Disclaimer: As always, the HP universe and its canon elements belong to JK Rowling.

Warnings: This story contains the depiction of corporal punishment and a homosexual relationship. If this bothers you, please read something else.

Parings: Sirius/Remus with references to Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny

Authors Notes: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the story so far. I appreciate your feedback and support. Thank you to everyone that added this story to your alerts and favorites list. I'm flattered and hope you are not disappointed with where the story goes now. Just to be clear, this is not strictly a Harry story. It's not strictly a Sirius and Remus story, and it is not strictly a story about the OC Aethra. It is intended to simply be a what happens next sort of thing told from the perspective of the Lupin-Black family. Though no one has complained, I would like mention that although I have tried really hard not to make Aethra a Mary Sue character, its hard to write flaws for a five-year-old. Still, I promise, no everyone is going to love Aethra and think she's just the most precious thing in the world. As for plot – the plot is how does Harry go from being a barely emotional mature older teen to a full blown adult. Aethra's troubles with the Death Eaters is a subplot and so even though I will be addressing that can of worms that I already opened, it will not be the focus of this story. Again, thank you for your continued support and please R&R.

Chapter 5: An Outing

The following morning, Remus woke up in a very uncomfortable position. Somehow, he'd been squeezed into the upper corner on his side of the bed. When he rolled over to make a snide, yet loving, comment to Sirius about his tendency to hog the mattress as well as the covers, he was more than a little surprised to find himself face to face with Aethra. She was still asleep. Remus looked over her little head to see Harry snuggled up against Sirius. He was also crammed into a small bit of bed.

Remus chuckled to himself as he slid off what little mattress he was on and padded over to the bathroom. When he reemerged, showered and dressed, he couldn't help but pause to look at his family. At some point while Remus was getting cleaned up, Sirius had moved to the middle of the bed. Harry was still snuggling his right side, but Aethra had apparently gotten up and moved over to Sirius's left. It was so precious that Remus hesitated in waking them up. Instead, he grabbed the camera and took a picture.

Happy that the sight could go on forever whenever he wanted to see it, he walked over and sat at the end of the bed. "Were the three of you ever going to get up?" he asked with a wry grin.

Sirius opened his eyes first and Remus knew immediately that his partner had not really been sleeping at all. "I've tried," he said with his unusually low morning voice. "Every time I move they get heavier."

Remus laughed as he reached over and gently shook Aethra's little foot. "C'mon, little bit," he coaxed, before shaking Harry similarly. "You too, little seeker."

Aethra rolled over with a groan and buried her face into Sirius's side. It was becoming clearer that she wasn't a big fan of bright sunlight first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, Sirius and Remus had fallen asleep with the drapes open. After all, their window looked out on the back yard and consequently a thick bit of woods. There wasn't likely to be an invasion of privacy from that angle.

Harry on the other hand just opened his eyes and smiled. "I had a good dream," he said.

Remus smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Is that right?" he asked. "Well why don't you get dressed and then you can tell us all about it at breakfast."

"What we having?" Aethra asked, her voice muffled by the blankets and Sirius's nightshirt.

"What do you want?" Sirius asked as he picked her up and sat her on his stomach.

Aethra groaned even louder and struggled to cover her face with her little hands, but it was no use. The sun was going to wake her up whether she liked it or not. "No porridge," she stated grumpily.

Remus laughed. He couldn't really blame her. Porridge had to be one of his least favorite things to eat for breakfast. "How about some eggs and sausage?" he suggested as he stood up. He clapped his hands together and smiled at the children. "Alright, out of bed and into clothes. We've got a lot to do today so let's get started."

Harry complied first and headed for the door. "What are we doing?" he asked curiously.

"Well," Remus answered as they headed towards Harry's room and the stairs, "You need some clothes that fit properly and a few games and toys that are just right for your age. We should go to the market because I didn't buy very much before we moved in, seeing as how I didn't know what you would or wouldn't eat. Then we'll need to stop by Hogwarts to get a few things settled, and finally, Sirius and I are going to start planning our first family holiday."

Harry was beaming. "All that in one day! Wow! I'll hurry!" He disappeared into his room.

Remus laughed and headed down the stairs to the kitchen, confident that Sirius could get their daughter both into clothing and better spirits on his own. Soon he was enveloped in the happy smell of breakfast, an aroma that also seemed to draw the rest of the household into the kitchen within minutes.

"Sausage!" Aethra exclaimed happily as she climbed up into her chair. Sirius had dressed her in a light blue dress with small lavender flowers printed all over it. He'd also managed to pull her fine, delicate hair into a little ponytail. Remus was amazed. Despite his efforts, he hadn't been able to achieve that, and he'd had a full week more to practice.

"How did you do it?" Remus asked him, nodding at Aethra.

Sirius just smirked. "The same way James and I got the pages in Severus's transfiguration book to stick to themselves so that he couldn't read his assignments or do any homework."

Harry laughed. "Will you teach me how to do it?" he asked hopefully.

"No," Remus replied at the same time Sirius replied, "Sure."

Remus sighed and shook his head. "You're encouraging him to engage in pranks," he warned Sirius. "Can't expect him to behave, if you do that."

Sirius sighed in defeat. "Uncle Remus is right," he said to Harry. "But I've got a few other tricks you can play on other Gryffindors that won't get you into trouble."

Harry grinned and nodded. "Alright!"

Harry and Aethra set the table together as Remus finished making the food. Sirius, meanwhile, flipped through the mail that had arrived with one of the Hogsmead post owls. One nice thing about living in an actual wizarding town was that all their mail went to the post office, so one of their owls would deliver it or they could send a family owl to pick it up. With the death of Hedwig the previous summer, though, they were without a family owl. Remus was thinking that they should change that, but it would have to be handled carefully since Harry had taken the loss of Hedwig pretty hard.

"There's a reply here from Baldur," Sirius said as he put everything else down and ripped it open.

Remus looked up from the sizzling sausage. "What's he say?"

Dear Misters Black and Lupin,

Greatest apologies for not clarifying the subject of your letter before you left St. Mungo's. As far as the Ministry is concerned, Harry is an adult and any magic emanating from him will be seen as legal, adult magic. I do not, however, recommend allowing him to do magic in his child state as that would not support the idea of him experiencing a normal childhood. Please write if you any further questions and good luck to you all.

Sincerely,

Healer Eric Baldur

Remus glanced at Harry who was wrinkling his nose, obviously disappointed.

"Well at least we won't have the Ministry sending howlers in the event that he forgets himself," Sirius said as he folded up the letter and put it in his pocket.

"Does that mean we can't ride your broom?" Aethra asked Harry.

Harry grimaced as he looked at Sirius who was suddenly frowning at him. "Yeah," he answered. "Least not till I'm big again."

"I wouldn't go looking for ways to get around the no magic rule, Harry," Remus said. "Unless you want a repeat of yesterday, that is."

Harry shook his head. "No, no. I'll leave the magic alone."

Sirius held out his hand as Remus started serving the food. "Wand."

Harry looked at him open mouthed. "But. . ."

"That way you won't be tempted," Sirius explained.

Harry sighed and handed over his wand. Remus noted with amusement that he'd not been able to put it into his pocket because his pants, which like most of Aethra's clothes were on loan from the Weasley's hand-me-downs, were so much smaller. "But you'll give it to me if I need it, right?" Harry asked with some anxiety.

Sirius took the wand with one hand and tousled Harry's hair with other. "I promise. It'll come flying at you along with the safe word."

Harry nodded and watched as Sirius placed the wand in his own robe. Remus understood why Harry was more than a little apprehensive about giving up his wand. It was, after all, similar in significance to Aethra's blanket for Harry and he'd already had to do without it during the hardest moments of his life. It was natural for him to cling to it like a koala bear to its mother.

"Where are we going to get new clothes?" Aethra asked, digging into her breakfast.

"Diagon Alley," Sirius replied as he sat down to eat as well.

Harry grinned. "I've never been there like this!" he exclaimed. "Do they have a toy store? Can we stop and say hi to George? Is Olivander back yet?"

Remus laughed at his enthusiasm. "Yes. They have a toy store, and yes we'll stop there for both of you." Both of the children cheered.

Sirius laughed.

"Yes, Mr. Olivander is back. He's training an apprentice, and if you two behave yourselves, we'll stop and see George before heading home," Remus finished. They'd probably stop to see George no matter what. Remus knew that losing Fred had been hardest on George and that since then business hadn't been quite as booming. Without Fred to play off of both creatively and energetically speaking, George had fallen into a going through the motions type of lifestyle. He'd perked up a little at Aethra's party, though, so Remus thought it might be good for him to see both Harry and Aethra.

"I'm glad you mentioned Olivander, Harry," said Sirius. "I need to get a new wand. Using other people's spares just doesn't work very well."

"Do you have the acquittal papers?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow. Since Kingsley was Minister of Magic, there was no need for a formal hearing, but Sirius still needed to have papers in order to get a new wand.

Sirius reached over to the mail and picked up an official looking envelope from the Ministry. "Came this morning."

Remus beamed.

Aethra put down her fork and pushed her chair back. "I'm done. Can I go swing?"

Remus and Sirius both looked at her plate, each other, and then back at Aethra.

"You didn't touch your eggs, Aethra," Sirius pointed out gently.

Aethra didn't deny this in the slightest. "I ate all my sausages."

Remus smiled at her. "I'm very proud of you, little bit, but what about your eggs?"

"I don't think Aethra likes eggs," Harry said as he shoveled a forkful into his mouth.

Remus looked back to his daughter. "Is that true?"

Aethra bit her lip, but nodded, as if she were afraid this would get her into trouble.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, his own serving of eggs almost gone. "Must get it from you," he said to Remus.

Remus sighed in exasperation at him. "I like eggs just fine." He turned back to Aethra. "Why didn't you tell, me, honey? I could have given you something else."

Aethra just shrugged. "It's okay. Can I go swing now?"

Remus laughed a little. "No. You need more than two sausage links for breakfast. How about. . . toast or cereal?"

Aethra bit her bottom lip again, but nodded. Remus was completely baffled as to why she hadn't told him about this before. She'd told him what she liked best and she'd made it very clear that she didn't like porridge, so why didn't she tell him about the eggs? Still trying to puzzle it out, he got up and made her some toast. He knew she liked that with strawberry jam. It was what they'd had for breakfast their first morning together.

"Do they sell normal clothes in Diagon Alley?" Harry was asking Sirius when Remus set the toast down in front of Aethra.

"Sure," Sirius replied. "Not quite muggle clothing, but more than just robes."

"Is Kressy coming here now?" Aethra suddenly asked around a small bite of toast. Her change in attitude was worrying Remus more and more, but he just couldn't figure out what was causing it.

He shook his head. "Kressy and Kreacher are going to stay at Hogwarts, sweetheart," he explained. "We don't have a big enough house to keep her happy for long."

"But I need her," Aethra said quietly.

"Why, baby?" Sirius asked as he reached over to hold Aethra's hand. "Does Kressy have something that's yours that you need right now?"

Aethra shook her head and looked for a moment at Harry.

When Remus looked at Harry, hoping he knew what was going on, the little boy seemed as confused about the whole situation as Remus and Sirius were. "Aethra, come on, little bit. Tell us what you need from Kressy so we can make sure you get it," he encouraged.

It was obvious from the five-year-old's face that she felt trapped and unsure of what to do. Remus wasn't sure what concerned him more, her fear or the fact that she didn't trust him enough to explain her fear.

"It's okay," she finally said as she stuffed the last of the toast in her mouth. "Can I please go swing now?"

Sirius and Remus exchanged glances before nodding.

"Why don't you go play outside for a bit too, Harry?" Sirius suggested. "We'll get the kitchen cleaned up, and then we'll all head to Diagon Alley."

Aethra didn't even wait for Harry. She was out of the kitchen before they had time to blink.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Harry yelled as he ran after her.

Sirius stood up as Remus started to clear the table with magic. He generally did everything by hand when the kids were around so as to set a good example, but now he had other things on his mind, and magic would make it go faster. "Something's not right," Sirius said dubiously.

"But it's not like she's being defiant for the sake of being defiant," Remus pointed out.

"Which is exactly why she and I aren't chatting in the study," Sirius replied. "Still. . . something's bothering her."

Remus sighed, thinking. "We could call Kressy and see if she knows what Aethra might be talking about?"

"I like that idea," Sirius agreed. "Better to get the facts than waste time guessing.

"Kressy!" Remus called into the air.

Almost instantly, Pearl's little house elf popped into the kitchen. "Master Remus called for Kressy?"

Remus smiled. "Krissy, this is Sirius, my. . ." he was about to say husband, but as they'd never been officially partnered through a union ceremony so the term seemed wrong. "My partner. Aethra's other father?"

Kressy bowed low. "Kreacher has said many nice things of you Master Sirius."

Sirius laughed. "Now I know Harry did something to him."

Kressy looked confused, but Remus pressed on. "Kressy, Aethra's been a little odd this morning. She let us serve her eggs, but she never mentioned that she doesn't like them, and then she insisted that she needed you."

"She did not eat eggs, Master Remus! Please say she did not!" Kressy squealed in distress.

Remus shook his head. "No. None of them. Why? Kressy what's wrong with Aethra eating eggs?"

Kressy started wringing her hands, and Remus recognized the look of a house elf searching for a method of self punishment. "Kressy forget to tell Master Remus! Oh how bad!"

"Kressy do not even think about punishing yourself," Remus said. "Just tell me what it was you forgot so that we can make it right."

"Aethra can not eat eggs," Kressy answered. "Very sick if she does! Goes to St. Mungo's!"

Sirius and Remus exchanged looks of alarm.

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"There is a muggle word," Kressy explained. "Allergic."

Remus couldn't believe it. Magical children didn't have allergies. Their magic protected them from that sort of muggle affliction. "But how. . ."

"She's a squib," Sirius said quietly, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"What?" Remus asked, not able to get his mind around that thought.

Kressy shook her head, looking almost offended at the suggestion. "Mistress Pearl say Aethra is a witch!"

Remus realized then that Sirius was right. Aethra, either by nature or the nature of her conception was a squib.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Sirius watched Harry and Aethra look at the toys with an appraising gaze. He never had the Black family's dispensation towards muggle-borns and he didn't think there was anything subhuman about muggles themselves, but the fact that his daughter was a squib kept grating on him the wrong way. At first he'd been ashamed of himself, terrified that he'd proven how Black he was by making his love for her conditional. A quick emotional inventory cleared that up, though. He did not love her any less and he had no sense of disgust when she reached out to hold his hand. What he felt was disappointment and fear.

The disappointment came from the fact that Sirius had rather fancied Aethra becoming a very gifted witch like Hermione, Ginny, and Lily. Maybe she'd even take to flying the way Harry did and be one of those female quidditch players who could hold her own on a date because boys would be too scared to try anything. There had also been a chance that she'd be able to learn the skills required to be an animagus, and Sirius couldn't help but be curious as to what animal she would choose. What would her patronus look like the first time? Now those questions would never be answered.

His fear stemmed from his realization that she growing up without the natural protection of her inner magic. Plenty of under aged wizards and witches had been spared great physical pains by subconsciously using their magic to help them. Aethra would never have this ability, and it made Sirius watch her like a hawk. He was suddenly hypersensitive to anything that could harm her since he couldn't trust magic to protect her without help from him or Remus.

"Daddy, can I have this?" Aethra was suddenly standing in front of Sirius holding up a toy wand.

Sirius's heart broke because he didn't know what to say. Up until a few hours ago he would have let her have almost anything in the store she asked for, but was letting her play with a toy wand cruel when he knew she'd never get a real one?

"What do you want it for, pumpkin?" he asked. He'd been trying out different pet names and diminutives to see what fit with her best for him, but so far he was coming up empty.

Aethra grinned and shrugged. "Making stuff happen," she answered. "Like I c'n help Daddy Remus clean up and. . .put water in the bath tub. Harry knows the charm for that."

Sirius smiled down at her. He couldn't say no to such a sweet face. "Alright, princess. You may have it." She grinned and hurried off to look at more toys. The shop was small enough that Sirius and Remus didn't feel the need to keep the children within arm's reach the entire time, and it looked like they were having fun. He walked over towards Harry and squatted next to his godson. "So what are you looking at?" he asked.

Harry grinned and held up a miniature scarlet steam engine. "It's the Hogwarts Express!" he exclaimed excitedly. "And it puts out real smoke and look. . ." he pointed to a box of railroad track. "You can build the track and there's a Hogwarts castle too and once you set it all up, only you know where the castle is. Your friends can look and look, but unless you show them where you put it, they'll never see where the track ends! Isn't that cool, Uncle Sirius?"

Sirius smiled and nodded. It was a clever toy. Something he thought even eighteen year old Harry would enjoy to a certain extent.

By the time they left the toy store, both of the kids had more toys than they could probably play with, especially Harry, but Remus and Sirius enjoyed spoiling them and their smiles were at least helping to alleviate Sirius's worries about Aethra a little.

"Now where are we going?" Harry asked, his hand tucked in Sirius's right hand. Aethra was on his right, between him and Remus.

Remus took out a list that he'd made. "Well there are a few things that we ought to get from the market, but I can do that on my own. How would you two like to go to Olivander's with Sirius?"

Harry and Aethra grinned at each other nodding.

Sirius smiled and nodded as well. He had a feeling that the children wouldn't have a lot of patience for the boring old market. "Good idea, Moony. Where do you want to meet up afterwards?"

Remus looked up and down the street. "How about that children's clothing shop across from Madame Malkin's?"

"Alright," Sirius agreed. "We'll see you there in a little bit." He turned with the kids and headed for the old wand shop. He was tempted to buy them ice creams to keep them occupied while inside, but somehow that seemed like a disaster in the making. He was pretty sure that Harry would behave himself, though, and if there was one thing Aethra did more and more, it was imitate her big brother. Still, something messy like ice cream was probably not the best thing to take into Ollivander's.

"How do you become a wand apprentice?" Harry asked quietly as they entered the store.

"I don't know," Sirius whispered back. "Probably a lot of history of magic."

Harry wrinkled his nose and Sirius smirked. He knew that wouldn't go over very well.

"Hello. May I help you?" came the pleasant voice of what appeared to be a young woman approaching them from the back of the shop.

Sirius smiled. "Good morning. I am in the market to buy a new wand. I got my first one here and it was just perfect."

The young woman smiled. "Ollivander's wands are the best in the world," she said proudly. "I am Melinda Bowers, Mr. Ollivander's new assistant. Who shall I tell Mr. Ollivander is here?"

"Sirius Black," he answered, prepared for the young lady's wince that followed.

"He didn't do it!" Harry exclaimed at her angrily. Sirius was glad that he was seven and not almost eighteen, because if the full grown Harry had done that, he probably would have terrified her.

Still, Sirius thought he should make sure Harry didn't go biting off everyone's heads so he put a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder to calm him down.

The girl blanched. "I'm sorry," she said with a least a minimal degree of sincerity.

"What's all the commotion?" came the tired voice of Mr. Ollivander. He slowly made his way to the front of the shop, clearly feeling the full weight of his years and Voldemort's torture.

"Sirius Black is here for new wand," Melinda explained.

Mr. Ollivander stopped right in front of Sirius and appraised him slowly. "I imagine they snapped it?"

"Yes, sir," Sirius replied, unable to hide his regret. He'd really loved that wand, but in a way, he thought a new wand was the perfect way to commemorate his new life. "I have. . ."

"No need," the old man replied. He turned slowly to Harry. "Have I grown?"

Harry grinned, blushed, and proceeded to duck behind Sirius, suddenly shy. Sirius didn't understand it, but he wasn't being rude, so Sirius didn't scold him.

"Harry's experiencing Diagon Alley from a new perspective," Sirius explained.

Mr. Ollivander just nodded and turned his attention to Aethra. "Ah. . . I haven't seen one like you in many years."

Now it was Sirius's turn to wince. Mr. Ollivander could tell by looking at a person what wands to start with. Sirius expected that he could tell Aethra was a squib and wouldn't be purchasing anything from his shop in a few years time.

"I hope that you'll visit me again when you're older, despite the fact that I won't be much service to you," Mr. Ollivander said in that strange way of his.

Aethra was oblivious though and nodded eagerly. "Hear that Daddy? We have to come back and visit Mr. Ollivander when I get bigger. Okay?"

Sirius smiled down at her. "Okay, sweetheart."

Mr. Ollivander looked at Sirius long and hard. "She's yours?"

Sirius just nodded. "My little miracle." He didn't want to say anything else. He knew how important it was to keep Aethra's origin a secret so he wanted to leave as much to people's imaginations as possible.

"Alright, alright, arms out please," Mr. Ollivander said as he took his wand and used it to direct a measuring tape towards Sirius.

"C'mon, Aethra, we can watch over here," Harry said as he took Aethra's hand and led her over to a chair near the door. There wasn't room for both of them on it, but Harry let Aethra sit on his lap. It looked a little odd considering he wasn't all that much bigger than she was, but neither of them seemed to be complaining.

Sirius put his arms out and waited for the measuring to begin. He realized that he was quite a bit bigger than he'd been at eleven and he'd changed a lot too. If he'd had his old wand the whole time, they would have grown together, but now he was probably going to match up with an entirely different sort of instrument.

Mr. Ollivander left the measuring tape to do its work, Melinda Bowers watching his every move like a hawk, and went to his shelves, pulling down boxes of wands while muttering to himself about their components. "Let's try holly first," he said as he opened a box and offered the wand inside to Sirius.

Sirius reached out and picked it up, testing it's feel. It didn't quite feel right, but he wasn't sure if that was just because it wasn't really his wand. Still, he knew that he needed to at least trying something with it. He pointed it at the box in Mr. Ollivander's hand. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said with a swish and flick.

The box rose into the air about six inches and then fell like a rock to the floor.

"Hmmm. . ." Mr. Ollivander mused as he took that wand back and handed Sirius another. "That one had Unicorn hair, this one has a dragon heartstring."

Again Sirius pointed it at the box, trying to levitate it properly. This time it zoomed away in a horizontal fashion across the floor until it crashed into the door.

"Don't worry, Uncle Sirius," Harry said with an encouraging smile. "It took me forever to find mine!"

Sirius smiled over at him. "Thanks, Harry."

"Too bad Daddy's wand doesn't just know he's here for it," Aethra mused.

Mr. Ollivander chuckled. "Ah, not all of us can be so gifted with such things," he said as he retreated back into the shop. They heard quite a bit of rummaging and finally, he reappeared with another box. "Try this one."

Sirius picked up the third wand. At least that one felt more comfortable in his hand than the others. Again, he pointed to the wand's box. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said and immediately the box obeyed the way it was supposed to. Aethra clapped and Sirius directed the box to the counter silently.

Mr. Ollivander smiled with triumph. "Eleven and three quarter inches, birch, core of thestral hair. I doubt that you want Miss Bowers to wrap it up?"

"No," Sirius replied without hesitation. "I'll keep it with me, thanks." Thestral hair? Well that was interesting. Sirius couldn't think of anyone else with that particular core. He put the wand in his robe and took out his money bag. "Thank you very much. You don't quite feel like yourself without a wand." he said to Mr. Ollivander as he gave Melinda Bowers the right amount of money.

"Think nothing of it. The pleasure is in the making!" Mr. Ollivander called happily over his shoulder as he disappeared into the darkness at the back of his shop. Sirius could only hope that this Melinda Bowers would retain even half of what the old wizard taught her.

Sirius took the children by their hands and ushered them out of the store. "Thank you for being so patient," he told them.

Harry just smiled up at him. Sirius had never in all his encounters with Harry since breaking out of Azkaban seen the kid so happy. He had Lily's eyes. That was undeniable, but when he was truly happy, he had James's smile. Still, Sirius had already learned his lesson about comparing the two too much. Harry needed Sirius as a parent, not a best mate, so Sirius would just have to settle with Remus for camaraderie. Besides, there was a surprising amount of fun to be had in the parental role.

"Where're we going now?" Aethra asked.

When Sirius looked down to answer her, he noticed she was rubbing her eye lazily. It was getting on lunch time so maybe she just needed a bite to eat. "Think you can make it through clothes shopping before lunch?" he asked.

She nodded.

"There's Uncle Remus!" Harry exclaimed, pointing up ahead of them.

Remus beamed at them when they met. "So you found a new wand?"

Sirius let go of Harry's hand and pulled his wand out for Remus to see. "There's a thestral hair in there."

Remus smirked. "Interesting."

"What's interesting?" Harry asked, practically bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. Sirius shuddered to think what he'd be like after an ice cream.

"Well you tell me. What's so special about thestrals," Remus replied.

"Does everything have to be a lesson, Ream?" Sirius asked in mild exasperation. "Harry's on break!"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "And it's been an exceptionally long one. A brief review won't kill him."

Harry grinned up at them. "It's okay, Uncle Sirius. It's an easy question." He turned to Remus. "A thestral is a magical creature that only someone who's seen death can see. And they have a really good sense of direction."

Remus beamed. "Very good. Now think about that and then think about what you know about Uncle Sirius. . ."

Harry looked thoughtful for a few moments, clearly giving the matter some consideration.

Remus smiled and ruffled his hair. "Just keep working on it while we get you two some new clothes." He turned and led them all into a children's clothing store. "Alright, Aethra, you first little bit."

Aethra let go of Sirius's hand and immediately latched onto Remus. Sirius hadn't spent all that long with his daughter, but he could certainly tell that she was winding down quickly. The faster they got to lunch the better. "Harry, why don't you and I go pick out your things and we'll get done twice as fast," he suggested.

Harry just nodded, still thinking about the wand.

Sirius steered him towards a rack of boys clothes and was surprised to see how very muggle they were. "We're still in a wizard's shop, aren't we?" he laughed to the sales clerk.

The girl laughed. She looked barely old enough to be out of Hogwarts and it was possible that this was only her summer job. "Magical kids dress more and more like muggles every year, Mr. Black. I do when I'm not at work. I mean, you can't really beat a comfortable pair of jeans, now can you?"

Sirius didn't know how to respond. He didn't own a pair of jeans. Maybe he should get Harry to take him shopping in the muggle world once he was grown up again. Sirius was all for something comfortable.

"Hi, Harry," the girl said with a friendly smile. "Need something that fits a bit better?"

Harry finally looked up at the girl and then turned scarlet. "Oh. Hi, Katie," he replied quietly.

Sirius looked from one to the other.

"My name's Katie Bell," she said, introducing herself. "I was a chaser on the Gryffindor team before I graduated."

Sirius nodded with understanding. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said politely. Harry might not have minded Hermione and Ron to see him small and vulnerable and he probably didn't mind encountering a few adults as long as his scar was covered, but other classmates could pose a problem. Sirius didn't want Harry humiliated. It would defeat the purpose of the therapy.

Katie must have read his mind because she frowned. "Don't worry, Harry, I won't tell anyone that doesn't already know."

"Who else knows?" Harry suddenly exclaimed, getting red in the face.

"Harry," Sirius said with a hint of warning his voice. He might have sympathized, but there was an appropriate way to express his feelings, and Harry had to learn that. He couldn't go through life blowing up at people as he used to.

Harry looked up at him, a bit annoyed, but he took a breath and calmed down.

Katie looked genuinely sorry she'd ever greeted Harry by name. "Me, Alicia, and Angelina. . .oh and Lee and Oliver," he answered. "I don't think George meant to tell, but. . . well. . . he tends to drink just a little bit too much lately."

Harry's expression softened immediately. "Is he going to be okay?"

Katie smiled and nodded. "Lee's keeping a close eye on him, and I have lunch with him a couple times a week. It's just going to take awhile."

"We can still stop and see him before we go home, right?" Harry asked hopefully, looking up at Sirius.

Sirius nodded and smiled, wrapping an arm around Harry and squeezing him close. "Of course."

Katie was practically beaming. "So. . . do you wanna go all out Gryffindor or. . .some stuff with the quidditch team you're backing or. . . what?"

Harry looked around, turning in a small circle. "What kind of Gryffindor stuff?"

Katie led them to an area that was devoted to the Hogwarts houses. There were even infant clothes with colors and mascots plastered across their fronts. Sirius smiled briefly at an image of Aethra wearing a little Gryffindor onesie as a baby. It would have been so cute.

Harry carefully selected a couple of t-shirts and then let Katie show him to a few pieces devoted to the British national team. After that, Harry was quite content just to pull down a few random garments in his favorite colors. Sirius was suddenly grateful that he got paired up with the male child and not the female one. Aethra was likely to sit there and ponder over each and every outfit for hours!

"So how're we doing?" Remus asked as he walked over with Aethra, his arms full of jumpers, tops, dresses, and even a pair of jeans with what looked like purple embroidery on the pockets. Aethra was holding on to the seam of his trousers looking more tired than ever.

"I'm all done," Harry answered with a smile.

"What an adorable little girl!" Katie exclaimed and then blushed, looking up at Remus. "Sorry. How are you Professor Lupin?"

Remus laughed. "It's alright. I don't mind being overshadowed by Aethra in the slightest." He gently nudged her forward. "Can you say hi to Katie?"

"Katie played quidditch with me," Harry told Aethra. "She's really nice."

Aethra smiled and waved, obviously getting shy along with her fatigue.

"It's been a long morning," Sirius explained. "Harry, why don't you take Aethra out and show her the broom store. You guys can look in the window while Uncle Remus and I pay for your clothes."

Harry nodded. "Okay. Come on, Aethra." He took her hand and turned back to Katie. "Nice seeing you, Katie!"

Katie laughed and waved. Once the children were out of the store, Katie led them to the counter and began to add up the cost. "It's really nice of you to let Harry see what being a wizard kid is like."

Remus smiled. "It's the least he deserves," he pointed out. "And it's fun for us too."

Katie smiled. "And it's cool how he seems to get along with Aethra. Is she related to his mom somehow? She doesn't look much like the pictures I've seen of James Potter."

Sirius and Remus looked at each other for a moment, silently agreeing to be honest, but not too informative. "She's our daughter," Remus explained casually.

Katie paused in what she was doing for a moment, clearly surprised. "Wow," she replied quietly. It looked as if she were trying to figure it out quickly, but her own conclusions weren't making much sense.

"The logistics aren't important," Sirius said. "We're just happy that fate is giving all four of us a second chance."

Katie smiled at that nodded. "Well said." She took the money and wrapped up the clothes, putting Harry's in a dark blue bag and Aethra's in a dark magenta. "Kids like it when they have a bag that just theirs," she reminded them.

"Thanks, Katie," Remus replied as he shrunk the bags down before slipping them inside his robes.

"You're very welcome. Please come back if they need anything else."

Sirius and Remus left and headed over to the broom shop. Harry was examining the newest racing broom, a Dragonflier. Aethra was witting on a bench close by, looking truly exhausted. "How about lunch?" Remus asked as he scooped Aethra up into his arms.

Harry turned with a big smile and nodded. "I'm starving. Hey, Uncle Sirius, check out this broom! It can do 120 klicks if you can stand the pressure against your ears. That's amazing, isn't it?"

Sirius smiled and nodded, ruffling his hair. "It's pretty fast. I wonder if a snitch even has a chance against that broom.

Harry grinned mischievously. "I doubt it."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

After a leisurely lunch in which Harry regaled them all with the tale of his dream about flying Buckbeak around the globe on a spectacular world tour, they decided to head for George's shop for a brief hello. Aethra had perked up with food and a short catnap on Sirius's lap, but Remus thought that she could probably use with some genuine down time. There would always be another day to go up to Hogwarts and arrange her tutoring. Besides, the more Remus thought about it, the more he wondered if they ought to send her to a muggle grammar school. After all, if she wasn't going Hogwarts she may as well get the right education that will prepare her for the living in the muggle world.

They passed the owl emporium on their way to George's shop and Remus thought again about whether or not to stop and get one. He still wasn't ready to put Harry through that, though, so they kept on going. After a brief stop at the apothecary for more potion ingredients, they were finally making a beeline for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.

"Remus, Sirius!" called a familiar voice. Remus looked around a little clump of witches gossiping in the middle of the road to see George Weasley waving with one hand as his wand hand directed a banner into place over his shop window.

"George!" Harry exclaimed running ahead, his head tilted upward as he read the sign. "Hogwarts approved? What's that mean exactly?"

George smiled and waved them all inside the shop. "Had a meeting with McGonagall and Filch to come up with a list of our products that won't be confiscated," he explained as he showed them to a large display draped in all four house colors.

"Can we get some?" Harry asked, turning around and giving Remus an adorable and almost irresistible expression.

Remus laughed and tousled his hair. "Why don't you come back and buy stuff when you're bigger. You'll want to come with Ron and Hermione anyway to get your books, right?"

Harry nodded, but grinned that mischievous grin of his. "Just one?" he asked hopefully.

Sirius laughed. "Alright. Just one, though. And don't use it on your sister whatever it is."

Aethra didn't seem overly interested in the products of the store. In fact, for the first time since breakfast she was uncharacteristically quiet, without being overly tired. She stood next to Sirius, one arm wrapped around his leg while she leaned against him with a good portion of her weight. Wondering if it was the close quarters of the joke shop that made her uncomfortable, Remus silently indicated that Sirius should pick her up. Remus was beginning to notice that although Aethra liked people in general, she liked them few at a time and in big open spaces.

"And how are you, Aethra?" George asked, smiling at the little girl now perched on Sirius's hip.

Aethra smiled and nodded. "I got a wand just like Daddy's," she told him proudly. Remus still wasn't convinced that it had been the best decision to let her have it, but once Sirius had said yes, there was no going back.

George looked impressed. "Did you? Have you cast any spells with it?"

"No," Aethra answered. "Daddy says I gotta wait till we get home to play with it."

"Oh, I see. Then I won't encourage you to disobey."

Poor George. He knew how hard losing your best friend could be, let alone your brother. It was quite possible that George would never be back to normal, and that saddened Remus. George was young and had so much to offer the world. Hopefully Katie Bell and the other Gryffindor alumni would be able to help him recover with time.

"George, what are these?" Harry asked as he held up a bag of what looked like toffees. Remus seriously doubted that they were anything so innocent, though.

George smiled. "One of our more harmless products," he said. "They'll make whoever eats them talk constantly in rhyme for at least twelve hours. The funny thing is that even once they've worn off, the person has gotten used to it and continues in rhyme even after the spell has timed out."

Sirius laughed. "Clever. Boys could use those for writing poems and such if necessary," he pointed out.

George nodded. "It's been used that way, yes."

Remus wondered if, as usual, George had tested them on himself.

As Harry kept looking over the display of approved products, they suddenly heard a small commotion from the back of the shop.

"George! Can you give me a hand, I can't see where I'm going!"

Harry looked up, a horrified look on his face. "Ginny's here?!" he hissed at George.

George nodded. "She's helping out when Lee isn't here."

Harry looked around in a panic. Then he suddenly disappeared and the door apparently opened and closed on its own.

"How in the world did he bring that along?" Sirius asked as he quickly deposited Aethra into Remus's arms and ran out of the shop.

George smirked as he turned to his sister. "Why not just levitate it?" he asked as a large box made its way towards them, a pair of legs underneath.

"I am," Ginny replied with a little irritation. "It's still too big to see around and it has to be this high or I'll knock over the lower displays."

"Sorry, Gin," George said quickly as he helped her set it down next to an empty display.

Ginny nodded, stuck her wand back in her robes, and turned to Remus and Aethra with a smile. "Hi!"

"Good afternoon, Ginny," Remus replied.

Aethra waved before hiding her head against Remus's chest.

"Oh ho!" Ginny exclaimed as she walked over and tickled Aethra's ribs. "All I get is a wave? But we're buddies! Remember your party?"

Aethra peeked out and nodded. "But I yelled at you," she reminded Ginny with an ashamed expression on her face. Remus was surprised that Aethra was still thinking about the incident over the full moon, let alone feeling guilty about it.

Ginny took on a sympathetic expression. "Oh, that's alright," she said sincerely. "You already said you were sorry, and I know you were really tired. It's all over now."

Aethra looked a little unsure, but nodded and smiled. "I got a wand."

Ginny grinned. "Did you? Can I see it?"

Aethra looked up at Remus. "Please?" she asked with pleading blue-grey eyes.

Remus laughed as he set her down on the ground. "Alright, but don't lose it." He fished around in his robes for the toy store bag, enlarged it, and dug out Aethra's toy wand.

"See?" Aethra said, holding it up for Ginny to examine.

Ginny took it and studied it seriously. "This a very good wand to start with. Shall we see what it does?"

Aethra nodded eagerly and took the wand. Then she walked around the area, looking very thoughtful. "I c'n water your plant, Mister George," she suggested, pointing at a small plant on the counter that appeared to be dying.

George laughed lightly. It wasn't the laugh Remus was used to hearing, but it was something and Remus was grateful to his daughter for managing the feat. "Sure, Aethra, give it a go."

Aethra frowned and then looked a little embarrassed. "I forgot to ask Harry how to do it!"

All three of them chuckled.

"It's alright," Ginny replied. "Maybe you can show me at Harry's birthday party."

Aethra looked up with renewed interest. "Harry's got a birthday?"

"Of course I do," came a reply from the door. Harry was back, but he was his usual, adult stature, and Sirius was behind him looking a little disappointed.

Aethra looked a lot disappointed. "Awe, you went back!" she accused him.

Harry smiled. "Only for a little bit, I promise."

Aethra stuffed her wand into the front pocket of her jumper and walked over to Remus in a little huff.

"Why'd you go back to normal?" Ginny asked Harry quizzically.

Harry blushed a little. "It wasn't really a choice – more like an involuntary reaction."

Ginny seemed to understand immediately and also blushed. "Oh."

Harry smiled. "Can I talk with you for a few minutes?"

Ginny smiled and nodded. "I'll be back in a few, George."

"Take your time!" George called after them. When the door to the shop closed behind them, he let out a sigh of relief. "Mum'll do a jig if it works out this time."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Harry smiled over, and a little down, at Ginny. He hadn't really noticed their height difference before, but it struck him as being quite significant now. Of course, he didn't tower over her and given how long and lanky some of the Weasleys were compared to his shorter frame, he doubted that he ever would. Still, he felt like even with a few inches, he could protect her better. Never mind that Ginny was an accomplished young witch in her own right and certainly didn't need the assistance of any man.

"I'm sorry," he said without trying to hem and haw his way through the situation. He and Sirius had talked briefly once Sirius had found him, and Harry figured that if he was going to have the privilege of his godfather with him, he might as well take the man's advice.

Ginny opened her mouth, clearly surprised. "Sorry?"

"I'm sorry I pushed you away after Dumbledore died. I'm sorry I didn't let us share what could have been the last few months of our lives. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye before I went to meet Voldemort in the forest. I'm sorry I haven't. . . I haven't shown you the respect that I have for you."

Ginny looked at him in what seemed to be stunned silence. She opened her mouth a few times to reply, but always ended up closing it.

Harry smiled. "Forgive me? Let me make it up to you in everyway that a man can make up it up to a woman when he's been a complete prat."

Ginny smiled at him. It was an expression that Harry was somewhat familiar with. The trouble was that over the previous year, Ginny had grown a lot. Her face was more mature and the expressions that Harry had already learned were a little different. In some ways, he'd have to start back at the beginning, but it was only fair considering he'd been the one to break them up. "I was never mad at you in the first place," she said quietly, her hand slipping into his. "But I appreciate that you. . .respect me."

Harry chuckled. It had been a lame thing to say, but he'd wanted to be honest and respect was one of the first emotions that came to mind when he thought about Ginny. "More than respect, Gin," he said, voicing his own thoughts. "I love you. I don't know when I started loving you or how, but I do. I've never wanted to be with someone as much as I want to be with you – not even Cho. The way I felt about Cho was a fleeting infatuation thing. This. . .what happens inside my body when you're around, the way you make me want to smile until my face hurts. . . this is love and you're the only one I've ever felt like this for."

Ginny suddenly wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "If it had been anyone else telling me to stay in that room, I wouldn't have listened, you know."

Harry laughed. "I know. And you still ducked out at the first opportunity."

Ginny laughed too. "Well. . . you know me."

Harry knew that if were ever to get married, it would be to Ginny Weasley. Ron had explained that Ginny was the first Weasley girl in generations, and Harry had taken that to be a sign. Ginny and he were meant for each other. Still, rushing off to the alter just because it seemed ordained by the powers that be, did not seem like a good idea. So Harry very lovingly kissed Ginny on the lips, running his fingers through her soft, silky, red hair, and then led her back to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes with an affectionate, protective, and frankly, proprietary arm around her shoulder.