Disclaimer: This so isn't mine, and that becomes obvious when you read this chapter

A/N: I cannot apologize enough for the fact that I didn't post at all yesterday, I got stuck and now I'm only on chapter 26 and you are about to read chapter 20. Then my brain decided that we need to work on a new plot bunny. I'm going to need lots and lots of reviews so that I can figure out where I'm going with this story, or well so I can get the encouragement to finish it. I know where it's going.

Chapter 20

Christmas 1977

"I love you," I heard whispered in my ear on what I was considering early Christmas morning. I hummed, hoping the voice would leave me alone. "I love you," it said again, even closer to my ear, and this time in a sing-song voice. I hummed the words back, and nuzzled closer to my pillow. "I love you," it said again, this time insistently.

"I love you too," the voice backed away, " now shut-up and let me sleep."

"Horny," it whispered, going back to my ear.

"Tell Remus, Sirius, I'm sleeping," I said as I pulled my corner of the blanket over my head. "By the way, how'd you get in the middle again?"

"Remus is in the kitchen, I'm not in the middle." He said. I could feel that he was knelling beside me on our bed in our apartment. Of course we had seen Mum and Dad everyday, as Mum still insisted that we joined them for dinner every night. Today we would go to the party around two.

"Why is Remus in the kitchen?" I asked, my voice still laced with sleep.

"I think he's cooking, I'm not sure." I could just imagine Sirius with his confused look, staring at the door, and shaking his head.

"REMUS!" I shouted.

"What?" A voice asked from the door way.

"I don't want to die," I cried as I pulled the blanket down and looked at my other lover. "I love you," I added at the look on his face. He was holding a tray of what looked like eggs and sausage and toast.

"I'm gonna force feed it to you," he said as he walked to the bed and put the tray down in the middle of the bed. Sirius and I eyed it warily.

"It's not moving," Sirius pointed out as he took one of the forks and poked at an egg.

"It's not discolored," I added as I pushed one of the pieces of toast. Remus rolled his eyes, grabbed the toast I had been playing with, tackled me and forced the toast to my lips. "No," I cried trying to squirm away from him. "No, no it's poison, you'll make me eat it, and then I shall die. You would have killed me, and it would be all your fault."

"When I kill you," Remus responded, still trying to force feed me the toast, "it won't be because I poisoned you."

"Oh, I want in," Sirius said before he dog piled on top of Remus, who was laying on my side as he pushed the toast to my lips.

"Oh get off," I called when the combined weight pushed into my rib uncomfortably. Remus took the moment that my mouth was open to push the toast into my mouth, and I bit down. I chewed cautiously for a moment, before my eyes widened in surprise. "This is...Bloody fucking fantastic," I shouted before pulling the toast out of his hand and finishing it off. "What did you do? I'm mean it's toast, toast is not supposed to be heavenly."

"Cinnamon, something I used to do as a kid." He answered. "When my mum and dad would go to work, I'd sneak down the stairs and use nutella and cinnamon on my toast. That's why I had us buy some when we went grocery shopping. Had a plan and everything." He answered smugly when Sirius took a bit, chewed and tipped his head back in pleasure. "You know, were the only one's that are supposed to bring that look to your face, don't you Pads?"

"You are the one that has brought this look to my face," Sirius answered when he swallowed his bite. "You are a fucking amazing cook, or I'm fucking an amazing cook. How did you keep this a secret this summer?"

"I had other things I wanted to do this summer." Remus replied with a shrug.

"You have other things you want to do now, but still you made us breakfast." Sirius answered. If the toast, toast for God's sake, was this amazing, I had to know how the eggs were. I took one of the plates, and started eating. I don't know what he did to the eggs, but they were just as good as the toast, and the sausage was to die for.

"All hail Moony, king of the kitchen," I said when we had finished our food.

"That is it," Sirius said as he put his plate back on the table. "You shall never get a job, even if you want one. Prongs and I shall bring home the bacon, and you shall cook it for us everyday."

"Oh thanks, that's just what I wanted to be. A housewife." Remus said as he took the tray, with our empty plates, back to the kitchen. I followed him, and when he went to do the dishes, stopped him and did them myself.

"You won't be a housewife, we're equals here. We all bring home the bacon, we all help make it. Even if that means you make it, I'll do the dishes, and Sirius can clean up the stove." I said as I tossed a rag at Sirius who had also followed us. He grumbled a little, but did as I had said to. Remus smiled, wrapped his arms around my waist, and kissed my shoulder before backing away to do the same to Sirius.

"What's that for?" Sirius asked when he tossed the rag back into my water.

"You two," Remus said with that smile, the one that I had labeled his "superman" smile. It had been a while since I had done something to get that look from either of them, and I think that just made it even better to me. "I would have thought that I had to clean up after you two had eaten it, but you come in here and do your part. I don't know if I've told you this, but I wasn't locked in my room growing up. I was kind of their like, slave. Locked in my room so they didn't have to see me, but as soon as they wanted something, like me to make breakfast, or clean, or something, they'd let me out. It's nice, being equals. I didn't have that before you two." My hands were still stuck in the water cleaning a pan he had used, but Sirius wrapped his arms around Remus and kissed his head for me.

"Yeah, I wasn't a slave, but as soon as my family found out I was a Gryffindor I think they considered it." Sirius said. "Did they ever hit you Moony?" Remus shook his head. "Good, I don't think we need another one of us to have come from a family like that. You know, I think he's pretty amazing." Sirius said as he looked at me. I smiled but my look made him know I wanted an explanation for that comment. "We've been wounded, unloved, and we've got some pretty big scars because of it. You're here, you've always been here, showing us that we aren't what those scars tell us we are. It's amazing, you're willingly volunteering to fight off those scars. Are you sure your cut out for it?"

"No," I answered truthfully. I didn't know if I was cut out for the job of showing them just how amazing they really were. "But I'll give it my best try, and hopefully your scars will heal."

"They already are," Remus sighed before motioning me towards them. I wiped my hands before walking to them, wrapping my arms around their waists, and pulling them so our foreheads met together.

I don't know how a day can go from such a sweet, intimate moment, to what it ended like. I've heard people say things can change in a minute, and I guess they're right. One second we were best friends, just friends. In the blink of an eye Remus said something, and we were so much more than just friends. In the span of a nap, we were three lovers that didn't have a care in the world, when we woke up we were liars to the law and the world around us. In the course of a day, they were two broken boys that were asking me to put them back together, we turned around and we were three broken people needing to keep the others together.

Lily had been invited to the party, and once she was done with her family's activities had joined us. My parents knew about the boys and I, but the rest of the family did not. So we acted like we did when we were at school, until we could find a moment alone. Lily would busy herself with getting to know my mum when we disappeared for a moment. A lot of my family was pleased with my choice of girlfriend, most wondering how I had gotten a girl like that. I would laugh, and reply, "persistence," before winking at her, which caused her to laugh as well.

We were having a great night, until the doors of the Entrance Hall to Potter Manor were thrown open and several robed figures trailed into the room. One of them was a tall man, about the same age as my father, with dark hair and dark eyes, and long fingers. His cold, high-pitched laughter echoed through the whole of the house, and everyone's attention went to face the intruders.

"Harry," the dark haired man said when he saw my father. "My old friend, how are you these days? Heard you were having a bit of a party without me."

"Old friend?" My father asked. "Tom, forgive me if I'm wrong, but we were not friends in school, and we most definitely aren't now. Only friends are invited to my parties."

"Harry," The mans slick voice said again. "Haven't you heard, the name is no longer Tom. I did away with the mudblood's name a long time ago. They call me Lord Voldermort now."

"I know," My father said. I had never seen him stand so proudly. "Actually they call you "he-who-must-not-be-named," or "you-know-who." I find this ridiculous."

"I find it respectful." Tom, Voldemort bit back.

"I find that there is no need to respect you, Tom." My father interrupted. "You are a heartless man, something I knew from the beginning."

"My lord," one of the hooded figures said, and I realized I recognized the voice. My eyes danced to where Sirius was standing beside me and I knew he recognized it as well. His cousin, Bellatrix Black, or I believe it had turned to Lestrange the year before. "They are all dressed like muggles." She pointed out.

"Yes Bella, I see that." He said as he tucked some of her hair behind her ear. She had crazy hair, that fit her personality perfectly. She was a psychotic bitch. "It's a shame, they have such little respect for their selves that they willfully choose to dress like those that belong under them." A loud sniff was heard coming from one of the other hooded figures. "What is it Fenrir?" Voldermort snapped. At the sound of the name I pulled Remus behind me, and Sirius snapped to my side as we formed a wall between our lover and the famous werewolf.

"I can handle it James," Remus snapped.

"Shut up," I commanded, and he fell silent.

"Remus, my boy," Fenrir said as his face turned to where we were hiding our lover.

"He's not your boy," I shouted.

"Don't even look at him you scum." Sirius added before letting out an "oof" as Remus tried to push us aside.

"Will you let him talk to your father like that." Fenrir asked.

"You're not my father," Remus shouted as he tried to push me. "Move James."

"No," I snapped.

"Shut up," Both Voldermort and my father shouted. Voldermort to his gossiping goons, and my father at my lovers and I. They shared a look full of loathing at having said the same thing at the same time.

"Get out of my house Tom," My father ordered.

"I don't think so," Voldermort said before pulling out his wand quickly, brandishing it at my father, and uttering "avada kedevara." Red light shot out of Voldermort's wand and hit my father in the chest. My father fell backwards, and all hell broke loose. Pops started going off all around as muggle-clad witches and wizards started disapperiating. Some took out their wands from jean pockets and started fighting the advancing death eaters. I know I had shouted and tried to get to Voldermort, but six hands took hold of me and started dragging me through the house.

"James," Lily's voice said as she knelt in front of me. I looked up, the tears already spilling. As soon as we had gotten into my room, I had slumped against the wall. Sirius and Remus were on either side of me, wrapping their arms around my waist, their heads resting on my shoulders.

"Say something love," Sirius begged.

"Please baby, please say something." Remus begged from my other side.

"My father just died," I said the same thing that had been echoing in my head as they dragged me through the house. Sirius and Remus nodded, and Lily reached out to wipe away my tears. "My father just die," I repeated, this time in a stronger voice. "And we're hiding out in my room why? Why aren't we fighting?" The look on their faces when they looked up at my comment, showed me something. I loved three of the strongest people in the world. It could have been their lives that had made them that way, it probably was. They had lost too much, or in Sirius' case never been given it, love, and when they found it they would die for it. Together the four of us stood, and with our wands in hand, began to walk towards the Entrance Hall. I don't know if any of us had ever actually taken the lead, or if we knew where we were headed. Eventually we saw him though, the man that had killed my father.

"Stupefy," we all shouted at the same time. He turned and quickly blocked it.

"I've gotten the Mister Potter, just finished the Misses Potter, and now the son comes to me willingly." He laughed. I felt my stomach churn at the comment about my mother. He really had just said I was an orphan. His face distorted into a look of disgust. "With his lovers, three?" We froze, how was it possible he could know? "No, he doesn't love you does he mudblood? Friendship, almost more disgusting. He wants the blood-traitor and the half-breed, that's who he loves. Filthy. Shame really Potter, you could have been my right hand man."

"I wouldn't want to be your right hand man." I said with my own look of disgust.

"You just killed his parents, how stupid could you be?" Lily shouted, and we all knew it was a mistake the moment she finished.

"Crucio," Voldermort shouted as he pointed his wand at Lily. "How dare the mudblood speak to me in such a way." He said as he trotted over to her. She was screaming in pain, knelling on the ground beside Remus, and Voldermort turned her face to look up at him. "I said could have been," His lips almost twitched into a grin. "One of the newest members of my flock causes you more pain knowing he belongs to me then if Potter was to join me doesn't he? Severus, he is such a good potions master, very useful."

"No, no," she continued to repeat. "Sev isn't, Sev isn't." I knew the tears filling her eyes were not from the pain of the crucio.

"Oh but he is," Voldermort laughed, before walking away from her. "Think about my offer Potter, Black always welcome as well. Lupin, your father would be so proud if you did."

"He's not my father, he may be a sire, he bit me. He is not my father." Remus growled.

"Either way, he'd be proud." Voldermort said.

"I don't give a flying fuck if he's proud or not. You, and him, can both rot in hell for all I care. Even that might be to good for you." Remus continued. Voldermort snarled, even though I think he was trying to smile, before he snapped his fingers and left with his little posse.

"Mum," I cried as I went to find where her body laid. I found it not far from my father's. Others had been hurt, but they were apperiating to St. Mungos. I rushed to the side of my mother's body, and pulled her into my arms as the tears of both their losses and the stress of the night mixed together. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and a head lay against my back. "Remus," I cried and it nodded. It wasn't that I had asked a question, I knew who was trying to hold me together. "My parents are dead."

"I know," he cried with me.

"They loved you, you and Sirius." I said still holding my mother in my arms. I felt more then saw Sirius knell beside us.

"We loved them, they were the only ones we ever saw as our real parents." Sirius said as he pushed my mother's lids down. I cried more because it actually did look as though she was sleeping, even though I knew the truth. I knew it happened, but I didn't actually register the fact that Lily told me she was leaving, and that I should owl if I needed anything.

"When does it stop?" I asked.

"What stop love," Sirius asked as he ran a hand through my messy black hair.

"Life, getting more and more complicated." I answered.

"I guess," Remus started before kissing my shoulder again. "Never, especially when you choose a complicated lifestyle."

A/N: So this chapter started off as one of my favorites, and then I had to write Voldermort, and found that I can't paint that character at all. Agree with me, my Voldie sucks huh? Again, the more reviews I get the more I'll be encouraged to return to this story. Btw, I'm about five chapters into my other story, do you all think I should post that as well, or wait until I've finished this one. My decisions rest in your hands.