Author's Note:

Sorry that it's a bit late tonight — very long day!

Thank you so much for hitting over 500+ reviews on fanfiction and almost 300 reviews on Ao3! Much appreciated! Thank you very much!

I cried writing parts of this chapter. I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved writing it. PS — get some tissues.

Reviews and Comments: To TJ Law: Yes, Sirius is alive! Hope you like what comes next. Thank you! To Marauder0716: Thank you! A "complete and total mindfuck but absolutely fucking amazing" makes me smile so big, so thanks! Yes, now Sirius has to learn about Zee and it will be emotional. Thank you very much! To A Huge Fan: Yes! Sirius survived which no one was prepared for (especially Harry). He has no idea what he's feeling let alone what he's going to do. But yes, Bellatrix and Crouch are still out there. Thank you very much! To Sunny JS: Aww, sorry to make you cry, but thank you! Yes, we will see Remus' reaction soon, but not yet for Minnie. You think Sirius will decide to die again for Zee? We will have to wait and see. Thank you! To Tmrpotterhead250: I'm glad the bonus chapter was such a nice surprise! Being afraid for the twins and Teddy with two of the crazies still out there is fair. Sirius is definitely going to freak out when he hears what happened to Zee. Hermione is considering the tattoo, yes, but she's not sold on it. Thank you! To Zarathos Morgenstern: Yes, Sirius is back, thank you! As to Zee making a full recovery, well the prognosis doesn't look good. Thank you! To minerdude: Yes, Sirius is alive! Nope, we don't know about Zee. Thank you! I do like to think of him as my Harry. Thank you! To New fan: Give Zee open heart surgery or a heart transplant? All interesting options and no, everything doesn't have to be fixed by magic, but I do think if magic caused it, that changes things. As to Sirius not doing anything foolish, that's asking a lot lol. Thank you!

To MrsHJSnape: Zee just needing a transplant, unfortunately it's more complicated than that. Yes, I will make you cry in this chapter as I cried writing it. Thank you very much! To scrappy8: No, it's not an easy choice to make for Harry, to have to choose between his parents. Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Yes, the bonus chapter was a surprise! I'm glad to hear it was a good one. Thank you. Ginny and Hermione have an under appreciated friendship and I love showing how much Hermione loves and cares for Harry as well. Harry and Ginny are definitely perfect for each other. Thanks for loving the fight between Harry and Sirius. Yes, when Sirius called Harry Prongslet it was meant to be reminiscent of the old days and to make you really it. Sirius is definitely going to be a bit messed up when he realizes what he's truly missed. Thank you very much! To Emma Janet: Yes, only a four day wait now. Harry is moving through Auror training faster than Tonks and yes, it was intentional. He's Harry Potter and I think he would move faster than other recruits because of what he's done and accomplished. He won't speed through everything, but I do think the jump from A1 to A2 would be quick for him. It will be tough for Sirius to meet Mina and Leo. We will find out about how the public reacts to Sirius being alive later on. Thank you very much! To ladyinwaiting2005: No, they cannot split the heart in half by magic. Sirius doesn't physically have Zee's heart, but they used the power of her heart to restart his along with her blood. Thank you. To Nightwing2013: Ah yes, I forgot about the Dark Force Defence League and no, it's not the same. Yes, Sirius is back! You think it will utilimately come down to Sirius over whether he lives or dies? Interesting. You also think Bellatrix will murder Sirius again? Hmm. Thank you! Ha, yes, scrappy8 has been leaving me almost full sentence reviews as of late! I'm very honoured! Thank you!

To Read and Fly: Yay! I love that you screamed! Yes, Sirius is alive. As to a solution for Zee, well right now Harry is very confused. You think Zee woke up in the hospital while all of this was going on? Interesting. Thank you very much! To alix33: It is a very hard choice left, agreed. Thank you very much! To Hanacide: That is a lot of holy fucks, LOL. I'm taking it as a compliment. There better be a way for both Sirius and Zee to survive? Well, I can't guarantee that, but I do apologize for the emotional whiplash and can promise, prepare for more. Thank you so much for saying this story keeps getting better and better. Thank you! To I'm a Ravenclaw: Well, Zee is still in a coma, not dead at this time. Poor Harry indeed. Thank you! To charmshield7: You're welcome for the bonus chapter! Thanks for loving the fight between Harry and Sirius. Left with more questions is completely fair. We will see how Sirius reacts to Zee soon and Harry's struggles with what comes next. Thank you very much! To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thank you! You're welcome for the surprise chapter! Hope you like what's coming next! Thank you! To Dtjordan: Aww, yay for happy tears! You think Sirius will want to sacrifice himself for Zee? We shall see. Thank you! To Sloopyqueen4: Thanks for loving the soul retrieval idea. Thank you! To Chelsea Greenwell: Yes, Sirius survived! You think there might be a possibility to keep Sirius alive and still save Zee? Thank you! To George Raison: There is a lot of magical knowledge available, this is true. Thank you!

To EnigmaticEmperor: Yup, they did know that taunting Sirius into coming was a surety. Ron hearing Hinny is definitely the most Ron thing ever, he was very annoyed! Thanks for loving the Hinny smut! Yes, it's Auror business now so Ginny and Hermione cannot be with them. Sorry, Bellatrix and Crouch are still out there. Thanks for enjoying Harry turning on his serious mode and taking over and yes, it did work. Sirius is back and yes, he has A LOT to process. Did I not put Zee together with someone else because I planned to bring Sirius back? No. I didn't put her with someone else because with the pregnancy and raising of the twins, I felt like she wasn't ready yet. You think Zee is definitely coming back? Interesting. Thank you very much! To EllyAnn13: Hermione has a lot to deal with, but she has to do it on her own terms to a great extent. Sirius definitely couldn't let it pass and thanks, I do agree that using the dog Patronus made the most sense to get Sirius' attention. Thank you. To Sets: Yes, it was a bit easier to gain the soul, but giving it back to Sirius will take more work. You think Sirius should talk to Na'eemah? Yes, he will see the twins and Zee soon. Thank you!

To Ellieoryan7447: Thank you! Of course, Tonks is very worried about Harry and of course, Remus wishes Harry chose a safer career option lol. Ginny definitely understands why Harry is doing it, but yes, it doesn't mean she likes it. I'm glad Ron's horror at overhearing Harry and Ginny could bring you so much joy lol. Thanks for loving "how the smut jumps around emotions. It starts off slow and gentle, then moves to wilder and more heated, then goes to them just having a casual conversation." They are great, I do agree. Oh, Harry and Hinny have definitely surpassed Ron and Hermione in number of time they've had sex lol. I'm glad the soul retrieval was nothing like your expected. Him seeing Lily, James, and Misha was goof for all of them. Ginny and Hermione's chat was needed and I think Hermione needed to hear someone else tell her she should talk to someone. Thank you! I love that when Sirius and Harry started fighting in their dog forms it gave you chills. Harry definitely assured Sirius he could kill him if he wanted to and the fact that Harry didn't want to says so much. He's confident. Ron's head is harder than a rock lol. I'm sorry the little chat with Sirius broke your heart — just wait lol. Sirius is very confused, bewildered, and unsure as to what's happening. Yes, he's back. Thank you for being invested. I hope you never stop! Thank you so much!

To Undead Gothic Princess: Thanks for leaving a comment now. Wow, thank you so much for saying "after the ending of" ASC you "honestly thought it couldn't get any better." Thank you very much! I'm glad I convinced you Sirius couldn't survive in such a way that when he did and I left Harry in an even worst place you thought it was fantastic. That means a lot to me. Thank you very much! To Gigi87: The plan was definitely absolutely crazy and of course Tonks was a little nervous. But yes, Higgins did make a good point. If anyone other than Harry was doing it, she would have given them the green light. I love showing Remus being cute and overprotective. Ha, you're right, if Harry was a libration it would "get the wizarding population to start reading again." Teddy's first word isn't fuck, no lol lol. Harry was just being honest with the girls, focusing on the fact that river probably isn't real lol. Baxter will definitely be proud of Ron for losing that line lol. Yup, Ron overheard Ginny moaning Harry's name haha. Ginny is so supportive and thanks for loving how their slowly making their way around the manor. Ha, if she pointed out the places to Ron he would have a fit. You think Ron is going to start keeping a tally of who gets shagged the most? He would definitely try. Thanks for loving the soul retrieval, I'm glad it brought some happiness and was a good surprise. Have a safe flight to Italy and I wish lots of good luck towards the upcoming wedding! Thank you very much!

To ThomasJAvery: Thanks for loving Tonks being protective over her body. The Remadora was meant to be fluffy so thanks. Ginny and Hermione are there for support, it's all they can do. Thanks for loving my reaper and them getting to see James, Lily, and Misha. Ha, yes, Sirius is back! Ginny and Hermione are great friends and it was nice for them to get time to catch up. Sorry to give you goosebumps, but I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Harry didn't want to hurt Sirius and then then just wrestling on the ground was what was needed. It is a double edged sword. What happens with Zee now? We will have to see. Thank you so much! To Mrs_Norway: It's been thunder storming like mad here all day as well. Yes, Sirius survived and could go home with Harry! Do wizards do transplants? I think they could, yes. We will have to see what happens. Thank you! To kyciona: Yes, Sirius survived! Harry will definitely handle everything, as it cracking him well… thanks for loving my Ginny and Hermione friendship. Thank you! To marauders_mowopapr: Ha, I'm almost disappointed you cut out the swearing haha. You think if Sirius dies briefly, Zee could life, interesting. As to what happens next, we will have to wait and see. Thank you very much! To katelyn453: Thank you! To Swaddled in Pork: I'm sorry that you think it's creepy for Harry to consider the men who raised him his dads, I disagree. They adopted him and raised him when his father couldn't. To me that's a father. Parents are not only biological. Thank you. To CheesePuffQueen: Ha, the chapter hits like a truck! You're welcome. Thank you! To briana_t: Yes! He's back! Sirius is definitely very much on a rollercoaster of emotions. Thank you!

To TatiRena: You think Sirius will want to sacrifice himself? Hmm, we will see. Thank you! To goginny1: Sorry for dragging you deeper, but I think it's worth it lol. Thank you so much for saying that I'm great at "capturing the foundation of the character and spinning them into something more." Thank you very much! To Bellmel: Yes, Sirius is back! I'm glad you enjoyed the showdown and when Harry told Sirius it was his soul. I do think the chapter is full of "bittersweet moments and realizations" for both Sirius and Harry. Sirius loves Harry and to him, it's the basically the same day in fifth year in the Department of Mysteries, it's a lot. Thank you very much! To Marigold177: LOL, it was the best of times and it was the worst of times — well said. Thank you for thinking Sirius being reunited with Harry and being whole was so fulfilling to read. Sirius is definitely going to be devastated when he learns everything. This chapter is definitely a start to those emotions. Thank you! To HarryGinnyLove88: Thank you! You hope there's a chance for Zee too? We will see. Thank you! To SiriusLover93: LOL, well I'm honoured you'd propose to me lol. You think Harry should name his kid after Dumbledore and they should be in Gryffindor? LOL, we'll see. Yes, everything to do with Sirius' resurrection and Zee's heart is a bit of a grey area so we will see what happens. You think Sirius will go undercover to catch Crouch and Bellatrix? Interesting. I'm happy to know I'm still keeping you on your toes. Thank you very much!

My posting schedule: Weekly.

As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!


CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
The One With the Breakdown

Ginny found Ron and Hermione in the living room when she returned to Clevedon Court after practice. She'd received her brother's message that simply said: It worked. But she didn't have any other details and was worried for Harry. She walked in to find Ron and Hermione talking quietly amongst themselves. When she saw no sign of Harry, she cleared her throat.

"Where is he?"

Ron turned to look over at her and Ginny noticed how tired her brother looked. He had purple under his eyes and what looked like a bump forming on his head.

"He said that he was taking a shower. He settled Sirius into his old bedroom from when he was a teenager."

Ginny's eyebrow rose. "Sirius is here?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah. He's disoriented and confused but he's… he's Sirius, Ginny. He has his soul back."

Ginny nodded, understanding what her brother was not saying. "All right."

She left them in the living room and made her way upstairs to find Harry. He was just stepping out of the bathroom when she entered, a towel tied at his waist as he used another one to dry his hair, holding the arm of his glasses between his teeth.

"Hi," Ginny said, closing the door behind her.

Harry's green eye met hers, but he didn't speak. Ginny took him, automatically looking over his body for any signs of injuries. She noted the bruises around his throat, the slice down his left forearm, and a cut on his right leg. They'd all been sealed closed, but looked painful. She watched as he tossed the towel from his hair onto the hamper in the corner and put his glasses on. Ginny walked across the room, placing her hands on his hips and tilting her head back to meet his gaze. He leaned in and wordlessly rested his forehead against hers.

She wanted to ask him about the injuries, but the pain and exhaustion in his eyes made her stay silent. Instead, Ginny let her fingers dance along the edge of his v lines, the heat of his bare skin warming her chilled fingers while Harry's hands rested on the small of her back. Neither of them spoke. They just stood there, foreheads pressed together, eyes closed for the longest time. Ginny continued to trace the top of the v line at his pelvis, moving to the edge of the towel and then across his flat stomach, dipping into his belly button and back. It was a soothing motion and she felt him relax degree by degree. So she let her fingers explore more of him.

She used her nails to trace along his abs, admiring the tight muscles there that had become more defined over the last few months. Her nails teased the trail of dark hair that disappeared beneath his towel, stopping at the edge and moving back up over his ribs, tracing his tattoos one by one before moving back down to circle his belly button. Her hands stroked up his chest, over his shoulders and down his biceps before landing back on his hips and starting all over again. She didn't know how many times she did this, but the towel was growing tighter and tighter and her lips curved when she saw him shift slightly so she tilted her face just enough to kiss him.

Harry's hands slid up her back, palms flat as he held her close, lips meeting for a soft kiss. Ginny kept moving her hands, tracing every inch of his tattoos, nails sliding over his skin in a slow tickle as her lips pressed against his. It stayed soft and slow; sweet pecks at the corner of his mouth, nipping at his bottom lip, sucking it slowly and making his hands fist in the back of her shirt.

Her tongue finally met his and he elicited a soft groan. Ginny's fingers continued to move over his skin, slipping down the v lines at his pelvis again and this time when she touched the towel, she slipped a finger beneath it. The movement was enough to jar the knot and the towel fell to the floor at their feet.

They kept kissing.

More soft kisses followed by long drawn out strokes of their tongues meeting again and again. Her fingers kept tracing over his muscles, her thumb slipping in and out of his belly button as his hard length poked her firmly. She smiled against his mouth, moving her hands over the small of his back and downwards to grip his behind, squeezing and kneading him as his mouth brushed over her jaw.

"Gin…" he whispered.

They were the first words he'd spoken since she'd walked in. It was why she pressed her lips to his for another sweet kiss before she peppered kisses over his throat, his collarbone. She made each kiss slow and deliberate, open-mouthed and lingering as she kissed his shoulders, his biceps, across his chest. His skin was salty and smelt like his soap, but each kiss brought a taste of him to her lips that was so uniquely Harry. His fingers threaded through her hair as she licked a nipple and continued her path of slow deliberate kisses down his torso.

Her tongue traced each tattoo, outlining every letter and shape before drawing over his abs as she slowly sank to her knees. When her tongue dipped into his belly button, his fingers tightened in her hair and she looked up to meet those gorgeous emerald green eyes. They were full of so much emotion that she couldn't look away as her tongue moved lower, more kisses and more trails. Her fingers traced the v lines again, followed by her tongue and then she nuzzled the hard length against her cheek.

Harry let out a slight hitch of his breath and she smiled, using her hand to hold him in place while she nuzzled lower, pressing more open-mouthed, deliberately lingering kisses, over his balls and then all over his tumescent length. By the time she reached the tip of him, he was leaking.

Ginny swiped her finger over him, teasing it under the skin as she began to lick him and the soft groan that erupted from him made her want to devour him whole. Instead, she kept it soft and teasing; teasing her nails over him in a tickling fashion in between soft, firm strokes. She kept licking her way over him to add lubrication and when she finally took his head between her lips, her name burst out in a soft sigh.

The look in those green eyes as he watched her kneel before him was everything. It was that look alone that made her want to spend eternity right here on her knees, pleasing him with her mouth. She used both hands to grip him, stroking him up and down while she laved her tongue around his tip, sucking softly and teasingly as he stared at her in complete adoration. Each taste of him made her own desire grow.

Ginny licked her lips and then began to kiss her way down his length, trailing her tongue over each vein as he trembled in her hand. She kept one hand wrapped around him and slid the other one lower to fondle and stroke his tight balls before her mouth moved to join. When she sucked them into her mouth, the sound he made soaked her knickers.

"Gin…"

Her eyes met his as she swallowed around his balls and watched his pupils dilate. She did it again and again, sucking and licking at him until she needed to catch her breath. Then she slid both hands up his thighs, up the v lines of his pelvis and up over his abs as she leaned in and sucked him into her mouth.

His grip tightened on her hair and she shifted to get a better angle, spreading her legs a bit for more balance and took him to the back of her throat.

"Fuck…" he hissed, those green eyes on her, dark in desire.

Ginny didn't look away. She kept her gaze on him, blinking back her watery eyes as she worked him in and out of her mouth in a slow, steady rhythm. Her fingers gripped his hips as her lips slid up and down his length again and again and again. Harry bit his bottom lip and when he hit the back of her throat, his eyes darkened. She refused to let go, changing the angle so that he went deeper until she felt him getting close. She deliberately dragged her lips away in a leisurely pace, flicking her tongue over the exposed tip of him. She pressed a kiss there, then another, before she sucked the tip of him back into her mouth and used her tongue to swipe along the underside of him at the same time that she swallowed.

Ginny's hands moved down his hips and around to cup his bottom, squeezing firmly as she worked him. She kept one hand on his arsecheek and moved the other between his legs to knead his balls. He barely made more than a 'nrgh' sound before he was coming down her throat, his teeth digging into his bottom lip while those green eyes stared down at her in awe.

She kept sucking him, licking and nibbling until her tongue licked the last drop from him. She pressed a gentle kiss to his length, then to his balls as he trembled, his fingers still tangled rather painfully in her hair. When she licked him clean, he tugged her to her feet and pressed his forehead to hers again.

Ginny traced her fingers over his jawline and over his lips. "You need to rest," she said, her voice raspy.

Harry closed his eyes as her fingers continued to trail over his jaw. "I'm so thankful you're here."

She traced his lips with her thumb before kissing him. "Bed. Come on."

Harry didn't protest. He let her lead him to the bed without a word, crawling under the covers. He tossed his glasses onto the night table and then buried his face in the pillow. Ginny leaned down to kiss the back of his neck.

"Sleep, Harry."

"Can't," he murmured. "I can't shut my mind off. I can't…"

She sat on the edge of the bed, running her hands up and down his back. "Shh… I'm here. Close your eyes."

When he started to protest, she traced her fingers over his eyebrows and down his nose while she kept stroking his back. She kept it up, not speaking and it wasn't long at all before she heard his breathing taper off into sleep. Ginny carefully tucked the blankets up around him and then moved to change into a nightshirt, climbing into the bed next to him.

She wasn't tired, but she knew that he needed her right now so she kept moving her hand up and down his back, admiring the smooth muscles there, the softness of his skin until her fingers tangled into his soft damp hair, caressing it as he slept while she watched over him and wished she could do more.

She examined the marks around his throat, the new cut on his arm, and the healing gash on his leg. The bruising on his face told her he might have broken his nose and she wondered just what exactly had happened in the mission of obtaining Sirius' soul. She let her thoughts wander and instead just continued to trace her hand over his skin in a soothing fashion while he slept.

He slept for almost five hours, not moving a muscle. Ginny dozed herself at some point, but she was still caressing his hair when she felt him shift. His head turned and his bleary sleepy eyes landed on her in the semi-darkness of the early evening.

"Gin?"

"Right here," she whispered, kissing his shoulder. "I'm right here."

He turned on his side, tugging her close. "I don't know what to do," he whispered.

Ginny kissed his forehead. "It's going to be all right."

He shook his head. "I'm just so tired."

"I know, love," she said, kissing his forehead again. "Close your eyes. I'm right here."

Harry buried his face in her neck. "I should check on him."

"He's fine. Kreacher will let us know if he wakes."

"What time is it?"

"Time to go back to sleep," she urged. "Close your eyes."

Harry shook his head. "Can't sleep."

He turned away from her and made to get up so she grabbed his arms, pushing him onto his back.

"You need to sleep, Harry. You need to rest and get a good night's sleep, to recharge and be ready for what comes next."

"Gin… I need to figure things out. I need… Sirius is alive and that means Zee…I can't just sleep."

"Yes, you can," Ginny insisted, straddling him to stop him from getting up. "You won't be able to do anything if you aren't rested." She bunkered down and rested her chin in the centre of his chest. "Now close your eyes and let me take care of you."

Harry sighed and dragged his fingers through his hair, making it stand up even more than it already was. "I just…"

Ginny slid her hands down his chest to cup between his legs. "Do you want to come again? Will that help you rest?"

His eyes darkened. "Gin…"

She pressed a kiss to his chest and lower, kissing her way down his body until her lips brushed over his length, making him tremble.

"I love sucking you off, Harry," she whispered. "I love having you in my mouth; all hot and firm and heavy…"

Whatever he was going to say turned into a soft groan when she sucked on the tip of him.

"Let me take care of you," she insisted. "Let me do this for you."

Then he was in her mouth again and she did.

When he finished, his eyes were heavy again and her lips were on his forehead.

"Sleep."

"I… you didn't…"

"You can make it up to me later," she said, her fingers trailing over his eyebrows and down his nose. "Close your eyes, Harry."

And when he drifted off again, letting her spoon him, she knew that this was what he needed. He needed to just relax and sleep and recharge. Ginny was going to make sure he did exactly that. She licked her lips, still tasting him and thought her jaw was bound to be sore tomorrow, but it would be worth it.

Seeing Harry relaxed, even if only for a few moments was what they both needed. She stroked her fingers through his hair, a soft smile on her lips and thought that if he woke up again, she would do it all over again. Harry needed to rest while Sirius did because once they were both recharged, there was a lot to deal with there.

And she was going to make sure her boyfriend was ready for whatever came next.

~ TTTC ~

It was close to midnight when Harry woke again. Ginny was wrapped around him and it took him a moment to disentangle himself enough to get out of her arms. He made his way to the master bath to relieve himself and then drank two full glasses of water from the pitcher by the window. He was still holding the glass in hand as he looked out the French doors and out into the garden of Clevedon Court.

"Harry?"

"Here," he said, turning to look at her in the darkness of the room. "Just needed some water."

Ginny turned on the light by the bed. "Come back to bed."

He took another long drink of water. "I've been sleeping all day."

"Because you're exhausted and you need it," she said.

"Is that why you were lulling me to sleep with two incredible blow jobs?"

Her lips curved. "Get over here and I'll make it a third."

He finished his water before he crawled back into bed and kissed her softly. "I love you."

"I love you."

"You don't have to suck me off to make me sleep."

Ginny's brown eyes were mischievous as she smiled. "But I love sucking you off." Her fingers danced up his chest. "In fact, I think I should do it again, right now."

He kissed her nose. "I think it's time I returned the favour."

"Not necessary. Today was about you."

Harry kissed her forehead. "Well, if it's about me, then letting me go down on you is the perfect treat."

Ginny sighed, falling back against the pillows and spreading her legs as he nestled between them. "Well, if you must…"

He pressed his mouth to her throat. "With that enthusiasm, how can I resist?"

She smiled, her fingers weaving through his hair as he kissed her neck. "I have practice in the morning and then a match tomorrow night against Chudley. I wish I could be here all day to help you with Sirius and I just… I wish I could do more."

Harry kissed her neck, over her collarbone. "You being here right here, right now… that's enough, Gin. You're everything."

They held each other close and Ginny kissed his cheek.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to tell her everything, but the words were stuck somewhere. So instead, he kissed his way down her torso, lifting the nightshirt as he did so and tossing it over her head. Ginny didn't press him for more and he was grateful to her for that so he just kept kissing his way down her body until he was between her legs.

Her fingers slid into his hair and he nuzzled his head into her hand, loving the feeling of her caress for almost a full minute before he buried his face into the red curls before him. When he began to kiss her, lingering kisses over the soft pink flesh, she sighed in contentment.

Then his tongue slid into her and he knew content was no longer a feeling she was emoting. The taste of her burst on his tongue as he licked her, loving every caress, every stroke, every bit of her he could reach. When he added a finger and she began to clench around him, he knew that this was what was he needed right now. As good as her mouth on him had felt (and it felt bloody fan-fucking-tastic), this was what he needed, her coming apart because of his mouth, his tongue.

He suckled her clit and she moaned his name, her hips aching up to meet his face as she came. He worked her through the orgasm and then shimmied up her body to slip into her. Ginny let out a soft gasp, adjusting to him for a moment before she locked her legs around him and held on.

Harry took his time, thrusting slowly and deliberately; building her up again with each stroke. He sucked on her breasts, licking her nipples gleefully as he buried himself deeper and deeper inside of her with every move. He kept up a steady rhythm and pace until she arched and took all of him. He kept moving as sweat slicked over their skin and when she came, he followed a moment later, crying out her name.

His heart was pounding when he slid out of her, snuggling into her arms without a word as he shimmied down and rested his cheek against her toned stomach. He felt a soft smile grace his lips when she began to caress his hair again.

"Better?" she asked a few minutes later.

Harry bit back a yawn and nodded, licking her from his lips. "Yeah, that was exactly what I needed. You're always exactly what I need."

He leaned into her hand while she stroked his hair and in moments he was fast asleep in the way that only really great sex could bring him.

~ TTTC ~

Harry kissed Ginny in the morning before they showered together and headed downstairs for breakfast. Ginny was tracing the bruising on his face and throat which was was extra colourful this morning when Ron and Hermione stepped into the kitchen.

"Ouch," Ron said sympathetically.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, I've had worse."

Hermione lifted an eyebrow. "Worse? Harry, Ron told me you died."

"What?" Ginny demanded, fisting her hand into his shirt and pulling him closer to her. "You died? Again?"

"For like thirty seconds," Harry said quickly. "I'm fine, Gin. I promise."

Ron snorted. "Yeah, don't worry, Ginny. It's Harry. When he dies he just walks it off. Oof!"

Hermione's elbow smacked Ron in the gut. "Not funny, Ron."

Harry sighed. "I'm all right. Honest. It's Ron who had the concussion."

"Meh," Ron said. "I'm good. My head's harder than a rock."

"Well, that's true," Hermione said.

Ginny was still staring at Harry and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

"It happened during the fight, Gin. Uncle Sirius saw that I had his soul and he… he didn't want it back."

Ron frowned. "Didn't you two talk about any of this last night?"

"No," Ginny said, not taking her eyes off of Harry. "I was too busy sucking his cock."

"GINNY!" Ron bellowed.

Ginny tore her gaze away from Harry who's cheeks were heated to look at her brother. "Well, I was. Now that he's had some time to rest though, I want to know what happened."

"You have practice," Harry said.

"I do," Ginny said. "In an hour. So start talking, Potter."

Harry sighed and took a seat at the kitchen table, pulling Ginny down into his lap. "Well, we went for Sirius' soul as you know and Healer Galibrath gave us this potion thing that stopped our hearts so we would kind of die to go into the afterlife, right?"

Ginny closed her eyes. "Oh gods… your heart stopped twice in a twenty-four hour period."

"But the second time was a blip — barely counted," Harry replied.

Ginny's thumb and forefinger twisted his nipple through his tee shirt and he yelped.

"Don't you dare call the fact that your heart stopped bloody beating a bloody blip, Harry James Potter!"

Harry started to say something else but she twisted his nipple again. "Ow! Bloody hell, Gin!"

Ron snorted. "I told you she'd throw a fit."

"Not helping, mate."

Hermione frowned. "Let's go back to the soul retrieval, what happened?"

"We landed here," Harry said. "In Clevedon Court, only not really. It looked different… maybe more like how I think it did when my grandparents lived here. We met the Reaper named Raven who told us we had to go to where Sirius was pulled out to find his soul. My… my parents were there and Papa."

Ginny slid her hands up Harry's chest. "Oh, Harry."

"No, it was… nice," he admitted. "I was able to see my mum and dad and Papa for a minute and they took us the work area where Uncle Sirius had been before he vanished. I think time flows differently there. The way my dad was talking about Uncle Sirius vanishing, it sounded like it was only a day or something. But we found it — his soul — it was stuck in the earth where he was… pulled through. I used the dagger the Arcanums gave me and took the soul into my arm, here."

Ginny's fingertips gently traced the jagged vertical cut down his left forearm.

"It will scar," Harry told her.

Ginny carefully picked up his arm and kissed the sealed cut. "Did it hurt?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It was… excruciating. It felt like my arm was on fire and the longer I went with it there… the worse it got. Papa tied my arm with a handkerchief and Tonks had me send a Patronus out, taunting Uncle Sirius into meeting with me. I called him a coward and he came… Brambilla was with him."

"Baxter and Higgins arrested her," Ron said. "She's being held in a holding cell for the time being."

"And then what happened with Sirius?" Hermione asked.

Harry's eyes met Ginny's again as he spoke. "We… fought. He had to be conscious when I returned his soul to him, he couldn't be petrified or be held down by magic so we had to physically force him. I didn't want to hurt him so it was all about just trying to gain control, but he was angry. He sent the Cruciatius at me. He… cut my leg as you saw. We ended up wrestling on the ground, first in our Animagus forms where he locked his jaw around my throat, here."

Ginny reached up to touch the bite marks on his neck that had been sealed closed but were red and purple beneath the finger marks.

"Eventually we changed back and we were just hitting each other. He broke my nose. He saw the soul in my arm and he freaked out. It… I don't know what he was afraid of, but we fought and I managed to cut him across his chest, but then he grabbed me by the throat. I tried to get his hands off, but my vision was going and then I don't know… I just found the strength to push my arm against his chest and the soul flew out of my arm and into the cut on his chest. It felt queer… almost cold when it exited me and then there was this big burst of white power and the next thing I remember, I was waking up and coughing in Uncle Sirius' arms."

"And he was… all right?" Hermione asked.

"Confused," Ron said. "But yeah. He thought it was still the day he died in the Department of Mysteries."

"Wow," Hermione whispered.

"We took him back to the DMLE and spoke to him a bit, explained it was three years later and that he'd just been returned his soul and… the healers checked him over and he's fine," Harry whispered. "He's back and he's alive."

"Wow," Hermione repeated. "That's just… incredible. What about Zee?"

Harry closed his eyes. "I don't know."

Ginny slid her hands up his chest to rest on his shoulders, pulling his lips to hers for a soft kiss. "It's going to be all right, Harry."

Harry held her close, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "I don't know what to do."

"And Sirius?"

"He's asleep still," Harry said. "Kreacher's keeping an eye on him for now. Galibrath said he'd probably sleep the day if not longer."

"What are you going to tell him when he wakes up?" Hermione asked.

Harry tore his gaze away from Ginny to meet his friend's eyes. "Everything."

Ginny pressed her lips to the bruises at Harry's throat. "And then you'll talk to McCraight?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"You should go now, while he's sleeping," Ginny suggested.

Harry shook his head. "No, I… not yet. I need to talk to Uncle Siri first."

Ginny looked like she wanted to argue but she nodded. "All right. But we're going to talk more about this being dead thing."

"I'm fine, Gin. I promise," he said, kissing her forehead.

"Hmm," Ginny said. "I don't know if fine is the right word here."

Harry took her hand in his and carefully placed it over his heart. "Still thumping like normal. Promise."

"And your face?"

"Broke my nose like I said, but the healers fixed it. Bruising just takes longer to go away," Harry assured her.

Ginny sighed, resting her face against his chest over his heart. Harry knew she was listening to the steady thumping of his heart and he gently brushed her hair behind her ear.

"I love you. I'm all right."

Ginny stayed there a moment longer before she pulled his face down to kiss him. The kiss started slow, but when her tongue met his, he deepened it, tightening his fingers in her hair.

"Oi!" Ron bellowed. "No one wants to see that."

Ginny licked her lips when she pulled away, not taking her eyes off of Harry. "Don't look then."

"This is a shared living space," Ron insisted. "Quick pecks sure, but full on snogging is where I'm putting my foot down."

Ginny took Harry's hands in hers and placed them on top of her breasts. "How about touching?"

"No," Ron growled.

Harry kneaded her breasts under his hands. "You're such a tease, Ginny."

Ginny smiled and pecked his lips once more. "I have to get to practice. I'll come by later after my match and stay tonight again."

"I love you," Harry said, still kneading her breasts with his hands as he leaned in for one more kiss.

"I love you, too," Ginny said, climbing off of his lap. "We'll talk more tonight."

She grabbed her bag from the chair and the smoothie Basil had made her while they'd been chatting before she left. Harry watched her go before he looked over at Ron and Hermione.

"Are you two going into work as well?"

"I'm off today due to the concussion," Ron said. "But Hermione's going in. Did you and Ginny really not talk at all last night?"

Harry shrugged, adjusting himself as he shifted his legs under the table. "We didn't get around to it."

Ron scoffed. "Hermione, how is it that we have a pregnancy scare and these two haven't when they never bloody stop?"

"Mate, as Gin said, I came in her mouth last night. Can't get pregnant like that."

Ron turned beat red as Hermione choked on her orange juice. "You bloody prat."

Harry hid his smirk behind in his own glass of orange juice. "Just stating a fact."

"I swear, the two of you are going to end up with like a million kids," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "You bloody died yesterday and yet you came home and got a fucking blowjob like it was no big deal."

"Two actually," Harry corrected. "It's why Ginny's voice is a bit hoarse today."

A breakfast potato bounced off of Harry's forehead and Harry laughed.

"I hate you," Ron muttered.

Hermione chuckled and stood up, kissing Ron's cheek. "Behave boys. I have to go into work. Harry, if you need anything, you let me know."

Harry nodded as Hermione kissed his cheek. "I will. Thanks, Hermione."

When she left, Harry turned to Ron. "Still cross with me?"

"No," Ron said. "How is that you bloody die and get blowjobs and I get a concussion and my girlfriend just coddles me?"

Harry shrugged. "Did you ask for more?"

"No. Should I have?"

"Dunno," Harry said. "Try it and see."

"Did you ask for a bloody blowjob?"

Harry grinned. "No. Ginny did that all on her own. Both times."

"Bloody hell," Ron grumbled. "Seriously, I'm amazed you two haven't had a pregnancy scare yet."

"We'll have kids some day and they won't be accidents, Ron."

Ron snorted. "Yeah right. I'd bet money none of the million kids you'll have will be planned."

"Haha and we're not going to have a million. Maybe like three or four," Harry said.

Ron picked up a piece of bacon and took a big bite. "Yeah, three or four accidents."

Harry shot up two fingers in response.

Ron rolled his eyes and dug into bacon and eggs. "It's going to be a long bloody day with you, isn't it?"

Harry grinned as he turned to his own meal and thought he was grateful his best mate was going to be here with him. As long as Sirius was asleep, he was still left very much in the dark and the last place he wanted to be was alone with his thoughts. Ron would definitely be the best distraction.

The day did go by fairly quickly. Harry and Ron spent the day outside running and stretching before going for a long horseback ride. Remus showed up after lunch and Harry filled him on everything Tonks might have missed and Remus examined his bruises critically. Remus promised to check in on him again tomorrow unless Sirius woke up before then. Harry promised to send word if he did.

He checked in on Sirius and found him still passed out and snoring in the mid afternoon so he told Kreacher to keep an eye on him and let him know if there was any change. Since Sirius was still passed out, Ron convinced Harry to attend Ginny's match that afternoon against the Chudley Cannons.

Harry snuck down to see Ginny before the match started and she pulled him into a broom cupboard near the change rooms. He immediately dropped to his knees and tugged her trousers and knickers down. She rode his face wantonly and he let her, grinning when she came on a harsh cry. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before he stood up to kiss her.

"I'd wish you luck, but we both know that's a guaranteed win."

Ginny grinned up at him. "Cheeky bastard."

He pecked her lips again. "Go kick Chudley's arse."

By the time he made it back to Ron, Ron was glaring at him.

"What took you so long?"

"Long line," Harry said, taking his seat next to his friend. "You aren't going to be waving that bloody Chudley flag are you?"

Ron looked guilty. "Look, mate, just because my sister's playing for the Harpies doesn't mean that I can just abandon the one team I've loved my whole life."

"True," Harry said. "But if you don't cheer for the Harpies, I'm not giving you my extra ticket anymore."

Ron scowled. "Oi! Come on!"

"Go Holyhead," Harry said, putting his arm around Ron's shoulders. "Come on, mate. I need to take my mind off of the fact that my godfather is alive and well and sleeping at my house right now. Cheer on my girlfriend with me."

Ron sighed. "Low blow, mate. Fine. I'll cheer for Ginny."

"Good man," Harry said, slapping his back.

The match began and he kept his eyes on Ginny, trying to focus on how incredible she looked on the pitch and not on the fact that back at Clevedon Court Sirius Black was alive, had his soul back, and was still sleeping.

No, he definitely didn't want to think about that because when Sirius finally came to, they needed to have a chat and Harry was afraid of exactly what that talk was going to put him through.

~ TTTC ~

Sirius woke slowly, his eyes still heavy as he took in the sunlight shining into the room. He groaned absently into the pillow, closing his eyes again. It was only a few minutes before he eventually gave up and rolled over, taking in his surroundings.

The walls had faded Gryffindor posters and muggle motorbike ads and he blinked before he realized that he was in his old bedroom; the one that Fee and Monty had made for him back when he was sixteen. He sat up, blinking in confusion before he remembered that Harry had brought him here.

Harry… he'd told him that he was dead.

Sirius frowned, not quite wrapping his head around that. A lot didn't make sense to him. He crawled out of bed, feeling tired but rested and decided a hot shower sounded like the best way to get himself feeling more awake.

He washed up, finding his own soaps and shampoos available. He shaved a bit, leaving the five o'clock shadow look, then styled his hair in his typical 'it totally just fell like this look' before finding a pair of grey sweats and a white tee shirt lying on his old bed. He put on the clothes gratefully and then headed down the stairs to try to find Harry.

The changes in the house weren't huge, but Sirius could see that Harry had started to put his stamp on things. Walls were painted, things were moved around… it warmed his heart to know that a Potter was once more living in Clevedon Court. He made his way to the kitchen, hoping to find something to help his growling stomach. He didn't know how long he had been sleeping, but it was definitely a new day and he hadn't eaten since Kreacher had brought him food… however long ago that had been.

The kitchen was completely remodelled, but that wasn't what had caught his attention. It was the sight of Harry standing in front of the island in black sweats and a Holyhead Harpies tee shirt. His hair was standing up on end, but it was the redhead sitting on the island with her legs wrapped around Harry's waist that made Sirius pause.

He watched as Ginny's hands slid under Harry's tee shirt while they snogged rather passionately. When her hands started to slide down to grip Harry's arse, Sirius loudly cleared his throat.

They both turned, mouths and lips swollen, to look over at him.

"Nice to know some things haven't changed," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Sirius," Ginny said, her eyes wide. "Er… hi."

Harry moved away from Ginny, his green eyes wide in concern. "Did you sleep all right?"

"I did," Sirius assured him. "My stomach is what kept me from sleeping longer."

Ginny hopped down off of the counter. "Well, Harry and I made a breakfast casserole. Let me get you a slice."

Sirius watched her hurry around to cut up something that smelt delicious. She placed the plate at the small kitchen table and smiled.

"Dig in. I have to get going. It was nice to see you."

"You, too." Sirius said.

Ginny stood on her toes to kiss Harry and whispered something to him that made him nod, then she hurried off. Sirius watched her go before he snuck a look over at Harry. The bruising on his face and throat looked much worse than it had the last time he'd seen him.

"Does it hurt?"

Harry shrugged. "I've had worse. Eat up."

Sirius nodded, wondering what Harry meant by worse as he took a seat at the table and dug into the plate full of food. The casserole looked like incredible. It had egg, cheese, green peppers, tomatoes, bacon, and potatoes in it. After one bite, he decided it certainly tasted even better than it looked. Harry poured him a glass of orange juice and then took a seat at the table across from him.

"How's the food?"

"Great," Sirius said. "You don't want any?"

"We just finished before you'd come in," Harry said. "You're up early."

"How long did I sleep?"

Harry glanced down at his watch. "Well, since about nine Sunday morning and it's almost seven now."

"Seven?"

"AM," Harry answered. "On Tuesday."

Sirius' eyebrow lifted in surprise. "Oh. Don't know if it counts as early if I slept almost two days."

Harry let out a slow breath. "I'm sorry. This is… weird for me. Beyond weird."

"Harry… to me, we were just in the Department of Mysteries."

"And for me, years have passed," Harry said, his eyes on Sirius. "You tried to kill me two nights ago."

Sirius paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. "I would never do that."

Harry leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "And yet here we are."

Sirius carefully put down his fork and really took a long look at the young man in front of him. He wasn't a gangly teenage boy anymore. He still had a bit of a boyish look to him, but he was a young man. The few days worth of stubble that was shaped well and maintained, the faint scar on his cheek, the muscles in his arms, the broad shoulders… he had changed. When he shifted his arm, Sirius even caught what looked like a small tattoo on the inside of his wrist.

"You have a tattoo."

Harry looked down at where Ginny's name was inked into his skin. "A few." He held his arm out to show Sirius his wrist.

"Ginevra… it's nice to see you two still together," Sirius said. "I take it things are going well there?"

"I don't want to talk about Ginny right now."

Sirius lifted an eyebrow. "Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

Harry tapped his fingers on the table. "A lot."

A sound in the doorway made them both turn and Sirius recognized the tall, lanky frame and golden brown hair. He took in the wide whisky eyes and grinned.

"Moony!"

Remus clutched the doorframe for support, his eyes darting back and forth between Harry and Sirius. "Padfoot?"

Harry stood up and moved closer to Remus. "I know it's a bit of a shock, Uncle Rem."

"A bit?" Remus whispered. "Even after I spoke to you and Nymphadora yesterday it's still a bit of a shock… is it really…?"

"Yes," Harry said.

Sirius stood up from his chair and took a step towards Remus, who took an automatic step back. He frowned. "Rem?"

"Sorry," Remus said. "It's just… the last time I saw you…"

"What?" Sirius asked. "I was dead? I've been getting that a lot."

"No," Harry said, making Sirius turn to look at him. "You were duelling."

Sirius frowned. "Why the fuck would you be duelling me?"

"To stop you from killing our son," Remus said.

Sirius paled. "To stop me from… bloody hell! What the fuck are you two going on about? I would never hurt Harry! Never!"

"It wasn't the real you," Harry whispered. "We know that."

"But this…?" Remus asked tentatively.

"Is," Harry confirmed. "He's back, Uncle Moony. He's really back."

Sirius stared at his oldest friend, not quite understanding the anger he saw radiating in those whisky eyes. It was anger and guilt and love and shock that he saw expressed in those golden orbs. He understood this had to be confusing for them; it was bloody confusing for him. They were telling him that he'd been dead — for years. It was a lot for anyone to digest.

"Uncle Moony," Harry said, his voice sharp. "It's really him. It worked."

Remus made a curt nod, but didn't look away from Sirius' gaze. "It worked? Truly?"

"Truly," Harry said. "He doesn't remember anything since the battle in the Department of Mysteries."

Remus frowned, his eyes searching Sirius'. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Sirius answered, not daring to look away from his friend. "Does that warrant me a hug yet, Moony?"

Remus moved towards him without another word and wrapped his arms around him. "Bloody hell, Padfoot! Bloody fucking hell!"

Sirius hugged him tight, relief coursing through him. For a moment there as he stared at his friend, he had thought that maybe Remus wouldn't accept him back; he thought maybe this had been one too many times for him to ask for forgiveness. He didn't know the exact details of what he needed to ask forgiveness for, but he knew that it was for something a lot bigger than he understood.

Remus' hand gripped the back of his neck as he held him close. "I can't believe this. I just… I can't bloody believe this!"

Sirius hugged him tight before he pulled back. "Yeah… it's a lot to take in. Look at Harry! He's all… grown and handsome as fuck! Moony, you did a bang up job there!"

Remus smiled. "I think you can take some credit there yourself, Sirius."

Harry cleared his throat. "If um, if you two are done. We need to talk."

Remus nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table, gesturing for Harry and Sirius to do the same. "Minerva's covering my morning class and Molly has Teddy so I only have a few hours until I have to get back."

"Well, let's get to it then," Harry said.

Sirius looked between them. He didn't know who Teddy was, but he had other things he needed to know more. "Harry said that Voldemort is gone?"

"He's gone. No more Horcruxes. He's really gone this time," Remus assured him. "However, after the final Battle of Hogwarts, three of his most known and vile Death Eaters escaped."

"Only two now," Harry said. "Brambilla was arrested with Sirius the other night."

Sirius frowned. "That's where you've truly lost me. Why did you arrest me? Why I was hanging out with a known Death Eater to begin with?"

"Well for one, you tried to kill me," Harry said. "And secondly, because you've been working with Bellatrix, Crouch, and Brambilla."

"Who the fuck is Brambilla? And why the hell would I work with any of those tossers?" Sirius demanded. "Especially my psycho bitch of a cousin!"

Harry let out a slow breath and Remus reached over to touch Harry's arm. "Because they got the Resurrection Stone and Brambilla unlocked ancient secrets from Dragomir's notes."

As he began to explain how Sirius had been brought back to life, Sirius' eyes darkened. He didn't speak, but his fingers tightened into fists until Harry got to the part about how he and Ron had "died" to go to the other side and retrieve his soul.

"You what?" he bellowed. "Harry! Do you have any idea how bloody dangerous that was? You could have died for real! You took a bloody stupid risk for me!"

"And it fucking worked!" Harry exclaimed, his voice raspy and Sirius realized that his son was on the verge of tears. "I thought that returning your soul was going to kill you again and I was bloody prepared for that! I was ready to watch you die all over again and instead you — and now I…"

Sirius jumped to his feet and reached for Harry, but Harry took a step back, holding his hands up. Sirius felt a jolt of surprise whip through him at that and when he saw Remus put his arm around Harry, a surprising pull of jealousy that Harry would choose Remus over him.

"I'm sorry," Sirius began. "I didn't meant to yell. It's just a lot to take in. I know this must be overwhelming for you as much as for me. But I'm all right. See? I'm as good as new and as sexy as ever."

Harry snorted as she stood close to Remus. "You're a prat."

"Well, we can't expect miracles," Remus said. "Just because he came back doesn't mean he came back better."

"Oi! Piss off!"

Harry couldn't help but smile at that.

Sirius reached out to touch Harry's arm and this time Harry let him. "Let's ignore Moony's rude comments and instead let me tell you how bloody amazing you are. I can't believe you did all of this just to give me back my soul. Harry, I am floored by your absolute bravery and I love you very much."

Harry's bottom lip trembled. "I just can't believe that you're really here! I've missed you so much, Uncle Siri, so much and I just… I don't know what to do!"

Sirius pursed his lips. "I think we're both in the same boat there. Can we get back to you and Ron going off to find my soul?"

"Let's go in the living room and make ourselves more comfortable," Remus suggested.

A moment later the three of them were sitting more comfortably in the living room. Sirius noticed immediately that Harry had given the room a fresh coat of paint and that the furniture was changed a bit to more comfortable and modern couches and chesterfields along with the two big armchairs in rich creams and chocolate browns that gave him Gryffindor common room vibes. He was sitting in a dark grey armchair as he looked at his son and waited for Harry to speak and explain more to him about what was happening.

He listened as Harry spoke about the trip and who he saw and what happened. He explained how he'd cut himself and how Sirius' soul had travelled over with him inside of his very skin. Sirius' eyes fell to the healing cut on his forearm, taking in the jagged edges and he swallowed.

"You were a personal courier."

"Yes," Harry croaked. "I… I sent you a Patronus, to taunt you to come out and face me once and for all. I knew that I only had a short window to give you back your soul or it would be disastrous, not to mention if you died without your soul in tact, Uncle Siri, you would never be able to be at rest."

Sirius understood that and yet it still sent a shiver over his skin as he took in Harry's words. What his son was telling him was that he'd been walking around for almost five months without his soul.

"Didn't I know you?"

"You did," Harry assured him. "But your memories were patchy. I think the violence of how they forced you back on top of the magic… it made everything sketchy and you believed what Bellatrix told you. You believed her when she told you that it was my fault you died in '96; that I used you as a human shield against her and she never meant to hurt you."

Sirius scowled. "That lying two-faced bitch! I'll kill her if I ever get my hands on her again."

"We need to find her," Harry agreed. "Her and Crouch are the craziest of the lot and with those two running loose, it's not reassuring."

"Who is this Brambilla bitch? Was she around before when I was… alive?" he asked, the last word coming out as almost a croak. It still felt strange to even utter it.

"Yeah," Harry said. "She was… well, a shock. Do you remember the Hogwarts professor, Delta Carthaginian?"

"Yeah, the Hogwarts Board of Governors approved her to teach Life in the Magical World and International Magical Relations."

"Right, well, she wasn't exactly who she said she was," Harry began. "It turned out that she was actually a Death Eater who was working for Voldemort from inside the school. Her real name is Belladonna Brambilla and she's the half-sister of Bellarosa Zabini."

"Well fuck," Sirius said, shaking his head. "When did she… what happened?"

"It's a long story," Harry told him. "I'll fill you in another day, but she's the reason we lost Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore's dead?"

Remus reached out to touch Sirius' arm. "A lot has happened while you were gone, Padfoot."

Sirius let out a slow breath. It reminded him of when he'd been released from Azkaban and returned to learn all about those who had been lost; the things he'd missed while he'd been locked in a cell. "What about this spell? How did you figure it out? What did it entail to bring me back? I've never heard of anything like that."

"That's the tricky part," Harry began. "It was… horrible. It was parts of the same spell they used on Voldemort at the end of my fourth year and parts of long lost dark magic uncovered in runes… it took us ages to figure it out."

"I bet. Still… I didn't have any tethers here like Voldemort did; no Horcruxes to connect me. How did they return me to my body like this, Harry? If I've really been gone for so long, how come my body's… well, me?"

Harry stared at him for a long moment before his bottom lip trembled. He was quiet for so long that Sirius thought he might not answer him and when he did, his stomach dropped out.

"They used Zee," he whispered. "They kidnapped her and cut out her heart and then you buried her inside of your coffin."

A flash passed before him, Zee's body covered in blood, begging him to help her; telling him she'd tried, but hadn't been strong enough. Then she was leaning against the stone, a hole in her chest, her clothes bloody as he'd picked her up and dropped her into the wooden coffin as if she'd been nothing.

A hand covered his mouth, but he wasn't fast enough and he vomited over the side of the chair.

"Zee," he groaned, his heart racing. "Merlin, no! No, no, no, no!"

"Get rid of the whore," Crouch's voice echoed in his mind.

Sirius' eyes moved back over to the woman: The whore. Her violent death had obviously been an important part of bringing him back. He knelt over the woman, taking in her curvy form and long curls. She had clearly been beaten, he noted. His eyes roamed over her naked chest and the gaping hole where her heart should have been. He picked her up bridal style, his eyes catching his name tattooed under the blood on her chest.

She had his name tattooed on her.

"Who is she?" he asked, staring down at the tattoo, curiously.

"The bitch who killed you," Bellatrix declared. "We took care of her for you; to bring you back, Sirius."

"No!" he gasped, shaking his head in denial. "No, please tell me it's not true. Tell me I didn't kill her!"

"You didn't," Harry said, reaching out to grip Sirius' arm. "It wasn't your fault, Uncle Siri."

"Where is she?" he demanded, his face pale. "I need to see her."

Harry let out a slow breath. "This is where it gets complicated," he began.

Sirius' eyes narrowed. "Tell me, Harry. Tell me everything."

~ TTTC ~

The Harpies practice that morning was exactly what Ginny needed to help burn off her excess energy. Between trying to keep Harry calm over the last two nights and the great sex they'd had to take his mind off of things, she was still reeling herself. She knew that Harry was still terrified and anxious and confused and more over the whole returning Sirius' soul to his body situation.

It had worked as they'd planned, but it really worked. Sirius was alive and as wonderful and amazing as that news was, Ginny knew that it was eating at her boyfriend at the same time. As much as Harry was dealing with it all, she knew he hadn't. He was like a bomb waiting to go off and Ginny was afraid that any sudden movement would send him into a tailspin he might not recover from. With Sirius surviving the re-soulling, it meant that Zee would not wake from her coma. It put them back three steps and having gained one parent back to still lose one… she knew how hard this was on him.

As for her, she'd spent last two nights letting him talk in between their love making. It hadn't been her plan, but he seemed extra needy for her, and she wasn't going to refuse him anything; especially something she so thoroughly enjoyed herself.

She listened attentively as the hot yoga instructor worked them through stretches, sweating in the heat of the room as she let her body work. They went for a run after the yoga and then had a two hour practice before Coach Mallory declared it was time for them to rest before the match against Kenmare scheduled tonight for six. They had back-to-back matches as last night's match against Chudley had been a win for them. It was now game forty-five of the season and so far, Holyhead was doing well and on track to the finals.

It had only been two weeks since Ginny had stepped back from the Herald, from helping Demelza, and from all other distractions and she could already feel a difference. Not only did it mean more time for herself, but as of the last few days, it meant more time to spend with Harry; shagging Harry. And she had to admit, she certainly felt a hell of a lot more relaxed than she had in ages.

But she was still worried about Sirius.

Seeing him this morning, even for only a minute, had given her a jolt. She knew that Harry was struggling with it and she knew that he was going to have to talk to him, to explain everything. It was a lot and she wished that she could do more than simply be there for him.

When practice finished, she showered and then changed into her Hogwarts uniform before heading back to the castle. She had a meeting with Professor Birmingham to set up a test for the last two months worth of learning. That was the other thing, after talking to Remus, her assignments had drastically gone down. Now, she was working with the professors on tests only to help keep her on track and give her more one-on-one training in preparation for her NEWTs and it gave her one less thing to worry about.

It was Colin she ran into on her way up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Hi, Ginny!" he exclaimed, slinging his arm around her. "How was practice?"

"Great. I'm ready for the match against Kenmare tonight."

"Excellent! Luna and I are going to listen to the match on the wireless in the heads common room. We'll be cheering you on!"

"Thanks," Ginny said.

"Hey, while I have you here, I thought you'd like to know that Mr Lovegood helped me secure a publishing deal."

Ginny's eyes widened in delight. She knew how hard her friend had been working on finding someone to publish his photo book the way he wanted it done. "Wow! Really?"

Colin nodded, a big smile on his face. "Yeah. They love the photo book and we've decided to publish it on the one year anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts."

Ginny's eyes widened. It made sense, but it was still also hard to believe that they were fast approaching that one year anniversary. "Wow! That's less than two months away."

"I know," he said. "Everything's set already, it's just a matter of getting it put together with moving photos. Listen, I know you're busy, but if you could write a quick paragraph or two of introduction for the book, I think it would be amazing."

"Me?" she asked in surprise.

Colin nodded. "Yes, you! Not only are you a fantastic writer, but you're the girlfriend of Harry Potter, Ginny. I think that you would have a lot to say about the battle."

He had a point.

"I'd love to, Colin," she admitted. "In fact, I'd really love to do that for you."

"Thank you!" Colin exclaimed, kissing her cheek. "Now go! I'm sure you have a hundred and ten things to do. We'll talk later."

Ginny watched him hurry off and wondered if Colin would always be so full of energy. She certainly hoped so. She would find time to write a few paragraphs of introduction to the photo book because no one deserved it more than Colin Creevey.

She was still smiling when she made her way to Birmingham's office, eager to get things in order and eager to play in the match against Kenmare in a few hours before she went back home to Harry tonight.

That was one thing she knew for sure — Harry wasn't going to be alone any time soon. She had every intention of being there for him as much as she possibly could and nothing was going to stand in her way. She just hoped that his conversation with Sirius was going as well as he hoped.

After all, the two of them had a lot to talk about.

~ TTTC ~

Harry and Sirius did have a lot to talk about. He told Sirius everything that had happened from the moment he had been brought back from the dead without his soul. He explained every bit of everything except the one thing he still didn't fully understand: Zee. When he finished, Sirius was pale, his hands on his knees in front of him and his tongue touching his top lip.

"And that's all of it, is it?"

"The gist, yeah."

Sirius let out a slow breath. "The gist. Aye, I can see that." He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "You said that Zee was kidnapped by them? That they used her blood to bring me back?"

"Yes."

Sirius' grey eyes snapped open and bored into his. "Where is she, Harry? What aren't you telling me?"

Harry swallowed, his bottom lip trembling. "It's complicated, Uncle Siri."

"Complicated? From what you've just told me, I've been dead for three bloody years and returned from my grave without my soul until you found a way into the veil to return it to me. How much more complicated can it bloody get?"

"Sirius," Remus said quietly. "This hasn't exactly been easy on us."

"Where is Zahira?" Sirius repeated.

"She's in a coma," Harry whispered. "At St Mungo's."

"A coma?"

Remus reached out to grab Harry's hand. "Sirius… the magic they used to bring you back to life, it required a sacrifice. Zee was that sacrifice. They used her heart in a ritual that is unlike anything anyone has done in centuries."

"Her heart?"

"We gave it back to her," Harry said quickly. "It… there was a potion and…"

Sirius stared at him as he explained all about how Borage and Slughorn had figured out how it worked; how they had gotten her heart beating again.

"So… she's alive?"

"Yes," Harry said.

"But she won't be for much longer," Remus finished, making Sirius' gaze snap to his.

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Sirius demanded. "A coma doesn't mean anything! She'll wake up from that."

"The spell they did… it required a sacrifice, Sirius, and it wasn't meant to be permanent," Remus explained. "The thing is, living without a soul is a dangerous thing and as you know, it usually results in the person going mad and dying in the end, but Harry found a way to restore your soul to you."

"I couldn't let you die, Uncle Siri, I couldn't let you die without your soul. You never would have been able to be at peace. I couldn't… I couldn't let you go out like that."

Sirius looked between the two of them for a long moment before he spoke. "Are you telling me that because I live, she will die? Is that what you're not saying?"

Harry's bottom lip trembled and a single tear rolled down his cheek.

Sirius grabbed the vase of flowers off of the side table and smashed it against the wall. Harry and Remus both jumped. Harry tried to say something but Remus put his hand on Harry's shoulder to silence him.

"Sirius," Remus began.

"Don't, Moony!" Sirius said, his voice like steel. "Do not sit there and bloody tell me that my life has been returned to me at the cost of hers. Do not."

"Sirius."

"Don't," he hissed, his shoulders tense. "She's five times the bloody person I'll ever be and you tossers chose me over her? What the fuck is wrong with you? Why the fuck didn't you kill me? What's dead should stay dead!"

"Fuck you, Padfoot!" Remus exploded, his golden eyes shining in unshed tears. "Are you honestly going to stand there and tell me that you expected Harry to kill you? You selfish fucking bastard! After everything he's been through! After everything he's lost and done in this war! After knowing James and Lily were killed trying to save him and you'd damn him like that? You'd demand me to do it? To kill my brother? Fuck you!"

Sirius spun around, his eyes wide. "I was already dead, Remus! I've been dead for three fucking years! I shouldn't be here! I was at bloody peace before those bitches brought me back without my soul! I have no memory of that time! The last thing I remember is finding out the woman I love was pregnant! The woman I wanted to marry was going to expand my family and then Bellatrix bloody killed me! So, yes, Remus, I should be dead! I should be dead and you should have had the bloody balls to do it before it came to this!"

"Fuck you!" Remus shouted.

"No, fuck you, Remus!" Sirius shouted back. "What's dead should stay dead and my life is not worth hers! Why did you save me over her? Why?"

"Because I didn't bloody know!" Harry exploded, making both men turn to look at him in surprise. His heart was pounding in his chest and he could feel the emotion rising in his throat. When he spoke again, his voice came out in a strangled whisper. "Uncle Siri… I didn't know you'd survive it."

"What do you mean?" Sirius demanded.

Remus gripped Harry's shoulder tightly. "To give you back your soul, Sirius… the chance of you surviving the process was extremely slim. In fact, Harry was convinced that he was going to kill you when he gave you back your soul, but he was willing to do if it meant you would be at peace again; he was willing to watch you die again to know that you were a whole man once more. Your death was the key. But you lived."

Sirius fell to his knees, his fingers digging into the rug as he shook his head. His fingers brushed a piece of broken glass and he gripped it between his fingers, clutching it so tightly that blood dripped down his fingers. He held it up to his neck. "Well maybe I shouldn't live. Zee deserves to be here, not me."

"NO!" Harry screamed, diving at him.

The shock of Harry's scream, on top of his hands tackling him to the ground, made Sirius grunt as he went down. Then before he could do anything to take his own life or to defend himself, he found his hands full of a sobbing man.

Huge gasping sobs ripped through Harry as he tried to catch his breath. His hands clung to Sirius' shirt, snot dripped from his nose, and hot tears welled in Sirius' neck. The piece of glass fell from Sirius' fingers and his arms came around him. The moment he wrapped Harry in his embrace, the sobs grew louder.

"Shh," he said, kissing Harry's cheek. "Shh, I've got you, Prongslet. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm here. I'm right here, my Prongslet. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

But Harry couldn't let go.

He clung to Sirius like a magnet attached by force, afraid if he let go for even a second, the man would disappear before him. His heart pounded in his chest and his head throbbed. His glasses fogged from his tears, but he couldn't stop them. Sirius knew that he was murmuring nonsensical words, but he didn't know what he said. All he knew was that he couldn't let go.

For three years Harry had lived with the grief and guilt and blame of his godfather's death. Even knowing the truth of it, knowing that it hadn't been his fault, it did nothing to dim the dark thoughts that had still transgressed his soul. Losing a father had been the hardest thing he'd ever suffered and to get him back, even without a soul, had been an even crueller fate.

He clung to his father, afraid to physically let go of him as he finally let it all out. He finally allowed himself to truly break down, to deal with everything that had happened to him from the first moment he had faced off Voldemort with the Philosopher's Stone clenched in his fist. He cried for the way that he'd kept Sirius at arm's length when he went after Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets; for the way he'd convinced him that he was fine and then pushed him away. He let the tears flow as he remembered the Dementor that had killed Sirius in his third year; the anger and grief he'd felt at seeing his father's body and the way that Dumbledore had helped he and Hermione use a Time Turner to change the past. He cried because when he reached for Sirius through the communication mirror when he was trapped in the graveyard watching Voldemort return to a body, Sirius hadn't been there. He cried because of the anger he'd felt at the man for lying to him about his scar, for trying to protect him from the pain of what was to come. He sobbed both loudly and silently, unable to stop as he remembered the cold shoulder he'd given his godfather, the teenage angst and bitterness he'd kept inside for the man who had tried to protect him, who loved him unconditionally. He cried for the man who had been killed trying to protect him in the Department of Mysteries; for the man who hadn't been there to see his own children be born or to see Harry grow up.

He cried and he cried and he cried.

He cried over losing Ginny to a potion that could have killed her and he sobbed over the fact that she'd returned to him. He cried over all of the loss from the war, over the fact that he had taken the life of Lord Voldemort whether in self defence or not and he cried, remembering how Zee had died in front of him. He cried at the relief he'd felt when Ron brought her back and the shock of finding her months later, broken and bleeding and left for dead in the very coffin that belonged to the father he'd buried. And he cried because Zee was alive but not really alive because he'd given his father back his soul and saved his life.

He cried because he'd lost his parents only to gain surrogate parents whom he loved whole heartedly. He had his surrogate parents alive and yet none of them were whole and here for him like he truly needed them to be. He cried over losing a mother to gain a father or losing a father to gain a mother and the injustice of it all.

And the tears kept coming…

Eventually the tears became silent, but his body shook and trembled, his fingers cramping as they clung to Sirius' shirt. His nose ran, his eyes burned, and his throat was raw, but he couldn't stop. Years of pain, of holding back, of claiming everything was all right had finally culminated into this very moment and he was unable to stop the tidal wave of emotion from sweeping through him. At some point he became aware of Remus' hand on his back, but it was Sirius he clung too. It was forest and leather, and he didn't let go.

He heard Remus mumble something and a flash of a Patronus vanished from the room, but he didn't move. He kept clinging to Sirius and he kept trembling, half lying on the floor, half-sitting and the tears kept coming until he was drained.

Lips pressed against his temple. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, my baby. I'm so sorry, my Prongslet, my Harry. I love you so much. I've loved you every day of your life and I will love you forever and for always. I didn't mean it. I would never ask you to do it. I love you. I love you. I love you."

Harry hiccupped, but didn't say anything, his face sticking to Sirius' shirt and neck.

Remus rubbed his hand up and down Harry's back. "That's it, little Prongs. Let it all out. You've been so strong for so long. Just let it all out. It's time."

He listened with half an ear, comforted by the strokes of Remus' hand, the warmth of Sirius' arms. His fingers continued to cramp, but he couldn't let go. If he let go, part of him was terrified it wouldn't be real.

Sirius' fingers brushed through his hair as he shifted him, resting his head against his heart. Harry hiccuped again, his ear against his father's chest as he took in the steady thump-thump-thump of his heartbeat. His eyes burned from his tears, his long lashes clumping together as he tried to focus.

Remus' warm hand on his back comforted him and when he finally spoke, his voice came out hoarse and croaked.

"I can't lose my dads. Not again."

"We're not going anywhere, Harry," Remus whispered, leaning in to kiss his forehead. "We're right here."

His breath slowly evened out and he didn't know if he passed out from exhaustion or simply fell asleep, but when he opened his eyes, the warmth of the fire filled the room. He shifted, his face stuck to the shirt under his cheek and when he lifted his head, he found warm grey eyes staring back at him.

Sirius lifted his hand, brushing his thumbs over his cheeks. "I love you, Harry."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"No," Sirius said. "Do not be sorry. It's me that should apologize. You did everything right with the hand you were given. It was selfish of me to even suggest anything otherwise. You gave me back my life, Harry, and I'm so grateful for that."

"But Zee…"

Sirius' eyes filled with sadness. "We'll figure it out."

"I can't lose either of you."

Sirius brushed his thumbs down Harry's cheeks again. "Come on. I'm a bit stiff down here."

Harry reluctantly moved away, but didn't let go of Sirius' arm. They climbed to their feet and when Harry turned he found Remus sitting on the sofa. He moved towards him and Remus stood up, pulling him tightly into his arms and kissing the top of his head.

"I don't care how old you are, Harry. You will always be my first baby. I love you more than life and I don't know how, but we will figure all of this out, all right?"

Harry nodded, closing his eyes at the warmth of Remus' embrace. He always ran warmer than anyone else and being encased in his arms was always pure bliss and comfort. "All right."

Sirius took a seat in one of the armchairs and stretched his arms up over his head. "All right, we have a lot left to discuss. Can we get some more food in here and talk?"

Remus kissed the top of Harry's head again before he nodded. "Yes. I have to go and get Teddy from Molly, but then we'll talk and we'll try to figure things out."

"Wait… you mentioned Teddy before. Who is he? Is he connected in all of this? Will he know what's going on?" Sirius asked, his eyes widening. "Why is he with Molly?"

"No," Harry said, moving out of Remus' arms and finally feeling a bit more steady on his feet. "Teddy isn't involved, Uncle Sirius."

"He's my son," Remus replied.

"And my godson," Harry said.

Sirius' eyes widened in surprise. "Your… wow!"

Remus squeezed Harry's shoulder. "Get some food. I'll be back in a bit." He pressed a kiss to Harry's temple and hurried off as Sirius reached out to touch Harry's arm.

"Moony has a son?"

Harry nodded, his voice still a bit hoarse from all of his crying, and his throat raw. "Yes. He'll be a year old on the eleventh of April; Edward Remus Lupin, but we call him Teddy."

"Edward… that's for Tonks' dad. I like that. Andy must be through the fucking roof."

Harry swallowed. "She was excited to be a grandmother, yeah, but… she and Ted didn't make it to see Teddy be born."

Sirius' eyes widened. "They… both?"

"Yeah. It was Bellatrix."

Sirius swore. "That bitch has a lot coming."

Harry wiped his hands on his knees. "Yeah, we need to find her. I'm going to see about getting some food."

He stood up and left Sirius in the living room, taking a moment to catch his breath. A glance at the grandfather clock by the front door told him it was almost two. Merlin, they'd spent most of the morning talking and then his… outburst had eaten up a good chunk of the day. Food would help get them back on track.

He found Kreacher and Basil both in the kitchen and they immediately promised to bring food and drink as soon as they could. When Harry returned to the living room, he found Sirius looking at the photographs on the mantle of the fireplace.

"The elves will bring something soon," Harry said.

Sirius nodded, turning with a photo in his hand. It was one of Harry and Ginny that Colin had taken at some point before the Battle of Hogwarts. They were sitting on a bench in one of the courtyards at Hogwarts, laughing. They both looked incredibly happy.

"You look happy here."

"I am," Harry said.

Sirius picked up another one, of he and Ginny at the house in Barbados. They'd taken a shot together with their surfboards and huge grins on their faces. Sirius shook his head.

"Fuck, I feel like I've missed so much."

"You're here now," Harry said, moving to stand next to him. "You'll make up for it." He picked up the photo at the end with him asleep on the sofa with three sleeping babies in his arms. "This is Ginny's favourite. The twins were cranky, but they agreed to sleep with me. Teddy's only a few days old here, see that's him across my chest. Then that's Leo and Mina snuggled up with me."

Sirius swallowed, his fingers tracing the edge of the children in the photo. "Mina and Leo…"

Harry smiled. "They're a handful. They just turned two and go to nursery school now. They love it. They call me Ah-ree. Uncle Rem is Moo. The last few months have been… hard on them. They don't understand what's happening with Zee and they just want their mama, you know?"

Tears rolled down Sirius' cheeks. "Can I see them?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "I just… I want to get everything sorted here first, Uncle Siri. I don't… it's not that I don't trust you, but Healer Galibrath said you had to heal your mind and make sure you understood everything and have talked about it. I want to make sure that you're really all right before we…"

Sirius put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "You're protective of them, I can't fault you for that." He let out a slow breath. "Will you tell me about them for now?"

Harry smiled. "Yeah, I can do that."

He reached for another photo of just Leo on the tire swing with Zee behind him. "This was taken in the summer. Leo loves the swing. He's Leonardo, by the way. Leonardo Mikhail Sirius Black. He has your black hair as you can see, but it's really wavy. Not as curly as Zee's, but it has the same wave to it, you know? He has Zee's eyes. He's a little more reserved than Mina. He usually waits to see how she reacts to things before he gives his thoughts. She's more of a daredevil than him."

"He's beautiful," Sirius whispered.

Harry nodded and reached for the photo of Mina on the tire swing. "This is Mina; Minerva Euphemia Magnolia Black. Zee said she wanted to name your daughter after the most important women in your life. We call her Mina for short. She definitely has Zee's hair, but it's your colour and she has your eyes. The Black eyes as Tonks says."

Sirius stared at the photos, his eyes full of tears. "I… I can't believe I've missed out on the first two years of their lives. I can't… was Zee all right with the pregnancy? I mean… Merlin, I can't believe she was alone."

"She had me," Harry assured him. "I checked in a lot. So did Molly and Andy. Plus she had Grandmama and Papa around. I helped her with her cravings and all of that. We missed you so much, but Zee just kept saying how your babies would be a part of you."

Sirius put the picture frame back on the mantle and sniffed back his tears before he turned and wrapped his arms around Harry. "I am so proud of the man you've become, Harry. Thank you for taking care of my family when I couldn't."

Harry hugged Sirius tight, closing his eyes. "I just did what I knew you'd do."

Sirius pulled back, cupping Harry's face in his hands. "You did exactly right."

They both looked up when Kreacher came into the room with a plate of grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches and bowls of split pea and ham soup. They sat around the coffee table on the floor to eat just as Remus returned.

"Minerva's going to take care of my classes for today and tomorrow and Molly's going to keep Teddy until Nymphadora's done work."

"Moony, congratulations," Sirius said, his eyes alight in pure joy. "I'm so happy that you and Tonks have a son. That's… amazing."

Remus grinned, his golden eyes bright. "He's amazing, Sirius. He's beautiful and he has Dora's Metamorphmagus talent."

"Really?"

Remus nodded. "We were surprised too. It's such a rare gift to be handed down to anyone let alone to directly pass down from mother to son, but he's powerful already. He has my eyes and Dora's nose. He's beautiful."

"I can't wait to meet him," Sirius said.

Harry smiled, his eyes moving between his fathers. "You'll meet him, Uncle Sirius, and you'll get to meet Mina and Leo. I promise."

Sirius nodded, moving to take a bite of his sandwich. "Good."

Remus let out a slow breath and reached for his own sandwich before he spoke. "All right, where should we start next?"

Sirius took a sip of the tall glass of milk the house elves had provided with their lunch, his eyes on Harry. "I want to start with this potion that Borage and Slughorn recreated, the one that healed Zahira while she was in a coma and gave her back her heart. I want to know everything."

Harry closed his eyes, his heart racing as he thought about all of it. "Okay. I'll fill you in on everything we know."

Remus nudged Harry's knee with his own and he exchanged a look with his father. Sirius needed to be informed of everything they knew because the fact of the matter was, he had survived. Harry had expected him to die and he'd returned to him. It meant they were once more in a land of unknowing when it came to figuring things out. They needed to understand what happened next and to do that, Sirius needed to know.

He needed to know everything.