"You're probably right, Regulus." Hermione said, offering her hand to him once Sirius let him go. "I'm Hermione, Sirius told you about me."

Regulus took her hand and pulled her into a hug. "Sirius trusts you, James trusts you, Remus trusts you, and more importantly to me, Moony trusts you, so I trust you. The Blacks are not overly affectionate people, but it seems no one gave Sirius and I the memo."

"Speaking of that, I want you to read this," Hermione said, handing him the letter she had shown Sirius before. "Nothing will be done without your consent, regardless of the fact Sirius has already given his."

Regulus read it quickly, his eyes seemingly bugging out of his head. "You're telling me that I can get away from her? Dad's not bad, but he does whatever Mother tells him to do. The only thing that would make him disobey her is infidelity or deceit."

"I can do the charm, Regulus," Dorea said, softly, knowing exactly what kind of woman Walburga was. "Regardless of the outcome, you are welcome anywhere Sirius is welcome."

"Please, cousin Dorea," he said, his eyes pleading her. "I need to know."

Dorea smiled, directing the boys to stand away from everyone so no one else could get caught in the charm. Hermione looked at Dorea and pleaded with her eyes to give her a moment. Dorea nodded, and Hermione walked over to the boys. Hugging Regulus, she whispered to him. "No matter the outcome, you're more than welcome to join me in research or brewing, wherever I am." Turning to Sirius, no words passed between them, they clung to each other like their lives depended on it. Finally releasing him, she went to stand behind Dorea. "They're ready, Dorea."

Waving her wand in a complicated pattern, Dorea chanted a long charm that seemed even beyond Hermione's capabilities. A parchment appeared beside Dorea, the top quarter of the paper covered in writing. Finally, the charm was ended and Dorea grabbed the parchment before it fell to the ground.

"That's...impossible!" she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "I would have remembered!"

Charlus looked at the parchment over his wife's shoulder. "Dorea, how could that be?"

"I-I don't know!" she said, shaking. "J-James was born early, we were told we could never conceive again!"

"Dorea?" Hermione whispered. "What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Dorea looked at the boys surrounding her. "Let's move this to the living room, it's a long story."

Everyone was settled in the living room, Sirius and Regulus sharing the loveseat, with Hermione balanced on the armrest on Sirius' side, Remus doing the same on Regulus' side. James settled on the floor between the brothers' legs. Dorea and Charlus were in the two armchairs settled in the corner, while Hope, who had just returned from the kitchen getting tea for everyone, and stood by Dorea.

"James, your father and I had trouble conceiving you," Dorea began. "And once we did fall pregnant, you were determined to come early. When you were born, it was the beginning of November. I was in a potion induced coma, your father made the decision to place you under a sort of stasis charm until you matured enough to survive outside the womb. I remained in that coma until you were two, mid nineteen sixty-one."

"I was so focused on my son, and taking care of him, that I didn't visit your mother in Saint Mungo's until you were over a year old. By then, I had just assumed that the healers had found a better nutrient potion for your mother," Charlus said, his voice shaking. "The healers kept me away for almost six months and when I was able to return, your mother was back to her previous size. I never suspected a thing."

"We never did any scans while pregnant," Dorea said, tears welling in her eyes. "The spells had just been developed, we didn't think they were safe. If we had, we would have known we were expecting twins."

"Wait," James said, his eyes darting from Sirius to his parents. "Are you telling me that Sirius and I were twins? That he's not a Black, he's a Potter?"

Dorea nodded. "I regained consciousness briefly in late nineteen sixty. I remember being surrounded by healers, but that's all I remember. Nine months later, I was released."

Regulus looked at Dorea. "You were inseminated, like cattle? Did you have any idea this was going on?" His gaze shifted to Charlus.

"No, we had no idea," he said, looking at the ground. "I was too focused on my young son and taking over the Potter businesses after my parents passed that I never even noticed anything untoward."

"Sirius, Regulus, you are biologically our children," Dorea spoke softly. "It was my plan all along to freeze embryos after having James and hiring a surrogate for any other children we wanted to have. We never went through with it, given what happened with James."

"Dorea, you were drugged, your infant son stolen, not to mention an embryo you froze for your personal use was implanted in you without consent," Hermione began, placing a comforting hand on Sirius' arm. "You weren't to know."

"I'm a Potter?" Sirius finally asked.

"You are, had we known, we would have fought for you with everything we had," Charlus said, fire in his eyes. "Both of you."

Suddenly, Charlus and Dorea found themselves being squeezed by two emotional teenagers, "I'm free," Regulus whispered. "I'm truly free."

Later, Sirius and Regulus' emotional outbursts caused them to fall asleep, holding one another. Hermione smiled softly and covered them both with a throw blanket Hope had on the back of the loveseat. Smoothing the hair back from both of their faces, Hermione turned to Dorea.

"I know she's your cousin, but she deserves to have everything we can throw at her legally," she said, indignation in her voice. "Line theft for starters. She kidnapped two heirs of the Potter family."

"I hadn't thought of that," Charlus said softly, one arm around his oldest son. "We'll need the test replicated by someone with no overt connections to us."

"I can do it," Hope said, quietly. "Remus' father was...not the friendliest. After Remus was bitten, I had to do it to prove to him that I didn't sleep with anyone else. He just couldn't believe that his actions caused his son to be bitten."

Dorea nodded, allowing Hope to recast the charm over the sleeping boys. "It's the same result," she said softly. "Sirius is the twin to James, Regulus has the same genetic makeup of James and Sirius, indicating without a doubt they are brothers."

"My boys," Dorea whispered. "I never knew. The things they went through because of that woman."

A few hours later, Hermione was preparing dinner for everyone in Lupin Keep, Kingsley had kept watch over Moody while everything unfolded downstairs.

"I'll get with the minister about everything you've told me," Kingsley said after being caught up. "Walburga will be headed to Azkaban, Orion may claim ignorance, Veritaserum will tell us whether he knew or not."

Dorea nodded. "Orion was never as bad as Walburga," she said delicately. "Come to think of it, Orion stayed with Alphard from fifty-nine until sixty-one. He was considering divorcing Walburga for failing to produce an heir, her parents, Pollux and Irma, made sure that was the only reason they could divorce. Walburga found a way around it."

"I'll contact the aurors, have them round up Walburga," Alastor finally spoke, having been given permission from Hermione to leave the bedroom he had been in. "I'll make sure she won't get out."

"Take it easy, Al," Hermione said, smiling as she sat a meal of spaghetti Bolognese, salad and garlic bread on the table. "Just because I let you out of that bed doesn't mean I can't put you right back into it."

"Aye, I know, lass," he said, grinning at Hermione. "I'll not overdo it."

"See that you don't," she said, plating her food. "Stubborn man."

"I like this lass," Alastor said to Charlus. "Reminds me of a cross between Dorea and Andromeda Black."

"Oh, no," Sirius groaned. "What are we going to do about Andi? She's the only one in that family I can stand. Her and her fiancé, Ted."

"It's a good thing I invited her and Ted to join us at Potter Manor then," Dorea said, smiling. "Regardless of whether or not you're a Black, she's still your cousin. I'm a Black too, remember?"

"You're the best, mum," Regulus said, then looked shocked. "I-I'm sorry, that was awfully forward of me."

"Regulus, I am your mum," Dorea said, smiling and grabbing his hand. "I'd be incredibly honored of you and Sirius called me mum."

"Thanks, mum," both boys said in sync. Sirius turned to Charlus. "You too, Pa."

Charlus smiled at the boys, and everyone continued eating.

Hours later, everyone piled into Remus' bed, Regulus now included.

"Remy, we might as well just combine your room and Sirius' room since we all sleep here," Hermione said, laughing at the comically large bed in the center of the room.

"Well, maybe," Remus replied. "But we are going to spend the rest of the summer at Potter Manor, starting tomorrow."

"Okay, someone needs to move over," Hermione said, laughing. "Reggie, my spot is between James and Remus, Sirius usually sleeps at the end."

"That's why we enlarged the bed again," Sirius pouted. "My kidney is still sore from this morning's wake up call."

"I said I was sorry, Siri," Hermione pouted.

Laughing, the teens all piled into the bed, James on the right side, Hermione beside him, and Remus beside her. Regulus took the extra room on the other side of Remus, and Sirius laying his head on Hermione's thighs.

Dorea and Hope again checked on the teens, as was becoming their habit every night, opening the door to see them all asleep.

"They look like a pride of lions protecting their lioness," Dorea whispered, smiling when she noticed James' arm draped over Hermione, and onto Regulus' arm, which was also reaching towards Hermione, over Remus, while Sirius was laying on his back, his head nestled on Hermione's thighs. "Or warriors protecting their leader."

"Let's just pray it doesn't come to that," Hope said, closing the door. "Although, it may come sooner, rather than later."

The next morning, Regulus was the first to wake. He tried to move, but he felt a hand tighten slightly on his arm.

"Where are you going?" James said sleepily. "It's early."

"The loo," Regulus said softly. "I'll be right back."

James let go of his arm at that, snuggling into Hermione's shoulder.

Regulus came back to Remus propped up on one arm, a book in his other hand. He cocked his eyebrow at Remus.

"It relaxes me, and Moony. He's calm now, his pack is all together," he whispered, looking over at Hermione, one hand resting on Sirius' shoulder, the other under James' neck. "He feels like his pack is complete. For now, at least."

"For now?" Regulus asked softly.

"Moony knows that his pack will grow again, either with children or he will adopt into his pack again," Remus said, sliding off the bed. "I think he knew something was off with Peter, but he recognized you as pack immediately."

"Is it because I'm James and Sirius' brother?" Reg asked, glancing at his brothers, still sleeping.

"No, I felt it before that," Remus said, gesturing to the door. "Moony adopts people based on their intent towards him. You helped Moony; Peter was scared of him. Just like Moony feels like Charlus, Dorea, Moody, and Kingsley are part of his pack."

"That makes sense," Regulus replied, leading Remus downstairs, following the scent of fresh tea and coffee.

James woke thirty minutes later, his vision blurred from the bushy hair in his face. He'd never actually cuddled with a sleeping woman before, but the woman in his arms, and beautiful as he thought she was, was more like a sister to him than a lover. He'd onlt known her a few days, but trusted her with his life, and the lives of his brothers and friends.

"Mornin', Prongs," came the sleepy voice of Sirius.

"Morning, Padfoot," James said, trying to untangle himself from Hermione's hair. He caught Sirius' look as he did. "She's like my sister, Pads. I couldn't imagine her being anything else to me."

"Read my mind, Prongs," Sirius said, smiling. "I just don't think she's ready for anything yet, though. She's been through so much."

"Just need time, Padfoot," Hermione murmured, still half asleep. "If it's meant to happen, it will."

The boys smiled at her and left the room, letting her get ready for the day.

A little while later, Hermione joined what she started to consider her family in the dining room, ready to dig into breakfast.

"What are the plans for today, kids?" Dorea asked, sipping her tea. "We're still going to the manor today, right?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm going to help Auntie pack up what we can, and put stasis charms on what we can't move, and then shrink it all down and put it in my bag. The boys are going to pack up the bedrooms into their trunks. I'll hold the more sentimental items. With everything going on, we'll all be safer at the manor, so I hope to get the majority of the house packed up."

"Speaking of the manor," Charlus said, smiling. "Kingsley helped me rework the wards, since Peter was technically a secret keeper and can now tell everyone else the location. I took the liberty of making you five secret keepers, as well as myself and Kingsley."

"Thank you, Charlus," Hermione said, smiling. "I'm honored you trust me with the security of your family."

"Moony isn't the only one that adopts people, Hermione," Dorea said, smiling. "Hope and I have been friends since Hogwarts, and we see how protective you are of our boys. We already think of you and Remus as our niece and nephew, we'd be honored if you considered us your aunt and uncle."

Hermione and Remus shared a look, he nodded, smiling at her. "We'd be honored, Aunt Dorea, Uncle Charlus."

A little while later, Lupin Keep sat mostly empty, everything packed away in a bag or trunk, waiting for Hope to make sure everything she wanted to take was packed away.

"The only things I've left belong to Remus' father, and neither of us want to take anything with us that reminds us of him," Hope finally said, smiling.

Finally, the ever-growing family Flooed one by one to Potter Manor.