Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters and I'm not making any money from this story. I do own the story line and any original characters involved.
Warnings: seriously AU; some bashings of Albus, Molly, Author, Ron, Hermione, Fudge, and Malfoys; sex scenes; slash; het; many OCs
Author Notes: The story is finished and I will be posting one chapter a day. Here's the second chapter. Tell me what you think in a review please.

!#$

Harry sobbed in the arms of his Sirius and Remus; leaving them both feeling helpless. They concentrated on rubbing his back, and whispering comforting words but they knew they could not make the emptiness he was feeling go away. They knew that getting your magic taken away made a person feel like there was something missing, like a piece of their heart was ripped out. The distinct sound of Apparition was soon followed by the appearance of Snape.

His normally stoic eyes were frantic with a hint of sadness. He took Harry into his arms, and whispered in his ear. Neither Remus nor Sirius knew what was being said, but they seemed to come to an understanding, since Harry gradually stopped crying, and his sobs ceased.

Except for the stray sniffle, Harry seemed to have his emotions under control. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I had planned. I knew you would try to stop me."

Sirius shook his head in disbelief. "How could you believe that? Do you think we wanted you in a loveless marriage with a husband who would probably treat you like crap? I grew up in a straight pureblood family don't forget. If I hadn't run away to your father and been disinherited, I would have been forced into a similar situation. I would never wish that onto anyone. In fact, I had considered asking you to become a Muggle, but I was afraid how you'd react to it and didn't want to get on your bad side."

Remus nodded in agreement. "If that was what you wanted to do, we would have supported your decision no matter what." He paused, trying to gather his thoughts before delicately asking "Have you thought this all the way through? You do realize you won't be able to stay in the wizarding world, don't you."

Harry nodded. "I know. Snape made sure I had all the information. " Harry realized his mistake when both Sirius and Remus turned accusing eyes to the silent Potions master. "Sorry Snape; I didn't mean to out you like that."

"It's okay. They would have found out sooner or later."

"So...you aren't going to even deny that you knew about this?"

"Of course not, he came to me for guidance, knowing I could stay objective and not let emotions get in the way of good judgment and sound advice."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Remus asked.

"He gave me his trust when he came to me. Why would I ruin that and go running to you? If I had done that, he probably would have made the decision on his own without all of the facts. At least this way, he knew what he was getting himself into."

Harry spoke up for Snape. "Guys, you know I love you. I'm not sure why, but I just gravitated towards Snape for this. I saw how much he tried to break the contract and make Lucius Malfoy see reason, he was even willing to risk a friendship that has lasted as long as yours had. That doesn't lessen my love for you."

Sirius let out a barking laugh. "You sound like a father while we're children fighting over your attention."

Harry smiled, but Remus next question reminded them of the seriousness of the situation. "Where are you going to go? You can't live in the wizarding world, so are you going to go to Muggle London?"

Harry and Snape shared a look before Harry answered, "It is another reason why I didn't talk to you. Even if I'm a Muggle, I doubt Dumbledore will leave me alone, never mind the Malfoys. I don't think I could ever find real peace and happiness here. I'll always be harassed. That's why I want to leave Europe. I'm going to stay for a couple days to give my friends time to come see me so I can let them know where I'll be. It also gives me time with you. After that, I'm leaving the country. No matter how much I love you, you won't stop me."

"Who said we'd try to stop you?" asked an incredulous Sirius.

Harry raised an eyebrow, looking very similar to Snape. "I must not matter that much to you then."

Remus rolled his eyes at the fake hurt tone Harry was using; knowing Harry knew how much they loved him. Remus didn't even need to guess what Sirius was talking about. "We wouldn't stop you because we're going with you."

Harry shook his head. "This is your home; it's where you grew up. I would never expect you to leave it."

The Marauders smiled at each other. Sirius took the lead. "The only reason we stayed here was for you. We've wanted to get away from this place because of all the bad memories. All you're doing is giving us the excuse."

Remus continued where Sirius left off. "We don't mind living in the Muggle world. I know a lot about it thanks to Lily and Severus, and I'm sure between the two of us, we can teach Sirius. Our home is wherever you are. We want to start over and be a family with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," both answered with no hesitation, letting Harry know that they didn't have any doubts.

!#$

It wasn't long until his friends came calling on him, like he knew they would. He had decided to meet with them in the library of12 Grimmauld Place. Remus and Sirius sat with him to make sure they didn't pressure him into anything that they hadn't already discussed. Both knew that his friends meant well. They loved him and wanted what was best for him, but they didn't always know what was best. Harry deserved to do what he wanted for once since they knew he had given it a lot of thought and consideration. They weren't going to let his friends accidently guilt him into staying in Europe when it could become dangerous and was hazardous to his long term happiness.

All of the Weasleys that were at the wedding were there, along with Neville, Luna, and the rest of Harry's quidditch team from his first 3 years. Harry glanced at Fred and George, knowing that they would have most, if not all of the answers. "They didn't come to the wedding because-"

"-they knew you wouldn't want-"

"-To celebrate it, but-"

"-when we told them what happened, they were-"

"-eager to come see-"

"-you along with us."

"They want you to be aware-"

"-of their support."

Harry smiled. "Thanks guys. I know you have questions about my why I made the decision, but—"

"We don't actually," Bill interrupted. "All of us are kind of embarrassed that we didn't figure it out beforehand. We know you so well, and we should have realized you wouldn't accept being married to Malfoy."

"You guys don't mind?"

Luna answered in her usual odd way, "The Crumple-Horned Snorkack tells me it was destiny, and it's wrong to go against destiny."

Harry laughed nervously. He loved Luna, he really did, but that didn't mean he understood her.

All of the girls gave Harry hugs and kisses, while all the guys except the twins, who of course had to be different, stood back. Once everyone was settled, Harry sat between Remus and Sirius on the couch. Ginny's head leaned against one of Harry's legs while Luna's occupied the other. He fondly stroked their contrasting hair. Bill and Charlie leant against the wall. Fred and George sat in front of the couch with Angie and Alicia tucked in their arms respectively. Katie was in a similar position with Oliver off to the side. Neville sat against the bookshelf with his chin resting on his knees.

With everyone comfortable, Harry finally told his friends the plans he has made. The girls looked close to tears, except for Luna who still wore a dreamy expression, not even looking surprised (honestly, nothing surprised that girl). However, no one tried to change his mind, which soothed Remus's and Sirius's worries. They must have understood the importance of Harry departing from the UK.

And even though the mood was somber that didn't stop the jokes and light teasing that soon followed. Trying to act casual, Harry asked the question that had been bugging him. "I'm not surprised that Percy wasn't at that farce, but I was wondering why Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron and Hermione weren't there. Why didn't they show up?"

Everyone looked to the other Weasleys, knowing they would have the answer to that question. Surprisingly, it was Sirius who spoke up. He cleared his throat. "We didn't want you to see it because you had so much to think about with the wedding. Don't blame the other Weasleys because we hid it from you. They probably thought that you knew."

Harry didn't like the sound of that. "Knew what?" he asked carefully.

Remus took out his wand. "Accio yesterday's Daily Prophet." After a few moments, it landed in his outstretched hand. "It's the front page article."

Harry reluctantly took it.

"The Golden Trio is Not All that it Seems!" by Reporter Pamela Jakobson

As we all know, the infamous golden trio of Hogwarts is made up of none other than our precious savior and his two best friends: pureblood wizard Ron Weasley and Muggle-born witch Hermione Granger. They've survived many dangers during their school years which has cemented their friendship. However, during my investigation into this rumored 'prefect friendship' one question kept appearing. Is that really the whole story?

Just a few days ago I was finally able to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. Hermione Granger, top student of her year, admitted that though she liked Harry just fine, the only reason she became friends with him was because it would open more opportunities for her after graduation. We all know that there aren't many upper level positions for Muggle-born, no matter how qualified they may be, but being the boy-who-lived's best friend negated those restrictions..

I was luckily enough to catch up with Ron Weasley and I was able to ask him a few questions about his thoughts on Harry Potter, and about their years of friendship. Ron Weasley said, "I've always been in my older brothers' shadows. I'll never be Head Boy material like Bill and Percy. I'll never be as good in Quidditch as Charlie was. And I will never be as funny as Fred and George. Even Ginny has something on me; she's the baby and the only girl. I did something they couldn't and became Harry Potter's best friend." Now that they're no longer in school, Ron Weasley feels like he can stop pretending. He believes Harry is getting what he deserves by being forced to marry Draco Malfoy. "Now his big head can be kept under control," he stated.

So, dear readers, as you can see, the friendship we have always admired is based totally on lies. It makes you wonder if Harry Potter knows about his friends true feelings, or if he too was fooled. And if he was indeed fooled, I wonder what he thinks now that he finally knows the truth.

After finishing the article, Harry blankly stared at it, his brain unable to process it. When he finally lifted his head up, his eyes beseeched Bill and Charlie to tell him that the article was a lie, that the reporter was making up lies to sell more papers, the way Rita Skeeter became famous.

Bill and Charlie's gaze shifted to the ground, unable to deny the words written in the article. Harry glanced over at Fred and George hoping that they would play it off as a joke, but for once their eyes were serious and downcast.. Harry didn't even bother looking at Ginny, knowing he would receive a similar response.

Taking a shuddering breath, Harry kept his breathing under control. "What about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. The article didn't mention them at all." No one replied, which was an answer in itself. "Did they ever love me like the surrogate son they made me feel like I was, or were they just nice to me to get something from me?"

Bill, being the oldest, felt it was his duty to explain everything. "Dumbledore wanted them to get close to you, so you wouldn't be tempted to make friends with anyone he didn't approve of. Our feelings for you are true though. That's why we're here with you right now. We believe our mother and father did grow to care about you on some level, but they blamed you for all of the danger Ron was put in as well as the trouble Ginny got into her first year."

"They blamed me, but not Dumbledore. He's the one who set up all those 'tests.'"

"We didn't say it made sense. That's just what we believe."

Harry's emerald eyes blazed with fury. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let me keep believing a bunch of lies if you knew the truth?"

Charlie cleared his throat before continuing where Bill left off. "To be perfectly honest, we're not sure. Dumbledore didn't bother approaching the twins. He probably knew that he wouldn't get anywhere with them. We found out about Dumbledore's ploy when he approached us. We made sure he knew we were with Fred and George on this. We tried to tell you, but every time we opened our mouth to tell you we couldn't find our voice or we babbled about nothing that had to do with Dumbledore. We have no proof of course, but we're pretty sure that we were spelled so we couldn't inform you about what was happening. It's the only real explanation we have."

Tension filled the room as silence descended. Harry wanted to believe Charlie, but his beliefs had already been challenged once that day. They could all be lying and the explanations could be part of Dumbledore's elaborate plan. But at the same time, he could definitely imagine Dumbledore putting a spell on them so they wouldn't be able to ruin his plans. He wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

The silence was broken as Snape rushed into the room, his robes flowing behind him Harry sighed in relief when everyone's attention became focused on the usually dour man. "I have it."

Remus stood up; stretching his long legs, and took what looked like a pendent from Snape. "Thanks Sev. Are you sure that it's untraceable? We don't need anyone attempting to trace us."

"Yes, I'm sure. That's why it had to be made special. Amelia was more than happy to help though. She hates the idea of arranged marriages and feels that 'the young child who sacrificed so much should be allowed to live his life the way he sees fit, as long as he's not endangering himself or others.' Those were her words, not mine."

"We're all set then?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Yes, as soon as we pack, which will be easy enough with magic," Sirius answered without thinking.

Harry's enthusiasm dimmed at the response, making Remus hit the dog Animagus over the head in annoyance for the callous remark. After he thoroughly reprimanded the humbled man, he lovingly placed a kiss on Harry's forehead. "Cub, it will take a while for you to get used to the idea of not having magic. It's okay to be a bit upset. We won't think any less of you. We'd all feel the same way if we were in your place."

Harry smiled gratefully. Remus always knew what to say to make him feel better. "Don't be too hard on Sirius. He didn't mean anything by his words. He just doesn't always use his brain."

"Hey! I resent that."

"Snuffles, I wouldn't say it unless it was true."

Remus laughed at the duo. "I'm going to go pack all of our stuff. What time is the portkey set to activate?" he questioned Severus.

"Tomorrow at 10 AM."

Remus left the room, quickly followed by Sirius. Snape stayed behind but the silence was near suffocating. Harry's eyes roamed the room, seeing all of the people he considered friends. Addressing the Weasleys who he wasn't sure yet if he could trust, he let his eyes show the confusion he was feeling. "Guys, I want to believe what you're telling me, but you can't blame me for having doubts. I'm not saying that I think you're lying, but I don't want to trust anyone who doesn't deserve it. Do you guys understand where I'm coming from?"

They nodded in unison. "We'll give you time and space. We won't even contact you unless you initiate it. We just want to have you as a friend and for you to not doubt our loyalty. We'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust again."

Harry held back the tears that wanted to fall He knew with time, as long as they didn't screw up, he would be able to trust them again. "I love all of you guys. I hope you're all aware of that." He smiled when everyone joined in a large group hug. "As soon as I'm settled and Remus and Sirius tell me it's safe, I'll contact all of you. I'm going to need some time to get used to life as a Muggle, though, considering I haven't lived as a Muggle since I was eleven."

Luna and Neville were the first to leave. Neville smiled at him reassuringly "Don't let those bastards get to you mate." Luna said goodbye next, followed by Katie, Angie, Alicia, and Oliver, all of them extracting promises from Harry to contact them after he was settled. That left the Weasleys alone with him. Without the others to act as a buffer, it was definitely more awkward.

When Bill strode to him and grabbed him in a tight hug, he tensed initially, but eventually gave in to the comfort. He smiled contently when Charlie hugged him from behind, creating a Harry sandwich on Weasley . After they let him go, Fred and George trapped him between them, not letting go until he hugged them back. Ginny shyly crept to the trio and gazed at them from under her eyelashes. He broke away from the twins and warmly welcomed her into the fold of his arms, which she gladly went to, burying her head into his shoulder. He kissed her forehead when the others unhappily stated that they had to get going. He saw them off and hoped with all his might that he could learn to trust them again.

!#$

That night was very busy As there was a lot of packing that needed to be done .. Remus and Sirius insisted that they just do it with magic, but Harry was adamant that he wanted to be of some use, so he packed his own belongings. Remus didn't want Harry to dwell on the loss of his magic anymore than he already was, so he decided that all of them would pack without magic. Harry almost didn't tell Remus that it didn't bother him and that he didn't want them changing or holding back for Harry. But he couldn't hold back any longer. He hated that they were walking on eggshells around him out of fear of upsetting him.

"Guys, I know you're just looking out for me, but you can't stop yourselves from doing magic around me 100 percent of the time. Sooner or later, I'm going to see magic. I might as well get used to the idea. The more magic I see the faster I'll get used to it. I have to do things the Muggle way for the rest of my life, but that doesn't mean you have to. You guys pack your belongings with magic." Sirius opened his mouth, most likely to argue, but Harry didn't give him a chance. "Don't say anything Sirius. You can't continue to protect my feelings. I'll pack my own things. You do your stuff the magical way, okay?" Both remained silent, eyes darting to each other and then back to Harry.

Frustrated, Harry yelled, "I said OKAY!"

Sirius nodded frantically. Just for that second, he could have sworn that his godson was channeling Lily Potter. She could be pretty damn scary when angry, and he had felt the same type of heart gripping fear just then.

Sirius sprinted out of the room And Remus chuckled ruefully as he followed . Before exiting the room, he turned apologetic eyes onto Harry. "I'm really sorry,Harry. We didn't mean to upset you."

Harry's expression softened. "I know you didn't. I just want you to be yourselves. Part of that is using magic on a regular basis. There will come a time when it doesn't bother me at all anymore. The more I see it the faster that time will come."

Remus nodded in understanding before leaving Harry to his own packing. Harry had gotten his clothes neatly packed and was looking through his personal belongings that held sentimental value. He made sure to grab his cloak and the Marauder's Map. He wouldn't be able to use the latter without magic, but if he eventually had kids, even though he wasn't sure if it was still possible (he would ask Remus that later), it would rightfully be theirs as there was a good chance that they'd have magic. They would go to Hogwarts as long as Dumbledore was gone. Not only that, but it was a family heirloom.

The same thing could be said about the Firebolt, even though it would be outdated by then. He knew Ginny was planning to try out for the Harpies, so maybe he'd give it to her. Out of all of his friends, he knew she'd appreciate it the most.

He grabbed his photo album that Hagrid had given him. He got caught up at looking through it. When he came across pictures of Ron and Hermione that he had added, his eyes got misty. It hurt to know that seven years of friendship never meant anything to them. He wanted to throw those photos away, or tear them up, or burn them. He wanted to wipe all memory of their existence from his head, but instead, he closed the album. Harry might have meant nothing to them, but even now after knowing the the truth about their conniving ways, he would hold the good memories he did have, close to his heart.

When he finally finished, he went to find the other Remus and Sirius. He heard them, rather than saw them, having a conversation with Snape. He knew he should just leave and give them the privacy they deserved, but he couldn't help being curious. Although Harry was grateful to have the man as an ally, Snape was really helpful after all, he was curious about his change in demeanor, and Sirius's sudden kindness to him. It was really unexpected.

"Sev," Remus sighed. "We're going to miss you."

Snape kissed Remus on the forehead the way the werewolf often did with Harry. "I feel the same way love, but you belong with Harry. He needs his family more than anything right now."

Sirius frowned. "I know that and I want to be there for my godson. Frankly, there's nowhere else I'd rather be, but my heart lies with you, no matter how much I may love Harry."

"I'd have to agree with Sirius," Remus added.

"You know my heart belongs to the both of you, but my place is here."

"Why are you still acting loyal to Albus? He knows you did everything you could to get Harry out of the contract. Why pretend to still be loyal to him?" Sirius retorted.

Snape's gaze shifted away from Sirius's imploring eyes. Remus gasped. "Are you just using Albus as a cover up?"

"Of course not!" Snape replied, but it was a little too quick and sounded a bit too defensive to be believable. Snape was a masterful liar after being a spy for years, but there were three people he could never truly lie to: Remus, Sirius, and Lily. They always saw through his crap and called him on it.

"Severus," Remus growled.

The sallow man sighed. "If I thought it would work out, I'd come without a second's thought."

"So why won't you?" Sirius asked, not getting why one of the men he loved wouldn't come live with them.

"It's not just the two of you who are going to be there. There's a third person involved in this family that we have to consider."

Remus gazed disappointedly at his lover. "I thought you were beginning to see the Harry was not just James's son, but Lily's as well. Are you going to hold his father against him for the rest of his life? He doesn't even remember his parents. How can you blame a young man for his father's sins?"

Snape shook his head. "You misunderstood me. It has nothing to do with who Harry is. Do you really think he'd accept your romantic relationship with his evil potion professor as an unconventional triad?"

"Of course I would," Harry said, making his presence known.

The three heads snapped up and took in Harry's guilty expression. Sirius stared at Harry sternly. "Harry, you know better than—"

"-eavesdropping, yeah, I know. I just couldn't help myself. All three of you were acting odd around each other and my curiosity got the best of me."

"What do you mean 'you would'?" Snape asked, remembering what Harry had said before.

Harry stepped fully into the room, his twitching fingers betraying his nervousness. "Snape, I know we haven't had the best relationship. I'm not even sure if it's more because of my father or more because of your role as a spy. Frankly, I don't care about the real reasons. What does matter is that you did all you could to help me with Malfoy, even losing your best friend in the process, for someone you say you barely tolerate.

"Not only that, but I now know why all of you were acting so weird. It's because Remus and Sirius love you. I'm curious about how long and how it happened, but we can talk about that another time. I know they want me to be happy, but I'm not going to sacrifice their happiness for mine. And I know they won't be happy unless you're with them. If the only reason you weren't going to come was because of me…well, that's just stupid. Unless you can come up with a better reason I can't let Remus and Sirius come with me either. I'm not going to cause them any unnecessary pain."

"Harry—"

"No Remus. If you really want to be a family with Sirius and me, that family will include Snape, whether he likes it or not. So you better get your stubborn lover's head out of his arse, or I'm leaving tomorrow, alone."

With that he left the room, ignoring the way all three of them were gaping at him…even Snape, which would have been amusing in normal circumstances. He waited outside of the room, exactly where he had been eavesdropping before.

Remus cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well Sev? Do you need any more proof? I won't let you be the reason Harry is by himself there in a new place. Make up your mind and it better be the right decision…or else," he threatened.

Harry shook his head with fondness. If Snape knew what was good for him, he'd agree with Remus. Sirius had learned his lesson a long time ago, no one messed with an angry werewolf.

!#$

No one got sleep that night. There was so much tossing and turning that everyone was a bit blurry-eyed the next morning, and couldn't stop yawning. Harry was very pleased to see Snape with his bags shrunk and couldn't stop a gloating smile from surfacing. The potion master rolled his eyes in dramatic annoyance.

It was 9:15 when the wards alerted them to the presence of people not allowed on the property attempting to enter. It was either Dumbledore or Fudge. They were the only ones who believed they could do whatever they wanted without consequences. Harry was a bit surprised when it turned out to be Dumbledore and Fudge, but he was grateful that they hadn't come over yesterday. ,

"What can I do for you sirs?" Harry asked with all of the politeness he could muster. Damn the Dursleys for beating politeness into him.

"You have a lot of explaining to do my boy," Dumbledore said softly.

Harry wouldn't buy that tone anymore and there was no way anyone would make him feel guilty either. "I believe what I said yesterday explains everything. Don't you think so Sirius, Remus, and Snape?"

Fudge ignored the sounds of agreement and tried to sound imperious. "Mr. Potter, you have a duty to the wizarding world and you've let them down."

"Don't try that bullshit with me Fudge. It won't work. I'm sick of doing what everyone expects me to do. The only duty I now have is to me and the people that have earned my loyalty and trust. Except for a couple of chosen members, that does not include Britain's Ministry for Magic, Dumbledore, or anyone who blindly follows him, so shove off."

"You better watch your tone Mr. Potter," Fudge reprimanded.

"How about I don't? Since I'm officially a Muggle, I don't go by the wizarding world's laws anymore. I go by the Muggle's. Because of that, I don't have to answer to any of you."

Both Fudge's and Dumbledore's faces flushed red. Harry truly wished he had a camera to capture the moment for prosperity. Fudge stomped away without any dignity, making Harry bit his lip to keep from snickering, although Sirius had no qualms with letting out a bellowing laugh. Harry rolled his eyes at his godfather's antics.

Dumbledore turned away, upset that he had lost control of his puppet. "Come along Severus."

"No, Albus. I belong with Remus and Sirius. I go where they go."

"You'll do what I say," Albus commanded.

Snape's voice was hard. "You can't control me anymore. I have already been pardoned for any crime I've committed while acting as a death eater. You have nothing to hold over me anymore. I've cut my strings, Albus."

Albus left in a flurry of robes. This time, Remus and Harry joined Sirius in on the laughs.

At 10:00, they all made sure they were touching the Portkey. Remus, Sirius, and Snape landed on their feet, while Harry landed on his arse as he had expected.

They were in the townhouse that Snape had bought. Harry had to ask Snape how he was able to do that from the UK. Harry quickly got up to look out of the window. The view was breathtaking. The streets were bustling with cars and the pavement was crowded with people going from place to place. There were tall skyscrapers no matter where one looked. Across the way, Harry could see two mothers and their children playing in a sandbox at a park. A small dog, looked like a yorkie, was tied to a tree while it yipped unhappily at its predicament.

Harry felt a warm body press against him as arms wrapped around him. "Welcome to New York." Remus's deep voice whispered in his ear. "Greenwich Village is our new home."