It was late Christmas Eve, but Severus couldn't seem to fall asleep, no matter how much he tried. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw were bad memories. "Don't you ever sleep, Sirius?" He asked when he reached the kitchen for a cup of tea."

Sirius shook his head. "Not much. Harry and Hermione's spell may have made me feel like I never went to Azkaban, but it didn't take away any of the memories associated with it."

Severus snorted. "That seems to be a recurring theme tonight. I haven't gotten a wink of sleep since Voldemort died."

"You look like it. If it's any consolation, I don't think Harry ever sleeps properly. He has nightmares every single night. I'm not exactly sure what they are…could be visions, memories, just nightmares, anything." Sirius took a sip of what looked suspiciously like Firewhiskey.

"Merlin knows that between the three of us we have enough bad memories to keep someone less emotionally controlled awake for a hundred years." Severus sipped his tea, though he was sorely tempted to find out where his brother had found the alcohol. Molly had cleaned out every drop while she'd stayed there, for fear that the twins would find it. She had moved back to the Burrow early in December, and had offered to take Regulus as a boarder, though Gawain's house was more than big enough for everyone. He wondered if the two were in some sort of a relationship, but dismissed the thought rather quickly. Bill and Regulus had been at Hogwarts for a few years together. It would be a bit strange.

"Harry has more than anyone should. I heard Draco tell Hermione that when they sleep in that room you set up for them at Hogwarts that Harry wards his sleeping bag with silencing wards. Not to keep sound out, because when Harry sleeps, he sleeps like the dead, but to keep sound in. Apparently he screams a lot in his sleep."

"Minerva mentioned that. She also said that he gets sick sometimes after a particularly rough dream, vision, or whatever. He thinks no one else knows about it."

"That's because he tries to protect everyone. He doesn't want pity and there are times when he doesn't understand his need for love. I blame that on Dumbledore."

"There are many things that can be blamed on Dumbledore. We share some of the blame. If you and I had thought about Harry first, instead of ourselves, he could have grown up with one of us."

"We shouldn't have trusted Peter. I don't think I'll ever stop blaming myself for that one." Sirius wasn't the only one who blamed himself over that. Severus, Gawain, Minerva, and Ariana frequently tried to figure out how they could have worked things out differently.

"Don't. Voldemort could just as easily, though it might have taken a bit longer, used one of us like he used Peter. His weakness was power. Mine, and Harry's, is being willing to do nearly everything and anything for those we love…even if it means going to the dark side. Yours…"

Sirius laughed harshly. "Mine is letting my emotions get the best of me and Gawain never lets emotions out at all. What a crazy group of people we are."

"It's a wonder that we've made it this far, isn't it, Sirius?"

"Indeed."He chuckled. "Now I know I've spent too much time around you. We're starting to sound alike."

"We are brothers." Severus looked up at the ceiling. "Do you think we've done what she asked us, Padfoot? Do you think we've taken care of him?"

"There are things we could've done differently, but then we wouldn't have Harry. He wouldn't have that innate sense of love and forgiveness. Just look at us…he was willing to give two people who hadn't been in his life for years, who he didn't even know that well, a chance to become his family. He forgave Draco, even though the boy had been horrible to him for years. I think she'd be proud of him, and us."

"I think you're right. Our job isn't over yet, though, is it? He'll need us around forever."

"Good thing we'll always be there then, isn't it, Sev?"

Maybe they weren't going to be around forever, but as long as Harry needed them, Sirius and Severus would be around to take care of him.

A/n: That's the end of this story…*sob*. I hope you've all enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. There's going to be a sequel called Taking Care of Them (I've already started writing it and I expect the first chapter to be up by Friday.) This will cover 7th year and beyond, beginning with Harry and Hermione getting married during the summer between sixth and seventh year. (I'm not going to write about sixth year. It doesn't figure that much into my story line anyway.)