The Potters

Chapter I

Severus

The amount of Wolf's bane Remus was on could kill a man. He only allowed Severus and Sirius in; they even kept the kid out. Teddy must've felt something from his parents because he kept crying and Andromeda can't calm him down.

Remus was still partially transformed when they brought him in. Pansy was injured, but by a curse. He stormed into Severus's lab and asked for the potion and then barricaded himself in the bedroom. When Severus walked in with the potion, Black in animagus form slipped in and jumped on the bed. Severus would have thrown him out, but Remus hugged the dog hiding his face in his fur.

Remus's eyes were blood red when he got in, but the potion calmed him down (partially because Severus put a calming draught inside) and he had to admit, begrudgingly, the dog's presence helped a lot.

When Severus went downstairs, Pansy was already patched up; she was hit by a cutting curse.

"How is he?" Hermione asked worried.

"He is fine, the change is regressing."

"What happened?" Lily asked.

"In high stress situations, it seems that he can transform into a wolf, looks like a defense mechanism."

"Like the alphas he told us about!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Can he control it?" Lily asked.

"I am not sure…" Severus looked over at Lily "Remus is always fighting back so much against the wolf…"

"He fell asleep," Sirius said descending the stairs. He was holding Teddy, still fussy, but not crying thankfully.

"Moony?" Teddy asked his father. The young Metamorphmagus changed his features after Remus's to prove his point.

"Sleeping, puppy," Sirius said in a chocked voice.

"Moony," Teddy whined a bit and dozed off, probably exhausted from crying.

"We destroyed it!" Harry appeared around dinner time with Draco in tow. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, everyone is fine," Severus replied.

"Where is Remus?" Draco asked.

"Resting," Severus replied short. Draco looked at him surprised.

"So what is next?" Draco asked.

"We destroyed all the Horcruxes we had a lead on."

"What about a Gryffindor one?" Hermione asked.

"Gryffindors do not have that many artefacts…" Lily frowned.

"Maybe the Sword?" Sirius suggested.

"But how to get our hands on that?" Lilt asked.

Draco looked from one to the other."Sword?"

"The Sword of Gryffindor. Appears when it's needed for brave Gryffindors!" Sirius explained.

"There is no known location for it?" Hermione asked surprised.

"Not really… Popped out across history here and there, but no place of resting."

"Popped out when?"

"In battle usually, I mean it is an actually weapon"

Sirius's explanation didn't bring them much to work with.

"So should we just put Gryffindors in harm's way and hope?" Pansy asked.

"Moony!" Teddy's excited cries distracted everyone.

Remus made his way to the table. He was still weak and a bit shaky, but in a better state then when they found him.

"How is your leg?" He asked Pansy.

"Completely healed," she replied promptly.

"How are you feeling?" Sirius asked worried; it was weird to hear Black sound so sincere.

"As expected after a transformation."

Sirius passed the baby over to Remus. Severus noticed the slight hesitation in Remus picking him up, but didn't comment on it. The baby cuddled close to Remus's chest his features morphing from Sirius to Remus.

"What do you want to do?" Lily asked Remus.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you, you won't just let this go!"

"I was planning on going back to that werewolf camp… Ask them more about it, maybe talk to their alphas. Maybe ask for their help"

"I doubt they'd refuse one of their own."

"Even if they do, I plan on bringing them gifts anyway."

"Gifts?" Sirius asked suspicious.

"How many wolfs bane potions do you have in stock?" Remus asked Severus.

"I don't understand why I have to come as well?" Severus asked. He struggled to keep up with the two werewolves that moved swiftly through the forest floor.

"We do not know how much stock we need for the whole camp," Remus explained again.

"I could have owled," Severus huffed grumpy.

"We are here!" Bodin announced and stopped.

"Here?" Severus asked looking around. No huts, just empty woods, the grass didn't even looked stepped on.

"Teacher," a gravelly voice called. "It's safe!"

After the call, the clearing filled with people, men and women, presumably werewolves, dressed in animal skins. They looked strong, lean, frightened, even the few children they carried with them.

"Wizard," one of them hissed staring at Severus.

"He is with us!" Remus was quick to reassure them.

"He is the one that makes the good potions!" Bodin called.

The werewolves looked relieved.

"We brought more of it for you!" Remus called.

Remus and Bodin unloaded the shrunk potions from their bags. The werewolves seemed wary of them when they used spells.

"No wizards?" Severus asked surprised.

"We left magic behind, there is no use to us here," a young boy answered.

"I want to talk to Alana," Remus said.

"Nana is resting," a young girl replied.

"It's very important" Remus looked in the crowd.

"Follow me!" The same boy that answered Severus before replied. "Only you!" He squinted his eyes at Severus, still suspicious.

"They do not like wizards very much, huh?" Severus whispered to Bodin.

"Everyone here has super hearing," Bodin replied rolling his eyes. "But no, some of them were muggles before they got bitten, for some their magic got wonky and others got hurt by wizards… It was a small price to give up for peace for most."

"Muggles?" Severus asked surprised.

"Back in the first wizard war, werewolves that fought on the dark side bit everyone they could."

"

"Asked them to put their names in a file, blacklisted them from jobs and most from finding housing… The rest of us never revealed ourselves to the Ministry."

"But… Remus…"

"Could have changed stuff for us if the Ministry wouldn't have failed entirely… A lot of werewolves look up to him, he helped a lot of people, you know…"

"I do," Severus said taken aback.

The old alpha agreed to help Remus control his powers better. Bodin and Remus both remained in the camp, but had given Severus the option to return to the house; he refused.

The next day was a full moon. He supplied everyone with the potions and watched them transform, even kids. He knew Remus was a werewolf back when they were in school, but he never actually thought about it, how it was for a kid that young to transform and to go through that alone… at least till Black and Potter became animagi.

For his safety, Severus had to apparate away even if most of werewolves could control themselves fully. He went back to the house for the night. It was so weird to consider that place home, but it had been for the last months now.

They spent a few weeks at the camp. Remus got a much better hold on his powers, including the possibility to transform at will. They had to work a lot with him, specifically on accepting the wolf since Remus hated anything related to it for so long. Severus started scribbling some of his observations, no one had such an access to the process and werewolf life so far. Remus really liked the idea and wrote a few notes as well, maybe it would help in the future.

"You know, in the end it all boils down to you embracing the wolf," Severus told him one night after a very brutal training session with the elders.

"I spent so much of my life hating this part of me… I am not sure I could ever do it," Remus said after a long pause. They were the only ones awake in the camp.

"Take it from someone that spent all his adult life learning to not hate concepts other people put in my head, it is a long process, but it is worth it."

"If someone told me I'd get this talk from you as a teenager," Remus snorted.

"Teenage Severus would be surprised as well, but he had a lot to learn."

The next day, Remus managed his full transformation without the moon. Severus was very proud, even if he tried to hide it (more out of habit than anything else).

When they got back to the house, not much had changed. Sirius and Teddy were elated to have Remus back and celebrated loudly. In a few years the baby would be more mature than Sirius, Severus thought drily. Draco and Harry disposed of the last Horcrux they acquired, but no idea where to go from there.

The Death Eaters were scattering everywhere to find them, but the house remained unplottable. Harry was getting tired of the wait though, Severus was worried he would do something stupid just to move stuff along.

The radio was always running in the kitchen, they were listening to Lee Jordan and his news bulleting about the Resistance. Their family was not the only one fighting, pockets of people that were against Voldemort were popping up all over and Severus was sure the Weasleys were in each one.

Fred and George closed their shop on Diagon. Well, most of Diagon closed. Severus was wondering how the economy even worked - no one bought anything, everyone was afraid, even the purebloods… It was a reign of terror that not even the old purebloods were ripping benefits from. The Dark Eaters said it was all due to Harry and it was a huge bounty on his head now, but Severus was not sure if even they believed that.

Jordan finished every news section with a kill tow. That was the moment the house got quiet and everyone was waiting in tense silence for a name that they knew. None came till one night…

"… and Ted Tonks" Lee Jordan's voice read.

Sirius dropped his spoon. No one moved a muscle.

"Were they?" Lily asked in a soft voice.

"They were not on any assignment," Remus answered.

"Dora wouldn't just stay still…" Sirius answered. "I should…"

"It's dangerous to…" Remus started.

"I am not leaving Andi alone with this," Sirius said and rose from the table.

"Take care!" Remus grabbed his hand.

Sirius's stern features broke into a small smile and he nodded.

They buried Ted Tonks a few days later. Sirius insisted he gets a place in the Black family crypt. Severus had never seen the place before; it was creepier than the house if it was possible. Gargoyles everywhere, black marble all around, even the flowers were all spelled black.

Dora and Andromeda cried during the whole ceremony in Sirius chest. Lily was holding onto Severus's arm, he didn't know if she was even aware she was doing it. Harry and Draco were on Lily's other side, both dressed in black and looking solemn. For Draco it was a default state lately, but Harry… he was feeling guilty. Ted didn't die on an Order mission, he was snitched on by a family that lived close and they had known their whole life. Death Eaters came for him even if he was unarmed and used the killing curse on him in the middle of the street Andromeda and Dora specifically hid him away to not put him in danger further….

Before they left for the funeral, Harry approached Lily and Severus.

"I do not think it's appropriate for me to go to the funeral."

"Why do you think that?" Lily asked.

"He died because of me, didn't he?" Harry snapped.

"Sweetie," Lily's said in a low voice.

"He died because he was brave and didn't want to live in the world they would have created," Severus said.

"They targeted him because he was family, because Voldemort is getting restless, because he fears that damn prophecy."

"He is a bloodthirsty bastard. That is not your doing," Severus said.

None of it was Harry's fault. The Death Eaters were a threat before he was born and they would be regardless of him. Even the damn prophecy wasn't clear if it was Harry or Neville Longbottom. Severus wanted to reach out and hug Harry, but that didn't came naturally to him. He was afraid Harry would do something stupid, well for Harry it was part of the norm.

Harry nodded dejected.

"Go and get dressed, we need to be there for Dora and Andromeda," Lily coaxed.

The Weasley clan was at the funeral as well, a sea of red hair in the dark crowd. Lily could fit right in, his wayward brain supplied. The older children were all here, even Charles Weasley, surprisingly. Percy was standing to the side with his girlfriend Penelope Clearwater; he seemed to still be at odds with them for his support to the Ministry before the fall.

They were having a little dinner at Black's house after. In total there were 20 people at the funeral. It is not like they could have advertised it in the paper; none of Ted's muggle family was informed. Before the ceremony, Sirius and Remus put the strongest wards they knew on the cemetery. Using blood rites and other protection methods the Blacks put in store for their own.

After the wake, when they were ready to go they were stopped by some of the Weasley kids - the twins, William and Charles.

"We want to join the Order," William said.

"We are hardly the Order anymore without Dumbledore," Sirius said.

"You are fighting against what is happening here and we want to help. Besides, our dream is already in flames due to all this destruction," Fred said.

"I can help you rebuild," Sirius said.

"For who?" George asked. "No one is buying jokes anymore."

"You just got married this year, it's dangerous," Remus said to William.

"Well, so did you… and 'ts not like I haven't already helped you with the Bank.".

"What about your job, Charlie?" Remus asked.

"There are people here that I care about, I can't keep running, mister Lupin."

"They are older than we were," Sirius said looking at Remus.

"Does your mother know?" Lily piped in.

Everyone shouldered.

"Molly and Arthur were pretty good fighters," Severus said.

"Mom and dad were part of the Order!?" Fred exclaimed.

"Well at the start, but they had to quit when they had their second kid."

"It's always because of you, huh?" William teases Charles.

"We are old enough to make our choices!" George proclaimed loudly.

Sirius sighed. "Kid, we are fighting Voldemort, I rather take him on than an enraged Molly."

"Ron and Ginny are at Hogwarts, I am going to have a kid soon, I do not want them to grow up in the world he is building," William said.

Severus looked at Lily. She was pondering it. Sirius and Remus looked sold already.

"We are happy to have you then!" Severus said and extended his hand.

His ex-students looked taken aback, but they all shook his hand.

It was during a dinner, days later,that Severus decided to speak out about something that was on his mind for a while.

"Do you remember the prophecy?" he asked Lily.

"The one about who is going to kill Voldemort?"

"Yes, and we all assumed it was done when Voldemort fell the first time, but he is so relentless in finding Harry now… I think there may be some truth to it."

"That Harry or Neville are going to kill him for good?"

"Why else is he using so many resources to find him?"

"I am not going to put my son on the battle field."

"I was not asking you to… But I think it's not our choice to make"

"Harry will jump at the chance of doing something, he has James's drive."

"What if he can? What if he can really kill Voldemort?"

"How? He is just Harry… He is a kid, a smart kid, but he was mostly lucky so far."

"Maybe he is the one destroying all the Horcruxes, maybe it is about that."

"Since Selena is doing all the work and she is listening to him, he technically is."

"I do not want to see him in a fight more than you, but we need to consider all options."

"Let's use up the ideas we have so far."

"There is still no sighting of the Sword of Gryffindor and no idea what the last Horcux is, assuming he did the maximum number of seven"

"So we have nothing," Lily glared.

"And they have the numbers and the power…"

Other people came to them asking to join the cause, people Remus and Sirius helped, worried parents, young people that wanted to make the world a better place, veterans that had already fought a war. Soon they had to make camp elsewhere and Sirius chose the forest where he got married. A strange choice if you ask Severus.

They put tents and had maps drawn like they were fighting a war and for all intents and purposes they were. The man Severus was at the begging of the first war would have fled already. He only gave the information to the Order of the Phoenix because Voldemort wanted to kill Lily and for the first time something else mattered more than his own life. He grew a lot since then, he learnt a lot and he was sure the man he was now would have fought that war for the good side just because it was the right thing to do. He was quietly proud of that.

They took shifts guarding the camp and then more shifts guarding over the restless teenagers that wanted to throw themselves at the enemy recklessly. Harry was getting tenser with each attack they heard of on the radio. Lily wanted to ban them all together, but people had family and friends, they wanted to hear news about their love ones.

Severus just finished his shift and was groggily making the way to his tent. Sirius was supposed to replace him? Or was it Lily? His mind was too tired to concentrate, he opened the flap and lighted the candle with a flick of his wand. Lily was waiting on his cot, she was fidgeting with her hands, she was worried.

"What happened?" He asked. "Is someone else…?"

"No, there were no new names tonight," she said. "And before you ask, Harry and everyone else are okay too."

He wanted to ask what it was then, but experience taught him that Lily worked on her own time. He fought a yawn and took a seat waiting for her to arrange her thoughts.

"I spoke with Sirius this evening," she started.

Severus was getting worried; his relationship with Black had only been weird. Remus and Lily both accepted him, but Sirius still saw him as the spiteful boy he was in school.

"He told me that you are still in love with me and I should consider that when asking you to fight for us, that it's selfish of me to expect you to be by my side through this."

"It's my fight as much as anyone's," Severus said. He didn't deny he loved her, of course he did, part of him knew he always would. "I... know you still love P… James, I am not asking anything of you."

"I know" She sighed. "But I loved you first."

Severus's legs felt like jelly, good thing he was seating. He couldn't articulate anything, just stare at her.

"I loved you, my first magical friend, but you got farther and farther away from me… I didn't know who you were anymore… And James…" she smiled a sad longing smile. "James was such a whirlwind, I fell for him slowly and completely and I did really loved him."

It's my fault… Severus's mind screamed. I could have had this… If only he wouldn't had been so foolish in his youth… But then Harry wouldn't have been born… And even if the boy was not his, Severus always loved him like he was.

"And after James died, I closed off that part of myself thinking that I would never love again, thinking that I shouldn't, that I can't…"

Severus felt like he was drowning, but tried not to move a muscle on his chair. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Lily's face.

"Sirius cornered me tonight and told me I should think about you too, that I should think of me… I didn't know I needed someone to say that…"

"What do you mean?" Severus asked his voice trembling.

"That it's time I start living for myself too," Lily rose from her seat.

Severus imagined kissing Lily Evans so many times it felt more like a memory. He felt like he could weep or never wake up if this was once again just a dream. But her hand on his arm was solid, he could sense her lips on his and smell her hair and Severus had never had a nicer dream.