Author's Note:

To those who have been complaining that there's been too much smut and fluff as of late and not enough war stuff — it is coming. I write where the story takes me and sometimes we need the light-hearted fun to come in, even if it's a few chapters of it. I write for myself first and foremost and I'm always happy to know that I've made people laugh or smile or cry because it shows that people are attached to my story and that means a lot to me. But for those who think there's too much smut and fluff and for those who then go onto complain that there's too much darkness (as this happens every time), I do my best to balance it out. If you're enjoying the story, please trust me and let me write at my own pace.

That's all that I ask.

Reviews and Comments: To Roxy_ricki: Blaise is totally the chatty, cuddly drunk and you can't change my mind LOL. I'm glad despite my happy chapter I still broke some hearts with my Theo and Draco. To Leapyearbaby29: Since the Head Girl is a Slytherin, I feel like Snape immediately gives leeway as long as he's not disturbed otherwise all hell would break out. We all know that Snape favours his own house. To Hannah: No dreading yet, I still have some more fluff, but darkness is slowly creeping as you can see with the smidge of heartbreak between Draco and Theo. To elizabethrene: Thank you. To Steel: Ron and Hermione are both the smartest and dumbest people at Hogwarts, agreed, but they worked everything out. To PurpleLotus: Thank you. To Thephoenix94: Sorry, LOL, but I do try my best to post once a week(ish). To xXQueenofDragonsXx: Blaise is hilarious, I like him. To junkl0rd: Interesting. To me that is not at all Harry's character, but to each their own.

To coloredwords: Happy you're back! Seven chapters was a bit to catch up on, I agree. Ron and Hermione are a bit different from Harry and Ginny as I feel like all of that heated passion from over the years just culminates into an explosion. To pandalover: Neville is slow-moving as he thinks Hannah isn't interested and she has a boyfriend. To Guest: Neville and Luna are friends and we will see a little of them, but not an entire chapter. To KOTLCfan1: Yes, feck. Seamus is Irish. To WinkingSkeever: Hinny is all of our kryptonites! To Nightwing2013: Ron and Hermione do deserve a toast for getting together. To Vaarshneyan: We will see more Percy and Audrey soon as well as more with the twins and some Padma and Lavender, over time. All of the above is in the next eleven chapters (which is how far I am currently ahead, though my beta only has up to 255 at the moment). To CarpenL: Thanks and I know. To Chintan: Theo definitely is lucky to have Finn and Ginny as his brothers are just going through their own emotions right now. He does have Blaise, but he doesn't know that Blaise has taken the Dark Mark — yet.

To Funbunnypotter26: Yay! I'm always glad when I hit people in the feels. Draco is too afraid to sort himself out, too stressed, and too lost. He thinks pushing his friends away is the best way. To notthatchhavi: No, it's not Valentine's Day, but love is definitely in the air. I like the idea of Luna being a constant surprise. I agree, Draco s a grey character but he's only sixteen. Yes, Blaise is looking at making gold weapons. To Hansa04: I have no idea how many chapters this story will be, I don't write like that. I can say it will definitely be at least a hundred more, I imagine. Up to chapter 260 is currently written and they've just returned to Hogwarts after Christmas, so all I can say with certainty is that there will be more. To Wolf's scream: Ron is ever-so-slowly getting there, lol. Draco needs his own little moments as well. To Bhau: Yes, finally Romione, thank you! To .wills15: Dean's letter will remain a mystery for now and Harry and Ginny will not be shagging any time soon. To pix25: Yes, Romione are finally together. To speedsONEandONLY: Luna is definitely not going to let Neville guess. She is straight and to the point. Haha, great new work-out for Quidditch, carrying first years as backpacks, amazing lol. As to you guessing there was too much fluff, sometimes it's going to be added in. To Guest: I picture Luna looking like Evanna Lynch so her breasts are like hers.

To tim2604: Don't worry about Neville and Luna, their friendship is safe! Harry is definitely devoted and he wants nothing more than to make Ginny extremely happy. There will be more interaction between Harry and Theo, yes. To Tanuska: Ginny is not ready yet for them to go all the way. To Bumlewis: I always imagined Dean and Seamus as being two tops as well, but in a good relationship, it's about pleasing the other and I think both of them trust each other too much to put labels on things. Luna is a fucking boss, agreed. To TMR29: Thank you for saying ASC is one of the best Harry Potter fanfics you've found! To The Go1den Snitch: Yes, I always imagine Ron and Hermione being faster than Hinny as well. I think Luna and Neville's friendship is just as important as to them and they won't risk that. I think it was important for Theo to be reminded he's still a student, I think he forgets that sometimes.

To alix33: I'm glad that you were amused by Dean's awareness of Seamus' dangerous dancing LOL. The black rose nipple covers are on my tumblr. To Dianne: I love the idea of Ginny wearing his glasses on her head so that he can work his magic on her. I hope that Blaise's questions about weapons bring about some interesting theories. To Kezzabear: So happy you're finally caught up! And yes, thank goodness for Romione lol. To TooManyFandom12: The war stuff will come eventually, but I write at my own pace and when I feel like adding fluff and smut I will. To Seriously Sam: Seamus loves life and definitely is happy dancing, even though he's not great at it. And yes, I love the idea of Deamus saying "really love you" as opposed to the simple, "I love you." Of course Hermione told him not to swear LOL. Everyone wants to hug Theo and it is so deserved!

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 FORTY-EIGHT:

Saturday morning Quidditch practice was a bit rough. Most of the team was still dealing with their late night from the party, working on lack of sleep; Katie and Seamus were also very hung over. Katie vomited after the third lap around the pitch and Harry felt a bit sympathetic for her, but she held her head high and kept going.

By the time practice finished, they were all dragging their feet. Harry had only slept three hours. According to the moans of protest Dean had uttered that morning when Seamus attempted to get him to come down to the pitch with them, he had a feeling his friends hadn't gotten much more. He took a long shower, hoping to wake himself up before he found Ginny waiting for him in the changing rooms.

"How do you feel about avoiding the Great Hall and eating down by the lake?"

Ginny smiled. "I feel good about it. It's a bit chilly today, but the sun is warm."

Harry put his arm around her and she rested her head against him. "I'm knackered."

They headed down to the lake, finding the big tree on the side open and immediately nestled under it. Harry called for Dobby and the elf eagerly agreed to bring them food. Ginny sat between Harry's legs, his arms around her as she leaned back against his chest. Harry kissed the top of her head, his fingers playing with hers.

"Can we talk about last night?" Ginny asked quietly.

Harry kissed her cheek. "About how incredible it was?"

She smiled, her fingers playing with his. When she didn't speak, Harry squeezed her hand.

"What is it?"

Ginny turned her head to meet his gaze. "We… it was incredible. I just… I don't know if I'm ready to actually shag yet."

Harry's brow furrowed. "I didn't… I mean, of course I've thought about it, but I don't know if I'm ready yet either. I want to. Merlin knows I look at you and want to, but I won't push you."

Ginny shook her head. "I never imagined you would, it's just… last night we were both practically naked in each other's arms. It felt… more intimate."

"It was intimate," Harry told her. "I love being intimate with you. I think when it's the right moment, we'll both know."

Ginny smiled, turning to kiss him. "Thank you." When he raised a brow, she kissed him again. "Thank you for just being so understanding and so… wonderful."

"Well, I can say the same."

Ginny snuggled into him. "I vote that we nap right here."

Harry kissed her again. "I vote that we go back up to the castle and sneak into Uncle Remus' suite and nap on his couch."

Ginny eyes twinkled. "We can't nap in there!"

"Oh, yes we can," Harry told her. "He's at home and it's multiple staircases closer than Gryffindor Tower."

Ginny looked skeptical when Harry jumped to his feet and tugged her up against him. "But we just asked Dobby to bring us food."

"He's a smart elf," Harry said. "He'll find us."

She led him lead her along and when he pulled her down onto the big chesterfield that looked like it was made for naps, she didn't argue; especially when he wrapped them both in the throw hanging off the back. Ginny cuddled into him with a smile, taking his glasses off and putting them on the coffee table.

"Just a quick nap."

Harry made a sound of agreement but his eyes were already closing and it wasn't long before both of them were fast asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

~ ASC ~

Remus woke alone in bed, reaching across the cold sheets with a frown. He'd been hoping to spend the day snuggled in bed with his wife. He stretched his long limbs, wincing at the aches he felt. The moon last weekend had been extra rough and the transformation had left him feeling achy. But he would take achy over the pain that he used to feel before the potion any day. He stood up, stretching again, his morning erection giving him pause as he slid on his pyjama bottoms and padded out of the bedroom to find his wife.

He smiled at the sight of her arse in purple lace up in the air as she spoke into the fireplace. He poured himself a cup of coffee from the fresh pot on the counter, leaned his shoulder against the door frame and just watched it bounce and move as she spoke. It was only a few moments before her head popped out of the fire and she stood up, turning and jolting at the sight of him. She tripped over the magazine stand on her left and grabbed the mantle for support.

"How long have you been lurking there?" she demanded.

Remus only lifted an eyebrow. "I was merely enjoying the view."

Tonks gave him a look before she marched over, taking the coffee from him to take a sip. "I have to go into work."

Remus pouted, his hand sliding down to grip her arse. "That's not the morning I was hoping for when I watched your arse bounce."

She smiled and sipped the coffee again. "Me neither."

"Anything serious?"

Tonks shook her head. "More unfortunate. Vita Flint's body was found. King wants me and Rex to go do the notification. He says that the autopsy team will be working awhile and that we can work on the case on Monday, but he doesn't want news to get out before we've told Magnus Flint that his mother is dead."

"Crouch?"

She nodded. "It certainly seems that way. She's been missing for a few months now and she was clearly tortured. King says that it's going to be a while for them to determine all the ways that she was abused. He's so elusive! It's like no matter what I do, I just can't get to him. Voldemort is protecting him!"

Remus slid his hand up her back, pulling her close to hug her. "You will get him, Nymphadora. This war is going to end and we're going to see the end of all of these dark wizards once and for all."

Tonks stayed in his arms for a long moment before she pulled back and sipped his coffee again. "I'm going to take a quick shower. I shouldn't be more than three hours. I'm going to pick up Higgins on the way and fill him in."

Remus kissed her forehead. "Why don't we see a film later? We haven't been to a show in eons and it will take your mind off of work."

"The English Patient?" she asked.

He smiled. "Sure."

She kissed his cheek. "It's a date."

Remus watched her disappear into the bathroom with his cup of coffee and he smiled. Sometimes it was just the little things that made him happy. He headed into the kitchen to pour himself another cup of a coffee, a small smile on his face.

~ ASC ~

Ron found her in the library after practice, which didn't surprise him in the least. She was sitting at the table hidden in the back in the Muggle studies section as always. It was near a big window overlooking the Quidditch pitch and Hermione claimed that it had lots of natural light and was one of the quieter parts of the library as not too many people needed books from the Muggle section. Ron snuck a kiss on her cheek, making her jump, before he sat next to her and passed her a bowl of red grapes.

"Studying already?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Yes, I have homework I should be working on."

He nodded, resting his face on his hand. "Uh-huh. I bet I can think of something more fun to be doing."

Her face flushed. "I'm not going to let you talk me out of getting my work done."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he assured her, leaning in to nip at her neck. "But small breaks, now those are good for you."

Hermione tilted her head back as he kissed her neck. "Ron…"

Ron lifted his head to capture her lips in a long, slow kiss that left her breathless. "Good morning, Hermione."

Hermione's eyes were glazed as she smiled at him. "Good afternoon, Ron."

He grinned. "It's only a few minutes after twelve."

"Still counts."

"You don't always have to be right, you know?"

"No, I don't have to be, but I am."

He scoffed. "And here we go."

Hermione grabbed the front of his jumper, tugging him close to kiss him again and his hands went to her hair, removing the bobby pins so that her wild curls fell into his hands.

"Ron, do you know how long that took me this morning?"

Ron smiled against her lips. "I love your hair." He kissed her again. "Eat some grapes."

"I went to breakfast this morning."

"Did you?" he asked, his eyebrows rising. "Now it's lunch. Eat some grapes anyway."

Hermione rolled her eyes before she popped a grape into her mouth. "How was practice?"

"Gruelling," Ron admitted. "Katie was hung over as was Seamus, who's been at every practice even though he's not on the team. We were all sleep deprived, but it went okay. We survived."

"Glad to hear it," she said, popping a second grape into her mouth as she bent back over her notes.

Ron rested his chin on her arm. "Let's go for a walk."

"I really need to finish this paper for Ancient Studies. Two more hours?"

"One."

Her smile was slow. "Fine, one. Then we'll go for a walk."

Ron kissed her neck again. "Deal. I'll get my books. Eat those."

Hermione watched him hurry off, hands in his pockets and she shook her head. It was so simple, like they'd always been and she was grateful for that. She turned back to her paper, trying to focus on what the ancient Greeks had to say, but instead her mind drifted to the feel of Ron's lips on her neck and she couldn't help but smile.

This was definitely better than before.

~ ASC ~

Zee woke up on Sunday morning, rubbing her stomach. The twins were clearly awake and kicking up a storm. Lady Godiva was lying on the floor next to her bed, eyes on her coolly. When she moved she felt the warmth of the puppy on Sirius' side of the bed and smiled. Padfoot wasn't such a puppy anymore. He was already twice as big, though he still hadn't grown into his paws just yet. She scratched him behind the ears and he merely covered his face with his paw making her laugh.

She slowly climbed out of bed, rocking herself a bit and wishing someone was around to give her a good push. At thirty-one weeks, she felt like more than a beached whale, more like a mountain, and was starting to wonder if she would ever see her feet again. She padded into the bathroom, stroking Lady Godiva's jaw when the panther's face nuzzled her hip. Her hair was a curly mess around her head and she yawned hugely, wincing at another rough kick.

"All right, enough in there. Mama's up."

Zee rubbed her stomach a moment more and they calmed down. She undressed slowly, climbing into the shower and letting the hot water beat down on her. She wanted to soak in the tub, but at this rate, she was positive that she'd never be able to get out of it again. So, the shower would have to suffice. She washed her hair and then her body, taking the time to enjoy herself as she did so and sighing in pleasure as the hot water beat down on her. She moved into the bedroom naked, feeling slightly overheated and used her wand to cool herself down as she made her way into the walk-in-closet. She slowly found knickers and a matching bra before choosing black trousers to wear with a white and black vertical striped blouse. She fixed her hair, pinning it up in a high curly tail before adding earrings. She winced a little when they kicked again and she grabbed her heeled black boots to wear.

Her feet had swollen a little, but thankfully not to the degree that she couldn't wear her shoes. Zee carried her boots down the stairs with her, Padfoot and Lady Godiva following. She let them both out into the yard to do their morning business and she moved to brew a pot of tea. Kreacher appeared a moment later.

"Good morning, Mistress. Kreacher will make you breakfast."

"Kreacher," Zee said kindly. "I adore you, but I've told you, I am perfectly capable of making my own breakfast in the morning. You coming to make dinner has been a blessing, but I can take care of my own breakfast."

Kreacher only stared at her cooly. "Kreacher will feed the mistress proper. Sit down."

Zee sighed and did as the elf demanded, rubbing her stomach. "Harry and Ginny will be over later."

"Does the mistress want anything special for dinner?"

"Zee, please."

Kreacher ignored her as usual and set about making her a full breakfast with mixed berry porridge, scrambled eggs, and toast. Zee waved her wand over the wireless, smiling when she recognized the Abba song "Mamma Mia." She hummed along with it as she watched Kreacher cook, continuing to rub her stomach. Then the song changed rather suddenly to Abba's "Waterloo."

There was a kick and then the song changed again, this time to Queen's "You're My Best Friend." Another kick, back to "Waterloo;" then back to Queen. Zee rubbed her stomach in amazement.

"Is that you two in there? We can listen to both songs, you don't have to fight, darlings." Her words seemed to have calmed them and she looked up at Kreacher in amazement. "Seems like they really music."

"Master Sirius did. When Kreacher's former mistress was pregnant, he would only stop kicking her if there was music playing somewhere in the house. He was particularly fond of 'Ride of the Valkyries' by the German musician Richard Wagner. Mistress would turn it up loud and only then would he calm down," Kreacher informed her.

Zee chuckled. "That doesn't surprise me. If Sirius was going to have his own song, that would be it."

Kreacher gave her a toothy smile. "I is playing it for him when he was a tot. It would calm him down. He would gurgle happily and kick his little limbs."

"What about Regulus, Kreacher? Did he like music?" Zee asked, rubbing her stomach as Abba continued to sing.

"Yes, but not as much as Master Sirius. Master Regulus liked the more romantic ones. He was rather fond of Swan Lake. They saw the Royal Wizarding Ballet when they were children and Master Regulus wanted to be a dancer when he was five like the wizard in the ballet. Master Orion declared that no son of his would do ballet. He said it was for peasants and not for someone of Regulus' social standing."

Zee frowned at that. "Kids have to dream."

"Master Sirius would let him practice pirouettes and twirls in his room. Master Sirius was a good brother."

Zee smiled as Queen started to sing, warmth coming over her. It was like the music calmed them, made them happy. "I'm glad he was. I know he regretted never making up with Regulus in the end."

"Master Regulus was proud of Master Sirius. I is ashamed, mistress, I is ashamed that I is not seeing Master Sirius to be the good man he is until too late."

"Zee, Kreacher, please, and you weren't too late. You had to do the bidding of Sirius' mother and well, that's part of what I'm hoping to change in the Ministry."

Kreacher frowned as he brought her the breakfast he prepared. "Kreacher likes having a family to serve. Kreacher can't wait to meet the new members of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black."

Zee smiled kindly at him, drinking the orange juice he brought her. "Kreacher, when these babies are born we're going to talk again about me not owning you."

Kreacher gave her a pointed look. "Kreacher lives to serve the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, Mistress. Only those with Black blood may tell me how to serve them. Eat your breakfast."

He Disapparated with a loud pop and Zee sighed. Every time she attempted to bring up freeing him or brought up her work with the new house elf legislation, he ignored her. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to navigate the waters of this new bill when her own house elf was being so difficult.

The Queen song ended and she smiled, a thought occurring to her. She slowly climbed to her feet and went into the hall to look at Sirius' record collection on the shelves under the stairs. Sure enough, she found Wagner and she put it on, her hands over her stomach.

"Do you like this song, too?"

The opening notes resulted in more kicking that she took to mean joy and she smiled to herself, humming along. Sometimes Kreacher was full of good stories despite his difficulties in other areas. The more she hummed along, the more the babies seemed to calm and she smiled.

When she finished her breakfast, she moved into the living room to look at the pictures of her, Sirius, and Harry on the mantle. Sirius kissing her cheek and holding her close as she showed off her engagement ring, Harry holding her from the other side, a big smile on his face.

"Happy Birthday, Sirius," she whispered. She placed her hands over her stomach. "Today's your daddy's birthday and we're going to go see his grave. You two be strong in there for your Mama, okay?"

The knock on the door startled her and she smiled brightly when she opened the door to Tonks.

"Hi! Sorry, I'm slow moving. I just need to clean my teeth."

Tonks nodded. "No worries."

Zee headed upstairs to do just that, fixing her hair a bit and adding lipstick. She grabbed her red cloak from the closet before she headed downstairs, a smile for Tonks as she slowly lowered herself to sit on the stairs. "I might just need an hour to get my shoes on."

Tonks laughed and knelt down to help her. "Let me." She took the first boot and raised an eyebrow. "How the bloody hell do you walk in four inch heels? I can barely walk in flats and I'm not hugely pregnant!"

Zee chuckled as Tonks helped her slip the boots on, zipping up the sides. "I hate being short. My determination for height changes everything."

Tonks helped her to her feet. "Come on. The Knight Bus will take us a bit longer to get there."

Zee squeezed her hand. "Thanks for coming with me for the ride."

"I love riding the Knight Bus so I'm okay with it. Plus, this way Remus can go get Harry and Ginny."

Zee nodded, feeling better as they made their way down the drive and away from the wards of the house. Tonks stuck her wand out and a moment later the three decker purple bus appeared before them.

Zee hoped for once the ride wasn't too bumpy.

~ ASC ~

Harry let himself and Ginny into Remus' Hogwarts suite that morning just as Remus stepped out of the fireplace.

"Ah, perfect timing," Remus said.

Harry gave a half smile.

"He's not sold," Ginny told him.

Remus frowned. "You don't have to come today, Harry. I would never force you, you know that."

He nodded. "I know. But Zee needs me."

Remus' eyes softened. "Harry, Zee will understand."

Ginny squeezed Harry's hand in hers. "I told him that, too."

Harry gave her an annoyed look. "I can make my own choices, you know."

Remus chuckled. "Yes, you can. Come on then; Dora and Zee are going to meet us in Godric's Hollow. Zee is finding the Floo network has been making her extremely nauseous as of late and Apparating is no longer safe in her condition. They were taking the Knight Bus there and we thought that it would be safer for me to Apparate the three of us."

Harry nodded and followed his father through the portrait hole and down the halls. He held tightly to Ginny's hand as they headed through the school and out across the bridge to the end where they could safely Apparate. It was only a moment later when they arrived on the outskirts of the village of Godric's Hollow. He squeezed Ginny's hand gratefully as they followed Remus to the centre of the town where the statue of James, Lily, and Harry resided.

The large memorial obelisk full of names of those lost in the last war transformed into a statue of three people: A man with untidy hair and glasses, a woman with long hair and a kind, pretty face, and a baby boy sitting in his mother's arms. It stayed that way for two full minutes before changing back into the obelisk.

"I didn't know that there was a statue of your family here," Ginny said.

Remus nodded. "The people of Godric's Hollow wanted the memorial of the Potters as much as the obelisk. They were loved in this village and even though they were concealed, the village knew they were still part of them in some way."

Harry stared up at the statue a moment, feeling better when Ginny's arm wrapped around his waist. The Knight Bus pulled up then and Tonks and Zee stepped off. Harry's eyes widened. In two months' time, Zee's pregnancy had definitely blossomed. She looked like she had a massive cauldron under her shirt or possibly even two.

"Harry!"

He smiled and wrapped her in his arms, the feel of her bulging stomach between them surprising him. "Zee, wow!"

Zee laughed. "I know — I'm so fat!"

Harry chuckled. "That's not what I was going to say."

"But it's what you were thinking," she corrected, tugging his face down to kiss his cheek. She turned to hug Ginny. "I'm glad you're both here today."

Harry wrapped his arm around Zee's shoulders, his other hand holding Ginny's. Remus and Tonks held hands as they led the way down the street towards the graveyard. Remus stopped in front of where the Potters were buried, using his wand to put apple blossoms and yellow tulips on the grave.

"Jamie, Lily," Remus said quietly. "We're all here to see you today and to wish Sirius a happy birthday, of course."

Zee stood over Sirius' grave which was across from James and Lily's headstone. She kept her hands over her stomach as she read the words on the tombstone.

"I miss you. I miss you so much it hurts. I wish you were here to see how fat I am and how the babies are reacting to music. Kreacher told me this morning about how much you loved music when you were in the womb. Even though your mother wasn't exactly a mother, it's nice to know that she still played music that made you happy when she was pregnant. Of course it would be 'Ride of Valkyries,' which the twins liked as well. Our zvezdushka i bogonichka definitely love music. There was a little skirmish this morning over Abba versus Queen."

Harry came up beside her, putting his arm around her. "Don't listen to her, she's not fat. She looks beautiful."

Zee smiled at him. "Just over two more months. By then I could be the size of a house, so don't count your chickens before they hatch."

Harry chuckled. "Happy Birthday, Uncle Sirius."

Remus poured them each a glass of whiskey, some sparkling cider for Zee, and passed them around. "To Sirius, on what would have been his thirty-seventh birthday."

"To Sirius," they all said before they drank.

Ginny placed a bouquet of snapdragons down on the grave. "I brought you snapdragons because they're called the dog flower sometimes and I felt like you'd appreciate the irony."

"And I brought starflowers," Harry said, placing them down next to the snapdragons. "Neville picked them out because, surprise, surprise, we all know you thought that you were a star."

"He was a star," Remus said with a smile. "In his mind anyway."

"No, he was," Zee said softly. "A bright star in all of our lives that was extinguished much too soon."

The five of them stood there a moment longer, just staring down at his grave, each lost in their own thoughts.

Zee gripped Harry's hand tightly in her own. "Let's go home, sweetie."

Harry nodded as they slowly moved from the graveyard. Ginny and Tonks both decided to go with Zee on the Knight Bus while Remus and Harry Apparated.

Remus draped an arm around his son's shoulders as they headed up the drive to Black Cottage. "I know that was hard on you."

Harry shrugged. "I just don't get the whole visiting the grave thing… I mean, he's not really there. Neither are Mum and Dad and… I feel sort of stupid standing there and talking to them like that."

Remus smiled. "I find it cathartic, but that's just me. It's not for everyone. Harry, if you never go back there that's perfectly acceptable. We all channel our grief differently."

"I don't not want to go back," he admitted, feeling uncomfortable. "I just… I still miss him."

"Me too," Remus said, kissing Harry's temple.

They headed inside and Harry noticed immediately the small changes. Sirius' boots were no longer at the door and Zee had removed his jackets and cloaks from the front closet. The sight made Harry swallow, but he understood it. He knew that at the end of the summer, her grief had been too raw and he knew that seeing them gone was a sign that she was healing and he was grateful for that. He plopped down onto the sofa and Padfoot came running, barking gleefully.

"Hi, Padfoot! Hi, boy!" Harry exclaimed, a huge smile erupting on his face as he pet the dog lovingly.

Lady Godiva was lying in front of the fireplace and she only gave him a look of annoyance.

"Hi, Lady G," he said.

Lady Godiva rolled her head before she stood up and moved over to nuzzle his open palm in greeting, lying down under his feet. Remus took a seat on the couch across from him, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

"You been okay otherwise?"

Harry shrugged. "School, you know, nothing else crazy."

"How are you liking Slughorn?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "He's… interesting."

Remus chuckled. "I think interesting about covers it there. He's a good teacher though."

Harry nodded. "Yes, he is. The potions book I've been using actually… it's full of writing and well… some of it is yours and Uncle Siri's. I think the other writing belongs to my dad."

Remus' eyes widened in surprise. "Where did you get it?"

"It was in the dungeon in one of the cupboards and it was just luck of the draw really that I ended up with it."

"Is Borage the author?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

Remus smiled. "Your grandfather hated him."

"Really? Why?"

"Well, hate isn't the right word," Remus admitted. "They were more rivals. They both respected each other greatly, but were constantly at odds."

Harry frowned. "Over potions?"

"Yes," Remus said. "Borage was considered to be one of the world's most famous potioneers. He was from Brazil and spent time in the rainforests studying plants and working their properties into potions. He was a genius. Libatius and Monty were constantly butting heads at different conferences and arguing over the best techniques to brewing potions, best ingredients to use and such. The problem is that when you get two brilliant wizards, each a genius in their field in the same room, tensions run high. They met in their twenties and were constantly attempting to outsmart the other one. When Monty invented Sleekeazy's in the '20s, Borage countered with publishing the book called Have Yourself a Fiesta in a Bottle! which boasted its own haircare potion recipe. Monty wasn't impressed."

"Was it the same potion?"

"Nope, not even remotely, but it was the idea that it was for haircare that annoyed him," Remus said with a laugh. "According to Jamie they were lifelong friends and enemies. They exchanged letters arguing over everything. They almost never agreed on anything to do with potion making and Borage's wife Lara became close with Fee and the two of them would basically just mock their husbands."

Harry chuckled. "Then what happened?"

"Nothing really," Remus told him. "It was more of a simmer between them. Whenever Borage would publish a new book, Monty would immediately buy it, read it from cover to cover and then edit it. He loved finding mistakes and different ways to brew the potions. He was working on his own book when he died of dragon pox."

Harry stared at Remus taking the toy from Padfoot and throwing it across the room as the puppy scampered off to grab it. "I wondered why the writing seemed familiar. I saw Pop's old journals at Clevedon Court. I haven't read them yet, but I skimmed them."

Remus nodded. "When James was assigned the Borage book in sixth year, Monty immediately made him take the copy he had edited, claimed it would be more useful than the actual book. We often wrote notes in it sometimes, spells and things that we were working on."

"I saw 'Langlock,'" Harry said, throwing the toy again so that Padfoot would run off.

"That was one of them, as you know. It was my favourite one to use on Peeves. Anyway, we all wrote in it, but at the beginning of seventh year, James lost the book. We thought that he'd left it in the library one day when he was studying with your mum, but when they went back for it, it was gone and the librarian at the time, a crotchety old wizard named Wilkes, claimed that no one had seen it. He ended up sharing your mum's text for the rest of the year as his never did turn up again."

"And the half-blood prince?"

Remus frowned. "The who?"

"The half-blood prince," Harry said, play tug-of-war with the rope before throwing it across the room and making Padfoot gleefully run after it. "At the front of the book, it says that the book is the property of the half-blood prince."

"No idea. That wasn't something Jamie wrote, or Monty."

"Yeah, the writing doesn't match up," Harry told him. "And the same person wrote other things in the book, corrections to potions and little notes. Whoever he was, he was smart too."

"I don't know," Remus told him. "But the book originally belonged to your grandfather and anything he wrote is definitely worth reading. I never knew a more intelligent potioneer. Slughorn used to pester James constantly hoping for a meeting and Monty never bothered. He liked his private life and he only spoke at events and conferences when it interested him. As much as he liked to needle Borage, he didn't enjoy the spotlight when it came to his work."

The front door opened and Padfoot dropped his toy at Harry's feet, running forward and barking gleefully to greet the newcomers. Ginny knelt down to kiss and greet the dog, stopping him from licking her face as she laughed. Zee moved into the living room, sitting in the armchair with a soft moan as she attempted to reach her feet to take off her boots.

Harry got up to help her, slipping her feet out of the shoes.

"Bless you," Zee said, wiggling her toes. "Let me tell you, putting shoes on as of late has become a real chore."

"Can't you use magic to do it?"

Zee shook her head. "Sometimes, but as of late my magic has been a bit sporadic. Seems our zvezdushka i bogonichka like to play around with that too. The last time I tried to put my shoes on by magic, I ended up vanishing them all together. I can do it myself, it's just a struggle."

Harry put her boots by the front door. "Only two more months."

"Two and half technically," Zee corrected. "I'm thirty-one weeks today and our little leeks like to kick up a storm." Harry put his hands on her stomach and she smiled. "They're sleeping right now, I think. I'll let you know."

He nodded and sat back down on the sofa as Ginny moved to sit next to him. He put his arm around her, taking the rope toy from Padfoot and throwing it again. "Did you finish the last touches on the nursery?"

Zee smiled. "I did. It looks grand if I do say so myself. I have the cots all set up in the master bedroom and the cribs in the nursery. I wanted the cots in the bedroom so that I can get used to them being in the space and don't walk into them in the middle of the night. Minerva says that she's crocheting me blankets for when the babies arrive."

Ginny grinned. "McGonagall can crochet?"

"Yes," Zee told her. "She's excited to be a grandmother. Gran is making booties for them. She says that they will be in the Brown tartan. Mama says I should be thankful its only booties as I guess when Auntie Ellen was pregnant with Jenny, there was a whole Brown tartan theme. Baba is making them quilts in her quilting group. They're going to be very spoiled."

"Are you going to share their names yet?" Tonks asked.

Zee shook her head, biting her bottom lip. "No. That will be a surprise. Not even Harry knows."

"That's true, she won't tell me," Harry said. "But that's okay, I think it will be a good surprise: Star and Goddess."

"But that's not their real names, right?" Remus asked. "Because having a child who is half Sirius named Star or God is just asking for trouble."

Zee chuckled. "No, that's just my nicknames for them."

"That's good to hear," Remus said with a grin. "Harry was just telling me that he found James' old potions book."

"Really? It was your dad's?" Ginny asked.

"My grandfather's apparently. He's the one who did all of the edits in it."

Harry explained about the book to Zee and Tonks and they both listened in interest. Talk turned to the upcoming Quidditch match on Saturday before Remus suggested that they spend the day watching a memory in the Pensieve. They all agreed as Zee rolled off the chair to use the loo. Ginny followed her upstairs to check out the nursery and Harry and Remus pulled out the Pensieve dish and the chest of memories.

"I thought it's a nice way to honour Sirius today," Remus said, opening the chest.

"I haven't watched any since he… I think it's time."

Remus gave him a sad smile. "I miss him, too. He's my best friend, my brother, my co-parent to you. Sometimes I felt like we were an old married couple ourselves when it came to making decisions on how to raise you. You know, out of all of my friends and my family, I'm the only one left. I'm thirty-six years old and everyone I grew up with, they're almost all gone. Out of my dorm mates, Kingsley's the only one left. Your mum's dorm mates, Alice, Mary, Dorcas, Marlene… they were all killed during the war. Deanna Kane, last I heard, moved to Australia with her husband, but I was never really close with her. Fee and Monty, my mum and dad… sometimes I feel a hundred."

"You have me and Tonks and Zee and the babies when they come. You still have family, Uncle Moony."

Remus put his arm around him. "I know and I'm very grateful for that." He turned back to the chest to rifle through it. "I have three memories in mind for today."

Harry nodded, watching as Remus poured each phial into the basin. Tonks came out of the kitchen with two big bowls of crisps and some fizzy drinks, a tall glass of iced tea for Zee, who wasn't supposed to have the fizzy drinks, and set them on the coffee table in the sun room. Ginny and Zee came down the stairs a moment later and they all made themselves comfortable in the sun room.

Remus used his wand to close the blinds before he set the memory on the big covered windows like a screen. "I picked three today, each one a little different, but I think they are a unique mix of James and Lily and have some great Sirius moments in there as well."

He used his wand to mix the memory and a moment later the first one began to play across the screen. Harry recognized the Gryffindor boys dormitory as Ginny snuggled into his side and he realized with a jolt that he looked almost identical to his father there. They had to be fairly close to the same age.

James was lying on the floor in the middle of the boys' dormitory, records were strewn around him as the album With The Beatles was playing on the wireless record player.

Sirius' eyes met Remus' as they looked at their friend. His eyes were closed and he was singing along to the record, a cloud of marijuana smoke around his head from the joint sticking out of his mouth.

"Uh, Prongs?" Sirius asked, lying down next to his friend, plucking the joint from his friend's mouth and taking a toke, choking a bit as he inhaled. "You okay?"

James' eyes opened and he stared up at his brother. "This song is my life. So go away, leave me alone, don't bother me. I can't believe that she would leave me on my own, it's just not right when every night I'm all alone."

Remus' eyebrows rose as he sat down on the other side of James and accepted the joint from Sirius, looking at it in interest before he hesitantly brought it to his lips. He let out a long breath of smoke, finding it rather soothing as he choked softly.

"First of all, where did you even get this? Secondly, this song is not your life. Thirdly, Lily didn't leave you on your own because you've never even had her to begin with. What's going on, Prongs?"

James dragged his fingers through his already messy hair, making it stick up in every which direction. "We go home tomorrow."

"And?" Sirius prompted.

"I thought it was just… I mean, she's beautiful, right? And she's smart and she's funny and she's witty and Godric, she has fucking beautiful green eyes but… well she looked at me, and I, I could see that before too long, I'd fall in love with her."

Remus grinned. "Are you just quoting Beatles lyrics now?"

James grinned sheepishly as he sang in response. "Well, my heart went boom, when I crossed that room and I held her hand in mi-iine!"

"Jamie, mate, how fucking high are you?" Sirius asked, taking another toke from the joint.

"I've barely had any. You know, two years ago I saw her standing there and I just… I fell in love with her. I refused to admit it to myself; it was just a fancy, I'd get over it but today… when she told me that she'd rather go out with the giant squid than me… I've got every reason on earth to be mad, 'cause I just lost the only girl I had, if I could get my way, I'd get myself locked up today, but I can't, so I'll cry instead."

"Jamie, you never had her, mate," Remus said sympathetically. "Are you really in love with her?"

James nodded, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm not sure when I fell, Moony, but today… she's just amazing. That hair and that smile, not that she ever directs that smile at me, but when she does… it lights up the room and her eyes… Merlin, she's just, she's just Evans, mate. She's fucking fantastic."

Peter came into the room, choking on the marijuana smoke. "What the hell, guys?"

Sirius simply passed the joint over to Peter. "Help! I need somebody! Help! Not just anybody!"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Are we all speaking in Beatles lyrics now?"

Sirius grinned as Peter stretched out next to him so now the four of them were lying in a circle in the middle of the dormitory, heads all close together. "If we have to listen to Prongs moan about his lost love then I vote yes."

"Help me if you can, I'm feeling down; and I do appreciate you being 'round. Help me get my feet back on the ground; won't you please, please help me?" James sang, closing his eyes.

Sirius walked over to his trunk and rifled through it before pulling out a bottle of Firewhiskey. "That's exactly why we're here, Jamie." He looked at Peter who was still examining the joint in his hands. "Put it in your mouth, Pete, and inhale if you want it, otherwise pass it back to Prongs."

Peter did as Sirius instructed, coughing loudly as he waved at the smoke. "That's… wow."

Sirius grinned and looked at James. "First things first, Prongs, if we're going to help you then you better drink."

James accepted the bottle and took a swig of the liquor. "How is this going to help, Padfoot?"

Sirius sat back down, his back against his bed post. "We're sixteen. We'll be sixth years next year and you, my friend, are going to get Lily Evans to fall in love with you. Now drink."

James took another drink, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "How?"

"She thinks you're a conceited arse which to be fair, you are. She also thinks you are a bully, which again, you are, at least to Snivellus — that stupid git. But she also knows you as James Potter, Quidditch star, McGonagall's star pupil, and the second best looking bloke at Hogwarts, after me obviously."

"Oh, brother," Remus muttered, taking the bottle from James. "Jamie, don't take his advice."

"I have great advice."

"I was the first one of us to lose his virginity which makes me the advice giver," Remus said smugly as Sirius made a face at him.

"Big deal, Moony, I shagged Sarah two days after you lost yours to Ji. Besides, in second year I got a blow job from Deanna Kane," Sirius huffed in annoyance. "Not to mention the first time I went down on a girl was in fourth year… who knew girls would taste so damn good down there?"

James rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes you are both the experts and obviously whores to boot so shut it."

Peter laughed. "And Jamie and I aren't virgins either," he said with a smirk. "I had sex with Ruth two months ago."

"And then she dumped you for Florean, hoping to be the ice cream queen obviously," Sirius said with a laugh.

Peter glared at him. "Well, James slept with Delta this year and with Eesha!"

"Thanks, Pete, I'm aware of who I've had sex with thanks," James said. "That's what I'm saying though! I've had girlfriends and snogging partners and why doesn't Evans like me?"

Remus sighed. "Because with those girls you weren't trying to impress them, Prongs, you were just being yourself. With Evans it's like you don't know how to be yourself."

James sighed at his friends. "You know the moment, it was in third year, all of a sudden it was like I saw her in an entirely different light. All of a sudden, I'd just seen a face I can't forget the time or place where we just met, she's just the girl for me and I want all the world to see we've met, mm-mm-mm-m'mm-mm. Had it been another day I might have looked the other way and I'd have never been aware, but as it is I'll dream of her tonight, di-di-di-di'n'di."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Can we please stop randomly singing during conversation? It's confusing."

"I'm expressing my feelings through song, Wormtail!" James moaned, taking the joint again. "And Robson took pity on me and gave me this joint because he said that I had been publicly humiliated by the Black Lake like the loser I am."

"You're not a loser, James," Remus said.

James changed the record to Beatles for Sale, and sang wildly. "I'm a loser. I'm a loser. And I'm not what I appear to be. Of all the love I have won and have lost, there is one love I should never have crossed. She was a girl in a million, my friend; I should have known she would win in the end. I'm a loser; and I lost someone who's near to me. I'm a loser; and I'm not what I appear to be. Although I laugh and I act like a clown, beneath this mask I am wearing a frown. My tears are falling like rain from the sky, is it for her or myself that I cry? I'm a loser!" James pointed at the record player. "This song was written about my life!"

"Don't be so dramatic or I'll start calling you Sirius," Remus said, passing the Firewhiskey to James.

"Hey! I take offence to that."

"Shut up, drama queen," Peter said with a grin as Sirius shoved him.

"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together," Sirius said. "So that means you're all fucking drama queens, too!"

Remus grinned, ignoring Sirius and Peter's fight. "James, you're not a loser. You just have to learn how to be yourself. Stop going so out there to get her attention. Lily is a simple girl, James. The more you put yourself as the centre of attention the more you push her away."

Sirius grinned and slapped James on the back. "He can just be the lonely sad man he is. You know: I'm the man that's sad and lonely, begging down upon his bended knee. I'll play the part but won't need rehearsing, all I'll have to do is just act naturally."

"Piss off, Black," James said, shoving his friend. "I'm not sad and lonely. I just… I want Evans."

Peter wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "He wants to sing to her," he grabbed James' arms, wrapping them over his shoulders as he sang loudly and off key. "Hold me tight, tell me I'm the only one and then I might, never be the lonely one."

"Piss off, Wormtail!" James said, struggling out of his friend's arms as he laughed.

"Are you sad because you're on your own?" Sirius said, taking a drink of the Firewhiskey. "Boy, you gotta carry that weight, carry that weight a long time."

"What weight?" Peter asked, staring at Sirius.

Sirius laughed and reached for the joint again. "Fuck if I know, now I'm just quoting lyrics because I can. Jamie here needs a little help from his friends."

"With a little help from my friends, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends, keep on getting high, with a little help from my friends. I need somebody to love." James muttered, closing his eyes.

"Fuck, we are high," Sirius said, closing his own eyes. "I lost track of the conversation, but Robson has good fucking weed."

"Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup. They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe. Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my opened mind; possessing and caressing me," James sang softly, turning to pat Peter's arm. "With every mistake we must surely be learning, still my guitar gently weeps."

Peter grinned at him and took the Firewhiskey. "Now we're getting way too philosophical here. Let's get back on track. How are we going to get Evans to like Prongs or are we just going to sit here and sing random lyrics?"

James sighed and a foolish grin appeared on his face. "Something in the way she moves attracts me like no other lover."

"We know, Jamie, shut up," Sirius muttered, shoving his friend. "We know you love her eight days a week and all that, but you can't buy her love either, she don't care too much for money. Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you… that's fucking deep, man," he said, grinning widely and his eyes bugged out. "You should fucking sing to her!"

James grinned, sitting up. "She does smile at me whenever I pull my guitar out!"

Remus grinned at his friends. "She has said more than once that James has a beautiful voice and she does love to listen to him play the guitar. But I think if he just sang to her right now she would definitely turn him down. He needs to prove himself to be the man that we all know he is, but who Lily doesn't."

"You are speaking words of wisdom, Rem, let it be," James said, giggling now.

"Show Lily your kind heart and stop being a conceited berk, m'kay?" Remus said, smiling at his friend. "Then maybe, maybe you'll get lucky and Lily will take you down to her strawberry field."

Sirius giggled now, grinning. "Moony! Getting kinky, how do you know she has a strawberry field down there?"

James grinned wickedly. "Bet it's all red and gold and dark browns like her hair. Do you think she'd let me you know, go down on her like that? I bet it smells like her, like flowers and coconut."

Remus slapped James' shoulder. "Prongs, you have to convince her to go out with you first. Worry about that later."

Peter giggled and burped loudly. "Prongs wants to be in her strawberry field forever."

James shoved him and grinned. "Give me that whiskey and turn up the music. We have some detailed planning for next year."

Sirius did as he asked and grinned. "To stop you from being a conceited berk? Prongs, that might take the whole fucking summer."

"Fuck you," James said simply.

Sirius laughed and took another drink. "So Operation Make Evans Fall in Love With Prongs; what's step one, Moony?"

Remus grinned. "Do I have to think of everything?"

Peter grinned back. "You are the brains of the operation."

"Nuh-uh," James said stubbornly. "I'm the brains of the operation and I know exactly how to make Evans fall in love with me."

"Do tell then, Prongs my boy, do tell!" Sirius exclaimed, stretching his long legs out.

James simply grinned at them. "Watch and learn, boys, by this time next year, Evans will be mine."

"Ten Galleons says she won't be," Sirius said with a smirk, his eyes on James.

James only glared at him. "You dare to bet against me, Black?"

Sirius grinned. "I dare."

James gave him the finger. "You're on and this time next year, you're going to eat your words."

The memory faded away and Remus flushed. "Don't follow our examples of bad habits there."

"You smoked weed," Tonks said in amazement. "My professor not only drank underage, but smoked weed. My world is all askew."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Please."

"Uncle Sirius was very dramatic."

"He always was," Remus said with a grin. "Operation Make Evans Fall in Love With Prongs was a whole thing. James had entire plans in place."

"And did Uncle Siri have to give ten Galleons."

"Yes," Remus said with a laugh. "He did. Your mum fell head over heels for him. Of course, he was still a prat, but not an obnoxious one anymore."

Harry smiled as Ginny's hand gently kneaded his stomach. The next memory started and Harry immediately saw the change in their ages. They were young here, he noticed, second or third year maybe. James and Sirius were marching into Transfiguration class in their school uniforms, but overtop Sirius' uniform he wore the bright red Potter birthday cape.

"Mr Black," McGonagall said sharply. "The cape is not part of your uniform and I need you to remove it."

Sirius' face fell.

"Professor, he can't take it off!" James exclaimed. "Today's his thirteenth birthday and that is the Potter birthday cape. It's mandatory to be worn on such occasions."

"He is not a Potter," McGonagall said sharply.

Sirius slowly took the cape off, shrugging as if it didn't bother him. But Harry could see it did.

James whispered to him. "Don't worry, mate, you can wear it after class."

"No, it's stupid and childish. I don't want to wear it," Sirius insisted.

When class ended, McGonagall called Sirius forward.

He had the cape draped over his arm and his bag on his shoulder as he made his way to the front of the class.

"Mr Potter, Mr Lupin, Mr Pettigrew, hurry off now, Mr Black will be fine and meet you down for lunch in a few moments."

Sirius kept his eyes on the wall behind McGonagall, not daring to look back at his friends. When they'd left the classroom, McGonagall used her wand to close the door.

"Happy Birthday, Sirius," she said kindly.

He nodded. "Thanks. It's just a day."

She stared at him a moment. "It's more than just a day. A birthday is a fun day for you to celebrate."

He shrugged. "Sure."

"Why did James give you that cape?"

"He said it's a birthday cape and that in his family you wear it to celebrate your birthday and to know that today is your special day. It's childish, I know, but I was just humouring him."

McGonagall stared at him. "That's a nice tradition. What do you do for your birthday normally?"

"The usual," he said stiffly. "Fancy party full of my parents' friends, ballroom dancing, and sometimes a flan."

"A birthday flan?"

Sirius gave her a confused look. "No, just a flan."

McGonagall took the cape from him and carefully draped it over his shoulders, taking longer than necessary to tie it around his neck. "This looks like a much better tradition, doesn't it? It's even Gryffindor red," she said, smoothing the cape over his shoulders.

Sirius' lips curved a little. "It's childish."

"You're only thirteen once, Sirius. Don't take this cape off today. Wear it proudly. Can you do that for me?"

He smiled. "Yes, Ma'am."

"And Sirius?" When he looked into her eyes, she gave him a rare smile. "Happy Birthday."

Sirius grabbed his books and hurried down into the great hall to meet his friends.

"Excellent!" James said, high-fiving him as he sat down. "You have the cape back on!"

"McGonagall said that I can wear it all day," Sirius told them. "In fact, she told me not to take it off."

Remus frowned. "That seems like an un-McGonagall thing to do. Do you think it's really her?"

Sirius grinned. "It was definitely her. I even got one of her rare smiles."

They dug into their lunch, chatting about their plans to celebrate Sirius' birthday. James suggested setting off fireworks in the great hall during dinner which Remus promptly vetoed claiming that they would have detention for the rest of the year. Remus suggested charming balloon animals to follow him around all day and James immediately made a giraffe and a hippo. They were laughing when a large cake appeared on the table in front of Sirius.

It was two tiered and chocolate with rainbow sprinkles on top of chocolate frosting. In Gryffindor red it said 'Happy Birthday Sirius' and thirteen candles sat on the top in red and gold.

"Wow!" Sirius exclaimed, grinning at his friends. "You had the elves make me a birthday cake! I've never had a real birthday cake!"

James shook his head. "Wasn't me. You?"

Remus shook his head as well. "No. Pete?"

"Nope."

James frowned. "My mum sent you that basket of goodies this morning so, it wasn't her or she would have put it in a note. Hey, Evans, did you make Sirius a birthday cake?"

Lily looked at James coolly from across the table. "Do I look like I baked a cake?"

James shrugged. "You could have."

"No, it's not from me. It looks delicious though. Happy Birthday, Sirius!"

James urged Lily to stand with him and he waved his hands together as he began to sing and everyone soon joined in.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear Sirius! Happy Birthday to you!"

Sirius grinned widely and blew out the candles as Remus led everyone in a round of: "For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, and so say all of us!"

Everyone applauded as Sirius eagerly cut into the birthday cake. "Wow! It's buttercream inside!"

"Is that a big deal?" Remus asked. "Personally, I think more chocolate is always the answer."

Sirius elbowed him lightly, but he looked over at the head table and nodded at McGonagall. She raised her glass to him and winked.

Sirius turned back to his friends. "Who wants cake?"

The memory faded and the next one started up.

Harry recognized it immediately. He was standing in the small kitchen of Zee's cottage learning to cook. They were both covered in flour and laughing as Madonna sang in the background. Neither of them had noticed Sirius standing in the doorway, leaning against the backdoor, a soft smile on his face.

He just watched them for a moment, watching the way Zee instructed Harry carefully, complimenting his skills and the way Harry listened. Then Sirius slowly tiptoed up behind them and grabbed them both. Zee shrieked, but Harry just bubbled up in laughter.

"What are you two troublemakers getting up to in here?" Sirius asked as Zee smacked him in the shoulder for scaring her. He bent his head, kissing Harry's temple and then turned and kissed Zee deeply, lingering long enough to hear Harry making gagging sounds next to him. Sirius lightly smacked Harry across the head, putting his hand over Harry's face to push him away and continued to kiss her before he pulled away and grinned at her. "Hi, gorgeous."

"Hi, sexy," she said with a smile. "Harry and I are doing some cooking, a lot of cooking actually. I hope you're hungry."

"Starved. I missed lunch."

Harry grinned. "Zee is teaching me how to cook like her, Uncle Sirius."

When Sirius smiled at her, she shrugged. "He asked and I was so honoured! Anyway, we couldn't decide so, I figured that we'd make a ton of stuff and we can freeze it for easy dinners later on."

"It smells amazing in here, that's for sure. What are you making?"

Harry grinned. "Well, I just finished making a seven layer lasagna with ground beef and ground pork, Italian sausage and tomato slices with spinach, zucchini, and seven different kinds of cheese! It was fun and hard to keep it all straight." He said, making Sirius laugh. "It looks rather crooked actually, but I think that it will taste good. And then we made a thick stew with ground beef, potatoes, carrots and all sorts of other veggies, and we roasted salmon with lemon and pepper, and made chicken cordon bleu."

"That is definitely a lot of food," Sirius said, whistling as his mouth watered.

Zee smiled, her wand peeling apple slices quickly in the air. "We can freeze the lasagna and the stew. The salmon I'm going to slice up and we can use it for sandwiches tomorrow for lunch. We'll eat the chicken tonight. Harry and I are just finishing up an apple pie. Sirius, why don't you throw a salad together and I'll show Harry how to make my famous butternut squash over white rice to go with our chicken cordon bleu."

"Sounds perfect," Sirius said, taking a seat at the small kitchen table to watch them.

The memory faded off and Remus smiled. "That was the moment he realized that he wanted Zee forever."

Zee's eyes widened. "That was the summer before Harry's third year."

Remus nodded. "I know. He said that he came home and found the house empty and Marauder led him around to your place. He told me that he saw the two of you laughing and cooking and it just hit him, grabbed him by the throat almost; it terrified him how strongly the emotion came into him. But he knew at that moment that he wanted to be a family with the two of you. He wanted you forever and it took him a while to admit it aloud, but in his heart, he knew it was true."

Tears welled up in Zee's eyes. "That was the moment for me that I fell head over heels for Harry. I'd been trying to move small because I didn't want to scare him away and in the back of my mind I just kept thinking, don't get too attached in case something goes wrong, but when he showed up at my cottage asking me to teach him to cook… his laugh and his smile… I fell hard for him."

Harry smiled. "I fell pretty hard for you, too."

Zee grinned, rubbing her stomach. "Oh! Our zvezdushka i bogonichka are kicking!"

Harry jumped to his feet to put his hands over her large stomach, grinning widely. "Wow!"

"Ginny, come feel if you'd like," Zee offered.

Ginny moved over to touch Zee's stomach as well. "That's amazing."

"I feel like they're hitting Bludgers in there."

"Future Quidditch players," Harry assured her.

Remus and Tonks grinned at them as Remus put the Pensieve away. Kreacher informed them that dinner was ready and the five of them headed into the kitchen to eat.

"Did Uncle Sirius wear the cape every year on his birthday?" Harry asked Remus once they'd settled and filled their plates with the delicious roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, and carrots that Kreacher had made them.

Remus nodded. "He did. Jamie pulled it out for all of us. It was a nice tradition and McGonagall always made a fuss about it, except for Sirius. She always let him wear it without a word."

"She made him the birthday cake," Ginny said. "She's kind like that."

"She did. Sirius never told us until the next year when another cake appeared and James accused him of sending it to himself, which to be fair, is totally something he would have done. McGonagall had a soft spot for him," Remus told them. "It's why I love the idea of her getting to play granny to his twins. She loved him like a son."

Harry scooped up some of his mashed potatoes. "She's going to be a great granny to those babies. Uncle Sirius always thought that she was the best mum. He told me once that one of the worst moments of his Hogwarts career was when he had done something that resulted in Auntie Minnie telling him that she was disappointed. He said that he'd never felt like he'd let someone down so badly in his entire life. He worked hard to make up for it."

"She was always his biggest cheerleader," Remus said. "I don't think he ever knew this, at least I don't think she ever told him. But after his mother kicked him out the summer before sixth year, he wrote McGonagall a letter to tell her to send his Hogwarts stuff to Clevedon Court as it was his new home. I remember being in Diagon Alley with my mum and we'd just come out of Flourish and Blotts and there was McGonagall standing outside of Twilfitt and Tatting's having very loud words with Walburga Black."

"Really?" Harry asked in surprise. "What was she saying?"

Remus grinned. "She was loud and she was making no effort to lower her voice. Wait, I'll put the memory in Pensieve."

It was only a few moments before Remus played the memory on the ceiling in the kitchen, letting it play out before them.

"Come along, Rem. If you want to have time to hit the book store in London, we need to hurry," Hope Lupin exclaimed, holding his arm in hers.

"Mum, we have lots of time," Remus told her. "We can stop and get lunch at that place you love, if you like?"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?" A voice echoed across the street.

Remus turned, easily seeing over the crowd in his tall lanky frame.

McGonagall's voice carried and he tugged on his mum's arm to get closer as a crowd was drawing around them.

"How dare I? You are unfit to be a mother to a flobberworm let alone an incredible young man like Sirius! You tossed him out?"

Walburga Black sneered. "He's nothing but a snivelling ungrateful little brat who thinks he's better than the rest of us! I'd toss him out again! And if you heard how he spoke to me, you'd be singing a different tune, Minerva!"

McGonagall scoffed. "You're lucky Albus held me back when I learned how you treated him at home! If you ask me, his life just improved exponentially the moment you kicked him out. I'd rather live in a shoe box downhill from a dung heap than anywhere near where you were."

"Are you insulting me?"

McGonagall smirked. "I'd love to insult you, Walburga, but I'm afraid I won't do nearly as well as nature did."

Walburga Black turned a lovely shade of purple as McGonagall merely narrowed her eyes.

"I hope Regulus realizes what an unfit mother you are as well. Good riddance!"

She turned and stormed off as Walburga Black spluttered after her.

"Oh my," Hope said quietly. "That seemed overly harsh. I'm sure she's not an unfit mother."

"No, she definitely is," Remus said. "That's Sirius' mum."

Hope's eyes narrowed. "Well, that bitch is lucky I didn't know that or I would have joined in!"

"Mum!"

"When you told me that she chained her son up… I told Lyall to call the magic police and he said that it was none of my business!"

"They're an old pureblood family, Mum. It's fine. Sirius must be living with Jamie."

Hope huffed in annoyance. "Well, I hope so!"

The memory faded as Hope stormed off, leading Remus to follow.

"Oh, that was a sassy response," Ginny said with a chuckle. "It was like a burn within a burn. Go McGonagall!"

Remus grinned. "I told Sirius I'd seen his mum and McGonagall yelling at each other, but he'd laughed it off."

"She's always been his cheerleader. It's nice to know that she was always in his corner, even when he didn't know it," Harry said.

Zee nodded, rubbing her stomach. "Minerva McGonagall is an amazing woman. If she hadn't approved of me, I don't think Sirius would have let me stick around."

Tonks chuckled. "No, Zee, if McGonagall hadn't approved of you, it would be because she knew you weren't worth him keeping around."

Harry rubbed his hand over Zee's stomach as the babies kicked, taking in Tonks' words. It was because of Minerva McGonagall that a lot of things in his life had gone right. She was the mum Sirius had always needed when he was in school. She was the one who fought for his release from Azkaban, desperate to find the truth. She was the one who had given him advice on how to raise Harry. She was the one who convinced him to join the Hogwarts Board of Governors, the one to urge him to take his part in the Wizengamot.

Minerva McGonagall had helped make Sirius the man he had been born to be and Harry knew with absolute certainty that she would be the best granny to his twins.

End Author's Notes:

(Russian) zvezdushka i bogonichka = little/short star and goddess

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics to: Don't Bother Me; I Saw Her Standing There; I'll Cry Instead; I've Just Seen A Face; I'm A Loser; I Am the Walrus; Act Naturally; Hold Me Tight; Carry That Weight; With A Little Help From My Friends; Across the Universe; While My Guitar Gently Weeps; Something; Eight Days A Week; Can't Buy Me Love; Because; Let It Be; and Strawberry Fields Forever — all by The Beatles of course.

I love that Marauders in the dorm scene spewing song lyrics and I couldn't resist using it again!

Thank you as always and please review!