Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the ideas associated with it. I'm afraid J.K. Rowling does and I am just telling the story the way I believe it could possibly play out.

"So did you happen propose to a certain girl named Ella last night?" James inquired the second that Sirius came in the next morning.

"As a matter of fact I did and she accepted for your information. This time next year she will be Eleanor Black." Sirius responded with a smirk on his face. "In fact last night was about as good as they come for old Padfoot here."

"Am I supposed to take that as meaning that you and Ella…"

"Well I was never one to kiss and tell, my good friend. So let me just put it this way when we came home last night she couldn't get enough of me. I'm just so glade that everything worked out the way it did. I was so worried the there wasn't a way to achieve what I wanted while still remaining friends with Remus yet being the wonderful and stupendous person that I am I managed to get the girl and keep the friend. Now nobody would have thought that was possible when she and I got together but here we are." Sirius said more to himself then James. "I just wish that we didn't have to go away on business so soon after everything that has taken place. I mean I don't want her to think even for a second that this is some sort of pattern. That we share a big moment and then I'm gone."

"I'm sure she knows you aren't deliberately creating deatheater fortresses that we are responsible for taking down just to get away from her. I mean she is a historian isn't she?"

"I suppose that your mindless rambling eventually will have a point my dear Prongs?"

"Yes, well it's her job to piece clues together to determine what was going on in ancient civilizations right? Sort of a detective for humanities past. So my point is if she can figure out a civilization of people by looking at their garbage, then she can plainly see why you have to go. I mean I don't want to go either leaving Lily alone especially now that I know that she is pregnant, however, there are people counting on us."

"I suppose you're right."

"You two slept together?" Lily asked in pure shock. It had been a week since the boys had left on their work and order related mission and Lily and Ella were shopping in Digon Ally on their lunch break. Ella had just relayed the events that transpired after the group had separated at the restaurant. Lily was shocked at what her friend was telling her. After all she had only known for a week and a half that the pair were officially a couple now they were suddenly getting married. All of this sped dating left little time for 'I told you so' on her behalf. She may have said that they would make a great couple but that never meant that she wanted them to get involved in anything too quickly. "I mean don't you think you guys are going a little fast? It's not that I'm not happy for the two of you I just don't want to ever see you the way you were after you and Remus broke up ever again."

"Come on Lily it isn't like this was some one night stand. He did propose after all and he was worried that we were going to fast for my likings. He was even willing to stop if I had wanted to but that's the thing I didn't. I know and love him he won't end it the same way Remus did. Besides it's not like were getting married tomorrow. We settled on a date some time down the road. Now enough about me, how are you coping with James being away?"

"I'm fine I suppose. I mean I miss him of course but that is only to be expected right? I'm still not over the morning sickness yet and a have about half a dozen other symptoms of pregnancy. The worst part is that he isn't even here so I can complain about it to him."

"Of course it is normal to feel that way but I can sympathize with you on one aspect I miss Sirius like crazy."

"I'm sure you do. On another note have you seen the other boys since dinner the other night?"

"Yeah they came over looking for Sirius the other morning. They wanted to congratulate us. It seems that they were all at the store when he bought my ring."

"Really? So Remus knew? Wow he is taking it really well."

"Come on Lily what Remus and I had is ancient History. He is over me for sure. We are friends now and as my friend he wants to see me happy. That's what I want for him in return. Everything is fine okay. So tell me when do you want your baby shower to be?"

"You don't have to through me a baby shower."

"Of course I do you're my best friend. So when do you want it?"

"Not for a while yet. We haven't even told everyone at the order yet. Maybe it would be best to wait until after James gets back from wherever it is that they have gone. Maybe it would be better if we waited until I'm near my due date. Then the weather will be nice and we can have it outside." Lily cast a wistful look outside to where currently it was impossible to see two feet in front of one's face. She personally was sick of winter and couldn't wait for the warm whether to come.

"Sirius would you please shut up! Need I remind you that we have entered the Deatheater habitat? They will kill us soon as look at of if they find us." James whispered curtly to his best friend.

"Sorry I didn't mean to be loud. Tell you what Dad, next time I'll be more careful." Sirius responded in a sarcastic whisper.

"I wonder who was to genius who came up with the idea to put a lair in the middle of the artic. I'm telling you this is murder. I'm freezing."

"Right James maybe you can suggest to the bad guys to disclose the whereabouts of their secret lair to the general public. Then you could put through a motion to move that lair to a desert oasis. I'm sure they will be more than happy to help."

"I don't know how Ella puts up with your sarcastic demeanour."

"Its all part of my charm, combine it with my incredible good looks and the bike and the girls can't keep their paws off of me."

"I'm sure. You know it was that kind of thinking that kept me from Lily for so long. It wasn't until I deflated my head and let her see the human side of me that she even agreed to go out with me."

"Are you suggesting that Ella is going to break up with me because I'm like you were at fifteen?"

"I'm not suggesting anything, I'm flat out telling you that if you that's what will happen. She is a smart girl after all so I give her about a month to come to her senses. On another note I think there getting ready to move in there." James announced as he once again fixed his gaze on the deatheater lair.

It was state of the art in the way of lairs. Although the pair hadn't expected anything different from Voldemort, after all he did have some of the oldest pureblood families known to wizarding kind on his team. No doubt they had contributed this fine gathering placed to their Lord and Master. The most brilliant part was that it was its location. It was well out of the way. It was also camouflaged with a Disillusionment Charm. In fact if the spy that Dumbledore had working for them in the order hadn't told them were it was then they would have never founds it. When Dumbledore had given the assignment to the team they had seemed like the natural choice. After all that was one of the reason they had set up their own Auror Agency, so it wasn't suspicious when they were gone for long periods of time on order business. Now Dumbledore was no fool so he had specifically left out the fact that the information came from once Snape. The open hatred from both parties had told him that James and Sirius would not have done the job if they had known the tip had come from Snape. So he had simply told them the tip came from one of his informants. That had sufficed as they were no in the sub- artic climate watching the deatheaters assemble for what could only be described as an evil version of an order meeting.

James and Sirius found it nearly impossible to just sit in their hiding place and not do something about all their nemeses sitting inside the shelter. They, however, were aware of what was at stake here. That was what stopped them now from barging in and trying to take out as many of them as possible before being taken down themselves. They were here to sneak in after the meeting and grab as many documents as they possible could. That was there mission and they would carry it out as planned. That didn't make it any easier, however, to just sit and watch.

Peter Pettigrew sat on the inside of the lair that was currently being watched by his 'best friends.' He was unaware that Snape worked for Dumbledore anymore than Snape knew that Peter was working of the Dark Lord. It was a rule that all deatheaters keep their masks on while at Headquarters. Voldemort was adamant about the element of surprise. He wanted only his closest people to know who the other deatheaters were. It made it just that much more difficult for the opposition to find them. For all this Peter was glade because he didn't like the idea of the others knowing where his true allegiance lay. He was passing information on to the dark side about everyone in the order. On his information the Prewett Brothers had been murdered last month. Right now, however, he was passing information about his closest friends from Hogwarts, especially Lily and James Potter. The Dark Lord would see to it that that filthy mudblood was taken care of. James too had to go it was unfortunate; however, it was necessary for the greater good. He was getting what was coming to him for messing with that silly girl to begin with. With these thoughts Peter turned his attention back to the deatheater that was currently reporting.

For the past one hundred and thirty some odd years I have witnessed a lot. Whether it was the triumphs or the hurdles of both the magical and muggle world alike, I have been watching. I have made many personal sacrifices over the years. After Grindelwald murdered my family I was left with two choices: sit back and fall apart or do something about it. I chose the later, I saw to it that Violet and Elizabeth were avenged. I made him pay by taking his life the way he took the lives of my wife and daughter. Ever since then I have been the beacon of strength for wizarding kind. Soon after my victory I took the post of Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts. It allowed me to watch young witches and wizards grow the way my Lizzie never would. It also allowed me to keep an eye open for those who would take just more than a fascination to the dark arts. To those who would use them to gain power.

Not long into my stay here at Hogwarts I happened to meet such a person. I was well aware of what one Tom Riddle was capable of. I should have done something about it while he was still a student. I could have saved so many lives. Yet, I allowed myself to believe that while he was suspicious he was harmless enough. I didn't want to believe that there was anyone out there that could be as awful as Grindelwald. And I was right, Tom is worse.

It is for the sole reason that I want the pain of what happened to me not to happen to others that I continue the campaign. Wars like this can either bring the worst or the best out in people. We have been fighting for so long now that I'm afraid we will never see the best again. Everyone is suspicious, they keep to themselves. Even Hogwarts feels the strain of what is going on in the outside world despite my best efforts. When will there be music within these walls once again?

I was destined to help these people as was proven by fate a few weeks ago. It was I and I alone that was destined to hear of the downfall of Lord Voldemort's regime. Yet at what price will peace be restored? The prophecy speaks of parents that have defied the Tom three times. The only people that it could apply to are the Longbottoms and the Potters. No matter how much I try and convince myself I know that the Potter's child could as easily be the one destined to be marked as Tom's equal. But what shape or form will this equality take? When and why will Tom go after a small child? Burning questions each and for once I have no answers.

So why is it that I can't bring myself to tell the Potters the truth about their unborn child? Is it because I saw the reaction that Frank and Alice Longbottom greeted my news with? That is possible; however, the second choice is even more likely. I watched as James relentlessly chased Lily for seven years. I watched as Lily finally came around and they started dating. I watched as they fell in love and got married. Now they are starting a family. Why should I have to tell yet another innocent pair of people that the hopes and dreams of the wizarding world may rest on the tiny shoulders of their unborn son? For the first time since Grindelwald I feel like giving up. Yet I am determined that Tom pay just as I made Grindelwald pay. However, lately I've been thinking that taking his life wouldn't satisfy me as it would of in the beginning. For once I may apply the punishments worse than death to this evil creature that has once again turned my ordered world into havoc.

Albus Dumbledore sat staring out the window lost in these thoughts. As he stared out at the neat grounds of Hogwarts a battle was going on inside him between what was right and what was easy.

A.N. Please Read and Review