Lily woke up to the sound of giggling, she opened one of her eyes and smiled when she saw Harry walking unsteadily to her. "Muma!" she heard him squeal as she sat up and picked him up.
"How did you get in here?" she asked, she looked up and saw that the door was open, she thought she locked it. Her smile grew "did you use your magic Harry?" she cooed at her laughing son.
'I can't believe he is using magic already' she heard James say proudly, her smile grew, he was growing so quickly. She stood up and walked out of the room, she shook her head when she heard barking, Padfoot better be careful. 'Since when is he careful?' James asked which made her laugh, that was true.
"Hey Lils, what's so funny?" Sirius asked as she walked into the room, she burst out laughing which made him pout.
"It doesn't matter, I heard barking, not getting bullied again are you Padfoot?" she teased as she sat next to Alicia.
Sirius huffed "No, I was merely playing with Daniel thank you" he said pretending to be insulted. She could hear James laugh as Sirius looked at Alicia, going a deep shade of red. Lily smiled to herself, this was going to be interesting.
"Any plans for today Lils?" Sirius asked as he pulled faces at Harry who giggled and squealed.
"Remus is coming back today which should be fun and I still need to find a way to change me name" she said smiling, Daniel and Harry seemed to be getting along which she thought was great.
"Great, I haven't seen him that much last night" Sirius said excitedly.
"Well don't do anything dangerous when he gets here, I still remember the time Harry was crying for hours because of your little stunt bruised his knee" Lily said.
"I said I was sorry about that, it hasn't happened since and it wont happen again" Sirius said honestly. He was so scared after that had happened, he would not be that careless as Padfoot again. "Anyway, Harry wants to see Moony again, don't you Harry?" Sirius cooed and took his excited squeal as an answer.
"The Weasleys are coming this Saturday" Lily said as she watched Harry and Daniel, Alicia's face lit up.
"More Wizards, how exciting" she said, Sirius and Lily couldn't contain their laughter.
"That is what Arthur Weasley will be saying about you" Sirius said, they knew Arthur would be very excited when he saw her.
"How come they are coming anyway, do they know about your spell?" Sirius asked.
"Arthur knows I am alive but he doesn't know about the spell, I was planning on telling them on Saturday, I thought it would be nice to get to know them better" Lily said shrugging.
"So have you thought more about the name Black?" Sirius asked, he thought Black was a great name.
Lily hesitated for a second "I will keep it in mind Sirius, I just need to look at my other choices first" she said trying not to laugh as he huffed.
They looked up when they heard footsteps, Sirius jumped off his seat when they saw Remus and hugged him.
"Good morning to you too Sirius" Remus joked as he patted him on the head. He grinned when he heard Harry clapping.
"And how is little Harry this morning?" Remus cooed as he walked over to where he was sitting.
"He actually did magic this morning" Lily said, both Remus and Sirius looked at Harry proudly as they congratulated him. Harry just looked at them like they had gone crazy, more so than usual but he loved them, they were entertaining.
"What did he do?" Alicia asked as she watched the amused expression on her nephews' face.
"He managed to open my bedroom door without making a noise" she said beaming as Remus and Sirius played with him.
"That's brilliant, he is going to be a Gryffindor for sure" Sirius said, Alicia giggled as she watched them.
"You are not pressuring him Sirius, he will be great no matter what house he is in" Lily said smiling at his pout.
"Just think though, we could show him our best pranks and he could carry on the Marauder name" said Sirius hopefully. While he carried on about how great it would be, Lily shook her head and picked up Harry.
"Let's leave Padfoot to his dreams" she cooed as they climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She grinned when she could hear Sirius and Remus arguing about whether Harry would make a good Gryffindor or a good Ravenclaw.
"Don't worry Harry, I will be proud no matter what house you go in, even if you were a Slytherin" she said, she held him closer to her as he yawned.
'sure, like our son will be a Slytherin, he is our son' James said proudly, he was going to be a Gryffindor like his parents.
"You don't actually think he will be in Gryffindor just because we were, look at Sirius" she said almost laughing at his sudden nervous feeling.
She looked down when she heard Harry say "roar roar" and grinned at her little lion, Sirius was too much of an influence on him. She walked into her bedroom and put him down while she looked over the document Amelia Bones gave her and sighed happily, all she needed to do was to give it to someone from the Daily Prophet and everyone would know that he was innocent. She felt her eyes sting with tears as she thought about it all, why did that monster have to be given a wand. Everything was so much more simple before that night, she missed James' touch. She quickly turned when she heard the floorboards creek but relaxed when she saw that it was Remus.
"You ok?" he asked concerned, he noticed her eyes were slightly red and was worried about her.
"Fine, I was just thinking" she said weakly, Remus sighed as he hugged her protectively.
"It's ok Lily, everything will get better" he said as he stroked her hair, he hated to think how painful all this must have been for her. They broke apart when Harry walked over to them and raised his arms, squealing.
Remus chuckled as he picked him up "we best go back down before Sirius makes anything explode" he joked, even though it did sound like Sirius. They walked back down and saw Daniel chasing Padfoot around the room. Harry squirmed in Remus' arms when he saw the large black dog.
"Pa foo!" he called as he was placed on the floor, together, Daniel and Harry chased him into another room. Remus shook his head as he sat down, Lily smiled as she sat next to him.
"Remus, me and James were wondering, how would you feel about moving in here, you know, to get our strange little family back together?" she asked hopefully.
Remus snorted "strange is right, I am sure you don't need me and my furry little problem adding to your worries" he said.
Lily rolled her eyes "of course I do, how many times do I have to say; just because you have a little problem doesn't mean you are a problem yourself" she said pretending to scold him.
"Me and Alicia need help taking care of those three anyway" she said, as if on cue, they heard a loud yelp. They walked into the room and saw Padfoot running from Harry and Daniel with a pained expression.
"You may be right Lils, it would be fun" Remus said chuckling as Sirius ran past them.
Sirius quickly changed back into his human form and pretended to glare at them "sure, laugh at my pain why don't you" he said, huffing when they did.
"Pads, you seemed to be having just as much fun as the other kids did." Lily snickered
"What do you mean the other kids? Are you trying to insinuate that I am a kid?"
Lily was still Snickering, "At heart, you are as much a child as these two. But in our heart you are a big kid, and we wouldn't want it any other way."
While they were talking, Lily felt like she was forgetting something. What was it she was forgetting? Like a light bulb coming on, she remembered. "Remus, could you do me a big favor?"
"If I can, Lily, you know I will."
"Would you, please, floo call Severus Snape, and have him floo travel here to meet someone. I would, but, I would like to surprise him."
Dejectedly, Remus complied to Lily's wishes. Lily saw the expression on Remus' face, and inwardly smiled. "Seems you have already selected your target sweet heart. Not even cold in my grave, and you are starting to line them up.'
'James, might I remind you, that this is your idea. And I am not lining them up. Severus needs to know that I am still alive. I think in the future, it may help him in the long run, if he knows he has an ally at school. He will have more than one, but the more the better.'
'Of course your right Lils, but truth be told, you did have a crush on Snivillus through fifth year.'
'It also ended fifth year, as you remember. Or is your memory a random selection of your favorite moments.'
'Surely you don't...'
Lily shushed him, as Severus walked through the floo.
"Alright Lupin, you wished to see me. What is it you want?"
"There is some one here who wishes to see you Snape, though I can't imagine why?"
"Maybe this person desires better company?"
"That could'nt be the case, she asked you?"
Sirius was leaning against the fireplace just smiling at the two enemies. Oh he knew he was also an enemy of Snape, but hey, he was not a part of this little chat.
He decided to add a little fuel to the fire, "Would our mystery person, please step forward,"
On cue, Lily stepped behind Severus, and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and had to grab hold of something to keep from falling. "Lily?"
"Yes Sev, it's me. Long time no see."
"How is this? I heard you died. I was devastated when I heard. Oh Lils." and he went to hug her, but she stopped him before he could get his arms around her.
"Severus, we have a lot to talk about, And first on the agenda is our relationship. You hurt me in fifth year, and for that I may never forgive you. I will try, but it will be hard. We will never have the relationship we had until that moment. Do you understand that Severus?"
"Lily, I regretted that the moment I said it. I knew at that time, I had lost you. But I understand what you are saying, and still hope that we can remain friends. It would hurt me if that was not possible."
Lily was trying hard to remain solid, but her will was weakening. "Severus, that is the best we can hope for, and I will try very hard to bring this about. But that is down the way a bit. In the mean time, I would like to talk to you about Harry. He is not James, Severus. He is my son, and I want you to treat him as such. Nothing special, but not like a hated Marauder. Also, I want you to tell me honestly, did you take the dark mark?"
Severus plopped down in the chair behind him. That was the one question he had hoped she would not ask. He could never lie to Lily, but How could he tell yes. "Lily, you have to understand the circumstances. I had just ruined my chances with any hope to be with you. I had been approached by Lucius on several different occasions, and I saw this as a way to get over losing you. I don't know how I came to that conclusion. So my answer is yes, Lily, I have taken the dark mark, however, I have promised Albus that I would be his ears in Voldemort's court. I had asked the Dark Lord to spare you, and he said he would not go out of his way to do so, but if you would co-operate, he would consent to my wishes. I knew you would not do this, so I begged Albus to protect you, and I would spy for him. He did not promise me anything, as he could not know what the Dark Lord's plans were. So, since he was honest with me, I became his spy."
"Don't ask me why, but I believe you Severus. Tell me, did you have to kill to earn the mark?"
"No, I never had to kill to earn my mark. It seems the The Dark Lord had use of my skills as a Potions Master, and not as killer. He had more than enough death eaters to do that for him."
"Thank you for being honest with me Severus. You have just closed quite a bit of the gap, in recovering our friendship. I am not saying we are there yet, we still have a way to go."
"Thank you Lily, for understanding me. Not what I have become, but why I did it."
Lily gave him a small hug and said, You are welcome Sev."
Severus left after this, not wishing to put up with the remaining Marauders.
MMMA-}
Saturday morning saw the six family members sitting at the table, eating breakfast. Remus had been acting strange since Severus' visit. He was quiet and reclusive, and walked with his head down. Lily was sure she knew what the problem was, but she could not act on it, as she was unsure of her feelings for him. She was closer to Remus than she was Sirius, but she did not feel right about the timing. 'Lils, you must let go of me sooner or later. I'm not telling you to marry him, but go out with him, and get to know how you feel about him."
"I can't James, I love you too much. I don't want to let you go. Why did you have to die? I should never have done this spell. If you were not with me, I wouldn't have the strength to go on.'
'Lily, do you remember the promise that I made. If I felt I was keeping you from moving on, I would move on. Well, I mean it. If me being with you, makes you feel you can't, I will leave. I can only feel the pain within you, and it is hurting me as well. Please, Lils, do this for us. Just go on a date with Remus. Let lose, and have fun. Look at Sirius, He has known your sister for what four or five days, and he is acting like a fool around her. Let lose Lily, and be the woman I loved, and will continue to love. I will be with you spiritually, and someone to talk to when you are alone. But you need the warmth of someones arms wrapped around you. To love you in a physical manner. You don't have to do it tonight, but you have to keep it in mind.'
'Thank you love, I don't want you to leave, so I will do you as you ask, but not for a month or so. I haven't even had your funeral yet.'
The time had arrived for the Weasley clan to show up, and as usual, they were late, only 5 minutes, so for the Weasleys, they were early. Bill and Charlie came through first, followed by Molly, and a precious little bundle in her arms. She was followed by the twins, then Percy. Last to come through was Arthur, and the youngest boy, Ronald.
Molly rushed to Lily immediately, and for once, was not able to crush the other person. Lily laughed at this, and pulled Molly in for a hug. Lily asked if she could hold the precious little bundle.
Molly passed the baby over to Lily. It was a girl named Ginevra, and was the cutest baby she had ever seen. Not counting Harry that is. "How old is she Molly?"
"Not quite three months old. Arthur has a album he carries around with him showing her off to every one who will take the time to look. So, how did you do it Lily. How did you cheat death?"
Lily looked over at the men, and saw Arthur had that album out, and was explaining each photo. She took Molly's arm, and led her to the kitchen. Alicia followed them in, and they sat and had a cup of tea, while Lily explained. Molly looked at her and asked, "Didn't Petunia get upset when you did this?"
Alicia said, "NO, she didn't get upset at all. She was really quite understanding really."
"How would know this, and who are you? was Molly's question.
"I would know this Molly, because I am Petunia, or I was. Now my name is Alicia Petunia Vanes. Filius did a little reconstruction on my features to change my appearance, and then changed my hair color. Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier, but you were kind of busy."
They chatted for a while longer, and then finished dinner, and had everyone come in to eat. Remus, however, excused himself, as he did not feel so well. Lily looked at him, and felt James nudging her on to see about him. She asked Molly to take Ginevra, but Alicia intercepted her.
When Lily got to Remus' room, she thought she heard sniffling. "Remus. can I come in?"
There was no answer. Lily tried the door, and it was unlocked. She pushed open just a touch, "Remus, are you all right?"
"I'm fine Lily, go back down stairs and join your friends."
"It seems I have a friend up here that needs me more. Can I come in please?"
"Fine, I never could keep anything from you anyway."
Lily walked over, and sat next to Remus, and put her arm around him. "Can you tell me what's bothering you? I am a good listener."
"I don't think you want to know. It is too painful."
"Try me, and I have a strong shoulder to cry on."
"Lily, they hurt too bad."
"What hurts too bad, Remus?"
"My feelings. Lily I want to tell you so bad, but I can't. It pains me to even think about it."
"Remus, let it out. Holding it in is worse on you than if you let it out and tell some one who cares for you."
"Lils, James and I were close, not as close as him and Sirius, but close. Remember that kiss we shared. I told James, and he laughed. He told me congratulations, I got closer to you than he ever got. It's true."
"I know it is Remus."
"You do?"
"Yes, James told me."
"Yes, well, What he didn't know was that I have been carrying a flame ever since."
"He knew that also."
"What, he couldn't? I never told anyone."
"Remus, do you know anything James would know, but no one else would."
"I suppose, why?"
"Tell me."
"That night I told him about the kiss, what else did I tell him?"
"WHAT! No he didn't. You didn't tell him that did you?"
"Lily, what are you talking about?"
"I can't believe you told James that I used my tongue like a was licking crumbs off my lips."
"Yipes!" He screamed as he was hit over the head by his pillow. "Wait, Lily. Wait, please."
"What you prat?" she steamed.
"How did you know I said that, and why did it seem like you were talking to some one else as you said it?"
Lily settled down. "Well, that is going to take some understanding on your part. James told me, while he was laughing his Arse off. Not two minutes ago."
"HUH?"
"Remus, when I did the spell to enter Petunia's body, James held onto my spirit, and entered her body with me. When We did the Reversal spell, he went with me, and has been there ever since."
"You mean he is with you right now."
"Yes."
"ARSE HOLE!"
"Thanks Remus, now I will never get him to stop laughing."