***The Marauder Chronicles; the End of Innocence, is a fan fiction. Main characters and some locations belong to J.K. Rowling, while the IWBI and other concepts belong to me. No copyright infringement is intended; this story isn't to be duplicated or sold.***

Note: Please read the note at the end to get the scoop. This has now been edited, mostly. Some minor mistakes are always there. Happy International Harry Potter day to everyone, on June 21. It's been a long, yet great (for me) two years. Harry Potter has changed my life. After Harry, I loved to read, which I never really did before, and I discovered that I also loved to write. Here's to you, J.K. Rowling; you are my idol.

Eight: The Fine Sands of Time

He didn't know how long she cried. Looking back, he might have said all day, but time leaves too much room for hasty exaggerations. But James estimated all day long, with periods of brief silence when she would simply sniffle, fiddling with his shirt. Having faced this before, James knew that she wouldn't want to talk about it for a few days, so he didn't ask any questions. The next day, however, she went about business as usual but without a smile to him in the morning, without that chipper spunk he loved, without that spark of joy in her emerald green eyes.

The funeral was planned for Sunday, the seventh of September, and would be given by the local minister. Lily spent most of her time worrying about leaving Harry with just Remus, as Sirius and Jade were requested to go, so Sirius offered to stay and watch him. Remus didn't hide his appreciation.

That morning, Lily wore a black dress with a modest black sweater her mother had given her. She ran her hands down it. The cashmere was just as soft as it had been when she first got it. She remembered her mother's face when she showed it to her. "Oh Lily," she had said, a tear in her eye, "you're so very beautiful."

She took off the necklace James had given her for Christmas several years back, and instead she clipped on a necklace her father had given her when she was just a small girl. It was a simple gold chain with the letter "L" resting on it.

"Are you ready?" James asked, putting his hands on her waist. "Sirius is here."

"All right," she said. "I'll be out in a minute."

He kissed her cheek and walked out into the living room, where Sirius was sitting with Harry. "How is she?" he asked.

"Upset. It's understandable. I remember how hard it is. Lily just fed him for ten minutes, I believe, so he shouldn't get hungry for a while. If he does, then you'll have to stick it out, I guess. Thanks a lot Sirius, it means so much to us."

"What are friends for?" he said, looking at Harry at arms length. "I think he wants to smile."

"I know he does, but I think he's got stage fright. He probably smiles a lot when he screams in the middle of the night and he hears Lily tripping over the floor to get to him."

"So he's got your personality too, does he? Thank God," he commented.

"I'm ready," Lily said, coming out of her room. She had her hair back modestly, and here earrings were very small, but she still managed to look good.

"How are you getting there?" Sirius asked.

"We're Apparating to their Jag, and then I'll drive there," she answered. "May I please fix your tie, sweetheart?" she asked James, as she adjusted it. "Thanks Sirius."

"Any time. We have to bond, you know. I have to be able to tell him funny stories about you two when he's old enough, so we have to establish a trust." He stood up and gave her Harry, as he saw she wanted to hold him before she left. "I don't really know what the appropriate thing is to say before one heads off to these things. So I guess 'I'll see you later' is the best way to go."

"Be good for Sirius," she said, then kissed Harry and handed him back.

"See you later," James said, clapping him on the shoulder. James put his arm around Lily and led her out of the flat so they could Apparate to the Jag.

The sky was crystal clear blue and without a single cloud in the sky. The wind was crisp and cool but pleasant. The green grass shined at some angles, as it rolled down gentle hills. James watched the different models of cars as they drove past; the drivers never looked back.

When they arrived at the cemetery and parked the car on the road (badly may I add), James got out and opened Lily's door. She was composed, smiling to him as if they were simply taking a walk. He grabbed her hand and walked up to the plot.

James felt strangely out of place. There were loads of people he had never seen before, all of whom were staring at him quite strangely. Some of them he recognized as guests at his wedding two years ago. Then he saw Jade, who walked over to them.

"Hi," she said, calmly. She didn't ask how Lily was, for there was no point, and she didn't say "I'm so sorry," for she already had. She was just there, and James could tell Lily appreciated it.

"Hi," Lily returned.

When the funeral commenced, James couldn't help but think of the last one he'd been to. The day hadn't been this nice, but he figured that at the time, weather wasn't the top thing on his mind. He remembered that he didn't cry at the funeral, though everyone kept shooting him nervous glances as if they expected him to. He wouldn't have been embarrassed if he had.

He looked down at Lily, who was standing to his right, clinging to his arm. Silent tears rolled down her still pretty face. She wasn't trying to keep them inside. She just let them flow. She stared at the coffins, which were closed, one next to the other. A bed of roses lay on each, shaking in the wind.

To James, funerals were the most surreal times in life. Here he stood, his sobbing wife at his side, looking at two caskets, each containing an in-law. It was almost as if they had never been alive, somehow. He knew this wasn't true, he remembered quite clearly the first time he met the Evans's. Amanda had told him he was adorable, while Robert looked ready to crush him with his Mercedes. Then he warmed up to James and actually liked him. He had looked proudly to James as he handed him Lily, just two years ago. He said he was proud that his daughter was marrying him.

And then there was her, like Lily in many ways. Amanda was kindhearted. She was always smiling, she gave compliments like no other, and she could always make Lily feel better. Amanda looked for the best in people, a rare trait among humans. She was stubbornly optimistic and strived for what was best for her girls. Her girls. He hadn't thought about that before. He looked across from him and scanned the faces. There they were, in the front row next to a crowd of doctors. Petunia was also crying freely, but she was dabbing her face with a handkerchief. Vernon stood beside her, holding her hand. He was looking a bit heavier than the last time James had seen him. There were stretch marks on his suit, and a lot of pressure on those poor buttons. He seemed to sense someone staring, so he looked up and caught James's eye.

James gave a small smile, but it wasn't returned. Vernon simply looked back to the minister. At the Potter's funeral, James, Sirius, and Lily all stood next to each other, like a family. But this wasn't the case with Lily and her sister. They couldn't even put their differences aside, whatever the heck those were, as their parents were laid to rest.

When the caskets started to lower, James felt Lily vibrate. She had put her hand over her mouth to stifle her sob. He put his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to him, then kissed her forehead.

"Goodbye," she whispered, looking at the rose laden coffins. "I love you."

Luck had always kissed Sirius like the French. Here he was, on the Potter's sofa, with the smallest Potter tucked safely away in the crook of his arm, sound asleep. He was much bigger, but that was probably because he was now five weeks old. There were three rolls on Harry's thigh, and two on his calf. His small hands, one of which was grasping Sirius's pinky finger, had rolls where they met his wrists. Harry's cheeks were also getting wider, and very squishy. Sirius couldn't stop himself from putting his free finger to them, smiling when he felt how soft they were. And every once in a while, Harry would move his arms and legs, then go limp again.

Sirius had an Ian Fleming novel next to him, but it went untouched; he watched Harry instead. His hair was very thin, and there wasn't much of it either, but it too was soft. Sirius couldn't stop himself from touching that either.

The door to the apartment opened, and Jade came in, followed by no one. She looked like she'd been crying, for her eyes were puffy, but she smiled at Sirius. "Hey," she said quietly, tiptoeing over to him. "How's it going?" she whispered.

"He's been asleep the entire time," Sirius whispered back.

"Hello Harry," she said, kissing his head. "I love his little face."

"I was just thinking that. They make good looking babies. Where are they, by the way?"

"Oh," she said, standing up, "they're at the reception right now, but Lily was starting to panic about Harry, so James suggested that I come back. Though since I don't have the necessary tools for feeding him, there really isn't much I can do. But she seemed to feel better with the idea that I was over here."

"I see. How was it?" he asked.

"It was nice, as funerals go. It was a beautiful day. Lily wasn't taking it well, but that was expected."

"Was her sister there with tubby?" he asked.

"Of course. I don't think they were planning on speaking to each other, Lily and Petunia that is. She's not very nice."

"No, she's not. When will they be back?"

Jade shrugged. "Probably soon. They're going to go over the will later in the week, I believe. Do you want something to drink?" she asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Sure," he said, looking back down on Harry. She came back out with two glasses of water, and handed him one.

"He likes you," she said, looking at Harry with a smile. "He's not that quiet for everyone."

"Well, everyone likes Sirius," Sirius said.

"They do make good babies," she said, ignoring his last remark. "They should have five more."

"Just to be fair to the world?" he asked with a smirk.

"Basically," she answered back with the same grin. "But that's five more names they can bicker over. You know, it's not that I don't like the name Harry, because I do, but they spent eight months debating his name, and 'Harry' was the best they could do?"

Sirius snapped his fingers. "That is exactly the way I see it. They went from Julius and Merlin to...Harry. I love them both terribly, but they are crazy."

Snapping wasn't the best idea that Sirius ever had. Harry opened his eyes and stretched, then looked at the incredibly stiff Jade and Sirius, who were watching him.

"Go back to sleep," Sirius said.

In response, Harry screwed up his face so that his eyes were simply lines, and opened his mouth to cry. At the same time there was a loud ripping sound, which was accompanied by a heavy warmness that cumulated around Harry's diaper.

"Uh oh. He's making a mess. He's making a really big mess," Sirius said, lifting Harry up into the air. "He's still going."

"Bathroom," Jade said, taking Harry and going to the bathtub in the nearest bathroom, Sirius in tow. "Sirius, you see that little square bucket-like-thing?"

"Yeah," he said, grabbing it.

"Put it in the tub and turn on the water. That's Harry's mini-tub."

"I'm on it," he said, filling it with warm water. "Okay, now what?"

"Hold him and I'll take off his little nighty," she said, handing him to Sirius. She started unsnapping the buttons, then pulled it off. "Goodness," she said, looking at the poop on the back of his outfit. "There was so much it went up the back of the diaper," she said, giggling.

Sirius looked like he was ready to vomit. Jade threw the dirty clothes on the floor, then took off the diaper. "Okay, now let me spray that off," she said, pointing to his behind and back. She took the shower head extension and gently sprayed off most of the fecal matter. "Now dunk him in the tub, Sirius."

Still crying, Harry was now chest high in warm water. Jade took off her nice jacket, then rolled up her shirt sleeves. She picked up a rag, some soap, and went in.

"Have you done this before?" Sirius asked.

"Not with Harry, but I have relatives with babies. And bathing is a simple process of cleaning, anyway. Now turn him the other way," she said to him, so she could get Harry's front. "There we go," she said to Harry. "Getting cleaner."

"That was some marathon pooping, sport. I give you the gold medal."

"And now we rinse," Jade said. Sirius lifted Harry out of the tub so Jade could spray him with fresh water. Then he took Harry out of the tub area; Jade pulled a towel from a rack, and wrapped it around him, then held Harry. "Piece of cake," she commented, as she rubbed his face with the clean towel. "Now we put on a new diaper and some clothes."

"Nursery?"

"Yep. After you," she said, smiling to him. He walked out, Jade and Harry in tow, and marched into he nursery, where he pulled out a diaper, and a new outfit.

"Let me have him while you arrange everything," he said. He took Harry out of the towel, and held him up in the air. "All clean," he said. But then Harry did something Sirius had only seen him do once before; he peed. "Oh no!" he said, as the urine hit him. Jade turned around, and now it was her turn to laugh.

"Nice aiming, Harry!" she said, giggling.

"Ew," Sirius said, his face contorted. "It's all hot and icky."

"Let me have him," she said, still laughing. She put a diaper on him, then dressed him. He had stopped crying, but he was still very fussy. Jade lay him down in his crib, then took Sirius by the hand.

"Where are we going?" he asked, pulling the shirt away from his skin with one hand.

"Now we have to change your shirt," she said, puling him into the bedroom. "Take that one off," she said, helping him remove it. With the dry portion of it, she wiped at his stomach, then threw the shirt in the hamper. Then she grabbed on of James's shirt, which was neatly folded on the bed. She opened it up, he slipped his hands through, then she pulled it down over his head. Jade started tugging it down when Sirius took her hands. She let him, then slowly looked up into his brown eyes.

"Thanks," he said.

"You're welcome," she said back. She could feel his hands sliding down her arms to her waist, and his gaze never leaving her. "Harry's crying," she said.

"That's because he's hungry, and you can't fix that," he pointed out, pulling her closer to him.

"I know but I should go and get him anyways," she said. "It's their home," she added, then she took his hands off her waist and walked out of the room.

Sirius stood silent, looking down at the shirt he was wearing. He shook his head, mumbled "women," under his breath, then walked back to the nursery where Jade was trying to sooth Harry.

"I wish I knew what you were thinking," he said to her.

"I'm thinking about you," she answered.

He smirked. "What about me?"

She bit her lip to keep from smiling. "That," she said, "is for me to know." She grabbed a pacifier from the dresser top and put it in Harry's mouth. He sucked really hard, then spit it out and began wailing again. "When's mommy coming home?" she asked him.

"You're thinking about kissing me, aren't you?" Sirius persisted.

"Um, nope, that's not it," she said, shaking her head.

"You're picturing me in bed with you?"

She laughed. "Nope, that's not it either, but now I know what you're thinking. Lily said he calms down if someone blows in his face, right?"

"Maybe. You're thinking about me... massaging you?" he said, touching her shoulders.

"Sirius, not everything a woman thinks is sexual."

They heard the door open, followed by, "We're home!"

"Harry, mommy's home," Jade said, walking right past Sirius and over to Lily, who's arms were open wide. "He's been crying for a little while."

"Let's go have some lunch, okay?" Lily said, as she took Harry and walked into her bedroom.

"Your son pooped so much, it went up and out of the diaper," Sirius told James.

"Yeah, I've seen that before," James replied. "How did you handle it?"

"We gave him a bath," he replied.

"We?" James asked. "Oh, so it was recent. I got it. Well thanks again for taking care of him. He can be a handful sometimes. Why," he said, looking at Sirius's shirt, "are you wearing that?"

"One word for you, James: urine. My shirt is in your hamper."

"Right. I'll see you both later. I would ask you to stay, but under the circumstances..."

"That's all right," Jade said, pushing Sirius towards the door, "we understand. Take good care of her and owl me if you need anything."

"I'll do that." They left.

"You can't stop touching me, can you?" Sirius said, once they were in the hall.

"Sirius, now isn't the best time for this. I was just at a funeral for my best friend's parents. I really liked them, especially Amanda. So our relationship, whatever that is, can wait a few days."

"Why? You don't seem to upset about them?"

"That bothers me."

"What does?"

"That I'm like that, you know? I'm not really one for mourning too long, and I feel so callous."

"Maybe it's because you hadn't talked to them for a while? I didn't know them that well; I saw them maybe three times in my life. I'm not really one for mourning either, I guess. Will you cry for me when I die?" he asked, putting his arm around her shoulders as they walked down the stairs.

"This is turning out to be a really nice conversation," she mentioned sarcastically. "But of course I'll cry for you when you die. But I suppose, being a tough macho man, you won't cry for me."

He made a funny choking noise, then shook his head. "I'll try my hardest, Jade, I really will, but no promises."

"How sweet of you. Did you drive your motorcycle here?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, grinning. "Does Jade want a ride home?"

"Jade would take the ride if it was offered to her," she said, "but only if it was offered."

"I see. Sirius usually flies though, as to avoid the traffic. Is Jade okay with flying?"

"Jade would love to fly."

"Let's do it," he said, grinning at her.

"All right," she grinned back.

* * * * *

In the year nineteen hundred and eighty, September, though memorable in many ways, wouldn't be regarded as the best month of that year. With the passing of Lily's parents into the afterlife, much more family trouble came. When Lily received a letter from her parents' attorney inviting her to discuss the will, she also found out that Petunia did not want to see her. So the attorney had to establish two meetings instead of one. While James rolled his eyes at her behavior, Lily secretly felt the same way; she didn't want to see her sister either.

Mr. Shaw, the attorney, informed Lily that her parents had left her the Jaguar, the Ferrari that Mr. Evans hardly ever drove, and the mansion. Lily was floored. She got the mansion, she thought over and over. I got the mansion, and the two cars. Despite her sadness that her parents were dead and that they would miss Harry's, and Dudley's for that matter, growing up, she smiled. They loved that house, they loved those cars, and they were hers.

Mr. Shaw wouldn't tell Lily what Petunia got, but Lily figured she got their money, the antiques, which were very valuable, and everything inside the house. She didn't mind that at all; she knew she got the better deal.

A little over a week after their death, Lily was finally able to move on. She didn't think about them as much, didn't focus on what they would be missing, and didn't cry whenever she thought about them. Either she was done mourning, or it was shoved out of her mind by something much greater. On Saturday the thirteenth, when she got up in the morning to get Harry, she picked him up out of the crib, and he smiled at her. It was only for a few seconds, but there was no mistaking the lips in a curl and the flattening of the bottom of his eyelids. He had smiled. Lily kissed his fat cheeks at least twenty times, then ran into her bedroom with him.

James nearly had a heart attack when Lily screamed for him to get up. He sat up so quickly that he felt like his head would float away. Lily handed him Harry and told James to laugh or something. He did as she commanded, and just as Harry had done before, he smiled again. The both of them looked at each other and howled with laughter, then watched Harry smile for the third time.

After sending owls to everyone they knew, they tried to get Harry to smile over and over again. James also noticed that while his eyes were still quite dark, they were definitely getting lighter. "I hope they're green," he said, pulling Lily in for a kiss.

And while Sirius insisted that he was merely a good friend with Jade, inside he was very excited. This time, he thought to himself, things would be different. When they had gotten together at Hogwarts, their relationship was based on teenage hormones, heartbreak, and fights. But that had all stopped. He noticed that she had changed a whole lot since the first time he'd met her, and it was for the better. Along side her sarcasm, which would often consume her, was a quiet, gentler side that Sirius hadn't really seen before. He only saw it in glimpses, but the more time he spent with her, the more he saw it.

He often used the excuse that he wanted to play pool, when he showed up in her doorway. She smirked and nodded, like she knew he was lying, but would let him in to play. Often she would play with him, beating him more than half the time, and on other occasions, Sirius would play alone and Jade would talk to him. He found out a lot about her, little things he had never known.

She enjoyed writing stories, and was taking night classes on grammar. One day she hoped to publish fiction, probably based on her work in the Intelligence realm. Sparse ideas had come to her, but only just. She was also religious, but not pious. She attended service every once in a while, but felt that she could serve God in better ways, by action rather then observation, which many others would do.

Sirius wondered why he had never caught on to any of this before, but then he realized he had never asked. When he told James about all of this, Lily would often listen in. She had a superior "I know something you don't know" look about her when Sirius said all of this. He told her to fess up. "Jade's very private," she said. "She hardly ever speaks about herself. She tells people what she wants from the future, when they ask, but she rarely discusses what she does in the now." Then she walked away like she was floating on air.

He felt like he should pursue more than friendship with her, but she wouldn't take the bait. She would politely avoid a kiss, doing it in such a way Sirius would laugh. He didn't know why she would, but neither did she.

But as I mentioned before, September was not a cheerful month. Even though Harry could express emotions with his face, though Lily now enjoyed her time spent at home with him, and though Sirius was now the best pool shark in all the Wizarding world, events outside of home could not go unnoticed.

On September the twenty-second there was a note on James's desk. It was very brief, reading: Have news. Meet at the tavern where we last made contact. Morris

James informed his people that he would be leaving, then headed back for Bulgaria. Morris was standing outside the tavern, drinking something that smelled like petrol. "Have I got some news for you," he said, leading him to the back of the building. "It seems Albus Dumbledore has better luck than you Bureau boys."

"What do you mean by that? He has spies?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, just recently got a big one. We're talking an inner circle Death Eater, not one of those light ones who just weasels people out."

"Who is he?"

"Don't know his real name, but his code name is Dour."

James shook his head. "I don't know what that means. How is it that you know all this?" he asked.

"Can't tell you that, Jim. Not even You-know-who knows that Dour is working both ways. I have contacts, but I can't reveal them. Now there is one Death Eater who's causing a lot of suspicion, just because she's hardly ever around."

"She?" James said, crossing his arms. "There are women in there?"

"Only a few. Supposedly she's also working both sides, and for the Bureau. No one has seen her face, other than You-know-who I suppose. They only know she's a woman because of her frame. She doesn't participate in the killings they do, only the organization and the information leaks."

"And she's ours?" he asked. "If there is already a spy on the inside, then why did Ashika tell me to recruit more?"

"Like I said, she's hardly there. According to my source, she only comes when You-know-who wants her to. She's been seen maybe three or four times in the past two years. She doesn't talk, only listens, and gives information directly to You-know-who. I'm not sure what he does for her, but I doubt the information flows both ways. But maybe it does, who knows."

"And she's still working for us, she's not a mole?"

Morris shrugged his shoulders. "Those are the only people I know about. Some of them are very wealthy, while others are quite poor. It's almost like a private society. There are some Death Eaters who are very important and with the Dark Lord every chance they get, and others, like this woman Emerald, who are almost invisible. I'll still try to get a hold of some more for you, but chances are they're too afraid. My source, and I'll only tell you this much, is like a messenger. He keeps everyone in check, finds out where they go. But as soon as I find out that kind of information, and it's leaked, he'll be exposed and killed."

James thought back on what Dumbledore had to say. He doesn't have rules. That was painfully true. It seemed like the Death Eaters were configured in such a way, that if certain information was to leak out, he would know exactly who leaked it.

"Thanks Morris. Be sure to let me know about anything else that comes along."

"I will, kid."

James walked to Ashika's office as soon as he got back. But for the first time, she wasn't there. "When will she be back?" he asked. The receptionist checked her screen.

"I'm not sure," she answered.

"Well, could you tell her that James Potter was here to meet with her?"

"Yes," she said. James nodded then exited through the high security portal. But before long, Ashika walked into him, her head in a book.

"James," she said, then walked past him.

"Wait," he said, following her. "I have some news about our situation. Can we talk about it now or are you...busy?" he asked, examining the book cover.

"In my office," she said.

"What's the latest?" she asked, as she propped her feet on her desk.

"Dumbledore has a spy, Dour, on the inside. This is all according to Burg, by the way. He also says that you already have a spy in there, a woman."

Ashika stayed stone-faced and quiet. James continued.

"She only gives information to him, but no one knows what he tells her. But seeing as how you are the one who sent her in, you probably already know that. To make a long story short," he said, getting a tad bit frustrated with her lack of enthusiasm, "it'll be really hard to get anyone else in there, or to recruit anymore. Dour's working for Dumbledore, and this Emerald woman is working for you. Why can't you have her do more work?"

"Because she won't. It's a special circumstance. Fox."

"Who?"

"Fox is the one telling him this information. Fox is trustworthy, he's the messenger. But I didn't know about Dour."

"Who is he?"

She shrugged. "They have code names. Your friend Sirius has a list of all the ones we know of." She took her feet off her desk then walked to her door. "Thanks for the update James. Tell me, is the Intelligence sector going to lose a historian?"

James stared at her. "I don't know what you mean," he said, though he had full knowledge of it.

She raised a corner of her mouth into a snide smirk. "I'm glad you're not a spy. It doesn't matter, of course. Our following technique isn't working. Have a nice day, won't you?" she said, then shut the door behind him.

Across the way from the Operations Sector, in Analysis, Sirius stumbled across something that made his head spin. It was a Hogwarts yearbook, a class a few years before his. He opened it and looked at the pictures, recognizing some of the faces as people he knew, past Quidditch players, and some others that he couldn't quite remember. Then he flipped to the Slytherin section, hoping to find some people who fell victim to his cleverness. He had a lot of luck, and he couldn't stop sniggering as he looked at their faces, but then he stopped.

A girl, too cute to be in Slytherin, stood out at him. She had dark eyes, and short dark hair. Sirius didn't realize his mouth was open as he stared. Sonja Woods.

She was in Slytherin? No way. Remus would never date a girl that had been in Slytherin, would he? They hated anyone in that house, the same house Snape was in, and Snape was the slimiest man ever. Surely this was a different person. Woods was a common last name, it had to be. Sonja... that wasn't so common, and she did look just like the girl Sirius knew.

He shut the book quickly, then went to reference screen in the back of the office. It worked much like Jade's tetrahedron, and almost like Ashika's screen. It gave encyclopedic information that was available.

"Woods, Sonja," he said to it.

The screen flashed several records for the name, then Sirius selected the correct one. The automated voice started to rehearse the records for him. "Woods, Sonja, was born November 5, 1957 in Cumberland to Lucy and Abner Woods. To see her school records, select-"

"Abner Woods? Who was he?"

"Records for Abner Woods are classified. You must get clearance from Director Narayan, Stiles, or Edgar."

"He worked at the Bureau?"

"Affirmative."

"Is he still alive?"

"Negative. Abner Woods died February 7, 1977. Causes are classified."

"He was killed," Sirius said to himself. "Can you tell me what sector he worked in?"

"Covert Operations Field Agent, Intelligence Department."

That's all he needed to hear. Sirius skipped out of the office and down to where Ashika was.

"You again? Can't any of you do things on your own without speaking to me?" she asked, reading from her book. "It's as if you think I'm your mother, constantly asking for permission."

"Who is Abner Woods?" he asked.

"A former agent," she said, without looking up.

"Why is his information classified?"

"Why do you care?" she asked snidely.

"My friend is dating his daughter. She was in Slytherin, so I'm a little suspicious. Who was he?"

She sighed with frustration, slammed her hands on her book, and stared up at him. "He worked covertly a while back, but he doubled on us."

"He was a mole?"

"Not really. He was too smart for his own good. He started looking into our security charms, the materials of the building, that sort of thing. He was caught stealing samples of potions we were developing, maps of the interior, of the exterior... He was one of our best agents. Then when we found out that he was playing both sides, one of our agents slipped a poison in his gin and tonic. Unfortunately, everything he has stolen has never been found. His wife knows nothing about it; she was given Veritaserum and confessed that she knew nothing. The daughter was at Hogwarts when we killed him, but to her, he simply had a heart attack. We've been keeping a close watch on the both of them, but they seem clean. His records are still classified. I just gave you the short version."

"Did he tell anyone about the security?"

"If I found out that anyone knew where we were located, they would be slain immediately. So I don't know. That's all I know about that. It seems unlikely though, because if he had told, this place could be invaded by Death Eaters, but it hasn't. Now, everything I have told you stays between us, you understand me?"

"Yes," he said. "Thank you. You think Sonja is trustworthy?"

"No."

"Why not?" he persisted.

She looked up from her book again. "You've never heard the apple comparison?"

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree?"

"Or rot, whichever. That's right. And she, as you have noted, was in Slytherin. It's not a very trust worthy group, from my experience. Now leave me alone and get back to work," she said.

"What book is that?" he asked.

"Why the hell do you care? Go back to work, Black."

The second he walked out the door, she pulled parchment and ink from her desk, scrawled out a quick note, summoned her falcon, attached it in code, then sent it out.

* * * * *

There was a knock on Lily's door. She was lucky she heard it over Harry's crying. She walked to the door to find a note slipped underneath, lying on the floor. It was in a small blue envelope. She recognized it, and her heart sank. She slowly leaned over and picked it up, her hands trembling.

"Please no, not now," she said. She took it, with Harry in her other arm, over to the couch, then opened it. There were three words on the note: You've been summoned.

"No," she wined, looking down at Harry. Then a falcon flew in through the walls, bearing another note. Don't be afraid. It's the last time you'll have to go back. Jade Yang is on lunch break. -A.N.

"Don't be afraid," she said through gritted teeth. "That's easy for you to say, you just sit in an office all day long and don't have an infant." But Lily knew that she could complain all day, but she would still have to go. She walked over to her fireplace, threw her sparkling purple powder inside, and called for Jade.

"What's up?" she asked with a friendly smile.

"Can you come over here and sit with Harry? Something's come up." Please don't ask what, please don't ask!

"Sure. I'll be right over." And seconds later, Jade came through the door. "When will you be back?"

"I don't know. I think you'll have to change him, I think that's why he's crying. Thanks so much."

"It's fine. Hurry home," she said, taking Harry and patting his bottom.

"Trust me, I will." She ran to her bedroom closet, grabbed her dark cloak, and ran out of the apartment and down to a street corner where Fox awaited her. She pulled her hood over her head, and followed him down an abandoned alley.

* * * * *

It was lunchtime at the Bureau, and James couldn't be happier about it. Sirius met up with him in the hall on their way over, and started chatting about this and that. It looked to be a pretty basic and relaxing lunch, when James was hit with Artemis. She was bearing a regular letter attached to her leg.

"Wonder who that could be from," Sirius said. James plucked it off and unfolded it.

James, it read, be ready to leave abruptly this evening to pick up and deliver the package. I'll send word with your falcon of where to meet.

~A. Figg, message relayed by Albus Dumbledore.

"Aha," James said, "we're really going to do this."

"Nervous?" Sirius asked, and began walking again.

"Of course. I still find it hard to believe, though. He seems like such a good guy."

"Speaking of which," Sirius said, "did you know Remus's girlfriend was a Slytherin?"

James whipped his head around so fast, Sirius thought it might fall off. "You're kidding! Does Remus know? Did he tell you, or did you just find out?"

"Just found out. I was looking at photos in yearbooks, trying to identify certain chaps, and there she was: Slytherin. Remus has to know. How can he not?"

"Why hasn't he mentioned it?"

"Probably because of our reaction, which is right on target. Jade and I were talking about her the other night. She's got a strange karma about her, you know? She runs that Divination shop, she's older than Remus, she's a bit rebellious at times... She doesn't seem like Remus's type, but he spends so much time with her. He hardly drops by your place at all, right? Kinda makes me wonder."

"You think she's no good?" James asked, folding the letter and placing it inside his pocket. "You think she could be... on the other side?"

Sirius simply shook his head. "I don't know. It's hard to tell with some people. I mean, I can peg Snape, or the Lestranges as dark dwellers, but Burgess or Sonja... I just don't know. She's probably a fine upstanding citizen, or not."

"What happened to the man who could 'read' people?" James asked with a smirk.

"He's dyslexic," he replied, smirking back.

* * * * *

Lily was led to a room in the lower portion of the fortress. The walls were made of large, black stone slabs, and they were oozing with black goo at the cracks. A green fire crackled in the middle of room, and several other Death Eaters stood around it in a large circle. Everyone had their face covered, either with a mask or a spell, like Lily, which kept their face in total darkness.

Fox took a hold of Lily's elbow and led her one way to a gap in the chain. Then they stood waiting; for what, she didn't know.

About one minute passed, then, unmasked, Voldemort came in, a maniacal smile playing on his face. He sauntered into the middle of the circle and began to pace.

"Resistance will soon be coming our way," he said in his high, cold voice. "I wondered to myself when that would happen. But it seems Albus Dumbledore has arranged a little club, the Order of the Phoenix," he said, watching his Death Eaters.

Lily tried to hide her shiver, but it wasn't necessary; he had his back turned to her.

"It seems they have grown tired of our attacks and volleys, as the Ministry of Magic does nothing to stop us. They won't go far, so we need not worry. They're a small group; we are large. We have the upper hand in what will be a short battle. But underestimation is one of the worst weaknesses to human kind. Just because they are small, it doesn't mean they are weak.

"We don't know who is in that group, only that they exist. I will reward anyone who can identify a member of that Order, and I will give them more if they bring them to me dead." He paused for dramatic effect and stared into each face that encircled them. "Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

He was answered with affirmative mumbles and head nods. "Excellent. They meet at Hogwarts, but I don't know when. Find out. Find out who they are. Exterminate them." Then he turned on his heel, his robes billowing behind him, and left the circle.

"He wants to speak with you," Fox whispered into Lily's ear.

She turned to look up into his face, but she couldn't see it. "Why?" she asked.

"I'm not sure."

He walked out into the circle and up the stairs, but different from Voldemort. Lily trotted behind him, her heart beating out of control. She couldn't help but think of the worst; he knew she was in the Order; he was going to murder her right there; he would kill James too, figuring they were in it together. But that was not the reason for this meeting.

"Ah, Lily," he said as she walked into his dark lair. "I'm so glad you could come. It's been too long since our last meeting," he said, pouring two cups of tea. "The rumor is you had a child, yes? Young Harry Potter must be almost two months now and growing strong." He offered her a cup, so she took it.

"Yes," she said, straining to keep the fear from her voice. "He's growing strong."

"And how is your man?" he asked, a bit wryly.

"Fine," she replied. "Not that I want to be rude, but did you bring me up here to chat?" she asked.

Voldemort put down his cup of tea and smiled at her. "No, I did not. I'm sure you're on the clock, am I correct? Someone's taking care of the wee Potter, and you don't want them to get suspicious. I understand, of course. If I'm one thing, I'm understanding. The reason I summoned you here today, Lily, was to extend an offer."

"An offer?" she repeated.

"Yes. Do lower your hood so I can behold your face," he said.

Lily did as she was told and took her hood off but kept her face emotionless.

"You are a powerful witch, you know. Talents such as yours should not go wasted on housework, child rearing, or Medical school. You could be great. And you won't achieve it where you are."

"What are you suggesting?" she asked.

"Come with me. Leave that good-for-nothing scoundrel you're with, and come with me."

Lily backed up a little and shook her head. "I can't."

"And why is that? Do you know what I'm offering you?"

"I love James and Harry. I could never leave them, not for anything in the world," she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Voldemort frowned at her, folding his hands in front of him. "Love," he said, "is your weakness. But, Voldemort is generous. Bring your son. Why, we'd be like a family."

Lily shook her head, backing up further. "No. I love them as they are."

"He's not letting you flex your power. You could command an army with your powers, yet he insists that you stay humble? You call that love? I call it fear! He's afraid of your abilities and jealous that you have more power than he does. Aren't you bored with his powerless acts and his inability to make you feel powerful?"

Lily didn't quite know how to answer that question, seeing as how she had never thought of any of it. "Marriage isn't about making someone feel powerful. I have a family, and power doesn't matter that much to me. I know I'm gifted, but right now the abilities that I have are not that important."

"You're living like a mere Muggle with little magic around you. It must be killing you inside," he persisted, closing his distance on her.

"No. I don't want to leave them. Try to understand that." She stepped back again, and found herself at a wall. "I appreciate the offer, though," she lied. "I don't want to come back here again. My husband is getting suspicious, and I can't bear to be separated from my baby. If I want to be a good mother, and I do, then I have to refuse you. I don't want my son to grow up in this sort of environment, you understand, don't you?"

He eyed her closely. "Yes," he said, extending his 's' like a hiss. "And you must understand that once you turn me down, there is no turning back. So, one more chance Mrs. Potter. Me or them? Power over the world, or love for your husband?"

"My husband," she said, her tone final.

He stared into her eyes and leaned forward, touching her cheek with his cold hand. "Very well," he whispered, his face just inches from hers. "Until we meet again, Lily." He pushed off the wall and walked back to his desk. Lily headed for the door, pulling her hood back up, when he spoke again. "Oh, and one more small detail. I will find and kill the members of the Order with or without your help. I know Dumbledore is close friends with that husband of yours. You can get me names, you can get me results. I know that."

She didn't answer. She simply twisted around to look at him, then left the Fortress for the very last time.

* * * * *

Artemis flew into the Bureau like lightning, a note attached to her leg as she had this morning. James ripped it off and quickly read: 124 Sycamore, Modesto, California, United States. Five o'clock your time. Bring Apparation cuffs. ~A. Figg. Message relayed by Albus Dumbledore.

James looked at his watch; it was 4:50. He had never Apparated that far in his life. At least he didn't think so. He had no idea where the Bureau was located, so 124 Sycamore could be just outside. He scrambled out of his office, ran down the hall to the arsenal vault, and pulled out Apparation cuffs, as per instructed. He stuffed them in his robes, called Artemis to him, and went to the Apparation chamber without a comment to anyone.

When he got inside the chamber, however, he realized that he had no idea where he was going. In order to Disapparate, one had to know the destination. James pulled the note back out of his robes, and found that, where once was Arabella's writing was now a picture of 124 Sycamore. He stared at it, then Disapparated with a pop.

It was pitch black in Modesto. He didn't know off the top of his head what time it was there, but he knew it was late. The street was completely devoid of noise. James walked up to the door and was about to knock, when a beautiful woman opened the door. She was very curvy, with shapely breasts, gorgeous legs, and long shiny black hair, which fell past her waist. "You're early," she said.

"Arabella?" he asked, looking at her again.

"Mmm. To you I'm Trixy. Come in," she said, opening the door for him. James entered into the small but elegant house. "Guy is in the living room," she said, showing him in. "See?" she said, pointing to him on the sofa.

It was Guy all right, but not how James remembered ever seeing him. He was sprawled out on the couch, his shirt halfway undone, a beer in one hand, and a cigarette in another. He appeared to be out cold.

"What did you do to him?" James whispered.

"Incapacitated him, like you wanted. I can wake him up if we want to ask him some questions," she said. And before he answered, she mounted Burgess and shook his chest. "Wake up, my darling," she said.

Guy opened his eyes slowly and looked to her with hazy eyes. "'Lo my foxy lady," he slurred. "Are you ready for me?"

"Guy, can you tell me a secret?" she asked, rubbing his bare chest.

"Anything for you," he answered.

"Can you tell me names of the Death Eaters you recruited, you bad sexy boy?" she said, kissing his lips.

"Oh yeah, there's some good ones," he said loudly. "Marcus Judan, from the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry, and Luke Mulver, from the Department of Law Enforcement, Lex Taylor in Processing, and K..." he started, then lost consciousness.

"Did you get those names?" she asked James.

"Yeah. I don't know who any of them are, though. Can you wake him up so he can tell you more?"

"No. He's out for a while. I put some potion in his beer, so I suspect he'll be sleeping for a few hours. You got the cuffs?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. He picked Guy up, then cuffed his hands. "Um, I've never been to Azkaban before," he said nervously. "How do I get there?"

"You can't Apparate there directly, you have to go to the port so they can take you by boat. I have a picture of it for you. Rick is waiting there for you right now; you should get a move on."

"What are you going to do now?" he asked.

"Fix up his house so it looks like I've never been here. Now get going then go home. Tell Lily I said hi." She pulled a photo out of her back pocket, handed it to him, then left the room.

James stared at it. It looked like a regular boating dock, but he knew that was the starting point for people being led to a horrible existence. James pulled Guy up, but he flopped back down. "Fine," he said, "be difficult."

Then he Disapparated. It was daylight here, but the sun was beginning to set. A tall balding man appeared from behind a boat and walked toward them. "You James Potter?" he asked.

"Yes. And you must be..."

"Rick. So this is dear Mr. Burgess, eh?" he asked, bending down to look at Guy, who was kneeling, still out of it. "She sure took care of him."

But James wasn't listening. His eyes were locked on a dark building out at sea, at least two miles away. There were a few towers, but it was mostly a block. It was too far out for James to make out windows. "Is that Azkaban?" he asked.

"Yep. Not a very nice place, is it? Well, let me take this scumbag off of your hands, and I'll deliver him to the warden. Then the Dementors will take good care of him."

James felt a shiver go up his spine. "Are they really as horrible as they say?"

"Yes they are. But killers like him deserve it. People his age should know the difference between right and wrong, and he knows what he's doing is wrong; otherwise he wouldn't be so secretive. You want to take the boat with me, see it for yourself?"

James shook his head. "I've got to get back to my family. Thanks for..." he didn't know what he was thankful for. Guy had been his friend. He had also attempted to lure him to Voldemort's side.... still, he had been a good companion. "Well. Thanks for taking care of this."

"My pleasure. I'll see you around, Mr. Potter."

"Yeah," James said, sighing, "see you around."

* * * * *

"How did it go?" Ashika asked, exhaling her smoke.

"He knows about the Order of the Phoenix," Lily said.

Ashika almost dropped her cigarette. "What?" she asked.

"He knows it exists. He doesn't know who's involved, but he knows we meet at Hogwarts and Dumbledore is in charge. He offered a reward to anyone who can give names or bring one of us in dead. He knows about us!"

Ashika took several deep breaths and sat down at her conference table. "How can he possibly know?" she asked herself.

"I have no idea, but you know about it. Have you told anyone about us?" she asked, slamming her fist on the table.

"No one. I've told no one. The only way someone could know is if someone in the Order is..."

"No," Lily said, shaking her head. "No, we're all good people."

"Look I won't ask you any questions about it, okay. Don't tell me anything. I don't want to know who's involved, where you meet, nothing. But it has to be someone inside who's leaking the information out. You have to tell Dumbledore, Lily, you have to."

"I will," she said. "Look," she said, examining her watch, "this is the second time I've used Jade today. She's going to get suspicious if I don't return home soon."

"So was that all?" she asked. "He summoned you to let you know about the Order?"

"Well no," Lily said, then sat down. "He invited me to...I don't know, share in his power. He told me I was a talented witch and shouldn't be wasting my time on my family."

Ashika's eyebrows went up. "He offered to share his power?"

"He didn't say it in so many words, but that was the gist of it."

"Interesting. Very interesting. Actually it's very mysterious. He knows something...he knows something...he knows something," she mumbled.

"Knows what? What does he know?"

"I have no idea," she mumbled again, rubbing her temples. "There are too many holes for this to be a coincidence, too many..."

"Holes? What are you on about?"

"I can't tell you, because I don't know."

"I thought you knew everything that went on in the intelligence world," Lily said haughtily. "You have access to everything, right? How can you not know something like this? You studied him for years, you should know him like the back of your hand!"

"Don't raise your voice at me. I'll find out what the missing link is, and you'll be the first to know. Now go home!"

"Gladly!" Lily yelled back. She walked through the portal, into the abandoned alleyway, then to her apartment. She slammed the door shut, threw off her cloak, and crashed on her sofa. Jade walked out of the nursery, holding Harry, and came to sit next to her.

"Where did you go today?" she asked.

"Out."

"Out where?"

Lily leaned her head on the back of the sofa, then twisted her neck to face her. "I can't tell you," she said. "I'm not having an affair, and I'm not looking for a job, or anything that sounds completely horrible. I just can't tell you, please understand."

Jade made a funny face with her lips, looked down at Harry and nodded. "That's fine. I just feel like I'm always out of the loop. No one tells me anything."

"That's not true," she said.

"Yeah it is," she said with a wry smile. "I'm used to it by now. I contain my own secrets, but no one else's. It's all right, I know it won't change."

"Jade I can't tell anyone this."

"Not even James?"

"Not even. So please don't tell him I left today, okay? He can't know. But I'm not doing anything wrong...I just can't tell anyone."

"Okay," she said, looking mildly confused. "I won't tell him. I promise. But look, I have to go."

"Are you expecting someone?" Lily asked, taking Harry into her arms.

"Sort of."

"Who?"

"Oh so now you want my secrets?" Jade asked, smiling.

"Are you seeing someone?" Lily asked.

"Not technically. I've got to go. He's got the cutest smile, by the way, and his eyes are definitely going to be green. So he will have at least one thing from you. See you later."

"Thanks for watching him," Lily said. Jade grinned, then left.

*********

October 1, 1980

*********

"So," Dumbledore said, surveying the nine of the Order his half moon spectacles, "one down. Mr. Burgess was admitted to Azkaban without trouble, as a matter of fact, he didn't even recognize that he was there until several hours later. He also managed to give us three names of Death Eaters in the Ministry. Sirius has done a full background check on them, James has followed their routine in his spare time, Arabella has made small contact with each of them, and Remus reports that they suspect nothing, for no reports have been filed. It seems we are ready for our next mission. These three men, however, will be much more difficult to apprehend. Mundungus will teach all of you the art of defense and attack wizardry this Saturday in the Prewitt Warehouse in Diagon Alley.

"Here is the plan: Arabella reports there whereabouts, James and Mundungus will apprehend them one at a time. Sirius and Remus will be standing by somewhere close, in case of injuries. If someone is to be wounded, Remus and Sirius will bring him back here where Lily will see to their care. Minerva will see to it that the incident is nowhere to be found by the press, and the Prewitts will make sure that if it is leaked, someone high up will stop it from getting out. Is that clear?"

They all nodded.

"Good. We also have a slight error. Voldemort knows about us," he said. Lily whipped her head around. "He talked to a group of Death Eaters about us just weeks ago, offering a reward for names and our dead bodies."

They all stared at him, transfixed.

"It was inevitable that he would find out, but I hoped it wouldn't be for a while. But while he is aware of us, he doesn't know who we are. Let's keep it that way."

"How do you know about it?" Mundungus asked.

"I have acquired us a spy on the very inner circle."

"There are two," James said. "One is working for you, the other for the IWBI. Maybe we could get her, too."

Lily went rigid in her seat. James knew?

"I was unaware of that," Dumbledore said. "My source didn't tell me about another. No, we can't use her, I would be afraid of her exposure. We'll just have to rely on mine. My source has also said that there will be a raid on a small Muggle town just outside London. Voldemort announced to a large group, so we can interfere without my spy being exposed."

"And just how does one intervene without giving away our identities?" Remus asked.

"We won't be fighting. We'll tip off someone to it. The Wizard Federation Hit Squad should be able to handle such a thing. Being a group of ten, we can only do the small yet significant jobs."

"Who's going to tip them off?" Sirius asked.

"I will," Dumbledore said. "They can trust an old man such as myself. Well, that seems to be it. Remember, this Saturday you will all train at the Prewitt building in Diagon Alley. Are we all clear?"

They nodded. "You are all dismissed, except Lily, I want a word about the medical update."

She stayed put, again, as the others pushed their chairs back in to leave. James kissed her cheek before departing.

"How is the studying going?"

"I do it as often as I can, but it's hard to get the time in with Harry. I'm working on it, though. You can count on me. Oh," she said, going into he bag, "Um, Ashika dropped this off at our apartment a few weeks ago, she said it may help." She handed him the thick envelope full of files on Voldemort, which she got the day her parents were killed.

He opened it and flipped through. "She gave this to you?"

"Yeah, pretty amazing that she would do something that nice. She's kinda a snotty-" she stopped, then looked up at his twinkling eyes. "Well I met her once, almost a year ago, and I was three weeks pregnant, and she lit up a cigarette while I was standing there, and you don't believe me do you? Okay so I know some things about her, but only from James telling me," she said.

Dumbledore continued his stare, then folded his hands. "I saw you go stiff when James talked about the second spy. Is there something you want to tell me now?"

Lily hesitated. She could feel pressure behind her eyes, and a twisting sensation in the pit of her stomach. "She practically kidnaped me on my first day at school and showed me these children that he had tortured, so I really had no choice, so I went in there for her. There, okay? James doesn't know, my best friend doesn't know, the spy doesn't know, so I'd like to keep it that way. If you tell a soul, I swear I'll kill you. No one is supposed to know, but now James does, and I can't have him figure it out. If he knows I've been going to the Fortress of Shadows to get information for the Bureau, he'd flip. You can't tell him, you just can't. He'd be so scared and worried about me."

"Calm down," he said, grabbing her shoulders, "calm down. I won't tell him, but I'm glad you told me. So by your admission, you have met Voldemort, face to face?"

"Face to face. He's horrible."

"Yes, I know. Do you have anything you would like to add?"

"No. I was there only when he talked about us. Do you think he suspects me?"

"I don't know," he said, as he started for the door. "I'm not even really sure how he knows about us."

"Ashika seemed shocked. Wait, you don't think she's playing both sides, do you?"

"No, I don't. She is a thorn in anyone's side, but she is one of the good guys. But that's enough about that. When would be a good time for me to come by and see your little one?"

Lily grinned. "Whenever would be fine. He's doing so good. He's smiling now, you know. He's a lot bigger and fatter, much squishier and better to kiss those big, cute cheeks. And he coos now. When he wakes up, he makes this cute cooing sound and stares at his fingers like he never realized that he had any. But you can come by anytime to see him," she said, getting back to topic. "I should really go."

"Yes. You sound like a good mother, Lily."

"I don't know about that," she said, "but I try. See you next month, or sooner," she said, as she left.

James was right at the door, waiting for her. "Ready to go home?" he asked, taking her hand.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm ready to go home."

* * * * *

Expect the unexpected, or so they say. But if one expects what is unexpected, then isn't it expected, and has the phrase not lost all value? But if you are told to expect the unexpected, and the unexpected happens, without expecting it, does that mean you've failed? Well, in either case, you can choose which, the unexpected happened in two ways.

In the first way, the raid against the Muggle town outside London was a huge success, for the good side. Dumbledore tipped off the Hit Squad, and many Death Eaters were injured most terribly, but they all got away. Only one Muggle was killed, three others injured. They all recovered, though, and were given memory charms. It was assumed, by all of the Order members, that Voldemort was most displeased.

In the second case, a visitor popped over to the Potter apartment in mid-October just to say hello. If they hadn't been so busy with Order business, or being parents, they might have suspected something was up, but they didn't. Peter was, as James noted later, much more confidant. He believed it was his new independence that he had gained, but there is no point in me trying to fool all of you as to the real reason. You already know that. So for you, you have expected what is expected, but unexpected for them.

As Christmas approached, the fine sands of time started to stream down the thin neck of the hourglass, as if gravity had taken on a whole new set of rules. It all began on one day, when the group of our heroes were sitting around and making a good conversation. James was laughing with the rest of them, as he was changing Harry's dirty diaper, (the three month deal had long since past) when he flipped over on his stomach for the first time. The room went very quiet when James made the announcement, and they all stared at him, on the floor, stomach to the ground.

Lily got off the couch and ran down to grab James by the hand as Harry flipped back to his back, smiling and giggling at all of them. He had gotten much bigger, and the rolls on his arms and legs proved it. His eyes were now most unmistakably green, his head was mostly bald, with a few black wisps, and his cheeks were simply large and squishy; the women in the room couldn't resist kissing them, while James would roll his eyes and comment about forever damaging him psychologically.

But rolling over voluntarily was big news. It was, after all, a precursor to crawling, then walking, and soon to spell out his first words. All of which happens in the next chapter.

Harry rarely cried anymore, only when he really wanted something, which was rare. He was the cute age of five months, past the difficulty of infancy and now going into the stage of unquestionable adorableness. It was hard to get Harry away from Lily, and if you could find them separated, it was because James was holding him.

When Dumbledore came over to see Harry for the first time, that December, Harry didn't exactly smile at him. Lily said he shouldn't read too much into it, as babies at that age don't smile indiscriminately at strangers. But when Lily picked him up and held him, and then Dumbledore approached, Harry grinned and tugged at his long, white beard.

Sirius, Jade, James, Lily, and Remus spent Christmas together in the Potter apartment. Lily and James had spent most of their shopping, not on each other, but on Harry. He got a stuffed owl, plush broomstick, plush snitch, several soft books, new blankets, new mobiles, a crib piano that he could play, and many new outfits. Sirius had given him a soft motorcycle helmet to go with the jacket he had given at the baby shower. Remus, who couldn't afford much, had bought him a play wand, which was very soft and held an anti-choking charm. And Jade got him plush blocks, that when put together to form a word, pronounced the word. At the moment, however, Harry was much more interested in the shiny wrapping paper, which made crunching noises when he crinkled it us.

"God he's cute," Jade said, as she reached out for him. "You're cute, aren't you Harry?" she said. He smiled at her, then buried his face in Lily's chest. Lily grinned and handed him over to her, where he started to play with her wrapping paper.

It looked like most of the presents were gone, when two new ones surfaced. Sirius pulled out a long, yet small package from his pocket and handed it to Jade, trying not to grin.

"What's this?" she asked, looking totally surprised.

"I wrapped it so I wouldn't have to tell you," he said, edging closer to her. "So open it, will you?"

With nervous fingers, Jade unwrapped the package, to see a velvet jewelry case. She opened it slowly. "Oh Sirius," she said. It was a braided necklace, made of fine silver, which sparkled in the light. It was thicker than most chains, but nowhere near gaudy. It was something she would wear, even though she hardly ever wore jewelry. She looked at him with moist eyes and hugged him. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear.

"Jewelry," James said with half of his mouth pulled up. "That's a serious gift."

"Means commitment," Lily said with the same attitude.

Jade sat back down, but pulled Sirius's chin toward her, then kissed him.

"Awwww," James and Lily said. "But not in front of the minor, please," he said, pointing to Harry who was looking up at them with an uncertain look on his face. "It's too early to explain the birds and the bees, if you get my drift."

Sirius looked at the both of them, then put his hand over Harry's eyes, and kissed Jade quite vigorously, which she didn't turn away from this time, but smiled into it.

"So does this mean you're back together?" Lily asked.

Jade broke away for a little to explain. "Actually, we've been kinda going for a while, just unofficially and secretly."

"It was fun keeping it from you all," Sirius said as he saw their stunned faces.

"Wait, wait," James said, "what month did you get together?"

"James," Remus said, rolling his eyes, "are you thinking about that bet we made?"

"Yeah, so what month?"

"Mid October-ish," Sirius said. "Which means you're both wrong, so no money lost."

"Except that we were right about you two," Remus sang. "We knew you two would hook up again."

"I knew it too," Lily said, "I just knew it. I'm so glad. Are you going to get married?" she asked.

Jade and Sirius looked very uncomfortable suddenly.

"Sorry," Lily said.

"Yeah, on with Christmas," James said, pulling an envelope from his pocket, handing it to Lily. "Here you go," he said, "it's the last one, but I thought it was too big to go under the tree."

Lily took it, curiously. Jade grinned and snuggled up with Sirius and Harry, who was still playing with the wrapping paper in Jade's lap. Lily opened the back of the envelope, pulled out the paper, and unfolded it. She read the first line or so, then her face lit up and she jumped at James.

"Is this real?" she asked.

"One hundred percent ours. That is if you like it. I had these three plus Peter help me in selection and the keeping of the secret."

"Oh James," she said, hugging him again. "A house!"

"We can go look at it right now, you know. They're aren't any people living there. There's a backyard with grass, a swing-set, an island in the kitchen, all that stuff you wanted."

Lily picked up Harry and kissed him. "We have a house," she told him. He had his plush snitch in one hand and wrapping in the other, but he still smiled at her. "A real house."

"For a real family," Sirius said cheekily.

* * * * *

A small package was delivered. Inside it was a ring. The ring had a shiny black stone in the center, dull until someone slipped it on. The dragon engraved on the sides suddenly moved as the new ring bearer slipped it on his finger, examining his reflection in the black obsidian stone.

A note lay in the box. It was short: Get her.

He grinned as he flexed his muscles. "Now I will be his favorite. Pity you couldn't be around for it, Eureka. It's time, though, that I make a name for myself, and this will be the talk of legends..."




I know, I won't finish by the 21, but if you really want to know what happens, and hear my theories, email me and I will summarize. Or, you can wait for the ending, which you already know half, but the other half is all conclusion, wrapping up all the loose ends. I wish I could finish, but the last chapter has so much and will be long and agonizing at the end. I wish you all Happy Reading of OoTP and I hope to see you back here for the ending of this story and the beginning of my next one, "The Human Condition." If I manage to get the next chapter out, or at least a good portion of it, drop by my Yahoo site and look under the Files section for it.