Author's Note: This isn't really part of the story itself, but due to someone's insistence--*cough*Shinigami*cough*--I decided to write the reactions of some...well...other people. This reacts to everything from the previous part back to the beginning, and will not affect the flow of future events. I hope you're all happy :-p
**********
Five figures were gathered around a bowl. It looked much like a pensive, but if one were to look inside, they'd not see someone's memories, but the present of an actual person playing out.
One of the figures, with long dark hair and a handsome face, wiped away a tear. "I knew Remy would come through. Do you know how much I've wanted to *throttle* him these past few weeks, as much as I love him?"
A redheaded man leaned lazily against the wall of the chamber they were in. "I know-I've been sorely tempted to go down there and smack Ron around! I don't know how he could be some dense! And Ginny, while I'm at it, for going along."
"Now, Charlie!" The other redheaded man looked alarmed. "You know it's against the rules to interfere with the lives of the living!"
"Oh, lighten up, Percy." The longhaired man, Sirius, dragged himself away from the basin to interfere in the brothers' fight. "Charlie knows that as well as you and I. Can you honestly say that you haven't been at *all* affected by your brother's attitude?"
"Well...." Percy bit his lip. "I'm not proud of him, certainly. Ron's actions were unforgivable. The fact that Harry's even willing to try...." He smiled. "Honestly, Charlie, if he hadn't gotten it through his think skull that Harry did what he had to and that he by no means killed *us*...I might very well have helped you while you beat some sense into our little brother."
Charlie slapped his brother on the back, laughing. "I knew you had it in you, Perce!"
Still by the bowl, a woman with long auburn hair and glowing green eyes reached out a hand to the image shown, but didn't quite touch it. "He's had a hard road to walk," she whispered. "If only I could've done something long ago...." She wiped away a tear.
"Now, Lilly." A man with messy dark hair and glasses walked up behind the woman. "You know I'd have done anything to be able to help Harry, but Percy's right-we can't." He smiled at his friend. "If we could, Padfoot here would never have been accused of betraying us. He could've raised Harry."
Sirius sighed. "You'll never know how much I regret all that has happened, James," he said sadly.
James shook his head. "What's past is past. Let's worry about the future, now."
Charlie shook his head. "I never thought I'd be grateful for a Malfoy, or Snape, for that matter. We owe them a lot."
Sirius growled lowly. "I *hate* that that bastard Snape was able to help Harry where *we* couldn't-but I suppose I *am* glad, all the same."
Lilly blinked. "Has the Muggle Hell frozen over?" she quipped. "Or did Sirius *really* say something polite towards Severus?"
Sirius turned from Lilly. Percy wandered back over to the bowl and whispered something. Instantly, the focus changed from Harry to a young man with white-blonde hair and silver-gray eyes. "What do you all think of Draco's feelings for our Harry?"
James' eyes narrowed. "I never trusted Lucius," he said, "and I was proven right. But as for his son...well, of all of us, Percy, you knew him best. What do you think?"
Percy frowned. "Well...I was never too fond of Draco," he admitted. "Always acting so superior, insulting anyone who he didn't think worthy of him, but-"
"Admit it," Charlie said. "You just didn't like him insulting out Ron."
"As I was saying?" Percy waited for any other interruptions, then continued. "But that turned out to be Lucius' influence, not Draco himself. Draco *did* turn away from his father, even killed him-for Harry." He sighed. "I'm just not sure what to think."
"Well, neither does Harry," Lilly pointed out. "He's already told Draco that he can't love him, not yet. If Draco sticks around through what is sure to come, and doesn't pressure Harry...well, then, that'll be proof enough for me." She shifted the bowl's focus back to her son. "All I want is for him to be happy," she murmured sadly.
"We all want that," Charlie assured her. He shifted the focus to his brother, and watched him rant about the situation to Hermione and Ginny. "Although, if Ron persists in this behavior, I just may have to teach him a lesson, regardless of the rules. It's making me ashamed to be his brother, watching the way Ron acts like everything is being done just to spite him-like Harry asked for all this in the first place!"
For once, Percy didn't complain about breaking the rules. He merely nodded in agreement and clapped a hand onto his brother's shoulder.
"Well," Sirius stated, "at least Remy is there for him. I'm glad Albus was able to get through to him-I hated knowing that harry was without at least one of us. Besides, that's no way to grieve-now Remy can work through it, just like everyone else." Tears sparkled in his eyes. "But, I still miss him so much...."
James put his arm around his longtime friend. "As we miss them all, Padfoot. As we miss them all."
Silently, the five gathered into a supportive group and began to watch the people they missed and loved once again.
**********
End Interlude
**********
Five figures were gathered around a bowl. It looked much like a pensive, but if one were to look inside, they'd not see someone's memories, but the present of an actual person playing out.
One of the figures, with long dark hair and a handsome face, wiped away a tear. "I knew Remy would come through. Do you know how much I've wanted to *throttle* him these past few weeks, as much as I love him?"
A redheaded man leaned lazily against the wall of the chamber they were in. "I know-I've been sorely tempted to go down there and smack Ron around! I don't know how he could be some dense! And Ginny, while I'm at it, for going along."
"Now, Charlie!" The other redheaded man looked alarmed. "You know it's against the rules to interfere with the lives of the living!"
"Oh, lighten up, Percy." The longhaired man, Sirius, dragged himself away from the basin to interfere in the brothers' fight. "Charlie knows that as well as you and I. Can you honestly say that you haven't been at *all* affected by your brother's attitude?"
"Well...." Percy bit his lip. "I'm not proud of him, certainly. Ron's actions were unforgivable. The fact that Harry's even willing to try...." He smiled. "Honestly, Charlie, if he hadn't gotten it through his think skull that Harry did what he had to and that he by no means killed *us*...I might very well have helped you while you beat some sense into our little brother."
Charlie slapped his brother on the back, laughing. "I knew you had it in you, Perce!"
Still by the bowl, a woman with long auburn hair and glowing green eyes reached out a hand to the image shown, but didn't quite touch it. "He's had a hard road to walk," she whispered. "If only I could've done something long ago...." She wiped away a tear.
"Now, Lilly." A man with messy dark hair and glasses walked up behind the woman. "You know I'd have done anything to be able to help Harry, but Percy's right-we can't." He smiled at his friend. "If we could, Padfoot here would never have been accused of betraying us. He could've raised Harry."
Sirius sighed. "You'll never know how much I regret all that has happened, James," he said sadly.
James shook his head. "What's past is past. Let's worry about the future, now."
Charlie shook his head. "I never thought I'd be grateful for a Malfoy, or Snape, for that matter. We owe them a lot."
Sirius growled lowly. "I *hate* that that bastard Snape was able to help Harry where *we* couldn't-but I suppose I *am* glad, all the same."
Lilly blinked. "Has the Muggle Hell frozen over?" she quipped. "Or did Sirius *really* say something polite towards Severus?"
Sirius turned from Lilly. Percy wandered back over to the bowl and whispered something. Instantly, the focus changed from Harry to a young man with white-blonde hair and silver-gray eyes. "What do you all think of Draco's feelings for our Harry?"
James' eyes narrowed. "I never trusted Lucius," he said, "and I was proven right. But as for his son...well, of all of us, Percy, you knew him best. What do you think?"
Percy frowned. "Well...I was never too fond of Draco," he admitted. "Always acting so superior, insulting anyone who he didn't think worthy of him, but-"
"Admit it," Charlie said. "You just didn't like him insulting out Ron."
"As I was saying?" Percy waited for any other interruptions, then continued. "But that turned out to be Lucius' influence, not Draco himself. Draco *did* turn away from his father, even killed him-for Harry." He sighed. "I'm just not sure what to think."
"Well, neither does Harry," Lilly pointed out. "He's already told Draco that he can't love him, not yet. If Draco sticks around through what is sure to come, and doesn't pressure Harry...well, then, that'll be proof enough for me." She shifted the bowl's focus back to her son. "All I want is for him to be happy," she murmured sadly.
"We all want that," Charlie assured her. He shifted the focus to his brother, and watched him rant about the situation to Hermione and Ginny. "Although, if Ron persists in this behavior, I just may have to teach him a lesson, regardless of the rules. It's making me ashamed to be his brother, watching the way Ron acts like everything is being done just to spite him-like Harry asked for all this in the first place!"
For once, Percy didn't complain about breaking the rules. He merely nodded in agreement and clapped a hand onto his brother's shoulder.
"Well," Sirius stated, "at least Remy is there for him. I'm glad Albus was able to get through to him-I hated knowing that harry was without at least one of us. Besides, that's no way to grieve-now Remy can work through it, just like everyone else." Tears sparkled in his eyes. "But, I still miss him so much...."
James put his arm around his longtime friend. "As we miss them all, Padfoot. As we miss them all."
Silently, the five gathered into a supportive group and began to watch the people they missed and loved once again.
**********
End Interlude