A/N: Hey there, everyone! First, I want to thank you for your continued interest in my story! It really motivates me to write more and I'm so excited for all the reactions I get. Also, I'm extremely sorry for keeping everyone waiting for this chapter. I've had really bad writer's block, and this was a super hard chapter to write. I've also had to clean my house for my in-laws to come over while I went home for a family reunion, and I'm getting ready for a friend's bridal shower that I'm hosting, plus I start a new job tomorrow. I hope you guys don't hate me too much; it's just life gets in the way sometimes. I'm glad it's behind me! Haha! But as a treat for your patience, this chapter is a lot longer than the others! Thank you guys for all your reviews and favorites and things! If this chapter seems a bit boring, I'm so sorry. But I thought Harry could use some time with his parents. They really need to get to know each other all over again. I've put in some good Harry & Mummy/Daddy time and I have a lot more for other chapters. Lily may seem very emotional or weepy, but she kind of has a reason to be. So bear with her, she'll be back to normal soon. And now, to answer some questions!
Rusina – Great question! Physically, James and Lily look somewhat older, but mostly they're the same as when they died. They age very well. Most witches and wizards hold their age well anyway, but I think being 'out of the world' for a while slowed their aging process down a bit. They were 21 when they died, but now they're 35, and they realize this. It's a hard pill for them to swallow, but they're okay with it. Sirius will definitely have a lot more time with Harry, and I think now that James is back, he doesn't feel so bad about encouraging Harry into mischief and giving him ideas. He doesn't have to be the responsible one, and that totally suits him. So we'll see what those two get up to later on. ;)
pingo 1387 – Every time I read your review, I laugh so hard. Thanks for that. I felt like Vernon needed his day of reckoning, which is partly why I started writing this. I'm sad to say that his full payback is not in this chapter, however. It will come to him next chapter. But yes, he gets what's coming to him.
robert32514 – It most certainly is…
CopperCow – Thanks for your input! :) I agree with you, but we'll see what happens. No Harry/Ginny moments this chapter, though. Maybe in the next few chapters! As for Sirius, we'll all find out together, I guess, because I'm still pretty undecided right now.
Christmasers – I'm so glad you enjoy it! Thank you for your encouragement! :)
Okay, now that all that's behind us, I present to you Chapter 3. Oh, and I'm still not J.K. Rowling… Darn that Polyjuice Potion!
Chapter 3
Lily and James were very worried parents as they sat (well, Lily was sitting, James was pacing) in the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey had closed the curtain around Harry's bed and hadn't come out for nearly an hour. They heard her mutter things like, "Oh dear" and "This poor child" as she worked. Sirius and Remus couldn't stay seated for very long and decided to go tell Dumbledore what had happened. They hadn't been gone fifteen minutes when Remus came back with Dumbledore.
"Where's Sirius?" James asked.
"He had to go see to some company he was having. Molly and Arthur Weasley and their kids – they're Order members and their kids are friends with Harry. Another girl is with them, she's in Gryffindor and a fifth year as well, she's good friends with Harry too," Remus said quickly. "You'll meet them all soon. How is Harry?"
"No idea, we haven't heard anything since you left," said Lily. "And how can we 'meet them' if we're supposed to be dead?"
"I told Sirius to explain the situation to them," said Dumbledore. "Harry would tell them anyway, and we would have to tell the Order soon. It's easier to keep it on a need-to-know basis right now."
"Okay. And you said their name is Weasley?" said James. "I've heard that name before. Aren't they a pureblood family? They had family in the Order last time too, didn't they?"
"Yes, they did," answered Remus. "Gideon and Fabian Prewett, they were Molly's brothers. Molly and Arthur have seven kids. Their oldest two, Bill and Charlie, are in the Order. Bill works at Gringotts and Charlie works with dragons in Romania. He's trying to help recruit foreign wizards. The there's Percy, he works at the Ministry. The twins, Fred and George, are in their seventh year. Ron, he's just a few months older than Harry, he's Harry's best friend. Hermione Granger, she's their best friend too. Very sweet, very smart girl. And then there's Ginny. She's the only girl of the seven kids. She's in the year below Harry. All the Weasleys have red hair, you'll know them when you see them."
Dumbledore had walked over to the curtain that surrounded Harry's hospital bed. He stepped behind it to talk to Madame Pomfrey, and a few minutes later the curtain was drawn back and Madame Pomfrey emerged.
"Lily, James, your boy has been through a lot," said Madame Pomfrey grimly. "I'm afraid I'll have to keep him here for a few days to monitor his condition. I've given him a dreamless sleep potion, so he won't be awake for several hours."
"Poppy, please tell them exactly what Harry's injuries were," Dumbledore requested.
"Oh, right. Well, James you might want to sit down," Madame Pomfrey said. "Harry several injuries, but it's nothing I haven't seen with Quidditch injuries before. His right ankle was broken, he had a concussion, two broken ribs, one cracked rib, a very infected burn on his right arm, a broken left hand and wrist, along with a lot of cuts and bruises on his back, face, and chest. All over, really. He also seems to be very malnourished. When he wakes up, the first thing he needs is food. I've healed his hand and wrist, along with his ankle and the cracked rib. I've given him something for the concussion and the other two ribs, but they'll take more time to heal because they're such delicate injuries. He's lucky there was no internal bleeding – he's lost a lot of blood already. I've given him a blood replenisher as well. Do you have any idea what happened to him?"
"So, he's going to be okay?" asked James worriedly. "We aren't completely sure what happened, but we have our suspicions. I fully intend to find out when he wakes up."
"Harry will be just fine," Dumbledore confirmed. "But I hope the both of you realize that Harry does not know you are back. Please allow either myself or Remus to explain this to him, or Sirius, if he's back when Harry wakes. He would have quite a shock if he woke up to see both of his parents staring down at him when he thought they were dead."
"Of course, you're right Dumbledore," said Lily. "We hadn't even thought about that, we've just been so eager to see him."
"Well, in that case," said Dumbledore with a smile, "I will leave you all to tend to Harry. Please let me know when he wakes. If you would like, I'll have breakfast sent to you soon."
"That would be great, thank you Albus," Remus said gratefully.
Lily turned to Madame Pomfrey. "Can we see him now?"
"Yes, of course," replied Madame Pomfrey. "I'll be checking on him once every hour until he wakes up. Let me know when he does."
Madame Pomfrey left them to sit with Harry. About ten minutes later, a house elf brought them a full breakfast, complete with three different things to drink, as they hadn't specified what they would like. James and Remus ate heartily, but Lily only nibbled on her bacon; she was too nervous to eat.
After an hour, Sirius walked into the hospital wing looking very worried. He strode over to his friends and pulled up a seat around Harry's bedside.
"How is he?" Sirius asked.
"He's a lot better now, but still recovering," James said. "He'll need to rest for a while, but he should be fine in a few days."
"I'll be more relieved when he wakes up," Lily said.
"What did Arthur and Molly say?" asked Remus, changing the subject.
"Well, everyone is very excited to meet James and Lily," Sirius said. "I haven't told the kids yet about what happened to Harry. I told Molly and Arthur, and Molly was in hysterics, you know how she is. She considers Harry as another son, so she's itching to check on him and fuss over him."
"I'm glad to hear that Harry's had someone to look after him like I would have," Lily said, more at ease than she had been.
"Yeah, Molly loves kids, she feels it her duty to look after any child she comes across," said Remus fondly.
"They want to come see him after he wakes up," said Sirius. "I told Molly it might be best to let him have some time with his parents first, and maybe come tomorrow, if he's feeling up to visitors."
"Okay, that sounds fine," James said. "I look forward to meeting Harry's friends."
They slipped into a comfortable silence, each with their own thoughts. Lily decided to take a nap, as she and James had gotten very little sleep that night.
Shortly after lunch, Harry started to stir. Sirius noticed this and alerted James and Remus. Lily was still asleep on the bed to Harry's left. James went to wake her and Remus drew the curtain around Harry's bed. Harry started to get up and feel around for his glasses, but he hissed in pain and slumped back against his pillows, holding his left side where two of his ribs were healing.
Sirius grabbed his glasses and handed them to Harry. As he put them on and his eyes focused, Sirius spoke to him, "Hey there, mate," said Sirius soothingly. "You gave us quite a scare. How do you feel?"
Harry's eyes grew wide at Sirius and a big smile spread over his face.
"Sirius!" Harry leaned over to give him a hug, but Sirius came to him so as not to cause Harry any more pain. "You-you came! Where are we? And I feel loads better, but I'm still a little sore. Wait, you're not gonna get caught by the Ministry on my account, are you? Merlin, Sirius, I'm sorry! I didn't even think about it!"
Sirius laughed his bark-like laugh at his godson's ramblings. "No, kiddo, I'm in no danger of being caught," Sirius reassured him. "And you have no reason whatsoever to be sorry. Harry, you could have died! Please, always let someone know what's going on. We're in the hospital wing, by the way. Madame Pomfrey has been taking care of you; she'll want to know you're up. But first, we have something to talk to you about."
Harry looked around and saw Remus sitting at the foot of his bed.
"Professor Lupin! But, why are you here? Not that I'm not glad to see you, but I just wasn't expecting it…"
"Harry, I'm not your professor anymore," Remus laughed. "I think just 'Remus' will do."
"Harry, I'm going to get straight to the point," said Sirius. "There's no delicate way to explain this… Something happened, we aren't quite sure what or why, even Dumbledore is stumped. Well, Harry, your mum and dad are… back."
Harry couldn't believe his ears. His parents were back, as in, from the dead? How did this happen? Hadn't Dumbledore said nothing could reawaken the dead? So how was this possible? Harry just looked back and forth between Sirius and Remus, waiting for one of them to tell him they were joking, but they didn't.
"This… isn't a joke?" asked Harry.
"Harry, we would never joke about this," Remus said. "We were skeptical at first too, but it really is them."
This seemed to be good enough for Harry. "Where are they? When can I see them?" he said urgently.
Sirius pulled back the curtain surrounding Harry's bed to reveal James and Lily, patiently waiting with smiles on their faces.
"M-Mum? Dad?" Harry asked uncertainly. Lily and James just nodded at him. "It really is you, then? Not a dream or something?"
"Yes, sweetheart, it's us," Lily said, fighting tears again.
Harry couldn't stop himself; he lunged out and wrapped his arms around his parents' waists. He had never been so happy.
James ruffled Harry's hair and put a hand on his back. Harry looked up at them and smiled. He didn't know what to say. He was just happy that he would finally have a real family, just like Ron and Hermione.
"I'll go get Madame Pomfrey," said Remus, smiling.
"Dumbledore said he wanted to see him when he woke up," Sirius said. "I'll go let him know."
For a few minutes, Harry just sat there, staring at his parents. Finally, something good had happened for him. He couldn't believe his luck.
Lily sat on the edge of his bed and pulled him into her arms. She smoothed the hair out of Harry's face and kissed his scar.
Madame Pomfrey walked in, followed by Remus. "Ah, good, Potter, you're up. Now, how does that right arm feel? You had a nasty burn there. How are your head and ribs?"
"Better, loads better," Harry replied. "My ribs still hurt, but I feel a lot better. Thank you, Madame Pomfrey."
She smiled at him an handed him two vials, "This one," she said, holding up on vial, "is for healing. And this one," she said, holding up the second, "is for the pain. I suggest you eat something soon, so you don't get sick."
Harry nodded and made a face as he took his potions. James laughed at his son and said, "It's okay, son, I never liked them either."
Harry handed the vials back to Madame Pomfrey and she said, "He should be used to the taste by now. I see him in my hospital wing at least three times a year if not more."
"Why?!" said Lily, concerned for her son.
"Quidditch, mainly," Harry said grinning.
"You're on the Gryffindor Quidditch team?" asked James excitedly.
"Oh, yeah, since my first year," said Harry proudly. "I'm the 'youngest Seeker in a century' according to everyone I've talked to. My friend, Hermione, showed me your plaque in the trophy room after I made the team because I thought I'd make a fool of myself. How'd you know I'm in Gryffindor?"
"Remus told me," James said simply. "And he also told me you're an excellent flier. I couldn't be more proud."
"I beg to differ, James," Sirius said, walking towards them, Dumbledore following him closely. "There's a lot of stuff Harry hasn't told you two yet."
Harry blushed. He knew he had to tell his parents about everything that had happened in the past four years at Hogwarts, but he didn't want them to think he was bragging. He was so grateful when his mother leaned over and whispered to him, "You don't have to tell us now, sweetheart. We'll talk about it later, when you're ready."
"Harry, I took the liberty of stopping by the kitchens on my way down. You missed breakfast and lunch," said Dumbledore. "I thought you might be hungry. One of the elves will be up soon with your food."
"Thank you, Professor," said Harry.
"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked.
"A lot better, now, thanks to Madame Pomfrey," Harry said.
Just then, Dobby appeared next to Harry's bed, carrying a tray full of food and pumpkin juice.
"Dobby!" Harry exclaimed
"Harry Potter, sir!" the elf squeaked. "The Headmaster comes down to the kitchens and asks us to fix you lunch, sir! Dobby was so excited; Dobby volunteered to brings it to yous! Is Harry Potter hurt, sir?"
"Thanks Dobby," said Harry, grinning. "I'm alright, I just wasn't feeling well. By the way, Dobby, these are my parents."
Harry gestured to his parents and Dobby bent into a low bow. "Dobby is honored to meet Harry Potter's parents. If Mr. and Mrs. Potter needs anything, Dobby would be more than pleased to get it for them!"
"Thank you, Dobby, you're too kind," Lily said, rather amused by the elf.
Dobby smiled at Lily and said, "Dobby must get back to the other elves in the kitchens. They is needing Dobby's help, cooking and cleaning for supper. If Harry Potter or his family needs anything, just call!" And with a loud crack, Dobby disappeared.
"Harry, you know that elf?" James asked.
"Yeah, Dobby's helped me out a few times before," Harry said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "Why, Dad?"
"Just curious," said James nonchalantly. "Not many students actually know the house elves here by name. Or that house elves even work at Hogwarts, for that matter."
"Harry," said Dumbledore, changing the subject. "I was wondering if you might tell us at your aunt and uncle's to put you here?"
Harry put down his dinner roll and stared at his plate, fully aware that everyone was staring at him.
"I… er – got into a fight," Harry said, still looking at his plate.
"With what, the Whomping Willow?" asked Sirius. "Nice try, Harry, but we're not buying it. Try again."
"Can we just not talk about it? Please?" Harry begged.
"No," James said. "You're my son, and I want to know what happened. Someone has to be held accountable for it."
Harry stared out the window across from him. This was not a conversation he fancied having – with anyone. It was embarrassing and it made him angry. He was mostly angry because it had been happening for so long and he was afraid to do or say anything to stop it. Harry ran a hand through his hair and crossed his arms, determined not to say anything.
"Sweetie, what if I just asked some questions and you told me yes or no?" Lily asked gently. "Would that make it easier to talk about it?"
Harry just shrugged in reply. Lily took this as a yes, and she started asking questions to prompt him.
"Okay, um… Did Vernon do this?" she asked.
Harry nodded, not looking at anyone.
"Is it because of something you said to him, or Dudley, maybe?" Lily asked again.
"No, Mum," said Harry. "It's because I'm just… there. They hate me. I'm a nuisance to them. Just because I'm not like them, I'm a freak and abnormal, according to them. I've always been a burden to them, ever since, how did they put it… I 'darkened their doorstep,' and they 'got landed with me.' Before I got my letter, they thought they could 'stamp the magic out of me'; now I guess they're trying to 'make me see reason' and not come back and instead stay there and go to Muggle school and be a 'normal person.' I'm not even allowed to say the words 'magic', 'broom', 'wand', 'witch', 'wizard', or anything that even remotely relates to our world."
Lily was almost in tears. She turned to James and saw that his jaw was clenched and his fists were balled.
"So, this has happened before, then?" Lily asked shakily.
"Nearly every day since I can remember, except when I'm here or at Ron's," said Harry.
"Why haven't you said something, Harry?" Sirius asked, beating back his own anger. "Why didn't you tell me? Or Ron or Hermione? You know Molly would have been more than happy to let you stay. And there's no way I would've let you go back there if I had've known anything."
"Well, that's not exactly the kind of thing I like to tell people," Harry said defensively. "I don't want people's pity either. I get enough of that as it is…"
"Harry, when was the last time you ate there?" Remus asked. "And we know you don't eat normally there, not like you would at Hogwarts. Madame Pomfrey told us that."
"Er…" Harry started awkwardly.
"Harry, the truth this time," James said. The angry tone in his father's voice seemed to convince Harry to not beat around the bush anymore or try to sugar-coat things.
"Tuesday…at lunch," Harry said quietly.
"What?" James said. Harry started to repeat himself, but James held up his hand. "No, son, I heard you clearly. I just didn't like what I heard."
Harry sat with his hands in his lap and stared at them. 'Great,' he thought. 'Now I've made Dad mad and Mum's crying. I've only had them back for a day and this is what happens. I suck at this…'
"Okay, Harry," Sirius said calmly. "What actually happened?"
Without lifting his head, Harry started to tell them. "I…I had a nightmare," Harry said.
"What was this nightmare about?" said Dumbledore seriously.
"The graveyard. I always see that now," said Harry. "Sometimes, I still see what happened when… when I was a baby, but now it's mostly the graveyard. Sometimes it's both."
"And that was it?" said Remus, obviously angry. "You had a nightmare, and that set him off?"
"Well, I sort of… say things in my sleep; loudly," Harry admitted.
"And?" James pressed.
"I, um, got woken up," Harry said.
"To a whole new kind of nightmare, I assume," Remus said through clenched teeth.
"Basically, yeah," said Harry, still looking at his hands.
"How did you get that burn on you arm?" asked Sirius.
"Oh. I, uh," Harry stammered. "I burned some food last night cooking dinner."
"Why were you cooking?" asked Remus. "Especially if you weren't going to get any of it."
"Because they always have me cook breakfast and dinner," Harry said. "Aunt Petunia normally cooks lunch."
"How long is 'always'?" asked James.
"Since I was four, probably," Harry said, slightly embarrassed.
"Harry, that's not you job," said Sirius. "Well, it shouldn't be at least." Harry just shrugged.
"Something tells me that your arm getting burned wasn't an accident," said Remus.
Harry shook his head no.
"So, it got burned because you accidently burned some food, is that it?" asked James. "And I'll bet you didn't even do it, did you?"
"Yeah," said Harry. "And no, I didn't…"
"I knew it! Damn it!" said James.
"James, language!" Lily warned.
"Oh, right, sorry," said James. "But this is just unacceptable. They aren't getting away with this."
"Yeah, with you on that, mate," said Sirius angrily.
"Yes, I have to agree," Remus said menacingly.
"Please, don't," said Harry. "I just… As much as I hate them, I just want to forget it and let them be."
"We'll just have a little talk with them," said James. "A nice little chat."
"Honestly, Dad," said Harry, "I'm afraid of what your 'little chat' might consist of…"
James, Sirius, and Remus laughed at Harry's remark.
"Harry, sweetie," said Lily, changing the subject, "why don't you finish your lunch? I know you must be hungry."
"Okay Mum," Harry obliged.
"Well, Harry," said Dumbledore, "thank you for sharing your story with us and being honest. I am so sorry that you went through such an ordeal on top of everything else. I will be back to talk to you about everything later, but for now, I have to attend to other pressing matters."
"Thank you, Professor," said Harry, bidding Dumbledore farewell.
Harry then turned back to his forgotten lunch and started to eat again. He barely took the time to process the food going into his mouth he was so hungry. The food was amazing (as usual), even if it was slightly colder than normal.
Once Lily had seen that her son was eating something, she bent down, kissed the top of Harry's head, and told him she was going to speak to James and see what they were up to.
Sirius, Remus, and James had stepped outside the doors of the hospital wing to discuss what they had heard. Lily overheard what they were saying as she neared the doors.
"I say we go now, while Harry's eating so he doesn't know about it…" James whispered.
"We could go when he's asleep instead," suggested Sirius.
"I don't want to do anything rash," argued Remus.
"We can't let them think they've gotten away with this though, Moony," Sirius argued back.
"Yes, but be rational. If any of us were caught in a Muggle neighborhood…" said Remus.
"Which is why we're going at night!" James insisted.
Lily stepped out from behind the door, ending their conversation.
"Lily!" said James. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything's fine," replied Lily. "Harry's fine. I heard your conversation, by the way."
"And you want in?" Sirius asked hopefully.
"You wish. No, I'm siding with Remus on this," she said.
"Damn," said Sirius as Remus threw her a grateful look.
"But Lily, sweetheart," James said, attempting to persuade her. "Think of what they did to him. To our son. Doesn't that make you angry?"
"Of course it does," said Lily. "I'd love nothing more than to torture the lot of them, but then how does that make me any better than a Death Eater if I did? And remember how Harry feels about it. It upsets him just to talk about it. He just wants to get past this and have a normal family."
"Yeah, I know…" said James resignedly.
"So that's why," Lil said with a mischievous look in her eyes, "you aren't going to let him know about your plans. Not even a hint. And you aren't going to use magic on them. You'll go at night, after he's asleep."
"I knew I married you for a reason!" James said excitedly, picking her up and spinning her around.
"Traitor," Remus said, smiling just the same.
"He won't know a thing, we promise!" said Sirius.
"Good luck, guys," said Lily smiling. "Now, I'm going to get a shower because I feel disgusting. You – " she said, pointing to James, " – get to have father/son bonding time while I'm gone."
"I'm okay with babysitting duty," James said happily.
"In case you haven't noticed, Prongs," said Sirius, "Harry's not a baby anymore. He's almost grown."
"Don't remind me, Padfoot," said James sadly.
The men walked back into the hospital wing just as Harry was finishing lunch. Harry looked up at them and smiled.
"Done already?" said James.
Harry gave his father a sheepish look; he still wasn't quite sure how to act with his parents.
"Your mum has stuck us with babysitting duties," Sirius joked.
"I'm not a baby…" mumbled Harry.
"Say, Harry, did anyone ever tell you about our Hogwarts days?" James asked.
"No," said Harry eagerly.
"Oh, this'll be good then," James said. "Well, we were quite the young geniuses in our day… We designed this map of Hogwarts – "
"Yeah, the Marauder's Map!" said Harry excitedly. "It's dead useful."
"Wait, you have our map?" asked James, a proud light shining in his eyes. "Wicked."
"Oh, yeah," said Harry. "A couple of my friends nicked it from Filch's office in their first year. They gave it to me to help me sneak into Hogsmeade in my third year because my permission slip didn't get signed. Sirius signed it last year, so I don't have to sneak in anymore. I use the map to get around the castle and keep out of trouble." He noticed Remus raising his eyebrows in a slightly disapproving way at him. "Oops…" Harry said. "I just got myself in a lot of trouble, didn't I? Me and my big mouth."
"Well, seeing as I am no longer your professor, Harry, you're safe," Remus said, amused. "I couldn't really reprimand you anyway, even if I was, because then I'd be a hypocrite."
Harry sighed in relief. James and Sirius were almost glowing with pride.
So for the next hour or so, James, Sirius, and Remus regaled Harry with stories from their days at Hogwarts, and Harry told his dad about Ron and Hermione, Ron's family, and the adventures they had had so far.
Lily came back to the hospital wing after her shower and smiled as she watched her husband and son talk and laugh. She didn't want to interrupt the moment, but Harry had already spotted her, shouting, "Mum! Where'd you go?"
She smiled and walked toward him. "I went to take a shower. Going fourteen years without one wasn't the brightest idea. You didn't miss me too terribly, did you?"
Before Harry could answer, James spoke, "Of course he didn't. I was entertaining him. He never even noticed you were gone."
"I did too!" said Harry indignantly.
Lily laughed. "I know, sweetheart. Dad shouldn't tell such terrible lies on you should he?"
James made a face at Lily as she bent to wrap her arms around Harry. "Yeah, I know, he's your favorite."
Harry stuck his tongue out at James when Lily said, "Of course he is. He's my baby, my only child. He's always been my favorite."
"Cheeky bugger," James said, ruffling Harry's hair. "He's half mine, too, you know."
"Oh yes," Lily said, eyeing her son suspiciously. "I can only imagine what he's inherited from you, James. But being that he's my son aw well, he's completely perfect. It runs in my family."
"Uh, Mum," Harry interjected, "I don't think it runs completely in your side… I mean, look at Aunt Petunia. What happened there?"
James roared with laughter and Lily fought a smile. " I didn't say everyone got that particular gene, dear."
They sat like this for a while, just laughing and enjoying being a family. Eventually, Lily got around to fussing over Harry's hair – how desperately he needed a haircut, and did it ever behave? She swore she would tackle it whenever he was released from the hospital. Harry just ignored his mother's fussing; he was actually sort of enjoying it.
"Hey, you guys," said Sirius, "I hate to interrupt Potter Family Time, but I thought you'd like to know that dinner will be up soon."
"Thanks Sirius," said Lily. Sirius just waved a hand in acknowledgement as he went to wake Remus for dinner.
"Harry, are you hungry now?" asked Lily. "I know you just ate not long ago, but I didn't know if you might be hungry again."
Harry thought about this for a second and decided he would try to eat a bit more before he had to go to bed.
Soon dinner was served and everyone tucked in gratefully. As they started eating, Sirius turned to Harry. "Harry, I was talking to Molly Weasley earlier today," said Sirius, "Molly and Arthur are in the Order of the Phoenix with us; it's a secret organization to help fight against Voldemort. We were all in it last time as well. Anyway, they've been staying at headquarters with the kids to help out over the summer. You know how Molly fusses, and if you're feeling up to it, they'd like to come see you tomorrow."
"Sure, I'd love to see them!" Harry agreed enthusiastically.
"Okay, I'll tell Molly then," Sirius chuckled.
They ate the rest of their dinner in silence, and before long, Harry was feeling extremely sleepy. Harry stifled a yawn and Lily smiled at him. It wasn't very late, but Harry needed all the rest he could get.
"Tired, sweetheart?" asked Lily.
"Mhmm," Harry mumbled.
"We had better go and let you get some rest, Harry," Remus said.
Sirius ruffled Harry's hair and said, "See you in the morning, kiddo. I'll tell the Weasleys and Hermione you said 'hey.'"
"Thanks Sirius," Harry said sleepily.
James bent and kissed the top of Harry's head. "Good night, son."
"Night Dad," said Harry with a smile.
Lily started to say good night to Harry as well, but Harry grabbed her hand and said, "Mum, will you stay with me? Or Dad, I'm not picky. Just until I fall asleep. Just for tonight. It's just…I feel better with one of you here; I don't think so much about things."
Lily gave Harry a sad smile and started to speak. Before she could say anything, he quickly added, "You don't have to. I understand, you're tired too. You both are. It was just a thought. I'm fifteen; I should be able to go to sleep on my own, properly. I'm sorry."
She looked down at her son, who was already lying down to go to sleep, and said, "Harry, sweetheart, you have no reason to apologize. We all just got our family back, and we've spent so little time together. There's so much we missed over the years. I would love to stay with you, darling. After all you've been through, it's going to take a lot more than being tired for me to leave you."
Harry looked up at Lily with the biggest smile she had seen him smile. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tight. It felt so good to finally have a mother, his mother, here to comfort him. "Thank you, Mum. It means a lot. Well, good night."
"You're more than welcome, dear," said Lily. "Good night, my sweet boy. And Harry, I love you."
Harry looked up at Lily, slightly confused.
"What sweetheart?" she said. "I just said 'I love you.'"
"Yeah, I know," said Harry slowly. "No-no one's ever said that to me before is all. I wasn't expecting it. I-I love you too, Mum."
"Harry, we have a lot to talk about in the morning," Lily said, trying not to cry. She had thought surely someone had told him how much he was loved.
"Am I in trouble?" Harry asked worriedly.
"Goodness no, dear!" said Lily. "Your father and I just have a lot to talk to you about, that's all."
"Oh," said Harry, relieved. "Okay. Night Mum."
"Good night, sweetie," Lily said, kissing the top of Harry's head as he settled down into bed.
As Harry drifted off to sleep, Lily studied her precious son's face. He had seen so much, done so much, and been through so many things in his short life. It wasn't fair – he's such a sweet child.
Harry snuggled his head into her side in his sleep. Lily smoothed his hair off his face and rubbed his back. When she heard him lightly snoring, she got up to leave, kissing his cheek as she did.
Before she left the hospital wing, Lily whispered to Harry, "Mummy's here, baby. I'll always be right here. I'm not going anywhere. I love you so much, darling. More than you know."
A/N: And that's Chapter 3! I hope you guys liked it. I wrote the ending a long time before I wrote the rest of the chapter. It's sweet to me. So, remember, reviews make me happy! I dearly hope that I can crank out another chapter a lot faster this time than this week. Again, I'm sorry about that! Until next time. :)
