Author's Note:

It is currently 16:05 and I have literally been writing since 8:30 this morning. I am proud to say that I have got a lot accomplished plus a list of ideas of where this is going next. I wrote over thirty pages — so be prepared for a few chapter uploads as I am currently editing. But here is one to start you off.

Reviews and Comments: To Guest: Thank you! It's always nice to know when I imagine characters in a way that others do too! To E-Dett: Thank you for saying I do an excellent job at writing the relationship between Sirius and Remus. I want them to have that sweet relationship with their boy and I love them as platonic partners and best mates. To cha-chris: Thank you! I love Remus making his family his pack. To bluepillfanfic: Thank you very much! I'm always happy to make you love Sirius and Remus even more! To coloredwords: Remus does deserve to be happy and I love that he's embarrassed to tell others. I think it's an important part of his personality and one that he needs Harry and Sirius to help him accept. When it comes to Tonks, well, he might be more hesitant. To olisully: Thank you for saying it's beautiful and that I'm amazing! I'm honoured that I made you cry!

Thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you!

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO:

The One Where Remus Tells Sirius to Deal With the Blacks

Harry spent almost every waking moment that wasn't school in his new tree house. He was absolutely in love with it. And he couldn't wait to have his new friends over to see it. He begged Sirius to let him invite Ginny and Ron over and possibly Fred and George too, but Sirius had told him that he had to wait until Remus was feeling better.

This finally came on the weekend and Sirius sent an owl to Mrs Weasley inviting her five youngest children over. Sirius told Harry that he had to include Percy, who was also still too young to attend Hogwarts yet. Harry hadn't really spent any time with Percy, but he was more than willing to include him in the invite.

Mrs Weasley Floo called just before lunch and Sirius greeted her with a smile.

"We'll be fine, Molly. Don't worry! You always let Harry over at The Burrow. Why don't you let your kids come here for once? I'm sure that you and Arthur would appreciate the break."

"Sirius, I don't think you quite understand the undertaking you are about to accept," Mrs Weasley told him sternly. "You will have six children under the age of ten and two of them are the equivalent of another six."

Sirius grinned widely at her apt description of Fred and George. "I'm well aware, Molly. Send them over after lunch. We'll be fine, I swear."

Mrs Weasley hesitated and then she shook her head in exasperation. "All right then. They'll be over at one, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Harry yipped in excitement, jumping up and down on the couch in the living room. "They're coming! They're coming!"

Sirius scooped Harry up mid-jump. "Hey, Monkey! No jumping on the furniture!" He hung Harry upside down and walked with him to the kitchen as Harry giggled. He sat him on the kitchen counter, placing his arms on either side of him. "Now, we're going to fill up that ice box in the tree house with fruit punch and pumpkin juice. And you can take a few bags of crisps and Exploding Bonbons and Crystallized Pineapple up to the tree house as well for the six of you to share. Now, what are the rules with friends over?"

"Be nice and share."

"That's right and who's in charge?"

"You!" Harry said with a grin.

Sirius kissed Harry's forehead. "That's right, Prongslet. Now, go ahead and pick out whatever games you want to bring up to the tree house. You can stock it up for your friends."

Harry jumped down from the counter and hurried off to pick through his games, running into the garden to put them in the tree house. Sirius packed a box full of drinks and snacks and floated it up to the treehouse so that Harry could stock it in the icebox. Once everything was all set, Harry settled himself at the kitchen table to eat his grilled cheese sandwich happily. He dipped it in his tomato soup with a big smile on his face as his legs kicked wildly under the table in excitement.

At exactly one o'clock, the fireplace lit up and Harry whooped in delight, running forward and engulfing Ginny in a big hug. Ginny hugged him back, kissed his cheek, and then ran over to play with Marauder who was just as excited to see her. Ron came out next, then Percy, then George, and finally Fred. The five of them looked around the living room in interest, all laughing and petting Marauder who was jumping around them in excitement at the prospect of more kids to play with.

"Down, Marauder!" Sirius said sternly and Marauder stayed on his feet, panting slightly and happily accepting the attention of Ginny who scratched him behind the ears.

Sirius smiled warmly. "Welcome boys and Ginny of course. Harry is really excited to show you his new treehouse so you can go on outside and have fun. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. The loo is upstairs, yeah?"

Percy smiled politely. "Thank you, Mr Black."

Sirius grinned. "You can call me Sirius. Have fun."

Harry led them outside and pointed in glee to his new treehouse fort.

"Wow!" Fred exclaimed, his eyes widening. "That's wicked, Harry!"

The kids all made a beeline for the treehouse and hurried inside. Sirius finished cleaning up the kitchen after lunch and then grabbed himself a beer from the ice box and made his way into the back garden. He had a notepad and a pencil in his hand as he attempted to try to come up with some ideas for how he could fix up the rest of the yard. He listened with half an ear as the kids yelped and played in excitement.

Harry was more than excited to have his friends over. He and Ginny were sitting on top of the pirate ship. He was showing her how to stock the canon and shoot out the water balloons and they were both grinning like loons as they fired them upon Fred and George in the warm afternoon sun. Percy was down below using the speaking tube and pointedly telling off Ron through the tube for trapping him in the net tunnel.

Sirius climbed up to the top of the pirate ship, to check on the kids, his tongue in his cheek as he heard Ginny and Harry talking.

Ginny grinned widely at him. "This is the best treehouse ever! You're so lucky, Harry!"

Harry smiled at her. "It was the best surprise ever! Then we had a sleepover in it."

"That would be fun! Sleeping in here under the stars!"

Harry grinned. "Maybe we can have a sleepover one time."

Sweet-talker, Sirius thought with a grin as he waved at Harry and Ginny. He wondered if in ten years that might actually be a line that Harry would use and then he chuckled to himself.

"How are you two doing up here?"

Ginny hugged Sirius, grinning up at him. "Thanks for having us, this is the best place ever!"

Sirius smiled at her, gently patting her head as she ran back to the pirate's wheel. "I'm glad that you guys could come. Harry, did you offer your friends any snacks yet?"

Harry shook his head and Sirius yelled out for all of the Weasleys to come into the treehouse. Once snacks and drinks were distributed, Sirius left them alone to snack and play a game of Exploding Snap. He smiled when he got to the bottom of the stairs and heard the sound of Queen coming out from the treehouse. Harry was using the record player, he thought with a grin.

He made his way back to his spot on the patio and took out his pencil. He wanted to fix up the landscaping, but he also wanted to do something to the patio. Maybe set up a gazebo of some kind so that there was some shade for them to sit under. He also needed some better outdoor furniture as the rickety lawn chairs and one old wooden bench really did have to go at some point.

Of course it was the middle of September now, so anything that he planned to do would have to wait until next summer, but he felt productive making plans nevertheless.

Sirius only smiled at Remus when he stepped out onto the patio. "Hi, Rem, didn't expect you today."

Remus' eyes drifted to the music coming from the treehouse. "I see Harry is still loving his new fort."

"Very much. The Weasley children are up in it with him. They're having snack time at the moment."

"How many Weasley children?" Remus asked, his eyebrows risen in surprise.

"Five," Sirius said with a grin. "Bill and Charlie are at Hogwarts."

Remus nodded and took a seat in one of the rickety lawn chairs across from his friend. "I was going to see if maybe Harry wanted to make up the lessons he missed yesterday while I was under the weather, but he's out having too much fun."

"Yeah, he is," Sirius said with a grin. "I love how much he loves that treehouse. I wish I would have gotten it done closer to the beginning of the summer, but hopefully he still has at least a month to enjoy it before it gets too cold."

Remus smiled. "He will. Even in the winter I imagine he will enjoy it. You can put a few heating charms inside."

"Great idea," Sirius said with a grin, putting his parchment down. "I was just thinking I need to build something else back here, like a gazebo or an awning or something so that there's some shade. Maybe a table of some kind so we can eat out here. Plus next summer, I have to deal with the landscaping. Either get rid of all of the plants and overgrown gardens or replant them. I can't decide."

"You planted that one over there yourself."

"I did, yes," Sirius admitted, looking at the overgrown garden. "Then I promptly forgot all about it and it's quite horrid."

Remus laughed but nodded in agreement. "True. I like to garden, I sometimes find it rather soothing. I can help you put something together next year."

"Thanks, Moony."

They both jolted at the fireworks that took off over the treehouse and Sirius grinned, standing up. "Better go check on the kids, be right back."

He hurried across the yard and yelled up to the kids. "Hey! Which Weasley twin set off of the fireworks?"

A small skinny red-headed boy stepped out and raised his hand. "That would be me."

Sirius grinned widely at him. "Good job, George?" he asked questioningly and the boy laughed and nodded. "Fireworks are definitely allowed." He floated up the bag of tricks he had bought at Zonko's the last time he had been to Hogsmeade. "Got a few goodies in here; use them wisely, boys."

George beamed as he accepted the bag of fun products. "Thanks, Sirius! Fred! Ron! Look at this!"

Sirius chuckled to himself as he made his way back across the lawn to where Remus was sitting.

"Did you really just give them the rest of the Zonko's products?"

Sirius shrugged. "I'm not going to use them. Besides, I really like Fred and George, those boys have excellent marauder potential. I want to see where they go with it."

Remus smiled. "Just hope that their mother doesn't find out you gave them to her kids. From what Harry said, they're in trouble a lot."

Sirius laughed and crossed his legs at the ankles. "I won't get caught. Besides, I'm going to make a stop at Gambol and Japes tomorrow so I'll find more stuff for myself."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Not my point."

He grinned. "I know."

They watched the kids run around the garden, in and out of the treehouse and through the obstacle courses for a few moments in companionable silence before Remus spoke up.

"Sirius, I noticed when I was in the sunroom that you still didn't file away that paperwork from the Ministry of Magic. You really ought to get it put away in your vault," Remus told him, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

Sirius grimaced. "I know, I know. It's just… the Black Family Estate stuff is in there too and once I file it, its real — and then I have to deal with Grimmauld Place."

"Ah," Remus said, understanding where his friend's mind was. "You haven't been back then?"

"Not since the day I grabbed my stuff after I got out of Azkaban. I was in and out in less than ten minutes."

Remus nodded, his eyes on the treehouse as he watched Fred or George Weasley climb over the rock wall while his twin hung upside down from the monkey bars. Percy was in the middle of the four-sided-rope ladder laughing as Ron chased Ginny and Harry through the net tunnel. They looked like they were having fun.

"I know that I have to deal with the estate," Sirius said at his friend's silence. "And mostly I have to deal with Kreacher, that miserable old elf."

"You said that he used to like you."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, when I was a kid, until my mother decided that I was a bad seed. Kreacher worshipped the ground that my mother walked on so anything she thought or did he agreed with wholeheartedly. I own him now and the thought makes me kind of uneasy."

"You could have him clean the house here."

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment. "I could, I do hate cleaning, but I like that it's just me and Harry. We have a good system going between us and we get everything done that we need to. I don't need a house elf here. It's really not big enough for a house elf either."

"You could set him free."

Sirius snorted. "Be real. He'd die of the shock."

Remus chuckled. "What about sending him to one of the other noble houses with a Black family member to work in? The Malfoys maybe? Or would Andromeda and Ted want him?"

Sirius considered it for a moment. "The Malfoys have at least four house elves already, doubt they want another one. And Andy definitely wouldn't want him. Their home is only a little bigger than Black Cottage. I don't know, he can stay in Grimmauld Place for now. I'll figure it out. I'll go sometime in the next few weeks and see how bad the house really looks and what to do with it. See if I can sell it or something."

"Don't sell it," Remus said, surprising Sirius.

"Well, I sure as hell don't want it," Sirius told him, his eyes darkening. "I don't have a single good memory of that place! Why should I keep it?"

"I'm not saying keep it for you, Sirius," Remus said carefully. "But your father was paranoid, you always said so, and that house is more protected by wards and safe charms than maybe even Hogwarts itself. It wouldn't hurt to keep it clean and keep it up as a safe house if we ever need one."

"A safe house?" Sirius said, considering his friend's words. "The war is over, Moony."

Remus smiled. "It is, yes, but Dumbledore believes that Voldemort is still out there somewhere — and frankly so do I. You never know what might happen in the future. Having a safe house might not be such a bad idea. And hopefully we never need to use it, but maybe Harry will want it when he grows up or something."

Sirius nodded. "All right, I'll think about it."

"Good," Remus told him, standing up. "Well, I'll leave you with your house full of kids. I have a few errands to run. Need anything?"

Sirius waved him off. "Nah, we're fine. You still all right to stay with Harry tomorrow night while I go out for my date?"

Remus grinned. "I'll be free by four."

"Thanks, Moony."

Sirius kept his eye on Harry and his friends as he turned back to his parchment. He had a few things he needed to think about, but Remus was right, he did need to deal with Grimmauld Place. And maybe keeping it up as a possible safe house wasn't a bad idea because Remus was right, he didn't think that Voldemort was completely gone either.

~ ASC ~

Harry had the most fun that afternoon as he and his friends raced through the fort; playing different games and yelling and laughing and when it was finally time for the Weasleys to go home, Harry was disappointed. He didn't want them to leave. But he said goodbye and Sirius reassured him that they could come back soon.

He was thrilled at the idea of spending the next night with Remus so Sirius dropped him off at Remus' place, kissed him goodbye, and Apparated to London to see Althea.

He picked up Thai food on the way and knocked on her apartment door, smiling widely.

"I come bearing food," he said, making her laugh as she let him in.

They ate at the kitchen table and Sirius filled her on how much Harry had loved the treehouse fort. She told him about how her plans for Sri Lanka were coming along. She would be leaving in less than two weeks time and still had a lot to organize and pack.

Then their mouths were on each other and Sirius kicked her bedroom door closed as they fell onto the bed, tongues meeting and hands grasping as they undressed each other and bodies crushed together in need. Sirius slid into her and her head fell back in pleasure as he rode her hard and deep, her legs wrapped around his waist.

When they caught their breath, she kissed the pulse point in his throat. "I can't decide if I'm going to miss your mouth or your cock more."

He smirked at her and kissed her softly. "Definitely my cock."

Althea chuckled against him, sitting on his stomach. "I am going to miss you though," she told him honestly, grinding against him and sliding slowly down his body until her head was between his legs. His breath hitched slightly as her mouth moved over him and he gripped a fistful of her hair as he groaned.

Her tongue slid sensually along his long shaft, causing it to lengthen and her hands fondled his balls, her mouth sliding off his shaft to join her hands and he sighed in pleasure. She lifted his balls, sucking the skin behind them and when her tongue slid up into him, he jolted and cried out in surprised pleasure. She nipped and sucked, pumping him rhythmically as she did so until he groaned her name and came hard all over her.

"Fuck," he muttered, grinning at her when she kissed his penis, her mouth moving up his stomach, sucking on his skin and leaving tiny bruised hickeys along his ribs.

Althea grinned, laughing when he flipped her over, kissing her deeply and then moving down to suck on her breasts. As he sucked hard on the underside of her right breast, his fingers moved between her folds and she moaned, her hips lifting up to meet him as he worked her, adding a second finger as she tightened around him. He kissed her stomach and added his thumb, pressing down on her nub and she cried out. Then his hands were gone and he was inside of her, pumping in and out while she cried his name and the orgasm washed over her.

She trailed her fingers along his abdomen afterwards, her head on his shoulder as she told him about what she still had left to do in order to get ready for Sri Lanka.

"You must be getting excited," he told her, his arm around her and his eyes closed as he listened to her tell him about it.

The Civil War had been going on there since 1983 and an insurgency was fighting against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelarn, better known as the LTTE or the Tamil Tigers. The death toll was rising due to a military offensive and many innocent lives were being lost in the fight.

Sirius gently ran his fingers through her hair as she told him the history of the conflict. "What about the wizarding population? Are they also involved in this insurgency fight against the Sri Lankan government?"

Althea shook her head. "They're doing what they can, but you know how the magical ministries try to avoid joining the conflict of Muggle problems let alone even getting involved unless it directly affects them."

He nodded. "Yeah, which I think is sad. Maybe we could help each other out of these problems and not have quite so many wars rather than just avoiding each other."

Althea kissed his chin. "You have such a kind heart sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" he said on a laugh and she grinned up at him.

"You know what I mean," she said sitting up to smile down at him. "You want to do good; to help others. It's one of the things that I admire about you. It's why I can't wait to go to Sri Lanka and do some real good for the people, you know. I want to help even if it's something as small as putting a bandage on a child who cut his knee. I want to help."

Sirius smiled, licking his lips as her fingertips traced his ab muscles. "You'll do good. I know it. You're a great Healer."

She smiled at him. "Thanks. I know I will be able to help, but I just want to do more is all." She stretched back next to him and crossed her arms across his chest, resting her chin on her forearms. "But enough about my upcoming trip."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, grinning at her. "What are we going to talk about then?"

Althea smiled up at him. "It's my birthday on Monday."

"I know," he said with a grin, eyes on hers. "You've mentioned it a few dozen times."

Althea laughed and smirked. "I don't want you to buy me anything."

"Oh no?" Sirius asked her, slightly surprised. He assumed by how many times she had mentioned it that it was exactly what she wanted and he had been debating on whether or not to actually buy her a gift. They weren't really dating, but since he did shag her often, he felt obligated to get her something. "What do you want for your birthday then, Castellanos?"

Althea smirked at him. She knew exactly what she wanted. Her birthday fell exactly five days before she would be leaving and she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could before she left.

"Well, I want you to meet me here for one o'clock."

"I do that every Monday already," he told her.

She shook her head, her eyes twinkling. "Oh, I know," she told him, her face flushing. "But this time, when you meet me here, it will be my birthday."

Sirius smiled at her. "I know. What are you trying to say Castellanos? You want me to take you out somewhere for once?"

She shook her head, sitting up and smiling at him. Her eyes darkened and her gaze moved slowly down his body and then back up and he instantly hardened. "No. I want you to spend the entire afternoon with your mouth and fingers on me, in me, nothing else."

Sirius' eyebrow rose and he smirked at her. "Just my mouth and my fingers, yeah?"

Althea nodded. "My birthday gift from you is going to be an entire afternoon of orgasms."

Sirius laughed and leaned forward to kiss her nose. "Deal. But you should be prepared because when I set my sights on something, I set my sights, and you Althea Castellanos, are going to come over and over and over and over again and when you think that you can't possibly come again, you're going to keep coming until I've had my fill of you."

And then he was inside of her again and she was holding on tightly to him as he rode her and when the delicious orgasm whipped through her all she thought was that it was going to be the best birthday ever.