AN: Hi, I'm so sorry it took me SO long to write this, this was probably the hardest chapter to write, so I put it off for a long time. I started another story, and I was going to publish it a few days ago, but I forced myself to sit down and write this before starting any new stories. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I hope you all have enjoyed this ride as much as I have. Leave me a review or something if you have enjoyed this story even a tiny bit.

"Can you explain how it works just one more time?"

Lily gave me a soft, compassionate look, which I hated. She placed her hands over mine to stop me from wringing them. "Professor Dumbledore is going to place a spell on the house, that will make it impossible for anyone to find, we need one person apart from James and I to be the Secret Keeper, it's going to be Sirius, he'll be the only person who knows where the house is and the only one who can reveal its location."

"So, as long as Sirius keeps his mouth shut, you're safe."

"Well, yes."

The crease between my brows did not disappear. I sighed. "Okay, I guess that's a good idea."

Lily smiled warmly. She leaned in to give me a hug. "We'll see each other soon, I promise." She gave me a look that said a million things. Her eyes brimmed with tears. In that moment, she looked a lot older than her twenty-one years. "Come, say bye to Harry."

"Valentina! Bend those knees! I'm watching you!" I yelled out in Spanish, which by now was becoming more of my first language since I rarely spoke in English with anyone.

I had been staying in Madrid for two months. I had not seen my sister and her family in two months.

My life in Madrid consisted mainly of coaching at the rink almost all day, getting takeout, and going to sleep at my shoebox apartment. The only person from back home that I had seen was Sirius, who had checked on me once.

Lily had arranged for me to coach out in Spain and had gone through the effort of making sure I was absolutely safe, and I realised I should be grateful, but it was a little hard to be dumped into a completely new environment in a foreign country with no contact with anyone from home. It wasn't bad, the people were friendly, and I liked being on the ice every day, but I missed Britain and everyone there. A lot.

Which is why I spent most of my time at the rink, I tried to keep myself busy, so I wouldn't think about Lily and James and Harry and Sirius and Remus and the war I'd left behind. Plus, the money didn't hurt.

Honestly, the only thing keeping me sane at the moment were my students. Most of them were girls between eight to sixteen-years-old, and they all had a real passion for skating, which was nice to see.

I was currently watching Valentina – a vivacious ten-year-old – from the boards, though I had more skaters on the ice.

"Can I do jumps now? I'm bored." Valentina called out as she approached me. A small pout on her face.

I sighed. "Tell me, Valen, does being able to jump mean that you are a good skater?"

Valentina looked down, a blush spreading on her cheeks. She knew where this was going. "No."

"And would you rather be a good over-all skater or a jumping shrimp?"

"I'd rather be a good skater," Valentina said through her teeth.

I smiled pleased. "Oh, well, that's so good to hear, Valentina, you've come to the right person then. Keep stroking."

Valentina took off with a little huff.

Coaching was fun.

By the time I got to my building, it was already dark outside. Lily had told me not to stay out past dark, but my food had taken longer than usual, plus it's not like Lily was going to find out I got home a half-hour late once.

As soon as I opened the door, I could tell something was off. The lights were on, and I could hear the faint whistle of the tea kettle in the kitchenette. My hand went to the gemstone around my neck, instinctively. I was meant to press it really tight if I was in trouble, and someone from the Order would come. I hadn't needed up until now.

"Rainbow."

Remus came into view. Or at least someone who looked like Remus.

He put his hands up. With a sigh, he says, "Could I get a waffle? Could I please get a waffle?"

I sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god." I dropped my hand.

I hugged Remus, now that I was sure it was him. I was about to say something about if he liked my safe word(s), but I shut my mouth as soon as I saw the look on his face. He looked like he'd been through hell. "What's wrong?"

"Sit down, I'll get you some tea." He took my bag of takeout and walked into the kitchen.

I plopped myself down on my tiny, uncomfortable couch, and dropped my skating bag on the floor. My heart raced, and my hands went clammy as my anxiety crept up on me.

Remus walked into the room and set a cup of tea in front of me. I searched his face, desperate to figure out what was happening.

He cleared his throat. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. Voldemort found Lily and James. They're dead."

I felt my throat close up. "No." The tears came flooding out before I could even process the information. "They can't be – Sirius was – "

I couldn't control the nasty sob that wrecked through my body. Remus pulled me into his chest.

"He betrayed them."

I shook my head. "No, he can't have – " I pulled away from Remus. "He can't! Why the fuck would he do that!"

I grabbed a cushion and screamed into it. Remus rubbed my back, but all I could think was how much I wished it was Reg beside me.

I didn't pull my face out of the cushion. I didn't want to look at anyone or anything. My parents were dead. My sister was dead. My fiancé was dead. What did I have to live for, really?

I quieted for a moment. "Is Harry okay?"

I couldn't believe I was back here. I did not think I would ever walk the halls of Hogwarts again. But as I sat in Dumbledore's office, I couldn't help but think back to the first time I'd been there. It seemed like a lifetime ago that I called Dumbledore's chairs gay.

My eyes were still puffy, and my throat raw from crying. I appreciated having a moment for just Harry and me, I felt like he was the only person I had left in the world. Most of my family and close friends were dead, and the few ones that weren't hated me – Petunia – or had betrayed everyone and had been secretly evil all along – Sirius –.

Dumbledore had set up a crib in the office, where Harry currently slept, looking like a little angel. I felt a pang in the chest as I thought about how he would have to grow up without his amazing, loving, caring parents.

I already knew I was listed as Harry's guardian in case of Lily and James's death. And so had been Sirius, but that obviously wasn't happening. Dumbledore had talked to me about it earlier. He offered us a place to stay while I found work and got on my feet. Harry and I would stay at Hogwarts a couple of days, though, as the Order made sure that Voldemort's supporters were all caught and no one tried to go after Harry.

The professor had also suggested I raised Harry outside of the wizarding community, as it might be safer for him. And I agreed wholeheartedly, at this point I was absolutely done with the wizarding world. It felt weird, thinking that I would be raising Harry. I had no idea how to raise an entire person. I was just a twenty-year-old punk.

In that moment, Harry started crying. I looked around the office as if I could find anything there to help. I'd have to talk to Dumbledore about getting some of Harry's stuff from the house, though I really did not want to go to the place where my sister and her husband had been murdered.

I picked Harry up from his crib and rocked him in my arms. He still cried.

There was no way I could do this. He obviously wanted his mother. "Oh, come on, Harry. It's fine." I suddenly felt like crying too.

Snap out of it, I chastised myself. I had to do this because no one else would. It was just Harry and me now, and I had to take care of him. I would never be the mother Lily was, but I sure as hell was going to try.

I took a deep breath.

"When it rains, it pours

But you didn't even notice

It ain't raining anymore

It's hard to breathe when all you know is

The struggle of staying above the rising waterline

Well the sky has finally opened

The rain and wind stopped blowin'

But you're stuck out in the same old storm again

You hold tight to your umbrella

Well, darlin', I'm just trying to tell you

That there's always been a rainbow hanging over your head."

Harry's cries finally slowed down, now he looked at me intently.

"Oh, tie up the boat, take off your coat, and take a look around

Everything is alright now.

'Cause the sky has finally opened

The rain and wind stopped blowing

But you're stuck out in the same old storm again."

Harry smiled, and my heart melted. Just like that, he got me to smile too. That was the moment I knew that I did have something to live for still. Harry.

"It'll all be alright."

THE END