Sirius was already extremely reluctant to take the book from James. He didn't feel there was much to look forward to, considering his godson had no intentions of returning to Hogwarts where really all of the good times in his life had taken place outside the Burrow. What was ahead for him except more danger and misery that was just highlighted while talking about all they didn't know about Dumbledore!

Still, he accepted the book from Prongs without argument and as always tried to start as cheerfully as he was capable of.

Which lasted a sentence. "Ugh! We can't ever go any bloody amount of time without me wanting to punch him in his ruddy face," he scowled at such treatment.

Harry just shrugged without concern, still rubbing at the long healed cut across his finger where the mirror had once gotten him. He had much more important things on his mind than something so common place to him as how Uncle Vernon called him.

Harry was still treated to course mutters all around him, none of them ever seemed as willing as he was to just ignore such trivialities.

"And I want your head on a spike, guess who will get there first," James sneered.

Sirius mock fainted on the spot, though in his defense it very well could have been real, for the surprise that flickered across all four of them.

"Oh how the tables have turned!" Lily gasped, fanning her face but still eyeing Sirius like she expected him to cop to a ruse any second.

"Gone were the days I let them boss me around," Harry shrugged without concern, even if he was finally smiling again, the same relaxed expression they'd all missed for so long since Dumbledore's death. "When I got home that summer I made it very clear how things would be going until I finally left." The 'for good,' hung in the air in front of them all, as bitter sweet as any taste could be.

It took a few minutes to 'rouse' Sirius, who only kept going after Harry poked him in the throat.

"I actually think that's the most pleasant thing he's said to you. Ever." Remus muttered.

"Almost makes up for trying to strangle him," James got out through gritted teeth.

"Care to share?" Lily sighed, knowing she didn't really want the answer.

"Would it really help?" Harry asked, and when no one answered, Sirius just kept going for this new load of tripe.

Sirius fell off his seat this time.

"I don't think he was even faking that one," James told conversationally as his mate just lay on the floor for a moment gazing at the book in his hands.

"Are we sure someone isn't doing a poor impression of this Muggle?" Remus asked with some genuine concern. "Most studies prove it wouldn't work, but..."

"Either way, still no remorse in killing him," Lily huffed.

Sirius didn't even bother to get back in his seat yet, not until things made sense again. If he spent the rest of his time here on the carpet and Vernon could actually continue to be nice to Harry, he'd live down here.

"Why were they leaving, and who do I have to kill to keep this going?" James huffed.

Harry considered for a moment before explaining what the book hadn't gotten too yet. He watched with honest amusement at the range of emotions it caused, before settling back into his own troubled thoughts revolving around his only blood family. He didn't want to linger on this now, so waved Sirius on to get to the point.

"The most exercise that tub of lard's ever had in his life," Remus rolled his eyes.

"A memory I shall now treasure forever!" Sirius barked in surprised laughter.

"First thing Dudley's ever done that hasn't made me want to punch him in the face," James agreed.

Despite Harry's words of explanation with the Order getting involved in protection, it still wasn't lining up in her mind right. While it was true they were far more of a target now than just being Lily's sister, it still seemed far outside the reach of her understanding it would come to something as protecting them, after all they'd done to her son. Could she really say anything though, would she? If circumstances happened again and they fell under threat...

"What house?" Sirius blinked in confusion.

"House of Parliament?" Remus offered snidely, there really wasn't a lot of explanation this mans pea-brain could come up with.

Harry's mouth fell open in surprise just like everyone else's, but he came over it the fastest and shook his head in disbelief for his Uncle's newest line of thinking.

It took Sirius an extra moment to find his tongue, and he read the following rant like one would repeating a temper-tantrum child.

"That is the kindest thing I could have said to such malarkey," James agreed.

"How is it possible he's gotten stupider? I, I don't understand," Remus muttered.

"A brain cell does exist! The poor lonely thing is at least put to good use," Lily huffed.

Sirius' face twitched in discomfort for the reminder, as miserable a comparison as Privet Drive. It was an honest toss which was worse, and the bitter reminder that neither could hold a single connection to those Harry should really have in his life.

"I'd rather impress him with my foot up his arse," James muttered.

"I can not for the life of me imagine why," Sirius smirked with remembered pleasure for that.

"Your lucky I still let you in this house, as often as you try to tear it apart," Lily snipped.

The Marauders scoffed at such an idea, but Lily and Harry exchanged an unspoken look. They loathed this relation Harry was forced upon, but neither could honestly say in this moment, or any until it came, what they would do if such a thing occurred.

"I would never offer them such a thing," Sirius scowled at the print.

"Sure you would Padfoot," Remus rolled his eyes. "Protection right into the giant squid's arms."

"Ah yes, the best kind there is," James snickered.

Lily opened, then closed her mouth with an actual curious expression in place. This wasn't a particularly unique situation, Muggleborns parents were indeed under threat now and the Ministry did try when they could to offer whatever protection was peaceable with the family, but this was Harry Potter. Under other circumstances when the Ministry could be trusted, Vernon wasn't wrong.

"It really is a fair question," Lily muttered the most peaceful thing she'd ever said about that man.

"He said what now?" James craned his neck around to see what babbling curse Sirius had used on himself now.

"To be fair, if there's anyone in this future we haven't actually disliked, it's Kingsley." Remus admitted. "It's just a miracle a bloody Dursley thinks the same."

"You've disliked me?" Harry poked fun, but he too had an amused look for this turn of events.

"Every single day, pup," Sirius assured.

"Can't hate you if we don't love you first," James smirked.

"Why am I not surprised," Lily scoffed. "Probably takes him a full year to get through one problem."

"Still taken him seventeen years to get a grip on one problem, and even then it was never solved," Harry agreed.

"Of course they bloody think they should deserve that, not be grateful they're getting anything," James muttered.

"Who the hell did they piss off to deserve such a travesty!" Sirius demanded. "I'd assign the Malfoy's to watch them first, see who kills each other the fastest!"

"I think that would be a little counterproductive to the whole, protecting them thing," Harry casually reminded, even if he was fighting back laughter for the arrangement.

"Hmm, thanks so much for that reminder," James shivered theatrically, trying to cover the real one.

Lily sighed, feeling as if she'd been punched in the chest. That felt all too familiar to another conversation Petunia had once overheard. Those dementors always seemed to have the power to ruin lives, even by just invoking their names.

"Ah yes, the pigs tail, I still haven't found a way to thank Hagrid for that one," Remus tried for a more enthusiastic smile at the topic, but these days it was impossible to think of much anything that wasn't depressing.

All five of them ground their teeth in frustration at Vernon's continuing to poor vile over their way of life, even if by now he'd done far more to them. Here the Order was, offering protection none of them would have ever dared ask for, and still the man couldn't hold a human emotion like gratitude. Just more complaints.

Sirius could never bring himself to go shouting any such thing, instead his voice was low and hollow, the presence of his family around him now all that was stopping him from breaking down at the prospect.

"How is it, even when he's talking sense, I still don't like what he's saying," James huffed. Dudley actually seemed to understand this would save his life, but still the idea of harboring him was as repugnant as the dementors.

"I've several choice words, would you like the list alphabetically or in order of how fast they'll faint?" Sirius offered.

Harry didn't answer, still toying with an idea in his mind he couldn't quite shake.

They noticed, and Lily finally asked, "what's on your mind love?"

"Just something that's been bothering me. It's nothing really," he tried to dismiss.

"If it's bothering you, it's not nothing," James said back at once.

Harry chewed on it for another few moments, not really sure how to put into words the idea that had been settling in his brain for days now. A conversation he'd once held with Dumbledore at the age of twelve, about how Voldemort had put a bit of his powers inside Harry. How his mere presence had destabilized so many lives, starting with the Dursleys.*

He quickly shook it off though and managed a carefree expression back quickly enough. He'd gotten rather good at faking it. "I, probably never will see them again no matter what. Like the book said I guess, just odd to process, after everyone else I've lost," he trailed off uncomfortable, the desired effect of changing the subject leaving no one to question him further.

He still hadn't faked it well enough that they weren't well aware what he'd done, they just didn't push him farther, yet.

"Someone's in a bad mood," Sirius sighed.

"That seems to be going around," James agreed, trying to stretch out and make himself comfortable in the air still hanging in the room.

Harry felt a very sharp twinge pull on his throat. He gulped uncomfortably and tried to pass it off as a light cough rather than try and figure out why those words had bothered him so much.

"That's fair, I wouldn't wish that on anyone," Remus snorted.

"I guess he's wearing the hat again," Lily noted randomly, recalling Moody saying he'd stopped wearing it for a time, though it was hard to picture him without it.

"Honestly, nobody really is," James scowled.

"As if they haven't had enough of that," Sirius sneered in remembrance. Did that have to keep being brought up?

"S'not that hard once you get the hang of it," Sirius muttered, hating to have anything in common with Vernon, but he loved his bike and couldn't imagine a car would be much harder.

Lily knew exactly what Sirius was thinking and tried very hard to suppress a smile, now concocting her own idea to see how Sirius would handle a wheel rather than handlebars.

Sirius shifted uncomfortably and they all felt a heavy weight come right back to the foreground with worry that had never really left. That ambush implied in the first chapter became more real by the second.

"Jealous?" Remus muttered under his breath.

Sirius snorted and fought back the urge to add, he was too eager to get Vernon out of Harry's life even for humor.

Lily couldn't help a wry, bitter sort of smile for Hestia's attempt at something that had never even been present in that place.

"Good," James said flatly, he had enough reason to break that lumps arms right off, no need for a farce of any kind of proper farewell to be added.

Lily took a careful breath to avoid shrieking in further frustration, every single thing she'd ever heard of Harry's time there swimming in her eyes, every detail both given and implied tightening her throat. The woman couldn't even bother to look her son in the eye as their last departure?

"A fair comparison honestly," Sirius snorted. "In fact, I think it's a bit of a disservice to Grawp, he's a bit smarter, was actually taught something."

"How a toilet works, what order the alphabet goes in, what one and one is," Remus prattled off with a heavy eye roll.

"Because he wants to live, something you never allowed," Sirius growled.

"I think I'd prefer him just a touch more if he did," Lily shrugged. "Might make him think with his feet rather than his fist."

"I'm sure that's not a new concept for him," James said slowly, but his brows were creeping up in surprise at this continued display. Once was just Dudley not grasping Harry wouldn't be there to kick around anymore. Continuing to ponder why Harry wasn't sticking around was, more. Certainly a hell of a lot more thought than Dudley had likely ever put into, anything.

"I'm glad they don't!" Lily said sharply at once. If, Merlin help it, something happened to Hestia and Daedalus and those Death Eaters got a hold of the Dursleys, they would truly know nothing. The loss would be more on the Order, but would not harm her son.

"Some days I still can't decide which is worse," Harry muttered.

"Why am I not surprised. Dursley was stupid, again, pissing off their escorts," Remus snorted crudely. Ah well, best get it out in the open now who these poor unfortunate souls would be looking after. He really hoped, for Hestia and Daedalus' sanity, Harry found those Horcruxes soon.

Harry watched those around him sigh with discontent, again. He grew no more used to their reaction to this than theirs his.

"Glad someone tells you that from time to time, even if it is someone you barely know," James sighed, wishing he could thank Hestia or Daedalus, whoever had said it.

Harry sat up straight in his seat. He didn't hear their mutters of surprise or even Sirius saying how it was about time. He just sat there for a moment realizing how, touched he felt. It was not, by any means, even much of anything after his whole life of hating and being hated in return...but it did show for just one second that perhaps not everyone always had to be hated.

"Can't really have one without the other," Sirius shivered, still eyeing Harry for some sort of reaction. His godson really just looked amused still, not quite sure how to handle this... gratitude? Probably still too big a word for Dudley.

"Oh," Lily blinked in surprise. Considering everything else, that had completely slipped her mind, but she finally managed just a glimmer of a smile as well, though it was still far more restrained than she once would have thought herself capable of when thinking of her nephew.

Then her mood settled right back into the simmering vitriol she felt thinking of her sister.

"He may as well have made out with a toilet seat for as much sense it made, but, I digress, it is progress," Remus offered.

James snorted enthusiastically while Sirius muttered it was the nicest thing the woman had ever seen and she didn't know how to cope.

"A pity, this is truly the first time I've enjoyed hearing their names," Lily said, for once actually meaning she'd like to hear more of this.

"No pressure or anything," Remus rolled his eyes.

"I never could tell if he was delusional or that hat was just on too tight. Seems I finally got my answer," James shook his head in pure misery for these two. He would most certainly have to find some way to repay them for this atrocity happening to their lives, though there really didn't seem a gesture big enough if he was being honest.

"Some habits never die," Sirius cautioned with an odd, calculating look suddenly in place. He'd once thought Dudley an abomination of a child and regarded him with the same loathsome feeling he would have for Draco Malfoy in tormenting his godson. The idiot though, had actually grown. Out of Harry's line of sight, he'd somehow transformed into a human being capable of recognizing Harry as another person. If it was possible for him, it really seemed possible for anyone.

Lily concentrated on her wand hand, slowly uncurling it from a fist and being very careful not to feel anything. Still in this moment she did not doubt that if Dudley were to fall into her lap this second, she would treat him as a second son, love him and care for him, in a way Petunia never could, should never have been asked of. No amount of wanting vengeance on this wretch of a sister for not giving the same to her own would make her feel better. With any luck this would indeed be the last time Harry would ever have to look upon his Aunt's face again, and though she would never forgive, she would try to forget.

Those words slowly sank in. Before she'd even stopped to realize what she was hearing, Lily couldn't help but wonder, if Petunia was thinking the same thing.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

*I have two very strong emotions about this chapter. One I can't get to until the end of the book when the Horcrux inside Harry is revealed but I really can't wait for, the other is actually fondness.

Yeah.

Not something I could really get across through these guys, Lily came the closest and even she'd grown too bitter to Petunia to really get everything in I wanted to. Don't get me wrong, these are vile, horrible people who deserved to go to jail for what they did to both of these kids, but Merlin help me if what they did isn't just human enough that we all hate them because we could have been them. Imagine it, taking in a new baby into your home, and it starts exhibiting powers. Making his toys appear in his hands, vanishing from his crib, making his baby bottle mysteriously refill. That would be terrifying to newborn parents with another child of their own in the house! Now, Petunia knew what was going on, so her response was despicable for caging away poor Harry and what they nearly could have done to him, but imagine it from Vernon's perspective. Harry's lucky he didn't get shipped off to a science lab, or a madhouse!

Just, yeah. I hate these guys, but JK really couldn't have given them a better ending here. It took seventeen years for any of these people to be able to step back and realize what could have been.