A Second Chance

by Breanie

Part 2 Kismet Trilogy: What if Sirius didn't spend twelve years in prison but was given a trial after 4 years? Follow the story of Sirius Black as he learns what it means to be a father/brother/guardian & the story of Harry Potter, a young boy with a loving home who learns about the Marauders from the two men who should have raised him. Slow-burn Hinny. M for sex & violence.

183. The One With the Coconut Smell

Author's Note:

Okay, so I know it was mean, and I'm sorry, but only a little because I enjoy the panic a little too much sometimes ;)

Reviews and Comments: To Melinda the Proud Bookworm: That was a typo on my part, but no, they did have a second set of surprise twins so Thea and Xander's kids are correct. Thank you! To MystiquePriya: Thank you! I'm going to take that very long no as a compliment! To smallwjl: Happy Belated Birthday on 8th July! Thank you! To plussizebarbie: Thank you so much for recommending my story on the Facebook fanfiction group! That's very cool! I know, everyone is waiting for Hinny to get together — soon! Thank you! To midnitewanderer: The most vilest cliffhanger ever read in a fanfic? I mean, that seems extreme. I shall strive to do better lol! Thank you so much! I love that your heart is pounding and hands are shaking! What an incredible compliment, thank you! To Retesz: I do love being told I wrote something pure evil — thank you! Is it weird that I'm smiling lol? To LifeonEarth: Thanks for liking my description of getting the Horcrux out. We should all be worried about Harry. It was a big task he just underwent. He is fighting his feelings for Ginny and yes, it is unfair to Mandy, but right now Harry is trying to figure things out. Thank you!

To Steelcode: Ha, not fooling you for a second lol? Thank you! Will Sirius pop the question? We shall see. Thanks! To scrappy8: Thank you! To supersandman86: Yes, Harry did have to die in that moment in order to truly rid himself of Riddle. Ha, you think Ginny snuck into his bag as her Panda Animagus lol? I'm glad that you enjoyed the Hinny interaction. I know it's been a slow burn, but I promise it is almost there! Thank you! To andreiiacampos7: Thank you! To Alias: Thank you! Yes, we will see some more of Sirius, Remus, Zee, Tonks, and Ginny's reaction to him "dying." Thank you! To purplevictory: I can't fool you with my cliffhanger, eh? I wanted Harry to have a moment with his fathers and I thought this was it. A moment where he could be himself, but also still be that little internal kid who needs and wants their support and assurance. I hope I managed to convey that. I thought Sirius and Remus would see the irony of Harry denying his feelings for Ginny in a way that Lily once did for James so, I thought it would be fun to throw it in there. I'm glad you liked the funeral and me showing Hermione having a moment with Viktor's sisters. Thanks for loving the ring, I agree, it is stunning. I'm sorry that you feel the Remadora scenes are disjointed from the rest of the story, I disagree. They are the light in the darkness right now. Thank you!

To : I accept your hate right now lol. Thank you! To Matt9917: I love knowing I had you on pins and needles. Thank you! To hills: Thank you for saying the surgery was a gripping tale! Xander definitely did a great job! And yes, Harry, Sirius, and Remus really needed that little sleepover! Thank you! To Guest: Sorry, no double feature with the posting! Thank you! To OneDocToHealThemAll: One does simply leave cliffhangers like this LOL. Thank you! To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! To alucardgal: Thank you! To josht1987: Thank you! I love that you're dying to know what comes next! To AntiCreator: This was the most evil cliffhanger so far? Good to know. Thank you! To notthatchhavi: Yup, another cliffhanger! But yes, Bones is Minister and she has plans. Thanks for loving Remus' second proposal! Yes, Ludo Bagman's case is over. Ron and Hermione do have a close relationship and while they obviously aren't going to jump into anything yet, you can see it building. I loved having Remus compare Harry's feelings for Ginny to Lily's denial about James. Thank you very much! To WarMunger98: "Brilliantly written, fantastic, entertaining torture?" Thank you. To : Thank you! To speedsONEandONLY: No, I think Hermione did do well, so not weird to say at all. Yup, Tonks was still naked LOL. Ginny is giving Harry the time he needs, but yes, if he doesn't contact her, she will definitely be contacting him. Thank you!

To Blue Luver5000: I'm glad the ending scared and confused you — I live to cause this lol. Thank you! To DetroitNate: Harry is definitely very brave. Ha, you think the Hinny slow burn is starting to feel like cruel and unusual punishment? LOL. Thank you! To Undead Gothic Princess: Thanks for saying I did amazing with the operation scene! Thanks for saying you look forward to my updates! To bankerrtx01: Ha! Thank you! To Guest: Was it evil? Only a little. Thank you! To Love4lupinalways: Yes, I can be cruel, thank you! To geekymom: Thank you! To Leaf Ranger: No, we all know Harry isn't dead. Thank you! To x-shadow-x-kisses-x: Nope, not the removal lol. Thank you! To MJB007: Updates are coming, thank you! To alix33: Thank you! Interesting that alstroemerias are called Inca lilies in South Africa, thanks! As to the not eating or drinking before the surgery, my thought was that is usually due to the opioids or drugs that the doctors and surgeons provide and since Harry was for the most part controlled by magic and a sleeping draught, I thought the food and drink was irrelevant. Thank you! To HGRHfan35: Also while I appreciate the offer of a big fat cookie as bribery to post the new chapter, it wasn't chocolate chip, so I had to decline, but you get the chapter today as opposed to Saturday lol. Thank you! To jadely31: Thanks for saying the whole operation was full of tension! Thank you!

To MinervaMcGee: Yes, you wait lol. Thank you! To Guest: Why? Because that's where the chapter ended! Thank you! To Moony The Sheep: Thank you for loving how I described the operation! I'm glad you loved my Sirius, Remus, and Harry moment. Our boys needed it! Thank you! To Guest: I don't think I'm killing you, but don't worry an update has arrived! Thank you! To Faaan'Taaas'Tilique: Thank you! To Saz J: You love it! I'm glad you thought the Hinny moment was so sweet and that it gave you goosebumps! Thanks for finding the second proposal wonderful! Thank you! To coloredwords: Thank you! I'm glad I can still surprise you with my twists and turns! To Wolf's scream: Sirius and McGonagall definitely knew what they were doing on getting Harry registered at the proper time. Harry is in an awkward position with Mandy and he will need to figure things out. Parasitic is a good word for the AH. Thank you! To pottermum: Thanks for loving my Hinny interaction and my Remadora storyline! I thought making it just Sirius, Remus, and Harry before the operation was important. Thank you! To xXQueenofDragonsXx: Harry's coming! Thank you!

To GryffindorHealer: Thank you! Yes, I thought the Horcrux attacking everyone in the room did ring true. Yes, as I said before, I thought because it was a magical bit, that didn't apply during the surgery. Thank you! To Jcmcglynn522: Ha, I'm not killing you, I'm sure! Don't worry, Sirius and Xander have made sure everything is good including protection around their home and making sure that the healing assistants are safe. And as of right now, Voldemort does not know that he has access to Harry's mind or memories so he will not be aware that he "could have potentially" used it to his advantage. Thank you!

Thank you to my Beta — SilverStarwolfe!

My posting schedule: Once a week and sometimes on weekends.

As always, 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 for all of your continued support!

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CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-THREE:

The One With the Coconut Smell

Sirius was shaking, his eyes full of unshed tears as he glared at Xander. "What the fuck do you mean his heart has stopped beating? Get it beating! Now!"

Remus grabbed Sirius' arm before he could move in Xander's direction as Zee let out a choked sob from the corner. He nodded at Tonks who was clutching Zee's hand in comfort, their eyes on Harry.

Xander was ignoring them and examining his patient, murmuring under his breath as different colours emanated from where his wand touched Harry's body. His wand highlighted a deep blue over the heart and Harry suddenly took in a deep breath, but stayed unconscious. Xander continued to examine him, his wand moving up and down his body as he murmured spells. It was over five minutes before he nodded and stood up, wiping sweat from his brow.

"His heart is fine. It was the shock of everything that set it off and the seizure broke a blood clot near the heart vessels, triggering the attack."

"But he's… alive?" Remus asked, his voice so quiet that he wasn't even sure if he had spoken aloud as he listened to the sound of his son's steady heartbeat with his good hearing.

Xander smiled. "He's very much alive and I am happy to say that the Horcrux is completely gone. There's no sign of it anywhere in his body."

Sirius and Remus each let out a breath of relief as Zee and Tonks each moved into their arms, tears in their eyes.

"However, he has fallen into a deep coma."

Sirius' head shot up. "You said that was a possibility, but that he would be okay if that happened, right?"

Xander nodded. "In theory, yes. His brain just went through a traumatic surgery, Sirius. A three and a half hour war with that Horcrux and who even knows what was happening inside of Harry's mind while that was going on. His body needs to rest and to recuperate from that. I'd like to move him to a private room here in the hospital to monitor him. He's not out of the woods yet. The longer that he is in a coma, the more serious it becomes. We need to monitor him closely and hope that he wakes up soon."

Remus nodded and kissed Harry's hand. "Of course. Whatever you need to do. Just… make sure that he's okay."

Sirius picked up the box that now held the Horcrux, his eyes staring at it. "It's really in here?"

Xander smiled. "It's really in there."

Sirius grinned and bent his head to kiss Harry's scar tenderly. "We did it, Prongslet. You rest up and you heal and when you wake up, you're going to feel loads better, I promise. But you wake up, Harry — you come back to us."

Angelis and Vitalis moved Harry into the private room down the hall as Sirius, Remus, Zee, and Tonks made themselves comfortable around his bed. They each were touching him in some way, eyes on him as he slept as still as the dead.

Now they just had to wait.

~ ASC ~

On some level, he knew that it was a dream. Everything was too vivid and too surreal to be real life. If it wasn't a dream, he couldn't explain it otherwise. He stood at what clearly was King's Cross Station, looking around in wonder. Everything was vividly white and blindingly so, but he could see the platform and the benches and he could hear the sound of trains rushing by him.

He walked along the cement, his hands in his pockets, but the scenery never changed. He saw someone waving at him from up ahead and he moved forward, unsure of what he was seeing before he recognized the figure as Cedric Diggory.

"Cedric!" He said in surprise, his eyes moving around them. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you," he said, taking a seat on the bench and patting the wood next to him. "Have a seat."

"Um, don't take this the wrong way, but… aren't you dead?"

Cedric chuckled. "Very dead. Deader than dead. Dead and buried, dead."

"Okay, I get it," Harry said, making Cedric chuckle. "Wait, does that mean that I'm dead?"

Cedric smiled sadly at him. "No, at least not yet. I'm here to guide you."

Harry glanced at him in confusion. "Guide me? Guide me where? And what do you mean by 'not yet?' Am I dying?"

"You are on the edge; teetering between life and death because you made a choice. You made a choice to remove that Horcrux from your brain and your body is protesting against it. It doesn't want to survive without it."

Harry swallowed. "I don't need it. It was feeding on me and I want to just be me, just Harry."

Cedric smiled. "A lofty ambition to be sure, but how do you know that you don't need it? You've lived with it inside of you for almost fourteen years. Your body is used to making room for it; used to nourishing it. It doesn't know how to take care of only you, and it's struggling to survive without it."

Harry gulped. "I don't need it. I can fight this."

"Good. It's important not to give up."

Harry stared at him. "Is that what you came here to tell me? To keep fighting and to not give up?"

Cedric shrugged. "Partly. I'm also here to give you a choice. Come with me. There are some people who want to talk to you."

Harry stood up and followed Cedric along the path. The further he followed him, the brighter the scenery seemed to get, colour flooding in until the white vanished and he soon recognized the cobbled street as being part of Godric's Hollow. Cedric led the way down the street and he suddenly knew exactly where Cedric was taking him. They stopped in front of the two story cottage that he had once lived in. But here it wasn't destroyed. Here it looked beautiful, with moss growing up the side with wild roses. The gardens were fully in bloom with every flower imaginable and there was a chubby grey cat lounging on the front stoop.

"Don't you want to see what's inside?" Cedric asked him.

Harry nodded and took a step through the front gate that opened with a creak. He had only stepped onto the stoop, bending to pet the cat when the front door opened and the woman who stood there was the most beautiful young woman that he had ever seen. Her auburn hair hung straight past her shoulders and her bright green eyes were filled with tears under her thick fringe as she pulled him into her arms.

"Mum," he gasped. She smelt like coconut, he thought as he wrapped his arms around her. He stood taller than her by almost a head and she laughed.

"You're so handsome! My darling boy," she said, tugging his face down to kiss him noisily. "Come inside, Topaz is fine on the stoop. He's a loaf of a cat. Your father is out back on his broom."

The warmth of her hand in his had him gasping in surprise. It couldn't be real, he thought as she led him through the living room with the comfortable looking lumpy brown sofa and out the back door to where he could see a speck in the air doing loops on his broomstick.

"Jamie! He's here!"

James dived at them, landing gracefully in front of them as Lily shrieked. James grinned and tugged her close for a kiss before grabbing Harry's arms and just grinning at him.

"Your mother is always worried that I can't control my broom. Look at you, lad. Merlin, you're almost as tall as me already!" He leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Almost a man. Padfoot and Moony raised you well."

Harry simply stared at the young man before him. He looked so much like himself that he swallowed slowly. "Dad."

James smiled and pulled him close and Harry wrapped his arms tightly around his father. He smelt like broomstick polish and citrus and he held him tightly, basking in the sensation of being held by his father for the first time that he could remember.

Lily moved behind him and wrapped her arms around him as well making him the centre of their sandwich. "We love you so much, Harry."

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, holed together in a big hug sandwich in the yard, but the sound of a deep chuckle had him shifting and moving out of his parents' embrace to look at the man walking towards him. He looked like an older version of James Potter and himself. His hair was the colour of salt and pepper and he wore rectangular frames over his hazel eyes. He was smiling kindly.

"Come here; let me get a good look at my grandson."

Harry stared at him, grinning back as the man touched his arm.

"The Potter hair, good genes, tall, and well-forming muscles in all the right places, you've done well, boy. Our sons are raising a good man. Don't you agree, Fee?"

The woman who stepped out from the shadows had snow white hair pulled back into a bun and a thick fringe brushed to the right side of her pale freckled face. Her eyes were filled with tears as she pulled Harry close and tugged his face down before she covered his face in kisses that he made no effort to stop.

"Harry James, my beautiful and handsome grandson. I'm glad that I get to hold you like this, even if I never did when you were a baby." She kissed his cheeks again, pinching them slightly. "You can call me Nan."

Harry simply stared at her, his mouth open in shock. "How — how are you all here?"

Fleamont reached over and messed up Harry's hair. "We're here to see you, son."

Harry sighed as Euphemia let go of him only long enough for Lily to pull him back into her arms. "Mum… are you here because… I'm dead?"

Lily kissed his cheek tenderly. "No, you're not dead, Harry. But like Cedric told you, your body is struggling to survive and you're teetering on that edge between life and death. That's why you can see us, darling. That is why you are here with us at this moment. You've tipped into the afterlife."

Harry's eyes widened as James swung his arm around his shoulder. "Dad."

James kissed his forehead. "Let us smother you with love, kiddo."

Harry grinned and allowed them both to kiss him like crazy for a full minute before he pushed them away. "Okay, okay, jeesh!"

Lily chuckled. "We missed out on our chance to do so in your life, darling."

Harry nodded, his eyes wide and sad. "I know."

Lily reached up and gently brushed his fringe away from his face, tracing her fingertip along his scar. "I would have died a thousand times over to save you, Harry. Even knowing what I missed with you, knowing that you had the chance to live was all that I've ever wanted."

James took his wife's hand in his as Euphemia and Fleamont stood on either side of him. "As would I. Padfoot and Moony have been great fathers to you and even though I wish that it had been me, I am proud of them and so damn proud of the man that you are growing into."

Lily took his hand in hers. "Sirius and Remus are the parents we wish that we had the opportunity to be. We love Zee, and we can see that you do, too," she added, making him flush. "I'm glad that you love her, she's the mum that I always wanted to be to you."

Harry smiled, tears in his eyes. "I love you."

James smiled back, tears glistening his own hazel eyes. "We love you more than words can describe, Harry." He put an arm over his shoulders. "But now it's time for you to make a choice."

Harry looked over at him, surprised to find that he was barely shorter than his father. They looked so much alike he thought and with a jolt he realized that his parents were only six years older than him. "What kind of choice?"

"Deciding to remove the Horcrux from your brain was a brave move, Harry," Euphemia told him. "But it was also incredibly dangerous. The neuro-healer worked on your brain for over three and a half hours, shifting and moving parts as if it were a puzzle. It was hard work, but he did it. He was successful."

"So, why am I here?"

Fleamont slapped a hand on his back. "The aftershocks of the procedure shut your body down. You had a seizure and for a moment your heart stopped beating. At this very moment, you are lying in a hospital bed in a deep coma."

He snapped his fingers and the stone of the house before him changed into a large looking glass where an image of Harry lay in a coma. Harry watched as Zee sat sideways on Sirius' lap, comforting him as they both reached out to hold Harry's hand. Remus and Tonks sat on the other side of him, Tonks touching his knee and Remus his other hand, his fingers curling around Harry's.

"They are waiting for you to wake up," Euphemia told him.

He nodded, his eyes on his parents and grandparents and on the parents that he had waiting for him. "Okay."

James smiled at him and kissed his forehead again. "We love you, Harry, and nothing would make us happier than for you to stay here with your Mum and I, with your Nan and your Pop, to get the chance to be parents to you, finally — to get to know you, and to tell you all those things that we never got the chance to. If that's what you want to do, we will support you. But we don't want you here with us yet."

Harry's brow rose in confusion as Lily gripped his hands.

"We've seen the two paths that your life will take, Harry. Neither of them will be easy, but in both of them you will find love and in one of them, you defeat Voldemort."

"Only in one?"

Lily nodded, her green eyes so like his shining widely from her young face. "There is one option where he wins; where you let him win to save her, and the world suffers for it. But there is another option where you defeat him and the world is saved."

"Who is the girl?"

James grinned and tugged him closer. "We're not here to tell you your future, Harry. We don't know it. We don't know what path you will decide to take. We're only here to tell you to fight for it. Life is about choices: Some of them easy, some of them hard. But every one of them sets you on your path. Walk that path, Harry. Live the life that you were meant for, the life that you want to live."

Harry stared at them. "But… if I choose… I won't get to stay here with you anymore?"

Lily kissed his cheek. "No, my darling. But we will always be right here," she said, placing her fingers over his heart. "We will always be watching over you and loving you with every breath you take. You are and always have been our entire world. We love you so much, my baby, my Harry James."

Harry hugged his parents close, tears in his eyes as he looked at the image of him lying in the hospital bed. He could see Sirius and Remus, the concern and worry in their eyes as they looked at his sleeping form and he nodded. He let Fleamont and Euphemia hug him close, too, before he moved out of their grasp.

"I'm ready," he said slowly. "I'm ready to go back."

Cedric moved out of the shadows and smiled at him, extending his hand. "Goodbye, Harry, and good luck."

Harry shook his hand and his eyes widened as Viktor stepped out of the mist from behind Cedric. "Viktor."

He nodded at Harry. "Vhen you return, tell Hermione that I love her. Tell her that I vant nothing more than for her to find happiness in life and to become the incredible voman that I know she vill be. Vill you tell her that for me, Harry?"

Harry smiled at him. "I will."

Viktor smiled. "Go now, Harry; the vorld is vaiting for you."

And he stepped through the looking glass and away from his parents.

When he opened his eyes, the bright lights of the hospital room made him blink owlishly. His whole body was sore and numb and he felt like he'd gone a round with a dragon or a monstrous squid, he thought, wincing slightly. His movement alerted Zee who immediately jumped up and slipped his glasses onto his face, kissing his cheeks.

"Hi, darling! Hi, how are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," he rasped.

She reached for the cup on the table and pointed her wand into it, 'Aguamenti,' she said, filling the glass and passing it to him.

His hands seemed sluggish to him and she obviously noticed because she held the cup to his lips to help him drink. "Thanks," he said.

Zee kissed his forehead again. "We've been worried sick about you. Sirius finally fell asleep about an hour ago and Remus and Tonks about an hour before that." She gently trailed her finger down his cheek. "You've been in a coma for three days."

Harry's eyes widened. "Three days? It only felt like I was gone an hour."

She smiled. "Where did you go?"

Harry shifted slightly, smiling when she fluffed the pillows up behind him and helped him lean back comfortably. His body was sluggish and hard to move. "Godric's Hollow. Mum and Dad were there and Nan and Pop. They told me that I was teetering into the afterlife and that I had to make a choice. Mum told me that I wasn't allowed to choose to stay with them; not yet."

Zee gently ran her fingers through his hair. "She's a wise woman."

"She… she told me that you're the mum that she always wished she could be."

Tears welled up in Zee's eyes and she wiped at them hastily. "I love you very much, Harry."

"I know," he said, yawning. "I love you, too." He snuck a look at Remus and Tonks. "I'm glad that they're finally getting married. Maybe you and Uncle Siri should do it, too."

Zee chuckled. "Siri and I are moving just fine at our own pace, mister." She tapped his nose and grinned. "I don't need a ring on my finger to define my relationship with you or Sirius. I am proud to call you my son."

He grinned at her and she kissed his cheek before she helped him drink some more water and stood up.

"I'm going to get Xander."

Harry watched her hurry off and yawned again, his eyes on his sleeping family. He was exhausted. If he had been asleep for three days he thought that he should feel more rested. He only waited a moment before Xander came into the room, his wand out.

"Harry! How are you feeling?"

"Tired," he said, yawning again. "And a little sore, like I was in a fight, and kind of numb."

Xander smiled. "In a manner of speaking, you were."

He hovered his wand over Harry, diagnostically checking him over. Harry obeyed his every instruction: Lifting his leg, bending his knee, wiggling his toes and fingers, curling his arm, sitting up, and rolling over. He asked him to recite the alphabet backwards and forwards, to multiply seven times five and then add eight and subtract six. He asked him to tell him the name of all four of the Beatles and then he smiled and urged Harry to close his eyes. A warm golden glow drifted over Harry's head, around his brain, pressing in on it and then letting go; Xander grinned.

"It's completely gone, one hundred percent. You have nothing but a very healthy brain in there, Harry."

"That's good," he said. "Hermione will be glad to hear it. She sometimes thinks that I don't have one at all."

Xander chuckled and passed him his wand. "Last test for the moment," he said with a smile. "I want you to perform a simple spell for me."

Harry nodded staring at his wand for a moment before he said, 'Lumos.' His wand lit so brightly that it blinded him and he winced.

Xander grinned. "Oh, yes, I think your magic is at full capacity now."

Harry grinned back at him and said, 'nox' before placing his wand on the nightstand. "My legs feel numb."

Xander nodded and trailed his wand over them. "Muscle weakness. You haven't moved from this bed in over three days, it's normal." He picked up Harry's right leg and gently lifted and bent it, pushing it back against his hip before doing the same with his left. "How does that feel?"

His muscles were screaming at the movement, but it felt good. He could feel the tingling sensations vibrating down his body. "Better."

Xander spent a few minutes carefully exercising each leg, before he held up a finger. "How's your vision?"

"As crappy as usual," he stated, earning a small swat from Zee and making him grin. "I can see all of your fingers, Sir."

Xander smiled. "Good."

Harry yawned again as Zee shook Sirius gently and he jumped up, noticed Harry was awake, and immediately fell to his knees next to his bed.

He gripped his son's hand. "Prongslet!"

Harry smiled at him and yawned. "I'm fine, Uncle Siri, just tired."

Sirius kissed his forehead as Harry's eyes drooped and Xander smiled.

"I just finished examining him. He's in perfect health. It worked, Sirius. He just needs to get some rest. The coma helped him heal and now he needs to sleep, eat, and rest for the next few days. I want to continue to monitor him for the time being. Harry, you had a serious seizure before you fell into a coma. I want to make sure over the next few days that you don't develop any side effects because of it. No blood clots or brain swelling. I'll check you over again this afternoon and then in the morning, we'll see how you're feeling, how everything is looking, and if you're still looking good, we'll talk about getting you home. All right?"

Harry nodded, but he was already drifting off again, listening to the rumble of their voices, followed by Remus' lips on his forehead and Tonks gripping his hand and then he was falling into sleep and he felt and heard them no more.

~ ASC ~

Xander was true to his word. Harry was woken up a few hours later and asked to perform the same tests again. This time Remus stood by the bed to allow him to lean on him as his legs shook. He took a minute to gain his balance, the room spinning a bit as he clutched Remus' arm tightly. He walked slowly around the room before exhaustion overtook him and they tucked him back into bed.

Xander insisted that this was normal. His brain had been the onslaught of a serious attack and then his body had been in a coma so he needed time to heal. Sirius and Zee went back to the rented cottage to shower and get some sleep as Remus and Tonks stayed with him. He was woken up again close to midnight and taken through all the same tests all over again, but this time he walked the length of the hall and his legs were no longer tingling. He ate a bowl of chicken soup and a ham sandwich, feeling better before he went back to sleep.

In the morning when he woke, Remus and Tonks were gone, but Sirius and Zee were both sitting on either side of the bed. He climbed out of bed on his own to use the bathroom, feeling stronger and more like himself. Xander came back in to check him over.

"I don't think that the seizure left any lasting damage, Harry. Your brain is functioning normally. The Horcrux is gone. Your body is healing and looking good. Your vision and balance are still all right?"

"Yes," he said, smiling at him. "And my muscles are getting stronger."

"Good," Xander said with a smile. "I'll come back and see you after lunch, if everything looks the same we'll get you signed out and out of here."

Harry ate a full breakfast and a full lunch, surprised at how hungry he was. When Xander came back after lunch, he felt even better than he had, but still a bit tired.

"I'm going to release you from the hospital," Xander told him. "But you still need to take it easy over the next few days. Preferably a full week. Eat three full meals every day. Drinks lots of water and orange juice; rest and relax. Nothing strenuous. No flying," he added and saw Harry's face fall. "Sirius mentioned that you like to run, that's fine, but short distances only. If you feel yourself getting tired, stop and rest, don't over exert yourself. That includes magic and your Animagus form. Don't over exert yourself," he repeated. "I'll come and check up on you in a few days."

Harry was pleased with this and eager to leave the hospital. Apparating and Floo were both fairly strenuous so Sirius took him in a Muggle taxi cab to drive them back to the rented cottage that they were staying in just outside of Athens. The first thing he did was take a long hot shower and then he crawled into bed, Marauder snuggling at his feet, and he went right to sleep.

He woke up around midnight and found Zee and Tonks in the living room talking. Zee made him a sandwich and told him that Sirius and Remus had been Apparated back to Wales by Dobby and Kreacher for the full moon, but would be back first thing in the morning. He only nodded and ate his sandwich, quietly falling asleep between Zee and Tonks on the sofa as they chatted about Remus and Tonks' wedding. Tonks woke him up two hours later and helped him back into his bed where he snuggled with his dog and was soon fast asleep again.

After a few days of rest in the rented cottage, Harry felt as good as new. Sirius had called for Kreacher, who had come to take the Horcrux and seal it away safely inside of Number Twelve until they returned to England to destroy it. Having it gone from their sight as well as gone from his head made him feel light and happy.

He spent his first free afternoon down by the beach of Edem with Marauder. He jogged along the sand as the dog panted behind him. He stopped to let Marauder rest, laughing when he rolled over in the sand, paws up in the air and his tongue hanging out. He gave him some water and watched him lap at it happily before they headed back.

Sirius and Zee were lounging on the deckchairs in the hot sun and Sirius lifted his sunglasses up to look over at Harry. "Hey, just the bloke we were talking about."

"I'm fine, honest. I feel great."

Sirius smiled. "We can see that. That's one of the things that we want to talk to you about. You feel good and I think that we can all honestly say that we need a little holiday, yeah?" At Harry's look, he grinned. "Zee suggested that we leave Athens and head out to Corfu and I think that it sounds brilliant. We'll rent a place or get some hotel rooms and just relax and enjoy ourselves for a week or two before returning to civilization. I know your birthday is next week, but what do you think?"

"Tonks and Uncle Rem, too?"

"Yes, for a bit anyway," Sirius said. "Tonks and Zee will only be around for part of it as they both have to head back to work. What do you think?"

Harry grinned. "Brilliant!"

Sirius grinned at him, looking at him from overtop of his sunglasses. "We've also decided, that if it's all right with her mum, you can invite Mandy to join us if you'd like."

Harry beamed widely at those words. "Really?"

Zee chuckled. "Really. Why don't you send your girlfriend a message and let us know what she says?"

Harry couldn't move fast enough to do just that.

~ ASC ~

Theo sat on Draco's bed, his eyes on his friend as he attempted to make his hair lie just so. He had spent the summer so far at Malfoy Manor with Draco. Blaise was in Italy with his mother and new stepfather. The summer had been rather quiet since Lucius had been arrested. He and Draco hadn't heard anything about what was happening with the Dark Lord nor with Theo's father. But so far they had been left mostly to themselves, which was exactly the way that they liked it.

Druella Black had gone on a holiday to Spain and claimed that she wasn't returning until the wizarding world had sorted itself out again, no matter which side won. She didn't particularly care whether the Dark Lord was in power or not; she just thought that she was too old to deal with it. Theo knew that Draco was a bit relieved to see her go. His grandmother could sometimes be a bit overbearing especially when it came to the importance of the pureblood bloodline.

His friend was still trying to fix his hair and he rolled his eyes, leaning back against the pillows "Can you primp anymore, pretty boy?"

Draco made a rude hand gesture in response that made him grin.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to stay, Draco?"

Draco huffed at him. "I'll be fine. Mother and I are going to that villa in Tuscany for a few weeks. Grandfather gave us permission, like it was a big deal that we were even allowed to go."

Theo nodded. "It's just that I don't want to leave you if you need me. I know how much you and Auntie Cissa have been struggling since Uncle Lucius was arrested."

Draco turned to look at his friend, shrugging his shoulders as if it didn't bother him, but Theo knew better. "Father knew what he was doing. Blaise has gone underground with his mother and stepfather. Mother and I are going to take this little holiday and try to relax. By the time we get back, hopefully something good will have come out of it all."

"I can't wait to take this little trip myself," Theo said with a grin.

He had been planning it for the last two months and after everything that had happened with the TriWizard Tournament, he had decided to just go for it. He had written Ginny and asked her if she wanted to go with him. He had been even more pleased when she had written back saying that her mother was going to allow it. He had been worried that the overprotectiveness of her mother would mean that the answer would be no.

Draco smirked at him. "How did you convince the Weasley matron to agree? I heard that she's pretty protective and strict with her kids?"

"Ginny's brother Bill is coming with us as a chaperone. Apparently he has some work that he can do on the island for Gringotts and he agreed to take us. He works as a curse breaker. Ginny is beyond thrilled."

"Where are you going again?"

"The island of Anguilla."

"And where is that exactly?" Draco asked, his eyebrow raised.

Theo rolled his eyes. "You really need to get better with geography, mate. It's in the Caribbean, part of the British West Indies to be exact. Clear beaches and blue skies, it's going to be amazing."

Draco grinned at him. "Well, I hope that you have fun. I'm looking forward to spending time in Tuscany. Ophelia is going to come and stay with us."

Theo wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Oooh, bringing the girlfriend home to Mother. Getting serious."

Draco ignored him. "We're going to spend our days soaking up the sun and exploring the sites."

"Good. I think that we both deserve a little holiday."

"Still no word from your father?"

Theo shook his head, leaning back against Draco's bed. "Nothing and I'm okay with it. Kiki told him that she was taking me and a friend to Anguilla with a chaperone and he told her that it was for the best if I was out of his hair. I assume that he's still in Croatia or possibly might have found his way to our villa in southern France by now. I think that he's smart enough to avoid returning to England for the time being. Everyone is searching for him. He's a known Death Eater now. Black revealed the names of everyone who was with Potter the night he came back."

Draco finally had his hair the way he liked it and he plopped onto his bed next to his friend. "The Ministry of Magic isn't fooling around. Grandfather seems pleased with Father's arrest; claims that Father could never have known that he would be arrested in the middle of the Wizengamot Assembly, and Mother agrees. But he was acting weird before he left and I think he did know, or at least had an idea that he was going to be arrested. Don't you think?"

Theo shrugged. "I think he did know something. He was definitely acting weird before he left that day. I heard that the Aurors are adding extra safety features to the island where Azkaban is located. They don't want to risk the Dark Lord managing to break out his imprisoned followers."

Draco's eyes darkened slightly. "Let's hope that they're successful enough to hold him out. His plans may have been foiled, but I doubt that he's going to wait much longer before he attempts to break them out."

"At least Uncle Lucius will be back home when he does break them out."

Draco wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. His father returning was definitely good, but it was the release of the others that made his stomach clench uneasily. His mother held a strong face all day every day, but he had listened to her cry herself to sleep most nights as he and Theo attempted to comfort her. He had heard horror stories of what some of the men and women in Azkaban had been capable of, especially one man named Dolohov. He knew that even if his father did come home soon, the war was still happening and the Dark Lord wasn't going to leave their family alone.

His grandfather would make sure of that.

~ ASC ~

Ginny still couldn't believe that her mother was letting Bill take her and Theo to the island of Anguilla. They were set to leave in two days and she was so excited that she could barely keep still. The thought of the hot sun and the warm beach had her eyes dancing in delight. She had never travelled anywhere before outside of visiting Bill in Egypt and most of that was a blur to her considering what she had been going through at the time. Bulgaria hadn't exactly been a holiday, but she supposed that she could add that to her list as well. But the possibility of Anguilla was thrilling and she was looking forward to the holiday.

Ron had soured slightly at the idea of them going, but when she had offered him the chance to come along, he had flat out refused. She knew that he didn't want to go too far in case Hermione changed her mind about coming to stay and she respected that. He wanted to be close to his grieving friend, especially since he was clearly in love with her.

Not that he would ever admit it.

Lavender had been by a few times to spend the afternoon with him and the two of them had spent their time snogging by the pond. Ginny was surprised that they were still together if she was honest with herself as she couldn't at all fathom what they did outside of snog. She was pretty sure that they hadn't even had a real conversation with each other and when they did talk, Lavender was all about her 'Won Won' which made Ginny want to gag. She had no idea how Harry, Neville, and Hermione managed to stand being around them when they were so gag-worthy.

Hermione had opted to stay home with her parents and to just take some time to grieve, which Ginny thought was a healthy option. Ron had mentioned that she had written the other day saying that her parents were taking her to Germany for a week to explore the history and the culture and to try to help take her mind off of Viktor. Ginny thought it sounded like exactly what she needed.

Luna was on an African safari with her dad and would be gone until the first week of August. Neville had written to Ron to tell him that he was spending his summer at a greenhouse summer program in Northern Ireland and that Will would be joining him there. It was six weeks and they would get to learn how to care for and study plants and flowers from all over the world. The two of them were beyond thrilled. Seamus was already making plans to go up and visit his boyfriend at the camp which was apparently only a thirty minute walk from Seamus' home. But Neville, Hermione, and Luna all promised to make it back for her birthday which would be a few days later this year due to her own holiday.

Ginny felt even more thrilled for her trip when she had received the letter from Harry yesterday morning. It had been short, but she had breathed a sigh of relief when she read it.

Ginny,

It's gone. I'm fine and it's hidden safely until we return to England. We've decided to spend another week, maybe two, and just enjoy the beaches and soak up the sun. Uncle Sirius says that it's a much needed holiday. I should be back in time for your late birthday celebration and I promise that I'll tell you everything when I see you.

Love,

Harry

Knowing that he had succeeded in removing that soul piece made her feel so much lighter and so much happier knowing that he would be happier as well. True to her word, she hadn't said anything about it to her brother or to anyone else. It was Harry's secret to tell. But she was happy that it was finally gone.

Her parents were busy moving in to help with the Order of the Phoenix and Arthur was even helping with the Phoenix Initiative. Minister Bones had asked his assistance in designing a Muggle component that she was interested in potentially discussing with the Muggle Prime Minister in the future. Magical cooperation meant also cooperating with the Muggles, though to what extent, Ginny wasn't sure, but she had heard Percy say that it was a fantastic idea.

Bill had officially moved back to England and had purchased a flat in London, much to their mother's chagrin, who had been hoping that he would move back home to let her fuss. He promised to come home once a week for dinner which had subsided her worries. Charlie was still in Romania, but had written home to say that if they needed him for anything to send an owl and that he would do what he could to help.

But it was Percy who had the biggest change.

After working as a junior assistant to Crouch and filling in for him when he had been 'sick,' Percy had moved up slightly in terms of responsibility. His role at the Yule Ball and in the Second Task had looked good on his resume. He had been harshly questioned in the beginning when Crouch had turned up murdered — asking how he hadn't suspected the sick notes were a fake, but Crouch's secretary had vouched for him; claiming that she had thought that the notes were authentic herself. Miranda Jameson, the new Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, had taken a liking to his go-getter initiative and had promoted him from junior assistant to her personal assistant and he was in his element, helping organize meetings and writing up drafts for the international components of the new Phoenix Initiative.

Fred and George were keeping busy creating chaos, as she liked to call it; inventing up a storm in their room. Apparently Sirius had become their silent financial backer (which they were keeping a secret from their mum) and they were looking to rent space for a shop the following summer when they finished school. In the meantime, Sirius was allowing them to store any of their excess products in one of the guest rooms of Number Twelve. Kreacher was helping them move their products back and forth.

Ginny shook her head as she smiled at her mother. She was supposed to be hanging the laundry, but she had gotten distracted daydreaming. Molly only scowled at her and she grinned.

"Sorry, Mum."

"Hurry up, Ginny. We haven't got all day to finish up!"

Ginny smiled and finished her work. She liked coming home and getting back into the daily chores. It seemed normal and it sometimes made her forget about the terrible things that were happening in the world.

"What time is it, Mum?" she called out.

Molly smiled at her. "Still too early for Theo to arrive. Now, hurry up. I want his bed made up before he arrives."

Ginny simply grinned widely. She couldn't wait.

~ ASC ~

Mandy arrived in Corfu two days later by international portkey. Her mother had spoken to Sirius by Floo, and after being assured that her daughter would be well taken care of, had allowed her to travel to Corfu to spend a week and a half with her boyfriend and his family.

Mandy tripped over her bag as the portkey landed in the living room of the villa and Harry hurried forward to help her. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. "Thanks. I don't know how anyone comes out of these things straight."

He grinned and picked up her bag. "No worries. Come on; I'll show you to your room."

He led her down the hall of the villa that they had rented and to the door at the end of the hall, pushing the door open to show her a beautifully lit room with a full view of the ocean and a large bed. "I'm in the room next to you. Uncle Siri and Zee are in the room across the hall and Uncle Remus and Tonks are in the room at the other end of the villa."

Mandy grinned and threw herself across the bed. "It's so beautiful! Thank you for inviting me, Harry!"

Harry sat on the bed next to her, his fingers going to her hair as he leaned down to kiss her. "Thanks for coming. I missed you," he said honestly.

Mandy kissed him back and smiled up at him as she sat up. "I've missed you, too. Have you been keeping up on the news in England while you've been here?"

Harry shook his head, sitting up as well. "Not really. Last I heard was that Madam Bones was voted in officially as Minister of Magic."

Mandy nodded. "She was. Susan is so proud of her, that's her auntie, you know. Anyway, she was voted in and she's really working hard to put together this Phoenix Initiative. Susan said that she has recruited two to three people from every department to find people to help. Rumour is that we will be getting a large influx of new students at Hogwarts come September: Wolves and Vampires alike and maybe even some Fae. It's rather exciting, don't you think?"

"It is," he admitted. "It's not fair that they've been denied an education just because they're different and by Bones allowing them the chance to move in and get one, she is opening up the world to a whole new level of magical cooperation." He hesitated before he looked over at her under his lashes. "Has there been any bad news?"

She shook her head. "Not too much, but a little. They found Professor Karkaroff a few days ago, dead; the paper believes that it was Death Eaters. The Aurors also have confirmed that there are rumours that some Death Eaters are hiding out in France and the French Ministry is helping to search for them. They are still calling you the Chosen One."

He blushed at that. "What rubbish!"

Mandy chuckled and leaned in to nip at his bottom lip. "Sounds like a heroic name to me."

He blushed darker and tugged her close for a kiss.

They had only been snogging for a few moments before someone cleared their throat and Harry turned to see Tonks wiggling her eyebrows at him from the doorway.

"Lovely to see you two getting on, but we do have some ground rules here. No bedrooms and no closed doors. Clear?"

Mandy blushed and Harry nodded. "Clear."

Tonks grinned. "Brilliant! Why don't you two do a quick change and head down to the beach? The water's lovely."

Harry nodded and stood up. "We'll see you down there."

Tonks smiled and winked at him before she hurried off.

Mandy flushed when he turned to look at her. "Guess we got caught."

He took a step towards her and kissed her quickly again. "Worth it. Meet me in the living room when you're ready, yeah?"

She smiled and nodded and Harry hurried to his own bedroom to find his bathing trunks with a new spring in his step. Being on this holiday and spending time with Mandy was exactly what he needed.

~ ASC ~

When Theo arrived at the Burrow, he was immediately hugged by Mrs Weasley, who fussed over him for a full minute in a way that made him grin. He and Ginny eagerly spoke about their trip and what they hoped to do there. Ginny had even convinced Mrs Weasley to let him stay in her room on the cot as opposed to Ron's room and she had grudgingly agreed as Ginny argued that since he was gay, it made more sense for him to be in her room than Ron's.

It had taken some convincing, but it had worked.

Ginny was lying in her bed that night, smiling over at him in the cot next to her. "I still can't believe that Mum is letting me go. I thought for sure that she would say no when I asked her. But even before Bill mentioned that he had work to do in the Caribbean, I think that she was leaning towards yes."

Theo nodded, his hands behind his head. "I think that she knows it's safer there. The world is getting darker here and the British West Indies are over six thousand kilometres away."

Ginny smiled at him. "I know. I've never really been anywhere before and an island of warm sand and water sounds amazing."

He smirked at her. "We'll find you a sexy bloke to snog while we're there."

She blushed. "Possibly. I just want to enjoy myself. Have you ever been to the Caribbean before?"

Theo shook his head. "No, never. I decided last summer that I wanted to take a trip somewhere in the Caribbean. I was going to ask Blaise to come, but I changed my mind."

"It must be nice to just take a trip whenever you want," she said wistfully.

"You can't be afraid to take chances in life," he told her. "Besides, it's less time to spend with my father. He doesn't care where I go or what I do. If your brother wasn't coming with us, I would have taken my house elf. She's usually who I travel with, but she agreed that Bill was an acceptable chaperone. I wouldn't be surprised if she pops in to check up on me though."

"That's kind of sweet," Ginny said, making him grin. "Have you been very many places, Theo?"

"A fair few," he admitted. "Italy multiple times, but that's mostly been to see Blaise. Draco's parents have a villa and vineyard in southern France that I've spent time in. Christmas of my first year, I went to Switzerland with my father. I spent all of my time learning to ski and it was pretty great. Not last summer, but the summer before that, I took off and went to Thailand. I was there two weeks before my father even realized I was missing and Kiki had to take me home. That's my house elf by the way, Kiki."

Ginny smiled at him, resting her chin on her arms. "Your life seems so exotic and so tragic at the same time."

Theo smiled. "I get by. But this trip, it's going to be epic! I hope we both find some cute blokes to snog."

"What happened to David?"

"He was no one serious," he said with a smile. "We just fooled around a bit."

"You need to find yourself a man, Theodore Nott. No more of this, I'll just snog whomever I want to, nonsense."

Theo grinned widely. "First of all, I am a very rich bachelor. The only good thing I have going for me in terms of being a Nott is that I am incredibly wealthy. Secondly, people hear the name Nott and immediately think of how rich I am. I'd rather just suck their pricks and move on."

"Theo!"

He smirked at her and shrugged. "Well, it's true. It's hard to find a relationship with someone who sees beyond the Nott name and the Nott wealth. Not to mention that Hogwarts doesn't have that many openly gay blokes. Most of the blokes I fool around with are straight and are just simply looking to get off."

Ginny frowned at that. "Seamus and Will are happy. And George's friend Chris has been dating his boyfriend Leopold for over a year. You can't use that as an excuse."

He shrugged and smiled at her. "It's not really an excuse; maybe I'm just not ready to be in a serious relationship with anybody."

"Why not? You can't be afraid of letting someone get close to you, Theo."

He smiled at her from his cot. "I'll keep that in mind. Now go away and close your eyes; the faster you go to sleep, the faster you'll wake up and we can head to Anguilla."

Ginny beamed at him and turned so that she was lying lengthwise on her bed again. "Goodnight, Theo."

"Night," he said, closing his eyes.

Ginny looked over at him again, her brown eyes moving over his dark brown hair and his long straight nose, high regal cheeks and the lean muscles in his arms. He was very handsome, she thought; he deserved someone. She just wanted him to be happy. She sighed, rolling over and closing her own eyes. This trip was exactly what both of them needed.

And she couldn't wait.

~ ASC ~

When Ginny and Theo went down to breakfast the next morning, Bill was already sitting at the table eating the bacon and eggs that their mum had made for them. They ate eagerly as Bill explained how they would be taking an international portkey off the coast of Devon to bring them straight to Anguilla and that Bill's assistant would be meeting them in Devon to travel with them.

"Assistant?" Ginny asked, her eyes meeting her brother's gaze. "I didn't know that you were bringing anyone along with us?"

Bill nodded, drinking his orange juice. "Yeah. She was assigned to work with me for the summer and when the goblins suggested that we head to the Caribbean to work with curse breakers in the Gringotts WBI, they insisted that she come along to learn about the work."

"What's her name?" Ginny asked.

The back of Bill's neck flushed a bit. "Er, you may have actually met her already. Fleur Delacour?"

Theo's eyes widened. "The Beauxbatons Champion?"

Bill nodded. "She was accepted into the Gringotts Curse Breaking Program back in January and started the week after the tournament. She's very excited and eager. I'm also helping her with her English a bit." The tips of his ears reddened when he said the last part and Ginny smirked at him.

"Helping her with her English, eh?"

Bill gave her a look. "Enough from the peanut gallery. Eat your breakfast and pack up or I'll take the portkey without you."

Ginny only smirked at him, but she didn't say another word.

They finished their breakfast and grabbed their bags. Ginny hugged her parents goodbye and her brothers who all urged her to have a good time and to stay out of trouble, except Fred and George who urged just that, and to come back with a tan. Theo was hugged tightly by her mum before she shooed them off and they headed out with Bill.

When they arrived at their destination, Fleur was already waiting for them. She was in a white sundress with ripe cherries on it. Her beautiful silvery-blonde hair was pinned up in a knot and she smiled warmly at them.

"Bonjour!"

Bill did a quick introduction before they accepted the portkey and took off. Ginny landed hard on her bum as Theo tripped over her legs. She looked up at her brother and saw that he had his arms around Fleur's waist, obviously saving her from falling. He seemed to notice because he quickly let go of her and cleared his throat.

"Well, let's go. We have a little villa that the bank rented out for us to stay in," he said before he led them off towards their little villa.

Ginny's eyes widened when she saw it. The 'little' villa was directly on the beach. It was made from white stone, large archways opening up the house and bringing it out into the sunshine with a terracotta rooftop. The house opened up onto the beach with a small outdoor seating area under a shaded top with plush lounge chairs and benches and a small table to seat four. Inside was a large living room all decorated in warm woods and bright white and blues leading into a large fully stocked kitchen.

The master bedroom had a large king-sized bed with a full double bathroom including a double sink, a jacuzzi tub, and stand-up double wide shower. The two guest rooms each had queen-sized beds and their own private bathrooms. It was the most beautiful house that Ginny had ever seen.

"Bill, it's gorgeous!" she breathed, her eyes taking in everything.

Bill smiled at her. "It really is. I asked for four bedrooms, but I guess beggars can't be choosers."

"Can Theo and I have the master?" Ginny asked, her eyes wide in excitement.

Bill frowned. "I don't really feel comfortable with letting you share a bed with him, Ginny. You can have the master, but Theo can stay on the fold out sofa-bed in the living room."

"Bill! It's a king-sized bed and Theo's practically a girl!"

"Hey!" Theo said, shooting her an amused look. "I feel like I should take offence to that." He grinned. "But I don't. It's sadly true."

"Mum let him stay in my room the last two nights!"

Bill sighed and glanced over at him. "Okay, fine, but Mum doesn't hear about it, clear?"

Ginny squealed and hugged him tightly before she grabbed Theo's hand and dragged him into the master bedroom. Bill and Fleur settled themselves into the other two rooms. Ginny jumped up onto the bed, grinning widely.

"I can't believe that we're really here!"

Theo laughed and jumped up onto the bed with her. They held hands, jumping up and down on the bed like kids until they collapsed in laughter. Theo grabbed his aching side, grinning before he rolled off the bed to grab his bag, flipping through his clothes until he found his bathing trunks.

"Come on! Let's hit the beach."

Ginny watched him head into the bathroom to change and she grinned widely. This holiday was going to be great.

~ ASC ~

Harry and Mandy spent the next few days walking hand in hand along the beach, swimming and snogging as they basked in the sun. Sirius and Remus gave them freedom for the most part as long as they didn't wander too far away from the villa and checked in periodically.

It was how Harry had come to be lying over Mandy on her beach towel in the sand, his hand on her hip as he kissed her the day of his birthday. Her hands were on his arms, squeezing lightly as they snogged. She let out a soft moan when his lips moved to her neck and his hand slid up to cup a breast through her neon pink bathing suit. She had been wearing the dark pink one-piece that he had first seen her in when they were at Hogwarts for the first day and a blue one-piece for the second, but now she had changed into a neon pink two piece that made his mouth water in appreciation of her soft curves.

"Harry," she moaned, kissing his neck.

He grinned down at her, looking into her bright blue eyes. "Mandy."

Mandy smiled and kissed him again, quickly. "You're distracting."

His grin widened. "I can distract you more."

"I know you can," she said with a laugh. "Let's talk."

Harry stood up and held his hand out to her instead. "It's hot. Let's go back in the water."

Mandy sighed. "Harry, we need to talk."

"We will, after," he said, taking her hand in his. "Race you to the water?"

She nodded and she was soon laughing as he sprinted past her and then shouted when he scooped her up into his arms and boldly threw her into the ocean.

"Harry!" she shrieked in laughter as she spluttered to the surface.

Harry grinned widely and waddled in after her, arms moving around her waist and kissing her deeply. It was easy with Mandy, he thought. She made him smile and he felt light and happy with her. He knew that she wanted an explanation for the graveyard and for everything and he didn't know how to tell her. He understood why she wanted to know, but he also knew that he couldn't tell her. He didn't want to tell her.

It wasn't like talking to Ginny or to his friends. This was too big and she simply wouldn't understand it. He knew that. They talked about almost everything else and while he did feel a little guilty keeping the real reason why he had come to Greece a secret from her, he knew that it wasn't something that she needed to know nor was it something that he should tell her. He wasn't even sure if she would understand it nor was it something he wanted to share with her. She talked about her family and her ambitions, filled him on what her friends were up to this summer, told him of her desires and her fears, and talked about the upcoming school year with a smile on her face.

He would talk to her, he thought, but first, he just wanted to kiss her. To do anything to keep his own thoughts and memories from that night at bay. He kissed her again, pressing her against him and she gasped slightly. He knew that he was hard. He had been doing his best to hide it from her all day and had been forced to give himself a quick wank in his room after lunch. But she was so pretty and so sweet and kissing her made him want to touch her; made him want to show her what she did to him.

He slid his hands up her back, bringing one around to cup a round breast. Mandy's eyes were on him. He bent his head and gently kissed the swells of her breasts that he could see over her bathing suit top. He could taste the ocean on her skin and he darted his tongue out to lick the salt and she let her head fall to the side. His mouth moved a little lower and he felt her hard nipple against his cheek through the wet bathing suit top and he boldly swept his tongue over it, making her gasp.

"Harry," she moaned.

They snogged some more. Harry alternating between her lips and her bikini top covered breasts and her hands running over his naked back and chest in appreciation until they were both hot and aroused. Harry broke away from her. He was hard and he needed some distance to keep his sanity, he thought as he swam off. She stood there for a moment, all flushed and smiling before she swam after him.

They swam around, splashing each other and laughing before heading back to the beach to dry off. Once they were settled back on their towels, Mandy turned on her side to look at him.

"Can we talk now?"

His eyebrow rose slightly. "About?"

"You know what about," Mandy said, her eyes on his. "You've been avoiding it."

Harry sighed. He knew that he had been avoiding and it and he kept hoping that she would let it go. "I told you, I already talked it over. I told Ginny and Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus and my family. I have talked about it!"

"But you haven't explained it to me!" Mandy said in annoyance. "Why would You Know Who kidnap you of all people?"

Harry let out a slow sigh. "Because I'm the Chosen One?"

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Don't mock it if you're not going to explain it, Harry!"

Harry crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Voldemort murdered my parents when I was a baby, Mandy, and he tried to kill me, and he failed. Do you think that he's just going to let that stand?"

Mandy stared at him. "So, he kidnapped you for a revenge killing then? How did you escape a second time? How does anyone escape from You Know Who alive? From what my brothers have told me, he killed everyone who opposed him. No one gets away alive."

"Well, I do," Harry said defiantly. "He wants me dead and I fought him and I escaped, okay? First he used my blood to help resurrect his body and then he tortured me and then we duelled and then I escaped. End of story."

Mandy was quiet for a long moment. "Harry, I know how important your friends are to you. My friends are important to me too so, I get it, but… why can Ginny know and I can't? I know that you're keeping something from me."

"Ginny gets me, Mandy. She… she understands, okay! Do you remember what happened in her first year? With the Chamber of Secrets? It was Voldemort who was behind it all and she's faced him and she understands what I'm feeling and what I… I'm sorry, but she knows and she gets it… and you won't."

Hurt flashed across Mandy's eyes for a moment. "You won't even give me a chance to try?"

Harry rolled onto his back, closing his eyes against the bright sun as he spoke quietly. "Mandy, Voldemort wants me dead because he believes me to be the reason for his downfall fourteen years ago. I am the so-called Chosen One and as long as I'm alive, he will hunt me down. That's not keeping something from you, that's just a fact, and if you think that I want to think about that, you're wrong."

She leaned in and gently brushed his hair out of his face. "And he gave you this scar."

Harry swallowed slowly. "He marked me for death and yet neither of us died because my mother sacrificed her life for mine."

Mandy kissed him softly. "I don't mean to pester you. I'm just worried about you."

"Don't be. I'm fine."

She stared at him and then she nodded. "If you change your mind and you do need to talk, you know that I'm always here to listen, right?"

Harry nodded. "I know. I just… I've talked about it and the last thing I want to do is think about the graveyard anymore."

"I respect that, Harry. I won't pester you about it again."

He nodded, relief coursing through him just as a shadow fell over them and Tonks grinned down at them. She was dressed in a bright purple bikini, a purple and gold sarong tied at her waist and she had rainbow mirrored tinted sunglasses on.

"How are you two doing out here?"

Harry grinned. "We're good. The water's wonderful."

"On that I agree," she said with a smile. "We were just talking about heading into the village and renting jet-skis; could be a fun birthday celebration, would you two be interested?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Actually?" He turned to look at Mandy who looked rather hesitant. "I'll drive?"

She grinned. "Okay."

An hour later, Mandy's arms were wrapped tightly around his waist as he raced across the water chasing Sirius and Zee who were ahead. Tonks was racing behind them, Remus' arms around her as she shrieked in joy.

Harry sped up to try to catch Sirius and Zee. He watched as Sirius turned too quickly and he and Zee toppled over and into the water, laughing. Mandy clung to Harry tighter, her face pressed against his back.

"Scared?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "A little bit, but I am really loving getting to snuggle close to my boyfriend like this."

He grinned widely. "Want to go faster?"

Mandy only nodded and then screamed when he sped up and took off across the water, the ocean splashing up around them. It really was an incredible day.

~ ASC ~

After spending time with the jet-skis, the six of them headed back to the villa for dinner. Mandy watched in fascination as Harry cooked dinner for them, since it was his turn and despite it being his birthday, he had insisted on making dinner anyway. He barbecued chicken kebabs with garlic and vegetables seasoned with olive oil, paprika, garlic, pepper, oregano, and thyme. He threw asparagus and yellow beans together in garlic and oil and cooked them in a pan on the barbecue until they were crispy. Then he added a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and feta cheese in a red wine vinegar and olive oil.

"I can't believe that you're such a good cook, Harry," she said in amazement as the six of them sat down to dinner.

He grinned at her and shrugged. "I like to cook. It's like brewing a potion, you just have to take your time and know what you want to make."

Sirius took a bite of his chicken kebab and smiled at Mandy. "We take turns cooking in our home. Zee and Harry are clearly the superior chefs. Remus is next and I'm not too bad and this klutz would set the house on fire if we left her unsupervised."

Tonks pouted. "I take offence to that."

Remus grinned at his mate. "You can't take offence when he's stating a fact, Dora."

Harry heard her kick him out under the table and he grinned.

Mandy told them about her brother's upcoming wedding in August and how excited she was for Tazanna to become part of their family. She said how she and Tazanna had become fast friends, but her mum had taken some time to warm up to her. The wedding was going to be small and in a hall they had rented in a magical village in Ireland.

Tonks asked her questions about the hall and what some of the wedding party was about, earning a smile from Remus.

Harry knew that they were planning a small ceremony before he returned to school, but he didn't really know any of the details yet outside of he and Sirius being the best men. Tonks was obviously busy making plans and it made him smile.

"Tonks?"

"Yeah?" she asked, eating some of the salad.

"When you and Uncle Rem get married, does that mean that I get to you call you Nymphadora?"

Tonks smiled sweetly at him, her voice coming out very bubbly. "Of course, Harry, as long as you don't mind being covered in painful boils every time that you do."

He blanched and Remus chuckled.

Zee lifted her wine glass and grinned at Remus and Tonks. "You know, I don't think that you told us, Tonks, how did Remus propose to you? I know it happened when you were speaking to the wolves."

"Which time?" she asked, grinning at her as Remus' neck flushed.

"Er, well, I drew a bath for her with her favourite wine and her favourite bubbles and her favourite album—"

"—Yeah, yeah," Tonks said, covering his mouth with her hand. "It was incredibly sweet and he presented me with this beautiful ring and I said yes. But the first time, before he had a ring — it was during sex."

Sirius spit his wine out, eyes wide as he goggled at his friend. "You of all people proposed during sex?"

"It wasn't during sex!" Remus protested, pushing Tonks' hand away as she grinned widely at him. "It was… you know, after."

Tonks grinned and smirked at Sirius and Zee. "His finger was still on my clit."

"Um, hello, still in the room and not needing to know this," Harry said, raising his hand in annoyance.

Tonks smirked at him. "Sure, you do."

"Wait, wait, wait," Sirius said, putting his hands up to stare at his friend. "You, Remus John Lupin, proposed during sex?"

Remus sank down into the chair he was sitting in. "It wasn't during — Dora, look what you've let loose!"

Sirius shook his head, grinning like the cat that had just ate the canary. "Harry, I'll have you know, that when your dad was trying to work up the courage to propose to your mum, Moony here kept shooting down all of his ideas. He wanted to go big and wild and have the whole world there and we told him no. It hadn't worked when he tried to ask your mum out, it wasn't the right proposal for her. She needed something intimate for them. And what was the big one again, Rem, you know that one thing that you told him never to do? It's just on the tip of my tongue…"

"Donotproposeduringsex," Remus murmured.

Sirius, if possible, grinned wider as he held his hand up to his ear. "I'm sorry, Moony, I don't think I quite caught that?"

Remus glowered at him. "I told him that whatever he chose to do, to just not propose during sex."

Sirius smirked at him. "And yet, what did you do?"

Tonks was laughing now, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter as she reached across to grab Remus' hand in hers.

Remus kissed her fingers and then glared at Sirius. "I was right about that. Proposing during sex is not a good idea, but for Nymphadora and I… it was right." He kissed her calm and her eyes darkened and her laughter stopped.

She stared at him for a moment. "It was perfect. I had just marked him as mine and it was perfect."

Remus kissed her palm again. "You're perfect."

Mandy was grinning widely as she elbowed Harry. "That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard."

Harry nodded, smiling at his uncle and the woman he considered his sister. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Zee smiled at them. "Well, we are all very happy for you both and Tonks, we're going shopping tomorrow again to find you the perfect dress. We have wedding plans to discuss."

Tonks beamed at her. "Good. I can't wait to marry him."

Remus' smile formed slowly as he tugged her forward and kissed her softly. "I love you."

~ ASC ~

After dinner, Sirius and Zee decided to take a walk on the beach and Remus and Tonks moved outside to work on some wedding plans. Harry and Mandy decided to stay in and put on a film. Since the villa was Muggle owned, they had a television and a VCR set up. There was even a cupboard full of movie options. They spent ten minutes going over the films available before Mandy chose one titled Four Weddings and a Funeral. They curled up on the large sofa, Harry's arm around her and lost themselves in the film.

Mandy teared up during Matthew's speech and he kissed her softly, handing her a tissue from the table that made her smile at him and when the movie ended, he kissed her again, over and over until Sirius' hand cuffed him across the head.

"He's using tongue, Zee, I'm so proud!"

Harry blushed and Mandy laughed.

Sirius grinned at him. "It's after eleven, you two to your own bedrooms. You have five minutes to say goodnight."

Zee took his hand and led him away and Harry heard her mumble something before Sirius responded.

"What? He's obviously become a good kisser, I didn't see Mandy complaining."

Mandy grinned and stood up. "He's quite the character, isn't he?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, he's the best pain in the arse."

She chuckled as she took his hand and led him down the hall to her bedroom door and wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him softly. "Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"He's right though. You really are a very good kisser."

He grinned and kissed her again. "So are you. Goodnight, Mandy."

"Goodnight," she said smiling and turning to let herself into her room.

When the door closed behind her, Harry grinned widely, feeling like he was on top of the world.

~ ASC ~

"Sirius, you really shouldn't tease him about his kissing," Zee said carefully as she changed into her pyjamas that night.

Sirius grinned at her. "He knows that I'm just teasing him. He's happy with Mandy and I like seeing him so happy. He deserves that."

Zee nodded as she tugged her hair down so that it tumbled over her shoulders. "I know that, I just think that you shouldn't tease him so much."

He moved to stand up behind her, slipping a hand under her shirt and cupping a large breast. "Mmm, we'll see." His fingers stroked her nipple and she sighed. "It's been ages," he told her, kissing her neck.

She had to agree. With the tournament and then everything that had followed, they had both been too busy and too worried about Harry. She missed touching him, she realized and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to ride him hard.

"Take off your clothes and get on the bed."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Ooh, aggressive, I like it." He undressed quickly and sat on the end of the bed, his eyes on her.

Zee pulled her tee shirt over her head, her naked breasts bouncing at the movement before she slid her pyjama shorts down her body followed by her knickers and Sirius licked his lips. "Lie back," she ordered.

Sirius did as she instructed and folded his arms behind his head. "I love it when you take charge."

He obviously did because his penis was already hardening and lengthening against his stomach. She grinned and moved forward, spreading his legs wide to stand between them and gripping him in her hands, fondling him gently. Then she bent her head and licked him. He groaned as she moved up further to lick him from base to tip until he stood at full attention and then she grinned.

"Budge up a bit," she demanded.

He did as she asked just as she straddled him and took him inside of her, eliciting a groan from both of them. Sirius placed his hands on her hips and simply held on, eyes wide as she worked her clit, her eyes on his, and it wasn't long before they were both going over.

She snuggled into him, sighing in contentment. "I needed that."

Sirius grinned and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Zee."

She grinned and lifted her head to kiss him. "I love you, too."

~ ASC ~

Tonks smiled at Remus as everyone headed into bed that night. They had most of the wedding planned since they both just wanted something small, but it was approaching quickly. They had decided to marry on the nineteenth of August, giving them a week to themselves before Remus went back to Hogwarts. She was going shopping with Zee the next day to try to find a dress and she was excited and anxious about it. She just wanted something simple; something that was her but was still bride-worthy. She didn't need the big goofy taffeta and lace, just something simple. She moved into his lap, straddling him in the chair and kissed him softly.

"We're finally alone," she said, kissing him again.

He smiled against her lips, his hands resting on her hips as they sat there in the chair snogging for what felt like forever. It surprised him how much he genuinely loved to just snog her. He could do it for hours happily. He sucked on her bottom lip before he pulled away, a little breathless.

"I wish that you didn't have to go back to work in two days."

Tonks smiled at him. "Me neither, but if I want that week with you to celebrate our marriage with a honeymoon, I can't stay here any longer."

Remus nodded, his head falling back as her lips worked their way down his neck. "Let's go for a walk."

He stood up, startling her, but his arms were still around her until they reached the water and she slid down his body to her own feet. He took her hand in his and they walked in companionable silence for almost fifteen minutes until they reached an area that seemed secluded from the rest of the beach. It was well past midnight and no one was around, but he tugged her down into the warm sand behind the rocks, the water brushing their feet and kissed her deeply.

Tonks moaned against him and then her eyes widened when he sprawled on his back and tugged her down on top of him. She kissed him again, smiling.

Remus kissed her before he cupped her chin. "I want to taste you."

Tonks immediately closed her legs to the flood of arousal that flooded her as he tugged her bathing suit bottoms down and urged her to sit on his chest. She could see over the rock this way and there was no one in sight which was good because his strong hands were guiding her hips up his chest until his tongue swiped over her and she let out a low whimper. Soon his tongue was too busy for her to care if the entire village caught them and she fisted her hands in his hair, crying out as she came.

Remus simply suckled her clit between his teeth and nipped, rolling his tongue around it and sucking harder and she gasped, her hips bucking above him desperately. And when she came a second time, his tongue worked out her orgasm before he lifted her off of him and into the sand, tugging her up to her knees and freeing himself from his own bathing trunks and slipping deeply into her with a loud groan.

Tonks gasped, her fingers digging into the wet sand as he rode her hard. His thick length pounding into her so deeply, filling her, and reminding her that he was all hers; a part of her. She sat up, changing the angle and turning her head to kiss him. He pulled out and tossed her back onto the sand, slipping into her from the side and she screamed as another orgasm tore through her. She slid her fingers down to the mark on his thigh and pressed it with her fingers. Remus' eyes darkened as her other hand slid along his sac, caressing and squeezing until he grunted, then he wrapped her legs around his waist and slid deeper into her. His eyes widened and he buried his face in her breasts as he came.

As the orgasm tore through him, she came again and she kept her legs locked around him, running a hand down his back over the light blue tee shirt he still wore.

"Guess we can check beach sex off our list," she said making him lift his head just enough to grin at her.

"We have a list?"

Tonks grinned at him. "Oh, I do. So far Greece has given us the ocean and the beach."

"Our room doesn't count?"

"No. And neither does the shower," she added, remembering how just that morning he had knelt before her in the shower and used his mouth so wickedly that she had screamed.

"Good thing I know my woman and used a silencing charm on the bathroom first."

Tonks grinned wider and slid her hands between them to caress the mark on his thigh. "Rem?"

"Hmm," he asked, his nose sliding over her nipple as he rubbed his head against her bikini top clad breasts.

"When we get married, the sex is still going to be mind-blowing, right?"

Remus grinned and sucked her nipple through the suit. "Well, I'm not sure if mind-blowing will last forever, but I do plan on spending as much time as possible in between working, eating, and sleeping with my tongue and cock inside of you. I want to shag you from every angle, on and against every surface. I want to do naughty things to you and with you. And… I want you to sneak into my office and blow me under my desk again."

"Remus!" she said in surprise, her eyes darkening in pleasure. "I thought you didn't like that."

"No," he growled. "I didn't like that you made me come with McGonagall standing right there… but I kind of did."

She grinned wickedly. "Remember when we had sex in Snape's office and you left your butt imprint on his blackboard?"

"I remember eating you out on his desk and knocking an ink pot to the ground," he said, licking her nipple again.

Tonks smirked. "You sitting in Dumbledore's chair in the Great Hall like a king while I rode this big beautiful cock was a sight to behold."

"You're a bad influence, Nymphadora," he said, his cock swelling inside of her.

She moaned and arched her hips up to meet him. "I wouldn't have to be if you weren't so insatiable."

Remus grinned and tugged her bikini top down, freeing her right breast for his mouth as he rode her hard into the sand. "I'm going to keep you here with my cock buried inside of you until the sun comes up," he said, his hips pounding her as she cried out in pleasure. "And then I'm going to shag you in the ocean."

Tonks cried out as pleasure soared through her and when he pressed his thumb over her, her hands slid up his bum, squeezing. She came hard and he swiped his tongue across her nipple greedily before he pulled out and changed positions, his fingers pushing into her as he sucked on her ear.

"Again, Dora."

Tonks buried her fingers in his hair as she simply held on for dear life. She couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with this man.

---

End Author's Note:

My Beta had this comment about the bit on Dumbledore's chair and I had to chuckle and share: I can almost imagine the expressions of the hundreds of portraits in there or the ghosts who passed through. XD

Now I'm cackling LOL!

PS — it was time for some much needed fluff which will continue into the next chapter.

Thanks for reading and please review!