Once a Potter, Always a Potter

by WarMunger98

Harry is not the only Potter left. He was lucky enough to have a little sister born just before James and Lily were murdered. Follow their journey through Hogwarts and beyond as the tackle love, mystery and a war. They will meet new friends and be reunited with lost family. M for violence, language and later sexual situations/scenes. Hinny. Slowly updating.

24. Holiday Time

Hey folks, another chapter here for you. Certainly not as quick as I would have liked but I had a lot of ideas for this chapter and kept changing a few things around. Now, I should give a little warning that this chapter has some distressing scenes throughout it. The beginning is rather harsh and so is the end, so I'll put in a trigger warning for any viewer who has had an experience of sexual harassment. Also, this chapter contains a section devoted to a flashback of Alexander Evans time in the war. It's about 3000 words long and is separated by bolded dates. I felt as though it was important to establish a bit of background with some of my OC characters, and with the premise of this chapter, I couldn't resist linking the two together. So, fair warning, the scene is very much full of historical military jargon, terms and locations. Let me know what you think. Also, for those who do read that section, there's a little easter egg for what's to come in future chapters. Let me know if you catch it! Otherwise, enjoy this chapter! I think this might be my second largest chapter to date, so plenty to read. Not sure when the next chapter will be complete but I'll start working on it soon. Enjoy!

Holiday time: Chapter 24

"Harry! Harry save me!"

Dark columns rose up from the inky black water that surrounded Harry. He'd visited this place many times before, but still he felt uneasy.

"Please Harry! Help me!"

The voice kept calling out for him, but Harry knew that it was already too late. He sprinted down the mossy, slimy corridor, the pillars of snakes hissing at him, taunting him, 'traitor', 'half-blood', 'failure'.

"No! Please no! Harry, quick!"

Time was running out; Harry knew that he wasn't going to make it. Just as he rounded the corner, he saw the flash of bright red hair. The voice called out to him one last time.

"Harry! You made it! You're going to sa…" The voice was cut off as a fang burst through its chest. The frail embodiment of Ginny fell to its knees as blood began to stain her white blouse.

"GINNY!" Harry screamed as he tried to run as fast as he could. He made it to within a few metres of her body, but he just couldn't get any closer. No matter how fast and how hard he ran, he was always just a few metres away.

He was close enough that he could see the life slowly drain from Ginny's face, her eyes going dull as blood pooled by her knees. "I thought you…would save me…"

"Ginny…" Harry sobbed as he watched Ginny die, like he had so many times before.

Her body slumped down to the ground, her pristine, porcelain face looking up at him with dead, brown eyes.

"You can never save her, Harry Potter." The voice of Tom Riddle echoed in his head, "She'll forever be marked by me."

Swiping at his ears furiously, Harry screamed back at the voice. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

"Don't you get it Harry. I'll always be a part of you."

Screaming, Harry dropped to his knees, ripping at his hair. He listened as the voice of Tom Riddle laughed at him, laughed at his failure.

"Harry…I thought you would always protect me…" The body had morphed now, into one of Rose. Her eyes stared up at Harry's, full of regret and anger. "You said you'd protect me! You lied! You lied about protecting me all this time! You couldn't save me from the Dursley's, how could you save me from Riddle!"

"That's not true! I tried! I tried to protect you!" Harry sobbed as he watched his sister fade, much like he'd watched Ginny.

"You were supposed to be my best mate, but you let my sister die." The voice of Ron Weasley replaced Rose. His mangled corpse laid where Ginny and Rose's had once laid. "I always followed you on your quests, but now I'm dead because of you."

The laughs got louder and louder, as did the hissing voices. A cacophony of voices from his friends, his family, and his enemies continued to hound him. "Save me. Protect me. Best mate."

Harry felt his heart break as he saw his friends and sister die over and over again. And then he heard the voice he had been dreading. "I died to save you. You can't even protect your own sister, or your best friend."

Harry looked up into the face of his father, who stared back at him with hate filled eyes. "You're a disappointment to your mother and I. To believe I thought you could be a Potter."

"I tried! I tried my best!"

"Your best?" His mother snarled at him, "Even Peter could've done better than you. You're a disappointment to us all. I should've let Voldemort kill you."

With an almighty sob, Harry was forced to the floor, curled up into a ball. "Leave me alone! Get out of my head!"

All at once, the voices and the bodies launched themselves at Harry, surrounding him and attacking him. They tore at his flesh, ripped off his limbs and left him to bleed as Harry screamed to the high heavens.

"Harry! Harry wake up!"

Startled awake, Harry gripped onto the source of the noise, which he found to be his sister. Rose looked at her brother with such concern in her eyes that it almost made Harry break down again.

"You're alive…you're alive!"

Rose got into her brother's bed and wiggled in beside him. "Of course, I'm alive. You made sure of that."

Harry let out a long breath as he scrubbed his face clear of the thin sheen of sweat he'd developed. "I didn't fail then?"

"Of course not, you're a hero. You saved us all." Rose insisted, "What happened Harry? Was it another nightmare?"

Harry nodded his head. This was the third time it happened since coming home from Hogwarts. It had been less than a week already but Harry was still struggling with the nightmares. "I keep having the same dream, seeing you…Ginny…Ron, all of you die in front of me. And then mum and dad come and they…they call me a failure."

Hugging her brother tighter, Rose just shook her head. "You're not a failure, you never will be. I love you and so does mum and dad!"

Harry sighed as he hugged his sister back. "Thank you Rosey. I love you too."

"Do you need me to stay here the night?"

Harry shook his head. "You can sleep in your own bed if you want."

"Really?" Rose gave her brother a disbelieving look, "I think it would be better if I stayed here tonight."

Nodding, Harry just snuggled in closer as his sister pulled the duvet over them. "Thanks sis. Don't know what I'd do without you."

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual. Goodnight, Harry, try and get some sleep." Rose leaned up and gave her brother a peck on the cheek before snuggling down by his side.

Harry gripped his sister a little tighter than usual, the fear of potentially losing her scaring him. Even with his sister next to him for the rest of the night, sleep did not come easy to Harry. He kept going over the different scenarios in his head, over and over. What if he had been too slow, or what if he had missed the Basilisks mouth? What if he had realised what was happening sooner, or what if he had protected Rose from being petrified. All these possibilities and many more continued to rage on in his head, until eventually he exhausted himself to sleep, passing out sometime after the witching hour.

This was the routine for Harry for the first few nights of holidays, the events of the past term still fresh in his mind. Every night would bring a new set of nightmares, although still keeping some of the usual themes. Someone he loved or cared for would end up dying in the chamber, before being ridiculed by either his parents, his godfather, his grandparents or his teachers. By the end of the first week, Harry wasn't getting much sleep, something that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the household.

"Harry dear?" Juni looked at her grandson with worry one morning, "Are you getting enough sleep?"

That particular morning, Harry had come down with dark grey bags under his eyes, his back slouched and his mind not all that focused. It had been a particularly bad dream last night. "Hm? Sorry Grandma, what did you say?"

Juni furrowed her eyebrows. "I asked if you were getting enough sleep. But clearly not."

Harry shrugged. "Just having more nightmares than usual."

"You're having them every night Harry…" Rose said, her voice full of concern.

"Every night?" Juni was shocked, "Why didn't you tell us sooner Harry?"

Harry shrugged again. "I didn't want to be a burden on anyone."

Alex shook his head and reached over to place a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. "You'll never be a burden to us lad. You need to tell your grandmother and I if these things happen."

"But it will probably go away soon, I'm fine! Honestly!" Harry defended.

"You're not fine, trust me lad, I know what it's like to be haunted by nightmares." Alex gave Harry a grim smile, "You're not alone in this."

Feeling defeated, Harry hung his head and nodded. "I'm sorry. I just don't want anyone worrying about me."

"We're going to worry about you whether you like it or not." Rose huffed, "That's the whole point of family, you big dingus."

"Rose! Don't call your brother a…a 'dingus', whatever that it." Juni scolded. Rose and Alex exchanged a cheeky smile at Rose's unique way at showing love and affection.

One way that Harry kept the nightmares at bay were the frequent trips over to the Weasley's, playing in the warm summer sun and enjoying their company. It also meant keeping an eye on Ginny. Ever since the end of term, everyone had been watchful over the youngest Weasley, almost to the point of being overbearing.

"Mum won't even let me stay in the bathroom too long before coming to check on me." Ginny was complaining to Rose one day whilst their brothers played a game of aerial tag.

"Everyone's probably just trying to make up for not paying attention during the school year." Rose suggested.

Ginny shrugged and ducked her head. "I still feel so stupid."

"Why?" Rose asked, "Because you got tricked by the foulest, darkest wizard ever known, who has tricked and fooled hundreds before."

Letting out a soft sigh, Ginny nodded. "I still feel responsible for everything that happened."

"Don't! I don't blame you, and Hermione certainly does. I doubt anyone else would. You're 11 Ginny! How could it possibly be your fault?"

Ginny was about to argue back when the boys started to descend down off their brooms. Looking up as Harry trudged over, the look of embarrassment and self-loathing in Ginny's eyes was replaced by a look of pure adoration. Rose didn't fail to notice the change, feeling a pang of jealousy rear up in her heart as she saw the same look on her brothers face.

"Who won?" Rose interrupted the moment.

"Harry did. Nimble little git is too fast to catch." Ron joked as he slugged Harry in the arm.

Rubbing the sore spot, Harry shot Ron the bird. "Not my fault, maybe you shouldn't have had so many pancakes this morning."

Fred and George snickered at the comment Harry had directed at their younger brother. "He's got you there Ronnikins." Fred said.

"Having 10 is sure to slow you down." George added.

Grumbling to himself, Ron just shoved his broom roughly away in the shed, causing several older ones to topple over. "Shit."

"Language Ronnikins." George teased.

"Wouldn't want Mum to get the soap." Fred said.

"Like you two can talk, I heard Mum having a go at you last night for stinking out the attic with a dungbomb."

The twins paled and shuffled nervously, remembering the scolding their mother had given them that night. Feeling victorious, Ron huffed and put his hands on his waist. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

The Potters and Ginny just watched with bemused smiles as Ron managed to get one up over the twins, a rare occurrence indeed. As the group began to shuffle back inside, they heard the distinct pop of someone apparating nearby.

"Dad's home early, something must have happened." Fred commented.

Trudging up the road with a grin plastered on his face and a hop in his stride, Arthur Weasley looked above and beyond his normal carefree mood. "Weasleys! Go fetch your mother! I have news for us all!"

Scrambling inside, Fred and George went to collect Molly while Ron brought Percy down from his room. Harry and Rose stood rather awkwardly around the kitchen table, not sure if they should stay. "Um, Mr Weasley? Do you want us to head off, you know, if it's private news?" Rose asked.

"No, no! It's okay you two, I'm happy for you to stay here."

With Weasley's descending down the stairs and making their way to the kitchen, Molly had an anxious worry on her face. "What's going on Arthur?"

"Well, as I'm sure you're all aware, the Daily Prophet holds a Galleon Draw every year for several hundred Galleons." Arthur explained, "Like every year, I put in my titbit just for a chance to win, and…low and behold…we won!"

The Weasley's all sat around and stared at Arthur in silence. Looking around awkwardly, Arthur cleared his throat and repeated himself. "I said…we won!"

"We heard you father." Percy said, "How much did we win?"

"700 Galleons!"

There was a loud thump as Mrs Weasley collapsed to the floor. Arthur and Percy Immediately went to help her back up again. "700…700 Galleons?" Molly muttered, "Oh Arthur…"

"Well, it's about time something went right for this family." Ron muttered.

Once Mrs Weasley was settled on a chair with a strong cup of tea in front of her, Arthur went on to explain what he planned to do with the money. "First off, I think we should all go on a family holiday to Egypt to see Bill! We haven't seen him since Christmas last year and I'm sure we could all do with a bit of a getaway in the sun."

Molly nodded her head enthusiastically. "Oh yes Arthur! That would just be lovely!"

"Have you forgotten that we're a family of redheads Dad?" Fred grinned, "Or maybe you just want to see our skin go red as well."

Molly suddenly looked panicked as she started to list off all the things they'd need to stay sun protected. "Relax Molly, we have plenty of time to pack and plan." Arthur calmed his wife.

"Looks like you two might be on your own this summer." Ron mused to Harry and Rose, "Sorry about that."

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "What are you sorry for? I think it's great!"

"Really?"

"Of course it is!" Rose added, "If anyone deserves a holiday, it's you guys. Plus, you get to go see Bill."

The thought of seeing her eldest brother seemed to put a smile on Ginny's face, before she remembered the last time she saw him. "What if he's angry at me?"

Rose placated her best friend by putting an arm around her waist. "He won't be angry. He's your brother, and if there's one thing I know, it's that brothers love you unconditionally." Rose looked over at Harry and gave him a wide smile.

Blushing, Harry nodded in agreement. "Exactly. No matter how much Rose annoys me, I still love her."

"Oi!"

Harry laughed at the indignant look Rose gave him, there were no counter arguments to his statement though.

With the Weasley household now thrown into controlled chaos, the Potters decided it was wise to head back home to leave the redheads to run around frantically preparing for their trip. When they got home, they discovered that Remus and Sirius had popped around for dinner, and were very animatedly discussing the latest game of professional Quidditch.

"Oh you should've seen it Alex. The Puddlemore seeker managed a perfect Wonski feint and the Cannons Seeker ploughed into the turf. It was brilliant!" Sirius recounted.

Alex just shook his head and laughed. "Well, if I knew what any of that meant, I'm sure I'd be half as excited as you."

"Oh, right, forgot you don't follow Quidditch." Sirius looked a little embarrassed. Hearing to trudging feet march through the house, all heads were turned towards the kitchen entrance and Rose and Harry swanned in.

"Back already?" Juni smiled.

"Mr Weasley came home early, seems he won some sort of lotto." Harry explained.

"Lotto huh?" Remus said, "Must've been the Daily Prophet Galleon Draw, that's normally around this time of year. Good on them anyway."

Sirius nodded. "If anybody deserves something to go right for once it's that family."

Taking seats around the table, Juni placed a plate of biscuits and some freshly squeezed lemonade in front of her grandchildren. "There you go dears!"

"Thanks Grandma. Anyway, seems like the Weasley's are going to go on a holiday to Egypt to see Bill." Harry added.

"Oh, now that's a wonderful idea!" Juni beamed, "Get away from everything and just enjoy the sun for a little while."

Alex snorted. "They're all redheads dear, they're going to end up looking like lobsters!"

Giving her husband a scathing look, Juni threatened Alex with a wooden spoon. "Shush you, let them enjoy their holiday. They've been through enough this year as it is."

Nobody disagreed with that statement. "Maybe we should go on holiday too." Sirius piped up.

"Us? Where would we go?" Rose asked.

"Normandy. I've always wanted to go back and visit the little cafés along the seaside." Juni let out a dreamy sigh.

Hearing his wife talk about Normandy made Alex's face go a deathly pale white. "Are you okay Grandpa?" Harry asked.

"Hm? Oh, it's alright lad, just remembering a few memories that's all."

Realising her mistake, Juni held her husband around the shoulders and plastered small kisses along his greying hair. "I'm sorry my Love, I didn't mean to set you off."

"It's not your fault dear, it was a long time ago."

Remus, Sirius and Rose gave each other a strange look. "Have we missed something here?" Sirius piped up.

"I haven't been back to Normandy for a very…very long time." Alex explained, but didn't elaborate.

Remus and Sirius seemed to understand, but Rose was still perplexed. "Is nobody going to explain further?" She huffed.

"Not right now sweetling. Leave it be." Juni said.

Crossing her arms and huffing, Rose pouted but left the issue alone. That night, the Potters, Evans, Remus and Sirius all huddled around a tourists guide book to the Normandy region that Remus had gone to pick up earlier. They poured over the various places they could stay, what they could visit and where the best food was. It was decided that they'd rent out a couple of cottages a street back from the beach at Arromanches. Alex seemed a little nervous but decided to consent to the idea anyway. Sirius and Remus would have a cottage to themselves whilst the Evans and Potters occupied the larger of the two cottages. With everything planned out, Juni made a note to book the cottages in the morning, even though she knew the international call would be pricey. Once all the details were worked out, the mismatch family settled down for a homecooked meal and discussed the various places they would like to visit, or the things they wanted to do whilst on the continent.

Remus of course was interested in seeing the historical sites, including making a trip up to Mont-Saint-Michel, whilst Sirius was more interested in lazing around on the beach and having a dip into the frigid English Channel. Juni wanted to visit a café she'd been to when she was younger, remembering the warm summer days when she'd visit with her parents. Neither Rose nor Harry had any real idea what they wanted to do, so they opted to try out a little bit of everything. Alex though, Alex stayed quiet about what he wanted to do, suggesting that he'd just tag along with his wife and enjoy some classic French cuisine.

Excited about the upcoming trip, Harry and Rose were quick to tell their friends about their own holiday away. Telling the Weasley's almost seemed to lift a weight off them, as Ron and Ginny were worried about leaving their friends behind for the summer. Knowing that they would be going on their own little adventure seemed to soothe their mind. Hermione wrote back to a letter that Harry had sent her, informing them of her own holiday plans to spend the summer in Switzerland and Austria, skiing on what snow was left. Meanwhile, the Henderson's had once again opted to head home for the summer, enjoying the chaotic winter in Australia.

It seemed as though everyone needed some time away after the stressful and tenuous year that everyone had endured. Counting down the days until they could leave, Harry and Rose found themselves packing and unpacking their suitcases multiple times before they were satisfied about what they wanted to take. Along with a selection of their current wardrobe, there were several new purchases as well, including bathing suits, beach gear, sun hats and travel hygiene products. It took some coaxing from Harry to get Rose to try on her bathing suit, the young girl was much too conscious about the way the material hugged her body. The maroon one piece was sophisticated whilst also being modest, perfect for a young lady, although Rose seemed to love the little skirt that wrapped around the bottom half most of all. Finally, the day of their departure arrived. Sirius and Remus helped Alex pack the car, promising to meet them in Normandy as they would Apparate to their accommodation and scope the place out first. The trip was going to be a long one, taking the ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg before driving along the coast to Arromanches. It was all in all, about a 10-hour trip, including a 6 hour ferry ride across the choppy English Channel. Leaving early in the morning meant that they could relax the rest of the day and then enjoy a nice dinner somewhere close by from where they were staying. Harry and Rose managed to keep themselves occupied in the car by playing exploding snap, although once they were on the ferry, they had to keep in mind that there were muggles everywhere. Instead, they occupied themselves by reading and recounting memories. Harry used the time very wisely to study up on some of the upcoming third year spells, as well as the arithmancy and ancient runes textbooks.

"Whatcha reading?"

Harry looked up to see his sister spying over the top of his book. "Just the Ancient Runes textbook. Hermione leant me hers, apparently she's getting the updated version anyway."

"Sounds like something Hermione would do." Rose snorted. Taking a seat on the lounge Harry had secluded himself off, Rose stared out onto the choppy waters of the English Channel, "Funny to think this would be the first time we've ever left Britain."

"Well, I doubt the Dursley's were ever going to take us on holiday, except maybe to some dingy lighthouse off the coast of Cornwall."

Letting out another snort, Rose leaned back and pressed her feet against Harrys. "Are you trying to be annoying?" Harry asked.

"It is my purpose in life Afterall." Rose smirked. She chewed on her lip for a while before asking her brother something. "Do you ever think about how life might've been with Mum and Dad?"

Looking up from his book, Harry sighed and put it down to focus on his sister. "All the time. I think about how things would've been different at school, what Dad would've done if you were hurt…what Mum would've done."

"Do you think about the little things? Like going on holidays and Christmas time and birthdays?"

Harry nodded. "I do. I think it would've been totally different from what we have now. But I also don't begrudge what we have."

"Yeah…" Rose let out a sigh, "I miss them."

"I miss them too Rosey. That ache will never go away." Harry reached forward and grabbed his sister's hand, "But we've got a family now. That's more than what we've ever had before."

Nodding her head, Rose swiped at her eyes to try and rid the tears that had welled up in her eyes. "I love you, Harry."

"Love you too sis. Shall we go see what they've got in the canteen downstairs?"

The mention of food seemed to inspire Rose, who quickly hopped out of her place, dragging Harry along. "Yes! I'm practically starving!"

Hiding his book away, Harry let Rose drag him away to the canteen, using a little of their spending money that they'd converted from their vault, to buy a variety of overpriced sweets and fried food. When Alex found them, stuffing themselves by one of the large windows, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Guess you two won't be needing lunch then?"

Jumping from his seat, Harry placed a hand on his heart. "Grandpa! Scared me half to death you did!"

"Don't go having a heart attack now lad, that's for people my age." Alex darkly joked.

Rose didn't find it all that amusing and shot her grandfather a withering look. "Shouldn't joke about that, you know."

"Well little one, it's something that happens to us all. No need to be afraid of death." Alex sat down next to Rose and placed a gentle hand on her head, "Afterall, death is just another path on our journey."

Wrapping her arms around her grandfather's middle, Rose clung to him as hard as she could. "That's going to be a long…long time until that happens, okay?"

The warning that Rose gave him only made Alex chuckle again. "Yes sweetling. Many years from now, not until you are old yourself."

"That won't ever happen! I'll discover the fountain of youth!" Rose exclaimed.

"You could always see Nicolas Flamel." Harry cheekily suggested, "I'm sure he could whip up another Philosophers Stone for you."

Shooting a scathing glare at her brother, Rose huffed and went back to cuddling her grandfather. The rest of the trip over The Channel was spent as a family, talking about the different things they wanted to see or try as they poured over a Normandy region tourist guide Alex had flogged from a kiosk on the upper decks. It felt odd to Harry that once again he'd have to go back to acting like a Muggle. Even in the presence of his family he could still embrace his Wizardry, but now it would be like it was before leaving the Dursley's, just being a normal teenage boy…or at least as normal as he could be.

Towards the end of the afternoon, the ferry finally entered the port of Cherbourg, allowing various tourists and returning citizens to scramble off the ship. Retrieving the family car, Alex drove the rest of the way to Arromanches, following the coast road along the long Normandy coast. Driving past camp sites, small villages and the ruins of past battles, the mismatched family drove onwards towards their destination as the sun began to dip down behind the horizon. Finally, just as dusk was beginning to turn to evening, Alex pulled his family into the driveway of the local holiday rental office in Arromanches. They were greeted by an older French lady, who was obviously the owner, who smiled brightly as the family entered the office.

"Bonsoir Monsieur! Are you ze Evans famille?" She asked.

"Evening Madam, that's us. Sorry we're late, it was a bit choppy over the Channel." Alex explained.

The owner just gave Alex a warm smile. "Non problème Monsieur, it happens to ze best of us. Now, you were staying in ze grande chalet?"

"That's right. There were two other gentlemen with us as well, I'm unsure if they've been to see you yet."

A bright flush appeared on the owner's face. "Oui, ze two handsome men, ze stopped by earlier today. I gave them ze room key."

"Excellent, that makes things easier." Alex smiled. The two discussed the various rules and benefits the agency offered, including a discounted breakfast at a local café they had ties with, alongside a discount to guided tours around the area. The owner also pointed out a number of smaller cafés and restaurants that often were overlooked by tourists but were certainly some of the best in the region. Pleased with their choice, the Evans and Potters picked up the keys to their cottage and departed. It was only a small drive, less than a minute, and when they arrived, they saw a sight that made them all smile and laugh.

Remus was leaning against the low stone wall that surrounded the cottage, with a rather morose looking black dog stuck between his feet. "Sirius decided it was a wise idea to snog the local storekeep's daughter…in front of him."

Juni looked rather aghast and made sure to flick Sirius on the ear as she went by him. "Honestly! We can't take you anywhere, can we you old scoundrel!"

Alex made sure to steal a sneaky wink at Sirius, one that was returned in a very odd doggy way. Harry and Rose however, were happy just to embrace their other father figures, even in Sirius' slobbery form. "Did you have a good trip you two?" Remus asked as he wrapped his arms around Rose.

"Yeah, it was fun! The ship was all rocky with the waves! Harry almost fell over a couple times." Rose replied.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I wasn't that bad. I just don't have my sea legs yet."

Sirius gave a bark, startling Harry, before nudging his hand. "I think that means it's okay." Remus explained, "Come on, best get inside so Sirius can transform back without prying muggle eyes."

Hurrying inside, Harry finally had time to appreciate the house they'd be staying in for the next few weeks. It was only a single-story home, white washed cobblestone that looked at least several decades old. It looked almost like a stereotypical cottage, except for the muggle aerials that were stuck to the top of the shackled roof. The first room inside was a small sitting area, with an open archway to the left that led to a dining room which had a kitchen off of it. To the right where two doors that lead to bedrooms, one with a large queen-sized bed and the other with two single beds. Lastly, directly in front of them was a door which led out to a hallway with a bathroom, toilet, laundry room and mudroom, all jutting out from the hallway.

"Not a bad sized cottage, much bigger than ours." Remus commented.

"Yeah, can hardly fit my luggage in my bedroom." Sirius had transformed back into his normal body, shaking as a dog would.

"Well, you do travel with several pieces of luggage." Remus joked.

Sirius huffed as he flopped down onto the couch in the sitting room. "One cannot simply go on holiday without looking stylish."

Rose was quick to jump onto her Godfathers lap. "Yes, you can! I only travelled with one suitcase and girls are suppose to have at least two…or at least Hermione told me so."

Snorting, Harry sat down much more gracefully than his sister. "Hermione probably has a second suitcase for just her books, Rose, I doubt they're for clothes."

"And why not?"

Harry shrugged. "Hermione isn't a 'girly' girl."

Somehow that made sense to Rose, who never really associated Hermione as someone who admired the frillier things in life. She admired that about Hermione, always striving to be the smartest in the class, but Rose still enjoyed some of the softer things in life. She enjoyed her romantic novellas, pretty dresses and shiny jewellery. But she also liked being smart, and being able to show boys that she was just as tough, just as smart and just as brave as any of them, most of the time more so.

"Is that such a bad thing?" Juni asked as she finished up putting her suitcase away.

"Of course not." Harry shook his head, "Hermione gives us all a run for our money in the brains department. And it's nice that she isn't some sort of fangirl like lots of the other girls at school."

Alex gave a chortle but was cut off as his wife gave him a light slap on the stomach. "Hush you."

"It is true though; they can get obnoxious with how much they pester you." Rose growled.

"Well there's no fangirls here!" Sirius said, "But I did see some cute muggle girls around your age earlier. I'm sure they'll be onto you soon enough."

Blushing, Harry ducked his head and remained silent whilst Rose gave Sirius a scathing look.

"Alright everyone, we're on holidays for a reason, lets go get something to eat before Sirius ends up in the doghouse!" Remus suggested, earning him a look of thanks from Harry and Juni.

Getting themselves quickly refreshed and presentable for decent company, the group made their way out into the small town, going down to the main road that ran parallel to the beach. At one point, the buildings gave way to a square that sat directly next to the beach, leaving a clear view out onto the Channel. Rose looked out and stared at the bright colours in the sky caused by the sun going down, the last beams of light reflecting off of the water like candle lights flickering in the wind. Rose only stopped for a moment, turning around to see where everyone was, only to see her grandfather staring out at the beach.

"Beautiful, isn't it Grandpa!" Rose exclaimed, but Alex made no notion of responding. "Grandpa?"

Suddenly realising someone was trying to get his attention, Alex turned and looked down at Rose. "Sorry sweetling, got…got caught up in some old memories. That's all."

Rose gave her grandfather a look of concern. "Really? What memories?"

"Memories from…a long, long time ago. Come on, lets catch up. Wouldn't want Sirius eating the restaurant out of pocket."

Giggling, Rose tucked herself into Alex's side as they caught up to the rest of the family. Juni had spotted a quant looking seafood restaurant along the paved Rue Marechal Joffre, which was lined with the Tricolore French flags and the Union Flag. Muggle tourists and Arromanchais bustled in and out of stores and café's, getting their own fill of food before settling down for the night in their homes, residences and hotels. With less than perfect French, Juni managed to secure a table big enough for all of them, the squat, jovial Maitre D' leading them to their largest table. A brigade of waiters came out to give them all water and set their cutlery straight before handing them all a menu. Sirius was sure to use his own language skills to make one of the younger waitresses blush.

"Honestly, we can't take you anywhere." Remus chastised his old friend.

Sirius, for his part, just shrugged. "I'm on holiday, I'm allowed to flirt!"

"You're also in the presence of your godchildren, should you like to remember." Remus shot back.

Sirius did have the decency to look partially ashamed, before taking his own spin on it. "Harry, make sure you take notes. Rose, if anyone isn't at least half as good looking as me, then they're not worth it."

Juni gasped and Alex choked on the sip of water he was taking. Remus was about to whack Sirius with his menu but Rose managed the situation much better than they ever could. "Uncle Sirius, if they're half as thick as you, I doubt they'd be able to string a sentence along let alone flirt with me. Besides, Harry and I come from perfect genetics, no one could compare to us."

Harry choked on his own drink then, as Rose gave her best impression of a high society socialite. Everyone seemed to appreciate the comment though, giving chuckles and giggles, even Sirius who had become the butt of the joke. Once everyone was settled, the waiters began asking around for what they would like to drink and eat. Sirius ordered a couple of bottles of wine for the table, laughing when the waiter asked whether they would like to bring a couple glasses out for Harry and Rose.

The pair looked a little giddy at the prospect, before Alex stepped in and just let them get some fizzy drink instead. It was still a treat, even if it wasn't taboo. Sirius also went on to order a number of expensive items on the list, citing the fact that he had the money to spend and that they were on holiday, they were allowed to life lavishly. Once everyone else had placed their orders, the waiters departed, allowing the conversation to continue around the table again.

"Honestly Uncle Sirius, you shouldn't spend all your money on us." Harry said.

"Nonsense." Sirius smiled, "You're my godchildren, and we're family. I have money, lots of money, and I hardly spend it on anything else. Why not spend it on people I love."

There was a tear in Juniper's eye as she reached out and grabbed a hold of Sirius' hand. "That's very kind Sirius, it seems a bit of my daughter did rub off on you afterall."

"Yes, well, she certainly did have the tendency about her." Sirius gave her a sad smile back.

Steering the conversation back to something a little lighter, Remus struck up the idea of going to the tourist office tomorrow to grab some tickets to various sights in the region. In particular he was rather excited to see Mont-Saint-Michel, which he claimed had a small wizarding community hidden away under the Abbey. Alex and Juni were surprised to hear that fact, as both of them had visited the island some time ago and never heard of any rumours of wizards on the island.

"It's very well hidden. A bit like Diagon Alley really, there's a door you can only access if you've got a wand." Remus explained.

"But why would a wizard want to live on a tiny island and risk being caught by non-magical people." Alex asked.

Remus shrugged. "The island has been home to wizards since before the Romans invaded Gaul. It's a place of power, that's probably why Muggles built a monastery there."

Alex seemed satisfied with the answer, going back to sipping a nice Pinot Noir that Sirius had bought. Throughout the evening, Sirius continued to purchase bottles of wine, fine dishes and sweet desserts until everyone had filled their belles and livers with all the food and wine that they could fit. With everyone, Harry, Rose and Remus excluded, slightly pickled, it was decided that it would be best to head home before they made a mess of themselves.

Stumbling back to their cottages in relative darkness, Remus had to stop Sirius from using his wand to light the way, almost snatching it out of his hand. "Honestly Sirius, have some brain power left would you."

Looking thoroughly chastised, Sirius put his wand away and continued to hobble down the road. As they passed the square that looked out on the Channel again, Alex stopped and stared once more. This time, Juniper noticed her husband's behaviour, and made sure to go over and wrap her arms around his middle.

"It was a long time ago dear… you're safe now." She cooed into his chest.

"I know love, but the memories are still there…"

Harry noticed his grandparents embracing, and the distant look in his grandfathers' eyes. It reminded him of the chat they had after his first year at Hogwarts. And then it dawned on him…

"You were here, weren't you grandpa?" Harry asked.

Alex looked down slowly at his grandson and nodded his head. "A long time ago lad. A very long time ago. Almost 50 years ago."

"What was it like?"

Alex was quiet for a bit, before he pulled his wife away. "Go on without me dear, I want to stay here and talk to Harry for a while. Okay?"

Juni nodded and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, before letting go. Rose went to complain about Harry staying, but Juni was quick to wrap an arm around her and pull her away, back towards the cottage.

"I don't like to talk about my history too much son, but I know that one day…one day soon, you'll be plunged into the same hellfire and brimstone that I was. But not by choice."

Harry gulped as he listened to his grandfather's tone go deathly serious. "Come on lad, let's take a seat." Guiding Harry over to a bench that was set up at the edge of the square, Alex wrapped an arm around him.

"It was early morning…it was cold and choppier…much choppier than today. I didn't have any breakfast because I knew I'd be sick on the way over. One of the older soldiers gave me that tip of advice, said he'd learnt the hard way after the Dieppe raid, what a fiasco that was."

"Were you scared?" Harry asked.

"I was, at least…I was when I got on the ship that took us over from England. Before that, it felt like some big adventure, that we were invincible. We all thought we'd go over there and give the Krauts a good old kick up the arse and then these lovely French beauties would swarm over us. Didn't turn out quite like that."

"Well, at least that way you could still meet grandma." Harry joked.

Alex smiled, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. "You're right. And then I wouldn't have had your mother, and she wouldn't have had you and your sister. Then what sort of world would it have been?"

The pair sat in silence for a moment, before Harry spoke up again. "Will you…will you tell me about it, Grandpa?"

"Yes lad…I'll tell you all about it. It all began…on the 5th of June, 1944…"

5th June, 1944, Southampton

"Oi Evans! Don't forget to pick up those extra Bren Magazines will ya? Can't have us running outta ammo against Jerry hey?"

A young Private Alexander Evans smiled and laughed at his comrade as he waved off the remark. "Don't worry about it Bishop, I'll pick them up this afternoon eh. Shall I grab the lads some of those yankee charms as well?"

Bishop shook his head violently. "Fuck no Evans, haven't you heard? Yanks say they're cursed, unlucky charms more like. Nah, grab us a few more packets of sweet oats yeah? Need something to dip in the tea."

Alex sent his comrade a sharp nod before checking through his kit again. Today was supposed to be the day they went off to Normandy, but the weather was choppier than usual so Eisenhower delayed it. The disappointment amongst the younger ranks was evident, but those with more experience seemed to enjoy the extra day ashore. They'd already practiced the landing exercises on Hayling, and furthermore they'd been reinforced by a couple sections of commandos from the 47th, Alex felt as though he was as ready as he'd ever be. Once he'd checked his kit and rifle for what seemed the 10th time, Alex decided to pay a trip to the local procurement office, to scrounge up some Sweet Oat biscuits and more magazines for their Bren gunner. Along the way, he bumped into the new Sergeant for his platoon, who'd transferred over from the 47th commandos.

"Watch it lad, need to have two eyes open at all times. Constant vigilance after all." The Sergeant growled.

Alex flinched but kept his smile up. "Sorry Sergeant, didn't mean to bump into you. Heads a bit in the clouds tis all, with everything going on you understand?"

"Of course, I understand. Big day tomorrow, you going to be ready?"

Alex nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely! Can't wait to finally stick it to the Jerry bastards!"

The Sergeant chuckled and slapped Alex on the shoulder. "Good enthusiasm lad, but keep your wits about you. War is messy, it doesn't take kindly to blind naivety. You're going to hell and back you understand?"

"I understand. But I'm also English, we're ready to give the Germans a bit of payback for Dunkirk and the Blitz."

The Sergeant nodded. "Just remember, they're just as human as you or I. Now off you go lad, go do whatever it is you need to do. I'll see you tonight for the briefing."

Alex gave his own nod and continued his travel onto his mission. From there, the day was a swirl of hustle and bustle. Ships were loaded full of tanks, supplies and men. Comrades were farewelling each other as they boarded different ships, whilst others wrote letters home, worried about what might happen on the other side. Alex had already sent a letter home to his mother. She knew she'd be worried about him, after losing their father already. But Alex was on the ground, not in the air like his father, he'd have a better chance of survival ducking down than in the open air. As dusk settled over the south of England, Alex and his platoon found themselves being shovelled onto an older Royal Navy Destroyer. They were almost packed in like sardines, except they at least could stroll the deck and keep themselves slightly sane from the heat that radiated off all the bodies. That night, the platoon hunkered down in one of the mess halls and began to go over what they would be facing in the coming hours and days. Their lieutenant instructed them on where they would be landing and what their goals were in the morning. They'd be landing east of the village of Arromanches, at King Sector, before going inland and sweeping west to capture the village. Ultimately, the battalion had to make sure the village was secured so that they could bring in the Mulberry bridges to land more troops and supplies.

Excited by the prospect of finally seeing battle, Alex had a glint in his eye that gave his lieutenant an uneasy look. "Evans, I know this is your first bit of combat, and I know you lost your father to Jerry, but you need to keep your head in the game son."

"I understand Sir, I'm just…I'm excited. I'm ready to finally do my bit for King and Country!"

Some of the older soldiers shook their head, but the younger ones stamped their mugs on the table and cheered him on. "That's all well and good Evan's, but I'm sure you understand that you can't serve His Majesty if you're lying dead on some Frog beach."

The Lieutenant's words seemed to quieten the men, who suddenly took a sombre look. "Now I know that all of you have feelings about tomorrow, whether they be good or not. But that doesn't matter, all that matters is that our job succeeds tomorrow, because there's people back home…and in France…that are depending on us. So, remember, watch out for each other, cover your flanks, and spare no quarter against Jerry, because he won't spare any for you."

"Well said Sir." One of the soldiers piped up.

With the briefing over and the lieutenant having his say, Alex's platoon went back to their various makeshift bedrooms. Opting to sit out on the deck, Alex was surprised to see the Sergeant from earlier in the day up on the deck having a puff from a pipe. "Surprised to see you here Sergeant. Enjoying one last view of home?"

"Aye, thought I'd see her off again. It wouldn't be the first time."

Alex sidled up to his superior and stuck his hands in his pockets, fending off the cool sea breeze. "You've seen combat before, Sergeant?"

"I have. France, North Africa, even a bit of Italy. Was at Dieppe as well, lost a lot of friends that day."

Grimacing, Alex pressed on for information. "Are you scared about tomorrow?"

"Not really." The Sergeant supplied, "I've been through a lot of bad situations before son, I've always kept my cool."

"I see…I um…I don't think I caught your name by the way. I'm Alexander Evans."

"I know who you are Evans. Lieutenant told me to keep an eye on you. You can call me Mo- McDougal. Alastor McDougal"

"McDougal? You don't quite sound Scottish?"

Sergeant McDougal laughed. "Haven't lived in Scotland for many years now, but she still holds a dear place in my heart. What about you Evans, where's home?"

"Cokeworth, in the Midlands. Textile town, well…it was at least. Got blown to smithereens by the krauts."

"Aye, seems about every town been blown to hell and highwater at some point. Gotta give it to those Germans, they certainly know how to ruin a place."

The pair sat out on the deck for a while as McDougal enjoyed his pipe. Eventually, Alex piped back up again. "What's it like to kill someone, Sergeant?"

McDougal was quiet for a while, sucking in his pipe. Alex was about to ask again before he answered. "The first time you realise you've taken a life, you feel sick inside, at least after the battle. During the battle, all you feel is the adrenaline. Eventually you accept that you've got a job to do and you get on with it, but…when it's late at night and you're all alone besides your thoughts, that's when it comes back to haunt you."

Alex let out a slow and steady breath. "Shite. I just…they always make them sound so…inhuman."

"That's the point lad. Nobody would sign up if they realised they were fighting someone who could have easily been their neighbour, or butcher, teacher, friend. Take the human out of them and then it doesn't seem quite as bad."

Alex processed what McDougal had told him, letting it sink into his head. The two sat out on the deck for a while longer, chatting about what they were about to face, and what the future held. Eventually the pair returned to the lower decks, to try and get some sleep in before the journey towards the French coast.

6th June, 1944, 07:00, 4 km from the Normandy Coast

The journey over had been relatively quiet, until the shore bombardment began, and then nobody could sleep. Guns from the largest fleet ever assembled bombarded the Norman coast for several hours, as bombers flew overhead and dropped their loads. The atmosphere on the ship was tangible, one almost able to cut through it with a knife. Alex, for his part, couldn't sleep a wink, so when the signal to get up was called he was already prepared to go. On the advice of one of the older soldiers, he only had a light breakfast, as he could already feel how choppy the water was. He knew it would be worse by the time they got into the landing craft. Just before 7 in the morning, Alex's Lieutenant ordered the platoon to grab their equipment and head to the upper decks where they'd lower themselves down onto the landing craft, ready for the rest of the journey towards the beachheads.

The bombardments continued on throughout the morning, making some of the men jumpy, although the younger ones seemed to be rather eager. Alex, after his conversation with McDougal the previous night, was feeling a sudden urge of nervousness in his gut. Finally, Alex and his comrades were loaded onto a rocking landing craft. He found himself pressed up against McDougal and Bishop, and several other soldiers. Some were green from the rocking and had to send their breakfast overboard. This caused a chuckle to come from some of the more seaworthy men, although those chuckles stopped when they ended up with sick all over their boots.

"Bloody hell, lucky we're jumping into water, otherwise you'd be cleaning up my boots you louse." Bishop scolded one of the younger privates that was sick over his boots.

"Settle down now lads, let's keep our heads on straight. Cockswain, take us away." The Lieutenant gave the order for the craft to head off towards the beachhead, as other craft began to depart as well. There was just a tiny ray of light appearing over the horizon, the rest of the early morning illumination coming from the flashes of lights as explosions rocked the beaches. Hundreds of thousands of men were in the same situation as Alex right now, which made him feel only slightly better.

"Apparently the yanks are taking it hard at Omaha, it's a bloody slaughter." Alex heard the Lieutenant discuss the situation with Sergeant McDougal.

"No one said it would be an easy day. Have we heard from the other beaches?" McDougal asked.

The Lieutenant had to side step as one of his privates made a movement to be sick over him. "The yanks at Utah drifted, apparently they're in an okay situation. Canadians are delayed, too choppy for them, and the rest of our lads at Sword are on time to land alongside us."

McDougal made a grunting sound at the back of his throat. "Could be worse."

As they got closer to the shoreline, German artillery began to open up on them, causing the landing craft to rock even more from the explosions just barely missing them. "Fucking hell! I thought bomber command was supposed to blow up the guns!" The Lieutenant swore.

"Seems they missed, bloody pilots, eh? Give it to the infantry next time." Bishop laughed.

Alex shot his friend a glare but kept quiet, not quite up to speaking at that moment. The landing craft beside them went up in a blast as the Germans scored a direct hit, sending everyone to their knees as they avoided shrapnel.

After an excruciating 15 minutes, the beachhead was finally in sight. Sailors onboard told the platoon to be ready to land, and Alex's Lieutenant prepared the men the best he could. "Alright lads, remember what I told you. Keep your head in the game, stay low, seek cover and work as a team. Don't be a hero, todays about surviving and winning. Now let's show Jerry how an Englishman fights!"

A roar went up from the platoon as everyone braced for the impact with the sand. With a thump that sent shivers up Alex's spine, their craft impacted with the beach, letting the ramp down with a bang. Soldiers rushed out of the craft and scrambled for the beach, trying to find cover where they could. Bullets ripped through the air with a crack, and artillery was pounding the beach, sending deadly slivers of metal shrapnel into the air. Alex made it to a sand bar, holding onto his rifle with a deathly grip. Feeling brave, he peeped his eye over the sand before a stray bullet landed just in front of him, sending sand into his eyes. Forced to take cover again, Alex tried his best to get the sand out of his eye as he felt a body land next to him.

"Doing alright Evans!" Bishop smiled as he handed Alex a rag to wipe his eyes, "Bloody sand, it's everywhere."

"It is the beach!" Alex shouted over the roar of battle.

Several other members of the platoon landed next to Alex and Bishop, taking cover behind the sand dune. Their Bren gunner managed to get himself set up to return fire on the German positions. Holding tight until there was a lull in the firing, Alex and Bishop made a sprint for a seawall that was just to their right. They found the Lieutenant and Sergeant McDougal taking cover behind it.

"Good to see you two are still alive. Where're the others?" The Lieutenant asked.

"Over there." Bishop pointed, "Behind the sand. Oakley's on the Bren, keeping Jerry busy."

The Lieutenant nodded. "McDougal, go grab them. We need to advance up."

"Yes sir." McDougal made a quick note of his surroundings before making a mad dash towards where the others were positioned. Alex watched as bullets hit the sand all around McDougal but failed to hit him once, it was almost as if some sort of force of nature was protecting him. They watched as he ducked behind the sand bar and talked to the men briefly before one by one the men sprinted for the cover of the sea wall.

One of the privates wasn't fast enough however, as a stray bullet tore through his body, sending him down to the ground. Alex felt his throat constrict as he saw his comrade die, it was the first death he'd ever seen. Anger started to replace fear, as he gripped his rifle tighter. He was about to step out and take a shot when the Lieutenant pulled him back. "Focus Evans! You're going to get yourself killed. Focus on the mission."

Taking in a sharp breath, Alex nodded and settled himself back against the wall. Finally, the last of his comrades managed to get to safety, as did McDougal. "I managed to spy what's blowing us to shreds. The guns at Le Hamel haven't been taken out. There's an 88 taking immeasurable joy at blowing us to high hell."

"Fuck, guess the bombers really did miss. Alright, here's the plan…Oakley, lay down some suppressive fire with the Bren. McDougal, you take half the platoon and flank left, I'll take the rest and go right. Head to those houses up there and establish a defensive perimeter, then we can get the rest of our boys off the beach. Everyone clear on that?"

Everyone nodded their heads in understanding and prepared themselves for what would come next. McDougal tapped Alex on the shoulder and made a motion with his head. "You're coming with me lad, let's go find Jerry."

Steeling his resolve, Alex nodded and go ready to head out into the thick of it. With a signal, the men ran out from cover as the Bren opened up on the Germans above. McDougal led his men towards a set of houses just above the edge of the beach. In front of them was a row of trenches, filled with Germans firing down onto the beach. Without thinking, Alex, and the rest of his Comrades, opened fire on the men. Feeling the trigger pull and the rifle kick back, Alex watched as his shot hit the mark and a German soldier sunk to the ground. Adrenaline kicked in just as McDougal said it would, clouding his judgement as he continued to clear out the trench line. As the last German fell dead, Alex felt a warm, sticky fluid run down his arm. Not having time to check it out, he continued to follow McDougal, who led them to a set of houses on the very edge of Arromanches. The house was obviously fortified and held by the Germans, as sandbags had been piled up and there were machine guns positioned on the balconies. McDougal made quick work of any resistance however by throwing a couple of grenades into the house, which was met by shouts and panic before silence as the explosion sent dust and particulate flying out of the door. Securing the building, Alex had to steady himself as he saw the mess the grenades had made of the German occupiers, some of them now missing limbs and large chunks of their bodies. Setting up on the balcony where a machine gun once sat, Alex and McDougal began to open fire on the defensive positions below them.

McDougal looked over at Alex and made a note of the blood pouring down his arm. "You've been hit lad."

Not realising his situation, Alex looked at his arm and flinched as pain suddenly began to flood his arm. "Guess I have been. I'm alright though, it's only a flesh wound."

"Make sure you wrap it up at least, don't want to get gunk in the wound."

Taking his Sergeants advice, Alex pulled out a strip of gauze and wrapped his around the wound on top of his uniform. There was a sting as he pressed the bandage down, but fought down the pain so he could keep firing his weapon.

The fighting continued on throughout the morning and into the afternoon. Scores of men were wounded or killed, blown up the German artillery or shot dead. The artillery was finally silenced by a tank, allowing the rest of the Battalion to advance up the beach. By the end of the day, Arromanches was theirs, as was several other smaller villages. However, their main objectives of capturing Bayeux and Caen had failed. Sitting out on a deck in the village of Arromanches, Alex finally allowed himself some time to breath, enjoying a cup of tea that McDougal had brewed.

"You did well today son, kept your cool." McDougal said as he came over to sit with Alex.

"Yeah? I certainly didn't feel like I did."

McDougal shook his head. "Today was rough, but it'll only get worse from here out in. But we've done it…we're back in Europe, and we're here to stay. And you're part of that."

Smiling, Alex chuckled a bit as he realised the severity of it all. "Yeah, I suppose I did. I had a good Sergeant looking after me."

That comment set a smile and a laugh on McDougal's lips. "Easy there lad, don't start getting mushy on me." McDougal was silent after that, before he let out a sigh, "Bishops dead. That makes seven of the lads."

Alex felt his heart sink as he heard that his friend hadn't made it. "What happened?"

"The Lieutenant said he got caught in the cross fire as they went to secure their building. They tried to save him…but…" No more needed to be said. Hundreds of men were having their stories end in much the same manner.

"He'll be missed…" Alex said solemnly, "But we all knew the risks."

McDougal nodded. "We all knew the risks…Now let's just see if we can survive the rest of the way."

"Yeah…survive."

June, Arromanches, 1993

"That was the start of a very long adventure, Harry, one that I didn't really understand what I was getting into."

Harry stared up at his grandfather, who had just recounted what was arguably one of the most emotional and vivid stories he'd ever heard. "And you…you survived that all?"

"I did." Alex chuckled, "All thanks to that bloody McDougal. We stayed close together most of the war but…never knew what happened to him afterwards. Never heard from him when we got home."

"Maybe you can try and find him now?" Harry suggested.

Alex just smiled and petted his grandson's head. "Maybe, if he's still alive. He was older than me and I'm no spring chicken."

Harry laughed. "You're still pretty fit for your age Grandpa! You can run rings around Mr Weasley and he's half your age!"

"True." Alex laughed, "But you and your sister give me that energy. Now come on, lets go grab a lovely warm cup of tea and sit by the fire. Maybe I'll tell you about some less…painful memories."

"Really? Thanks grandpa!" Harry beamed.

As the pair travelled along, an old wound suddenly throbbed with pain that Alex hadn't felt in almost 50 years. Rubbing his arm, he remembered the faces of his friends as he passed by the beach. "See you soon lads."

OAPAAP OAPAAP OAPAAP OAPAAP OAPAAP OAPAAP

It seemed as though the weather had been blessed for Harry and his family, as not a single day in France had been dreary. Everyday was sunshine and glory, perfect for the beach and site seeing. After their first night at Arromanches, Remus took them all up to Mont-Saint-Michel where they visited the small wizard commune underneath the Abbey. Harry was a little surprised at the reception they got after hearing that they were the Potters, it seemed as though Harry and Rose were famous no matter where they went. Sirius was a little miffed that they were hounding on Harry for some sort of signature or token, so made sure to shove a few of the more pestering admirers away from his godchildren.

The rest of the week was spent either lazing on the beach, playing in the sun and water, or visiting several other sites around the region. They had gone to see the Bayeux tapestry in Bayeux, and visited the castle in Caen. Everywhere they went, Alex would share some sort of detail from the war with Harry. It seemed to help Alex, talking about his time in the army, relieving him from the stress of not being able to share his tales. Finally, after almost having visited almost every tourist attraction in the area, Sirius won out with his decision to just stay by the seaside and relax on the beach.

That's where Rose found herself on afternoon, sunbathing in her swimsuit as her brother and Sirius played a game of tag in the surf.

"Mon chéri, what fool would leave a such a beauté out 'ere all alone."

Rose, who had her eyes shut and the brim of her sunhat turned down over her face, squinted her eyes up at the figure who had approached her. "Excuse me? Are you talking to me?"

"Oui, I do not see anyone else with such beauté as you."

Getting a better look at the source of the voice, Rose sat up and quirked an eyebrow. A young French boy with dark brown hair and olive skin was standing over her with his hands on his hips, a cocky smile on his lips. "Can I help you?"

"You could…" The boy replied, "By telling me ze name of such a beauté."

Flushing, Rose felt herself a little giddy. "Um, Rose…my name is Rose."

"Rose, like ze fairest fleur under the heavens. Mon nom est Marc." The boy introduced himself.

"A pleasure to meet you, Marc. Are you here with your family?" Rose smiled.

"Oui." Marc replied, "Ze are just up there, ze do not like the sand much. But I love ze water."

Giving the boy a smile, Rose brushed her hair away from her face. "I love the beach, but I'm not a big fan of the water. A bit too chilly for me."

Marc laughed. "Zen you need to warm up in ze sun some more. Zen cool off in ze water!"

Rose rolled her eyes at the comment. "I think I'll stay here and cook my brains thanks. Besides, as soon as I get in the water, I know I'll be roped into my brothers' game."

"Ah, so he iz your frère? I was hoping he was not your amour." There was a hopeful glint in Marc's eye when Rose told him Harry was her brother.

"Did you think he was my boyfriend?" Rose laughed, "God no, he's my brother."

"So you do not 'ave a lover zen?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm 11, almost 12, I'm hardly old enough for such things."

"And I am 13, yet I think you are most gorgeous."

Blushing again, Rose ducked her head away. She was about to reply when she heard the familiar shout of her brother. "Rose!" Coming straight over, Harry eyed the stranger up with a look, "You okay Rose?"

"I'm fine Harry. This is Marc, he's staying here on holiday too."

Marc stuck his hand out for Harry and offered a friendly shake. "'Arry, a pleasure to meet you."

Reluctantly taking his hand, Harry shook it, but kept an eye on the stranger. "Any reason why you approached my sister?"

"Harry!" Rose gasped

"I just thought I would introduce myself to ze la plus belle jeune fille. Surely there is no harm non?"

Harry squinted his eyes at Marc and felt his teeth clench. Before he could say anything else, Sirius had already come over to investigate the scene. "Aye aye, what's all this then."

"Uncle Sirius, I was just introducing Harry to my new...friend. Marc, this is my Uncle Sirius."

Sirius stuck his hand out for the young man and smiled. "Sirius Black, pleasure to meet you, Marc."

"Et tu Monsieur Black."

"So, are you visiting Arromanches as well?" Sirius asked the young boy.

"Oui, we are staying in Bayeux though, there is not enough room 'ere in Arromanches." Marc explained.

Sirius placed a hand on Harry's shoulder to reassure the young lad. "Perhaps your family and ours could have dinner together then? Always fun to make new friends, isn't that right Harry?"

Feeling Sirius squeeze his shoulder, Harry nodded stiffly but didn't take his eyes off the newcomer. "Zen it is settled. I shall tell mes parents that we shall dine with friends! Shall we meet at the Six Juin?"

"That sounds lovely Marc, we'll be there at 6." Sirius arranged for the family.

Marc farewelled the Potters and Sirius, farewelling Rose with a kiss to the back of her hand that sent her off into a fit of giggles. Harry still did not trust the boy, glaring as he left.

"Harry…" Sirius tugged on Harry's shoulder, "Come on, let's go back in the water and have a chat yeah?"

Still glaring at Marc's back, Harry reluctantly allowed his Godfather to pull him back towards the surf. When they got there, Harry crossed his arms over. "I don't trust that guy."

"Well Harry, your sister likes him so you have to accept that she's allowed to like who she wants." Sirius argued.

"But he's a stranger! She hardly knows him! Besides, she's still only a little girl."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "And you're still a young boy, but you're still making googoo eyes at Ginny. How do you think Rose feels about that?"

Harry looked aghast. "Gin is Rose's best friend! She knows her! This bloke…he's just a stranger."

"So, what's the harm if Rose has a little flirt. Let her build some confidence up." Sirius said.

Begrudgingly, Harry had to agree with Sirius. "I just don't want her to get hurt."

Letting out a sigh, Sirius went over and wrapped an arm around Harry. "I understand pup, but you have to let your sister grow up as well. You can't always be the overbearing, overprotective older brother. Sometimes you need to let her make her own decisions."

"But what if it's a mistake?"

"Then let her make those mistakes. It happens, and we learn from it." Sirius answered.

Harry nodded, still not liking the idea but accepting it nonetheless. Trying to distract himself, Harry went back to playing with Sirius, splashing him and playing in the surf. Eventually Rose came out to tell them that it was time to head back. Both Sirius and Harry tried to give their best puppy dog eyes to earn themselves a little more time.

"Come on you two, get out of the water! We have to get ready for dinner!" Rose demanded.

Dragging their feet, the two misfits got out of the water before they faced the wrath of the mini redhead. Quickly drying up and getting semi dressed, Harry, Rose and Sirius had to hurry to get back home in order to get ready for tonight's dinner with Marc's family.

Rose was a bundle of energy as she burst into the cottage, making a beeline for her grandmother to gossip about her new friend. When Sirius and Harry come through the door in a much more subdued manner, Alex had to stick his eyebrow up at his grandson. "What's got you in a huff lad."

"Rose's new 'friend'. Some French boy she met on the beach." Harry explained.

"Is that so." Alex chuckled, "At least she's getting some confidence. I guess you're not a fan though."

Harry shook his head. "I don't trust him. I don't think this will end well."

"Well I don't care what you think!" Rose had come back to tell her grandfather, catching the tail end of Harry's statement, "It's my decision. I think you just don't like the idea that your little sister is growing up."

Glaring, Harry folded his arms across. "That's not it at all. I just don't trust him. And I care about your wellbeing! What if he hurts you!"

"I can look after myself Harry." Rose stated.

Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, Harry stormed off to his room in a huff. The room was silent as they heard the door slam, making Sirius cringe. "That went well."

Huffing in anger herself, Rose went off in the opposite direction, towards the bathroom so she could spend some time getting ready.

Remus had come over from his own cottage when he saw the wrath of the angry redhead tear up a storm. "I'm afraid to ask." Remus said to Sirius, "But, what happened?"

"Rose found herself an admirer. Harry's not too keen on him. We're going out with his family for dinner tonight." Sirius paraphrased the adventure.

"I see." Remus said, "Isn't she a bit young for that?"

Turning to his best friend, Sirius quirked an eyebrow. "Really Moony? After all the shit we got up to."

"Correction…what YOU and James got into, not me."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You were an accomplice, you know it!"

Fearing a drawn-out argument, Remus just threw his hands up in surrender and went off to get ready for dinner. "Whatever makes you sleep better at night, you old mutt."

Standing there with his mouth open wide, Sirius could only stutter as Remus left him behind, Alex chuckling at the younger men's antics.

Rose and Harry stayed separated for the rest of the afternoon, only seeing each other when their Grandparents came to collect them to go meet Marc's family in town. Barely acknowledging her brother, Rose kept herself separated from Harry by Sirius. Walking through town, the extended Potter and Evans family were waved over by an energetic looking Marc, who was standing next to a tall, slender blonde, a stout dark haired man, and a smaller blonde with a long braid down her back.

"Ah! Rose, you made it!" Marc greeted his new friend with a traditional kiss to the back of her hand, "I would like you to meet mes Family! My Mama, Helene. My Papa, Laurent. Et ma sœur, Esme."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. You've already met my brother…Harry…" Rose seemed less than pleased to be saying her brothers name as he waved half heartedly at the crowd, "You've also met my Godfather, Sirius. My other Uncle, Remus. And my Grandparents, Alexander and Juniper."

"Juniper, such a lovely name!" Helene smiled at the older lady.

Flushed from embarrassment, Juni smiled back. "Thank you dear. It's a tradition in my family to name girls after flowers."

"'Ow lovely!" Helene said, "It is important to keep to such traditions."

The comment made Harry a little uncomfortable as he thought about Malfoy's constant spewing of 'pureblood traditions.' The look was not missed by Sirius, who had a similar feeling, albeit from a different individual.

"I 'ope zou all like seafood! Tis restaurant is most famous for iz seafood!" Laurent said, his accent much thicker than his wife or sons.

Everybody shook their head, although Rose and Harry mainly shook just for the sake of it, not really knowing much about seafood. Another thing that made Harry uncomfortable were the looks Marc's sister, Esme, was making towards him. Obviously much older than Harry, the girl was looking at him with an expression of lust in her eyes, making sure to bite her lip between her teeth whenever he was caught looking at her. The sensation made Harry feel a little queasy inside, forcing him to remind himself about a certain redhead who was a thousand miles away.

Once introductions were made, Laurent led everyone into the restaurant, speaking to the Maitre D to secure them a table. As it had fallen, almost everyone was sat next to another member of the other family. Marc was happily wedged between Rose and Sirius. Alex was next to Laurent, who was next to Juniper who was next to Helene. Lastly, Harry was wedged between Remus and Esme. As he sat down, he felt the sliver of a hand glide over his leg, making him jump out of his seat. Remus looked at him with concern, but Harry just returned a jovial smile. "Just thought I felt a loose tack!"

Remus didn't look all that convinced but didn't say anything. Harry, looked over at Esme and almost jumped again as he saw the lustful look she was sending him. "So, 'Arry, how old are you?"

"T…t…twelve…almost thirteen…" He replied.

Esme gave him a crooked smile. "Ah, so young, yet, so 'andsome."

Swallowing hard, Harry focused on the cutlery in front of him. Thankfully he was spared for a moment from Esme's comments by a waiter filling his glass with water. Letting out a meek thank you, Harry looked over to his sister to see her giggling to a comment Marc made.

"My frere is a very coquet boy, it seems your sœur enjoys ze attention."

Harry felt a bout of anger rise in his throat, but kept his cool as he realised he would only upset his family. "I 'spose."

"So 'Arry, do you 'ave a special someone… an amour?" Esme twisted her words as she leaned in closer to Harry's side.

Feeling his Gryffindor bravery come back, Harry looked Esme right in the eyes and replied. "I do actually. I have someone very special to me back home."

Taken aback by the bravery of the young boy, Esme leaned back but still kept a flirtatious smile on her face. "Iz that right? She must be a very lucky jeune femme…to 'ave the attention of such a… délicieux jeune homme."

Trying his best to ignore Esme, Harry decided to move his attention towards Remus, striking him up on a conversation about the history of Mont-Saint-Michel. Thankfully, Remus, ever the history buff, was more than happy to divulge all the knowledge he had around the muggle side of the Abbey's history. At certain points throughout the conversation, Harry felt the flicker of a hand on his thigh, biting back the bile that rose in his throat. Eventually he snapped and made sure to slap that hand away, blaming it on a fly when Remus asked if he was okay.

When it came time to order food, Harry was left abandoned by Remus as he went to argue with Sirius over the meaning of a certain French term. This left Harry to the whims of the young French lady beside him. Looking over the menu, Harry had no idea what he wanted to have, as everything was in French.

"I think zou should 'ave this." Esme pointed to something on the menu called 'Escargot'.

Not ready to argue when he knew very little French, Harry just agreed. When he placed his order with the waiter, the man gave Harry an impressed look, making him feel a little giddy inside as he had an ego boost. Once orders were put in, the conversation around the table turned more group based, as individuals asked others questions, or discussed topics. Soon, the meals came out to the table and when they did, Harry had to hold his stomach. On his plate sat several plump, garlic butter stuffed sea snails, with a small picking fork on the side.

"Harry, I'm surprised you ordered snails. That's brave of you." Remus commented. His own meal consisted of a rack of lamb cutlets that looked much more appetizing than Harry's own food.

"Oh…um…I thought I'd try something different you know?" Harry tried to shake it off.

Looking down at the daunting plate, Harry felt his stomach churn as the smell wafted up to his nose. Next to him, Esme had a wicked grin on her face. "Escargot is a delicacy 'ere. I thought you would like to try it."

"That's…kind of you." Harry replied.

Gathering up as much courage as he could, Harry picked the fork up and dug it into the snail's shell. Slowly pulling the meat out of the shell, Harry jumped as the elastic like meat popped out of the shell and almost flung towards him. Thankfully, the fork managed to keep the meat away from Harry's face for the moment, until he raised it to his mouth. With an anxious sigh, Harry shoved the entire thing into his mouth. Within moments, Harry was out of his seat and heading straight towards the bathroom.

Sirius saw his Godson's mad dash, before looking at what he was eating. Feeling a little annoyed that Harry would get something he obviously wouldn't like, Sirius stormed off towards the bathroom to both make sure Harry was alright and to berate him.

When Sirius entered the bathroom, he heard the quiet sobbing of Harry from one of the cubical. "Harry? You in here?"

"Uncle Siri?" Harry's small voice responded.

Feeling bad for his godson, Sirius walked over to where he heard the voice come from. "Harry. Did you mean to order the snails?"

"No!" Harry almost shouted, "Esme…Esme ordered them for me. Said it was a delicacy."

Sighing, Sirius shook his head. "Well, I guess she was just trying to show off her countries cuisine. I'll admit, even I'm not a fan of snails."

There was a period of silence between the two as all that Sirius could hear was the soft sniffles of Harry's crying. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I want to go home…" Harry said.

"That bad huh?"

There was a sob from the cubical. "She's been touching my leg all night…"

"Who has?"

Harry sobbed again. "Esme. She's been touching me."

Feeling anger rise up in his stomach, Sirius had to control himself from storming out there and demanding justice. "Where has she been touching you?"

"My th-thigh…right near my…you know…"

Sirius squeezed his fist together. "I'm taking you home and then we'll sort this out."

Furious that an obviously much older girl was assaulting his godson, Sirius waited until Harry had composed himself enough to leave the cubical. "Come on, we'll go out the back door."

Following his godfather, Harry felt numb as he wandered through the catacombs of the back of house. He watched as Sirius spoke to one of the waiters, who led them out the back and into an alleyway. Walking all the way back home to the cottage, Sirius made sure Harry was safe and secure before heading back to the restaurant. "Have you got your wand?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah…I always keep it on me."

"Good. If anything happens, send up red sparks. Or just hex them, rules be damned."

For the first time that night, Harry smiled at his godfathers' words. "Thanks Sirius."

Locking up the house, Sirius headed back down to Six Juin. When he walked back to the table, he noticed the Esme was giving Remus a rather egregiously flirty smile, causing him to blush uncomfortably. Sirius also noticed that Marc and Rose had left the table, which concerned him more.

"Where's Rose and Marc?" He asked the table.

"I do believe they 'ave gone for a walk down to ze beach." Helene answered.

Feeling a little panicked and annoyed at the other adults, Sirius left his money with Remus and departed the restaurant for the beach, hoping to find Rose.

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Rose was feeling like she was on cloud nine. This handsome young boy was saying and doing all the right things to make her heart throb. Sure, he wasn't nearly as handsome nor as funny as another boy she knew, but he was thick and didn't want to make a move. Marc was more than happy to give her the attention she wanted. When Marc had suggested they go for a walk along the beach, her giddiness went above their normal levels. Before they left, Rose was sure to flash a glimpse of her wand to her grandfather, just to make sure he knew she was taking precautions. As the two teenagers walked along the beach, Marc reached out to hold Rose's hand, an electric feeling coursing up her arm.

"It's beautiful out here by the water." She blurted out in nervousness.

Marc chuckled at her obvious nervousness. "It is mon chéri, but not as beautiful as you."

Rose blushed at Marc's comment, blushing a little. The pair walked along for a little while longer before Marc pulled them up towards the end of the beach, near the cliffs. "You are a beautiful young lady Rose…"

"Thank you…" Rose blushed again, hiding her smile as she ducked her head.

She was caught off guard however as Marc went to lean in for a kiss. Backing her head away, Rose let go of Marc's hands. "What're you doing!"

"Je t'embrasse chérie."

"English Marc!" Rose huffed.

Looking taken aback, Marc replied. "Kissing you…you did not want to kiss?"

Rose shook her head. "I've only just met you, Marc. Sure, I like you and I think you're cute, but I'm not about to give my first kiss away to some stranger."

Looking disappointed, Marc nodded solemnly. "Je vois, I see. I must apologise, I thought you wanted to kiss."

"No. I'm sorry Marc, but I don't want to kiss you…yet." Rose smiled.

There was an uncomfortable look in Marc's eyes. "Perhaps then we could…how do you say it? Snuggle?"

Rose's eye's lit up. "That sounds wonderful…"

The pair sat on the beach for some time, watching as the sun set over the horizon, scattering light along the water. Rose felt truly content, laying on the beach in the arms of a handsome young boy. She thought this was what Harry must feel every time he holds Ginny. Thinking about her brother sent a sad streak through her body. It wasn't his fault he was being overprotective; he knew that she'd been through horrible situations before and he was only trying to protect her. But he needed to understand that she was growing up and so were her needs and desires. As the sun finally set and the beach was plunged into darkness, Marc made a move to stand up and head back to the restaurant. Walking hand in hand once more, the pair enjoyed their small talk, although there was an awkwardness in the air that wasn't there before, and it was stemming from Marc.

When the boy pulled Rose up just before the beach entrance to the town, she had an uneasy feeling in her gut. "Is everything okay Marc?"

"Yes…it's just that…tonight is my families last night 'ere in Normandie. We're heading back to Marseille tomorrow."

Rose's smile dropped. "Oh…well that's okay! We can still write to each other."

Marc gave Rose a sad smile. "Oh, mon chéri, I'm so sorry I 'ave to tell you this…"

"What? What do you have to tell me Marc?" There was a hint of anger in Rose's voice as she sensed the impending discussion.

"I 'ave a girl already…back in Marseille…I cannot write to you. A summer romance is all we were."

Rose stood there for a moment, staring at Marc who was pleading with his eyes to forgive him. "I see." Was all she said.

"I'm sorry Rose. You are a beautiful English Rose…but I 'ave my amour at home."

"Well…tell your 'amour' where you got your bruises from then."

Marc looked confused for a moment. "What bruises?"

Pushing Marc away from her, Rose cocked her arm back and punched Marc straight in the face. The boy recoiled back and landed on his back, tumbling down the stairs back onto the beach. Not waiting to see if he was alright, Rose stormed off in the direction of the cottages, not wanting to be anywhere near Marc or his family.

Feeling her anger be replaced by sorrow, Rose gripped her fingers tight as she held back the tears that were threatening to spill over.

"Rose!"

The voice of her Godfather made Rose jump, but she was nonetheless happy to see him. "Uncle Siri!"

Taking Rose up into his arms, Sirius gripped onto the young girl tight. "Are you okay? Where's Marc?"

"I left him on the beach with a bloody great big shiner. The wanker already has a girlfriend."

Sirius sighed as he put Rose back down onto the ground. "Seems like tonight is not anybody's night. Come on, lets head back to the Cottage. Harry's already there."

"Harry? How come?"

Anger rose in Sirius as he remembered what Harry had told him. "He…he had a bad reaction to the snails."

"Snails?" Rose looked confused, "Why would he order snails?"

"He didn't" Sirius answered, "Esme…ordered for him."

Feeling annoyed that her brother was having double standards, flirting with Marc's sister, Rose felt all remorse for her brother's illness disappear.

Sirius made sure to walk Rose all the way back to the Cottage before heading back to the restaurant to collect everybody else. Leaving Rose alone, she headed straight to the room she was sharing with Harry, intending to round on him. When she did find her brother though, all anger left her as she saw the sorrowful state, he was in.

Harry was clutching his pillow and staring out into nothing. He jumped when he realised, he wasn't the only one in the room, and looked confused when he saw it was his sister. "You're back early?"

"Yeah…didn't go as intended. What happened to you?" Rose asked, taking a seat by her brother.

"Um…I don't know if I really want to talk about it."

Rose sighed. "Would it help if I told you I socked Marc in the face."

"What?" Harry looked surprised, "How come?"

"Turns out he already has a girlfriend back home. Just wanted an easy summer fling, someone he could snog…"

Harry frowned. "And did he?"

"No! Merlin no…I hardly know him!" Rose defended herself, "Anyway, I suggested we write and he told me the news, so I punched him right in the gob."

Reaching forward, Harry placed a hand on Rose's shoulder. "That's my sister. Tough as nails."

"Yeah…anyway, what happened between you and Esme hm? Talk about double standards…flirting with the older sister." Rose said.

Harry didn't find it funny though, blanching at the mention of her name. "What? Snails still giving you a hard time?"

Harry shook his head. "No…I um…she…Esme…she was touching me."

"Touching you?" Rose reared her head back, "What do you mean? Where did she touch you."

"My thigh, near my…privates."

Anger erupted from Rose's heart as she jumped up and pulled out her wand. "That cow! That bitch! I'm gonna skin her alive!"

"Rose, please…please don't do anything to get in trouble. Sirius will handle it I'm sure." Harry held out his hand to his sister, beckoning her to come back to his side.

Giving in, Rose sat back down on the bed and ran a hand through her brother's hair. "Oh Harry…I'm so sorry…she had no right to do what she did! She should be ashamed."

"I don't know why she did it…I mean…I'm nowhere near old as her."

"You don't have to be the same age to be a bastard to someone…" Rose lamented.

"Yeah…"

For the rest of the night, the siblings sat next to each other, comforting each other's pain. In her situation, Rose felt like she had to take on the role of the supporting sibling, something that whilst she was use to in some regards, didn't know what to do or feel when presented with such a traumatic experience. Not long after Sirius left them, he returned with the rest of the family. Alex was heatedly discussing something with Remus when Juniper burst into her grandchildren's room and went straight towards them both, wrapping them up in her arms.

"Oh, my babies…I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have let this happen!"

Neither Harry nor Rose had any energy to respond back. Instead, they sat in Junipers arms and let the love and protection they felt in that moment, course through their bodies.

After the rather disastrous night they had, the adults decided it was best to head back to England the next day, as they doubted neither Rose nor Harry would enjoy staying any longer. Sirius had made sure to let Laurent and Helene know that should either of their children come into contact with Rose or Harry again, that he would initiate legal action. The pair had been shocked when they heard what Sirius had to say, but staunchly defended their children, especially as Esme laid on the waterworks and faked her own innocence. Marc though, was rather quiet, sporting a large bruise on his cheek that he refused to elaborate on.

The next morning, Alex, Remus and Sirius helped pack the car up whilst Juniper made a light breakfast for everyone with the meagre cooking utensils, she had available to her. For the most part, neither potter sibling was hungry, only eating bits and pieces. Juniper noticed that at least they were close again, with the discourse between them disappearing in the events of the previous night.

Once the car was packed, Alex went over to the cottage office and explained that they'd be ending the trip early. He was happy however to pay for the full time booked, due to the inconvenience. The owner was more than happy however to give the family a small discount due to how well behaved they were and the fact that they could easily fill the cottages by the next day. The journey back home was much more subdued than that of when they were heading over to their holidays. Rose and Harry did have to admit though, that besides the final night, they had enjoyed themselves thoroughly and would cherish the happy memories they had.

Like last time, Remus and Sirius apparated back home, mainly to go pick little Jeanne up from the boarding house she was staying at. When Alex pulled the car out front of the Evan's residence, Sirius was quick to exit the house and come storming towards him.

"There's a situation, come quick." Sirius stated simply. His face was aflush with anger, causing a wave of uncertainty spread throughout the car.

Hurrying back into the house, they were all greeted by a copy of the Daily Prophet, its headline flashing and underlined.

Azkaban Escape! Pettigrew on the Loose!

On the front cover sat a moving picture of a very familiar rat like face. Peter Pettigrew had escaped from Azkaban…he had done the impossible.

Remus and Sirius looked at Harry and Rose, their eyes full of worry. "How did this happen?" Harry asked.

Neither Sirius or Remus could give an answer, and neither could the Prophet. Harry sat down by the kitchen table and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, that's a shit way to end a holiday."

Rose summed it up nicely as she looked over and over at the headline.

"Well…fuck."