Author's Note:

Reviews: I am very impressed with the amount of people who are sympathetic to Draco at this point. I guess you'll have to wait and see what happens there. Narcissa, Draco, and Lucius definitely need to make some decisions and unfortunately, you won't be finding those out just yet ;) Love the idea of cutting off Lucius' arm and the three of them running away, very clever, but no, LOL. Thank you, PurpleLotus: "That chapter was epic. The way your characters expressed, experienced, and lived their grief was so spot on. It moved me to tears to the point that I had trouble reading due to the blur of tears. I wiped my eyes and even had to blow my nose a few times. I mean my daughter actually asked me if I was okay when I was about halfway through it. This does not happen often with me, but you really touched a chord and it felt like I was the one losing a dear loved one. Damn you are good. I am destroyed that Sirius is gone, yet now I am eager to see where you take us next." I am honoured that this chapter affected as many people as it affected me. I felt like I was losing a loved one as well and it will be hard to move on from, for all of us, just as much as the characters themselves.

To MoD366: Thank you! That would have been a great Remus comment indeed, but Remus is still very much in shock himself and throwing that in the mix was a little much for him to handle. He's so focused on Harry and Zee that he hasn't even given himself a moment to grieve yet. To zacnelson0628: Mickey and Minnie are definitely going to be the twins' names, how did you guess? Just kidding. That's just cruel. To midnitewanderer: I thought that the moment with Ginny was critical, she needed the chance to help Harry realize he's not alone. He has her and he has Zee and he has Remus and Tonks and this huge extended family who love him and will be there to support him.

To smallwjl: It's not that I don't want to be inclusive to everyone, it's just that I don't want to invent people to be a certain way (Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans) without imagining them being that way myself. To me, I just pictured Theo as gay — it fit, and I modelled him off a friend of mine; the way he talks, the way he acts… so it works for me. Dean is for sure Bi as well, but in my opinion, he is, and he isn't. He likes girls, but in my head, the only bloke he has ever been attracted to and ever will be, is Seamus. He is his "person" and no can tell me any differently. Colin is Bi, I touched upon that, but my main thing is that I won't write about someone's love life if I am not passionate about who they are with. I won't just write about it to write about it. As to lesbians and trans, it's the same idea — I have to see this character as this way in mind before I can even consciously think about writing it, let alone do it. I am passionate about what I write and I need to be invested in my characters and their personalities. I do have one person in mind that I imagine to be a lesbian and there is something about that coming up eventually, but it took me a long time to get there. I won't invent people in this story to be that way just to do it.

To lysen5972: I had to add in the Moomy and Dadfoot moment; too iconic not to. To LadyPhoenix68: Sirius' will didn't claim a guardian for Harry because in Sirius' mind, it wouldn't be questioned that Harry would stay with Remus. He never imagined that anyone would even try to take Harry away from him. It was naïve of him to think so, but it was what he believed. He and Remus were both Harry's fathers so if one of them were killed, the other would be there to pick up the pieces. To Aande7: I'm glad I could make a terrible night better with my chapter and thank you for all that you do! Nurses deserve all the praise, especially during this pandemic time. To Lolikiano: Some things from the books will still be very much present, but I can promise you, Sirius' impact will have changed a lot. To Stolen Initials: This cracked me right up — "Going into the 6th year now... Ohhh boy! Very curious where things will lead simple because your universe is so different! Will Dumbledore die? When will Hermione and Ron finally get together? Tune in next week for the start of part 7!" But technically, it's tune in for the start of Part 8, lol. To HGRHfan35: 1000% testament to your good taste that you recognized all of those songs.

Losing Sirius was hard on all of us, thank you for reading and for loving him as much as I do.

As I've said, if this story was a series, this would be the beginning of part eight.

Part I — Chapters 1-49: Harry's first year with his dads

Part II — Chapters 50-61: Harry growing up with a family, ages 7-11

Part III — Chapters 62-73: First year

Part IV — Chapters 74-105: Second year

Part V — Chapters 106-143: Third year

Part VI — Chapters 144-179: Fourth year

Part VII — Chapters 180-222: Fifth year

Part VIII — Chapters 223-present: Sixth year

My posting schedule: Once a week.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

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!

CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THREE:

When Harry came out of the kitchen after the will reading, he felt more lost than he could explain. He felt relieved, he felt grief, but he felt like himself. He wasn't sure how to deal with that mix of emotions. He stood by the door unsure of where to go when an arm came around his shoulders and steered him into the yard. When he looked up, Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus were all standing there.

Seamus pulled a bottle of whiskey out of his robes. "I brought along some Jameson. Let's have a toast to Sirius Black."

Harry nodded and accepted the generous pour from his friend. He brought the cup to his lips and the five of them took a sip. It burned as it went down, but he found that it helped. He felt more steady.

"Thanks, I needed that," he told them, surprised by how much he meant it. The Jameson had steadied him in ways that he hadn't realized he needed to be steadied. He looked around at his friends and the lump that had been forming in his throat most of the day finally disappeared.

Ron slapped his hand on Harry's back. "Did the reading go okay?"

He shrugged. "It was... he made a message... last year after Voldemort... it was hard to watch. It felt so real, like he was just here. He was joking and… it was like I could see him again. He was here."

Seamus nodded. "He is, mate. I've always believed that people don't really leave you. He'll always be with you."

"Yeah," Harry murmured, holding his cup out.

Seamus grinned and poured Harry a second cup just as a hand clasped Harry's shoulder. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was; Seamus' face was more than telling. "Er… it's water, Professor."

Remus snorted. "Do you think that I was born yesterday, Mr Finnigan?"

Harry glanced back at his father. "We're toasting Uncle Sirius."

"Are you?" Remus asked, his eyes on his son.

Harry stared at him, unsure if he was angry or not before Remus sighed. "Oh, what the hell — pour me a shot, Seamus."

Seamus grinned widely and did just that. "To Sirius."

"To Sirius," they said as they all drank it back.

Remus nodded. "That's enough now, boys. Harry, if Zee finds out that you're out here drinking, I'm not saving you."

Harry grinned at that. "Thanks, Uncle Rem."

It warmed Harry to know that Zee would be angry if she found him drinking. Despite losing Sirius, he wasn't alone, and for the first time since he'd watched Sirius fall, he was fully aware of the love of his family. His family was here for him as he was for them and no matter what came next, they would take the next step together.

"Harry, people are starting to head home," Remus told him, interrupting his thoughts.

He nodded and handed the glass back to Seamus, who immediately stowed it in his robes. "Got it."

"Come on, Harry," Ron said quietly. "Nev and I will help you say goodbye to those leaving."

Harry let his friends lead him off, feeling better with their presence. Sometimes, it was the little things that made all the difference.

As Harry went back into the house, Remus turned to look over at Dean and Seamus.

"You boys are good friends. He's lucky to have you."

Dean smiled. "Thanks, Professor Lupin. We're sorry about Mr Black."

Remus nodded. "Thank you. Now, I suggest that you boys hide that whiskey. I don't even know where you got it from and no, I don't want to know," he added as Seamus smirked at him.

Remus watched them head back to the house and he leaned back against the stone, closing his eyes. He heard her coming before she took his hand. With his eyes still closed, he brought it to his lips to kiss her fingers.

"How's Harry?"

"He's doing all right, I think," he lowered his voice to a whisper, tugging her up against him. "He was drinking out here with his mates."

"Remus!" she hissed.

He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her. "No, I think it's okay. We did a toast to Sirius."

Tonks tilted her head back to look up at him. "Sirius would have liked that. Why don't we stay in Sidmouth again tonight?"

Remus nodded. "I'd like that. He says that he'll be all right with everything but... I'd like that. I'll go let Zee know."

Tonks stood on her toes to kiss him softly. "I'll go find her. Keep an eye on Harry."

He nodded and watched her hurry off, turning to find his father-in-law standing before him.

"I saw you drinking out here with those boys," Ted said quietly.

Remus flushed. "We did a toast to Sirius and then I made them put it away."

Ted nodded. "That was a good idea, I think. It's nice of you to acknowledge their need for it."

"Fuck, I needed it," Remus told him. "I miss him, Ted. He's been my family for over twenty years and now he's just... what — fucking gone?"

Ted reached out to put his hand on Remus' shoulder. "I know. It's tough to comprehend. He was a good man. The two of you really stepped up in raising Harry, Remus. You two were still kids yourselves, but you came out of the woodwork and you gave that boy a loving home. He came from hell and you showed him love, you showed him kindness, compassion, and respect. You gave him a loving home. Losing Sirius… that's a blow to all of us, but Harry still has one father, and I know that you won't let him down."

Remus bit his lip. "I'm not saying that I didn't raise him, because I did, but Siri was his constant. I didn't live there, Ted."

Ted nodded. "True, you didn't live there. Do you think that matters to Harry?"

Remus' whiskey coloured eyes were a storm of emotions when he shook his head. "No, no, it doesn't matter. It's just... I don't know."

Ted smiled sympathetically, patting Remus on the back. "If you or Harry need anything, Dromeda and I are always here. But you'll be all right. You'll see."

"Yeah," Remus said quietly, his eyes on where Harry was shaking people's hands by the door. Ron and Neville flanked him on either side with Ginny, Hermione, and Luna nearby offering a comforting presence to their friend. "Yeah, I think we will be."

~ ASC ~

Ron glanced over at his sister in surprise when they returned to the Burrow a little while later. "You didn't go back with him?"

Ginny shook her head. "I thought that he and Zee deserved some alone time. Did Hermione go home?"

"Yeah. She's still getting tired really easily and her parents want her to rest. I left her talking with Harry."

"But she's okay?"

"She's going to be, but some more days of rest will be good for her," he told her.

Ginny's eyes fell to the swirling scars on her brother's arms. "And you?"

"I'm fine, Ginny. It's... strange to see them in the mirror, but they don't hurt or anything. I told Hermione that I might drop in a few days and check in on her."

"Are you going to tell her that you're in love with her?"

"What? No — I'm not... fuck! She told you, didn't she?"

Ginny only shrugged. "Seems to me if it keeps happening, it means something."

"See!" Ron exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "That's what I tried to tell her, but she says no!" He sighed in frustration before he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I just have to come to terms with the fact that she doesn't like me that way, Gin, she just... I don't know. We were supposed to talk about it after OWLs but… well, that didn't happen as you were kidnapped and it all went to shit… then with Sirius dying. It's not the right time."

"There you two are!" Bill exclaimed from the back door of the kitchen and making them both turn. "Get in here — Weasley family meeting."

Ron rolled his eyes. "That's never good."

But they trudged up the back stoop and into the house where their brothers were all sitting around the table.

"Where's Mum and Dad?" Ron asked.

Bill shook his head. "Percy and I already spoke to them. Look — with Sirius getting killed, Percy and I were discussing the role that he played in the Wizengamot. Sirius was great there. He had a way of getting people to listen to him. He helped get a lot of great ideas passed and with his hard work, the Ministry was turning into a better place. They were helping make the world a better place. We want to see more of that and we're a little concerned that with his death, people might forget that."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "How does that concern us?"

"If you'd stop interrupting, Ronald, maybe you'd find out," Percy interjected.

Ron stuck his tongue out at his brother as Bill continued.

"The Weasleys haven't held a seat in the Wizengamot since the early thirties. Our uncles and cousins are uninterested in doing so and Dad always claims that he's too busy working with the Muggles — but it's got to stop. We need to step up and reclaim our family name. We should have a voice in our world. We should be campaigning to help bring forth this change."

"So, Bill and I have decided to take two of the Weasley seats."

Fred's mouth dropped open. "Wait, what?"

"I'm of age to sit on the Wizengamot, albeit younger than most, but there are five Weasley seats available and currently unclaimed. Bill and I would like to take two of them and work on some of the reforms that Sirius was helping to organize," Percy explained. "What do you lot think?"

Ginny grinned widely. "I think it's bloody brilliant!"

Percy gave her a pleased look. "Thank you, Ginevra. The Weasleys might not have the clout that we did once upon a time, but reclaiming a seat will go a long way in that department. Bill and I think that we can do some real good here."

"Like reconstruction on the Ministry for starters," Bill added. "Not just cosmetic either, but to change some of the structure from the inside. For example, we've been making allies with magical creatures, yet we still have a department that works on regulating and controlling them. How can we be allies with them when we are still considering them to be less than human? It's little changes that need to happen."

"Like Hermione's bill?" Ron asked.

Percy nodded. "That would be part of it, yes. We just think that we can do some good and maybe get some of the members to listen, that's all."

"I think it's brilliant," Ginny repeated. "Percy, you'd be so good at that."

"Thanks, Ginevra."

"The thing is," Bill began. "It's not cheap."

Fred raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The reason that our seat hasn't been filled, Fred, is because the yearly stipend is one hundred Galleons. Most lords and ladies of the Wizengamot still come from old money, so they don't even notice it coming from their pocket, but those of us that don't..."

Ron's cheeks flushed. "So for the two of you to serve, you need two hundred Galleons? Blimey."

Bill nodded. "It's the main reason why the Weasleys lost their seat in the House of Lords and Ladies, but now, we can pay it. Percy and I make decent money, but it's still a bit of a hit. It's a once a year payment and we reclaim two of the lord seats for the Weasley family."

"I thought that when you sat on the Wizengamot you made money?" Ron asked, his brow furrowed. "Why do you have to pay to be there?"

Bill shook his head. "It's complicated. You're voted in through your magic and through the acceptance of the Sovereign Chalice, but to get there, you have to pay the government the price of the seat. Once you're voted in, you receive a yearly salary based on how many sessions you attend and in the end, it outweighs the original price of the seat, but it's the money upfront that makes it a problem."

"Don't you have to work in the Ministry to claim a seat?" George asked.

"Old family names are given allowances to serve as long as they can pay in and the chalice accepts them," Bill explained. "But Percy does work in the Ministry and I work with Gringotts. This means that I have an understanding with the goblins, which in turn is good for the Ministry. Plus Dad running his own department, no matter how small, gives the Weasley name clout and therefore give some to us, as his sons. Not to mention our cousins who work in the Ministry. People know the Weasley name."

Ron nodded. "You two are really serious about this."

"Entirely," Bill told him. "We want to try to help promote change and we think that by sitting with the council, we can help do so. Voldemort attacked the Ministry and he had every chance to step in and take over it and yet he didn't. That's worrisome, and the last thing that we want is for him to jump in there again and take over. We need to be ready and I think having as many people willing to help out, to throw ideas into the ring, and to help make our community better, will only strengthen the Ministry's power."

Fred stared at him. "George and I are making products for the Ministry left and right. Between what the Auror Department has requested and the new Defence Department on top of Ron and Hermione's coins, we're doing really, really well. We'll pay for half, it's a Weasley seat after all."

"No," Bill said. "I couldn't ask that of you."

"You didn't ask, we're offering," Fred told him. "And you know if Charlie had come home he'd be saying the same damn thing."

"Those coins," Ron said slowly. "The Ministry paid me a fee for helping to create them. I make a monthly dividend based on how many they make. It's a decent amount of money. I want to contribute, too."

"I have some money saved up as well," Ginny began.

"No, Firecracker," Bill told her. "That money is a gift to you. We won't take it."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean that I can't —"

"— Whoa, Gin, slow down there!" Fred interrupted. "Bill just means that we have money coming in from work and your savings is just that, your savings. You keep that for yourself, Gem."

Ginny crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I can give five bloody Galleons."

Percy nodded, speaking before any of their brothers could protest again. "Thank you, Ginevra. Bill and I would appreciate that."

Bill smiled at her and nodded. "Yes, thank you. We have to pay in before the next session, which is the second Friday in July, and then have to be magically accepted by the Wizengamot and the Sovereign Chalice. But since we're all Weasleys here, I'd like for you to throw any ideas mine and Percy's way to help out. You never know what could help turn this war for the better."

"Sounds good," Ron said.

Everyone took off to go their separate ways, but Ron moved around the table to where Bill was.

"Hey, got a second?"

Bill stared at him a moment and then nodded. "I'll meet you by the pond in ten."

Ron nodded and made his way outside to wait for his brother. He sat down in the shade of the large hawthorn tree by the pond, stretching his long legs out in the grass. Bill showed up ten minutes later with two beers and passed one to him.

"If Mum catches you, I had nothing to do with it."

"Thanks!" Ron said in surprise, clinking bottles with his brother. He popped open the top and took a long sip, the beer smooth and surprisingly good.

"So," Bill began. "Do I need to go over the sex stuff again?"

"No," Ron said quickly, remembering the talk his brothers had given him a few years back. "No, I — I think I'm good there." He took another drink of the beer as Bill stared at him.

"Have you done it?"

Ron shook his head. "No."

Bill nodded, looking out at the pond. "I figured that's what you needed to talk to me about?"

"Partly," Ron admitted. "How old were you when you... you know?"

"Had sex? If you can't say it, Ron, you're not ready."

"That's not..."

Bill smiled at him and took a drink of his beer. "I was sixteen, three months to the day of my seventeenth birthday. Are you thinking that you might be ready to have sex?"

Ron shrugged. "Maybe. It's… complicated."

"How so?"

"I kissed Hermione," Ron blurted.

Bill's eyebrow rose. "About fucking time!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"About fucking time — that's what it's supposed to mean. Merlin, Ron, you've been pining after her for years."

"I haven't been pining!"

Bill gave him a pointed look as he took another sip of his beer. "What do you call making eyes at her then?"

"Piss off," Ron muttered as Bill smirked at him.

"So, you kissed her then, what's the deal?"

"She — she says that it's a fluke."

Bill raised his eyebrow. "She says what now?"

"We kissed back before Christmas," Ron quickly explained. "We were exploring the Chamber of Secrets looking for, you know, a Horcrux." At Bill's nod, he continued. "So, Hermione and I split up, and we found this old Roman bath. We decided to go for a swim and when we got out, I went to help her, and I don't know… she was just in a vest and her knickers and she fell against me... I don't know which one of us kissed who. But it was... incredible."

Bill nodded. "What happened after you kissed?"

"That's it, I don't know. We kissed and then she said it was a fluke, that we were best friends and how it was an accident and wouldn't happen again, and I guess I was just surprised. I didn't say anything and well, I thought that was her way of letting me down easy, you know? Like maybe she doesn't really like me that way? I mean, Merlin knows I'm not good enough for her, she's completely brilliant and I'm just… me. But then it happened again a few months later and it was even more incredible, way better than the first time. If we hadn't been interrupted, I don't even know if we would have... stopped."

Bill's eyebrow rose. "She still said it was a fluke?"

"Insists on it. She says that we're friends and that nothing can happen and I was upset and well — fucking randy, so I told her that it may have been a fluke, but three times makes a pattern and she told me there wouldn't be a third time so not worry about it!"

"But there was?"

Ron nodded. "Right before OWLs, I found her in the common room in the middle of the night. I'd just had a wicked nightmare about finding Crouch's body and... she was freaking out over exams, and I just pulled her into my lap and told her to kiss me. She did."

"What did you say to her, Ron?"

Ron sighed. "I told her that it's not a fluke and that we have to talk about it. She got all flustered and said that we'd talk after our OWLs, and I agreed. But then after exams, Ginny and Theo were kidnapped… and then we fought Death Eaters and ended up at St Mungo's and now Sirius is dead and we just went to his funeral..."

Bill nodded. "Obviously you two have to talk, but I can see the dilemma. There's a lot going on, but Ron, this war is happening. I know Mum thinks that I'm rushing things with Fleur, but when it's right, it's right — and that woman drives me mad with love for her. I can't imagine my life without her, and with Sirius dying it only shows me how quickly that life can be snuffed out. Find the time to talk to her and don't just say it's not a fluke. Women want to be told how we feel."

"I'm not good with words. I always muck it up. I never say it right."

Bill smiled. "Write it down then. But you need to tell her. You'll regret it if you don't."

Ron sighed as he drank his beer. "Yeah... it's just never a good time, Bill."

Bill clinked his bottles with Ron. "You make the time. And Ron?"

Ron swallowed the sip of beer he had just taken as he looked over at his brother.

"Don't ever say that she's too good for you — because she's not. Hermione may very well be the brightest witch of her age, but you have a lot going for you as well. You're smart and resourceful. Hermione's a great young woman, but if she doesn't see how great you are, then she doesn't deserve you. I don't want to hear you ever put yourself down like that ever again."

Ron stared at him in surprise. Bill's hair brushed the tops of his shoulders and he had it pulled back from his face in a low plait. He had a two day stubble beard that glinted golden red in the sun. The fang in his ear dangled just so and Ron found himself staring at the curse breaking tattoo on his wrist. Bill was the coolest person he knew and hearing him say those words made him feel incredibly special. "Er, thanks."

Bill tapped his fingers on his knee. "I can't imagine what it's like being the youngest brother, but I know that being the oldest gave me a lot of responsibility. I was always minding you lot, helping Mum and Dad keep you out of trouble. I felt like I had to be the best at everything, to set a good example for my brothers."

"You are the best at everything," Ron told him. "You were Head Boy and you got all the girls and now you're a curse breaker… Charlie was Quidditch captain and he was recruited to play for the Wimbourne Wasps and he turned them down before he even left Hogwarts to work at the dragon reserve. Percy was Head Boy and got amazing grades and then a job at the Ministry. Fred and George opened, designed, and created their own business before they finished school… I can't live up to any of that!"

Bill nudged him lightly. "You're right. You have some pretty cool big brothers. But, my littlest brother is best friends with Harry Potter. He saved a girl from a mountain troll when he was eleven, and then at twelve went on to defeat McGonagall's giant chess board and flew a flying car from London to Scotland. At thirteen, he escaped an army of Acromantulas before he jumped down a tunnel where he knew a Basilisk resided to save his sister. He went after a girl when she was taken hostage by a Death Eater without a thought for his own safety at fourteen. He found the tortured dead body of a high ranking Ministry official and kept the same girl from seeing it. He's an incredible Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and he held his own in a battle against Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries… he sure doesn't sound like much of a slouch to me. It seems to me that us Weasleys have to live up to him."

Ron flushed a dark red. "Well, I mean… none of those were…"

Bill smiled at him. "Not to mention that you have the same broad shoulders and height as me, the sexiest Weasley by far. You're getting quite a bit of stubble there as well. Have you tried to see if you can grow a beard yet?"

Ron shook his head. "Nothing really connects, it's all… patchy."

Bill nodded. "Give it time. I bet Hermione might like you with a beard."

Ron blushed at that and took another drink before he snuck a look over at his brother. "So, sixteen huh?"

Bill smirked. "Miranda Hutchinson. I mentally recited the entire chapter on contraception charms to try to stop myself from coming the moment I entered her. It was quick, but pretty great. The first few times are a learning curve, but when you find the right one... I could spend hours making love to Fleur and never tire of it. She's amazing. It's not just that she's beautiful either, she's smart and witty and we take care of each other. Not to mention, the sex is fucking stupendous."

Ron snorted. "Well, when your woman looks like she does…"

Bill elbowed him. "A real man knows how to treat his woman good and isn't afraid to take risks with his feelings, remember that." He clinked his beer with Ron's again and stood up. "Don't wait until it's too late to tell her."

Ron watched him head off and he gulped down more of his beer as he stared out at the pond. Life was short, he thought. He'd make the time to tell Hermione how he felt. He would.

Just not quite yet.

~ ASC ~

Harry stepped into Black Cottage after leaving Ted and Andy's and let out a slow sigh. He wasn't sure what to do now.

Zee squeezed his hand as she closed the front door behind them. "Why don't you go upstairs and change into something more comfortable? Remus and Tonks are going to come by in a bit and stay the night with us."

He nodded and made his way upstairs, his eyes on the picture frames that decorated the wall leading up to the second level. They hadn't changed the photos in a few years, he noted. Remus holding him as a baby; Sirius in front of his bike; Remus, Sirius, and Harry in the treehouse; baby Harry in between James and Lily; Harry riding the child-size motorbike in his leather jacket and sunglasses next to Sirius in the same; Sirius and Zee standing by Zee's motorbike and laughing… the photos made him smile and made his heart hurt at the same time.

He continued his path upstairs and smiled when he saw the little end table in the hall that held a picture of Harry, Sirius, and Zee in Georgia by the waterfall. The wall by his bedroom had a photo of Remus, Sirius, and Harry at Langjikull in the lava caves, and the wall on the other side of his bedroom door had a picture of Harry, Sirius, and Zee in front of the farmhouse in Georgia. When he entered his room, his eyes found the many photos on his wall of him and his fathers, him and his friends, along with ones of him with Zee and Tonks. There were also photos of his grandparents and the Marauders and he smiled at the sight of them. He walked over to the memory chest that Sirius and Remus had given him and he carefully lifted the lid, eyes moving over the many vials there. He had memories, he thought, he had memories of all of his parents in here and he would always have them.

Hedwig flew in through the open balcony doors and landed on his arm. He stroked her wing affectionately and put her down on his desk before he rummaged through his dresser for something to wear. He voted on a pair of blue jeans and a white tee shirt that said, 'whatever.' The shirt had belonged to Sirius when he was a teenager and Harry smiled at himself in the mirror.

He tucked both of his wands into his jeans and made his way downstairs. He found Zee sitting in the living room, still dressed in her attire from the funeral, holding her stomach.

"Are you all right? I thought that you were over that flu?" he asked her, moving to sit next to her on the sofa.

Lady Godiva, who had been lying beneath her mistress' feet, put her head in Zee's lap. Zee reached out to stroke the panther behind the ears.

"Harry, there's something that I need to tell you," Zee said slowly. "I was going to wait to tell you in a few days, after everything… settled, but… I need to tell you now."

Harry only raised an eyebrow. "Er, okay."

"I was sick, as you know, but... it's not a flu," Zee said carefully, her eyes meeting his. "I mean, it was a flu, I think at first anyway, but now I'm experiencing morning sickness, which apparently can happen anytime of the day that it wants to."

"Morning sickness?" Harry asked, staring at her in puzzlement. "What's that? Another kind of flu?"

Zee shook her head and let out a slow breath. "As Sirius so eloquently put it in his will — I'm up the duff."

Harry's eyes widened. "What? Really?"

"And not just one, of course, but twins. I'm pregnant with twins."

Harry stared at her, his eyes wide. "Did Uncle Sirius know?"

She nodded, biting her bottom lip. "I suspected and the day he... the day he died, Remus confirmed it for me. He could hear the babies heartbeats. Siri was so happy and we just... we had to go to the Ministry. You needed us and… he was really happy."

"I'm sorry."

Zee shook her head, pulling him into her arms. "Harry… we didn't plan this. It was a surprise — a good surprise. It's not how I imagined doing things. But I'm going to have these babies and I know that they'd love to meet their big brother when it's time."

Harry's gaze dropped to her flat stomach. "There's really two babies in there?"

She chuckled and nodded. "There really is. I went to a healer last week. The babies are the size of plums right now and by this time next week, they will be the size of lemons. I'm due in the middle of January."

"Wow," Harry whispered.

Zee took his hands in hers. "I know that it's a shock. It surprised me as well, but this is a gift, Harry. Siri, he... he left me a part of him. He left us a part of him. These babies are going to be so loved."

"I... what do you need me to do?"

Zee kissed his cheek. "Nothing, sweetie. We're just going to love them."

"I can do that," he said, surprising himself. "Wow, babies."

Zee grinned widely. "I know. I think that I'm still slightly in shock myself. So, if I'm puking my guts out, don't worry about it, is essentially what I'm saying."

Harry chuckled. "Er, all right."

Zee kissed his cheek again. "You and me, we're going to be okay. I can feel it."

He nodded. "It still feels a bit like a dream."

"I think so, too."

Harry sat up a little. "Zee, Uncle Sirius' estate... it should be for the twins."

Zee shook her head. "No, sweetie. He left that to you."

"Only because when he made his will, he didn't know about their existence."

She smiled. "Don't you worry about us. I can support myself and these babies, Mr Potter."

A small grin curved his lips. "I know that, Miss Zacarias — but I want them to have it. We can open a new vault for them."

Zee smiled and reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes. "We have lots of time, Harry. I'm only twelve weeks along. And Sirius left that money for you."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Marquess, remember? I don't need it."

She chuckled. "We'll be fine."

Harry stared at her, seeing the look of determination in her eyes and he knew that she was right. "Yeah, we will be."

Zee smiled at him. "Now, let's talk about what we're going to do this summer."

Harry frowned. "Do?"

She nodded. "With everything that's been going on here... I think that getting out of Britain for a few weeks is a smart idea. We could both use the break."

"Georgia?"

She nodded. "I was thinking about it, yeah."

"Can Ginny come?"

Zee smiled. "Absolutely."

"I'm in."

She chuckled before she cleared her throat, her eyes sobering. "There's a lot going on here, Harry. The Ministry is recuperating and the Defence System is still trying to figure itself out. I'm due for a holiday and I thought that it would be good for us to go. I want to see Grandma and Grandpa, too. I want to tell them about the babies and take some time away from all of this, from the pain of losing Sirius. I think that we need to go, the both of us. Remus and Tonks can come along as well if they'd like, but I want to go maybe next week. Mama and Papa will probably meet us there like last time."

"Sounds brilliant," Harry told her.

"I also want to go while I can still travel. Once I hit my third trimester, I won't be able to take an international portkey so, this summer is our chance for that."

Harry stared at her. "Third trimester?"

Zee chuckled. "We'll learn the baby stuff together, yeah?"

Harry grinned at her. "Yeah, okay. You'll tell me if I can help in any way?"

Zee leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Absolutely."

Harry's gaze dropped back to her stomach again. "Twins. Wow."

Zee chuckled and linked her arm with his. "Wow, indeed."

~ ASC ~

Harry stood out on his balcony looking out into the garden that evening. He'd changed into pyjama bottoms but hadn't bothered with a shirt as the warm breeze reminded him that summer was on its way. Hedwig was perched on the rail next to Persephone and he stroked both of their wings as he looked out at the treehouse and out into the night sky. He could see the ocean through the trees in the distance, and the stars twinkled above him.

"Harry?"

He turned and saw Remus standing in the doorway of his bedroom and he smiled. "Hey."

Remus stepped inside, closing Harry's bedroom door behind him. He stepped out onto the balcony and looked out into the yard. "Still have the best view in the whole house."

He grinned. "Yeah."

"How are you holding up?"

Harry shrugged. "Okay, I guess. It feels… after the will, it feels more… final."

Remus nodded. "I agree with you there. It was good to see him, even if he wasn't really there."

Harry turned to look over at him. "You knew Zee was pregnant."

It wasn't a question, but Remus nodded. "I could smell it on her, the difference that is, but I didn't quite connect it until I heard the heartbeats."

"You can hear the babies?"

"Yeah."

"That's kind of brilliant, Uncle Moony."

Remus chuckled. "And scary. When I heard your heartbeat for the first time, I didn't know what it was. I didn't understand where it was coming from. I knew there was something different about your mum, but I couldn't pinpoint it. When Lily told us that she was pregnant, it suddenly all made sense. This time I didn't need an explanation, I knew exactly what I was hearing. Are you okay with her being pregnant?"

He shrugged. "I was surprised, but… she says that I'm going to be a big brother and that's kind of… cool."

"Big brother, godfather, cool uncle… you'll be sixteen years old by then, you can be any and all of those roles. They're going to look up to you, Harry."

Harry smiled at that. "I want to be all of those things. I want to tell them all about how amazing their father is — was." Harry let out a slow breath as he caught himself. "He should be here to see them, Uncle Moony. Zee needs him. She said that she's fine, but… there's stuff that she's going to need, right? Stuff that Uncle Siri should be here to do for her?"

Remus smiled at him. "Nymphadora and I will be here to help her and so will you."

"I don't know what to do," he admitted. "I don't know anything about babies or pregnancy. Zee said that she might be puking all the time — that can't be true, can it?"

"It could be," Remus admitted. "I don't know much about babies or pregnancy either. Just do your best to help her out. Make sure that she eats and gets rest; maybe keep Kreacher around to do some more around the house. You two will figure it out. You can lean on each other and I'm always here when you need me."

Harry leaned into his father, sighing when his warm arm came around him. "I know. I used to be a freak with no parents and then the two greatest dads in the world found me and gave me a mum and a big sister and… a huge family who like me for some reason. I love you, Uncle Moony."

Remus kissed his son's forehead, hugging him close. "I love you, too, Harry. Nymphadora and I will be in the guest room tonight if you need anything. We'll stay as long as you like."

"Are you going to come to Georgia with us?"

Remus kissed his forehead again before meeting his eyes. "I think you and Zee should go on without us. It's your family and I know that we would both be welcome, but Dora is needed here. But, if you need me to go, you say the word and I'll be there."

Harry smiled at him. "No, it's okay. Tonks needs you and Zee says that Ginny can come. It will be good to… get out of Britain, I think."

"Yeah, it will be."

"Uncle Moony… before this… we were making plans to try to find the diadem. Ginny and Luna spoke to Lady Ravenclaw again and she gave us a clue. Hermione convinced us to write our OWLs before we tried to decipher it, but now…"

Remus nodded. "Okay, we'll talk about it more this week. We'll go over the map together and we'll see what we can figure out. We're going to find it, Harry, of that I have no doubt." He kissed Harry's forehead again. "I love you. Get some sleep, okay?"

Harry nodded as he watched Remus head out. But he sat down in the hanging egg chair, stretching his long legs out to rest on the rails of the balcony and continued to stare out into the night.

~ ASC ~

Remus closed the door to the guest room of Black Cottage, rubbing his hands over his eyes as he leaned back against it. When he looked up, Tonks was sitting on the bed, watching him.

"He's all right, I think. He's nervous and excited about the babies coming. I think going to Georgia is a great idea. He and Zee can spend time with her parents and grandparents and just be around people who love them both. Nymphadora, I just want him to live, not to spend his time grieving for something he can't change."

She pat the bed next to her. "Come sit."

Remus sighed, moving away from the door to do just that. The moment he sat down, she urged him into the bed until they were both leaning against the headboard, and then she wrapped her arms around him. He sighed into her, his arms coming around her in turn and his head resting on her shoulder.

"I'm okay."

"You will be," Tonks said, holding the back of his neck as he nuzzled into her shoulder. Her fingers found his hair and he let out a soft sigh. "You've been strong, love. I've watched you with Harry, you've been strong, but you can stop now. It's just me."

He wanted to protest her words, to insist that he was fine, but when she kissed his ear, something in him finally broke and a sob tore through him. The dam finally burst and tears rolled down his cheeks as he burrowed closer to her, sobbing in her arms like a child as she ran her hands up and down his back, softly crooning to him.

It could have only been minutes or it might have been an hour, he wasn't sure, but when he finally lifted his head to look at her, her grey eyes were shining in her own glimmer of tears. She brushed her thumbs under his eyes to collect the tears and kissed him softly.

"It will be okay. He wouldn't want us to grieve forever."

Remus nodded, turning his head to kiss her fingers. "I don't… I still don't know how to believe it. After the will reading… it did feel real. I lost him once before. I wrote him off and left him to rot in Azkaban and I've never forgiven myself for it."

"Baby, he forgave you for that!"

Remus shook his head. "He deserved better from me. He was always there for me, Nymphadora, always. He was like a brother to me. He was always there if I needed anything from nightmares to late night talks to reassurances to help with girls to teasing James to raising Harry… he was… he was an incredible man who I will miss every day."

Tonks kissed his forehead. "He loved you so much. You were the family he made for himself. Whenever he wrote letters to Mum, they were always full of you and of James and of Peter. You three were his family and then there was Lily and then Harry… no one mattered more to him than you lot. You two always had this incredible bond and nothing will ever change that. You were an incredible team in raising Harry, his — what did Sirius say in the will today, Moomy and Dadfoot?"

Remus half smiled at that. "That's just an old joke we made. He said something about us making good parents and I told him because I taught Harry and he kept the house that he was the mummy."

Tonks chuckled. "Bet he didn't like that."

"I believe he said: 'Fuck you, if anything you're the Moomy and I'm the Dadfoot,'" Remus said, smiling.

"That's a lovely memory to have."

Remus nodded and kissed her cheek. "Yeah, it is. He made jokes like that all the time."

"You two were incredible parents and Harry is so lucky to have had the both of you in his life."

"I think that we were the lucky ones," he said.

He shook his head before he pulled back and stood up. He quickly undressed down to his boxers before he climbed back into the bed, lifting the covers and urging her under them. She snuggled into his side and when her head rested over his heart he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm lucky to have you as well."

Tonks smiled up at him. "We're both lucky."

He kissed her softly. "We'll stay here as long as Harry and Zee need?"

Tonks nodded. "As long as we all need."

Remus smiled at that and for the first time since everything had happened, he felt a little lighter. Life would go on, no matter what and he would have to keep moving with it. He would just have to learn to do it without his best friend. And that thought was devastating, but as he held his wife in his embrace, he knew that he could do it. He had to do it. For himself and most importantly, for Harry.

He felt Tonks' fingers link through his and he smiled at her. And for her, he thought. No matter what the world threw at them next, as long as his Nymphadora was by his side, he knew that he could handle it. She gave him the strength to handle anything.

It had always been he, Harry, and Sirius against the world and now it was his job to take care of their son. Zee would be there too and Remus knew how much Harry loved her, and she him, and that lightened his load a little. Harry would be fine and his well-being was all that truly mattered. They would take it one step at a time.

Together.

But when he closed his eyes, his arms wrapped around his mate, he knew that he would dream and in his grief, he welcomed the memories those dreams would bring.

~ ASC ~

When Zee left for work that morning, Harry stretched his arms over his head and began to get to work cleaning the kitchen. It was Zee's first day back to work and they both knew that they needed to get back to normal. Whatever their new normal was. Misha and Sorcha had headed back to Russia after the funeral to organize a few things, but would be meeting them in Georgia so, Harry found himself alone in Black Cottage.

He was surprised by how much he craved that solitude.

It wasn't that he didn't appreciate his friends and his family, because he did, but everyone was always asking him how he was doing and he didn't have a response to that. He was okay and beyond that he didn't know. He just wanted to find his new normal and he couldn't do that until he took his next step forward.

When he finished cleaning, Harry decided to use his time to go over some of his Quidditch training and to burn off some of his excess energy. He grabbed his Firebolt from his trunk and took it outside with him. He spent ten minutes on the grass just stretching his muscles before he held the broom over the back of his shoulders and ran up and down the stairs of the treehouse until his heart was racing. Then he did a light jog around the yard, five laps. He drank some water and rested for a few minutes before he did reps of fifty squats, jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, and lunges. He rested in between each new exercise and then he did fifty pull-ups on his floating Firebolt before he finally did a slow jog once more around the yard. He hopped on his broom for an intense flying practice for almost an hour to finish off his work out.

He was in the air when he saw her.

She stepped out of Black Cottage and out into the sunshine. Harry was in the process of doing a string of loop-the-loops over the gazebo when the flash of red caught his eye. He immediately turned to look over at her.

She was dressed in denim short overalls with a white short-sleeved crop top underneath, showcasing her side through the denim and revealing a few freckles on her ribs. Her hair was up in a high ponytail and slightly curly today and he flew down immediately, hanging upside down in front of her to steal a kiss.

She laughed and kissed him softly before she held out her hand; he flipped right side over before taking it and swinging Ginny up onto his Firebolt as if it were the most natural move in the world. Ginny wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

"Sorry, I'm a little sweaty, I was running drills."

Ginny ignored this and pressed a kiss to his back. "Fly, Captain."

Harry grinned and did as she asked. Neither of them spoke, they just flew around for almost thirty minutes before Harry finally landed his broom on the top of the pirate ship. He tossed his glasses onto the desk next to him before he stretched out across the deck, hands behind his head, his broom lying next to him. Ginny stretched out next to him on her side. Her hand rested over his abs where his shirt had ridden up a little. She danced her fingers gently along his bare skin, tracing tiny unknown patterns.

He wasn't sure how long they lay like that, but when he finally turned to look over at her, her warm brown eyes were twinkling at him.

"How do you do it?" he asked. "How do you make me so comfortable and so relaxed without even talking to me?"

She smiled. "I don't know, I just know you."

Harry rolled on his side to smile at her. "I love you."

Ginny's smile widened. "I love you, too."

Harry reached out to grip her chin with his fingers, tilting her head up to kiss her, long and deeply enough to make her groan. He rolled onto her, pinning her beneath him with his body as they kissed. Her hands slid up his tee shirt, up over his chest, fingertips dancing across his nipples and sending an immediate reaction straight to his cock before they slid around to move up and down his back. He nipped at her bottom lip, moving to kiss her jaw, her neck, before he claimed her lips again. He felt her right leg move out from under him, allowing him to get closer. The feel of her nestled under him so perfectly only made him harden more and he found himself rubbing against her. The delicious friction made him tremble.

"Harry."

He kissed her again, still grinding into her, his cock growing harder with every movement.

"Harry," she insisted, tugging her lips from his. "Stop."

His eyes met those warm ones, so full of love and understanding and he broke. The sob through him before he'd even realized that it was coming. He sat up quickly, tears escaping, and Ginny wrapped her arms around him.

"I know," she whispered against his neck.

Ginny tugged him back down to the deck of the ship, holding him to her breast as she ran her fingers through his hair. He cried silently and when the tears finally stopped, he just closed his eyes.

He woke a little while later to the sound of Remus' voice.

"How long has he been asleep?"

"Over an hour at least. I napped a little too," Ginny responded.

"Did he talk to you?"

"No. He's not ready."

"You're good for him, Ginny."

"Not as good as you."

Remus chuckled. "It's not me he needs right now. I'm going to go throw something together for lunch. I'll see you both down there."

"Sure. Thanks, Remus."

He heard Remus heading down the stairs of the ship into the treehouse and he nuzzled his face into her breasts. They were so soft and warm and plump.

Ginny chuckled. "I thought that you were awake."

Harry lifted his head a little to look at her. "I'm sorry."

Ginny's fingers brushed his hair away from his forehead. "Don't be."

"I pushed. I... I guess I just thought... I don't know what I thought."

"You didn't push," Ginny told him. "We were having a lovely snog. The snogging wasn't what I was opposing." At his look, she sighed. "I won't be used as an excuse to hide behind. When you kiss me, I want your heart to be in it."

"I would never!" he exclaimed, his green eyes on hers. "I wasn't using you, I… fuck, maybe I was taking advantage. Ginny, I'm so sorry."

Ginny only gently brushed her fingers though his hair. "Harry… you were looking for an escape from talking about Sirius, I get that. You weren't taking advantage of me, I just want you to know that I'm here, when you're ready."

He looked up at her, nuzzling against her breast. "Thanks for not making me talk about it."

"Losing Sirius was hard on all of us, Harry — on you, Zee, and Remus the most. I know you, and I know that you're beating yourself up over it, but if you hadn't come to the Ministry, Theo and I would probably be dead. There's no way that we could have escaped all of those Death Eaters on our own."

"Yeah," he said softly. "But maybe the Order would have gotten to you in time and Bellatrix wouldn't have killed him."

"Maybe," she murmured. "Or maybe we would have lost more than just Sirius. When you start playing the game of what ifs, it never ends well."

"When I... when I went after Bellatrix and... Voldemort arrived. If Dumbledore hadn't shown up when he had… he would have killed me, Ginny. He shot the killing curse at me and I just froze, I didn't even try to dodge it, I just stood there like an idiot. All the training that I've been doing and the new spells I've been teaching myself and I didn't remember any of it… I just… froze."

"You weren't meant to die," she said simply, her fingers still stroking through his hair. "I heard it was bad down there. Bill said someone used Fiendfyre and there were uncontrollable flames and giants and Dementors..."

Harry swallowed. "That was after."

"After what?"

He looked up at her. "He possessed me."

Ginny's eyes widened. "What? How?"

Harry shook his head. "Dark magic of some kind. It was like he forced himself into my soul, trying to tear through it or claim it or something. It was... it was pain that I can't describe... almost as bad as the Cruciatus. He spoke through me, told Dumbledore to kill me. But Zee was there and she'd been trying to get me to leave with her, but I wouldn't because Bellatrix was right there, and I wanted to make her feel pain for what she did to Uncle Sirius… but well Voldemort arrived and then he possessed me and... I don't know, something expelled him out of me. I don't need anyone to tell me how I did it, I know that it was because I wished for death at that moment. I wanted to die so that I could be with everyone that I've ever lost again. I started to think how I could see my parents, Uncle Sirius, my grandparents, Marauder... and he just... vanished."

Ginny's thumb brushed down the side of his cheek. "And Zee?"

"She was crying and cradling my head in her lap and then the walls of the Ministry came down and Dementors swooped in. I killed three of them, I think. I just knew that I had to get us out of there; that I couldn't let them take my mum away from me too. I think... I think I surprised Voldemort with that; with the power of my Patronus. Then the giants came in and… Diggle died… and we left."

Ginny's fingers continued to stroke his hair.

"Even with it gone... it's me. I know it. It's my future. I have to be the one. It doesn't matter if we find the diadem and kill the snake, in the end... I still have to be the one to end him. I know it. He chose me and the prophecy made it come true... I can't escape that."

"As long as we get the last two, it doesn't matter who kills him in the end, Harry."

"It does," he said slowly. "I can feel it. It just does. He won't stop coming after me. He won't stop, Ginny, and I won't live like that. After we find the diadem, I'm going after that snake."

Ginny's fingers trailed down his cheek again, stroking the top of his ear and then back into his hair.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" he asked her.

"Do you want me to?"

He nuzzled closer to her breast. "I guess I thought that you'd try to talk me out of it."

"Let's find the diadem first."

He nodded against her. Ginny held him, her fingers gliding through his hair and her stomach let out a loud grumble that he felt vibrate under her breasts.

He chuckled. "Guess we better go in so I can feed my Weasley." He shifted upwards, capturing her lips in his for a long soft kiss. "Thank you."

Ginny smiled and kissed him once more before he jumped to his feet, holding his hand out to her. She took his hand and let him pull her up. He stretched his arms up over his head and winced as his nose moved under his arm.

"Fuck! I smell awful."

Ginny laughed and headed down the stairs, giving him a look over her shoulder. "Trust me, I noticed."

He snorted before he grabbed his Firebolt and followed her down into the treehouse and out across the yard to the house. Spending time with Ginny really did a lot for his mood, he thought.

By the time he got out of the shower and came down into the kitchen, he found not only Ginny eating with his father but Ron as well.

"Hey, Ron."

"'Arry," Ron said, a mouth full of Zee's potato salad.

Harry helped himself to the potato salad and made himself a ham sandwich from the freshly cooked ham on the table. Ron told them about how Fred and George asked him if he wanted to help out at the shop that summer. With all of the merchandise they needed to make for the Ministry, they needed someone who could help run the shop and work the register. It would give him a chance to earn some pocket money and help keep him busy for the summer.

Remus commented on the joke shop opening and how he thought it was a wonderful idea for them to keep going ahead with it. "Sometimes people think in times of war we need to scale back, but that's not right. We can't be afraid to live our lives. Sirius thought that Fred and George were going to do great things and I agree with him. I look forward to shopping there myself."

Ron grinned. "Just don't give their secrets away to the other professors."

Remus chuckled. "I won't. Harry, why don't you run upstairs and get the Marauder's Map and we'll take a look. I'd like to look closer at where you lot have searched for the diadem like we discussed the other night."

Ginny nodded. "Harry thinks it's in that mysterious room on the seventh floor."

"So do I," Ron told her. "It has to be."

Harry ran upstairs to dig the map out of his trunk. He came back downstairs a minute later and opened the parchment, spreading it across the kitchen table. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The lines spread across the map quickly, knocking into each other and creating the elaborate design that was the Hogwarts grounds. Remus leaned over the map, letting his eyes pore over it carefully.

"You've done good work here, Harry. The Chamber of Secrets is quite flawless." He tapped his wand on the chamber and a three-dimensional image of that part of the map rose up from the parchment.

"Wow! I didn't know it could do that!"

Remus chuckled. "I guess that Sirius didn't tell you everything about the map. There's a few helpful things like this that Jamie and I installed. What's this here, leading out of the chamber, a swimming pool?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, Mandy showed it to me when we were together, but Ginny and I found it again when we fully explored the Chamber. There's the Roman bath too, just here."

Remus' eyebrow rose. "I remember you telling me about the pool, but the bath is new."

"Really?" Harry asked in surprise. "The entrance is behind the statue across from the staff room so we just assumed that meant that the staff knew about it."

"Then we had horrible thoughts of Snape actually bathing in it," Ron added, making Ginny snort in laughter.

Remus' eyes twinkled as he shook his head. "News to me, anyway. And I'm pretty sure Snape doesn't use it either. If he does, he certainly doesn't wash his hair there."

Ron snorted. "Nice."

Remus sobered. "I, of course, would never say such a thing aloud about one of my colleagues, but Snape doesn't use the Roman bath."

"I find that very reassuring actually," Harry told him with a grin before turning his attention back to the map. "This up here, Uncle Moony, that's the Room of Requirement. Ron and Hermione found it by accident and when I added it to the map, you can see it's there, but when someone goes in, they vanish from the map. Unless you know what they are doing in there exactly, you cant get in."

"Hmm," Remus said in response. "Have you mentioned the room to Dobby?"

Harry frowned. "No, why?"

"He worked at Hogwarts. House elves have a way of learning architectural secrets before witches and wizards do due to the nature of their jobs. He might know more about this so-called room of requirement. Albus might as well."

"You guys never figured it out yourselves when you were in school?"

Remus shook his head. "Surprisingly, no. But we can't be responsible for discovering all of Hogwarts' secrets. Now, tell me what Lady Ravenclaw said."

Harry repeated the riddle. "Not very helpful, eh?"

Remus looked pensive. "And you said that you tried the magic room, looking for the diadem while inside?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Hermione and Luna both did. Nothing appeared."

"Why don't you summon Dobby and we'll see what we can figure out?"

Harry did and the elf appeared a moment later dressed in his tidy little uniform with the Potter crest embroidered over his heart. His bright red hat had holes for his ears.

"Good morning, Harry Potter, Sir!"

"Good morning, Dobby," Harry said, unable to stop smiling at the tiny elf. "How's everything going?"

"Very good, Sir! Dobby has nothing new to report."

Harry smiled at that. Dobby made biweekly reports to him on his properties and estates and he knew that putting him in charge had been a very smart idea. "Glad to hear it. Listen, I wanted to ask you about your time at Hogwarts, if that's okay?"

Dobby looked puzzled. "Master Dumbledore was a good master."

"I'm sure he was," Harry told him. "But my question is about the castle itself. There's this place on the seventh floor in particular."

"The Come and Go Room!"

"The Come and Go Room?"

Dobby nodded. "It appears when you need it most, Sir! Dobby needed to find a room to himself. I was missing Winky, Sir, and I needed a moment of quiet time to compose myself before the memorial, but the other elves kept looking for me, and I found myself in this little room where I could collect my thoughts. Dobby couldn't find it again though, Sir, and one of the elves told me it was called as such."

"And the room presents itself when you most need it? To be anything?"

Dobby nodded. "Yes, Sir. Tis what I understand, Harry Potter, Sir."

Harry looked over at Remus. "Could Voldemort have figured that out, Uncle Moony?"

"Figured out the room's magic? I think that he's more than intelligent enough to have done so. You think it's in there, don't you?"

"It has to be!" Harry exclaimed. "Think about it: If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask. You have to know exactly what it is to find it. But what did he make his hiding place? What did he ask the room to become for him?"

Remus lifted an eyebrow. "That's the million Galleon question."

"Thank you, Dobby. Sorry to disturb you."

Dobby bowed and Disapparated.

Harry turned back to his father. "Now what?"

"Now we try to figure out what he could have turned the room into. I think to do that we need to have an FUVP meeting. And we need to talk to Dumbledore."

"Hermione has the list of our search zone so far," Harry told him. "But I think it's inside of this Come and Go room." He looked at Ron and Ginny, but they both nodded in confirmation. "It makes the most sense. We just have to figure out what Voldemort could have made the room become."

Remus nodded. "All right. Let's think on this over the next few days and I'll put some feelers out on getting a meeting set up within the next week. With everything that was going on, Sirius kind of left the diadem up to you and your marauders and that was great, you found out more about it than any of us. But now it's time to work as a unit once more."

"Can we attend the FUVP meeting?" Ginny asked.

Harry reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "Yes, we're all going to be there. After all, Operation FUVP is up to us now."

Remus sighed. "You three are already aware of what we're doing and to be honest, I think it's a good idea. Fresh eyes never hurt. And it's up to all of us, Harry, not just you."

Harry felt a little rush at the thought. They had a plan and that was a promising start.

~ ASC ~

When Ron and Ginny went home, Remus and Harry headed out to Gringotts. It took them an hour to get everything from Sirius' estate settled at the bank. The goblins had been surprisingly helpful considering, but Harry felt better now that it was all organized. Despite Zee's protests, he had made a new vault for Zee and the twins and transferred half of what Sirius left him into Zee's vault and then divided the other half for the twins. He knew that Sirius would agree with him that he was making the right choice. As the Marquess of Somerset, he hardly needed the extra wealth, but he agreed with Remus on keeping Number Twelve in his possession for the time being. He would, however, talk to Kreacher about transferring his services to Black Cottage as well. The elf had been around quite a lot lately anyway and he wasn't sure why, so he wanted to figure that out at some point.

It was only three by the time they returned to Black Cottage and after Remus headed home, Harry decided to head outside and enjoy the sunshine a little bit. He found himself wandering the gazebo and making his way into the work shed. Sirius' tools were sitting out, the 1968 BMW R50/2 in the process of being fiddled with. A lump formed in his throat at the sight.

He stared at the bike for the longest time, unsure about what to do. Then he pulled his shirt off, hanging it on the hook by the door so that it didn't get covered in engine grease, and pulled the bike out into the sun. He found the record player, and smiled when Bon Jovi burst out from the speakers. Then he reached for the tools and got to work.

It was where Zee found him almost three hours later. His hands and arms were spotted in grease and sweat dripped down his back, but he was grinning.

"Harry, what are you doing?" she asked, turning the music down.

"Uncle Siri was in the process of checking out his bike. Oil change and just a general maintenance check. I couldn't just leave it here. The twins might want to learn to ride one day."

Zee tugged his face down and kissed his cheeks noisily. "I love you. We don't want his bikes to be left unchecked."

He smiled. "This was the only one that he was working on. I figured that we can move them to their respective homes and cover them up until we want to use them. You have to keep them pristine and you usually just ride yours, for a few more months anyway."

Zee smirked at him. "Are you trying to tell me that I'll be too fat to ride the bike soon?"

Harry grinned. "No, but that's true."

She smacked him in the arm and he laughed.

"No, I just meant — it'll be too dangerous and stuff, right?"

"Merlin, you're so his son," she said, shaking her head. "Is that what you've been up to all day?"

He nodded. "Mostly."

He filled her in on his discussion with Remus.

Zee looked thoughtful. "I think that you're definitely getting closer to finding it."

"Uncle Rem wants to have us meet with the FUVP members before we leave for the summer."

"That sounds like a plan. Did you ask him if he and Tonks want to come with us?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. He says that they are going to stay here as Tonks will have to work. But he says that if I want him there, they'll work it out."

"Do you want him there?" Zee asked.

Harry put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "He's needed here. This will be good for us. I want to see Grandma and Grandpa and I want to show Ginny the ranch. I want to go horseback riding again and… this is what we both need. You were right, we need to get out of Britain for a bit. We don't know what Voldemort is planning next and with Uncle Siri… we need this."

Zee smiled at him. "Yeah, yeah we do. Okay, so we'll start with FUVP and see what we can determine concerning the location of the diadem. Then we can work on how to get to Nagini. We're going to beat him, Harry."

Harry nodded and when he looked into her dark eyes he knew that she was right. He didn't know when and he didn't know how, but they were going to win this war. He wouldn't let Sirius have died in vain.

~ ASC ~

Zee was holding a glass of orange juice when Tonks stepped into the sunroom the next day. "Tonks, what a lovely surprise."

"I heard that you snuck home for lunch and I had to come over," Tonks told her, plopping down into the chair next to her and dropping a bag at her feet.

Zee raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I was going to have lunch with Harry, but he went to Cumbria to have lunch with Neville and his grandmother. Mrs Longbottom wanted to talk to him about the Wizengamot and about Somerset. I figured that I could use the quiet."

"I won't stay long then," Tonks told her, pulling the shopping bag open at her feet. "Higgins and I were doing recon downtown London this morning and I saw this at a Muggle store and I couldn't resist."

She reached into the bag and pulled out two baby-sized black leather jackets with side zippers and snaps that looked identical to the one still hanging over the banister.

"I know it's too early to be thinking about all that, but… Sirius' kids need to own these."

Tears welled up in Zee's eyes as she reached for them. "Oh! These are the most adorable things that I've ever seen. I… thank you!"

Tonks smiled at her. "Of course. He would expect them to wear these."

Zee chuckled. "Definitely. I've been thinking about… well, I mean, I know it's a while off, but the nursery."

"Ooh, do tell," Tonks said with a smile.

Zee smiled and brushed her curls out of her eyes. "The guest room is going to become the nursery and I want to make it a room that suits both of them. Two babies deserve a lovely room, and I was thinking that I could make it forest themed. You know, paint trees on the walls with lots of magical creatures. I don't know, I'm still thinking about it."

Tonks grinned. "I love that idea. You can find someone who's good with a brush and they can paint murals on the walls — a fairy tale forest with thick trees and creatures like centaurs and unicorns, panthers and tigers, phoenixes and zowus and thunderbirds. It would be beautiful."

"I think so, too," Zee told her. "When Harry and I get back from Georgia, I will think more on it."

"Boys or girls or one of each?"

Zee smiled at her. "I don't know. I guess we'll have to see."

"Mum says that its tradition in the Black family to name babies after stars and constellations. She wanted to break that tradition, but Dad convinced her to keep some of the tradition of her family so, she named me after a nymph in Greek mythology. She said that I reminded her of a little nymph or pixie. That's why she calls me Pixie. Originally she wanted to name me Flavia and you know what, as much as I hate Nymphadora, that one is much worse!"

Zee chuckled. "Flavia? Really?"

Tonks nodded. "Yup. The only time I like hearing my name is when Remus says it. It gives me shivers, in a good way."

Zee smiled. "Sirius mentioned the naming-after-stars bit. I'm going to keep it in mind. Right now, I just want to take it one step at a time and see what comes next. Starting with telling my grandparents about the babies when we go to America."

Tonks nodded. "It'll be great. I need to head back to the Ministry. If you or Harry needs anything, Rem and I will be here."

"Thanks, Tonks. That means a lot to both of us."

Tonks said her goodbyes and headed out to return to work as Zee picked up the two tiny leather jackets and felt tears well up in the back of her throat.

They really were perfect, she thought.

As Zee was mooning over the tiny baby jackets, Ginny stepped out of the Floo into the living room of Black Cottage. She dusted herself off, hoped her hair was somewhat presentable and left her shoes by the fireplace. She was about to call out when she heard crying coming from the sunroom. She headed to her left and found Zee sitting in one of the armchairs, crying quietly.

"Zee," Ginny said softly, moving across the room to hug the woman.

Zee accepted the hug gratefully as she continued to cry. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, trying to rein herself in.

Ginny shook her head. "No, of course you're sad."

Zee nodded. "I miss him and it's stupid, but Tonks found these in London this morning and brought them over and… now I just can't stop crying."

Ginny frowned in confusion, then her eyes widened. Lying on Zee's lap were two matching baby leather jackets that looked almost identical to the one that Sirius always wore.

"Zee, are you...?"

She nodded. "Yes. Twins."

"Oh — oh! That's wonderful news, but, of course also because... oh, I'm so sorry."

Zee wiped at her tears. "It's all right. And yes, Harry knows. I told him after the funeral."

Ginny nodded. "I bet he's excited."

She nodded. "I hope so. I mean, he seemed happy. I'm happy."

"Did Sirius know?"

"Yes," Zee told her. "We found out together. Siri... he was so excited!"

"How long have you known?"

Zee's eyes met hers. "I found out the day that Sirius died."

Ginny moved to hug her again. "Oh, Zee, I'm so sorry."

Zee nodded. "Thank you. I'm okay. It's the hormones, or so my healer tells me. Apparently, I cry at the drop of a hat. And these jackets really are the cutest thing ever, aren't they?"

Ginny smiled brightly at her. "Yes, they are. You're a great mum."

"Thank you," Zee told her. "Harry went to Neville's for lunch. I think that he was planning on spending the afternoon there."

Ginny nodded. "That's okay. I just came by to check up on him. I'm glad that he's with Neville."

"Ginny, can we keep this, the baby thing, a secret for now? When we get back from Georgia, I'll tell people, but until then, just us?"

Ginny smiled warmly at her. "Of course. Anything you need me to do, just let me know."

Zee smiled gratefully at her. "I appreciate that. I need to get myself together and head back to work. You're welcome to wait around here for Harry if you'd like?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, I'll just leave him a note. I'm glad he's spending time with Neville. Are you sure that you're all right?"

Zee hugged her tightly. "I'm more than all right. Thanks, Ginny."

Ginny watched her glamour away her tears, fold the tiny jackets down onto the chair and head off. She smiled. Zee was a strong woman, and she knew that she was going to be an incredible mum to those babies. Babies… wow! She couldn't stop grinning as she found some parchment to leave Harry a note.

New life amidst the darkness was a good sign. They'd be okay, all of them would be. Tough times were coming ahead, but as someone once said, time healed all wounds. She knew that despite the raw grief they were each going through, time would heal this one as well.

End Author's Notes:

I am particularly proud of my Ron/Bill scene so I hope you all enjoy it.

Thank you for reading and please review!