeaway menu and made their orders using Cinnabar, Jamie's owl. While they waited, Severus pulled a bottle of fire whiskey and surprisingly, poured Draco a tumbler full as well.

"This seems like a very serious discussion," Draco noted as he sipped his drink, wincing slightly. The first few pulls always scorched the throat before it grew tolerable. Snape was silent as he swirled his drink, eyes gazing into a far-off place.

He pulled out a worn photograph and slid it across the table to Draco, who picked it up. There were two children in the photo, beaming and waving in their Hogwarts uniforms. The photo was in black and white, but he could tell the little girl had reddish hair and wore a Gryffindor uniform, while the boy with his ink black hair wore Slytherin robes.

"That's me and Lily, Jamie's mother," Snape explained quietly. "We met a few summers before we got our acceptance letters. She grew up not very far from me…we were best friends."

"I didn't know," he studied the photo, noticing how carefree Snape looked…how eerily similar Jamie looked to Lily.

"We told each other everything, understood each other…comforted each other when our home lives were hard…when we didn't understand the magic we were coming into," Snape said as he pulled out another photograph. "I was devastated when she was sorted into Gryffindor, but she swore she would never stop being my best friend. She didn't either, it was always me being the difficult one."

The next photograph was he and Lily, more teenaged, sitting together at what looked like The three Broomsticks. They looked happy, though teenage Snape didn't appear to look quite so light and carefree as before.

"This photo was taken two months before I lashed out at her in anger," Snape said, remorse in his voice. "I was hanging around with…well, I was hanging around some of the young followers of the Dark Lord. We had grown distant…she was worried about me."

Draco didn't have to ask to know Severus meant he had been spending time with his father and his friends. He knew enough to know that's where it had all started.

"It broke her heart, what I said to her," Snape appeared to be trying to stay composed as he sipped his drink. "Draco, it was my greatest regret to this day. She never would speak to me again until she became pregnant before she finished school…she wanted me to change my mind. She wanted me to be the godfather."

His voice broke and he turned his head to gather himself. "I laughed in her face, but she got this look on her face. She said to me: 'you'll be her godfather, and you'll love her one day, and you'll see why I was right all along'

"I ignored her, but sure enough, one the day Jamie…well, Hally, was born there was a letter waiting for me and a picture of this little baby. I kept thinking she was rubbing it in, her marriage to Potter and their perfect little family. Then the next year, the same thing. This went on and on until I learned the Dark Lord was planning on targeting the Potters."

"Why was he so interested in them?" Draco leaned forward.

"There was a rumor…a prophecy…that Harry would be the one to defeat Him," Snape said. "So, he thought he could destroy him as in infant in order to prevent anything from happening. I turned to Dumbledore asking for help, he felt every precaution had been put in place. I began working for him, as his spy."

"But?"

"But they were betrayed," Snape's voice was broken. "I went to her that night, I held her in my arms, and I told her I was sorry…and then I held Jamie…and I knew. I had been a fool, and I had switched sides far too late."

Draco was silent, mulling this over. He had an inkling of where Snape was going with all of this.

"Draco, Professor Dumbledore believes you have incredible potential as a young man and as wizard," Snape leaned forward, his voice serious, his face beseeching. "He asked me to invite you here to guide you, and to also ask you if you would join us all…opposing the Dark Lord while acting as a spy."

Draco took a breath in, but when he exhaled nothing came out.

"I made my choice far too late; I ignored the help given when I should have taken it," Snape implored him. "I know you do not hate my goddaughter, and I'm asking you now, after hearing my story…I'm asking you think about what it may mean for her if you were choose the wrong side."

Draco felt the reality of his words inside of his marrow, his stomach clenching as he tried to keep his poker face, thinking of Jamie being targeted again…of being murdered like her mother.

"As a spy, I would be like a double agent…is that what you are?"

"Yes. It's dangerous work, it involves a great deal of lying and chance," Snape nodded. "I would have to train you in occlumency… so that your mind is protected and impossible to be read by the Dark Lord."

"And we would be doing this to keep Jamie safe," Draco felt the breath finally leaving his body, shoulders relaxing.

"Yes."

"Then I'll do it."