A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

Chapter 2

November 11, 1981

Harry stood holding on to the railing of his crib screaming at the top of his lungs. Fat tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked around for his mom and dad. His little toddler mind couldn't understand why neither of them came when he cried anymore.

Jake rushed into the bedroom holding a pistol just in case someone had managed to breach the wards of Potter Manor without him feeling it. It was easier for him to use a gun than a wand with the damage he had sustained to his magical core. His wand was still tucked in the back of his pajama pants just in case he needed it.

Sirius ran into the room right behind his friend swinging his wand around wildly. He fired off a human revealing spell and a stunner into each corner or the nursery just to be on the safe side. He didn't see any clear and present danger, but that didn't mean anything. He hadn't been totally stable since the night he found James and Lily dead.

Remus walked in the room calmly and he walked to the crib. He held his hands out to Harry to see if he wanted to be picked up.

"Moo," Harry cried out as he reached for Remus.

"Come to Uncle Moony," Remus gathered him into his arms while shaking his head at the other two. He didn't know what the two of them were going to do on their own when they took Harry back to America. "Did you two really come in here prepared to do battle instead of comfort an upset little boy?"

"His parents were killed in their home where they were supposed to be safe." Sirius pointed out.

"We are still in Britain and not all the death eaters have been accounted for." Jake spoke up.

Remus rolled his eyes at the pair. He rubbed Harry's back and kissed his head. "I don't know what you two are going to do without me."

"Prongslet, tell your Uncle Remy that we are big boys and we know how to take care of you just fine." Sirius tickled Harry's cheek. He was rewarded with a small smile from the boy.

"So you were gonna change his nappy after you made sure there was no threat?" Remus quirked his eyebrow at him.

Jake took Harry and laid him on the changing table. "I will take care of his diaper if one of you warms him a bottle while the other prepares a nightcap of some sort." He took the baby's pajamas off and grabbed a fresh diaper.

'I'll get his bottle." Remus knew that there was no way Sirius would be able to figure it out without being taught first.

Sirius grinned broadly. "I'll get the nightcap."

"That's about the only thing you're good for, Padfoot." Jake took Harry's diaper off and turned his head to mock Sirius. That was the only opening that Harry needed to pee first in his face and then down his shirt. "No, Harry, no! That's so gross!" he used the diaper he had in his hand to wipe his face off.

Harry let out and loud giggle and he had a huge smile on his face.

Sirius and Remus dissolved into laughter as they left the room to do their assigned tasks.

"This isn't funny, you dicks!" Jake called after them. He eventually got a clean diaper and fresh pajamas on Harry. He picked him up and kissed his cheek. "All clean,"

Remus and Sirius were waiting for them in the sitting room. There was a tray with a bowl of ice and a bottle of muggle bourbon sitting in the middle of the coffee table. Harry's bottle was also waiting for him under a warming charm.

"Padfoo!" Harry called out and reached for his godfather.

"Pup!" Sirius exclaimed just as exuberantly as he took him from the older man. He picked up his bottle and started to give it to him.

"Stop!" Remus and Jake called out to him at the same time.

Sirius looked confused. "What?'

Remus took the bottle and tested it on his forearm first. "Lily, tried to tell you numerous times you have to test the bottle, so he doesn't burn his mouth." He gave the bottle back to him after he made sure it was a safe temperature.

Jake poured a round of drinks for them and handed out the glasses. "Will one of you help me out and cast a cleaning charm on me? I'm covered in baby piss." He took a deep drink of his whiskey.

Remus cast the charm on him. "Like I said, I don't know what you three are going to do without me."

Sirius settled Harry into the crook of his left arm with his bottle while he held his drink in his right hand. "Wow, you really can do that yourself." He smiled at the little boy. "Jake, you haven't talked to him yet?"

"No, I haven't. I thought that we could do it together." Jake settled himself in the plush chair he was in and he sank into it.

Remus swirled the whiskey around his glass. "Do I want to know what you two berks are talking about?"

"Moony, no one is going anywhere without you. The Potters and Blacks have all kind of properties in America. There are plenty of places that you can go away on the full moon. That we can go away on the full moon. Jake will take care of Harry on those nights we already have this planned out. James would love it if you raised the pup with us and you know Lily would be happy to have another responsible adult to help talk me out of my rash ideas." Sirius told his remaining best friend.

Remus shook his head. "I couldn't possibly intrude like that. I don't ever want to be a danger to Harry and I'm afraid that's what would happen if I was around him too close to the full moon. Jake is responsible adult enough for the both of you. He was both prefect and head boy."

"Remus, you wouldn't be intruding. We want you to come home and be a family with us. It's what we all need right now. I'm hurt I may never physically be able to teach Harry about magic the way that I want to or be able to preform it the way I used to before I dueled that bitch Bella. Sirius obviously needs to talk to a mind healer after he found James and Lily the way he did. That makes you the most stable one out of the three of us. You have a condition that is easily controlled by a potion. There is no where near the prejudice against lycanthropy back in the states like there is here. I got an O on my potions newt. I can brew your wolfsbane for you without a problem. I don't need a fully healed core for that. I'm not taking no for an answer here." Jake put his foot down.

"If you don't say yes we are just going to stun you and bring you with us anyway. It's easier for all of us if you just do things our way." Sirius wasn't above committing a small crime to get his way.

Harry finished his bottle and chuckled it in Remus' direction. "Moo!" he yelled.

"See there, even the pup agrees." Jake pressured him.

"I can't fight all three of you on this. Ok, I'll come to America with you and see how it works out for a little while. I'm not promising anything more than that." Remus relented. He had secretly wanted to say yes to begin with. He'd never thought in a million years that they would want him to come live with them and help raise Harry. It was more than he would have ever let himself wish for.

"Good it's settled." Sirius put an end to that discussion.

Harry clapped his hands and reached for Jake. "Jay!'

Jake took him and kissed his cheek. "You're wide awake. What are we going to do with you?"

"I know exactly what we are going to do with him." Sirius used his wand to call Harry's broom to them.

"That is a terrible idea." Remus didn't know why he bothered to waste his breath trying to talk some sense into that mutt.

Jake finished his glass of bourbon. "We will follow him around with pillows. It'll be ok." He grabbed a couple pillows off the couch.

Sirius finished his drink and poured himself another. "You take the right I'll take the left." He grabbed two pillows.

"I guess I'll cover his back." Remus could already see that he was going to have three children to contend with instead of one. He got some pillows too.

Sirius held the broom and Jake put Harry on it. "Let go on three," Jake counted down on his fingers and Sirius let go.

Harry shot off like a bat out of hell. It was a good thing that the broom only hovered about a foot off the ground or the trio would have been in deep shit. As it was they had to scramble to keep up with the little daredevil.

"Bloody hell, he's already almost more skilled on a broom than all of us combined." Sirius threw his head back and laughed happily.

Andi walked into the sitting room roughly a half hour later with her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She had come to investigate a noise she'd heard. She had to blink her eyes to make sure she saw what she was seeing after she saw a room full of overturned furniture and picture frames with magical pictures askance on the walls. Her jaw dropped open with an audible pop when Harry whizzed by her on a broom being chased behind by three clearly tipsy men.

She rubbed her temples to fight off the headache she found forming there. "I'm not even going to yell at you three wankers. One of you get him off that broom and give him to me now." She used her best mom voice on them.

"I told them this was a terrible idea." Remus threw the other two under the bus.

"If I could get him off that broom I would have already." Jake made a move to grab Harry, but he out flew him.

Sirius lunged to catch Harry, but he came up with an armful of air. "This got real ten minutes ago before that we were playing."

"Forget it." Andi put herself in the path of Harry's broom and crossed her arms over her chest. "Harry James," She said in a firm tone.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks and looked up at her innocently with his big green eyes. He even had the nerve to give her a charming smile.

Andi picked him up. "The cheek on you." She cradled him in her arms and grabbed a blanket off the couch. "Why is he up and out of control like this?"

"He woke up screaming, he pissed on Jake, he threw a bottle at Remy, and I thought some time on his broom would calm him down." Sirius looked very pleased with himself like he thought it was the greatest idea in the world.

She stifled a yawn. "I'm putting the four of you to bed. You three grown men have things to do in the morning and then tomorrow afternoon you have a trash course in child care with me. The baby shouldn't be peeing on any of you. All of you are hopeless." She groaned once they were on their way. "They have no idea how good you are going to be for them. Come on let's go keep your Uncle Ted company." She kissed his cheek and carried him back to the bedroom she was sharing with her husband.

Jake drug his feet as he walked up the garden path that led to Potter Cottage in Godric's Hallow. This was his first time seeing this place since Voldemort's attack and he wasn't sure that it was something he was ready to see. He had come alone, because Sirius was already screwed up enough from finding James and Lily and he didn't want Remus to have to have the mental picture in his head too.

He had to summon every bit of Gryffindor courage that he had in him to walk into the back door. He stepped inside the kitchen and looked into the living room. He could see the evidence of how hard James had fought that monster before he had ultimately ended his life. He could also feel almost like a psychic energy in the room. It was almost like he could see what was happening before his very eyes.

"Good for you, Jamey, I know you gave him hell." He praised his fallen nephew. He turned to go up the stairs to the nursery. His eyes flicked up and his wand snapped into his hand without second thought when he heard a noise.

He climbed up the stairs cautiously. He was unsure of what he would find and he wanted to be prepared for things to get heavy quick. He was as quiet as he could be as to not give away the element of surprise.

A woman dressed all in pink with a strong resemblance to a toad let out a shriek of fright at the wand tip that was pointed directly in her face. "What is the meaning of this?" She was able to gather her composure enough to sound indignant.

"I could ask the same thing. Who the hell are you and what the fuck are you doing here?" Jake gripped his wand tighter instead of putting it away.

The pink toad gasped in outrage. "Hmm, hmm, I am Delores Umbridge. I'm here on ministry business. Who might you be?"

Instead of putting his wand away he switched it to his left hand. He raised his right hand and flashed his signet ring with the Potter crest on it. "Henry Jacob Potter, steward of House Potter and a sworn godfather of Heir Harry James Potter. Might I ask what kind of business the ministry has on my property?"

"Hmm, hmm, Mr. Potter, the ministry wants this property to stand as a monument to the defeat of the dark lord. A great pureblood wizard gave his life here and there needs to be a marker of that." Delores answered him.

Jake took offense to her tone and to the way she had left Lily and Harry out completely. "You forget that an amazing first generation witch gave her life here. And you forget that an innocent little boy was made an orphan over something as stupid and inconsequential as supposed blood purity. I let you people put up a statue to them and I let you erect some elaborate shrine in the graveyard, but I will not give you this cottage where my nephew and his brilliant wife died to exploit their memory."

Delores didn't take kindly to being told no. "You say all that like you have a choice. You're an illegitimate Potter you can wave that ring around all you want, but you have no authority here. The ministry wants this cottage and we will have it."

He chuckled ominously and his brown eyes darkened by a shade. "You think I've never heard that one before? This ring means a lot. First and foremost, it means that I'm a legitimate Potter my father recognized me as one of his sons. Furthermore, I am the eldest living Potter. This is a Potter property that means I have a say in everything that goes on here. Until my nephew reaches his majority I am the warlock of this family, because unlike some other pureblood scum my father was smart enough and kind enough to make sure I'd have my proper place in this family."

"We will see what the minister has to say about that. From what I've heard you're more a filthy muggle than you are wizard these days." She taunted him hoping to make him lose his temper.

Jake put his wand away before he did something really stupid like trying to cast a powerful spell that could damage his core even more than it already was. "And from the sounds of it you're more an unmarked death eater than just another innocent witch who had to suffer under Voldemort's reign of terror. I said this property isn't going to be used as some sick shrine and I meant that."

"Why you filthy blood traitor." Delores' face turned crimson red.

"That'll be enough of that now. The boy said the property isn't for sale and that's final." A deep masculine voice said from behind them. The pair turned to see that Arcturus Black had come into the cottage.

"The minister was quite clear on this I'm afraid." Delores tried to reel her temper back in.

"Delores, don't force House Black to come in and back House Potter on what should have just been a simple matter. The ministry had no right to come in and seize property from most ancient and most noble houses just because they feel like it." Arcturus stared her down. "Young Henry, a pleasure." He addressed Jake.

"Lord Black," Jake made a bowing motion to him.

Arcturus bowed back to the younger man. "Lord Percival, might I be the first to say that your new lordship is well deserved?"

"Thank you, my lord." Jake smirked at the stricken look on the toad woman's face. In his will James had given his uncle lordship to one of the houses that had been absorbed into House Potter.

Arcturus turned to Delores again. "Now is that matter over with now or do we need to take further action?" the steel in his voice left no room for confusion as to what the answer should be.

"The matter is settled, my lord." Delores knew that it was better give up now and live to fight another day.

"I believe that it is time for me to take my leave before my Potter temper gets me into trouble." Jake could always come back later if he had to.

"You'll be sure to tell my grandson to visit before he leaves." Arcturus pretended like the toad wasn't there anymore.

Jake smiled at him. "I will be sure to have him do that if there is still a piece of either one of us left after your granddaughter gets through with us."

Arcturus chuckled lightly. "She may have changed her last name, but she is still a Black through and through."

Andi surveyed the three men in front of her with a critical eye. She marched back and forth in front of them to make them nervous. She had given each of them a baby doll and had them practice child care on it. Jake and Remus had both managed to get diapers on their dolls perfectly Sirius on the other hand had put the diaper on his doll using a sticking charm. She should be thankful that he could do that much, but she couldn't let him go a whole ocean away being just good enough.

"Let's try that again, gentlemen." She barked at them.

"Padfoot, can't you take something seriously for once in your life?" Jake closed his eyes tightly.

Remus closed his eyes and groaned. He already knew what was coming. "You couldn't have worded that differently?"

"I'm always Sirius." Sirius didn't disappoint with his usual corny answer.

"Siri, that was terrible even for you. If you can't get a nappy on a doll, you'll never be able to get one on Harry he likes to squirm. You need to stop treating this like a game." Andi lectured her cousin.

Remus and Jake turned to glare at the dog animagus. "Ok, you win, I'll stop playing around." He relented.

"Did you two manage to get your things packed while I was at the cottage?" Jake made conversation to keep Sirius on track.

"I didn't have much to pack, so it didn't take long." Remus didn't have much, because he had a hard time getting a job since he was a werewolf.

"I got everything out of my flat that was worth keeping." Sirius chimed in.

Jake nodded in acceptance of that as he once again put a diaper on the doll. "We will go shopping once we get to America. We will get traditional robes for special occasions and then just regular clothes for everyday wear. Things are way more modern there than they are here. Muggle studies at Hogwarts is a joke they are at least a century behind the times."

"That is absolutely right. When I married Ted this pureblood princess got the shock of her life. Hogwarts didn't prepare me for living in the muggle world at all." Andi agreed with him. She had been two years ahead of him in school.

"I think we should really find a better word for the non-magicals than muggle it sounds like a slur." Remus mused.

"Lily used to refer to them as mundanes. She said it sounded nicer and it didn't have the same connotation as muggle." Sirius piped in.

"I guess that's our first family decision then. We teach Harry the word mundane instead of muggle and first generation witch or wizard instead of muggleborn." Jake suggested.

"I second that motion." Sirius raised his hand.

Remus raised his hand too. "I third it."

"The motion carries. Congratulations, Padfoot, Moony, this is our first decision as parents." Jake couldn't fight off the grin he felt forming. It didn't feel right for him to smile or laugh not with James and Lily's deaths so fresh in his mind. It seemed like a slap in the face to them that he could be happy and go on day by day so easily like they hadn't mattered to him at all.

"We really have to think up a nickname for him. He uses our marauder names, but we just call him Jake." Sirius said like that name left a bad taste in his mouth. He took felt bad for feeling happy, it just didn't seem right.

Remus gave him a withering look. "Jake is a nickname that Charlus gave him, you dolt. His damn name is actually Henry Jacob. You are my best friend, but there are times I think you're too stupid to function." He fought the urge to laugh. He wanted to stay somber awhile longer out of respect for his departed friends.

Andi could see what was going through their minds as if she was reading them. "None of that, you three, don't you feel guilty for being happy or having something to laugh about. James and Lily wouldn't want that. They would want you to laugh, to make happy memories with Harry, and for you to shower him with all the love and devotion that they would have. They assembled a great council of dads for their son who will do just that. I know that they are looking down on you right now smiling. They would be so proud of how hard you're working to give their son the life they wanted him to have."

"Do you think any of us want to face Lily when we cross over to the other side if we don't do our best to raise Harry the way she would have wanted?" Sirius asked what he thought should have been obvious was a rhetorical question.

"I rather go shirtless down a slide covered in razor blades into a pool full of alcohol than have Lily waiting on the other side upset with me." Jake did a full body shudder.

"I would rather go through a transformation without my potion than face the wrath of Lily Potter. Fourth year James and Sirius pulled a prank on Slytherin that was bad even by their standards. Lily wanted revenge on Snivellus' behalf. I have it on good authority that she wrote to her favorite former head boy to give her ideas on how to get back at them." Remus knew just how ruthless his friend could be when she wanted to.

"If I had known that she wanted revenge on behalf of that greasy little slimeball I wouldn't have helped her. I gave that kid and his little band of wanna be death eater friends more detentions for acting like the second coming of the Nazis than I care to count. I never did understand what she saw in him. And this is coming from someone who had quite a few friends in Slytherin." Jake recalled.

"As I recall more than a few of the girls in Slytherin always had a thing for you. Especially when you became a prefect. You have that messy black hair and those puppy dog eyes that are just the right combination of sexy." Andi teased him.

"Why is it I think that you and my cousin know the way around a broom closet together?" Sirius of course would be the first to latch on to a bit of juicy gossip like that.

"Wrong Black sister." Jake smirked cockily.

'That would explain why Bella cursed him so badly." Remus pointed out.

Jake gasped in mock offense. "She's too crazy for even me."

"Cissy? You were in the broom closet with Cissy?" Andi asked about her younger sister.

"We were the same age and you were too caught up with that Hufflepuff you would go on to marry to give me the time of day." Jake shrugged his shoulders.

"At least our dear Cissy had a real man before she married Lucius with the flowing locks." Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Never compare me to that blonde ponce again." Jake growled out.

"I love it when you cuss people in the queen's English with your American accent." Andi laughed at him.

Jake shot her a wink back. "I'm glad that I could be a source of entertainment for you after you spent the afternoon torturing us with your made up parenting class." He laughed at the glare she sent his way. He loved that he knew just how to push all of her buttons to get the result he wanted.

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you're all having as much fun reading this as I am writing. The Jake-Sirius-Remus trio is a lot of fun for me. Until next time please review.