Thank you for your reviews, haven't updated in a bit, been a tad busy with work and stuff, nothing major...well, anywho, enjoy!

Ch.13 New family

It was mid-autum, Harry lied to Renee about having a job when in actuality he was training to be an Auror, but of course he couldn't tell her that, now could he?

He had graciously helped out on several projects, one involved pouring paint on himself then ramming into the canvas in various places, making perfect body splotches. "You have a weird way of doing your job...but it's fun!" Harry laughed as Renee readied him and herself then both ran and jumped up at the canvas, "Thank you!" she laughed.

Renee and Harry were currently in the middle of a game of poker, Renee was losing terribly "Damnit! Good thing this isn't strip-poker, huh?" she laughed. Harry nodded "Yeah, you'd be down to your towel by now, huh?" he smirked, earning a cackle and a light arm smack from his house-mate/land-lord.

Dart was watching from the side and almost seemed to be helping Harry win as he would bark when Renee was bluffing and distract Renee from changing her cards, Harry almost swore he saw Dart wink one of his big grey eyes at him too.

"Yes!" Renee jumped up and slammed her cards on the table "Read'em and weep! Royal flush!", Harry checked his cards, he too had a royal flush but set his cards face down "You beat me this time!" he smiled while Renee did a victory dance.

Life was good for Harry now that he lived with someone who wasn't a Dursley, no, he was living with someone fun and nice, someone who reminded him of Sirius. Harry was still sad about his godfather's death, much like the death of his own parents, but he was almost positive that they would be happy for him living with Renee. Harry had great nights sleeping in his room now, staring at the painting Renee made him for his birthday, the castle by the lake near the forest reminded him so much of Hogwarts, it was almost as if she painted it while gazing at his 'old' school.

"What inspires you?" Harry had to ask one night, Renee raised an eyebrow "What do you mean?", "Your paintings, what triggers you to paint what you do?" Harry motioned at all her wokrings in the art studio. "Oh, hmm...well, I just sort of clear my mind then let the images create themselves in my mind and then I put them to paper..." Renee smiled and shrugged. "Is that what you did for my painting? I swear I've seen this place before..." Harry smiled at the thought of the painting and how comforting it was to him.

Renee bit her lip in concentration then laughed lightly "Funny thing, I too feel I've seen that place before, and when I cleared my mind to paint that for you, that image popped into my head". Harry laughed lightly at this as well "Really? Weird, kinda had a mind-link there or something", Renee nodded "Yeah...we should go looking for that castle some day...".

Harry nearly choked at this 'I can't show her Hogwarts!' he knew this but couldn't be so rude as to decline the invitation "Yeah...that would be cool..." he forced the enthusiasm to sound honest.

>>>>>

It was late November now, Tonks, Remus, Lucius and everyone they asked to help still found no records of anyone even remotely close to being Cecelia showing up at St.Mungo's with amnesia.

"Should've known she hadn't fallen into one of the wizarding world's hospitals..." Tonks sighed, "We can't exactly search through the muggle's hospital records, now, can we?" Lucius sighed as well. "If Cecelia is alive, and with amnesia, wouldn't her memory come back to her eventually?" Remus asked out loud, "Depending on whether or not her brain suffered any trauma..." Tonks mumbled darkly. They nodded and sighed, "Has anyone even mentioned this to Sevreus yet?" Lucius had to ask, "No...don't want to upset him while things are actually going well for him for once in his life..." Tonks answered.

Remus slumped in the chair he was sitting in and sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day, he was hoping so badly that they'd at least have a lead on Cecelia's whereabouts but they were still at zero.

Cecelia was like a sister to him, true she was always quiet and not too find of her brother, her real brother, when she was much younger, but he understood that, especially now. He felt somewhat guilty too, if he would have just spoken up before, stood up to James and Sirius' torture against Severus, or even their 'sibling rivalry' against Cecelia, things may have been different.

But, of course, it was too late for that, luckily he was able to form a more friendly bond with Severus, he doubted he'd have ever been able to if Sirius were still alive. He wasn't happy for his friends death, he just knew otherwise, Sirius wasn't one to let old habits die quickly, that and he'd have never believed Severus' story of what happened that one fateful summer with Cecelia.

"Remus?" Tonks looked at him in concern, he noticed that even Lucius seemed slightly concerned, Remus then wondered how long he'd been lost in thought. "Sorry..." he said weakly "I was just thinking too much about...well, the past and present...everything that's happened...". Lucius nodded and got up to fix drinks for everyone, Merlin knew they needed them, while Tonks wrapped her arms around her boyfriend in a loving, reassuring manner.

"What's done is done...nothing can change that...besides...things aren't nearly as bad as they could be..." Tonks rest her chin on Remus' shoulder. "How's that?" Remus murmured, "Well, for starters, one of us or both could be dead, never been able to be together...Harry could've lost..." Tonks listed many other possible horrible things that could've, but luckily didn't, happen.

Lucius returned with the drinks and added "I could've stayed true to the Dark Lord and none of us would've found anything out about what happened to Cecelia...". Remus nodded "You're right...both of you...", Lucius smiled "Aa, just a few more weeks and I'll be off of parole...I could use that freedom to squeeze some information from other former Death-eaters to see if they know anything about this as well...?".

"Would you? That would be so helpful!" Tonks clapped her hands together and grinned, Lucius nodded "Most certainly, I've made a new pledge of alliegence to the good witches and wizards of our community and will do what I can to make a new name for myself".

It had to be said that this past war really has changed Lucius Malfoy for the better, he was good, honest wizard now and truely meant his words of redemption.

>>>>>

It was almost a yearly, annual tradition with Renee and Laina, of course this year would be much more interesting now that they had more people to share this with. Every year, sometime in late November they would do this, they had to do this, like it was said before, it was tradition, "American football?" Severus and Harry asked skeptically.

"Yeah! It's actually loads of fun they way we play it!" Camron bounced on her feet excitedly, Laina and Renee nodded saying "Trust us!" but their expressions said anything but that! Emilio, who had come back for some time to be with his family, asked "Will we do this men against women, or...?", "Us against them!" Camron pointed to herself and her parents then to Renee, Severus and Harry.

Laina rubbed her hands together "This ought to be interesting!", Renee cracked her knuckles "Yeah, I got two strong men on my team, right guys?" she chuckled lightly. Camron crossed her arms "Don't think that'll help you!", Emilio chuckled as he tried to explain the rules to Harry and Severus which the girls had to take over because of Emilio's thick accent and would sometimes start rambling in Italian.

The first few games were won by team De Luca, but team Black, as Harry came up with "Because we all have black hair, I swear that's how I came up with it!", Snape eyed him suspiciously but didn't argue, team Black started to pick up the pace.

After they were tied, they switched to going men against women, "Don't be afraid to tackle us just because we're girls!" Camron smirked, seeing the uneasy expressions on Harry and Snape. After trying not to tackle them and being tackled vicously by the women, they loosened up on that and started tackling back just as hard, they still seemed to keep an even score by the end of the day.

They were all sweaty and rosey cheeked, out of breath and exhausted as they all rested amongst the grass of the park as the sun strated to set. "Welcome to the family, guys" Laina smiled at Severus and Harry who couldn't help but smile back, Camron nodded "Yeah, it's official...soon you'll become as crazy as us, wont that be fun?" she laughed.

Renee swallowed hard at her sister's and niece's words, she expected to hear them say that to Harry, but it made her stomache and heart jump hearing them say that to Severus as well. She didn't want to jinx her relationship with him, something about him made her want to make sure nothing got in their way, nothing to ruin it for them. She was relieved to see he was smiling about their comment, glad to see it didn't freak him out or anything, make him jump up and run away screaming.

>>>>>

"You really thought I'd run away screaming because of that?" Severus found himself choking on his laughter, Renee pouted mockingly "You don't have to laugh in my face about it, y'know...". "I'm sorry, but..." he finally let a little of his laughter slip then recomposed himself "...but honestly, why would I leave because of that? I feel closer, having been 'officially' accepted by your family" he smiled.

Renee laughed nervously "Oh, you don't really want to meet my family...Laina, Emilio and Camron are enough...", Severus raised an eyebrow "Wait...you don't want me to meet the rest of your family?". "No, no...not exactly..." Renee bit her lip "It's just...ok, I know I make alot of jokes about how odd my family is, but I'm being...nice, in saying it that way...".

Severus eyed her nervously "Just how odd is your family?", Renee smiled sheepishly "Well, my father's a coast guard who's afraid of the ocean and only wears burkenstocks...used to be a hippie..". "My mother is a pet therapist who swears that she's from the old country, which is why she tries to fit as many yiddish words into a sentence as possible...", "Where is she from?" Snape had to ask, "New Jersey" Renee answered and rolled her eyes.

Snape's eyes widened then his brows furrowed together, trying to follow every detail about her family, sure he felt that he may love her, but it's always good to know family backrounds 'Of course, I can't be honest with her about that so why should I really care if her family is a bit...odd'.

"Don't even get me started on my brother..." Renee laughed, "You have a brother?" he asked, "Yeah...he's two years younger than me, runs a hospital...", Snape smirked "Let me guess, he faints at the sight of blood?". Renee laughed "And! He prefers to wear the nurse's uniform...he's got great legs, I'm kinda jealous..." she snickered at the look on Snape's face "Don't worry, he wears pants regularly...just not at work...".

Yes, Snape was really starting to regret asking about the rest of her family, before he knew it he was invited to meet them for christmas, "I'm sure they'll love you!" Renee smiled, Severus smiled back and laughed nervously "Splendid...".

Oh, lordy...and that's just hearing about these people, betcha can't wait for him to actually meet them, huh? Harry'll be meeting them too, since he lives with Renee, keep that in mind! Lol, well anywho, please review and all that good stuff, thank you for reading!