I'll always find my way to you

by bea writes

Lily Evans knew that being a single parent wasn't easy, no matter how adorable Harry was. She never imagined her life would change after a meeting in a plane. Sirius Black didn't want to follow the footsteps his parents wanted him to follow, and he intent to follow his own path. Flying was his worst nightmare, but it was the thing that changed his life. (Muggle AU)

Oh, look at that: is chubby Harry 3.0! Is anyone surprised I wrote another one? I love to write baby Harry, and there's probably some more coming sometime in the future.

As always, so many thanks for my incredible alpha, Ash, who made this story possible. I don't think I would have done without her—the word count (26378 words) was a vision she had, so don't freak out over it lol I'm not if not commited

On another note: Remus is mentioned once and never appears because he died! Or this is what happens when the author forgot about him lol

Without further ado, hope you enjoy "I'll always find my way to you"!

P.s: curious to know about other chubby Harry? Check out "You're my definition of perfect" and "My heart is wherever you are".

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I'll always find my way to you

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Lily finished packing her suitcase and sighed. It was strange returning to London after spending so much time in Rome. She was going to miss the food for sure, not to mention Giovanna and little Blaise, but it was high time that she and Harry returned home.

"Are you sure you need to go? You know you can stay for as long as you need," said Giovanna when Lily entered the living room, but she only smiled.

"Gio. I appreciate the concern, but I have spent six weeks with you already," Lily replied, sitting beside her. "Besides, you probably wish for peace of mind after spending so much time with two babies.

"Nonsense! I loved having you and Harry here, and I know Blaise is going to miss his friend," Giovanna replied, gesturing at the two babies playing together on the rug. Blaise was holding an anteater plush and was shoving it into Harry's face while Harry was waving his stuffed owl around, trying to whack the anteater away. "Are you so ruthless you'll separate those two?"

Lily rolled her eyes but smiled at the babies. Harry was now trying to hug Blaise, who pushed Harry away while trying not to faceplant. "This only means you two will need to visit us in London."

Giovanna's olive-brown face lit up, and her brown eyes shone as she smiled before flinging her arms around Lily. Her wiry black hair smacked Lily's face, making her laugh. "I'm going to miss you two so much. The house is sure to feel empty without you here."

Lily could understand why Giovanna felt that way, but she needed to get her life under control now. She had a small child who needed her, and they were ready to return home.

Harry turned his head and cooed at her, his eyes twinkling merrily. Lily's heart melted. She got up from her seat and crouched beside the babies, ruffling their hair. Looking at Giovanna over her shoulder, Lily added, "Besides, I don't want Harry's first word to be in Italian, or else my family will disown me."

Harry was a surprise baby. Lily and James had just ended their relationship before getting together one last time when Harry made his appearance not long afterwards. Neither Lily nor James wanted to get back together for the baby, but they had decided to part on friendly terms. James even helped with anything Harry had required. For the past six weeks, Lily had been in Italy because James had received an offer for a job in France and was considering it; Lily had decided a little vacation would be beneficial to Harry—even though he wouldn't remember anything.

"You're going to visit me, right? Don't make me take the next flight out to drag you back to London," Lily teased, making Giovanna roll her eyes.

The two women had lived on the same street their entire lives until they went to university. They had maintained their friendship over calls and emails. They had become pregnant almost around the same time, which was a blessing. Giovanna's husband had died a month after Blaise was born; she claimed that having Lily around eased things a bit.

"I'll try, but Blaise and I will only be able to come to Harry's birthday party." Giovanna made a face when Lily's lip jutted out. "But the good thing is we'll stay for two weeks."

Their faces lit up with smiles that could light up the whole building. Lily would miss the talks she had with Giovanna, but she missed her family, and Harry was a bit homesick too. He often started crying for no apparent reason, which worried Lily.

"I'm going to miss you, sorellina," Giovanna said, reaching over to hug Lily. It always warmed her heart when Giovanna called her sister. Giovanna shook her finger at Lily mock-threateningly. "Don't forget to send me pictures of Harry. I'm going to miss him."

"Promise. And you have to send me Blaise's pics too," Lily said, gazing at Giovanna. "I'm going to miss you too, sis."

They hugged again. Later, Lily and Harry climbed into a taxi and left for the airport. The Fiumicino airport wasn't far from Giovanna's house, but travelling with a six-month-old baby was tiring; Lily couldn't wait to get to the aeroplane and rest for a little bit.

"Are you excited to go back home, Harry?" Lily asked, and Harry's ears perked up at hearing his name. "Yeah, I can't wait to get home either."

They were sitting in the corner of the VIP airport lounge, a benefit for which she could thank James. He had suggested Lily use the VIP facilities to make her flight with Harry easier, and she had jumped on the opportunity—especially as he was paying for it.

"All right, Harry, you're going to behave on the plane, aren't you?" Lily murmured, even though she knew Harry wouldn't understand a thing.

Harry scrunched his nose and opened his mouth, smacking his lips as he drank from his feeder.

"I hope whoever sits beside us isn't angry or rude towards you. But who could ever be mad at you? You only need to smile for people to aww and try to bite your chubby little cheeks," Lily continued her one-sided conversation. "Not that I would ever let anyone bite your cheek. Maybe me or your father, but that's where I draw the line."

Harry clung to her every word as he kept suckling. Lily loved watching him learn about the world and interact with other people. Harry was a social butterfly and loved climbing into people's laps to charm them, and Lily hoped he never changed.

When their flight was announced over the speaker, Lily was glad they had priority boarding and were seated before everyone else. The seat beside Lily's was empty, and she didn't know if she should pray it remained empty or for someone nice to sit next to them.

"You sure look happy to be going home, aren't you?" Lily asked Harry, who was babbling away in her lap. "Oh, Harry, please take your time growing up."

Lily didn't notice the man walking down the aisle towards her seat. He placed his carry-on in the compartment above their heads, and still, Lily didn't pay him any attention. Only when he sat beside her did she realise they weren't alone when Harry's attention shifted from her to the stranger.

"Aren't you a handsome little fellow?" the man cooed in a deep voice, and Lily glanced up at him. "You look like a nice flying partner."

Lily shouldn't stare at the stranger, but she couldn't help herself. The man was around her age or just a little older; he had wavy black hair that fell just above his shoulders, grey eyes that shone in the bright cabin lights, and a mouth that begged to be kissed.

"I hope you don't mind me speaking to him. I'll understand if you prefer I don't," the man said, looking at Lily and smirking a little. "But he seems so happy that I couldn't help it."

Lily blinked at the stranger before her mind returned to its normal state. "No, I don't mind at all! Harry loves talking to people. He's very extroverted." She was babbling, but the stranger found it amusing, judging by the smile on his face.

"He seems like a sweet kid," the man said before extending a hand toward her. "Sirius Black, nice to meet you."

"Lily Evans—and this is Harry," Lily said, shaking Sirius' hand. His palms were rough (he probably worked with his hands). His grip was tight but not creepy, and his forearms looked strong. Lily recoiled her hand as soon as it was polite to do so, afraid she was being strange by staring at his forearms. She cleared her throat and said, "I hope Harry behaves while we're in the air, but he seems to like flying so far."

Sirius chuckled and looked at Harry. "Good to know someone likes to fly because I'm terrified. Do you mind holding my hand since you're so brave, Harry?"

Harry smiled and babbled, giving Sirius a toothless smile. Sirius smiled back and reached over to ruffle Harry's hair. Lily had to hold back an 'eep' sound, or else Sirius would think she was a total freak.

"Are you afraid of flying but still doing it? That's very brave of you," Lily complimented, smiling at Sirius and trying not to blush. "Don't you think so, Harry?"

"Blergh bhadh," Harry replied, smiling and clapping his little hands.

"You're already my favourite person on this plane, and I've known you for less than five minutes." Sirius smiled at Lily, his eyes gleaming. "I hope you don't think I'm a creep or anything."

Lily smiled and shook her head. "Not at all. Harry becomes everyone's favourite person when they meet him."

"Thank you, I hope I'm not pushing any boundaries," Sirius said, leaning back in his seat. "At least this flight is short enough. I hope I can survive it."

Lily hummed; she didn't want to pry about Sirius' fear of flying, but she was curious about it. Sirius was an attractive man—Lily couldn't deny that—and maybe she was trying (and failing) to flirt with him, but it wouldn't turn into anything. There wasn't anything wrong about flirting with a handsome stranger, right?

Silence descended as they both got lost in their thoughts, watching the other passengers board the plane while the flight attendants helped them. Harry watched people file inside.

Everything was fine until the aeroplane began moving. The wheels rolled over the runway, and Harry bounced in Lily's lap. Lily looked out the window and pointed at the trees, and Harry squealed. The colours of the sky shifted from a bright yellow to a soft gold and pink as the afternoon ended.

Harry was having the time of his life. Lily smiled at Harry's happiness until she glanced at Sirius. His grip on the armrests was so tight that the veins in his forearms bulged.

"Are you alright?" Lily asked, frowning with concern. "Do you need me to call the flight attendant?"

"No, I'm good. I'm fine," Sirius said through clenched teeth, his eyes scrunched up tight. "This is probably the worst part of flying."

Lily's heart constricted with compassion for him. Harry stared at Sirius with a pensive look—which Lily found hilarious, but she muffled her laugh.

"Do you want to hold Harry? He didn't mind the ascent last time, so he might not be scared. And if you're holding him, you'll be distracted," Lily said. "I bet Harry will keep you busy."

Sirius bit his lip, but when the aeroplane took the last turn down the slightly bumpy runway, his eyes widened, and he shakily nodded. Lily carefully placed Harry on Sirius' lap, and Harry immediately began gnawing on Sirius' forearm.

"Thank you," Sirius said in a shaky voice, not taking his eyes off Harry. "I knew you'd be wonderful to fly with."

Harry really was a social butterfly; he was now focused on Sirius' hair, grabbing and tugging it until Sirius stopped him gently. It was difficult for Lily not to squeal at how cute they were together, but she managed to keep it on the inside.

When the plane took off, Sirius gripped Harry tighter as if he were protecting him. Harry scrunched up his nose and wailed, his face turning bright red. Lily quickly pulled out his dummy, attached it to his shirt, and pushed it into his mouth; Harry sucked a bit and calmed down instantly.

Sirius swallowed and glanced at Lily with a worried frown. Lily answered his unasked question, "It's the air pressure change causing his ears to pop."

Sirius nodded and tried to distract Harry by talking to him. "Do you like chocolate, Harry? I know you can't answer me, but humour me, would you? Yeah, I like chocolate too. Chocolate cake is my favourite, especially the one that my cousin makes. That woman has a secret recipe she won't share for any money in the world."

"Family recipe?" Lily couldn't help but ask; she was curious about Sirius. "I know my mum learnt a recipe from her grandmother, but she said she'll only share it with me in her will."

Sirius chuckled. "That's harsh. My cousin learned it from our great-grandmother, and I swear it's one of the most delicious cakes I've ever eaten. I'm not ashamed to beg her for it every time I visit her."

Lily giggled and shared some stories about recipes with Sirius, and his shoulders untensed the more they talked. Harry mostly helped by babbling and making Sirius smile.

"Thank you for helping with my fear," Sirius said softly when the pilot announced they would soon arrive at the airport. "I know you didn't know me earlier and didn't have any obligation to talk to me, so I'm thankful."

A small smile appeared on Lily's face, and she squeezed Sirius' arm. "Don't worry. You were good company during the flight and kept Harry entertained."

Harry understood the adults were talking about him because he gave them a mostly gummy smile, making Sirius coo at him.

"Harry was wonderful!" Sirius deposited Harry in Lily's lap, and Harry tried grabbing his arm again. Sirius chuckled and ruffled his hair, messing it up even more. "Thank you both for your kindness."

Lily's face warmed. "Don't mention it; it was a pleasure to meet you, Sirius."

Sirius winked at her, and she almost swooned. He wasn't only handsome but sweet with Harry too. She couldn't help but be attracted to him; she was only human.

The flight attendant walked down the aisle, reminding everyone to put up their tray tables and buckle their seatbelts. Sirius paled, but Lily didn't say anything; she put her hand on his arm as if to say she was there for him. He nodded at her gratefully.

The aeroplane landed without any trouble and slowly came to a stop. Lily was glad to be back in London but sad at the same time since getting off the plane would mean she wouldn't see Sirius anymore.

"This was probably the best flight I ever had, thank you," Sirius said, looking at Lily. She prayed for her blush to go away. "Hope my next flight will be as smooth as this one, but I probably won't have such a pretty neighbour to chat up again."

Lily didn't have time to reply to his statement since he was already out of his seat, grabbing his carry-on and rushing out as if hellhounds were chasing him.

Sighing, she turned to Harry, who was in a better mood since they had boarded. "You're truly one in a million, aren't you?"

Harry babbled, and Lily smiled at him.

---

"You didn't need to come to get me at the airport, you know," Lily said with a smile, looking at Marlene driving. "Harry and I could have taken a cab easily."

"I know that, but I wasn't going to let that precious boy in a stranger's cab," Marlene replied and winked at Lily.

"I'm feeling so cherished right now," Lily deadpanned, and Marlene giggled at her.

Marlene and Lily had been friends since birth, while their parents had been friends since university. Marlene was also Harry's godmother and had missed the little boy while they had been in Italy. Lily knew she would soon receive a call from Remus, Harry's godfather.

"I missed you too, Lils, but I missed Harry more." Marlene looked at the boy who was babbling away in the backseat. "He grew up so much in these weeks! The pics didn't do him justice."

Lily smiled and nodded. "He's growing up so fast. Any day now, he will say his first word. I don't think I'm ready for that."

Marlene laughed at Lily, but the redhead was being honest. Harry was growing up so fast, and it made her think of what he would be like when he grew up. He resembled James in appearance except for the eyes, and Lily didn't know how to deal with that.

"Miss McGonagall said she was baking soft biscuits for Harry, and I guess, for you too." Marlene laughed at Lily's grimace. "Oh, and it looks like you'll have a new neighbour."

"Did Miss Umbridge finally sell her flat? Thank God," Lily mumbled. "Just hope the new neighbour won't be a repeat of that evil cow."

Lily usually got along with everyone in the building, especially her neighbour, Minerva McGonagall—who had practically adopted Harry as her grandson—but Dolores Umbridge was a creature straight from hell. The woman seemed to have a personal vendetta against Lily because she despised all children.

"I would have told you to mind your language around Harry, but you're being nice to her," Marlene said, snickering at Lily. "I'm hoping your new neighbour is a hot bloke. I wouldn't mind babysitting Harry then."

"Marlene! I can't believe you're selling your godson short just because of some imaginary hot bloke." Lily shouldn't have been so surprised with what came out of Marlene's mouth, but this was about her son.

"What? We all need some eye candy in our life, and I think you need it more than anyone," Marlene drawled, making Lily roll her eyes. "Come on! It's been ages since you went on a date. You know James has already moved on."

Lily didn't like to talk about her ex-boyfriend, but Marlene had a point. She was happy that James had found someone new, but this wasn't a competition; if Lily wanted to find someone to go out with or even date, she would do it in her own time.

"Yes, I know, and I'm glad he did. He deserves it," Lily said, looking out the window. "But I'm not ready to date anyone yet. I have to think about Harry and how things will work out."

"You can say whatever you want, Lils, but don't put this on Harry. You both deserve better," Marlene said softly. She only had Lily's best interests in mind. "Now, stop pouting because we're here. You can thank me with lunch. I'll have Thai, thank you very much."

Laughter escaped Lily; she couldn't be happier than to have Marlene by her side. Reaching over the gear, Lily grabbed Marlene and hugged her, even though Marlene complained loudly.

"You can hug me all you want, but you're still buying me lunch." Marlene allowed Lily to hug her anyway.

"Order whatever you want, and I'll pay," Lily said with a laugh. "Let's go to my flat first since I have a feeling I need to clean before anything."

Lily had contracted someone to clean her flat, but she still wanted to clean things the way she liked them. When they reached Lily's house, they picked up the bags from the boot and entered the building.

"Look, there's my new neighbour's name. I don't know anything about him other than his initials," Lily commented, seeing the R.A.B. on the doorbell board. "Let's hope he isn't a serial killer or something."

"Why do you always think people are serial killers? You have an unhealthy obsession, you know, right?" Marlene asked while holding Harry in her arms.

"It's not my fault that I'm obsessed with criminal shows, is it? Shut up, Marley," Lily replied before Marlene could say anything. She caught sight of Marlene biting her lip, trying not to laugh. "You're the worst friend ever."

Marlene put an arm around Lily's shoulders, "No, I'm not. I'm the best, and you know it. You love me too much to be mean to me."

Lily glared at Marlene but let out a hearty laugh. They were like two peas in a pod, and she couldn't be more glad to have the blonde in her life.

They walked into the building, Marlene carrying Harry while Lily brought their suitcases to the lift. Lily and Harry lived on the third floor, and the little boy loved to ride the lift. She thought it was the adrenaline shot he liked since Harry was always happier while doing something that sounded dangerous.

"Oh, it's so good to have you back!" A heavy Scottish-accented voice was the first thing Lily heard when the lift doors opened. "I missed you so much!"

"Hey, Minnie, what do you think you're doing? You can't take him from me!" Marlene whined when Lily's neighbour took Harry from her arms. "Lily, do something!"

"It's good to see you, Minerva." Lily smiled at her neighbour while Marlene pouted in the background. "Harry missed you."

"And I missed him," Minerva replied, hugging Harry, who hugged her back. "Do you want a biscuit, little Harry?"

"Yaa bluhblur," Harry babbled and smiled at Minerva, who cooed at him.

"Do you mind if I take Harry to my house and give him a biscuit? There's a tin for you, of course." Minerva smiled at Lily while tucking Harry's head under her chin. "I'll bring it when I give Harry back to you."

Lily giggled at what Minerva had said. "Please, you would be doing me a favour. I need to clean my flat before, so if it isn't a problem, I would love to have you babysit Harry for a while."

Minerva beamed while Marlene scowled half-heartedly. Giggling, Lily picked up her suitcases and walked towards her flat, watching Harry becoming entranced by Minerva.

"Don't pout, Marley. Remember I'm going to buy you dinner, and I don't think you'd want to share it with Harry." Lily looked at her friend, who stuck her tongue at her. "Very mature."

"I know. That's why Harry loves me." Marlene shrugged and laughed. "Let's go,before you start complaining and refuse to buy me food. And I'd like some biscuits too, Minerva!"

"I'll make sure to send some for you too, Marlene," Minerva called out, walking towards her flat. "Now, if you two will excuse us, I have a little boy who wants some biscuits."

Chuckling, Lily unlocked her door, ready to start cleaning her flat before Harry returned.

"Are you going to pout in the hallway, or are you going to help me organise things?" Lily raised an eyebrow, and Marlene laughed at her. "Good. That's better."

"You're such a dork. Why are we friends?" Marlene laughed as she helped Lily pick up the suitcases and enter the flat.

Lily laughed and shook her head, following Marlene. She tried not to freak out over how much work she would have to put in to ensure her flat was livable again.

---

Lily wanted to throw her alarm clock as far as possible. The weekend had passed too quickly for her liking, and she wasn't ready to return to work, especially on a Monday morning.

"Why does the week have to start on Monday? Who had that brilliant idea?" Lily mumbled under her breath, trudging towards the bathroom. "And people wonder why I'm not a morning person."

She had always had trouble waking up. She only became a functional human being after she'd had a cup of coffee, but because she was breastfeeding Harry, Lily could only start her day with a cold shower.

"The only good thing is seeing Harry smile...if only it was accompanied by a cup of black coffee." Lily tried to open her eyes.

She showered and changed into comfortable clothes, finally looking like a mature adult. Entering Harry's room, Lily couldn't help but smile at the happy baby, who was already up and giving her a toothless smile.

"You're lucky you're cute, and you make the fact that I can't drink coffee bearable," Lily grumbled, and Harry's smile widened. "Are you ready to spend some time with Minerva?"

Harry babbled, making Lily smile.

"I love you too, my precious boy," she said, picking Harry up. She talked to him as she changed his nappy and dressed him in light clothes. "Let's hope today is a good day for us both, huh?"

Harry grabbed one of her locks and tugged a little, a sign that he agreed with her.

"I'm going to miss you so much today," Lily said with a pout and her eyes filled with tears. "Why am I crying? I know you're going to be okay. Who's the baby now?"

Harry giggled. Lily took that as her cue to leave the house and start her day. Today marked her first day back to work, but she didn't know how to feel; she loved being an interior designer, but at the same time, she would miss her baby.

"Promise me you won't do anything special until I get home," Lily murmured into Harry's ear, and he swerved away with a giggle and a smack to her cheek. "Fine, let's go."

Lily juggled Harry and his bag as she walked towards the door, managing to get through it without too much hassle. When she reached the hallway, Lily found something different waiting for her. It wasn't every day that a strange, black-haired man screamed at the top of his lungs outside the flat next door.

"...And if you didn't want to wake up so early, maybe you should have stayed at your flat then! Don't look at me like that! I lived with you for eighteen years, and half of it was hell on Earth!" the man continued to scream, and Lily got a little worried. "That's right. I say it as I see it! I'll talk to you when I return. Don't call me, or I'll make you sleep on the couch. Don't test me."

Slamming the door hard, the man finally turned around and looked a little ashamed when he caught sight of Lily standing in the hallway like a creep while holding Harry.

"Hi, I'm Regulus Black, your new neighbour." He extended his hand towards her, but Lily couldn't shake his; she was holding Harry and both of their bags. "I see you're a little busy. May I help?"

Lily stared at the man—he reminded her of someone, but she didn't know who. Luckily for her, Harry always knew how to save the situations she managed to get herself in.

"Dadja lars," Harry babbled, flailing his little arms and almost slipping out of Lily's arms.

"Don't you look like a nice young man? Not that I have been around many kids, only my cousins' children, but they aren't like you," Regulus said, smiling at Harry, who smiled back. "I hope I'm not making you late."

"You aren't," Lily managed to say before remembering her manners. "Um, hi! I'm Lily Evans, and this is my son, Harry. Welcome to the building."

Regulus chuckled, and Lily thought he was just a little weird. "Nice to meet you, and thank you. Even though I've been living here for the last three months, it's nice to feel welcomed."

Lily cocked her side to the side—an action Harry mimicked—and managed to glare a little at Regulus. "Do you know you're a bit weird? Who were you yelling at? I could hear you from my flat."

Regulus blushed at having been caught out. "My brother is living with me, and we tend to fight almost everyday. And he isn't a morning person."

"I can relate to that. I don't think anyone should be a morning person without a dose of caffeine." Lily rearranged Harry on her hip. "I would love to stay and talk more about what else your brother and I have in common, but I should be going."

"Oh, sorry! I'm sorry you heard my brother and I arguing."

Lily smiled politely before walking towards Minerva's flat and pressing the doorbell. Regulus Black looked like he wasn't afraid of ripping heads off and letting them roll.

"Good morning, my precious sunshine! And good morning to you too, Lily," Minerva said, smiling at Harry, who immediately wiggled his arms, wanting her to take him. "How are you two this fine morning?"

"We're good. I'm a little excited to go back to work," Lily said, reciprocating her smile. "Are you sure I'm not imposing on you?"

Minerva waved Lily off while taking Harry from her arms. Harry cooed and cheered at getting what he wanted. Minerva said, "Nonsense, Lily, I thought we already discussed this. Oh, I see you've met Regulus."

Lily turned to see Regulus still in the same place, looking at Minerva and Harry with wide eyes. He probably couldn't believe Minerva was being so nice to Harry when she was so strict with everyone else.

"We just met," Lily mumbled. Regulus Black was scary, she wasn't ashamed of admitting it, and he could be a serial killer for all she knew.

"Tell your brother if he wants to visit me, he can—but only if he stops calling me Minnie," Minerva said to Regulus in that stern tone she used with everyone—except Harry. "I'll invite him for tea if he promises to behave."

"I'll pass along your message, Miss McGonagall," Regulus said before striding towards his flat.

Lily had to stifle a giggle behind her hand. "Miss McGonagall? He doesn't call you Minerva, yet?"

"I like to make them sweat a little. They can't know that I'm a softie only for this little sunshine," Minerva said, kissing Harry's chubby cheek. "Yes, you're my favourite, Harry. But don't tell anyone."

Lily laughed at Minerva's antics. Minerva cared deeply for Harry, and it warmed Lily's heart knowing Minerva would take proper care of Harry while she was at work.

"Alright, Minerva, here's Harry's bag, and you have my number. If you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call me." Lily handed Minerva the bag and leaned in to take Harry. "I'm going to miss you so much, my precious boy. Please, don't grow up while I'm away."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a little overdramatic?" Minerva asked with a small smile at the corner of her mouth. "Go to work. We're going to be fine. Stop worrying so much."

Lily pouted at Minerva, who gave a stern look in return, making her sigh. She knew she was being a little crazy, but it would be hard to leave Harry as she hadn't been away from him since he was born.

"I'll try not to worry, but I'm not promising anything." Lily huffed and kissed Harry's cheek too many times, making the little boy giggle. "I hope you'll miss me, but I know better. I'll see you soon, my love."

Lily passed Harry back to Minerva. If she had thought her boy would miss her, she was mistaken. Harry gave Minerva his full attention, and Lily tried not to be offended, but she knew Harry loved her; he just really loved people.

"Try to get some work done, Lily. We will be waiting for you. Tea will be ready when you get home," Minerva said, winking at her and making Lily feel better.

It was hard to come home to an empty house; after everything that happened with James, this was the part she missed the most. Having someone to share their life with instead of returning to an empty flat. But she wasn't going to let those thoughts get her down. She would go to work and then have tea with her son and her friend. Her day would be normal as usual.

---

Sirius was bored. That was never a good thing, and he knew it well. Regulus had to work, and Sirius' job would only start next week. But Sirius was restless and had to do something before he snapped.

He tried to clean Reggie's flat, but he didn't want to get on Reggie's bad side; after the threat to sleep on the couch, Sirius was trying to be on his best behaviour. Regulus knew how to be scary when he wanted to.

Sirius mused, "I supposed I could go and explore the neighbourhood, see what I can find around here. If nothing else, I'll find something to eat."

With a plan in mind, Sirius went to change his clothes—he didn't mind wearing grey sweatpants and an old shirt that had been black at some point, but if he was going to leave the security of the flat, he wanted to look his best. You always bumped into your crushes or exes when you looked your worst.

After putting on a pair of jeans, a shirt, and his beloved leather jacket, Sirius was ready to go. He didn't have any plan in mind; he was going to walk around and see if something caught his fancy—but he hadn't even needed to leave the floor to find it.

"Minnie! So good to see you!" Sirius exclaimed, seeing Regulus' neighbour exiting her flat. Regulus had told him what she had said that morning, but Sirius couldn't help himself. He teased, "What a glorious sight to wake up to."

"Sirius," Minerva drawled, and if he wasn't mistaken, she managed to disapprove of him in only one word. "I thought your brother gave you my message."

"He did," Sirius cheekily replied, making Minerva pinch the bridge of her nose. "Come on, Minnie! Don't be like that! How can we be friends if you're going to act this way?"

Sirius would later swear to Regulus that Minerva's mouth twitched, but the stern look on her face told another story.

"I'll have to keep trying to make sure you say my name," Minerva replied before entering her flat and leaving seconds later with a baby on her hip. "If you'll excuse me, we're going for a walk."

"Wait! Can I go too? I'm bored, and I don't want to be left alone," Sirius whined before looking at Harry. He beamed and waved excitedly. "Hey, I know him! That's Harry! Hi, Harry! Remember me? You chewed my arm and hair, thinking it was gum."

Minerva took a step back when Sirius took a step towards them. "When did you meet Harry? You just moved into the building. How do you know him?"

"We travelled together!" Sirius said excitedly, not realising what a creep he was being. "He was with his mother—what was her name? Daisy? Rose? Lily!—and Harry here helped me with my anxiety during the flight."

Minerva still stared at him suspiciously, so Sirius sighed. "It's terrible. No one ever wants to fly with me, and I usually have to travel alone, so having Harry and Lily there helped a little."

"Hudgn shue," Harry babbled and extended his arms towards Sirius, who was quick to hold the little boy. "Huegv kaew."

"See? Harry recognises and remembers me!" Sirius told Minerva a little too excitedly at the prospect of a baby remembering him.

Minerva sighed. "Fine, it's not like I can get rid of you." He smirked at her, and Minerva shrugged. "It's good you're coming along since Harry tends to go overboard at the store."

"Looks like we have something in common, Harry," Sirius said and tried to high-five the baby, who only stared at him before giving him a gummy smile. "We'll work on your high-five. Don't worry."

Sirius was glad to join Minerva and Harry in their little trip to the store. It helped him get acquainted with the neighbourhood, he got to annoy Minerva a little—he knew he was wearing her down, and soon she would be laughing at his jokes—and the best part was seeing the baby who had helped him during the flight home.

He sighed, remembering why he was on that plane in the first place. Sirius didn't want to run the family business, and he informed his mother; it wasn't a conversation he wished to remember. His mother was in Rome, and he went to try to rekindle their relationship, but his mother was adamant he still had to be the next CEO of Black Enterprises. Sirius had just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Because there weren't any trains back, he'd had to get a plane ticket instead.

"Are you coming to tea?" Minerva asked, waking Sirius from his daydreams.

"You're inviting me for tea? Look at us, Minnie. We're bonding!" Sirius exclaimed, hugging Harry to his chest, who wriggled and fisted Sirius' shirt. "Did you hear that, Harry? Minnie already loves me."

"I wouldn't go so far, Sirius, but I can admit that it seems like you're growing on me," Minerva replied with a shadow of a smile. "But if you continue like you are, I'll take back everything I said."

Sirius made a scouts honour gesture that made Minerva roll her eyes. He hadn't thought his afternoon would consist of a trip to the nearby store, but he wouldn't complain. It was more fun with Minerva and Harry than Sirius had had in a long time. And he couldn't wait until Harry's mum returned—he was a little anxious to see the pretty redhead again.

"Will Harry's mum join us for tea?" Sirius asked, trying to sound nonchalant and indifferent, but the look Minerva sent him told him a different story. "What? Can't I ask about people? I'm new to the building, and I want to make friends."

"I was a teacher before I retired, and I must say…my students lied to me better than you just did," Minerva said while she continued shopping. "Keep trying, Sirius. Maybe you can do better next time."

Sirius stood in the middle of the aisle, gaping, not knowing how to react. Luckily for him, Harry knew what to do: he laughed at Sirius, bringing his attention back to the boy.

"You're having fun laughing at me, aren't you?" Sirius asked while Harry continued laughing. "Yeah yeah, I know. Don't tell anyone, though."

Deciding to follow Minerva and see if he could help her in any way, Sirius tried not to get anxious to see Lily again. Who was to say she would even remember him? Maybe she never even spared a thought for the man she had met for just a few hours. And why was he arguing about it with himself?

"You know what, Harry, you were right to laugh at me. I'm a mess," Sirius mumbled to the baby while they continued to browse the store. "Hopefully, I'll be normal during tea."

Harry continued to giggle at him, and Sirius had to smile at that because the boy was too cute for him to handle.

.:.

Sirius helped Minerva prepare everything for an afternoon tea while he got to know Harry a little more. Not that there was much to learn about a baby, but Sirius was entranced by everything Harry did, and Minerva laughed at him for it.

"He's such a delight to have around, isn't he? I have known him since he was born, and I don't think I'll ever not want to look at his precious little face," Minerva said with a soft tone, and Sirius agreed with her. "I hope you know what you're playing at."

Sirius looked at her with a puzzled face, and Minerva rolled her eyes at him, which Harry tried to imitate but failed miserably, making both adults laugh.

"I don't know what you mean, Minerva. I'm happy to be spending some time with this bloke here, and I'm delighted to know he's my brother's neighbour." Sirius sat on the floor next to Harry, who smiled at him. "Can you blame me for wanting to spend some time with him?"

Minerva gave another stern look at Sirius. "I shall keep an eye on you, Sirius. You scream mischievous to me. I don't want Harry picking up on any mischief."

That statement made Sirius laugh out because Minerva had described him to a 'T', and they hadn't talked a lot since he had come to live with Regulus.

"Don't worry, Minnie, I promise to be on my best behaviour while around you and Harry," Sirius said, winking at her just because he loved to mess with her. "Tea smells great."

Before Minerva could reply, the doorbell rang, catching Harry's attention. He started clapping his tiny hands. Sirius smiled, amused by the boy's reaction.

"Looks like your mum's here, Harry." Minerva walked towards the door, while Sirius' heart threatened to beat out of his chest. "Lily! You're right on time."

"They couldn't have kept me in that office any longer," Lily said from the doorway, and Sirius' heart leapt as her footsteps approached. Lily went on speaking, "Did Harry behave himself? I can't believe how much I missed him. It's like I haven't seen him for over a year."

Minerva chuckled. "You know Harry is always an angel, and he even found a friend of yours. Can you believe that?"

"What are you talking about—" Lily started to say but stopped short, seeing Sirius sitting beside Harry on the floor. "Oh, hi!"

Sirius smiled at the slight blush gracing her face. Lily had never looked more adorable—not that he had met her more than once (twice now). "Hey, you! Small world, huh?"

Lily nodded dumbly, and Sirius' smile widened. He thought he'd never see her again, but there she was, looking at him like she couldn't believe her eyes; this made Sirius feel pretty good.

"I see you remember Sirius. He said Harry helped him during a flight," Minerva said, pulling Lily in and closing the door. "Why don't you two get friendly again while I finish getting things done?"

Without waiting for an answer, Minerva walked towards the kitchen, letting the two adults sit in a semi-awkward silence. Harry managed to break it without trying.

"Numum balum," Harry babbled, and the spell on Lily broke. She hurried towards Harry and swept him up, hugging him tightly to her chest.

"Oh, Harry! I missed you so much! Are you okay? I hope you didn't say your first word, or else I'll cry here right now," Lily said in a hurry, and Sirius smiled; she blushed when she caught him watching them. She explained, "I just returned to work today."

"And it wasn't easy to get away from Harry, I bet," Sirius said softly. "He's such a great baby to be around, I can understand."

Lily continued to stare at him, and Sirius found it adorable. He kept silent for once, watching the mother-son duo, and waited for Lily to say something.

"So…how come you live in my building, but I didn't know it?" Lily asked, sitting on the couch and looking at Sirius. "Wait…was that your brother I met this morning? Black hair, angry as he—heck, and looks like he could murder you?"

Sirius winced. Judging by the way her lips twitched as she held back her smile, he knew she had heard Reggie screaming at him.

"I should say sorry, but Reggie does get a little annoyed with me in the mornings, but is it my fault I'm not a morning person?" Sirius said, standing up to sit beside Lily on the couch. "Who is a morning person?"

Lily's smile made him swoon. "I can't blame you. I'm not a morning person either. And definitely not before coffee, but I can't have coffee for a while because of this one," she said, kissing Harry's cheek, who smiled and snuggled closer.

"Oh, how are you coping? I don't think I know how to be human before chugging at least two cups of coffee," Sirius said and smiled at Lily, who blushed a little more. He liked making her face redden; it was cute. "That was why Reggie was so touchy this morning, and I'm sorry for that."

"No need to apologise. I can understand," Lily said, and they shared a small smile before looking away from each other. "When did you come across Harry and Minerva?"

Sirius scratched his neck. This was embarrassing. He didn't want her to think he had stalked her or followed her from the airport. That was ridiculous. He wouldn't do that—even if it was a woman as pretty as the redhead and a baby as adorable as Harry. Sirius lost his train of thought as he stood there gazing into Lily's beautiful green eyes.

She snapped her fingers in his face, her brow furrowed. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, I was lost in thought. Anyway, yeah, I bumped into them outside the flat. I was just about to walk around the neighbourhood when I found Minnie leaving with Harry, and I recognised him from the plane," he said, ruffling Harry's hair, and the boy leaned into his hand. "I got to tag along, and we spent the afternoon together."

"Minerva must like you because she doesn't let anyone come to the store with her," Lily whispered conspiratorially. "She's never let me go with her."

"That's because you never tagged along or called me 'Minnie' even when I asked you not to," Minerva said, coming to the living room and looking like she was fighting off a smile. "The tea is ready."

"I knew you liked me, Minnie. We're going to be best friends in no time at all," Sirius exclaimed, standing up and walking towards Minerva, kissing her cheek.

"You'll have to fight Harry for that spot. He's Minerva's favourite," Lily teased, walking towards the kitchen.

"Harry! How can you betray me like that? I thought we were friends." Sirius placed a hand on his chest and made Harry laugh. "Yeah, yeah, laugh away. We're going to talk afterwards."

Lily giggled, and Sirius thought it was one of the most wonderful sounds he heard. Now he understood what Minerva had meant, but he found it hard to concentrate on anything other than Lily and Harry.

"Why don't we continue this delightful talk with a cup of tea and biscuits?" Minerva said, motioning them to the kitchen.

"Oh, biscuits! Are you going to share with us lowly peasants?" Lily mocked, looking at Minerva with a smile.

"Harry here needs to learn how to share, doesn't he?" Minerva sniffed and went to the stove to get the kettle.

"I'm feeling like I'm missing something, but I heard biscuits, so I'm here for it." Sirius felt very at home with these two women, and he didn't want to miss it for the world.

"Now I know why Minerva liked you," Lily said, winking at Sirius before going to sit at the table. "Are you going to join us, Sirius?"

Sirius was momentarily stunned by her wink. He regained his composure before following Lily to sit beside her at the table. He had never imagined his day would turn out like this, but he wasn't complaining.

---

It had been five days since Sirius had last seen Lily and Harry, and he was missing them a little. Of course, he wouldn't mention that to anyone, but Regulus' eyes were on him every time he walked into the flat. Sirius was almost about to snap at him when the doorbell rang.

They hadn't been expecting anyone, so they were at an impasse about who would open the door. The doorbell rang again, almost as if the person outside was desperate. Sighing, Sirius got up from the couch and went to open the door, only to be pleasantly surprised to find Lily and Harry on the other side.

"Thank God you're at home!" Lily said breathlessly. "Can you do me a huge favour? I would ask Minerva to do it, but she went to visit her friend, and Marlene is working today, and I'm desperate because I don't know who to ask, but I remembered you're sort of my neighbour, and Harry seemed to like you and—"

Sirius interrupted Lily's desperate babbling. "Hey, Lily, first breathe. Then tell me what I can do to help you. You know you can ask me anything."

Lily took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "I'm so sorry to barge in on you like this, but one of my clients decided to change things on a project today, and I can't take Harry with me to the office."

"And you need me to…what? Babysit him?" Sirius asked, looking at the little boy, who was almost asleep in Lily's arms. "I babysat for my cousin once or twice, so I think I can handle Harry."

"Really? You would really do it?" Lily asked, and Sirius swore her eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to impose. If you can't stay with him, I can think of an alternative and—"

"It's not a problem," Sirius said, shrugging and trying not to pull her into a hug. She looked like she desperately needed it. "Besides, isn't it better knowing he's nearby when you come back home?"

"You're an angel, Sirius. Thank you so much!" Lily threw her arms around Sirius tightly. It was hard not to hug her back, especially with Harry in between them. She sniffled and said, "It's only for two hours, three max!"

Sirius chuckled, letting her go. "Don't worry, Lily. Just do what you need to do. I can take care of Harry, and I bet Reggie will help too."

"What would I be doing?" Regulus said, finally coming to the door to see what was happening. "Hello, Lily, how are you? What are you doing here?"

Sirius facepalmed and tried not to slap his brother. Regulus did have the tact of a bull in a china shop.

"Lily asked me to babysit Harry while she's at the office, and I said you wouldn't mind helping too." Sirius stared at Regulus and tried to talk through the brotherly bond they had shared when they were kids.

"I'm not really good with kids, but we can take care of Harry, I guess," Regulus said, and Sirius groaned internally. Clearly, the bond wasn't working anymore. "At least he's cuter than Draco and seems to be a lot calmer too."

Lily giggled, and Sirius decided not to punch his brother later. "Thank you, both of you. I promise I'll try to be quick."

"Don't worry, Lily, take your time. We're going to have fun bonding, Harry and us men," Sirius said with a smile and a little wink, making Lily blush. "Is there anything we need to know?"

"Not really. He just woke up from a nap, so he'll be a little out of sorts for a while longer, and I put a bottle in his bag if he's hungry. If you need anything, I've left my number in the bag. Marlene's too—she's Harry's godmother. If I don't pick up my phone, she definitely will, and we'll be together." Lily passed Harry's bag to Regulus and handed Harry to Sirius. "I think that's it. Thank you again, both of you."

"Don't worry about it," Sirius said, gripping Harry better, and the little boy dropped his head on Sirius' shoulder. "You go and try not to suffer too much."

"Easier said than done," Lily mumbled but laughed a little. "Thank you, Sirius. I'll leave you to it."

Sirius stared at Lily until she entered the lift; only then did he close the door. Turning around, he found Regulus standing there with a very smug smile on his face. Sirius wanted to punch him.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Sirius asked while he walked to the couch, sitting on it and rearranging Harry on his lap. "You're freaking me out a little."

"I didn't know you had a crush on my neighbour, Siri, or that you two have already met," Reggie said, smiling like the cat who ate the bloody canary. "It's kinda cute, you know? I haven't seen you like that since H—"

"Yeah, we don't need to remember the past, do we?" Sirius said a little forcefully, startling Harry. "Sorry, bud, Uncle Reggie was just being mean. I don't have a crush on your mother."

"Sure, and you don't steal the last piece of chocolate pie from the fridge, even though only the two of us live here," Regulus deadpanned, and Sirius stuck his tongue at him, which Harry imitated. "Look what you are teaching the child. You're a terrible influence on him."

Sirius rolled his eyes but reluctantly explained, "Harry and Lily were on my flight back, and they helped me with my fear of flying. That's all."

"That's all? Are you going to say you aren't interested in Lily?" Regulus asked, sitting next to him and arching an eyebrow towards Sirius. "Is that what you're saying?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Sirius said, lying through his teeth. Regulus didn't need to know anything.

Regulus picked Harry, who was a little more awake, and held him up in front of Sirius' face. "Are you really going to lie to this face? This chubby, little, cute, and perfect face? Can you really lie to this baby?"

Sirius looked at Harry, who rubbed his eyes with his tiny hands. His green eyes—eyes that looked exactly like his mother's—blinked a bit sleepily at Sirius before he opened his mouth and yawned prettily.

Sirius knew he was screwed. 'Damn, Reggie, for knowing me so well and trying to use Harry against me. How dare he?' He plucked Harry out of Regulus' arms and looked at his brother, who was too smug for his liking.

"You're a bully, you know that? I can't believe we're related. I'm not mean like you are," Sirius said, hugging Harry and smelling his perfect baby smell. It seemed to calm him a little.

"You can curse me all you want, but you still didn't answer my question," Regulus said, smiling wider. "And don't try to hide behind Harry. It's getting a little weird."

Harry looked around and tried to recognise the new place while Regulus waited for Sirius to answer.

"I don't know if I can call it a crush, but Lily seems interesting, and I wouldn't be opposed to getting to know her better, you know?" Sirius shrugged and adjusted himself on the couch, organising his thoughts. "But I don't know if she would feel the same. Why would she be interested in me?"

"You're kidding me, right? You clearly didn't see how she was practically eye-fucking you while standing in the doorway," Regulus said with a shake of his head. "It was like no one else existed but only the two of you. It was cute in a disgusting way."

Sirius laughed heartily at that; he knew that maybe this thing with Lily may not get into anything, but at least he'll have his brother by his side.

"Now, instead of moping here until she returns, why don't we do something?" Regulus stood up from the couch and went to grab Harry's bag. "I bet we can find something here to entertain the little bloke and us. Also, when Lily returns, please, invite her to dinner!"

Sirius laughed and agreed to everything Regulus said. Looking at Harry, who seemed to be waking slowly, he asked, "How about we do something, huh, Harry? How about we play a little?"

Harry clapped his little hands, and Sirius took it as a sign. A sign of what, he didn't know yet, but he decided it was a sign.

"Stop talking with him since he isn't going to answer you, and come help me with his playmat," Regulus complained from the floor, and Sirius laughed at his predicament.

.:.

"C'mon, Marley, you walk like a turtle!" Lily complained to her best friend, seeing how she was taking forever to walk up the stairs to the building. "Dear Lord, how can you be so slow?"

"I'm not slow. You're too anxious and practically ran away when you parked," Marlene complained, finally entering the building. "What's the rush? I thought you were alright with leaving Harry with Minerva by now."

Lily blushed when she remembered who was babysitting Harry that afternoon, and Marlene didn't miss it.

"Oh, now this is interesting! What made you blush so much like that, Miss Lily Evans? What are you hiding from your best friend?" Marlene was like a dog with a bone when she wanted information. "Tell me!"

"I left Harry with my neighbour and his brother because Minerva was visiting Poppy," Lily mumbled. Before Marlene could chastise her, she raised her hand. "And before you say anything, I met my neighbour's brother on the plane and we had tea together on Monday at Minerva's."

A huge grin appeared on Marlene's face, worrying Lily a little. She knew Marlene was a mastermind at doing things that would make Lily uncomfortable or regret it the next day.

"And you've been holding information from me all this time! To think I call you my best friend!" Marlene slapped Lily's arm before laughing a little. "This is going to be so great to watch! Who knew my dear Lily would have a crush on the next door neighbour? It's such a cliche."

"He isn't really my neighbour. His brother is my neighbour," Lily mumbled, climbing into the lift. "And I don't have a crush on Sirius!"

"Interesting how the first thing you tried to deny was that he isn't your neighbour," Marlene mused, following right behind. "Are you going to thank him by inviting him to dinner? It's the least you can do, right?"

Lily huffed and didn't say anything. When the lift stopped on her floor, she got out. She thought about going straight into Regulus' flat, but she stopped in the middle of the hallway, looking at Marlene.

"What are you waiting for? A formal invitation?" Marlene joked before looking at Lily with concern. "Don't freak out on me now, Evans. I'm hungry, and I can't help anyone when I'm hungry, you know that."

Lily burst into laughter. She couldn't have been happier to have Marlene by her side when she needed her in times like these. Taking a deep breath, she walked to her flat, intending to leave her bags and be a little presentable. It had nothing to do with what Marlene had suggested when they had arrived, thank you very much.

"You look like you're getting ready for your first date, and it's so damn cute. I might puke," Marlene said, leaning in the doorway. "And you have the gall to lie in my face that you don't have a crush."

Lily blushed. "I said it wasn't a crush. I never said I wasn't interested. He's a good-looking man, and Harry seems to get along with him, but you know I'll always put Harry before anyone else."

Marlene nodded. Before she could say something else, Lily strode out of the flat towards Regulus' door. She swiped her suddenly clammy hands on her jeans, trying to calm her wildly beating heart.

Taking a breath, Lily rang the doorbell. She was a bit disappointed to see Regulus open the door instead of Sirius.

"Oh, hey, Lily! Back so soon?" Regulus asked, looking at his watch. "Wow, time does fly when you're having fun. Who knew?"

Lily smiled at that. "I'm glad Harry didn't make you want you to rip out your hair. I don't want to impose anymore. Where is he?"

"You didn't impose. Surprisingly, he was a delight to have around." Regulus dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. "Why don't you come in? Sirius is with him."

Marlene accepted the invitation for them both. "Thank you, you're so nice! I'm Marlene McKinnon—Lily's best friend and Harry's godmother."

Regulus stared at Marlene as if he had never seen a woman before, which was a bit amusing. Lily chuckled under her breath and entered the flat. Her heart soared at the scene in front of her.

Sirius was seated on the rug, with his back supported by the couch, a large book in his hands. Harry was curled up against his chest, sucking his thumb and gazing at the man as he read the story out loud.

"As Little Red Riding Hood went through the woods, she met a wolf. He was waiting for her to get closer and closer and closer and then... he jumped out from behind a tree!" Sirius said, and Harry hung onto his every word, clearly captivated; Lily could totally understand the allure. "Can you imagine, Harry? A wolf waiting for her?"

Harry giggled and babbled at Sirius, and he kissed Harry's head before hugging the baby closer to his chest. Lily's heart melted—and her ovaries exploded over the cuteness. She bit her lip before she could say something that would embarrass them both.

"I've never read that story to him before, so thank you for that," Lily said softly, approaching the duo.

Sirius startled and looked up at her. "You're back! And yeah, he seemed to calm down when I started reading to him."

"He usually gets a little agitated around this time, so I'm glad that he had you to help him settle." Lily smiled, sitting beside Sirius on the rug. She extended her arms towards Harry and cooed, "Hi, sweetpea, did you miss me?"

Harry squealed and launched himself into her arms, giggling and babbling, making Lily and Sirius laugh alongside him.

"What a nice picture you three make," Marlene said, and, when Lily looked at her with horror, she winked. "Are you ready to go? I need dinner."

Regulus made a gesture at Sirius that Lily didn't understand. She stood up and said, "We should probably go now. Thank you—"

But before she could walk away, Sirius leapt to his feet.

"Wait! Why don't we order something, and you can join us for dinner?" Sirius looked at Lily when he asked, but Marlene answered for them instead.

"Well, since you two are inviting us, I don't see why not." Marlene's smirk could be seen from the moon, and Lily didn't like it one bit when it was directed at her. "Besides, you two looked so cosy on the rug that I would hate to disturb you."

Lily glared at Marlene but didn't want to refuse Sirius' invite. Still, she didn't want to impose either.

"We would love to stay for dinner, Sirius, it's very nice of you to invite us," Lily said with a smile, which was reciprocated by Sirius. "Although it seems like Marlene didn't have a proper education, she does have some manners."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Lily. I grew up with Regulus, who forgets his manners daily." Sirius chuckled, and Lily held back a dreamy sigh; his laughter was so rough and manly. "I think we should let those two fend for themselves."

"You think you're funny, don't you?" Regulus deadpanned.

"I'm hilarious." Sirius smiled at Regulus, who rolled his eyes. Lily and Marlene giggled at the exchange between the brothers. Sirius turned to them and asked, "What are you ladies in the mood for?"

"It's been a while since we've had Chinese if that's alright with you both?" Lily asked, biting her lip and looking at Sirius.

"I'm dying for some Chinese if you know a good restaurant around," Sirius replied, scratching his neck. Lily didn't know why, but she thought it was adorable.

"Why don't Regulus and I go pick it up? It's just around the corner. I know Lily's order, and I bet Regulus knows what Sirius wants. You two can put Harry to sleep; he looks ready to keel over." Marlene was obviously planning something, and Lily didn't like it. "See you two in twenty."

Without giving Lily time to reply, Marlene grabbed Regulus' arm and left. Lily and Sirius looked at each other, unaware of what to do now that they were alone.

"Your friend doesn't measure her words, does she?" Sirius chuckled, running a hand through his hair. Lily barely held herself back from swooning; she remembered Harry was in her arms at the last moment. "Do you want to put him in my bed? He really does look like he's falling asleep."

Harry yawned and rubbed his sleepy eyes before trying to smile.

"Are you certain? I don't want to impose any more than I already have," Lily said, lulling Harry to sleep. "I can put him to sleep here on the couch."

"Nonsense! It's dangerous to let him sleep on the couch, and besides, it's not like I'm using my bed right now," Sirius said, just to blush a little after what he said, and Lily smiled softly at him. "Before I dig a bigger hole, can I show you my room? Shit, damn it, Sirius!"

Lily giggled and tried to muffle it before she woke Harry up. "Don't worry, Sirius, I get what you meant. Why don't you show me your room?"

Now, they both were blushing, but neither was interested in acknowledging the tension between them. Sirius led Lily to his bedroom and opened the door. The room reflected his personality. The walls were painted pale grey—almost like Sirius' eyes—and the bedframe and furniture were black. A few drawings and pictures framed the walls, mostly of motorbikes, giving the room a sharp look without making it aggressive to look at.

Lily was curious about the motorcycle gear in the corner but decided not to ask about it, lest Sirius might get the wrong impression about her.

"I changed the sheets yesterday, so you don't need to worry. And I think my pillows may be hypoallergenic, I'm not sure, but Reggie has always been a little freak with allergies and what not, and all his things are top quality and are very good to sleep in," Sirius babbled, almost like he was nervous about something.

"Don't worry, Sirius, I bet everything is perfect." Lily smiled, and it seemed to calm Sirius a little bit. "I just need to put a few pillows around him so he doesn't roll and fall off the bed. Good thing your bed is so big."

Lily realised what she had just said; her face warmed, and she couldn't look into Sirius' eyes. She was going to die of spontaneous combustion, given how hot her cheeks were.

Harry was almost asleep as she placed him on the bed and thumped him a few times on the back. Lily thought Sirius would go back to the living room, but he stayed with her the whole time. The small action melted her heart, not that he needed to melt it even more. It was already as soft as butter.

"Thank you for staying here and letting me borrow your bed," Lily whispered when they left the room.

"Anytime you need, Lily," Sirius replied and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. Lily felt a bolt of electricity run throughout her body. "I know we only met five days ago, but if I can help you or Harry in any way I can, just say the word."

It was a simple statement, but it meant the world to her. She would keep his words close to her heart. Smiling up at him, she squeezed his hand and walked toward the living room.

---

Time seemed to speed up after Lily and Sirius became friends. Lily usually met him once a week, either to have tea at Minerva's or dinner at their flats—alongside Marlene and Regulus, and sometimes by themselves. Lily tried to squash the crush on Sirius that was quickly growing, but each time he did something sweet for Harry, she only fell harder for him.

Regulus often babysat Harry, and Lily managed to spend some time with the two brothers, but she could feel Regulus was only doing it to make sure she spent time with Sirius. And that was how her motorcycle lessons started.

Sirius had started working at a motorcycle shop that was thriving in downtown London—which explained the gear she had found in his room that one time. Sirius had somehow wrangled her into getting riding lessons from him.

"Come on, Lily, it's not like you're going to fall. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you," Sirius said, holding a leather jacket for some reason even though he was already wearing one. "Don't you trust me, Lilypad?"

'Damn you, Sirius Black! With your perfect teeth and wonderful hair and this amazing leather jacket that makes me think of absolutely filthy things! Why must you be so perfect?' Lily thought to herself, scowling at Sirius. The nickname he had given her was new, and butterflies fluttered in Lily's belly.

"Are you sure this is safe? I won't ride it unless you make sure it is totally safe, Sirius!" Lily glanced between the bike and the jacket in Sirius' hand. "And why do you have another jacket? In case you've forgotten, you're already wearing one."

Sirius chuckled; it took everything in Lily not to throw herself at him. "This one's for you, silly, since you can't ride without one," he drawled. Lily swore he was flirting with her, and the ride he had mentioned was anything but the motorcycle. "What do you say, Lilypad?"

Lily wanted to punch his smirk off his face—or kiss him until he forgot how to breathe, she didn't mind either. Deciding to make the best of the time they had together, Lily took the jacket from him and put it on.

"Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on, it's just a jacket," Lily mumbled, blushing under Sirius' gaze. "Are you going to teach me how to ride, or are you going to stand there and stare at me all day?"

"Wouldn't you like that?" Sirius whispered in her ear, and Lily bit her lip to stop a groan. He cleared his throat and stood straighter. In a normal voice, he said, "Riding a bike is actually pretty easy when you get the hang of it. I'm going to drive us to a quiet road, and then we can start our lesson."

Taking a deep breath, Lily waited for Sirius to mount the bike before approaching it. Sirius extended a hand to her, and she grabbed it, climbing behind him. She tried not to touch him, but it was hard when he himself took her hands and placed them on his waist, and Lily had no other option than to tighten her grip on him.

"Here, we can't forget about safety," Sirius said, holding a helmet out to her. "I promised Harry I would take care of his mum and I won't back down now."

That took Lily by surprise. "You have chats with Harry? And you talked to him about me?" She was touched by the thought of him speaking to her son; it warmed her heart.

"Of course Harry and I talk. He's got some great opinions, and he asked me to take care of you, or else he wouldn't let us hang out again," Sirius said, laughing while he put on his helmet.

It was at that precise moment Lily fell completely in love with Sirius. A man who spoke so highly of her son—who was still a baby and didn't understand anything besides eating and playing—and took care of her in such a way…It was impossible for her not to fall for him.

"Thank you, Sirius," Lily whispered, and he shivered. This gave her confidence to give him a kiss on his cheek. "You're one in a million, and I'm very glad to have met you."

Sirius blushed and Lily smiled, hugging him tighter. Lily didn't know if she'd ever tell him how she felt. But for now, she was going to enjoy having Sirius so close to her.

.:.

Sirius was on cloud nine. He was riding his bike, feeling the wind in his hair, and Lily's arms were wrapped tightly around him; he couldn't ask for anything better.

Actually, he could, but he wasn't going to rush anything. He liked getting to know Lily better, what made her laugh, what made her blush, and he would give all his money to find out what she thought when he was wearing his leather jacket.

"Everything okay, Lilypad?" Sirius asked, taking his hand off the handlebar to hold one of hers. "You aren't afraid, are you?"

"I'm never afraid when I'm with you, Sirius, but I would feel safer if you put your hand back on the handlebar," Lily replied, and Sirius' chest warmed. Before he put his hand back, he grabbed her hand and kissed it. She chuckled and said, "Aren't you a charmer?"

"And that's why you like me," Sirius fired back before accelerating and driving towards one of the streets he knew would be empty this time of the day. He parked the bike and got down after lowering the kick stand. Turning to Lily, he had to keep the smirk off his face. "And now, let's start your lessons, Miss Evans. Are you ready to start riding?"

Lily blushed all the way to her hair. He loved to make her blush over his innuendos and some of his more flirtatious advances. He had to approach Lily with caution; he didn't want to lose her because he was too forward. But he had a feeling she didn't mind him flirting with her.

"I meant riding the bike. I don't know what crossed your mind, but I'd love to know what made you blush like that," Sirius drawled, and Lily glared at him. He loved to rile her up.

"Shut up, Sirius," Lily said, getting off the bike and pushing him away, which made him laugh harder. She pointed at the bike and demanded, "Tell me what I need to know. And how did you make me agree to this? I must have been out of my mind."

Sirius chuckled and took a step closer to her, and Lily's blush intensified. "You asked me to teach you to ride a bike—I didn't do anything. And you just need to get on and hold the handlebars."

Lily stared at him like he had just told her he was a man who could turn into a dog. Sighing, Sirius took one of her hands and placed it on the handlebars before using the other one to grip her waist and help her sit on the bike.

He could never explain what happened in those few seconds, but something inside of him changed. Sirius stared at Lily, imagining what it would be like to kiss her, hold her, and never let her go.

"Sirius…" Lily whispered, gazing up at him with those green eyes that always made him lose his train of thought. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know," Sirius whispered. Before he could chicken out, he took her hand off the handlebar and placed it on his chest, while stepping closer to her. He murmured, "Every time I look at you, I get lost in those emerald eyes of yours, and I lose everything that makes me me."

Lily's eyes widened and her breath hitched.

Sirius went on, "I was fascinated by you the first time we met on that plane from hell."

Lily giggled and Sirius smiled; he brought her closer to him and murmured, "You were like an angel saving me from my panic. I don't know what this feeling is that I feel for you, but I'd love to learn more about what we are. What do you say, Lilypad?"

Sirius held his breath, gripping her waist a little tighter, afraid of what she would say. He didn't know how Lily would react or even if she was going to say something to him. Sirius hadn't planned on telling her anything, but holding her in his arms had messed with his brain, and he had just blurted out the things he wanted to say to her.

"Sirius, I don't even know what to say," Lily said softly, running her hand over his chest absentmindedly. "How long have you felt this way?"

Sirius shrugged, a bit terrified now that she hadn't exactly run away from him but hadn't answered him either. "I already thought you were gorgeous when we were on the plane, but I didn't think we'd ever meet again, but finding out you lived right next door? It was like a dream come true."

Lily smiled softly at Sirius, and his heart beat so fast he feared it would beat out of his chest any minute now.

"I was so surprised to see you at Minerva's flat that day, it was as if my eyes were deceiving me. And the way you interact with Harry always warms my heart." Lily bit her lip as if she didn't know how to continue. "My heart flutters every time I walk in a place and you're there, and I curse the fact that I blush so easily every time you look at me with that smirk."

Sirius smirked, and Lily laughed, swatting him lightly. He grabbed her hand and held it, gazing at her as lovingly as he could. His heart pounded as he waited for her answer.

"I would be an idiot if I said no to what's happening between us," Lily said softly.

Sirius beamed at her. He picked her up and spun her around, making her laugh and clutch him tighter. "Sirius! Put me down! What are you doing?"

"I'm celebrating!" Sirius shouted, and Lily laughed harder. "This isn't what I was hoping would happen, but I'm not going to take it back. I'm actually taking it further. Want to go on a date with me, Miss Evans?"

Sirius put Lily down and smiled at her, and she smiled back, her skin flushed. "I would love to go on a date with you, Mr Black."

He swore anyone on the moon could see his smile; it was so wide that it almost split his face into two. When he lowered his head to kiss her, he conveniently forgot they were still wearing their helmets. They ended up banging their heads together with a loud thump.

"Ouch!" Lily yelled but giggled right after. "I think we got too caught up in our conversation that we forgot you were supposed to be teaching me how to ride."

"Oh, I'll teach you how to ride, and I intend on teaching you many other things too." Sirius leered at her, making Lily smack him softly. "Oh, Lilypad, we're going to have so much fun together."

"Of that I'm positive," Lily replied, and the smile she gave him almost made his knees tremble. "Back to our lessons now? If you manage to teach me how to ride a bike, maybe I can teach you something?"

The smile on Sirius' face was feral; he liked this side of Lily. He couldn't wait to find out what else he liked about this woman.

"Put your hands on the handlebar and we can go from there," Sirius whispered in her ear, basking in the shiver that racked through her body. "This is only the first thing I'm teaching you, love."

Lily flipped her hair over her shoulder and tucked it under her helmet. Sirius got a whiff of her sweet perfume and knew he was slowly losing himself to Lily, not that he was complaining. He couldn't wait for their date.

---

"Can you stop pacing? You're giving me a headache, and I don't fancy one today," Regulus said from his spot on the couch, watching Sirius pace in front of him without stopping. "You were never this nervous for any date you had in the past."

"Yeah, because none of those was with Lily," Sirius mumbled, continuing to pace. "What if she changed her mind? Oh Lord, she changed her mind, didn't she? I knew it!"

Panicking, Sirius turned to Regulus, who looked amused; Sirius' terror was entertaining for him. When Sirius shot him a glare, he sighed and stood up before walking up to Sirius.

"Get a grip, Sirius! She hasn't changed her mind, and you're going on this date. You'll have a lovely time and dazzle her with your…I don't know, personality, I guess?" Regulus asked with a grimace, making Sirius laugh.

"Or my looks, you know that's what she fell for." Sirius wiggled his eyebrows, feeling calmer now. "Thanks, Reggie, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Probably tear a hole in my rug and then replace it with an expensive one," Regulus deadpanned, sitting back on the couch. "Aren't you supposed to meet Lily at her flat? Where are your manners, Sirius?"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair, throwing himself next to Regulus on the couch. "I offered, but she said she'd come directly here after dropping Harry off with Minerva."

"But Minerva left her flat this afternoon, and she told me she'll return on Monday." Regulus cocked his head to the side, and Sirius' panic set back in. "What now?"

"Lily is going to cancel the date because she didn't find a sitter for Harry in time, and everything I hoped for is now ruined, and we're never going on that date, and Lily will find someone more suitable for her, and—" The doorbell interrupted his rambling.

"What are you waiting for? Go and open the door, you weirdo," Regulus said in his usual no-nonsense tone. "Don't make me slap you, Sirius. You know I'd love to."

Sirius woke up from the fog that had settled on him. He hurried to open the door, and his breath hitched when he caught sight of Lily on the other side. She was always beautiful, but today, she had literally taken his breath away.

Her red hair was pulled onto the top of her head. She wore just a little makeup from what he could see, which made her green eyes pop. Her lips were red, begging him to smear her lipstick off with his thumb. The little black dress she wore hugged her curves perfectly and showed off her long legs—legs he often dreamt would one day be wrapped around his waist—and high heels that brought her at the perfect height for him.

"Wow," Sirius whispered, taking all of her in slowly. "Lily, you're like a vision, a dream come true."

Lily giggled and blushed, and Sirius fell for her a little bit more. "Thank you, Sirius. You don't look so bad either."

Sirius glanced down at his dark jeans, which were almost black, and his black boots. He ran his hands self-consciously over his grey shirt, and his fingers smoothed over the first three buttons, wondering if he should have buttoned them too. It was too late to do that now. Still a bit nervous, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket—the same one he had been wearing when he asked Lily out—and hoped the jacket would give him luck.

"I dress to impress," Sirius drawled, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "Are you ready to go?"

Lily's smile fell. Before she could say anything, Sirius blurted what was on his mind before she had rang the doorbell. "You came here to say you changed your mind and don't want to go out with me, right? That you don't want to lose our friendship and we should forget all about it because you—"

"Sirius, breathe!" Lily exclaimed, making Sirius stop his babbling. "I haven't come here to say I changed my mind. Why would I change my mind?"

He looked at the floor, not meeting her eyes. "I don't know. It could have happened or something else."

Lily lifted his head up by tilting his chin, making sure he was looking at her. "I came here to say I'll be a little late because I'm waiting for Marlene because Harry needs a babysitter." She smiled softly, and Sirius' heart beat faster.

"Oh…that makes more sense than what was going through my head," Sirius mumbled, a little ashamed of his outburst. "You could have just texted me, you know?"

"I know, but I wanted to make you lose your breath when you looked at me," Lily said with a twinkle in her eyes, and something awakened in Sirius' body. She asked, "Can you give me twenty more minutes?"

"I'd give you all the time in the world," Sirius said, his tone rougher than he had intended, but when Lily shivered, he didn't regret deepening his voice. "I'll be waiting for you."

"Why don't you two go and I'll wait for Marlene? I've taken care of Harry on more than one occasion. I can take care of him for a few minutes unsupervised." Regulus' voice pierced the bubble they were in. "That way, you won't miss your reservation."

"What do you say, Lilypad? It's your call, after all." Sirius looked at Lily, who seemed to be thinking. "You can trust Regulus, and Marlene may take some time to get here."

"You're right, Marley functions in her own time zone." Lily giggled, and Sirius smiled warmly at her. "All right, I don't see why not. Thank you, Regulus."

"Yes, thank you, Reggie," Sirius drawled, making Lily slap his chest lightly. "Ouch, woman! What was that for?"

"Be nice to your brother. He's being nice to help us out," Lily said, glaring at Sirius, but she was fighting off a smile. "Without his help, I doubt we could leave now."

Sirius sighed and refused to look at Regulus, knowing he was smirking like the cat who got the canary. "Fine, I'll be nicer to Reggie. Why don't you tell him all he needs to know, and we can go?"

Lily smiled and kissed his cheek, murmuring a 'thank you,' she entered the flat to tell Regulus everything he needed to know to take care of Harry. Watching her arse sway, Sirius had to adjust his pants and prayed he survived the night.

.:.

"This is a nice place. Thank you for bringing me here, Sirius," Lily said, giving him a smile, which Sirius returned. "Where did you find such a nice place?"

Lily was in love with the little bistro Sirius had taken her. It was small, with just a handful of tables, but created a romantic atmosphere, with fairy lights hanging from the ceiling and on the walls, small vases with baby breaths and mini roses of all colours sitting in the middle of the table, surrounded by candles.

"Thank you for coming with me," Sirius said, taking her hand and kissing the back, a smooth action that warmed Lily from the inside out. "I asked my cousins for directions because I was lost, and Andi mentioned this place and that maybe you would like it."

"Well, thank her for me. I love it here." Lily's smile changed to a smirk. "You asked your cousins for help? You just became sexier than I already thought."

"So you think I'm sexy, huh?" Sirius drawled, making Lily blush like a tomato. "What else do you think about me, Lily? I'm curious to know."

Lily didn't know how to reply to his teasing remarks, but she was saved from answering by the waitress approaching their table and asking if they were ready to order. Lily was going to leave a big tip for the girl later.

After they had ordered, Sirius and Lily fell into easy conversation. There was always something to talk about; they asked questions, trying to get to know each other better. Lily was delighted when Sirius asked about Harry, wanting to learn more about him. If she hadn't known how she already felt about him, this was the moment she would definitely fall for him.

"Do you want dessert?" Sirius asked, looking at her with that boyish smile of his. "Because I know a great ice cream shop near here, and I know that they have stracciatella."

A man who knew your favourite flavour of ice cream was definitely a keeper.

"You don't need to say anything else. I'm already sold." Lily smiled and grabbed Sirius' hand, which was on top of the table. "Thanks for an amazing dinner, Sirius."

Sirius squeezed her hand. "Don't thank me yet because it isn't over. We're going to have gelato, and then we'll take a walk under the stars."

Touched, Lily's heart grew three sizes larger. How could a man be so perfect as Sirius was?

They strolled down the street and reached the ice cream shop—after Lily argued with Sirius about the bill and had left a big tip for their waitress. After Lily got her stracciatella while Sirius got a fragola one, they walked around the Thames, holding hands.

"The sky is so beautiful." Lily sighed, gazing up at the stars. The summer wind ruffled the few strands that had come undone from her hairdo.

"Not more beautiful than you," Sirius said, looking at her instead of the stars. "How can you be so beautiful, Lily?"

Lily blushed, not knowing what else to say. Sirius had gotten more confident in flirting with her as the night had progressed, and Lily's blush had made itself permanent.

"You're a charmer, Sirius Black. That's what you are," Lily said, trying to hide her blush behind her ice cream cone, but Sirius grabbed both her hands and looked at her with a glint in his eyes. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I like to make you blush when I compliment you. It's adorable." Sirius smirked, and Lily's cheeks grew warmer. "Red looks good on you, Lilypad."

"Argh! Why would you say something like that?" Lily screeched, making Sirius laugh and almost drop their gelatos. "Don't you dare drop my gelato, or I'll kill you."

"Nah, you like me too much to kill me," Sirius drawled, stepping closer. "You'd miss me if you killed me."

"Ugh, why you—" Lily started to say but was stopped by Sirius' lips on hers. Lily's mind blanked.

Their kiss tasted like chocolate and strawberry, and Lily thought it was a combination made in heaven. Sirius' lips were soft on hers, making her want to never let go. She disentangled one of her hands from his and put it on Sirius' neck, bringing him closer to her, while his hand went to her waist.

They kissed until oxygen was a necessity, and even then, Sirius kissed her jaw and moved towards her neck. The sensation of his lips on her sensitive skin made her legs give out. Fortunately, Sirius held her, cradling her to his chest like she was his most precious thing.

"Wow," Lily whispered, goggling Sirius in disbelief. "You're a great kisser."

Sirius laughed, and Lily blushed at her stupidity. He teased, "You aren't too bad either. Want to repeat it?"

Lily smacked him lightly, but Sirius grabbed her hand and kissed it. He murmured, his tone soft and words just for her ears, "I've wanted to kiss you since you arrived at my flat today. I'm not going to tell you that and not want to repeat it."

"I wanted to do the same," Lily said softly, kissing him lightly on the lips. "Let me finish my gelato, and we can see where this goes."

Sirius laughed heartily, and Lily smiled. Right there under the stars, she was happy. Nothing could bring her down from her high.

---

Lily felt like she was floating. Marlene probably wanted to punch her because of how happy she was, but Lily couldn't help it; being with Sirius was as easy as breathing.

"You make me want to throw up. Stop doing whatever you're doing," Marlene grumbled, distracting Lily from her dreamland.

"But I wasn't doing anything?" Lily turned to look at Marlene, who was glaring at her while holding Harry. "I was literally just standing here, minding my own business."

Marlene snorted, making Harry giggle at the funny sound. "You think I can't hear you thinking about Sirius? Your thoughts were so loud they were making my head hurt."

Lily's face pinkened, and Marlene snickered. Lily whined, "You're the worst, Marley. I don't know why we're friends." She took Harry from Marlene's arms and placed him on her shoulders, which made the boy squeal and clutch onto her hair. The slight discomfort was worth Harry's excitement.

Lily turned her attention back to Marlene. "Anyway, did you come here to make fun of me or to talk about Harry's birthday party? I can't believe it's almost here! It seems like just yesterday when I found out I was pregnant."

"That was a glorious day. I thought you were going to either pass out or throw up, and in the end, you did both." Marlene was laughing with all her might now, even though Lily didn't find it particularly funny yet. Maybe in the future, she would feel different. Marlene ran her hand over her face and chuckled. "Oh Lord, I don't think I've ever laughed so much."

"Glad to know my suffering amuses you," Lily deadpanned, placing Harry on his playmat and handing him a soft block, which Harry started gnawing on instantly. "Now, can you do your godmother's duties and help me plan the party? The party is two months away, but there's so much to do."

"We don't need to do so much, but I know you'll want to go over the top when it comes to your precious pumpkin, but I can't blame you," Marlene said, kneeling next to Harry, who smiled and shoved his wet block in her lap. "He deserves the world."

Smiling, Lily sat on the other side of Harry, grabbing him and kissing his cheek, making him laugh out loud. She was blessed to have these quiet moments with Harry, and she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

"Where's your bae today?" Marlene asked, looking at Lily with a smirk. "I thought for sure he'd be here today."

"We aren't attached at the hip, you know," Lily said, blushing and not looking at Marlene. "And Sirius had to work today. He said he was going to come by later. Why do you ask? Want to catch a glimpse of Reggie?"

It was Marlene's turn to turn red, and Lily laughed. Revenge was so sweet! Marlene and Regulus had a weird thing going on; both of them flirted when they were together but neither did anything about it. Lily was ready to shove both of them inside a closet and leave them there until they had snogged each other senseless.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about," Marlene said with a huff, turning her head away. "I was just asking because you seemed so distracted when I came here. I thought for sure you had seen each other already, and that's why you were daydreaming."

"Of course, keep telling yourself that." Lily's smile was so wide she feared the muscles in her cheeks would cramp. Harry sort of understood what his mother was doing because he was beaming at Marlene too. "See, even Harry agrees!"

"Harry! I thought you were on my side!" Marlene fake-yelled in outrage, and Harry blew a raspberry at her. "I see how it is. I have no friends in this house."

Marlene stood up and walked towards the door, making Lily laugh even harder. Her friend could be such a drama queen when she wanted. It was hilarious.

"Goodbye forever! I won't inflict you with my presence any longer!" Marlene yelled dramatically before throwing open the door and coming face-to-face with the shocked faces of Sirius and Regulus. Sirius had his hand raised to ring the doorbell. Marlene asked, "Can I help you, gentleman?"

"I think it's us who can help you," Regulus drawled and made Marlene blush. Lily almost fell over herself laughing at the scene. "Going somewhere, love?"

"Okay, I don't need to see my brother flirting," Sirius mumbled, entering the flat and walking towards Lily and Harry. "Hello, you two. How are you this fine afternoon?"

Sirius sat down beside Lily, and after giving her a sweet kiss, he took Harry from her and blew a raspberry on his cheek. Harry gave him a toothy; his first teeth peeked out from his pink gums.

"Oh, I missed you, Harry, oh yes, I missed you very much. What would I do if I didn't see your pretty smile and these chubby cheeks daily, huh?" Sirius cooed in a baby voice, and Lily melted at how adorable he was. "Did you keep an eye on your mum like we talked?"

"Hurgf meguy," Harry babbled, clapping his hands, making Sirius' smile widen. "Kegy byrt huna."

"Oh, really? Now that's interesting news," Sirius said before winking at Lily, who smiled at him. "We need to do something to change that, don't we, Harry?"

"What are you two talking about?" Lily asked, putting her chin on Sirius' shoulder. "Shouldn't I know what you two are planning?"

Sirius kissed her forehead. "Sorry, sweetheart, but this is a private conversation between us men, but maybe someday we'll tell you."

This was one of the many reasons why Lily had fallen in love with Sirius: he was so considerate with Harry and often went out of his way to spend time with the little boy. It never failed to warm Lily's heart every time he did it.

"So you came here just to talk to Harry? I thought you were here to see me." Lily pouted, and Sirius kissed her pout away, making her laugh. "How was work today?"

"Nothing new, just work, you know? At least I'm working on something I like." Sirius smiled, and Lily couldn't help but smile back at him. "How are the preparations for Harry's birthday coming along?"

"God, you two are so domestic, it's making my teeth hurt," Regulus deadpanned, finally approaching them, with Marlene by his side. "I don't know how Harry can handle this sweetness. He'll get cavities before his teeth even appear properly."

Harry laughed and clapped, and Regulus smiled at seeing the little boy. Lily had to hide a snicker. Harry had wrapped Regulus around his little finger; Harry charmed everyone around him.

"You're my favourite, Harry, and that's the only reason I came here," Regulus said, picking Harry from Sirius' lap and hugging the little boy, who laughed in delight. "Yes, I missed you too."

"You don't know how cherished I feel." Lily stuck her tongue out at Regulus.

"You have my brother to make goo-goo eyes at you and say he misses you. I'm here for Harry," Regulus said drily, but Lily knew he was half-joking…she hoped.

"He isn't wrong, but I would put it more nicely," Sirius whispered in her ear. "Oh, this reminds me…I got something for Harry. I'll go get it."

Kissing Lily lightly on the lips, he hurried out of the flat before Lily could ask him what he had meant. Sirius was making his place in her heart permanent by being so gentle with Harry, and she hoped nothing would change it.

"What has gotten into him?" Regulus asked, sitting on the couch with Harry on his lap. "Did he forget to brush his hair?"

Lily and Marlene started laughing out loud, almost to the point that tears streamed down their faces. Harry caught on and started laughing with them, his face quickly reddening. It was to that scene of all of them laughing that Sirius came back to.

"What happened here?" Sirius asked, entering with a gift box in his hand. "Reggie…what did you do?"

"Oy! Why would you think I did something?" Regulus asked, while Sirius retook his seat by Lily's side. "It could have been Harry, for all you know."

"Throwing my son under the bus? Shame on you, Regulus!" Lily laughed at Regulus' dramatic pout.

"Sirius is less likely to fight with Harry than he is to fight with me, so yes, I'm throwing him under the bus," Regulus said, kissing Harry's cheek and making him giggle. "You're still my favourite, but my first reaction is to save my own skin first."

"I should have known," Sirius said, shaking his head and laughing a little. Turning to Lily, he gave her the gift bag in his hand, "This is just something I saw in a store and I thought of Harry immediately. I hope you don't mind."

Lily was touched about the fact Sirius brought something for Harry; the fact he was worried she was going to be mad was just laughable. She opened the bag and almost cried when she caught sight of what was inside: a tiny, black leather jacket, exactly like the one Sirius loved to wear.

"Oh my gosh, you didn't," Lily said, looking at Sirius with teary eyes and a smile on her face. "Sirius! You shouldn't have!"

Sirius shrugged. "I saw it and couldn't resist buying it. It was too perfect for me not to get it. I gather that you liked it."

"Liked? I love it! It's just perfect!" Lily threw herself at Sirius and kissed him with all her might, forgetting all about their company.

Sirius' kisses were always lustful and sensuous, and Lily couldn't help but want more every time. It seemed like time didn't pass when they were kissing, and Lily was going to search for that high every time she could.

"Oy! Not in front of the baby! Have some decency, you two!" Regulus threw a pillow at them, separating them. "Fuck, you two are worse than a pair of horny teenagers."

"Language! I don't want my son picking on that sort of crass language," Lily grumbled, and Sirius tried to stop himself from laughing. She glared at him; he raised his hands as if he was saying he was sorry.

"So we can't say anything in front of Harry, but you two can make out like you're alone?" Marlene asked with a raised eyebrow, for which Lily didn't have an answer. "Shame on you, Lils, and shame on you, Sirius!"

The four of them laughed, realising they were bickering like teens even though they were closer to their thirties. It was good to be surrounded by friends. Lily was glad that Harry would be so loved.

"Alright, now that you two have calmed down, what did Sirius buy for Harry that made you suck his face like that?" Regulus asked.

"Look! Isn't it just perfect?" Lily pulled out the jacket and showed them, and Marlene cooed at how adorable it was. "Harry is definitely wearing it at his birthday party."

"Wait, are you serious?" Sirius asked, looking a little scared at Lily, who smirked at him.

"No, you are Sirius." Lily snickered, and Sirius groaned and rolled his eyes at her. "Jokes aside, of course I'm serious. Why wouldn't I be?"

Sirius shrugged his eyes and didn't meet her eyes. Lily sensed something was off with him; she glanced at Marlene, who understood everything with just a look.

"Regulus, do you want to come with Harry and me to grab lunch? Harry loves to drive around in the car," Marlene said, picking Harry up before dragging Regulus away with her. "We should go get some fish and chips. Today seems like the perfect day for them."

"What? What are you talking about, woman? I swear, you keep getting weirder every day…" Regulus' voice drifted off as they left the flat, and Lily was glad for their departure.

Turning to Sirius, Lily put her hand on his chin, raising it and looking into his troubled eyes.

"Want to tell me what this was about?" Lily asked softly, wanting to know what Sirius was thinking. "You seemed a little scared. If you don't want Harry to wear the jacket, you just have to say the word. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Sirius smiled softly at her. "I'm not uncomfortable—I'm honoured that you want Harry to wear my little present on a day when everyone will be focused on him. It's just that you don't need to tell people that we're together if you're not comfortable with it."

Lily looked at him as if she couldn't believe what he was saying. How could he think she wouldn't want to tell everyone that she was with this wonderful man?

"Have you lost your mind? Why wouldn't I tell people we're together? Unless…" Lily stopped mid-sentence, opening her mouth in shock. "Unless you don't want people to know we're together?"

"What? No! Of course I want everyone else to know we're together. I just wanted to let you know I'm not mad if you want to be more reserved." Sirius grabbed Lily's hand and squeezed it. "If I could, I would scream from the rooftop that we're together, but I know you'd find that tacky and cliched."

Lily laughed, and the tension between them eased. She was extremely happy being with Sirius, and she made sure to prove it to him by snogging him senseless and not coming up for air anytime soon.

.:.

Sirius loved to spend time with Harry and Lily. Even though he loved being with his girlfriend, he cherished the moments he spent with Harry. He was truly blessed that he got to see such a tiny human being grow up.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Lily asked for the tenth time in five minutes, looking from Harry to Sirius and vice-versa. "I don't want to inconvenience you or anything."

"Lily, I said I would take care of Harry while you shop for the party decorations, and you know I don't mind." Sirius chuckled, holding Harry closer to his chest. "Besides, this is our male-bonding time, so you aren't taking that away from me."

Lily fought off a smile, which was the most adorable thing ever-well, one of the most adorable things ever. Harry was just as wonderful as she was. Sirius loved that Lily was fiercely protective of Harry. The fact that she was leaving Harry with him alone was a huge sign of confidence in him.

"You're adorable, but you're freaking out, aren't you?" Sirius asked, looking at her with a smirk. "Relax, Lilypad, we're going to be alright. Besides, we'll be just one call away."

Lily sighed. She was definitely starting to warm up to the idea. Because he wanted to help soothe her fears, Sirius came up with a compromise.

"How about I send you pics of Harry every half an hour? Will that be okay?" Sirius asked, and if the smile he got in return was an indication, she liked his idea.

"You think I'm a nut job, but I just worry." Lily sighed and hugged both Sirius and Harry. "Thank you for doing this. You're an angel."

"It's my pleasure. I'll always be here to help you," Sirius whispered in her ear, kissing it lightly. "Now go. The faster you go, the faster you can come back."

"You're right. I know you're right," Lily murmured, kissing him harder before stepping back. "I'll try not to call many times, but that's the only promise I'm making."

Sirius chuckled, and after giving Lily a kiss—and she kissed and hugged Harry with all her might too times to count—he closed the door of his flat and looked down at Harry.

"Now it's just us two, buddy, so what do you want to do?" Sirius asked, making Harry cock his head to the side. "Not a clue, huh? It's alright, we can just hang out."

"Jurg bubba," Harry babbled, grabbing Sirius' hair and pulling a little. "Nugh."

"Ouch, Harry, didn't we have a gentlemen's agreement not to mess with my hair? Where did the brotherhood go?" Sirius whined, making Harry laugh at him. "Fine, we can watch a movie. What do you say?"

Harry smiled at him, and Sirius took it as a positive answer. Putting Harry on the couch next to him, he started to surf, looking for something to watch. He finally found a television station where Aristocats was just about to start.

"I guess we're in for a treat, Harry," Sirius said, smiling and hugging Harry to his side. "I bet you're going to love this movie."

Sirius loved the movie, and he even felt a connection with Thomas O'Malley. He didn't fail to see the coincidences between him and the street cat. With those thoughts in mind, Sirius fell asleep with Harry neatly tucked into his side.

.:.

The sound of laughter woke Sirius up, and even though he was a little disoriented, he still maintained his grip on Harry.

"This is such a cute picture. I'm not even mad that you didn't answer any of my calls," Lily said, looking at him with a smile. "Good nap?"

"The best I ever had, with great company," Sirius replied, still feeling a little out of it. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Not long, just a little under three hours." Lily sat beside him, picking Harry up and placing him on her lap. "Thank you for staying with Harry."

"It was my pleasure. We were watching Aristocats before we fell asleep," Sirius said, caressing Harry's head absently. "I always liked O'Malley, but I seemed to be like him even more now."

"Really? Any special reason?" Lily asked with a glint in her eyes that Sirius found endearing.

"None in particular. He just seems like a nice cat. That's all." Sirius smiled to himself; he wasn't going to tell Lily the real reason he was vibing with O'Malley—yet. He distracted her by asking, "Did you buy everything you needed?"

Lily groaned, moving Harry in her lap effortlessly. "Almost. I still need to buy a few things. Think you can help me tomorrow? It's just a handful of things, nothing tiresome, I promise."

"You know I would do anything for you and Harry," Sirius said, leaning in towards Lily and kissing her lightly before pecking Harry's forehead. "Don't forget that."

And Sirius vowed to keep it that way.

---

"Who would have thought a child's birthday party would be so tiresome?" Regulus groaned, dropping a box at the front of the saloon. "Who's coming?"

"Just some friends and their children, and I think your cousins are coming with their children," Lily replied, holding Harry and walking around the decorations. "Good job, everyone. Harry is very proud of everything you have done."

"Hurwg jadoy," Harry babbled, clapping his hands in agreement.

"Yes, baby, Mummy's very proud of you, yes, she is," Lily cooed, kissing the tip of Harry's nose.

Harry stared at Lily intensely, smiled, and then... "Mumma."

Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at Harry, who seemed overjoyed by the attention, and repeated what he said, "Mumma."

"Oh, my gosh, he just said his first word! Oh, Harry, you precious little boy, Mumma loves you so, so much!" Lily squealed, hugging Harry and peppering kisses all over his face. "Don't make me cry! People are coming soon, but you're so amazing!"

"I think Harry broke Lily," Regulus whispered to Sirius, who had stopped breathing and was watching the scene in front of him. Regulus rolled his eyes and smacked Sirius' head. "And he may have broken you too."

"Shut up, Reggie, this is just adorable, you insensitive git," Sirius replied, smiling at Lily and Harry as they cooed at each other. "It's just too precious, don't you think?"

"Obviously. You're in love with Lily and think everything she does is adorable. You'd even say the way she eats is adorable, so I won't answer that rhetorical question," Regulus said drily. "But yeah, Harry is pretty adorable, and if you tell anyone I called him adorable, I'll cut your throat while you sleep."

Not bothering to tell him that, yes, he thought Lily even ate adorably, Sirius chuckled and clapped Regulus' shoulder. He left him there and approached Lily and Harry, who seemed to be in a world of their own, not that he could blame them.

"Ready for the party, sweetheart? The guests are going to start arriving soon, and I bet you'll want to redo your makeup," Sirius said with a teasing smirk, making Lily mock-glare at him.

"You think you're funny, don't you? But you aren't wrong," Lily said, sighing and passing Harry to Sirius. "It won't take me more than ten minutes, and I'll be back."

"Take all the time you want. I'm not going anywhere," Sirius replied, winking at her. "Harry and I are going to have fun here, aren't we?"

Harry smiled and gave Sirius' cheek a wet kiss, leaving Sirius' cheek covered in his drool. Sirius grimaced for a moment but laughed at Harry. Lily's eyes bore a hole into him, but he didn't say anything.

"Good, I'll be back as soon as I can then. I don't want to miss greeting the guests," Lily said, kissing Harry's cheek and walking away, leaving Sirius looking at her longingly.

"Stop drooling, or Harry won't be the only one needing a napkin," Regulus deadpanned, making Sirius smack his head. Regulus scowled and grumbled, "Rude. Don't mess with my hair."

Sirius laughed, and Harry joined his laugh. They were going to make Harry's birthday as special as they could.

.:.

Lily looked at the children running around, screaming and laughing, and she couldn't be happier. Harry was enjoying himself, which was the most important thing for her.

"Sorellina, why are you hiding in the corner? Aren't you supposed to be there with Harry, making sure he doesn't trip or something?" Giovanna asked, approaching her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "By the way, he looks amazing in that leather jacket, and his spiky hair is so cute."

Lily laughed, hugging her friend closer. "It was Sirius' and Regulus' idea, and I couldn't say no to them, could I? And Blaise too looks adorable in his little jacket."

As if he had heard them talking, Harry crawled towards the ball pit as fast as his limbs could take him, and a gang of children followed him. Pansy, Blaise's friend, cackled at Draco, Sirius' nephew, when he fell onto the ground. Draco scowled, but when his other cousin, Dora, helped him up, he scampered towards the ball pit.

"I'm glad Harry is surrounded by children. He usually plays by himself, you know?" Lily said, looking at the children in the pit. Laughing at the scene in front of her, she said, "Except, I don't think he's too keen on Lavender."

Lavender, who lived upstairs, was just a bit younger than Harry, but she was stronger than she looked. She couldn't stop hugging Harry with all her might, and she kept on giving his cheek wet kisses.

"Do you think I should save him or let him enjoy-slash-suffer?" Lily asked, trying to stop her laughter but was failing miserably. "And I thought Pansy was the one who would be all over Harry."

Giovanna laughed with her. "Nah, Pansy has had her eyes on Blaise since she came to spend time with us. Her mum's away for a job, and she was delighted you invited her to the party too."

Lily looked at the tiny brunette with perfect bangs, whose arms were around Blaise's neck, choking him.

"Well, it's almost time for the cake and the birthday song, so I think we should go save the boys." Lily snickered, walking towards the children.

Her heart swelled with love, seeing so many people coming together to celebrate Harry's first year. Minerva was at a table chatting with Marlene, sharing gossip; Regulus sat at another table with his cousins, Andromeda and Narcissa, who were both lovely. Lily wanted to get to know them better, especially since they had taken time out to come celebrate with them.

Turning around, she failed to find Sirius, but she didn't worry about it. Sirius had been incredible these past few days, always by her side. Walking towards the ball pit, Lily wasn't surprised to find Sirius in the middle of the pit, surrounded by the kids throwing balls at his head.

"Having fun?" Lily asked, sitting by the entrance, and smiling when Harry crawled over to hug her. "You invited Sirius to play with you, Harry?"

"Mumma, cwum nomny grum," Harry babbled, grinning at her.

"Really? Well, that is good to know, Harry," Lily replied as if she had understood more than just the mumma, which still made her heart race. "What do you say we sing the birthday song and eat some cake, Harry?"

"Cake! Can we have some cake now, Uncle Siri? I behaved and took care of Draco and Harry and Blaise and Lavender and Pansy, and I played nice with each one of them!" Dora yelled, without stopping to breathe. "Mum said I need to play nice and take care of the little ones because they are little and don't know much yet, and since I'm a big girl, it's my job to take care of them, and I think I did and—"

"Breathe, Dora!" Sirius chuckled at his little niece, and Lily smiled at the scene. "You need to ask Lily about the cake, and you took good care of your cousin and his little friends. Good job, little bug."

Lily hugged Harry closer to her chest, or else she feared she may have thrown herself at Sirius. That wasn't a good thing to do surrounded by children. Later, though…now, that's promising.

"Miss Lily, can we have cake now? I know how to sing the birthday song and I can teach the babies," Dora said in one breath, hurrying over to her and taking Harry from her. "You want to learn the song, Harry?"

Harry giggled and gave Dora one of his drooling kisses, but the little girl didn't even bat an eye; Lily was impressed.

"I think it's wonderful you want to teach them the song, Dora, but they can't say all the words yet." Lily smiled at the girl's pout. "But why don't you play some more with Harry and his friends while I put the cake on the table? Then, we can sing and eat lots and lots of cake."

"Okie dokie, Miss Lily! You're so cool!" Dora said in a matter-of-fact tone. She put Harry down and sat next to him. "Want to throw some balls, Harry? But we can only throw them on Uncle Siri."

"Oy!" Sirius said indignantly, while Lily hid her giggles behind her hand. "And here I thought I was your favourite uncle, little bug."

"You are, that's why I said that," Dora replied, smirking, and Lily couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. Harry, seeing his mother laughing, started laughing too even though he didn't know why they were laughing. Dora grinned and said, "See? Even Harry agrees with me."

"Harry will agree with anything if you say it in a certain way," Sirius replied, not really bothered. "Want to see?"

Dora nodded eagerly and even Lily was curious about what Sirius was planning to do.

"Harry," Sirius started in a soft tone, catching the birthday boy's attention, "don't you think cricket is better than soccer?"

Harry giggled and clapped his hands, shrieking in delight. Sirius had a smug look on his face, while Lily was outraged.

"Sirius! How dare you corrupt my baby like that!" Lily shrieked. Although, she was trying hard not to laugh at them. "And here I thought I could trust you."

"You'll see my point someday, Lilypad, I'm just waiting for you to admit I'm right." Sirius winked at her, and Lily blushed. "Weren't you going to put the cake on the table?"

Lily huffed and stood up, flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking towards the table. The sound of Sirius' and the children's laughter followed her, and she had to fight a smile all the while.

.:.

"Happy birthday, dear Harry, happy birthday to you!" Everyone sang loud and clear, and Harry clapped his hands excitedly.

"Blow the candles, Harry," Lily whispered in his ear, making the boy giggle. "Don't forget to make a wish."

Harry scrunched his face as if he was concentrating, and Lily smiled at the scene. Helping Harry blow the candles, she felt at peace and happy. Friends and her chosen family surrounded her, and Sirius was by her side. Nothing could burst her bubble of happiness. But of course, there was always something that could change everything.

"I hope I'm not too late." A voice from the door burst that bubble. A voice Lily thought she wouldn't have to hear again. "It's not every day your son turns one."

Turning slowly and praying that her mind was playing tricks—horrible tricks—on her, Lily found James Potter standing in the doorway. His smile was bright, his hair artfully tousled as always, and his hazel-brown eyes shone with the same mischievous glint she had fallen for long ago.

"Hi, Harry, I missed you," James said, coming over and taking Harry from her arms without question. "That's my big boy!"

Harry giggled and clapped; he was the only one happy by his appearance. She was so lost in her own bubble that she almost missed the young, brown-haired woman standing beside James.

"Sirius?" she asked, shocked.

"Hermione? Is that you?" Sirius asked, shock written all over his face, and Lily didn't like it one bit.

It looked like after Harry blew out the candles, the world turned upside down.

.:.

"Did you order this cake from Rosmerta? I missed these while I was away," James said; he acted as if he had never left Lily. "Good choice, Lily, but I always knew you made good choices. Just look at me."

Lily couldn't wrap her mind around what was happening. James was at Harry's birthday party, eating cake and looking like he had always been there. She was surprised that he had brought his girlfriend along though without informing her.

Lily's eyes raked over Hermione's lean body, and a twinge of envy washed over her. Hermione's body looked like every man's wet dream; Lily could understand why James would have fallen for her. She wasn't upset that James had moved on—hell, she had moved on!—and it wasn't like she wanted him back. No, what was eating Lily away was the fact that James' new girlfriend was Sirius' ex. How much of a coincidence could that be?

Was Sirius ogling Hermione's body when they sat down to talk? About what, Lily didn't have a clue, but she was curious as hell. She suddenly felt underdressed in her simple floral dress that she had matched with flats and a messy ponytail. She had known that she would be running after Harry and helping with the preparations, so she had chosen comfort over fashion.

Hermione, on the other hand, was wearing fitted jeans with a pretty blouse. Her curls framed her face, and she wore practical ankle boots. Lily could understand why Sirius would ogle her.

"We need to talk about Harry, you know that, right?" James asked, bringing Lily's attention back to him. "Can we talk later today? Or maybe tomorrow?"

"Sure, we can talk later." Lily tried to smile at her ex, but it came out more like a grimace.

"Great! I'll spend some time with Harry, if you'll excuse me." James stood up and went to find Harry, leaving Lily to dwell on her thoughts.

"Are you alright, amore?" Giovanna asked, coming to sit beside Lily. Marlene joined her on her other side. "Did you and James talk?"

"Nothing serious. He just mentioned the cake. He wants to talk about things later." Lily sighed, looking towards the table Sirius was sitting at, still talking to Hermione. They were laughing at something together, their heads bent closer than was necessary. Hermione grinned and placed her hand on Sirius' forearm, which rankled Lily to no end.

"Why do you look like you're about to either die or kill someone, Lils?" Marlene asked, concern written all over her face.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lily asked, turning to Marlene with a frown.

"Uh, no?" Marlene cocked her brow.

"Look at Sirius and Hermione! They have been talking non-stop, and he's probably thinking about how her body is better than mine since she didn't have a baby, and her body is so fit! I bet he's wondering if he can get back with her," Lily mumbled, ashamed her friends were listening to her rambling.

"You're kidding me, right? That is almost the exact same thing Sirius said!" Marlene exclaimed, widening her eyes. "He said something about James' body being in better shape than his and how he dresses better—when they're practically wearing the same thing!"

She looked at her friend, wanting to believe her, but Lily knew better. Why would Sirius settle for someone like her, someone who had a baby and a body that wasn't the same it was two years ago? Sighing, Lily shook her head and muttered something about checking on Harry. Marlene and Giovanna tried to say something, but Lily got up and walked away. She would worry about these things later.

---

Lily's life was getting crazier by the minute. James was returning to London; his office had finally decided to transfer him back home, and James was willing to spend more time with Harry. Lily couldn't deny James the right to visit Harry, and they were even on friendly terms, but it was James' new girlfriend who was making it hard for Lily.

"Have you talked to Sirius about how you're feeling? I don't think it's healthy to keep everything bottled up, dolcezza," Giovanna said, sitting next to her friend on the couch. "You need to express your feelings."

After James' sudden appearance, Giovanna decided to stay a little longer in London than the two weeks she had decided on; Harry loved having Blaise around, and Pansy was the one to balance out the two rowdy boys. Lily was glad to have her friend around.

"We haven't seen each other since the party." Lily laughed humorlessly, rubbing her face and letting it rest on her palms. "And I'm freaking out about what the fact that I haven't seen him means—because the last I saw him, he was talking to her."

"You need to stop dying of anticipation. You said you didn't see him, and that means you didn't talk. Don't let your imagination run wild, Lily. You know this isn't good for you," Giovanna said, trying to reason with her.

Lily knew her friend was right, but she couldn't help but wonder why Sirius had been MIA since he had run into Hermione. She didn't want to hate the girl—she knew it wasn't Hermione's fault—and she didn't hate her. She was just…worried, which was stupid, and Lily hated herself for it.

"I know…I hate how my brain works sometimes," Lily murmured into her hands. Sighing, she stood up. "I need to get some fresh air. I'll go to the store. Can you keep an eye on the kids for a while?"

Giovanna smiled softly at her and nodded. "Take all the time you need. I can take care of the three munchkins."

Smiling back, Lily thanked her friend. She didn't know what she would do without Giovanna there to soothe her fears. Grabbing her purse, Lily exited the flat only to bump into Sirius and Hermione, who were just about to enter his flat.

"Oh, this is just what I needed," Lily muttered, storming towards the lift, not looking at Sirius.

"Lily, wait!" He ran after her, but Lily's glare made him stop dead in his tracks. "We need to talk."

"Yes, we need to talk but not right now. I need some air," Lily said coldly, storming into the lift and feeling great satisfaction of seeing it close in Sirius' face. She clenched her eyes shut and whispered, "Don't cry, Lily, you're stronger than this."

No matter how much of a pep talk she gave herself, tears still welled up in her eyes. She didn't even know why she was crying, but it was as if her heart was already breaking.

.:.

"Are you alright? You don't look so good. Are you two fighting?" Hermione asked, and Sirius let out a deep sigh.

"We aren't fighting, but we haven't talked since the party, and I think she got the wrong idea when she saw us here." Sirius looked at Hermione, who was watching him with attention. "Why don't we finish this conversation inside?"

Hermione nodded, and Sirius walked past her and entered his flat. He missed Lily more than he felt was possible, and Harry too; he hadn't seen the little boy since his birthday.

"You seem to really like her," Hermione said with a small voice, looking at him. "You're attached to her and Harry, aren't you?"

Sirius looked at her, without knowing what to say. They had broken things more than three years ago, and he was glad that he didn't feel anything for Hermione. One of the reasons they had ended things was because of what they wanted in the future. Hermione had wanted to have kids immediately, but Sirius wasn't so keen on the idea, so they had ended things.

Funny how he didn't seem to mind parenting Harry. It was almost instinctual for him, to care for Harry and want to protect him from everything. Harry was the reason Sirius found out he even had this paternal side.

"I don't know how I couldn't be. I fell in love with them both," Sirius said, smiling softly. "They make me want to protect them from the world, you know?"

"You should tell her how you feel, Sirius. I don't think you've said it to her yet." Hermione smiled at him, wrinkled her nose. "Although I have a feeling Lily doesn't like me very much."

This made Sirius laugh out loud. "Why would you say something like that? Lily likes everyone. Of course, she likes you!"

Hermione sighed, shaking her head. "Men are clearly idiots," she muttered under her breath.

"What do you mean?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and asked, "Do you really think she's going to like the ex-girlfriend of her new boyfriend? I know I didn't like her when James told me about her and Harry. I felt like he was comparing us. And she's the one who gave birth to his child, you know? You know how much I've longed for a baby, but James and I aren't there yet. Maybe in the future, but he already has a child and wants to be there for him. That hurt, Sirius—knowing that he has something with Lily that he doesn't with me, but after a while, I understood. I'm happy with James, but even I felt as if he wanted to get back with Lily when he greeted them so affectionately. Of course, he reassured me he feels nothing special for Lily anymore. So why wouldn't Lily feel the same way about you and me?"

Sirius sat back on the couch and let Hermione's words roll around his mind. He tried to understand what she had said. Lily felt like he was neglecting her? She thought he wanted to get back with Hermione? No, he couldn't let her think that way. Sirius needed to do something to show her how he felt for her.

"I guess I understand what you mean. Now I just need to make sure Lily understands," Sirius said. "Thank you for clearing my mind and helping me not freak out so much. James is lucky to have you."

"No problem, Sirius, and I think James knows how lucky he is to have me by his side," Hermione said smugly, hugging Sirius. "Now, go get your girl! Don't let her run from you."

She didn't need to tell him twice. He was going to get back in Lily's good graces and he was going to do it now. Sirius just needed to find out where she was.

---

Apparently, Lily was a master at hiding if she didn't want to be found. Sirius couldn't find her anywhere. He had tried her flat, Minerva's flat, at the store she frequented, but it looked as if she had disappeared from the face of the Earth.

He hadn't seen Harry either, and he didn't like it. Sirius tried to call Lily to see if she wanted to talk, so they could resolve everything between them, but it looked like she didn't want to see Sirius at all. She had ignored his calls and messages. It was killing him slowly.

"You look like shit, mate," Regulus said, entering the flat and looking at Sirius laying down on the kitchen floor like the dramatic idiot in love he was. "Are you at least showering? I don't want you to stink up the place."

Sirius grunted but didn't reply. He knew he was acting like a teenage girl who had just had her first heartbreak, but he didn't know how to get out of this mood. He was starting to freak out.

"Did you stop trying to stalk Lily? I didn't peg you for a quitter," Regulus said, throwing himself on the chair opposite the couch.

"Fuck off, Reggie, I'm not in the mood to deal with you," Sirius grumbled, staring at the ceilling. "And I wasn't stalking Lily. I just wanted to talk to her."

"That's what all the creeps say," Reggie stated, and Sirius flipped him off. Reggie kicked his hand and said, "Look, I'm saying this because for some reason, I love you and I care about you and all that shit. You really need to get a grip. Lily is at the playground downstairs with Harry, Giovanna, and the other two—"

Sirius didn't let Regulus finish. He leapt off the couch and bolted from the flat, foregoing the lift and running down the stairs, his heart in his throat. Lily would have to talk to him if they were in a public place, right? She couldn't ignore him when he was right in front of her.

He was almost out of breath when he reached the playground. Sirius caught sight of Lily and Harry standing next to the rocking horse, and he smiled at seeing them laughing together; James was with them, but Sirius wasn't going to let that stop him.

"Lily," Sirius whispered. She must have sensed him because she turned in his direction. "Oh, Lily."

Sirius hurried towards them, feeling like nothing else mattered at that moment. He had missed them both so much.

"Sirius, what are you doing here?" Lily asked when he got to them. "I've never seen you here before."

"Reggie told me you and Harry were here, and I was missing both of you, so I decided to come and talk to you," Sirius said, smiling a little when Harry balanced himself on the little horse. "Harry's having fun."

"It's his favourite," Lily said, smiling at her son before frowning and turning to Sirius. "This isn't a good time, Sirius. You should go."

It was Sirius' turn to frown at her. "I won't go until we talk, Lily. I've been miserable all this time, missing you and Harry. I don't know how to function without you two in my life anymore."

Lily's eyes softened at his words. Sirius knew he needed to tell her about everything. Taking her hand and pulling her a few feet away from Harry, he metaphorically cit out his heart and lay it at her feet.

"Lily, you know how I feel about you and Harry. I need you two in my life. I don't want to go another day without seeing you or Harry, it fucking hurts, and I'm miserable. It took me so long to finally have you in my life, and I don't want to lose you, Lily. Please, give me a chance to show you."

Gazing into her eyes, Sirius tried to convey everything he felt for her.

"Give me a minute," Lily whispered, walking away to a bench.

Sirius could give her some time to think. He approached Harry, smiling at the little boy, who was oblivious to everything around him. Harry wiggled the horse faster, but Sirius didn't know if it was safe or not, so he just let him be.

Harry let out a joyous yell and threw himself forward, but he miscalculated his strength. He tumbled off the horse, falling at an odd angle on the floor, on top of his arm.

"Harry!" Sirius screamed, picking up the little boy, who began to cry. His elbow was already swollen. "Harry! Are you okay?"

"What happened? Why is his elbow the size of a grapefruit?" James yelled, shoving past Sirius and yanking Harry away. He made soothing noises and rocked Harry back and forth. "It's alright, Harry. Daddy's here."

Harry's cries were the only thing Sirius could hear. Everything faded away until Lily came barrelling into him. She cried, "What have you done?"

.:.

Lily's heart was going to beat out of her chest. James had placed Harry in her arms, saying something about hospitals and doctors; Lily couldn't remember much. She had never felt so panicked in her life as when Harry was crying non-stop. It was like someone was ripping her heart out, and she couldn't do anything to stop the pain.

"Lily, please! You have to believe me! It was an accident. Accidents happen! Please!" Sirius wrung his hands desperately, but Lily couldn't deal with him right now.

"I know accidents happen, Sirius, I'm not stupid!" She snapped at him, too scared for Harry to care about her tone. "But this has never happened to Harry before, and I need to take care of him. I'm taking him to the hospital."

"I'm coming with you. I want to help," Sirius said and took a step forward, but Lily stopped him with a raised hand.

"Thank you, Sirius, but I think you have already done enough." Lily was surprised by how cold she sounded, but she needed to shut down now, or else she would crumble to the floor of the playground.

"The car is here, let's go," James said, approaching her from behind. "I already called Dr Bones, and she said she's going to be waiting for us."

Holding Harry closer to her chest, Lily followed James without giving Sirius another look. She didn't know what would happen between her and Sirius, but her focus now was only on Harry.

.:.

"Why are children's hospital rooms always painted in these ugly patterns? And why do they always use animals and clowns? What if someone's afraid of clowns?" James was saying, while Lily sat next to Harry on the bed. "I mean, I'm not afraid of clowns, but what if Harry was?"

Lily contained a smile, seeing James get so worked up over a painting. She knew this was his way of coping, and she was glad. With James freaking out about clowns, Lily wouldn't freak out over Harry's broken arm.

"Sit down, James, or else you're going to tear a hole in the floor," Lily said softly as Harry was asleep. "Why don't you go home? Hermione would be worried by now, and they only allow one of us to stay here anyway."

"Are you sure? I can totally break the rules for Harry's sake," James said, looking at the little boy sleeping. Lily nodded at him, and he shrugged and turned to the door. "Alright, I'll go home. But if you need anything, just call me, okay?"

Lily smiled and nodded at him. Walking back to them, James bent to kiss Harry's forehead and squeezed Lily's shoulder before exiting the room, leaving Lily and Harry alone. Sighing, Lily turned to Harry, watching him sleep.

Her brain was a mess: she couldn't stop thinking about what Sirius had said at the playground and how it had made her feel. She missed him and wanted nothing else than a hug from him now. She had been a little harsh with him when Harry had fallen, but her maternal instincts had taken charge.

"How is the handsome, little boy?" A nurse had entered the room while Lily had been out of it. "Are you feeling a little better, Lily?"

Lily smiled, feeling like she was in the presence of a friend. "Yes, I'm feeling better now, Alice. Thank you."

"Harry will be sleeping for the next few hours, and that's a good thing. It will help his arm heal faster because he won't wave it around." Alice looked at Harry's charts before turning to Lily. "You're lucky, you know? There's a man who's been pacing outside since you got here, waiting for you to let him in."

She blanched. "A man, you say?" Swallowing, Lily managed to ask, "And what does he like? Good-looking, amazing grey eyes, black hair, and a smile that makes you want to commit crimes?"

Alice giggled at Lily's description. "Yes to all those, except for the smile. He hasn't smiled at all; he seems rather worried. Do you want me to send him in?"

Biting her lip, Lily nodded slowly, and Alice left the room. Barely five seconds later, a dishevelled Sirius stumbled into the room, looking half-deranged.

"Lily," he whispered her name like it was a breath of fresh air. "I'm so sorry, you can't believe how guilty I'm feeling. How's Harry? Is he going to be alright? Did he break his arm? What did the doctors say? I was so worried, and I know you said there isn't anything I could do, but I couldn't stay at home while you were here. I'm sorry if I'm overstepping any boundaries, but I've been sitting outside for the past few hours, and my mind is going crazy."

Sirius rambled so fast that Lily could barely understand him. She was just so happy to see him. She didn't know what else to do; she got up and walked towards him before flinging her arms around him. He stumbled back with the force of her hug but was quick to wrap his arms around her and bury his face in her neck.

"Thank you for coming and staying here," Lily whispered, hugging him tighter. "You haven't overstepped any boundaries, and I'm sorry for what I had said earlier. Thank you for trying to look after Harry. I know it wasn't your fault."

Lily finally let the tears she had felt building since Harry got hurt fall onto Sirius' shoulder. She was ugly-crying now, and she didn't care; the stress of the situation finally went away after seeing Sirius. It was like Sirius was her home.

"You know I'd do anything for you, Lilypad," Sirius mumbled, his warm breath brushing against her ear. "You and Harry are very important to me. I'll always be here when you need it. Even if you don't need me, I'll still be here for you."

Lily took a step back from the hug, looking at Sirius, who smiled softly at her. Her heart missed a beat when their gazes locked.

"Thank you," Lily said again, with a rough voice, resulting from the tears. "I know I'm a mess right now, and you probably had better things to do than staying at a hospital room with a mess of human being who needs a shower and probably looks a little crazy, not that I blame you because—"

Sirius put a finger on her lips, stopping the stream of words flowing from Lily's mouth. She blushed at being so close to him after the mess that had happened in the past few days.

"There isn't anywhere I'd rather be than with you two, so unless you send me away, I'm going to stay here all night." Sirius looked at her and smirked, jerking his chin towards the window. "That couch over there looks very comfortable. I might even have some pretty nice dreams."

She chuckled, placing a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't wake Harry. Kissing Sirius' cheek, Lily sat on the chair beside Harry's bed, while Sirius got comfy on the couch. Feeling her heart swell, Lily leaned back and closed her eyes.

---

Lily felt calmer in the days after Harry's accident. Maybe because Sirius was always by her side, helping her with whatever she needed, and never letting Harry alone and just being a constant in their lives.

Marlene and Giovanna shared small smiles between them whenever Sirius was sitting with Harry on the carpet or next to Harry's playmat, drawing on his tiny cast or watching a movie together. Regulus had become a constant presence in Lily's flat and was always pushing his brother and Lily together; he often babysat Harry whenever they needed time to themselves.

Even James had given them his blessing—not that Lily needed it, but it was a nice gesture nonetheless. It was a little awkward to talk to James about a new man in her life, but it was nice to have an honest conversation with him. She even asked questions about Hermione and their relationship. It was like they were getting a clean slate.

Lily even managed to be friendly with Hermione; they had a heart-to-heart conversation about what worried them, like the concern their respective men wanted their ex back or that the other woman looked better than them. There were a lot of tears and shy hugs, but by the end of their talk, Lily felt more secure in pursuing a relationship with Sirius.

The only thing missing was a definition of what Sirius and she were. He had expressed how he wanted her and Harry in his life, but he hadn't touched the subject again. He had given a heartfelt speech about his feelings but didn't try to move things forward. Lily was worried he had changed his mind about them, and, to get rid of that dubious feeling, she had to act soon.

Taking advantage of the fact that Marlene and Regulus had offered to give Giovanna a ride to the airport, Lily put Harry down for his nap and waited for Sirius to come to her flat so they could finally talk. When the doorbell rang, Lily's heart plummeted. It was now or never.

"Honey, I'm home," Sirius joked, entering her flat. "Where is everyone? I didn't arrive too early, did I?"

"No, you're right on time. But I felt like we needed time to ourselves," Lily said from the armchair, motioning for Sirius to sit in front of her, which he did. "Can we talk?"

Sirius swallowed hard.

"Is something wrong? You look so serious," Sirius said, taking one of her hands in his and rubbing it gently. "Did something happen to Harry?"

"No, Harry's fine." Lily smiled, squeezing his hand to calm him down. "I actually wanted to talk about us."

"Us? What do you want to talk about us?" Sirius asked, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed audibly.

"We never got to talk about what you said that day at the playground, and I feel like we should talk about it now." Lily bit her lip and looked at Sirius, who was staring at the floor resolutely as if he was waiting for a grenade to fall. Lily murmured, "I want you to be in our lives, Sirius. I want you to be present for every milestone and for us to grow together."

Sirius's ears pricked, but he didn't look up.

"You changed everything in my life, and I feel like I wouldn't be complete if you aren't in it anymore." Lily tilted Sirius' chin so he could meet her gaze. "I don't want to learn what not having you in my life would be like, so please, don't let me."

Lily looked at Sirius, hope and love swelling in her heart; she hoped he would say what her heart desired to hear. Sirius seemed to be at a war with himself, for he finally steeled himself and looked at her.

"I feel like when you were ready to be mine, the stars aligned and brought you to me." Love shone in his eyes as he gazed at her. "You know you stopped my heart from fifty feet? It pumpеd and sang and skipped a beat—and I want to feel that for as long you let me be yours."

Lily's breath hitched at the absolute adoration in his tone. She leaned in and pressed her forehead against his.

"I can't help falling in love with you, Lily. I'll always find my way to you; you're like a beacon bringing me home to you," Sirius said softly, and a lump formed in her throat. "If you let me, I would love to be a home for you and Harry. I love you, Lilypad."

"I love you too, Sirius," Lily choked out through her tears. She threw herself into his arms and snogged the living daylights out of him.

Their kiss started quick and rough, but soon, it slowed down and turned into sensual and lovely kisses. Sirius' mouth was soon on her neck, making Lily moan. He pulled her onto his lap, and she fisted his hair and brought his lips back to hers.

Sirius' hands trailed over her body, and she shivered at his desperate touch. Her hands slipped under Sirius' shirt, scratching his abdomen, and he gripped her hips and made her grind against him.

"Lily, you're driving me crazy," Sirius said, kissing her cheeks and neck, sucking it and leaving a mark on her skin. "I dreamed of kissing you like this too many times to count."

"You had dirty dreams about me, Sirius? Is that what you're saying?" Lily purred, making Sirius grip her harder. "Any chance we can play out some of your dreams? What do you say?"

Sirius' answer was to move his mouth back to hers and kiss her breath away. Lily lost herself in Sirius kisses, and she never wanted to stop.

Harry's sudden wails stopped their heavy makeout session.

"I'll have to teach Harry not to be a cockblocker—unless it's for Reggie," Sirius mumbled into her neck, making Lily giggle. "Just keep in mind that this isn't over and we'll get back to this soon."

With a sweet peck on Sirius' lips, she stood up and went to see Harry, smiling all the way.

---

Two years later…

"Why do we have to take a plane? I thought you loved me," Sirius whined, pushing the luggage trolley through the airport. "Why can't we take a train? Harry likes trains. Don't you, mate?"

"Yes, I do," Harry piped up from where he was sitting on top of the bags in the trolley. "Can't we take the train, Mummy?"

"I see that you're teaming up against me, huh?" Lily asked, pinching Harry's side and making the little boy squeal in laughter. "Maybe we can take a train back home but only if you and Sirius behave."

"I don't know what you mean. I always behave," Sirius said before lowering his voice to whisper in her ear, "unless when you want me to misbehave in bed so you can spank me."

Blood rushed to Lily's face, and she glared at Sirius, who was smirking at her. "Prat. Keep talking like that and I won't do it anymore."

"Meh, you love me anyway." Sirius shrugged, continuing to push Harry through the airport. "And I know you wouldn't be able to stay away. Are you excited to go visit Blaise, Harry?"

"Yes! He said we'd eat gelato all day," Harry said with a childlike joy; the sight brought a smile to Lily's face. "And Pansy got a cat. Can we getta cat, Siri? Or a dog? Uncle Reggie's got a dog."

Lily always loved to see the bond between Sirius and Harry; it was like they could read each other's mind. She was also glad Harry accepted their relationship, especially since Sirius had moved in with them the year before.

"I don't think your mum will be too keen on the idea of a dog, Harry, but maybe we can convince her about a cat," Sirius said, picking Harry up and placing him on the ground. "Let's wait until we get home and we'll see, alright?"

"Okie dokie, Siri," Harry said, smiling and bouncing on the spot, tugging on Sirius' jeans. "Hurry, Siri, I want to see the plane!"

"How can a child like to fly so much? He isn't normal, Lilypad, I'm telling you that," Sirius mumbled, giving their bags to the airline employee. "And just for your information, I'm only flying because I love you and the little munchkin."

"And we love you too," Lily said, kissing his cheek and holding his hand. "Don't worry, Siri. This trip will be easier than the others. You have Harry and I to help you with your anxiety."

Lily knew Sirius was panicking over the idea of entering a plane. He was only doing it because she had asked him to, and it made her love him even more. Sirius was perfect in every way for her.

"I know it isn't easy, but don't worry, I promise to reward you when we get to Rome," Lily whispered sensually in his ear. "I visited that Victoria's Secret shop at the shopping centre, and I think you'll find my purchases very interesting."

Lily then walked in front of him, swinging her hips, and glanced at him over her shoulder. He was frozen to the spot, with a dazed look on his face. Lily laughed and the spell broke, and Sirius groaned and jogged to catch up to her.

"You're mean and a tease, and I can't wait until we arrive so I can see what you got for me," Sirius whispered in her ear, ducking his head to kiss her ear. Turning to Harry, he asked, "Ready to fly, Harry?"

The little boy seemed to be on a sugar high, jumping up and down all the while they were boarding the plane and sitting on their seats. Lily was delighted when they sat down in the same row they had back when they had met. It was a good omen.

"Can I sit by the window, Mummy? Please?" Harry asked with his puppy eyes, and Lily nodded at him. "Yay! This trip is going to be so goog!"

Sirius groaned, which made Lily laugh harder.

"I'm telling you, there's something wrong with him," Sirius mumbled, shoving their carry-ons in the compartment above them before flinging himself onto his seat. "This does bring back memories though."

"I know, it's the same row we sat in when we met." Lily smiled, buckling Harry's belt. "I think it's a nice surprise, don't you think?"

"Couldn't agree more," Sirius said, kissing her cheek and buckling his seat and pulling it a little tighter than normal. "But I'll be even happier when we get off this death metal trap."

Lily giggled and pulled out a book from her bag, knowing that as soon as the plane was in the air, Sirius was going to panic while Harry would think it was the best thing ever.

.:.

Twenty minutes later, what Lily had known would happen happened: Harry squealed and clapped as he stared out the window, while Sirius had the armrest in a death grip.

"Everything alright, Siri? Do you need something?" Lily asked, putting her hand on top of Sirius', and he grabbed it and squeezed the life out of it. Lily could barely feel her fingers anymore.

"I'm fine," Sirius replied through gritted teeth, trying to breathe and not panic. "Just two hours more and this will be all over."

"Harry, do you mind sitting with Sirius for a while? I think he needs some help from you," Lily said softly, catching Harry's attention.

"Okie dokie, Mummy." Harry smiled, and after Lily had unbuckled him, he climbed over her and sat on Sirius' lap, hugging him tightly. "Are you afraid, Siri?"

"More than you know, Harry, but having you here helps, just like the first time we met," Sirius said slowly, almost as if the words were dragged from him. He wrapped his arm around Harry and squeezed him to his chest. "You helped me with my fear when you were just a tiny baby."

"Me?" Harry asked, looking at Sirius with wide eyes. "How?"

"You were just a tiny, cute baby, and you let me hold you and talk to you about anything that popped into my head. You had an amazing mummy who let a stranger having a complete meltdown hold her baby," Sirius said, stealing glances at Lily, who was bewitched by his words.

"And then, you moved with Uncle Reggie, right?" Harry asked, making Sirius look at him. "And we were neighbours!"

"That's right, Harry. That's when I knew fate was telling me something or giving me a shove in the right direction," Sirius said with a laugh, which turned into a shriek when the plane shook due to turbulence. "Oh, dear Lord, I don't want to die!"

Lily placed her hand on Sirius' arm, squeezing it and smiling at him to remind him that she was there for him.

"Alright, I was going to do this when we landed, but what the hell!" Sirius said after the little turbulence had passed. "It's not like anything goes smoothly with us, right?"

"Sirius? I don't understand—" Lily started to say, but Sirius interrupted her.

"You and Harry are the most important people in my life. It's like I've known you forever, and I want to keep this feeling with me for as long as I can. Lily, my heart knows you're my home, but I want to make it more permanent…Will you marry me?" Sirius asked, a little pale as he placed a ring box in her hand. "You'll have to open it by yourself because I don't think I can let go of Harry until we land in Rome."

Lily laughed even though tears of happiness streamed down her face. Opening the black box, she was surprised to find a beautiful ring with an oval-shaped garnet gem in the middle, surrounded by tiny diamonds.

"I know the ring's usually got a diamond, but garnet is your birthstone and I like to be different," Sirius said, sweating beading on his brow. "Do you like it?"

"No, I love it, Sirius—and I love you!" Lily exclaimed, putting the ring on her finger and taking Sirius' hand in hers. "Thank you for coming into my life."

"I love you too, Lilypad, and thank you for letting me in your life," Sirius replied. Harry immediately hugged him, needing his attention on him. Sirius chuckled and said, "And I love you too, Harry."

Harry beamed and started rambling about the clouds he had seen outside that looked like underpants. Lily smiled at the two men in her life. She couldn't have been happier than she was at that moment. Her heart was full, and it had found its way to happiness.