Chapter 1: Birth of the potter twins

On July 31, 1980, Lily Evans-Potter gave birth to two beautiful, healthy little boys. That's right, Lily Potter has given birth to twins - John Sirius and Harry James, with Harry being the younger Potter twin. She and her husband, James Potter, were ecstatic about the two newest addition to their family. On the other hand, Charlus Remus Potter wasn't nearly so pleased.

After the entirety of his short life as an only child, the sudden transfer of attention to his two new baby brothers was irritating, to say the least. The three-year-old pouted as James and Lily cooed over the newborns John Sirius and Harry James, feeling very dejected indeed.

"What's with the long face, my little Shadow?" Charlus's somber expression disappeared at the sound of his favorite surrogate uncle's voice.

"Pa'foot!" he cried, with the exuberant joy that can only be found in the very young child. Sirius Black, still wearing the leather jacket he always wore in accompaniment with his motorcycle, hoisting up the toddler and twirling him around, before tossing him into the air. Charlus giggled madly, momentarily forgetting his brother's usurpation of their parents' attentions.

"Well, now, that's better," Sirius said with a grin, once he had stopped giving Charlus a mini-roller coaster ride. "What had you so upset, Shadow?" Charlus paused, thoughtful, as though he had forgotten his anger. After a moment, the memory evidently returned to him, and he sent a glare in the direction of his parents and brothers.

"Ah," Sirius said with a sardonic smile, "jealousy rears its ugly head." Having dealt with a younger brother of his own, Sirius was an expert on the subject of sibling rivalry. Charlus looked at Sirius, as if confused by his terminology, but declined to make a comment. He then returned his attentions to his parents, who had yet to realize that their best friend had invited himself in.

"Say, Charlus," Sirius said, noting the wistful look in Charlus's eyes, "have you gotten to meet your little brothers yet? Properly, I mean." Charlus wrinkled his nose, causing Sirius to chuckle. "I'll take that as a 'no.'" Shifting the boy so that he carried him to the side, Sirius meandered over to the jubilant parents and cleared his throat.

"It's a sad, sad day for Sirius Black when his best friends don't acknowledge his arrival," the young man said, snapping James and Lily out of their blissful daze. James jumped up to give his surrogate brother a one-armed hug, taking Charlus from him with the other arm.

"I guess we have been in our own world," James said sheepishly as Charlus clutched at him possessively. Sirius chuckled and leaned over Lily to allow the newborn Harry to grasp his finger.

"With good reason, too," Sirius said, grinning mischievously, "These two will quite the lookers. Who'd you sleep with to give your son these gorgeous features, Lil?" Lily gave a tinkling laugh as James swatted his friend good-naturedly.

Charlus glanced at the twins' sleeping forms, looking dubious about the fuss the adults were making.

"Now, Shadow over there tells me he hasn't gotten to meet his brothers yet," Sirius said, reprimanding. "How 'bout you give him a chance, eh?"

"Good heavens, you're right!" Lily cried, looking shocked. James blinked, and carried the reluctant Charlus over to the sofa where Lily sat with the baby.

"Charlus," James began, sitting down next to Lily with the toddler on his lap, "I'd like you to meet your new twin brothers, John Sirius Potter and Harry James Potter." Lily brought Harry and John closer to Charlus, allowing Charlus to get his first real look at his baby brothers.

"Be very gentle, Charlus, they are still fragile," Lily said kindly. Charlus didn't know what fragile meant, but he did know the word "gentle." The toddler reached out a finger to one of the babies - Harry, like he'd seen Sirius do moments before, allowing Harry to grip a few of his fingers.

Harry blinked his eyes open for a moment, the already emerald green meeting with Charlus's greenish-hazel.

At that moment, when Charlus saw the emerald eyes so like those of their mother, he knew that he would do anything to protect his twin baby brothers.

Anything.