AN: Look at those reviews! Maybe I should do evil cliffies more often! (chuckles evilly). Thank you to everyone that has reviewed, though. It's what keeps me typing when I have all these stories floating around my head. As a bonus for waiting patiently... well, not so patiently, I've put up two chapters this week.

And for those who keep saying they don't like the Sirius/Harry stuff, I'm going to clarify this only once. Sirius went to Canada for five years and saw Harry only twice in that time, even though they exchanged the occassional letter. People change and children grow up. I've heard of stories where babysitters end up with the kids that they babysat, second cousins marrying, and so on. It isn't as strange as one may think. They are not related by blood, and both of them never really thought of themselves that way at any time. Harry knew that Sirius was a friend of his father's and called him "Uncle" as a sign of respect. The same goes with the other kids. Sirius never considered himself Harry's uncle, because he could relate to the children far more than he could any adult. Both of them grew up with each other, after Sirius came back home,and it isn't so unusual to see friends being with each other in a romantic way.

Please, if you need to comment on this, please send me a private e-mail. Thanks.

Chapter 17

Harry froze mid-step into the infirmary. Hugh had raced into the Defense classroom just as Sirius was splitting the class into three teams, shouting that something was wrong with Patri and that they were taking him to the hospital wing. Harry had rushed out of the room, Sirius' calls to wait fading the further he ran.

"What do you mean?" he demanded into the room full of professors. "You mean Patri's mark is killing him?"

His dad stood up. "Harry - "

"NO!" he shouted. "You didn't think I needed to know, did you? You were just going to keep me and Helena and Hugh in the dark!"

"Harry?" Sirius asked, breathless as he came up to the doorway.

Harry shied away. "You knew, didn't you!"

"Harry," hisdad said in a stern voice, letting go of Patri's hand and walking over to Harry.

Harry shook his head. "You lied, Dad. You said Patri was going to be fine!" He took a step back as his dad reached him, turning and running from the infirmary. Tears blurred his vision, but he refused to let them fall.

"Harry! What's happening?"

He looked up to find Helena and Luna standing a few feet away. Harry grabbed hold of his sister and pulled her into the nearest room, which was thankfully empty.

"What did Dad tell you what was wrong with Patri?" he urgently asked.

"That Patri had something in his blood, but they weren't specific," she answered.

Harry swore. "That's what they told me, too. Probably Hugh."

"What's wrong?" Helena asked. "Harry?"

"Your father is dying," Luna said from where she stood against the closed door. "Is he not?"

Harry nodded tersely. "From that damn mark on his arm," he spat out bitterly.

1:1:1

"Do you know of anything that could get rid of it?" Harry asked when he and Helena had both calmed down, deep in the kitchens with the house elves rushing around. Luna had dragged both of them down here, before leaving them alone with Dobby pushing food on them. He had been finishing his pudding when it had suddenly come to him that maybe there was a way to get rid of the mark, but everyone had been looking in the wrong places.

Helena frowned, but Harry could tell she was fighting off the tears once more. "Well, there are some old books in the library that nobody uses because they're not considered 'magic.'" She shrugged. "Maybe they might help."

"Why aren't they magic?" Harry asked.

"Well, one of the Muggleborns said that they would be considered 'Wiccan' or 'white magic.' You know, the stuff that some Muggles can do, but not anything like what we can do."

Harry thought about it. He had the feeling that everyone dismissed it because it was too weak for what they wanted. But he had read a book over the summer... no, two summers ago, that had described a purifying ceremony. Maybe that was what they needed. He nodded, thinking that they should look into that first.

"Let's go check it out, then," Harry said as he stood. He helped Helena up from the table, and together they headed for the library that Rowena Ravenclaw had founded for her own students.

The infirmary was quiet but for the sound of several people breathing. A solitary light was on next to the occupied bed, with the chairs on either side taken up as well. The newcomer signaled to a shadow behind the door and both moved towards the bed.

"Consorpio," came a soft whisper from the second shadow, the spell hitting the persons in the chairs.

The shadows moved about the room moving the furniture, setting up several candles and pouring salt in a perfect circle surrounding the occupied bed.

"Is this going to really work?" came a harsh whisper from the first shadow as it stepped into the circle.

"Yes," the second shadow replied. "Now begin the incantation, starting with the east candle."

"Lady of the East, Keeper of the Winds, I invoke Thee." The candle burst into flame, even as the shadow moved to the next one.

"Lady of the South, Keeper of Fire, I invoke Thee." So lit the next candle as the shadow carried on.

"Lady of the West, Keeper of Water, I invoke Thee." The third candle lit, and then a low hum began in the background.

"Lady of the North, Keeper of the Earth, I invoke Thee."

The last candle lit up, and the light from the four candles blazed into a circle, lighting the smaller candles set into the salt circle.

Blood of my blood,
Father of my flesh,
May your soul Heal,
May the blackness that ails you be swept from your Mind and Heart.
Oh, Father of my blood,
One that gave me life,
May Light surround you,
May the blackness pour from your Soul and into the vessel it came from.

The shadow opened a vial filled with a viscous oil, letting the liquid slowly drip onto the forehead of the bed's occupant, followed by the throat and then the chest, over the heart. The droplets briefly glowed through the colors of the rainbow before sinking into the pale skin.

An oily black substance bubbled from the man's skin, rising into three pillars where the oil had dripped. Finally, the oozing stopped and the columns of darkness coiled into a thick rope, which rose further into the air, moving along the ceiling as if it was a snake. It slithered to the window and slipped through it as if the pane wasn't there.

The shadow sagged once the odd coil had fully cleared the room, but picked up as the man in the bed began coughing. Moving to each candle, the shadow whispered, "So mote it be!" before blowing it out. The shadow slumped to the floor.

"Harry?" the second shadow whispered frantically. "Are you okay?"

The man on the bed coughed again and suddenly sat up, rubbing at his chest. "Helena? What are you doing here at this time of night?"

The shadow named Harry sat up as well. "My head hurts," he said, not hearing the man speak.

"More than that will hurt if you don't tell me what is going on."

James laughed. "I can't believe you gave them detention, Severus."

His husband scowled and James laughed again. That was the same expression he had woken up to after Poppy had revived himself and Sirius. Severus had been scowling at the two sitting on the floor, scolding Harry and Helena. Sirius had grabbed hold of Harry as James had fought with Poppy over who would get to Severus first. When the children had told their story, James had embarrassingly burst into tears, and Sirius, being Sirius, cast an out-of-control cheering charm. So now James found it extraordinarily hard to do anything but laugh, even three hours later.

Albus chuckled himself from behind his desk. "That was most creative of you, Severus, but I think it will take them most of the summer to clean all of the school's potions equipment."

"Including the stored pieces," Severus muttered behind his teacup.

James shook his head. Severus may have finally been cured of the Dark Mark, but he still wasn't ever going to have an outgoing personality. Of course, James didn't care about that - only that Severus was healthy. He guessed that was why he did start crying, since the pressure on the bond was gone. The same pressure that James hadn't noticed until Severus' collapse. When he had, the bond had dulled, as if it knew what was happening and was trying to protect James.

"Will you be able to finish your classes, Severus?" Dumbledore was asking.

Severus nodded. "Poppy found no trace of the mark in my system, and I will not stay in that infirmary when I have a perfectly good bed in my own rooms."

James winked at Severus in spite of Albus being there. He would certainly miss Severus if he had to stay another night under Poppy's care. Severus frowned and darted his eyes towards the chuckling old man.

"Don't mind me, Severus," Albus said when his laughter died down.

Severus glared at both men. "Is there no way we can get you rid of that curse?"

"Don't you mean charm, Sev?" James innocently asked.

"No, it isn't a charm," came the growled answer.

James locked eyes with Severus.

"Well, gentlemen," Albus suddenly said. "I will leave you to your foreplay while I will attend breakfast."

"You need to be spanked," Severus said as the door shut.

"Really?" James asked, raising his eyebrows. He quickly stood and moved to sit in Severus' lap. "Have I been bad?" He leaned in and kissed his husband on the nose.

Severus wrapped his arms around James. "Very bad." This time the growl was sexy.

"Would you two do that in your chambers?" one of the portraits shouted. "The headmaster's office was not meant for this sort of thing."

James and Severus looked at each other before attacking with their mouths. Before James solely focused on Severus, he thought he heard another of the portraits say, "Now this is something I would rather watch than a stuffy old meeting."

Severus had grown up with the belief that a parent meted out punishment because they didn't like their own children. The first two years he had taught had reinforced this idea.

Then he had to punish Harry for taking a biscuit out of the jar when it wasn't anywhere near mealtime and it had shattered. Severus had looked into those watering green eyes and found himself unable to yell at the sweet little boy. His love for his child had warred with the ingrained expectance of punishment.

Now that Harry was older, it was a little easier to punish him, but it was still much harder to do than when it came to his students. This time, however, he had doled out the punishment with little worry. He knew Harry and Helena could handle it. It would most likely take up most of their summer hols, but they could do it. Severus was just a little leery of what would happen after Harry's birthday, when he could legally do magic outside of school. James told him not to worry, but then James always said that.

Much of the portable potions equipment had been carted home, and Harry had persuaded James that he and his sister could clean most of it outside. Severus hadn't been home when that decision was made, and James had asked him not to change it. Severus suspected that his husband wanted to use his supervisory time outside, letting Hamilton run around like any two year old.

"Papa!"

Speaking of the toddler, Severus knelt in time to catch Hamilton before he jumped on him. He had resigned himself to being 'Papa' for the time being, since his youngest son couldn't quite say 'Patri.' But only until Hamilton could pronounce an 'R.' He would rather not be called a name that sounded like toilet humor.

"Severus." James stood from the large blanket spread across the grass. The sun had brought some needed color to James' face, giving him a healthy glow. He looked a lot healthier than he had since Christmas, when first he had lost the baby, and then when Severus himself had grown ill in May. The pressure of the war seemed years away while they were at home, smoothing the wrinkles that were beginning to form at the corners of James' eyes and mouth.

Severus set Hamilton down and took James into his arms.

"Did you get everything?" James asked after they kissed.

"Albus is bringing the last box when he comes to visit Tuesday." Severus looked over to where Harry and Helena were bent over their detention work. Hugh lay nearby, reading a book and petting the cat. "How far are they?"

James hummed. "They're almost through with the first box."

Severus raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Is Harry using his magic?"

"No." James shook his head. "I've been watching. I also told Harry that if I caught him using it, I would make him do the laundry for a week, especially doing Hamilton's clothes."

He smirked at that, knowing how much laundry his family went through in a week, the youngest member using the most clothes by far, since Hamilton had yet to master the art of eating without making a mess. His thoughts turned to the month ahead. "Does Harry suspect anything?"

James laughed. "No. It also helps that Sirius is helping Remus with the mission to France, so he can't let the secret out."

Severus gave a short nod.

"Won't you join us, Severus?" James asked as he sat back down, pulling Hamilton back from the edge of the blanket and setting in back in front of his blocks that he had been playing with. "I promise to behave myself."

An eyebrow arched. "I would hope so. I refuse to pay for counseling for four children because their fathers had sex," Severus whispered, "in front of them."

"Se... sex?" Hamilton queried.

"Now you've done it," James sighed.

Severus quickly sat down and turned Hamilton's attention back to his blocks. Once the toddler was distracted, Severus leaned over and kissed James' ear - his way of saying sorry, because it wasn't ever going to come out in words. James smiled at him, and he knew that it was forgiven. Until next time, anyway.

James knew he was being grouchy, but at the moment he didn't care. He'd spend the morning bent over the toilet with Hugh, while Severus was tending to Hamilton, both boys having caught a nasty bout of the flu. Sirius had decided to sneak into Harry's room at one minute after midnight, when Harry officially turned seventeen - and yes, James remembered well the fourteen hours of labor for that to happen - and on top of that, most of the Order would be here in about twenty minutes.

Hugh had woken him up when he stumbled to the bathroom around eleven the previous evening, and as James had gotten him comfortable enough to get the anti-nausea potion in the master bathroom, he noticed a shadow creeping into Harry's room. He had ended up hauling Sirius out by his ear, threatening to use a permanent shrinking charm on a certain body part if he didn't go into the room he had been using until after the party ended.

James had just fallen asleep when the monitor in Hamilton's room had went off, sending Severus in to take care of him. He had slept, but he was up again at five with both ill sons.

"Remus is here, Dad," Helena said as she swung around the doorframe. "He and Professor Sinistra are setting up the tables."

James sighed in relief and wiped drool from Hamilton's chin after the last round of nausea. "When Professor Dumbledore gets here, please send him up."

"Right, Dad." Helena left, but two seconds later she was in the doorway again. "Patri's almost done. He said it would be another five minutes and then he'll be up."

She was out the door once more before James could have her check up on Harry and Sirius. He didn't trust his friend to keep his paws off Harry at the moment, "now that he's legal," as Sirius had said as James dragged him out of Harry's room. It still frankly grossed him out to think of his son and his friend doing such things, but he was resigned that even if James and Severus had forbidden them to see each other, they still would meet. It was much better for them to do it with permission.

James finished cleaning up Hugh as Severus came into the bathroom, several vials in his hands.

"Poppy said for Hugh to have the anti-viral first and then the anti-nausea. Hamilton needs the opposite, as he will need to eat before taking the anti-viral potion. Oatmeal or some mashed bananas will do fine."

Finally, with Hugh and Hamilton resting in their beds, James made his way downstairs to find the professors of the Order setting up the tables in the back lawn between the house and the gazebo. A few of the other members were distributing party favors - courtesy of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, 93 Diagon Alley - and James suspected Molly was in the kitchen with Maddy. Harry was hopefully off in the small room they had put a television in three weeks ago, Sirius having suggested it with the hopes of keeping track of the Muggle world. Though James suspected he was addicted to the game system he had brought over - something called Playstation. James didn't really didn't care at the moment, as long as both of them were out of the way. Whenever Sirius suggested he help, it inevitably turned into a disaster.

Helena came over with Remus behind her, both of their arms full of the family's presents. "Where did you want these, Dad?" she asked. "Mrs. Weasley kicked us out of the kitchen."

James took a couple of the bigger packages from Helena and grinned at Remus when he stepped forward.

"Ladies first," James reprimanded his friend with a cheeky smirk. "And you wonder why you and Anne can't stay together."

"Ha ha," Remus sarcastically laughed as he followed James and Helena into the courtyard at the back of the house, just before the lawn.

James put the packages down on the small table at the end of the pavers, which was about thirty feet from the first table on the grass. "This will do."

"Dad?"

"What is it, Helena?" James asked as he finally took pity on Moony and helped with the packages.

"This one is growling."

James turned around, his attention on the bright red and gold box in Helena's hands.

"Who's it from?" Remus asked.

"Hagrid."

"That explains it," James said as he carefully took the gift. "We'll have Harry open this one first."

"Ron, you didn't eat all of my chocolate frogs, did you?" Harry asked as he entered the train compartment in the middle of the Hogwarts Express, after the prefect meeting was over. A glitter caught his eye and he mentally swore. 'Damn that Head Boy badge.'

"No," came the garbled response. Ron swallowed. "I left you one."

"Wanker."

"Harry!" Hermione scolded as she entered the compartment. "You shouldn't be saying things like that."

"Would you please stuff it, Hermione?" Helena said as she sat down next to Luna, who was reading the Quibbler upside down like usual. "You're already turning into a Nazi Prefect. I can see why Susan became Head Girl."

Harry hid a snicker, even as Hermione spluttered.

"Yeah, Mione," Ron said around a handful of suspicious looking Bertie Botts' Beans. "I don't know what Nazi means, but you act more like a teacher than McGonagall does."

"But, the rules - " Hermione began.

Harry laid a hand on his friend's arm andcarefully said, "Hermione, sometimes the rules need to be broken, and then there are rules that no longer apply."

"Hermione," Neville gently said from his seat next to Hugh, "boys are meant to say that their best friend's a wanker, especially when he eats all of his chocolate."

Hermione fussed some more, but Harry tuned her out. Instead, he turned to his sister.

"Where's Zabini?"

Helena shrugged. "I don't know."

"He's your boyfriend. Shouldn't you know?"

"We broke up after your party." Helena shrugged again. "Why would I know where he is?"

"Yeah," Hugh piped up from his corner of the compartment, where he was now squished by the combination of Neville and Hermione into the window. "I heard he's dating Ginny."

"My sister, Ginny?" Ron asked in a strangled voice. "She's dating him?"

Harry laughed at the horror on his friend's face. Ron had yet to accept his sister dating - Michael Corner, a Ravenclaw who was part of Harry's study group, and Dean Thomas were just two of the boyfriends the red head had dated over the last two years.

"Ron," Harry said, "you'll have to face - "

The train suddenly stopped, cutting off Harry's remark and throwing him headfirst into Helena. There was an explosion at the front of the train, followed by a crash at the back.

Harry carefully stood, gingerly testing the hand that had hit the wall. "You okay?" he asked his sister.

She slowly nodded. "You're heavy, though."

Harry paused, hearing a soft ticking moving throughout the car and not just in their compartment. It was slowing down as it came closer, until it stopped outside the door. He instinctively put up a shield as the door burst in, revealing three figures in dark cloaks and white masks. The one on the front shot out several rapid spells, which bounced of the shield and into the two hulking persons on either side of the castor.

He sighed as he sent a wand-less binding spell at the standing intruder.

"You bungled this up pretty good, Malfoy," Harry said as he stepped over to unmask the bound figure. He ripped the white mast off and broke it in half. "Are you doing this alone, or are there any other students stupid enough to become a Death Eater?"

The blond tightened his mouth and sneered.

"That's not even remotely frightening, Malfoy," Helena said behind Harry.

"Is everyone okay?" Harry asked.

"They're fine, but we're the only two who are awake."

Harry nodded. "I'm going to go looking through the train. Send Hedwig with a note to Patri and guard Malfoy."

"Sure," Helena agreed. "Maybe you can find the witch with the food cart. I have the feeling we're going to be waiting a while, and you-know-who'll try eating the train when he gets hungry."

Harry chuckled at the image of Ron chewing through the upholstery as he made his way out of the compartment. He cast a couple of binding spells at Crabbe and Goyle, because they were the only two students who were that large, and also because they followed Malfoy like lost puppies.

Making his way down the car and further down the train, Harry found the students bruised and battered, with only a few serious injuries. Several of Harry's former students followed him, caring for the injured students. Harry did the best he could, but healing spells were just not his forte.

In the last car, though, it was mass pandemonium. There were three more students clad in the black robes, fighting against a handful of Harry's students, who were defending the younger students. Zabini and Ginny were at the front of the mostly open car, determinedly holding shields over the younger students behind them. Dean and Seamus were down at the very end of the train battling against one Death Eater who was using two wands. Harry raised an eyebrow at that - two wands in use at the same time was extraordinary. Almost directly in front of him was Padma Patil, fighting fiercely as she stood in front of Parvati and Lavender. The Gryffindor girls were heavily bruised and Lavender was bleeding from a nasty gash on her right temple.

Padma sent her opponent into the wall. Their mask fell off, revealing a dazed Pansy Parkinson. Padma sent off a binding hex and nodded at Harry as he made his way past her to where the third Death Eater was trying to break through the containment shields protecting the younger students.

Harry whipped out his wand and shot three rapid-fire curses at the Death Eater, not wanting to risk using up his energy. The Death Eater went down as the last one hit full in the chest. Harry barely glanced at him as he continued over to where his roommates were rapidly tiring from their fight.

11111

Malfoy was sneering again, and Helena was very tempted to wipe his mouth off of his face. Literally. Hugh had finally woken about fifteen minutes after Harry left, and now Ron and Neville were stirring. Hugh had agreed with her that once the two had their wits about, the two siblings would send them after their brother.

"Your brother Potty is going to die," Malfoy muttered.

Helena rolled her eyes at Hugh, who was snickering. "I like hearing him spew stupid stuff," Hugh said.

She sighed, but didn't curse the blond stupid. Hopefully Ron or Neville would come around soon, because she could definitely see why Harry was always so irritated with Malfoy.

Well, she did know a spell that could turn him into a ferret...

111111

Harry was determined to beat whomever this son of a bitch was. Each hand - and incidentally wand - acted independently. He had already been hit by curses twice, but not enough for him to be incapacitated. They hurt like hell, though.

"You're going to die, Potter," the man behind the mask said.

"Right," Harry snorted as he sent his four-curse spread. "I'll just lay down for you."

"Why don't you?" Two curse from each wand sped towards Harry, who moved one of the torn seats into their path.

"Because I'm not that kind of a guy," Harry replied. As he shot a couple more curses, he sent a wand-less revealer at his opponent's mask. He let loose a small gasp when the mask uncovered the face of Percy Weasley.

Consorpio - to sleep