A/N: I do not own anything Harry Potter. The title is also not mine and taken from a song by Guns N Roses.

Chapter 1

Annie Black was sitting on her bed in the Potter home in late June when she heard a soft knock on the door. Harry's head appeared and asked if he could come in. She nodded and looked back down at the small, stuffed, black dog in her hands. Harry sat down next to her.

"I can't believe you're leaving today," he said with a slight frown on his face.

"I know. I grew up here," said Annie, turning the dog over in her hands. "But, Harry, I have my dad back! We finally get to be a family!" She looked up and there was a huge grin on her face.

"Yeah, it's great!" he said, grinning back. "I'll just miss having someone around to hang out with every day."

"It's not like we're not going to see each other anymore. I mean Aunt Lil and Uncle James are dad's best friends and my god parents. Please," she said, shoving Harry playfully on the arm. "We'll see each other practically every day this summer and at Hogwarts, too!"

Harry shoved her back. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Besides, mum'll flip if she ever found out Sirius left you home alone while he's at work. You'll be here or I'll be at your place every single day."

"Let's not forget the Weasleys and Hermione. We gotta have them over as well," Annie said, getting up to look out the window. "I wonder what Dad, Uncle James, Aunt Lily, and Remus are talking about on the porch."

"Dunno," said Harry, joining her at the window.

"Don't give me that look, James Potter!"

Sirius was pacing back and forth on the Potter's back porch, scared as hell. He'd been doing this for the past twenty minutes and he was getting sick of looking at his best friend's amused face.

"I'm not giving you any type of look, mate," James said innocently, with a bemused grin. He took a swig of firewhiskey and said, "What's got your knickers in a twist?"

"You know bloody well what! I haven't been a father since Annie was a baby! I never got to be a father! I have no idea what I'm doing and from what you've told me, Annie is exactly like me when she was my age. I was an idiot back then! I don't know if I can handle that!" Sirius stopped his pacing and was looking at each of his friends with a pleading look.

James and Remus started laughing and choking on their firewhiskey. Lily stood up and took the man's arm, forced him into a chair and handed him a butterbeer. "Relax," she said. "You don't have to do it alone. We'll help you. " She kissed the top of his head and sat back down in her seat next to James.

"Yeah, mate. I mean with you as a father, that kid will have no chance of turning out right," James said, punching Sirius in the arm.

"And she's not as crazy as you were. She can at least control herself like Marissa. She hasn't gotten into any serious trouble yet," said Remus.

"Oh thank Merlin!" Sirius said, taking a sip of his butterbeer. "You guys would really help me out, I mean, I have no idea what I'm doing."

"'Course we will. Who else will feed her?" James said, laughing. Lily punched him in the arm. "What was that for?"

"Not helping. Anyway we should probably start moving your things over to your new house. It's starting to get late," said Lily. "I'll go get the kids." Lily got up to leave. She patted Sirius on the arm and he gave a slight smile in return.

"We should start packing up," James said, getting up. "You coming?" he said looking at his friend.

"Yeah."

Sirius got up and drained the last of his butterbeer. Remus, who had also gotten up, walked over to his friend and put his arm around his shoulders. Together, the three Marauders walked inside.

Harry and Annie were pounding down the stairs into the living room when Sirius, Remus and James walked in from the porch. Annie reached her father and wrapped him in a hug.

"Hey, kiddo," he said, returning the hug. "Did you pack up the rest of your things?"

"Yup! It's all in boxes upstairs in my room," she said. "Hey, hey Dad!" she started hopping from one foot to the other. "Can we get a puppy? We should get a puppy! Can we get a puppy?"

"Oh Merlin, not the puppy talk again," James said walking past Annie and Harry to go upstairs. "All you talk about is getting a bloody puppy. Sirius, mate, just get the puppy; It may actually keep her calm for once."

Harry laughed at his father's remark. "Why do you all of a sudden want a puppy?"

"Because I want a puppy and Aunt Lil never let us get one," Annie retorted.

"I didn't say we would never get one. I said I would think about it," Lily called from the kitchen.

"So what do you say?" Annie said turning back to her dad. "Can we get a puppy? Please?"

"Let's just move into the house first and then we'll see about getting a puppy, okay?" he said, ruffling her hair and then following James up the stairs with Remus following behind.

"Hey, Annie, if the puppy thing doesn't work out, you could just have Sirius turn into his animagus form and you can play fetch with him," Remus called down the stairs.

Annie laughed and she and Harry went into the kitchen for lunch. Upstairs, Remus, James, and Sirius were sifting through Annie's boxes making sure she had everything packed up. Together they levitated the boxes down the stairs and into the living room by the fireplace, ready to be Flooed over to the new house. They returned to the kitchen to find Lily and the kids sitting at the table eating sandwiches. They ate silently and when they finished they all made their way to the fireplace. One by one they each picked up a box and Flooed over to the Black Barn. At last when there were no more boxes to be taken over, the group stood in front of the fireplace.

"Well," Lily said with tears shining in her eyes. "I guess this is goodbye." She wrapped her niece in a hug and they stood there for several moments before she finally let go.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Annie turned to James and hugged him around the waist. "See you, Uncle James."

"See ya, kiddo," he said, hugging her tightly.

Sirius shook Harry's hand and gave a quick hug to Remus and James before kissing Lily on the cheek. He turned to the fireplace, threw in some Floo Powder, said "Black Barn" and he was gone.

Annie gave Harry a long hug before following her father into the fireplace, ready to start her new life.