I am back! Before this begins, I just want to say thank you to everyone for their encouragement and wishes, especially LupinxTonks4ever and AzNerd(who has a great story you should all check out called "We Were Always Meant For Each Other"). I am beginning to feel as if moving forward is possible, if little by tiny tiny little. In that spirit let us move forward with this story!

I do not own anything that appears as familiar with in this story, especially any dialouge borrowed.

"Tonks!" the admonishing cry of Molly Weasley was only belayed by the shrill, ear piercing shrieks of the portrait of Sirius's mother. Thank Merlin I never had to the pleasure of actually meeting her while she was alive, Remus mused as he and Molly attempted to close the portrait's hangings and failed. From her position on the floor beside the horrendously ugly troll leg umbrella stand she had just succeeded in knocking into again, Dora apologized profusely. If he didn't find her clumsiness so endearing he would laugh at the exasperated look on her face. Of course now was not the time…

"Shut up you horrible old hag, shut UP!" Sirius entered then and his mother turned her attention to him, hissing about how he was "shame of her flesh". With a wrenching tug, his friend managed to pull the curtains closed and then calmly turned to his godson, who had been standing there bewildered, and said grimly,

"Hello Harry. I see you've met my mother."

Suppressing a snort at Sirius's greeting, Remus watched Harry move off towards the kitchen with him, the ringing of Mrs. Black's harsh voice and words still echoing in his ears. He looked at his mortified wife, who had pulled herself up off the floor and made his way towards her as everyone else followed to the kitchen.

"You've got a bit of dust, just here," he said gently, tapping her nose as she brushed her robes off.

"Ta love," she murmured smiling slightly before turning towards the newly erected umbrella stand and giving it a good kick and a dark look. "That thing is a bloody public menace."

He wisely didn't comment and just managed not to laugh, but still she caught the look in his eye.

"I can kick you too you know Lupin; I haven't forgotten that little slip of the name you provided back at Private Drive." She moved passed him towards the kitchen and he followed shaking his head. He just couldn't resist when introducing her to Harry; even after all these years the use of her full name still got her dander up, and it still amused him to no end to see it.

He entered the kitchen just in time to see her knock over a candle and light their blue prints of the ministry on fire. When she then proceeded to knock over a chair not even ten minutes later, he knew it was gearing up to be a banner night. He just hoped that she didn't "accidentally" elbow him in the nose that night in bed, for laughing at her. Somehow though, he didn't think he'd mind; he was glad to see his Dora getting back to herself. She had been truly excited to actually be able to talk to Harry and see him up close for the first time in fourteen years; he knew that was why she had volunteered to help him with his things and he suspected the conversation that had occurred between them had amused her as she had been smiling, truly smiling, for the first time in weeks, when they had reappeared in the kitchen. There was still sadness in her ever-expressive eyes, but he knew from bitter experience it would always be there. It was in the eyes of anyone who had ever lost someone they loved dearly; in his own every time he looked in the mirror and so very obvious in Sirius's.

As they ate dinner, which started out as an awkward affair after Molly mentioned her son Percy, who had decided to disown his family and side with the ministry, while admonishing an over eager Fred and George, he watched Dora interact with Ginny and Hermione. And he knew that she at least, would not become bitter from her loss.

He was pulled out of his musings and into a conversation with Arthur and Bill Weasley and soon dinner was drawing to a close. Throughout, no matter who he was talking to, he kept one eye and one ear on Sirius and Harry. He was worried about them both; Sirius because of his ever-increasing apathy and cynicism and Harry because of the anger he could see just lurking under his skin, like a pulsating mass. Sometimes, being a werewolf had its advantages; he could practically smell the emotion radiating off them both. I'm glad we were finally able to go get him, he thought, especially after that incident with the Dementor. When Remus had heard what had happened, that Harry and his cousin had been attacked, he had never been so glad that he had taught someone something; no matter what the ministry said, Harry had done the right thing by casting a patronus.

Again his thoughts were interrupted as an argument broke out between Molly and Sirius. He knew, without having had to been paying attention to the beginning of it that they were arguing about Harry.

"Its not down to you to decide what's good for Harry! You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?" He had never seen Molly with such a look on her face before, as if she was ready to physically attack Sirius at the first provocation. Remus looked at Sirius closely, hoping his friend would keep his cool and be rational. Across the table, he could see Dora too was watching her cousin.

"Which bit?" Sirius asked. He seemed calm, but Remus knew him too well to believe it. Sirius too was preparing for battle.

"The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know!"

"I don't intend to tell him more than he needs to know, Molly. But as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back he has more right than most to- "

Molly interrupted Sirius, reasoning that Harry was only fifteen and not a part of the Order, no matter what he had dealt with. Remus continued to keep his eyes on Sirius, waiting for the moment that would tell him if he needed to intervene, if Sirius was unable to keep his cool. Thank Merlin he hasn't been drinking today, he thought.

"No one is denying what he's done," Molly was saying, her body trembling with anger. "But he's still-"

"He is not your child!" There was an anger brewing in Sirius's eyes that did not bode well. Under the table he felt Dora kick his leg lightly, and he nodded slightly. This was getting out of hand.

"He's not an adult either; he is not James, Sirius!"

Remus winced inwardly, as Sirius coldly denied her accusation that he was trying to bring his friend back through his godson. Molly was grasping and he could tell her words were just going to become even more hurtful. Still, he did not feel he should say anything yet; Sirius would not appreciate it, he knew.

"What's wrong with that?" Harry asked of her, coming to his godfather's defense.

"What's wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look like him! You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!"

"Meaning I'm an irresponsible godfather?" Sirius's anger was mounting, his voice rising.

"Meaning you have been known to act to rashly, Sirius, which is why Dumbledore keeps reminding you to stay home."

As Sirius demanded that she not bring what Dumbledore had said to him up, and as Molly turned to her husband for support, Remus caught his friend's eye and raised a brow. His intention was clear; you will not win this one if you allow yourself to be baited. The look he received in return told him all he needed to know; it was time to intervene.

"Personally," he said as he finally looked away from Sirius and Molly turned from Arthur, who had been of no help to her cause, and to him, "I think it better that Harry gets the facts- not all the facts, Molly, but the general picture – from us, rather than a garbled version from…others," he finished mildly, knowing that there were still some of the twins extendable ears lurking around the house.

"Well…well I can see I'm going to be overruled," Molly sounded winded, her anger making her breathless, "I'll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who has Harry's best interests at heart-"

"He's not your son," Sirius said quietly this time, intensely.

"He's as good as," Molly replied fiercely. "Who else has he got?"

"He's got me!"

"Yes," Molly said, her lip curling, and Remus could just sense that what she was about to say was going to be meant to wound. "The thing is, its been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?"

As Sirius started to rise from his seat, Remus felt anger and disgust stirring in his chest; the wolf stirring in defense of what it perceived as a slight against one of its own. He knew Molly loved Harry like he was her own, but really this was taking things too far. Sirius's care and love for Harry should not ever be in question as far as he was concerned; she could not begin to understand how hard it had been for him not to be able to be there to take care of his godson.

"Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry," Remus admonished sharply, suppressing his anger with the ease of years of practice. "Sirius, sit down." He looked at them both, waiting until his friend followed his order and then said, "I think Harry ought to be allowed a say in this; he's old enough to decide for himself."

He watched with mild apathy as Molly finally lost the argument, as Harry declared his intention to know what exactly was going on. This is going to be a long night he thought as Molly ushered an angry Ginny, who was the only one going to be excluded from the conversation, out of the room.+++

After Molly had ushered Harry, her sons and Hermione out of the room, the others soon followed sighting tiredness. Soon only Remus, Sirius and Tonks were left in the kitchen.

Sirius was still seething, Remus could tell, but he refrained from commenting. He knew that if his friend wanted to talk he would say something. Sirius stood and went to the cupboard pulling out a bottle of Fire Whiskey from the back. He silently offered them a measure, but both he and Dora declined. Pouring himself two fingers full Sirius downed the drink quickly and stashed the bottle back in the cupboard.

"Thanks, for what you said," Sirius finally said, sitting down again at the table.

Remus shrugged, "She was wrong," he said evenly. "And what's more, she knows that she was in the wrong in throwing Azkaban in your face. Sometimes we can't help what we say though, when it comes to those we care about."

"No one doubts that you love Harry, Sirius," Dora added. "We know that if it had been in your power, you would've been there for him. You're there for him now and that means a hell of a lot."

Remus smiled slightly at her; it was just like her to know exactly what he himself was just about to say.

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "That woman just hates me," he chuckled slightly although it was far from mirthful.

Remus shook his head, "You're a threat to her Sirius; before you came into the picture, who did Harry have? It wasn't like any of us had the option of being there for him, Dumbledore made sure of that. No, the Weasleys came into his life and they provided something for him that he had never experienced; a family that loves him and cares about him."

"Besides," Dora cut in again, "Harry is pretty hard not to want to love or care about; has been since he was born."

Sirius shook his head, "Do you think he's going to be alright?"

Remus and Tonks shared a look and he said carefully, "Honestly, I think Harry has a lot of anger lurking inside. I don't think he's really going to be alright until all this over."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed grimly, "that's what I thought."+++

"You seemed upset earlier."

Remus looked over to where Dora was lying in bed, watching him as he spelled their bedroom window. It was a nightly ritual for one or both of them to renew the protection spells around their house. They were taking no chances now that the Death Eaters were skulking about again.

"It was just what Molly said," he sighed, finishing up and climbing into bed beside her. Immediately she moved until she was lying on him, head resting on his chest, her fingers absently tracing a scar on his right bicep.

"She cares about Harry a lot is all; Molly isn't a spiteful woman, you know that Sirius gets her dander up."

"I know love. It doesn't help anything though; Sirius already feels like he is useless, there is no need to rub it in. I like Molly a great deal Dora, how could I not after all she and her family have done for Harry? I just wish that she wouldn't pick at Sirius, as if it's some kind of contest between the two of them. Harry looks at them differently and I know that he sees Sirius as a solid link to his parents."

"And Molly as a mother figure," she supplied, yawing at the end.

He caressed her back through her t-shirt, "Yes. And as much as that may be, Sirius is right; she is not his mother, nor is she his guardian. And I know, that if it came down to it, James and Lily would want Harry to know what is going on and I have to trust that they knew what they were doing when they entrusted Harry to Sirius if anything should ever happen to them. I know Sirius doesn't take that lightly."

"Hmm, no. Your right, it was unfair of her. I really hope that Harry is going to be okay; I know that what we told him tonight isn't going to be enough. I hope he doesn't go broking trouble." Her voice was low, and he could tell she was falling asleep.

"Me too Dora; I really hope so."