Author's Note: Wow…the reviews have been overwhelming and wonderful! I'm sorry I took such a long hiatus on this story but I hope this chapter is worth the wait. Thank you so much for reading guys!

First Times, Second Chances

Chapter Three: A Different Set of Problems

Meri didn't go to bed when everyone else retired to their rooms. Instead, she headed towards the small library in the basement of the house and started pulling spell books off the shelves. From a previous experience, she knew the location of every book she would need to reference. She had studied them all for many years now and realized that she wasn't about to find anything new but she had to look anyway.

Pouring over the same information she had studied not that long ago proved to be only semi-helpful. Accounts of time line jumping were usually explained away due to hallucinations, mental instability or just a very very vivid dream. No matter what book she turned to jumping dimensions just wasn't scientifically back up, even in the current wizarding journals.

A door slamming jarred her out of her thoughts and she listened for any other sound. An uneven shuffle above her head told her all she needed to know. Closing the dusty books, Meri headed up the stairs to face off with a very intoxicated werewolf. She had learned from the last few years that lycanthropy and alcohol don't mix very well. Sure enough, but the time she had reached the top of the stairs that lead directly into the kitchen, a bleary eyed Remus Lupin was sitting at the table, a bottle of fire whiskey before him.

"Morning," Meri greeted.

"Is it?" came the slurred response.

Meri reached over the table and swiped the bottle from him but even drunk, his werewolf reflexes kicked in and she soon found her hand empty, the bottle returned to it's former position. "Does it help?"

"It helps me forget."

"Really? Then why are you still drinking?"

Remus mumbled something that Meri didn't catch and thought it best to leave it go. "Why don't you let me make you some coffee and then you can go sleep for a while?"

He stared at the bottle with longing before pushing it across the table with the back of his hand. Meri grabbed the neck of it and went over the sink and dumped what was left in it, granted it wasn't much, but at least the temptation would be gone.

"Meri?"

"Yes, Remus?"

She heard the chair slide across the wooden flood and she sighed to herself, trying to busy her hands and eyes with making a pot of coffee.

"Why don't you love me?"

"I've already told you why."

"But I'm just like him, aren't I? I mean, we are the same."

Meri looked up from the coffee grounds. "No, you're not the same."

He leaned closer to her and she could smell the beer and fire whiskey on his break. "I can be…I can be the same."

"Oy," a shout rang through the kitchen and thankfully Remus jumped, actually stumbled would be more appropriate, back from Meri. She breathed out a small sigh of relief as Sirius came sauntering into the kitchen and gave her a quick peck on the side of head. He picked up a coffee mug and shoved it into Remus' chest. "Find your own squeaker toy, Moony."

Meri cringed. She knew Sirius was trying to diffuse a dangerous situation but the territorial show he normal used never worked with Remus, no matter how many times Meri had tried to convince him otherwise. As if on cue, she heard the coffee mug shatter and when she turned her eyes towards where Remus had been all she saw were the shards of ceramic on the floor.

"I'll get it," Sirius said and crouched down to start picking up the pieces.

"You know better than to say things like that to him, Sirius."

"Hey," he looked up at her through careless black bangs, his gray eyes looking like storm clouds, "he knows we're together. He should know better than that."

"He was drunk."

"Why do you always make excuses for him?"

Meri turned away to hide the tears that were threatening to fall and stared at the percolating coffee. "I know what he can be."

The broken mug fell unceremoniously into the trash. "Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

"What?"

Sirius opened his mouth and quickly shut it again. Meri glanced over at the doorway of the kitchen and saw Harry standing there. He looked nervously back and forth between her and Sirius.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

"No," Meri jumped in. "Have a seat. Do you want breakfast?"

"Sure."

Meri went to open the refrigerator and Sirius cleared his throat. "What?"

"We, uh, were suppose to go shopping last night…"

"Oh, right," Meri straightened up. "Guess we're going out then."

"Uh," Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "You guys go ahead."

"Trust us," Sirius laughed, "when I say there's no food in this house, there is literally, no food here."

"That's okay-"

"We're paying," Meri offered. If he was anything like his mother, and Meri had a feeling there was more Lily than James in him, he most likely was concerned about his lack of money. Apparently, she was correct as he stood up from the table.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah," Sirius shrugged. "We'll give you a bill when you leave. No sweat."

Meri rolled her eyes and Harry laughed. She went to the bottom of the stairs and called up for James and Peter, telling them where they were going. She and Sirius stood by the door and check their watches. Before Harry could ask what was going on, Peter came running down the stairs, pulling a sweater over his head.

"Never fails," Sirius said.

"He never gives up a chance at an Irish breakfast," Meri clarified.

"Hey," Peter huffed, "I never give up a chance at a breakfast you didn't make."

"No one else complains," Meri pouted.

"Apparently, you're not listening very closely."

Meri tried to fix Sirius with a scowl but it quickly faded into a repressed smile. "Fine, let's go."

"Isn't James coming?" Sirius asked Peter and the other man shrugged his thin shoulders.

"I didn't hear anything going on in his room. I thought he was already down here."

"Well, he'll know where we'll be," Meri shrugged and opened the front door. The air was warm and moist, a typical London mid-summer day. Meri watched as Harry took everything in with wide eyed amazement. "What is it, Harry?"

"I just never thought I would see this neighborhood…you know…"

"No, we really don't," Sirius said.

Harry swallowed hard. "Intact."

"The entire neighborhood was gone where you come from?" Peter asked.

Harry nodded his head. "It's a beautiful neighborhood, though."

Meri smiled to herself. She always had enjoyed living here and rued the day that they would be forced to move. The houses along the street all housed witches and wizards who would cast security spells on a rotational basis. That's what had allowed them to stay there for so long. It definitely brought new meaning to the term "united community." No one was out this morning, not that uncommon, but Meri caught a couple faces peeking out from the curtains, no doubt wondering who the teenager was with them.

The walk to the local pub was short and thankfully, it wasn't that crowded. The bar tender waved at them when they entered and quickly came over the booth that all four of them had squeezed themselves into.

"Morning all," he greeted brightly.

"Morning," they chorused.

"Hey, your friend make it home alright last night?" he asked.

"Yeah, he did," Meri answered, as Peter didn't know what had happened and Sirius looked as if he all he wanted to do was forget. "You could have called us to get him."

"He wasn't bothering anyone. No harm done. Just wanted to make sure you saw him this morning. What'll it be then?"

Sirius had "encouraged" Peter and Harry to return back to the house while he and Meri went out grocery shopping. Harry had offered his assistance but Sirius was unmoving in his plan and thankfully, Harry saw that. So Sirius waved good bye to the two of their entourage and turned to face Meri. Unfortunately, she didn't look all that thrilled at how he had ditched the other two.

"What?"

"What was that about?"

"I wanted to be alone with you. What's wrong with that?"

"'Come on guys, get lost.' That was real tactful."

"They got the hint."

"That's wasn't a hint, that was-argh, you know what, never mind."

"See," Sirius slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side, "I knew you would see it my way."

"Ok, so what so important that you had to be alone with me?"

He immediately released her and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I figured you didn't sleep at all last night because you were reviewing those dimensional books downstairs."

"How did you know I didn't sleep last night?"

"I listened for you. Anyway, I know you were probably looking for a way to send Harry back to his time."

"I was, yes."

Sirius stopped and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stare him in the eyes. "Are you going back with him?"

"I don't…think so. I don't know. I may not have a choice, Sirius."

"And if you did have a choice?"

She reached up and placed her hands on each side of his face. "I'd stay here. This is my home and has been for almost eighteen years now."

"Voldermort isn't running Harry's world."

"All the more reason to stay here then," Meri smiled. "Someone has to stop him, it may as well be us."

Sirius' face broke out in a smile, obviously relieved by Meri's response. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders again and started walking again. "Did you bring the shopping list?"

Meri turned to him. "Didn't you?"

"I thought you had it?"

Meri let out a strangled groan. "Sirius!"