Seeing the group of people seated around the table that had once been a source of discomfort for him practically brought Sirius to tears. The table that had once held family dinners full of people he hated, conversations that angered him, and a desire to find a new family, now held his true family. "I can't remember the last time we had an evening with friends like this," Molly said, half-drunk, laughing out loud.

Beside her Arthur kissed her cheek, looking the calmest Sirius had ever seen him. Sure, the alcohol helped, but there was a general good feeling in the room that evening. Voldemort was back, a war was approaching, yet Dumbledore's bringing them together had restored a temporary sense of hope none of them had felt in years. "Nice to have the kids all grown now," Arthur added.

For the first time in over a decade, his best friend sat beside him. Sirius glanced to Remus, his arm around Tonks, and smiled to himself. At the other end of the table was Moody and McGonagall, two people that he'd learned had more history of friendship than he'd ever thought. Tonks got up to use the loo, and Remus turned back to Sirius, pulling him out of his thoughts. "I missed you, my friend," Remus said softly.

"You seem happy," Sirius commented, nodding towards Tonks as she left the room.

Remus blushed. "So many things are happening that I could have never believed. You're free and working with us again. I found love…dark times, Sirius, but it seems there is some light."

Clapping the other man on his shoulder, Sirius smiled. "Did you always believe it?"

"Hm?"

"That I betrayed James and Lily." He could see Remus grow uncomfortable at the question. "I want the truth, Remus."

"I did. Perhaps, not at first, I think the shock of it all…" He paused and looked him in the eye. "But as time went on…I had to."

Sirius bit his lip. It was hard to swallow that so many people thought that he had the capacity to be a monster. "The time in Azkaban…it almost made me believe it myself."

"You're here now. You're safe."

"Dear, Merlin!" came Tonks's voice from the hall. Sirius watched Remus spring from his chair and run into the hall. The others looked just as concerned, and Sirius followed everyone else into the hall.

Dragging himself through the door was Snape, a bloodied cut down the side of his right leg, his pants ripped at the bottom as the wound gushed out. "Severus!" McGonagall exclaimed, pushing past everyone to her lover.

Her lover. Sirius watched his former professor rush to his childhood enemy's side, holding him up, nothing but love and concern in her usually stern eyes. The relationship between the two was something that even after weeks of Order meetings with them both, Sirius still struggled to understand. "What happened this time?" McGonagall asked, her voice oddly calm.

Molly was at Minerva's side, helping guide Snape into the kitchen to sit down. "Are you all too drunk and daft enough to think winning back the Dark Lord's trust was going to be a one off meeting?"

"We have to get you back to Madam Pomfrey," Tonks said.

Snape waved her off. "No need."

"Oh, come on, Severus," Molly cut in. "You need that mended."

"I said no."

McGonagall's face was pale, but she made no argument against what Snape said, and everyone seemed to follow suit. "Molly, a towel, would you?" She sat down beside Snape, and as Molly handed her the towel, she washed off the wound. Something about the way she did it made it look as if it wasn't the first time Snape had returned home in this state.

The room fell silent, and Sirius, and he knew the others did as well, wanted a report from his meeting with the Dark Lord. "Nothing new to report," Snape said. "He's not keeping me privy to much. Potter is safe, for now. He's still testing the loyalty of his members." Snape motioned to his leg. "That's enough, Min," he muttered, pushing her hand away and standing.

As everyone turned back to their conversations, McGonagall guided Snape out of the room, only to return on her own a few minutes later.

"Is he alright, Minerva?" Molly asked.

"He'll be fine." Her voice was strong; she's always been the rock for them as children. Years later, with a table full of her former students, the Head of Gryffindor provided the same peace that she had when they had sat around the common room. "The term will start soon, and so the meetings will be less frequent."

"That's not the first time it's happened, is it?" Sirius asked.

McGonagall turned to him, pursing her lips. "It's not. It's been our whole summer."

She took a seat in the chair beside him, and he could hear her sigh heavily as she poured herself a glass of Gillywater. Hesitantly, Sirius laid a hand on her shoulder. His former professor threw him a half-hearted, tired smile. "Are you happy?"

"Hm?"

"You. With Snape."

"Indeed." She took a sip of her drink. "I know you and Severus…"

Sirius put his hand up. "My opinion of him is of no concern."

"Our concern is your safety," came a soft voice from behind Sirius. Remus was behind him. "But during my time teaching…I saw how he looks at you…"

"I'm far too sober for this conversation," she said, chuckling slightly.

An awkward silence fell between them until Remus broke it. "I never did ask: how did it happen?"

"Excuse me?"

"You and Snape," Remus said. Sirius felt the discomfort from their former teacher at the intrusive question. Minerva McGonagall had always been an enigma- a pillar of academics and professionalism. It was still strange to think of her as something other than a teacher. He supposed for Remus, it was less uncomfortable, as he'd lived in the castle as an equal for a year. For Sirius, he still felt like a student around her.

McGonagall smiled slightly. "It seems ridiculous to talk about."

"You don't have to," Remus said quickly.

She put a hand on his arm. "It's alright. I'm not used to being the subject of gossip. It does raise many questions, and I've always been blunt with you. Why should now be any different? You're no longer my students."

"I don't know if I'll ever feel as if I'm not," Sirius replied.

"Even after a year of being on staff with you, I'm still waiting to have points taken off for being out of bed," Remus chuckled, reading Sirius's mind.

"I never did hear the whole story," Molly said from behind them, pulling up a chair to the group as Arthur pulled Mad Eyed Moody into the garage. She poured Minerva another drink. "It's been a long time since I've had some good girl talk."

"I think we're ruining that for you," Sirius laughed.

Molly, clearly a few drinks into the evening, threw her arms around Sirius and Remus. "You're one of us girls for the evening."

Tonks made her way back over and chuckled. "Glad to know he's one of us," she said, rubbing Remus's arm.

"I'm afraid there's not much of a story," Minerva said.

"Oh, now, I remember one particular Order meeting," Molly jumped in.

"What meeting?" Minerva asked.

"Severus had just joined the staff and Mad Eye was making some accusations about Severus as a Death Eater. Minerva jumped right to his defense in her typical fashion. But, afterwards, the two of them were speaking, and I was surprised at the friendship between them."

"Oh, we were just friends," Minerva said. "Nothing more back then."

"So, when were you more than friends?" Tonks asked.

Sirius had to laugh at the sudden involvement of the women in McGonagall's personal life. For the first time, he could see McGonagall as a woman first, teacher second. She had always been the type of teacher who's whole life seemed to be the school, and, to an extent, it truly was. Yet, here she was, in a group of women, telling them gossip about her love life. "A Quidditch match and quite a few drinks."

"Ohhh! It was a one night stand?" Tonks asked.

Suddenly, Sirius felt he was out of place in the conversation, blushing deeply at the thought of McGonagall engaged in any sexual activity. "No, no. We had become quite close, and I suppose afraid to say anything of how we were feeling. You could imagine how I felt telling my former student how I felt, and Severus, well, he's not exactly romance material."

"How long did it take for it to spread among the staff?" Molly asked. "I imagine as soon as Rolanda got a hold of that information…"

McGonagall laughed. "I never explicitly told the girls. I'd rather not imagine how they found out. As for Filius, Severus told me he'd noticed it far before we had; he's perceptive that way."

"Does he treat you well?" Sirius found himself asking, rather darkly. A strange protective streak ran through him, knowing how long McGonagall had been vulnerable with the former Death Eater.

"Yes, Black. He does." Silence fell over the group for a few, and Sirius immediately regretted ruining the tone. He broke it by asking, "Who's going to be teaching the Dark Arts this year?"

"I don't know," McGonagall admitted, a touch of irritation in her voice.

"Oh, come now! Your Dumbledore's right hand, surely you know. You just won't tell us!" Tonks exclaimed.

"He doesn't tell me everything. Some decisions he leaves to himself. Anyway, I should go check in on Severus before bed." McGonagall smiled to them all. "Thank you for a lovely evening." With a few hugs, she disappeared into the night.