TW: Passing mention of suicidal thoughts.

'Any questions?' Harry asked as he smiled across the table from Elizabeth. The latter had her head in her hands as she tried to comprehend the near hour-long explanation. Everything from Harry's parents' death to his newfound godfather. From Hogwarts to the Ministry of magic, pretty much everything had been covered in general detail.

Finally, she looked up at him. 'Yes, actually. When we had the… erm…' she looked around at the assorted guests. 'You know, the other day. You used loads of magic on me and the boat. But thing is, you said that it's illegal to do magic outside of school if you're under the age of seventeen. You said you'd get a letter from the Ministry. Did you get one? You performed a ton of spells.'

Everyone's eyes shifted to Harry who looked appropriately guilty. 'Um… well…' Harry had no idea how to explain that his wand was not a regulated wand. Or the fact that he doubted the wand even existed on a Ministry list.

'I can answer that.' said Arthur, coming to Harry's rescue. 'You said there was a boat, yes?' Elizabeth nodded. 'Well, when performing magic offshore, that is to say, in the ocean or off the coast of the Ministry's grounds, you can't track magic. It's international space and therefore untraceable.'

Hermione was the only one who seemed to feel the need to question this. 'In the muggle world it would be considered a part of the United Kingdom.'

'Yes, but magic can't be tracked over water like that. Even lakes and ponds have trouble.' supplied Remus.

'So, if I was standing in the stream at the Burrow, I could get away with magic?' Fred asked, genuinely intrigued despite the certainty that whatever magic he would perform would lead to another's suffering.

'No. That can be tracked because you're standing on the ground. The water is just flowing on top of it.' said Arthur.

'I don't get it. What's the difference between that and a lake or a pond? It's on the ground too.' said George.

'I should have specified.' Remus smiled knowingly at the twins. 'It has to be a pretty deep pond. If you're standing on the floor of a lake, or pond, or stream or river or whatever. They can track magic. An ocean is out of bounds. Hence why we didn't receive a warning about Harry's use of underaged magic.' he glared at Harry. 'Why did you perform magic? Other than to impress Elizabeth.'

Harry groaned. He really didn't want to tell the whole story. 'It was sort of a life-or-death situation.' he said quietly

Sirius placed his butterbeer bottle down carefully in a rare, and oddly terrifying, display of, for lack of a better term, seriousness. 'And why is this the first time I'm hearing about this.'

Harry cringed at Sirius's use of his "parent-voice". It sounded an awful lot like how his mum scolded him mentally. 'Because it didn't come up?'

'Perhaps Miss Edwards could supply a detailed account.' said Professor McGonagall.

'Sure-thing Professor. Potter, you're a coward.' she glared at her friend and turned to Sirius. 'Harry came over for dinner because my Da absolutely despises him. I wanted to convince him to understand that there is nothing between me and Harry. Harry sort of… stumbled and didn't really get the point across.' she smirked as everyone laughed. Harry cringed and placed his forehead on the table in embarrassment. 'The whole thing was really just an attempt at trying to convince my dad to let us take the boat. I've driven it loads of times so it shouldn't have been a problem, but I suppose he figured we were going to go for a snog infused joyride or something because he declined us.'

'Git.' said George under his breath.

'Oh, honestly!' Hermione whispered incredulously. 'He's only trying to protect his daughter.'

Elizabeth sniffed. 'Anyway, Harry had the brilliant idea to steal the keys-'

'Oh, because you weren't keen on the idea at all were you Edwards? Also, I'd like to point out that we borrowed the keys. I am no thief.' huffed Harry.

'Oh, trust me I know.' Elizabeth and Harry both laughed at the private joke before she continued her story. 'So, there we were on the boat in the open ocean. I turn to look at Potter and he has his eyes closed and honestly, you'd think he was posing for a picture to be taken it was bloody hilarious.' Harry grumbled a bit, recalling the feeling of the ocean breeze. 'Then because he distracted me-'

'Only because you were so taken with my side-profile.'

'THEN, BECAUSE HE DISTRACTED ME…' Elizabeth shouted over Harry, much to the amusement of those gathered. 'I turned into a wave a little funny and the boat tipped. Now, it's a good thing Potter has no care for safety because he wasn't wearing his seatbelt when we flipped. He started sinking into the ocean but quickly realized he knows how to swim apparently.' she took a sip from her glass of water and grimaced at what she was forced to admit. 'My buckle was jammed so I couldn't get out. Harry came up and used his wand to cut my seatbelt and then sort of, levitated me out of the water so I could breathe. He came up right after me. He saved me.'

'Harry it's almost like you have a thing for saving people or something.' the twins teased good naturedly.

'Anyway, then I performed a levitation charm on the boat to flip it, lifted her out of the water and onto the boat, conjured a towel, cast a warming charm, cast a stinging hex on the motor to get to get it started again without the need of a battery, and cast a drying charm on the inside of the boat.' Harry finished the story in a rush.

'Hold on a moment,' Percy butted in. 'list each spell off again please.'

Harry cringed but obliged. He listed off each one in the order he used them in and explained the situation in which he performed them. He did not mention the fact that the majority of the spells didn't take a moment's thought, or the fact that they were mostly non-verbal.

'Mr. Potter, did you find success with all of those spells?' inquired Professor McGonagall.

'Everything worked perfectly, Professor.'

'Yeah, and that warming charm was amazing.' supplied Elizabeth.

'Fascinating.' said Arthur as he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin.

'I reckon it was nothing.' Harry quickly interjected. 'I mean, it was probably just adrenaline and such.'

'Still,' said Professor McGonagall. 'the fact that you not only knew of such magic, but performed it is quite impressive. If classes were in session, I'd gift you five points.'

Harry smiled shyly. He still wasn't used to being praised but smiling and nodding was better than making excuses and claiming that it was nothing. Progress.

'Harry, if you don't mind. Could you explain what has been going on over the summer? I know that Professor Dumbledore came to visit you but other than his quick reassurances I haven't heard anything.' inquired Professor McGonagall.

'It's been… complicated.' Harry paused and stared into McGonagall's eyes. 'Mum, tell her that I haven't told them about my condition yet.'

A moment later, McGonagall flinched a bit and nodded slightly at him. Harry began. 'End of last year, like you all know, I discovered that Sirius was my godfather, and that Remus was a very close friend of my mother and father's. I was sort of invited to stay with them, so I accepted. Originally, we were going to stay in this gloomy house that used to belong to Sirius's mum. Glad we didn't even have to enter because Sirius remembered that I had inherited Potter Manor. So, we headed off here. The houseleves, Floppy and Flappy, have been keeping it clean since my parents went into hiding and… well… yeah.'

Everyone took the reasoning for Harry's sudden switch in guardianship at face value. The fact that Harry actually needed to leave Privet Drive so as not to endanger his relatives was not mentioned.

'Well, we knew all of that,' snapped Ron impatiently. 'But what have you been up to?'

Harry smiled. He had missed his best mate. 'I've been flying, reading, and just hanging out with Remus and Sirius. The grounds around the manor are unpotable so you can do underaged magic. Dumbledore actually encouraged it, so I hope that alleviates some of your concerns.' Harry paused and looked around. 'Actually, I've been practicing with runes to make some cool stuff. All of that muggle technology is my doing. Well, Remus showed me how, but I built the runic array for muggle electric items to function around magic.' Harry smiled. Impressed with himself.

Hermione gave him an odd look, but Arthur was beaming at him. 'I've been trying to figure that out for years. Professor Lupin, how did you manage to figure that out? I've never been much good at runes.'

Remus shifted in his seat a little awkwardly. 'Oh, well I sort of had to learn to blend muggle and magic. For my jobs, you know.' Harry sighed inwardly. Not a lie but not the truth either. Being a werewolf really had its downsides.

'Can we get a bit more detail than that, Harry? I don't mean to pry… I just haven't had much contact with you. You were only writing to Ginny.' said Hermione, quietly.

'Yeah, mate, what's with that?' asked Ron.

'I wrote letters to Ginny because I wanted to.' Harry hoped that cleared things up. 'And sure Hermione, I'll give a bit more detail, Erm…' he thought about how to start. 'Essentially, we started off our summer by trying to figure out a way to get Sirius's name cleared. We needed the Ministry looking for Peter instead of Sirius so that was one thing, but I realized early on that I wanted to do more. I originally shot the idea of condemning Lucius through Percy who agreed with me that it was a good idea Percy sort of inadvertently gave me the tools to find the victim's law. Which, by the way, is the most ridiculous loophole of all time. It's so vague and undefined and it's positively ancient.'

Percy shrugged as he took a sip of his pumpkin juice. 'The best Ministry men know its flaws.' Fred and George gaped at Percy.

'The Ministry has… FLAWS?' They asked together.

Percy chuckled and nodded. 'Of course it does. How do you think Lucius Malfoy has been able to stay on the Wizengamot for so long? And after today's stunt by the Minister trying to take over the trial, I can't say I fully support Fudge either.'

Even Harry was taken aback by that sentiment but wholeheartedly agreed. 'Anyways,' Harry said as he tried to push past the stunned silence. 'Then me and Sirius just went through every means we had to prove he was innocent without having Peter show up. It wasn't hard, not really. The most difficult part was finding every single hole Malfoy could jump through. We needed this plan to be airtight.' Harry paused and his expression suddenly turned skeptical. 'If I'm being perfectly honest, I don't think Lucy put up much of a fight.'

Hermione put her glass down and swallowed. 'Yes, I meant to bring that up actually. Why do you think he was so complacent? I mean… He chose Azkaban over isolation at home. I mean, yes being alone with your own thoughts can be a bother after a while but constant exposure to dementors is just…' She shivered.

Sirius looked grim. 'I agree. Something's up and we don't know what it is.'

Everyone went quiet for a bit. Arthur started up a conversation over whether Remus could share notes on the subject of muggle runic arrays, when Ron asked another question that had evidently been eating away at him. 'When you listed off Mr. Malfoy's punishments, you said you'd be taking over Draco's trust vault. What do you really plan to do with it?'

Harry raised an eyebrow. Everyone's attention was once again on him. Elizabeth had been filled in on the events of the trial but did not know about the rivalry between Draco and Harry. 'I'm going to refill it each year like I promised. And I'm going to make sure that Narcissa has access to my vaults as well. In a formal capacity of course. That being that if she wants to withdraw some money, I have to approve it.'

'WHAT!' cried Ron and the twins in outrage. 'How could you do that?' Ron asked incredulously.

Truth be told, that had not been Harry's idea. It was Lily's. It had been one of their long arguments that lasted well through the night, which Harry hadn't considered fair since while he was sleeping, he couldn't really respond. She had argued that Draco was young, like Harry, and could therefore escape his father's influence. Harry felt this was a bit of a stretch but agreed on principle. As for the sharing of monetary funds, Narcissa was betrothed to Lucius and had not married him by choice. That had to count for something, right? When Harry had shared this with Narcissa directly after the trial, she had been incredibly taken aback. She had assured Harry that she had more than enough gold in her personal vault and would likely never need any help from Harry. Harry had promised that if she needed some help, as long as he approved, she'd receive it. Harry had been surprised at how grateful Narcissa had seemed, and it wasn't forced either. Harry figured that she was either a very good actress, or sincere. He didn't really care. He'd gotten a rough estimate on to how much gold Narcissa had and knew that she'd never, for at least two centuries, need his financial aid.

'Well, because Draco is a kid like us. In school, like us. I hate his father, and I'm not a fan of Draco whatsoever, but everyone deserves a second chance. As for his mother, that was more of a truce gift. I know she'll never need it and I won't approve it unless she has full documentation for what she wishes to use the money for.' replied Harry, calmly.

'So after all the shit he's done to us-'

'What has he done to us, Ron?' Harry interjected. He hated to admit that his mother's arguments were valid, and that he was using them against his best mate. 'He's thrown petty insults and followed in his dad's footsteps. You've done the same!'

Ron looked affronted. 'I have never called anyone like Hermione a- a-'

Harry sighed. 'That's not my point, Ron. I'm saying that you follow your father's opinions too. Don't you?'

Ron stared at Harry. 'Well yeah! My dad's great and he raised us right.'

'Right, so it's fair to say that the way Draco has been raised, and the way his father acts at home is how he's developed to interact with people. When we talk back to him, we only fuel the fire. I'm pretty sure I've got his mum on my side, if not by ideology than by straight respect. He won't have any contact with his father for eleven years if all goes well. Let's all just… not be gits to him. Alright?' Harry's tone was practically pleading.

'I'll behave if he does.' said Ron, folding his arms over his chest.

'No, because we know he won't.' Ginny cut in. 'We just need to do what Harry said. Don't fight back. Eventually, Malfoy will learn that it's a waste of time to kick a dead horse.'

'I must say, Potter, I am impressed with your maturity over the situation. I cannot say that I appreciate Mr. Malfoy's behaviour, but to choose this stance is highly… logical.' Professor McGonagall stared intently at Harry.

'You're saying that we should all just be the better man then?' said George.

'Exactly that. We'll never be friends. Unless the bloke goes through a total makeover.' said Harry, chuckling to himself. 'But we can stop the prejudice first and maybe he'll reciprocate.

The words coming out of Harry's mouth tasted like bile, but he knew his mother was right. And he'd listen to her. For once in his life, Harry Potter would obey the rules.

Hermione squirmed in her seat a bit. 'Harry, if you don't mind my asking… could you explain why you look… different?'

Elizabeth perked up. 'What'd he look like before?' she asked.

'Specky, skinny, short.' supplied Fred.

Elizabeth snorted into her pumpkin juice and held the glass up away from her. 'This stuff's good.' she said to no one in particular.

Harry sighed as he tossed Hermione's question around in his head. He had a cover story, and he knew it was a good one. It had been planned out for weeks, but he suddenly felt guilty over keeping this from them all. 'The glasses are simple. I finally went and got contacts. Erm, as for the growth spurt that was mostly due to nutrient potions and actually being fed. Muscles aren't much, but I reckon there's more than there was before…' Ginny privately agreed. 'That's mostly from just being able to fly as much as I want.'

Hermione smiled kindly at him and turned that smile to Sirius and Remus. 'It's good to see that someone cares about him.'

Sirius beamed at Hermione. 'He's amazing.'

Harry blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. 'Any more questions? I've got to head to the loo.'

Everyone shook their heads and returned to their elf-made meal which had yet to truly begin. Harry walked out of the dining hall and across the kitchen. He opened the door to the loo and closed it behind him and flicked the lock. His mum instantly knew what was bothering him.

'Just tell them, they'll understand.'

'Will they? I mean, it's only a matter of time until they find out. And I agree with you. You know, the whole telling them instills trust thing.'

'I think now is a good time. Everyone you truly care about is here and you can fill them all in.'

'I just feel so… tainted. And I want to explain it all to someone who isn't Remus. Because Remus feels exactly the same way.'

'Remus has always been too hard on himself.'

'Has he? Has he really? Look at him, mum! Until this summer when Sirius sent Floppy out to get Remus some new clothes, he looked homeless! He's been shunned his whole life and he's bloody brilliant! If the world knew he was a werewolf he'd be fired straight away.'

'And do you think I know nothing about discrimination and segregation? About being belittled for something one can't control? I was a muggleborn witch during the first war, Harry. I had friends turn their backs against me. Laws were put in place that limited my work. For Christ's sake, I was Head Girl and top of my year and still struggled to find a job. I know a lot more about feeling like you don't belong than you realize.'

'But that's the thing, isn't it! That's it! You DO understand! But you sit here, and you act so optimistic. I have made friends, mum! I have worked so hard to keep these friendships. I have limited myself to avoid losing them, I have changed how I act around them to secure a safe relationship with them. Sure, I'm not doing that anymore, and without the Horcrux, I can finally act myself without an iron curtain hanging over my head, but they've clearly noticed that I'm different. Imagine what they'll say when they realize I'm a mon-werewolf.'

'Well then, they aren't worth it.'

'What?'

'If they turn you away. If they treat at you poorly for who you truly are, they aren't worth it. I held on to friendships far too long because I thought I could change them. I thought I could make them appreciate me for who I am, and you know what? Maybe they did. But they were too cowardly to express themselves. So don't sit behind a mask. Don't hide who you are because of senseless bigotry.'

'Is it senseless? Like it or not, werewolves have the reputation they have for a reason.'

'Yes, but you know who you are, and you know that you won't be like them.'

'No, I don't know. And that's what scares me.'

There was a long pause and Harry felt his magic react by heating up and enveloping him in what felt like the hug he had received from his mother during his transformation.

'I'm proud of who you truly are. You're fun, you're sarcastic, you're brave and you have a phenomenal sense of justice. If your friends don't follow you… well, you can find some new ones who will. It all comes down to trust.'

'It all comes down to trust.' Harry repeated mentally.

'So flush that toilet to hide the fact that you've been in here pacing.' Harry laughed out loud at that. 'Turn on the tap for a respectable amount of time, and then leave the door half open.'

'Thanks mum.'

'I love you, Harry.'

She had said it so many times, but Harry would never get tired of it. For the first time in his life Harry reciprocated. 'I love you too, mum.'

Harry stumbled slightly back into the formal dining room to find everyone having a good time. Except for one guest.

Harry slid in next to Elizabeth and touched her arm. 'Are you alright?'

She jumped slightly at the contact and turned to smile sheepishly at Harry. 'It's all a bit overwhelming.'

Harry chuckled. 'Yeah, I remember feeling the same way.'

'So, you send letters by owls? Like the trenches with the pigeons?'

'No, passenger pigeons are a bit different. Owls are naturally magical and can locate anyone in the world unless they're properly hidden.' said Hermione, who had been listening in on their exchange.

Elizabeth nodded her head slowly before perking up again. 'So, Quidditch. Do you think it would be possible for me to play?'

'Only one way to find out, isn't there?' Harry said as he rose to his feet and started making his way back to the main hall. He turned to find only Elizabeth had gotten up to followw. 'Well come on then, let's teach a squib to fly!'

Elizabeth hung around Harry for the most part. Her earlier interest in the twins had died a bit due to their exuberance. Eventually the group reached the pitch and Harry left them to get the brooms. Ron and the twins followed. Percy had remained inside to speak with Professor McGonagall.

'Hi. I know Harry introduced me, but I'm Ginny.' she said as she held out her hand.

Elizabeth smiled her first true smile that afternoon that hadn't been directed at Harry. 'Yes, I figured you were her. Harry talks about you a lot.'

Ginny must have looked surprised because Elizabeth laughed. 'He talks about all of you but never mentioned the magic bit, obviously.' Elizabeth rolled her eyes. 'You're the only girl he talks about. He thinks you're cool.'

Ginny blushed slightly which only made Elizabeth laugh harder. 'Oh, you have it bad. Don't worry. There really isn't anything between Harry and me. You can pick him up any day you like.'

'I don't think he knows I'm a girl to be honest.' Ginny said as she sat on the grass to wait for her brothers and Harry, who were now having a sword fight with some old brooms. 'And if he has noticed, he hasn't said much.'

Elizabeth frowned. 'He really does talk about you all the time. About your letters and how funny you are and how excited he gets to receive letters from you. He told me you're the only person he writes to.'

Ginny smiled at that. 'Yeah, he's ignored pretty much everyone this summer except me.'

'And you honestly think that doesn't say something?' asked Elizabeth as she punched Ginny in the arm. 'Patience is key. At least that's what my aunt says.'

Ginny smiled. She liked this girl. She gave her those older sister feelings. 'You're pretty cool.'

'Yeah, I am.' replied Elizabeth. 'I hope I'm good at this flying thing because I want to lap these idiots.'

Ginny laughed. 'Well, other than Ron they're all on the House team. Harry was the youngest seeker in a century. You remember what a seeker is, yeah?'

Elizabeth nodded. 'The one who has to catch the golden ball for one hundred and fifty points. Oh, and it ends the game.'

'Look at you! You might as well have been at Hogwarts these past six years.'

Elizabeth snorted. 'Right. From what you've described, I'd love to see a real game. Oh well.' She sighed but Ginny had gotten a sudden idea.

'Well…' Ginny trailed off, shaking her head. 'Let's focus on getting you in the air and then we'll talk.'

Elizabeth eyed her curiously but before she could ask more questions Harry threw two brooms down in front of them. 'Come on then. Ginny you better show these tossers some real talent because they're getting a bit too cocky.'

The afternoon flew by. Harry, with help from Ginny, got Elizabeth to summon the broom to her rather quickly. In fact, Harry was quite impressed. 'Blimey, you might have more magic in you than we thought.' Once on the broom she had proven to be naturally comfortable on a broomstick. She kept giggling and shrieking every time she managed to get it to move but Harry helped her along. They never got to the point of playing a game of Quidditch. The boys were playing catch with a quaffle, but Ginny, Harry, and Elizabeth enjoyed themselves.

Much too soon, Molly was calling them all in for tea. Dismounting her broom proved to be a bit of a challenge for Elizabeth. She stumbled on touchdown and fell over when trying to get of the broom. Harry was in stiches but quickly sobered at the death glare he was receiving from the blonde.

Tea was held in the kitchen with everyone standing around holding plates and drinks. Talking animatedly. Elizabeth was raving about her time on the broom to Harry and the pair were enjoying their conversation. Around 7 p.m. the post owl came with the Evening Prophet. Harry hadn't thought much of it as he slid a knut into the money pouch and untied the paper. Harry offered it to everyone but only Molly seemed to care. 'Here Mrs. Weasley.' Harry said as he tossed it to her.

Harry returned to his conversation when his mother once again reminded him that he was supposed to tell his friends about his condition. Gathering up his courage he grabbed a fork from the counter and struck his glass, calling for everyone's attention.

'Right, I just wanted to thank everyone for coming. The birthday thing was a bit of a joke, but this has ended up being my best birthday yet so… really, thank you.' Everyone cheered and Harry smiled through his nervousness. 'But erm, I have a bit of a-' He was cut off, however, by Molly Weasley's gasp.

Everyone turned to look up at her. 'Oh, Harry dear, I'm so sorry. It's just, well… There's been a mass murder in surrey.' Harry blanched, instantly thinking about the Dursley's. 'Nearly forty people, dead. Werewolves invaded during the full moon last week. There hasn't been an attack this… well this gruesome since You-Know-Who fell.' Harry turned and as expected, Remus was already looking to him. What Molly said next, however, was far more disturbing to Harry. 'Honestly. They need to find a way to track these… animals down and lock them up. It's not fair.' Harry's eyes widened, as did Hermione's.

'Mrs. Weasley, surely that's a bit extreme. I mean, werewolves can live decent lives! They just need access to the right potions. Then, they can have stable careers.' said Hermione. Trying to decipher where this sudden uncharacteristic rage was coming from.

'When have you ever met a werewolf that's led a normal life, Hermione?' said Percy. 'They all hide underground and come out to torture innocents. I agree with mum.'

'They're human. Like the rest of us.' said Ginny defiantly. 'How would you feel being locked up in a cage for something that's out of your control?'

'But Ginny, look at this!' Molly seemed frantic. Harry felt like there was more to this than simple prejudice, but he couldn't help the sinking feeling he felt settle in the pit of his stomach. 'They murdered so many! The ministry is talking about emplacing heavier restrictions on werewolves.'

'Heavier!?' Sirius cried in outrage. 'Werewolves already suffer more than any other race every day. They can't hold a job for more than two months without their employer noticing. And if they don't notice, you can never be too safe, so you have to quit either way. Repeatedly quitting jobs doesn't look great on a resume, Molly.' Harry had never seen Sirius so angry. 'they're people. They just have… a problem… every once and a while.'

'A problem does not justify murder.'

'Oh, and you think they're conscious while that's all happening?' Harry snapped. Every head turned to him. Harry showed nothing but respect to his elders, besides Snape. It was odd seeing him flushed and… for lack of a better term, in a towering rage. 'In case you've forgotten, werewolves aren't conscious during the full moon without the wolfsbane potion. Clearly, not enough people know that. People just need to be educated. No werewolves have ever written any books on their experience so how could the public ever know?'

Harry began to pace. 'Besides, respectable werewolves blend in. You could be sitting right next to one and you'd never know.'

Harry stared pointedly at Molly, who coincidentally sat right beside Remus. 'Remus, Sirius, can I speak with you both for a minute?'

Sirius looked at a pale-faced and extremely uncomfortable Remus Lupin. 'Alright.' Sirius said as he took a step away from the counter and walked with Remus and Harry out into the sitting room.

Harry turned and cast a dozen silencing charms on the door with a flick of his wand. He turned back to his guardians and felt the sudden urge to cry. Sirius saw the despair that was etched into his godson's face and enveloped him in a hug. 'I was about to tell them.' Harry said in a chocked voice. 'I had finally worked up the courage to just tell them.' Harry collapsed onto the chair nearest him and buried his face in his hands. Remus and Sirius rushed forwards. Both kneeling in front of him.

Remus grabbed the sides of Harry's face and made him look up. 'Harry. Harry!' Harry finally focused in on Remus. 'I'll tell her.' Harry's eyes widened and he seemed to close in on himself, but Remus shook his head. 'Not about you. I'll tell her about me. I'll tell her about my life. She'll be more comfortable. I'm certain of it. I'll place the fidelius on me so that only I can share my secret. If she still isn't convinced… well… we'll figure that out when it comes.'

For all the growth and apparent time jump in age Harry looked so young and fragile in this moment that it made Sirius's heart break. 'Kid, look at me.' he said softly. 'This is your secret to share, alright? No one has figured it out yet, but I have a plan in case you feel the need to continue to hide it.'

Harry sighed. His shoulders slumped and he let his arms go slack. 'I hate feeling this insecure. I mean, I already did but now it's just… fuck, I hate this.' Harry ran a hand down his face.

'How's this. If you're still not comfortable telling your friends by the time school starts, or even for the world cup in a few weeks, just say that you've become an animagus so you keep me and Remus company during the full moons. Tell them that your animagus form is controlled by the ministry because you're underaged, so you won't be able to show them your form. It's all legal and grounded in truth.' Sirius explained.

Harry nodded sadly and stood up. He wiped his eyes, but no tears had slipped out. 'I'm going to my room for a bit. Tell the others I had to do something.' Harry quickly left the room.

'You're giving him a way out.' said Remus. It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Sirius sighed. 'Yeah, I am.'

Remus hummed but didn't say anything.

In the kitchen, a full argument was warring through the Weasley family. Ron, George, and Ginny were standing on one side of the kitchen. While Percy, Molly and oddly enough, Fred were on the other. Arthur, a tired Elizabeth, Hermione, and Professor McGonagall sat in chairs in the center of the kitchen, determined to remain neutral.

'I just don't get it, mum. What the hell is the problem with werewolves?' cried George, throwing his arms up in exasperation.

'Why are you defending them?' she retorted. 'What makes you three so firm on your belief that these… these… creatures deserve anything more than a cell?'

Ron had moved to his side of the kitchen but had yet to say much of anything. Ginny and George had been the ones to retaliate against their mother's unexpected opinions. Finally, he snapped. 'They aren't creatures, mum! They're people! For fucks sake, why are we defending them? Why are you so against them?'

Molly's face was flushed with anger. 'You do not speak to your mother that way! I will not have my children speak to me in a such a tone. Your uncles died because of them!' she shouted above a ringing silence. 'I've never told you! You were too young.'

'Me and Fred are going into sixth year!' cried George.

'I already knew.' muttered Fred from beside Percy. 'I already knew and that's why I'm here.'

Ginny sighed. 'Mum, you need to understand that not all werewolves are evil. None of them chose to have this done to them. Believe me, if you understood why me and Ron are on this side of the kitchen, you'd agree. I don't know why George is here though.' She turned to George.

'I'm here,' George said through gritted teeth. 'Because I thought me and Fred had agreed that everyone deserves a shot.'

Fred looked abashed before sitting down at the table in the center. Just then, Remus came in.

'Oh, sorry I didn't mean to interrupt a family meeting.' he said, smiling kindly at everyone in the room. McGonagall wiped her brow and looked up to Remus.

'No, no Remus it's quite alright. Just on time, I'd say.' she said, eyeing Molly sadly.

'Where's Harry?' Ron asked. Ginny looked around for Harry but all she found was Sirius walking into the room from behind Remus.

'He's just gone off to get something. He won't be long.' supplied Sirius. His smile seemed a bit forced, and Ginny knew that Ron noticed it as well.

'I need everyone here for this.' said Remus. 'Molly, I'm going to tell you something, and I need you to take in every word of it.' He had the entire kitchen's attention, he had one shot at this. Waving his wand in a complicated pattern over his head he stuffed his wand back into his back pocket. 'I've put this secret under the fidelius. Only Professor McGonagall, Sirius, Harry, and I can share this secret.'

'What could possibly be so important for you to hide a secret under such magic?' inquired Arthur.

'Believe me, it is well deserving of the protection.' said the Professor.

Remus snapped his fingers. No one had ever seen him this irritated. 'Molly, look at me. What have you heard about me from your children?'

Molly smiled slightly and cocked her head to the side in confusion. 'They've all said you're the best defense teacher they've ever had. Ginny and the twins in particular. You've helped Ginny a lot with the events of her first year… You've been great. I know Harry must love you which is always a good sign. That boy has a good gut from what we've seen.'

Remus smiled, but it lacked any kindness. 'So how would you react when I told you that the teacher that has helped your daughter move past one of the most traumatic experiences a human being can go through, the teacher who all of your children have praised, is a werewolf?'

Stunned silence rang out before Molly cleared her throat. 'That isn't my point. Even if you were a werewolf-'

Sirius snorted. Remus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Molly, I am a werewolf. I was bitten when I was five years old. I've lived a life of poverty, of segregation. I have lived a life in which my talents are ignored. I'm a modest man, but I can admit to the fact that I'm pretty damn talented with magic. I'm a good teacher, as you are most definitely aware. So, when you say that we are all monsters, that we all live a life of crime, and that we should all be locked up… well you can see why that would upset Harry. He's grown rather close to me and Sirius over the summer, and you know how protective Harry is over his friends.'

Molly gaped at Remus. She was pale and seemed angry, but he really couldn't tell. Fred shifted in his seat and Elizabeth watched Remus with a strange expression. She was beaming at him, but her eyebrows were scrunched together. 'That is so cool Mr. Lupin.' said Elizabeth. She laughed then. 'Oh man. So that's what Harry meant when he said you had a furry little problem.'

The twins snorted at the term and Arthur cracked a smile. All of which were shut off immediately by the glare sent my Molly.

'I don't understand what Dumbledore is thinking putting you in a school.' she said in a cold voice.

Remus cringed. He'd faced this situation many times, but it still hurt. 'I'd say he saw my credentials and realized I was a good fit.'

Molly frowned. 'Does he even know? Does he know what you are.'

'No, Molly, he knows who Remus is. And by the way, Dumbledore is the one who set up a safe way for Remus to transform back in school. It's never failed.' said Sirius in defense of his friend. Remus frowned a bit. It had failed. He'd bitten Harry.

Ron spoke up. 'Honestly mum, he's amazing. Although, I reckon he's probably the exception.'

Remus nodded. 'I am a rare case. Most werewolves give up the search for a normal way of life and live like animals. But that's only because of how their fellow wizards treat them. One day, I'd like to make it so that there are laws in place to protect us and grant us the possibility to earn a stable career.'

Molly sighed in defeat. Remus walked towards her, ignoring her slight flinch at his hand on her shoulder. 'I understand the way you feel. Every day I hate myself for what I am. But us werewolves…' Remus paused, deep in thought. 'The good ones, at least, we get up every day to face the challenges that lay ahead. We keep going. Do you know how many times I've thought about giving up? About how the next day just really wasn't worth it? Well, I never had to think about that for long, because I had four amazing friends. Sirius, James, Lily and… at the time, Peter. They kept me grounded. They kept me sane.' Remus turned to look up at Sirius. 'Just… the last thing a werewolf needs is more hate. Believe me, I've received enough of it.'

Molly sniffed. 'But what if you slip up? What if… what if you forget the potion?'

Remus stilled. He was still uncomfortable with this topic since the wound was so fresh. He had taken a huge step in admitting to his condition with these people. He'd never been so blunt with it. But it was for Harry. Shaking himself slightly he sighed. 'Then I'd never forgive myself.' Remus chanced a glance at Sirius who was smiling sadly at him. 'I would do everything I could to be there for the person I bit. I would do everything I could to prove to them that they could still live. And I'd expect you, your family, and your friends to do everything you could to support my kind. So that we can live as people.'

Molly dabbed at her eyes and tentatively reached up to lay her hand on Remus's. 'It was Greyback. Fenrir Greyback.' Remus growled. 'He didn't even use magic. He just… destroyed them. I couldn't recognize the bodies. After going down in this blaze of glory against dozens of death eaters… he died to a sadistic monster.' Molly breathed a shaky breath. 'I just… it was easier to blame them all.'

Remus nodded and his face grew dark. 'Greyback is the one who bit me. Revenge against my father who hated werewolves. He snuck into my room one night… he clawed me a bit, wanted to play with his food. He got me screaming so that my parents would come into the room. They couldn't do anything but watch as he sunk his teeth into me. I nearly died, but he purposefully left me alive. He made sure my parents' favourite thing in the world was forever ruined.'

'Moony, mate, you know you aren't ruined.' Sirius interjected. 'How many times have we got to tell you-'

Remus took his hand off Molly's shoulder. 'And how many times have I got to tell you! I can't change the way I feel! My mother abandoned me and my father because of what I had become. She died soon after she left, and I was stuck with her voice in my head taunting me!'

Ginny sat bolt upright. A sudden realization sinking into the folds of her mind. 'I have no idea how it happened…' Harry had said. 'Ever since the voice appeared in my head…'

'I need to use the loo.' she said quickly before bolting from the kitchen.

Rounding the corner, she ran straight past the bathroom and gripped the end of the banister to swing around and up the grand staircase. She slowed down slightly. As quietly as she could, walked towards what she knew to be Harry's room from the tour. Delicately placing a hand on the doorknob, she paused. How best to approach something like this? Did she feel any differently about Harry now that she knew he was a werewolf? Well, to be quite honest, yes, she did. Not negatively but she most certainly looked at him differently.

'Damn!' she muttered under her breath. 'Now I feel guilty.' she said in an equally quiet voice.

No. What Professor Lupin had said took precedence. 'Well, I never had to think about that for long, because I had four amazing friends.' This was the same situation, only she had to be that friend. She had to stick up for him. And to think that she stood fighting her mother. Here she was, doubting her friend. She was stronger than that. In that moment, Ginny vowed to stand beside Harry. To pull him out of whatever despair had clearly affected Professor Lupin.

Shaking her head slightly, she went to turn the doorknob, only to stop herself yet again. Maybe he wasn't a werewolf. Her deduction seemed spot on at the time, but now it just seemed a bit too far-fetched. Gathering her resolve, she turned the knob and pushed the door open. She'd ask some vague questions and gauge an answer from his answers.

Peering around the doorframe, she caught sight of Harry leaning against the banister on his balcony, overlooking the sea and the horizon. The sky was beautifully lit by the setting sun. Padding over towards Harry she leaned against the balcony door in what she hoped was a casual, non-cholent position.

'I think I know what that voice is.' Yeah, that was a pretty good place to start.

Harry didn't even react to Ginny's sudden appearance, nor did he turn to look at her 'Had he known I was here? Do werewolves have heightened senses?' Cursing herself for not being born a year earlier and having not taken third year defense classes yet, she awaited a response.

Harry sighed. 'No. Because if you did, you wouldn't be up here right now.'

'Oh Harry.' Ginny thought. 'Little do you know that you just gave me all the proof I needed.'

Ginny Weasley had always been quick on her feet. Choosing her words quickly, based on how she felt when people talked about the Chamber, Ginny decided to be upfront. 'I'm not even going to pretend like I understand how you feel at the moment.'

Harry turned around then, a curious expression on his face. Though he tried to hide it. Ginny continued. 'I'm not going to sit here and tell you I understand. Because, quite frankly, I don't understand. Though from how Remus just described life as a werewolf, I'd say you're pretty miserable.'

Harry flinched but held his gaze. 'I don't know what you're talking about.' he said in that overconfident voice he used in the trial. Ginny took note of this.

'Well… you can keep saying that, Harry. I understand why you wouldn't want to tell anyone. Or at least, I can see your reasoning. I just hope you know that I'm here for you, and I really don't care about your… what did Lupin call it? Furry little problem?' she paused; Harry didn't react. Sighing, she persisted. 'Just, if you need someone to talk to, and your mum is bugging you… I'm here. Okay?'

Harry looked at her for a long moment. Then, in a voice that was barely above a whisper, said; 'I don't know what to do with myself anymore. So much has happened in such a short amount of time.'

Ginny nodded, wondering if he'd keep talking. He did.

'Dumbledore came to see me… not too long ago. He told me about why I feel so… different. Excluding the bite, obviously.' Harry said as he waved his hand in a vague gesture. Sighing he looked up at the darkening sky. 'I had a piece of him. In my head.'

Ginny froze. There was only one him.

'If he had known it was there, he could have used it. It would have worked like the diary.' he paused and looked back down over the grounds. Ginny took a few steps forward to lean her elbows on the railing. She was amazed at how much Harry was telling her. Naturally, he was still ignoring the werewolf aspect, but he had admitted to being bitten. 'I haven't really thought about it much… but it just adds to the whole situation in a way I can't really describe. I just feel…'

'Tainted?' Ginny supplied.

Harry nodded. 'Yeah. Tainted. And believe me, the wolf stuff is heavy too.' Harry lifted his hands to his face. It really wasn't fair, for Harry to have to go through all of this on top of what had already happened to him. He stood there like that for a while before letting his hands drop, turning on the spot before fidgeting with his shorts. 'I did something that I regret. And I need to tell someone, but I don't really know if you'll understand. Mum understands but she's…' Harry sighed. 'She's not helpful at the moment.' Ginny wondered what he meant by that. As far as she knew, Harry's mum could listen in on his thoughts. How could she not help?

'I've been told I'm a great listener.' said Ginny, tentatively. She didn't want to push him.

For the second time today, she watched the mask of confidence shatter as his shoulders slumped and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. 'When I transformed for the first time,' Woah, okay, straight into it then. 'I sort of, was dropped into my own mind while the wolf slept in the real world. I was drawn in and I got to see my mum. See, from what I understand, my mum is sort of real. Her magic and… I suppose an imprint of her mind live within the wolf's magical core.' Harry faced her to see if she was following. Ginny nodded in understanding, and he continued. 'She's not her, per say, but she's… it's like a reflection of who she was at the time of my being bitten. So, like… she's Lily Potter… from the afterlife… when Remus bit me. But the Lily inside me is no longer the Lily who's dead. They've sort of split, and they're separate. Because the Lily inside me isn't… Isn't really mum.' Harry was gesturing with his hands to try and visualize his explanation. Ginny furrowed her brow as she tried to process what was going on. Eventually she understood what he was trying to say and smiled reassuringly.

'Go on.' she said.

Harry's lips twitched a bit, but he otherwise remained morose. 'In this… mindscape, she called it. In my mindscape she explained that she was my werewolf and that we would get to hangout in my imagination. Unless I chose to wake and control myself as the werewolf back in the real world. Because of the potion, the wolf stays asleep unless I inhabit its body. If I miss the potion, well, I still go to this mindscape, but the wolf is out terrorizing. I reckon those infamous werewolves have merged with their wolf's core in a way that lets them enjoy killing as the wolf, but I honestly don't know.' Harry once again shifted his feet. Ginny was fascinated by how much there was to being a werewolf. It was so much more than what had ever been described in textbooks. Distractedly, she wondered why this wasn't a well-known fact.

'Anyway, mum said I could summon dad. And, in the moment I thought it made sense! I mean, I have my mum with me and she's holding me, and I can see her and smell her and all of that, so I just did it. Without thinking about how that would make me feel.' said Harry dejectedly. 'Thing is… since that transformation I've realized something. The James Potter I saw in my head wasn't him. And, not in the same way mum isn't real.'

'I'm not following.' said Ginny.

Harry turned away from her. He looked so thoroughly miserable Ginny just wanted to reach out and hold him. She didn't. Instead resorting to placing her hand over his on the railing. 'I made him up.' he said in a strangle whisper. 'I just… I made him up. The James that I flew around with a played Quidditch with was the idea of a father I could never have. The one I'd think about in my cupboard.' Harry's voice was rising with each word. Ginny would have to ask about the cupboard to Ron later. 'The one I'd imagine coming to the Dursley's and breaking me free. It wasn't him. It was my imagined idea of him. And now I have this… this feeling of such…' Harry trailed off. Then, continued in a whisper he said, 'And the worst part about all of this is that I enjoyed it. Ginny it was so wonderful. I had my mum and dad and for that night. It felt real but the second I woke up a few days later…' he looked down at is hands and sighed. 'I don't even know why I'm talking about this.' Harry angrily swiped at his eyes.

'You're telling me because you needed to get it out.' said Ginny, consolingly.

'It's just… I'd have dreams… you know, as a kid. I'd have these dreams of me and my dad playing board games or singing or whatever.' The wind had picked up and Harry's long hair was blowing in the wind behind him. 'And I'd hold onto those dreams as memories. So, every time I cast that damn Patronus I think of those fake memories of my dad, and it looks like a stag. And I'm proud of that… but I feel so ashamed that I've made up this whole person in my head and I've now interacted with him… but it isn't my dad. It's like I've replaced him with this romanticised… fuck! I don't even know how to make sense of it! I just can't believe I didn't see it at the time.'

Ginny was barely following as Harry suddenly turned angry. 'I mean, honestly, I thought him up and he came walking out the back door. He talked to mum for a second and said exactly what I'd imagine he'd say but now that I think about it, what he said makes no sense!' Harry threw his arms up into the air in exasperation. Breaking the connection between he and Ginny. 'He said that he'd seen my mum disappear from… wherever the fuck people go when they die.' Harry's voice was cracking now. 'But that's not what happened! When she became my voice of reason her reflection, of magic and mind, came to me. The real Lily Potter is still fucking up there!' Harry pointed angrily above. Traitorous tears slipping out of the corners of his eyes as he fought valiantly to wipe them before they slipped far enough to leave tracks. Ginny didn't care for potential embarrassment at this point. Reaching forward, Ginny encircled Harry's middle and hugged him. She felt Harry's arms slowly come around her and he tentatively held her. So, this was where the Harry they had known over the past couple of years was hiding. Under layers upon layers of newfound, or perhaps increased, self-loathing.

She felt him lean down until his head rested on her shoulder and he breathed deeply. 'Thanks.' he mumbled but made no move to back away.

'Any time.' she whispered into his chest. He chuckled lightly before falling silent once more. Ginny didn't know how long they stood there, but eventually Harry pulled away and wiped his nose, exhaling harshly.

'I look like…' he began. Ginny cut him off by pulling out her wand.

'You said I can do magic here, right?' she asked.

Harry nodded. 'Yeah, it's unplottabe, and under fidelius.'

Ginny hummed in satisfaction before mumbling a spell under her breath over Harry's face. He flinched, not used to someone whipping out their wand and waving it in his face. Ginny rolled her eyes and continued her incantation. Eventually she lowered her wand and admired her handywork. 'There you go. Back to normal.'

Harry reached up and touched his face. 'Wow! How'd you do that?' Harry asked, genuinely intrigued.

Ginny sighed. 'Some spells are taught only to girls you know.'

'Like how to mask the effects of crying?' Harry seemed confused.

'Well, yeah. I never cry though.'

'Don't know why they wouldn't teach that to us too.' mumbled Harry. 'I mean, I never cry either, but I could have used that spell.'

Ginny sighed. 'Most people would say that boys don't need to learn that spell, Harry.'

'That's stupid.' Harry protested. 'I mean, look at what just happened. You cleared my nose so I'm not sniffling, you fixed up my eyes and stopped them from being all puffy and red. I don't see how that wouldn't be helpful for all of us.'

Ginny snorted and grabbed his forearm. 'Come on Harry.' She began to tug him to the door. He followed for a moment before stopping.

'Wait. What I told you… it stays between us. Alright?'

'Think of me like a Gringotts vault. Absolutely nothing can get your secrets out of me.' said Ginny

'Except the owner.' Harry said, aiding her analogy.

'Except the owner, exactly.'

'Thank you.' Harry said quietly, as they left the room. Ginny let go of his arm and trotted downstairs, Harry close on her heels.

'You know, Elizabeth is pretty cool.' Ginny said offhandedly.

'Yeah, she's fun. I hoped you two would get along. I was thinking of inviting you lot over for a week or something, but with my-'

'I think that would work.' Interrupted Ginny, not allowing Harry to doubt his idea. 'Just make sure you… well… check the date, I suppose.'

Harry snorted despite himself. 'Nah I'll invite you lot over on the twenty-first and lock us all in a room at sundown.'

Laughing, Ginny pressed on to her main point. 'Anyway, back to Elizabeth, she mentioned that she'd love to see a proper Quidditch game… well-'

'The World Cup!' cried Harry, finishing Ginny's thought.

Ginny nodded. 'Exactly. I wondered if maybe dad could get more tickets or something.'

Harry stopped walking towards the kitchen, deep in thought. 'Well, I reckon Sirius could find a way to get top box tickets for me him and Remus. Elizabeth could take the ticket I was going to use.'

Ginny smiled. That was a good plan. 'Alright. But keep in touch so that we know for sure that Sirius had got some tickets.'

Harry nodded and grinned mischievously. 'Oh, Sirius will get those tickets. The Ministry unofficially owes him for life so I bet he could wrangle them out of Fudge or whoever is in charge of Games and Sports.'

Ginny liked the sound of that plan. The pair walked into the kitchen to see her mum and Percy talking with Lupin in depth about something or another. Ginny hoped she was gathering more accurate information on werewolves.

The rest were loud and joyful. Elizabeth was in the center. Talking about her and Harry's various adventures over the past couple weeks. They had spent a lot of time together.

'Oi, Potter!' cried George as he spotted Harry. 'Did you really throw a tomato at that woman across the lane?'

Harry looked around, making sure Sirius and Remus were busy before smiling. 'Yeah. She was a right old bat. You should have seen the way she talked to Liz!'

'Staunchly defending your girlfriend's honor, are you?' said Sirius from behind Harry. He groaned.

'She's not my girlfriend Sirius.'

'Whatever you say, pup.' quipped Sirius.

A blinding flash of light and Sirius was hanging upside down from his ankle. 'Oi! Potter! Put me down!' Everyone's attention was focused in on Sirius.

'No. Stop giving me pet names, and I'll consider it.' replied Harry.

'Aww Prongslet?' Wham! Sirius dropped to the ground with a crunch. Leaning up on his elbows, he smiled up at Harry. 'Ah, so you prefer Prongslet?' Another flash of light and Sirius was up in the air once again.

'I'd take that as a no, Sirius.' said Ron, sniggering beside Harry.

'How do you know this spell? I'm pretty sure Peter invented it back in third or fourth year.' said Sirius as he began to sound congested from hanging upside down. He turned to look at Remus for confirmation.

'Erm, Sirius I'm pretty sure Lily invented that spell after the third or fourth time James asked her out. It was her Arithmancy project.' said Lupin with a meaningful gllare.

Sirius's mouth formed an 'O' in understanding before turning back to Harry. 'Alright. I'll call you Harry, and nothing more.'

Harry bowed his head. 'Thank you.' Sirius dropped to the ground unceremoniously.

'You are ever so gracious, Lord Potter.' Sirius bowed as another white flash lit up the room and Sirius hung dejectedly from his ankle once again.

Elizabeth was in stiches as she grabbed Harry's shoulder. 'I really need to get home now. My Da's probably home by now.'

'Alright. Thanks for coming!' Harry cried after her as she quickly made her way out the door and ran up the lane to the gates.

'That was odd. Why'd she leave like that.' said Fred.

Harry laughed. 'You guys just don't know her yet, I suppose. That's how she leaves anywhere. The café, her house, anywhere she leaves at a run.'

'Strange girl.' said George.

'I think she's rather crass.' said Hermione from behind one of the Potter Library books.

Harry just shook his head, not paying much attention to Hermione's words. He was exhausted from the day's events. 'I'm tired guys.' he announced, without really thinking. Molly instantly stood up and began to escort her children, and Hermione, out to the sitting room to use the floo.

'No, Mrs. Weasley, really, it's alright. It's just been a long day.' said Harry between yawns.

'Oh no, I perfectly understand, dear. Just go on up to bed we'll see you before the Cup.'

'Oh yeah, about that. Do you think Ron and maybe Ginny and the twins could come over for a week or so? I know Ginny's birthday is the eleventh so I wouldn't want to interfere with that but… you know.

Molly smiled kindly at him, but it didn't quite reach the eyes. 'I'm sure they'd love to, but I'm not too sure that would be a good idea.'

Harry nodded his understanding. Even though he didn't. And waved goodbye as the Weasley's with Hermione left for the Burrow. Last was Professor McGonagall, who to Harry's surprise, hugged Sirius and shook Harry's hand. 'I know that plan of yours was hard on you, Potter. You did a good thing.' she released Harry's hand and stepped into the emerald flames. Harry didn't know what she was referring to. He figured she was implying his performance at the trial.

Harry turned to Remus and Sirius, who were giving him apprehensive looks. 'I told Ginny.' he said, finally.

Remus's eyebrows shot up, but Sirius only smiled. 'And how'd she take it?' Sirius asked.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. 'Well, she sort of figured it out, actually. Told me she didn't care.'

Remus smiled. It was good that Harry had found friends he could confide in so soon after the bite. He didn't know if he could have done the same thing if the roles were reversed. 'Anything else?'

Harry blushed, for reasons Sirius and Remus most certainly interpreted incorrectly. 'That's between the two of us.' Harry mumbled.

'Alright.' said Sirius. 'You should probably go to bed, kid.'

Harry nodded through yawns and made his way up the stairs.

'So, it appears that you are losing your bet.' said Sirius as he turned to his friend.

Remus snorted. 'Nah. That was the most Lily reaction I've seen out of him yet. She probably said something nice to him and he hadn't been expecting it. I reckon the gold is still mine.'

'In your dreams Lupin…' teased Sirius as he to, left the sitting room.