Disclaimer: It's not a normal time, so I'm too tired to point out the obvious again.

A/N: I will sacrifice sleep to post these chapters for you.

Chapter 27

Summer 1978

For a month and a half we celebrated our graduation by spending the summer like we had the year before. Sleeping as late as we wanted, taking Padfoot to the park, going to the cinema or some other nightlife activity, tangling together until we fell asleep, and repeating the process. One night we had been walking home when we saw a motorbike for sell, and Sirius bought it. Remus did some research for him over the next few weeks, and they charmed it to fly and turn invisible.

Then came the first day of Sirius' internship, and he woke up hours earlier then he had in weeks, moths, probably years. Remus had been curled around me, but turned over when he felt the bed tip. I whimpered, rolled over to curl around Remus, and joined him in his search for our lover. I heard a low chuckle before I heard Sirius' whisper of "I love you," and a pause. I figured the pause was Sirius kissing Remus' head, because he did this to me after whispering the same in my ear. As he went to get ready for his first day of work, we slipped back into the dreamworld.

This was the morning routine for the next two months. Sirius would get ready and leave Remus and I to sleep in during the morning. Sometimes over the next month I would spend the afternoons with Lily, Remus spent these days looking for his first job. Other days both of us would spend the day with Lily, until we went to meet Sirius for dinner. Once a week the three of us would eat out, the other days of the week Remus cooked for us.

One day Lily said she and Alice wanted their gay friend to go shopping with them. Alice and her fiance Frank were also members of the Order of the Phoenix, just like the five of us. Most, if not all of the Order members, knew that Remus was a werewolf. So when I gave Remus some money so he could enjoy his afternoon, Alice thought nothing of it. I spent most of that day in front of the television until the time came that Sirius, Remus, and I always met for dinner.

I consented it to the fact I had been bored that day to me being the first to the restaurant. I hadn't been their long before Sirius joined me, casting a quick look around the restaurant and kissed me hello. When he sat in the booth across from me I asked him about his day. We were there for a good ten minutes before he started telling me about the shenanigans of one of his mail clerk friends, and Remus finally joined us. He did the same thing as Sirius had, casting a look around the room before quickly kissing us.

"Hello love," Sirius said as Remus slid into the booth beside me, "How was your day?"

"Amazing," Remus answered excitedly. The waitress took our drink order before we continued. "I've decided what I want to do with my life."

"Really," Sirius and I asked. Remus' excitement became contagious.

"Yeah," Remus answered, before calming a bit. "So you remember that allowance of sorts you game me a few days ago?" He asked with his shy smile. I had to wonder why he was bringing in the big guns.

"You mean the fifty galleons I gave you this afternoon?" I asked. He nodded, keeping that smile on his face. "Remus, how much of that money do you still have?"

"None of it," he said in his "little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar," voice as he looked at the table. Sirius and I's eyebrows shot into our hair as the waitress placed our glasses in front of us. We all composed ourselves well enough to order.

"I would ask," I started when the waitress walked away. My calm voice told them Remus was sitting in the calm before the storm. "How the hell do you spend 50 galleons in four hours?" I shouted. Sirius tossed an apologetic look to the patrons that looked at us after my outburst. "But instead, I'll ask, and what do you want to do with your life baby?" I asked as I tucked some of his hair behind his ear. He looked at me with a smile, he knew I was still very upset, but trying my damnedest to be supportive.

"Well you know how Sirius would be a struggling writer if it wasn't for you?" I nodded, but Sirius shot him a look. I couldn't tell if it was a "leave me out of this" look or a "no I wouldn't" one. "How would you feel about having to take care of a starving artist as well?" He asked with a grin.

"Is that what you want to do?" I asked, hoping he knew that I would support him in everything he tried to do. "Your art? That's what you want to do for your life?"

"Yeah," he answered with another smile, this one happy about finding something he was good at and could be accepted for. "While we were walking the girls and I ran across this gallery that was just starting up. They have a few artists that they're going to be showcasing, but they were looking for a few more. I showed them my necklace, and the manager said she wanted to see more. So the girls and I went shopping for everything I'm going to need. An easel, canvases, paintbrushes, a shit load of sketchpads, quills, a few different kinds of paints, and clays. Seriously considered getting a kiln, but I didn't have the money for that." He explained, his smile growing as he talked about his adventure that day.

"Where the hell would you put a kiln?" Sirius asked, his eyebrows finding his hair line. Remus thought about it for a moment.

"That was another reason why I didn't get one, but it doesn't matter the gallery has one in the back it said I could use." Remus answered. "So you two are okay with this?"

"Are we okay with it?" I asked looking at him like I might be worried for his sanity. "You are my favorite artist by a long shot, and the only piece you ever gave me, do I ever go anywhere without it?" I asked touching my icon through my shirt. Sirius laughed as he grabbed his chain. Remus shook his head.

"You know, this is cool." Sirius said. We both looked at him asking him to explain. "I'm working for one of the best creative writing journals in the British Wizarding World. James is about to start his first practice season as a professional quidditch player. Then here you come with your idea of wanting to be an artist, and the possibility of having a gallery that your name is under. My loves, I think we may have just started taking the first steps to having our happily ever after."

A few weeks passed, and Lily started her healer training, leaving me and Remus more time together. Though most of the time he was busy painting or sculpting, and I was stuck watching him. Not that that wasn't fun, he painted without his shirt on, and his pajama bottoms always had a way of resting just a tad too low on his hips. I could easily see every muscle that he used as he created his pieces of art. The not fun part of that being my only entertainment for hours, was the fact that watching him made me want him, and when he was painting he was too busy to want me back. Though sometimes I was able to entice him away from his projects.

"James," He said on one of the days where I was failing to entice him away from his latest project. "I am two seconds away from finishing, and I need to go make dinner. Lily and Sirius will be here soon. Leave me be." I pouted but walked to the couch, huffing as I sat down. Sirius had said he wanted to pick Lily up after work so she could join us for dinner. Remus and Lily had their past and their friendship, Sirius was starting to become like a brother to her. Yes, believe me, I know how fucked up my life is.

"Moony, want you," I continued to pout even though really I knew I was going to get no where. He tossed me one more look, and I smiled, his glare just increased, before he finished his project, and went to the kitchen. On his way he grabbed a shirt, because one didn't walk around without a shirt when they knew a lady would be in the house. I love my Moony, my Remus, my sweet rule-abiding lover, with the dirty mouth when I got him all riled up in our bed.

We had just finished eating our dinner, and Lily and Remus had moved to take the plates into the kitchen when there was a knock on the door. I shrugged when Sirius sent me a look wondering who it could be, and got out of my seat to look through the peep hole. I groaned when I saw who it was.

"Bradshaw," I mouthed to Sirius, who quickly raced to make the spare bedroom looked lived in before cleaning up our bedroom a little. I opened the door, and Lily came to stand by my side so we could greet the intruder, I mean guest, as a loving, and happy couple. After I had taken his coat and hat from him, I led him to have a seat in the chair Sirius had claimed as his. I sat in the chair across from him that I had claimed as mine, and Lily sat on the arm rest, my arm snaking around her waist. Sirius came back a moment later, and shook our guest's hand before taking a seat on the couch. Remus followed suit, apologizing for his wet hands as he had just washed the dishes. "What can we do for you Mr. Bradshaw?"

"First off, how are you four?" He asked as he pulled out some papers from his briefcase. We all replied with the typical "fine" and "good." "Great to hear that," Bradshaw said as he flipped for the proper page he wanted. "Right, well as you know my job is to make sure that Mr. Potter's relationship is progressing at a normal pace." We nodded that, yes, we had this figured out. "I have recently received report that Mr. Frank Longbottom, a student that was in your year, as well as your House, correct?" We nodded again. "Proposed to his girlfriend Alice Prewitt, who was not only also in your year and House, but is also a good friend of Miss Evans, correct?" Lily nodded. "As these are two of your friends, and have been together for about the same amount of time as Mr. Potter and Miss Evans have been, the ministry has asked me to compare the speed of your relationship with the speed of Mr. Longbottom and Miss Prewitt's."

"Wait," Lily said after Bradshaw's explanation. "Are you saying that you want to know why James hasn't, and when he plans on, proposing to me?"

"Yes," Bradshaw replied with a short nod.

"How about this, even though I love Alice, and Frank, they are both way more traditional then I am. How about this, that maybe he hasn't proposed to me because he realizes I want some time to figure out who I am." Lily explained, she was getting mad. Sirius and Remus saw this too, and sat farther back in the couch.

"Can you not figure out who you are with him?" Bradshaw countered.

"Sure, lots of people do that, but this is a different age and time. I do not need a man to take care of me. I have a perfectly good job, and I will be making a name for myself in that field. James knows who I am, and respects my wishes, and understands that I wish to create my career before I create my family. Isn't that right James?" She turned to look at me, and I nodded quickly. "Even his friends respect that, don't you?" She asked Sirius and Remus. Remus nodded.

"Why would I want him to take care of you? Who would take care of me?" Sirius asked as he agreed.

"You take care of Mr. Black?" Bradshaw asked in confusion.

"I have a good job, and he has an internship, and Remus is trying to become an artists." I explained. "I feel that it is my job as their friend to keep them from, you know, starving. Of course, I wasn't under the impression that this wasn't allowed under the law either?" I shot daggers into Bradshaw, begging him to tell me that I was wrong in my assumptions.

"Mr. Potter," Bradshaw growled. "I know you think I am a monster sent from the ministry to keep tabs on your life. In all honesty I could careless who you are in a relationship with, or how many people were in that relationship. Do you think this is how I want to spend a Thursday night? Getting out of my office late, just so I can come talk to a bunch of barely adults. Really I would much rather be at home with my wife and children, then with you." We were all silent for a moment, the four of us just staring at Bradshaw. "What?" He growled again.

"You have a family?" Remus was the first one to question.

"You have a wife?" Sirius asked next.

"You have kids?" Lily continued.

"Forgive me Mr. Bradshaw, it's just you always struck me as the bookish type that didn't really have time for anything other then work." I explained dumbfounded. Bradshaw rolled his eyes.

"I mean no offense Miss Evans, Mr. Lupin, but you always struck me as the bookish type that didn't really have time for anything other then your studies." Bradshaw said in the same dumbfounded tone I had used with him. Sirius burst into laughter at the comment.

"I'm an artist," Remus cried before he laughed, and Lily just smiled apologetically at me before laughing herself.

"Touche," I commented, tipping an imaginary hat at the man. He had earned a healthy dose of respect from me in that moment.

Honestly that is exactly what I had thought. He was the bookish type that had nothing better to do with his life but his work, and his work was to make my life miserable. He was just another employee of the Ministry that thought it was their right to control my life. I hadn't thought of him having a wife or a child. I hadn't ever thought about the fact that he didn't want to be popping in and out of my life, questioning how far or what direction Lily and I were taking at that moment. He had a job to do, and even if he didn't want to, he still had to. All he wanted to do was put food on his family's table.

All I wanted to do was put food on my family's table, well and get to keep my family. Sure I loved the way I was going to be able to do that for them, but maybe there had been a time when Bradshaw hadn't always been an investigator for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I wasn't naive enough to think that I was really going to get to spend my whole life playing quidditch. There would come a time when that was over, and I would still need to find a way to put food on my family's table. When he gave me a run for my money Bradshaw earned a new dose of respect from me. When I took a moment to think about our similarities, he earned another one.

We were just two men, one older, one younger, but we had the same main goals in life. It was the first time I really realized that all men were the same, basically. Sure Bradshaw had a wife and children, and I had two lovers. Still his family, and my family, needed the same things. Sirius had asked earlier that day if we could go shopping on Saturday because he found a pair of shoes that he was dying to check out. I could just imagine Bradshaw having a little son that was growing like a weed, and it felt like every time he turned around he needed a new pair of shoes. Remus' art supplies was starting to take over the living room, and there was a studio not far from his gallery that I was trying to rent for him. I could just see Bradshaw having a little girl that was already asking for the latest doll house for Christmas. Yes, we were just two men, doing what we had to in order to keep our families healthy, happy, and safe.

I hadn't ever really taken a moment to think about it, but I was the head of the crazy, messed up pack sitting in my living room after Bradshaw had left. Sure I did things that Remus asked of me, but that was because I had to keep him out of the public's eye. Sirius rarely let anyone try and be his boss, but he willingly gave me the leadership role in his life. Lily had her own life that she was free to live, and if she wanted she could walk away from this, but she had asked me into that place in her life. This was my family, and I would always do what was necessary to take care of them.

A/N: So...what are you thinking? The last few paragraphs there, how do you feel after reading them?