Author's Note:
Hi, all! I don't think I'm going to have time to post tomorrow as this week and the next few days are just crazy for me so you're getting a chapter a day early. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you very much!
Reviews and Comments: To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thank you very much! To the frozen flame21v2: Thank you! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed my Sirius interrogation. It was fun to write, having him come to terms with everything. The Fred, Fiadh, and Ron scene was also fun; showing how Fred and Fiadh are doing while also getting to check in with Ron. Thank you so much! I'm honoured to hear that my writing inspired you to write! I wish you the very best! To scrappy8: Thank you! Of course Sirius would blame himself for Zee once his memories came back. How could he not? Thank you! To MrsHJSnape: I definitely hope my writing has gotten better lol. My earlier work was almost all written when I was a teenager, so thank you. I'm sorry you felt the chapter was "lacking." I thought it was much needed for Sirius to really get an understanding of his own experiences and background more than anything. He needed to see what had happened to him and Robards and Kingsley needed to better understand what happened to him. It was vital to the story for Sirius in my opinion. Thank you. To Nightwing2013: I was imagining Chris Evans when I wrote it lol. It's just so cute! Sorry to make you cry with the Order of the Phoenix flashback moments, but I felt it was important. Ha, Hinny are always hot and heavy lol. Thank you! To Emma Janet: It was fun to get an update on Deanna Kane. Unfortunately she did not catch up with her old school chums as they have lost touch with the war, but that might change in the future. All very good points, but yes, the media likes to play with the words and change things around. Harry is definitely thinking about proposing pretty soon. Thank you very much!
To Read and Fly: Harry and Ginny are just so happy, that's fair to be sad to be single when you read how great they are. Nice pun there lol. You think Zee is going to be saved, eh? Interesting. Bellatrix and Barty have been awfully quiet. You think Tonks should be the one to kill Bellatrix? Thank you! To Chelsea Greenwell: Thank you very much! I had no idea that ASC is one of the most reviewed stories on the fanfiction site. What a crazy honour! It's even more insane to me to think that it's reached over 15,000 reviews! Wow! Thank you very much! To alix33: Toddler Sebastian was definitely adorable! I don't know about the Texan thing as I am not American. I'm Canadian. Thank you very much! To Nuno Neves: Thank you! It was so good to Sirius enjoying his time with Mina and Leo. Yes, Harry arranging for him to speak to a mind healer was so important especially with him remembering that he was the one to drop Zee into the grave and to bury her alive. Theo and Bas are super cute and I love them. I love Ron visiting his siblings and Fred offering up his old flat to Ron and Hermione. It's a fun way to catch up with some of the Weasleys I thought. Thanks for loving the Hinny moments and ha, wondering if maybe their kids will be accidents made me laugh. Thank you! To Finnspa23: Thank you for catching up, but yes, now you have to wait lol. Thank you for saying my writing is captivating. Thank you! To MarinePotterfan: You think if they stopped Sirius' heart like they did to Harry and Ron that it would be enough to kill him and save Zee before they brought him back? Interesting. Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Thank you! I wanted to make a magical equivalent lol. Fred and Fiadh are the cutest, thank you for appreciating them. Fred and George definitely deserve happy endings. Harry and Ginny are 100% a power couple. Thank you very much!
To vampireprincess141: Thanks for loving the meeting with Sebastian's family. Well, Sadira really wants a wedding lol. I don't think Theo and Bas are quite ready for that. Sirius is recovering well, but it's a still a lot for him to deal with. As to Bellatrix and Barty, hopefully soon. I'm glad you enjoyed my Hinny time. Our girl definitely knows how to make Harry happy lol. Thank you very much! To Sets: Thanks for appreciating my moment with Ron, Fred, and Fiadh. Hinny's conversation about the potion was most definitely warranted lol. Sirius did need to talk to a mind healer and I think if Harry hadn't pushed him, he never would have done it on his own. Harry is definitely considering a proposal sooner rather than later. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Spencer was very happy to see his sister, but I think you meant fun visiting the Kanes lol. Bas definitely would try to sneak into a suitcase to a foreign country. Sadira definitely wants some wedding bells. Thank you! I did think it was important to show the reaper who took Sirius to the afterlife. Yes, I did plan that ages ago. Thanks for loving Fred and Fiadh. Sirius does need to talk to McCraight and it's doing good for him. Thank you very much! To Maari: The Prophet does like to make things interesting. You think Sirius and Zee will both end up being alive? Interesting. Theo is gaining so much family and he loves it and needs it. Thank you very much!
To marauders_mowopapr: Time is running out on how to save Zee. Harry is and I think always will be either hero or villain in the media. Thank you! To AQuickRead91: Theo and Sebastian are the best, thank you! Ha, I'm glad you think kangaroos are funny lol. Thank you! To MABK_Potter_Fan: Welcome back! I'm sorry to hear you were sick and I hope you're feeling better. Sirius definitely needed to go to a mind healer and he does have a lot of guilt and past trauma he needs to work through. Thank you for loving my Hinny. They do just get each other. We are close to the end! Thank you very much! To GABRIELAGPGP1988: Thank you! To Arabella_SG: Thanks for loving my Sirius and I know, seeing him in pain is hard to bear. He's been through a lot! He definitely has needed to see a mind healer his whole life. You think we're getting closer to Zee coming back? Interesting. The media never gets anything right when it comes to Harry. You think I'm hinting towards a Hinny and a Theobas proposal soon? LOL. Thank you! To MotherofKatie: Yes, how are Crouch and Bella going to get caught? Thank you so much for recommending my fanfic to others. As to new loves, we will see some of those to come. The epilogues will include babies, yes. Thank you! To guest111: I know, I can't believe it either! Thank you! To bandhoez9194: Welcome back! Yes, I was inspired by Supernatural and Criminal Minds (both shows I greatly love). Cognitive interviews are a real thing, but obviously I'm not trained or anything. We're all hoping they find a way to save Zee. How will the sacrifice work? We will have to wait and see. Thank you so much for finding and loving my story. Thank you very much!
To Bellmel: Yes, I know that starting the chapter off with Theobas is always a winner in your book lol. We might see more of Bas' auntie in the future, we'll see. Sirius didn't grasp the significance of his return and now he's back and trying to process everything, but seeing that those he loved have moved on is a whole other thing. Leaving Mina and Leo in daycare is confusing for him and just seeing how grownup Harry is… it's a lot. Then adding the memories, of course he's a bit overwhelmed and traumatized. Yes, the media is definitely not helping. 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 TWENTY-TWO:
The One With Rampara
The monthly pub night was something Harry found himself really looking forward to. Sirius had been back for three weeks and Lestrange and Crouch were still in the wind. Sirius was talking to McCraight, Mina and Leo were doing well, and Harry was starting to finally feel a little bit normal again. The Harpies were doing great and talk was already starting about whether or not they could keep it going to make it to the finals. Life was picking up again.
When he stepped into …And A Bottle of Rum that night, the last person that Harry expected to walk through the doors of the pub with Neville was Gregory Goyle. Harry merely raised an eyebrow when Neville slid into the table with him and gestured for Goyle to take a seat.
"Nev," Harry said in greeting. "Goyle."
Goyle gave a curt head nod.
"We were discussing renovation plans for the building and I mentioned that I was having a pint with you lot. Pansy and Daphne are having a girl's night and he was going home alone, so I invited him out for a pint," Neville said. "Hannah says hello by the way, she's busy working on an order for a bachelorette party."
Harry only nodded. Ever since Neville and Hannah had chosen to house their bakery and flower shop in the same abandoned bank that Pansy and Goyle ran their boutique in, Harry knew that meant Neville was spending more time with the Slytherins. But he had to admit, he was surprised to see Goyle sitting with them.
"Another Slytherin?" Seamus exclaimed, coming up behind Neville with Dean. "This is getting scary."
Neville chuckled as Seamus and Dean took a seat in the booth. "I'm sure you'll be fine."
"How's the renovations coming along?" Harry asked as Seamus ordered a round of pints for the table.
"Pretty good," Neville told him. "It's a big job. The location is perfect though. Goyle actually knows a lot about building. We were coordinating plans since he helped refurbish the bank for Pansy's shop and I've done a lot with the greenhouses. I left Hannah alone to choose her own kitchen design. She's narrowed it down to three."
Harry grinned. "That's a vast improvement over the fifteen she had last week."
Neville chuckled. "And then some. She wants it to be perfect, but she's so worried about the cost. I keep telling her that in a few years, her baking will have made up for it. But starting your own business is always a scary thought. I want it to be perfect for her and I'm willing to pay the extra, but we are taking out a business loan through Gringotts as well."
"I bet. Is Ron's Mum still helping out with the catering business while you work on the shop?" Dean asked.
"Yes," Neville said. "Molly's been a blessing. I come home and find the two of them laughing together in the kitchen. She's really helped Hannah organize her menu and prices of products. Hannah's already asked her to come work in Apricity Lane once the shop's open."
"Parkinson will love that," Seamus said, shaking his head. "If she makes even one snide comment about Ron's mum, he's going to lose it. You better let her know, Goyle."
Goyle made a gruff nod, but didn't say anything.
"Pansy's been doing well though, hasn't she, Goyle?" Dean asked. "I heard her lingerie business is making bank."
"Yes," Goyle grunted. "Sophistication by Pansy is good. Business is booming."
When he didn't elaborate, Neville cleared his throat and turned to Harry. "How are Mina and Leo doing? I bet it must be strange having Sirius be back in their lives."
"Yes and no," Harry said. "They're toddlers so it's pure chaos no matter what. Not to mention that they don't quite understand why their mama won't talk to them when they go and visit, but they adore Uncle Sirius so that's a good thing."
"Poor kids," Neville said. "I can understand that. How's Teddy?"
"He's great. He's getting so big. He's teething."
"What does teething even mean?" Neville asked as he sipped his beer.
"Teeth are coming in," Goyle grunted. "It's painful as they pop through their gums. I used to put a little whiskey on my finger and put it into Grayson's mouth. Doing the same for Gabriel now."
Harry and Neville looked at him in surprise.
Goyle shrugged. "It helps."
Seamus shook his head. "Blimey, Goyle, I cannot believe you have two kids. Two! Like how does that even happen!"
"Well, Seamus, it all starts with the birds and bees," Dean began, making his boyfriend elbow him.
Theo and Ron arrived almost at the same time and Theo greeted everyone with a big smile before his eyes settled on Goyle and widened in surprise.
"Goyle! What are you doing here?"
"I invited him," Neville said. "He's been a great help to Hannah and I with the renovations on the shop."
Theo nodded. "Ah. Right then. How are the boys, Goyle?"
"Good."
Theo turned to Harry, reaching out to touch his arm. "And how are you, lover?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm all right."
"Well, I wouldn't say all right, but you're definitely doing better," Ron interjected. "Having Sirius come back from the dead is bound to mess up anyone."
"When Ginny told me I was… shook," Theo stated. "It's still a shock. To know he was back without a soul and now he's really back, it's… unheard of. Reading the papers every day must be stressful enough."
"Now that the media has gotten ahold of the story we fed them, it's a little more intense," Harry admitted. "But Uncle Sirius is doing all right considering. Mina and Leo are happy and adore him. It's all… coming along."
"And Zee?" Theo asked. "Is it true that you might… save her?"
Harry let out a slow breath. "I don't know, but I'm bloody sure gonna try."
Neville squeezed Harry's shoulder. "If you need us, mate…"
Harry nodded, his appreciation for his friends more profound. "Thanks. How is Hannah?"
"Yes, how is Hannah?" Seamus repeated. "Did you ask her yet?"
Neville blushed. "No, not yet. I told you, once we're about to open. I might have found a ring though."
"That's great, Nev!" Harry said.
"She's going to say yes," Ron assured him. "She's mad about you."
"I hope she will," Neville said. "I mean, I think she will, but I just want to get it right."
Theo grinned. "You'll know the right moment. And you, Harry? When are you going to look for rings?"
Harry blushed. "What?"
"Oh come on, we all know you and Ginny are going to get married and live happily ever after. Have you started picking out rings yet?" Theo teased.
Harry took a long drink of his beer. "No, not yet."
Theo gave him an amused look and Harry swallowed. He might not have a ring picked out, but he would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it — a lot. Waking up beside her every day (when he could), kissing her hello and goodbye before and after work, just being together… he wanted that. But she was still at Hogwarts and Sirius and Zee were… yeah, right now they were definitely just thoughts. He turned to look at Theo as a sudden thought struck him.
"Did she say something to you?"
Theo chuckled. "No, nothing more than the usual bits about her loving you to death. I'm just a curious soul. All right, now who wants to see new kitty pictures?"
Harry let Theo's words drift over him as he thought about the idea of finding a ring once more. He would have to look, to find her the perfect one. He just needed to figure things out with this case first.
Theo pulled out photos of himself and Sebastian with their cats, distracting him from his thoughts. Harry chuckled at the photo Theo had in his hand of Sebastian lying on the sofa, his head buried in kittens. There was another of Theo cradling Oliver like a baby while Arlo curled in his lap and Armani hissed at him from Sebastian's lap. He was starting to think maybe Theo was right and Armani really did love Sebastian more than Theo.
He smiled when Seamus passed him a second beer and thought tonight was exactly the break he needed.
~ TTTC ~
Pansy looked up when Greg came into the living room. She'd spent her evening with Daphne working on new designs for lingerie and having girl talk. She didn't fully understand how her best friend had married an old man, but since her best friend assured her that she was happy, she took her word for her it. She'd been surprised when Greg had come home to tell her he was going to have a drink with Neville and his friends, but pleased as well. Her husband really didn't have any of his own friends and she hated seeing him so lonely.
"Hey! How was the pint with the Gryffindors?"
Greg shrugged. "Okay. Theo was there too. Where are the boys?"
"Asleep. Auntie Daphne put them to bed before she left. She's quite smitten. What happened?"
"Nothing," Greg said, sitting next to her. "We had a drink." At her look, he sighed. "They talked about work and the work on the building; Harry spoke about Professor Lupin's son and about Black being back and his little siblings. I put my two knuts in about teething and they looked at me like I had two heads. They called me Goyle."
Pansy leaned in and kissed his cheek. "You are Goyle."
"Yes, but… never mind."
He made to get up, but Pansy took his hand in hers. "Did you ask them to call you Greg, love?"
"It doesn't matter," he mumbled. "I'm still just that big dumb oaf that they went to Hogwarts with. The stupid ex Death Eater."
Pansy frowned. "If they made you uncomfortable or unwelcome, I will send a howler to Potter right away and tell him that that's unacceptable! You've been nothing but nice to them! In fact, you've been helping Longbottom and Abbott with the shop!"
Greg shrugged. "They were fine, Pansy. Really. I'm going to go check on the boys."
When he got up to go check on their children, she frowned as she watched him go. Once he was out of sight, she moved to the fire and tossed in some Floo powder. It was only a moment before her head appeared in the living room fireplace of Norfolk Manor.
"Nott!"
It was almost a full minute before Theo appeared, his hair was wet and he wore nothing but a towel.
"What? Can't a bloke shower in peace?"
"What's wrong with you?"
Theo frowned. "At the moment? Mostly that I'd like to finish showering. What do you want? You've never Floo called me in your life."
"Tonight!"
"What about tonight?" Theo asked, gripping his towel tighter as he knelt on the floor in front of the fire.
"You went out and had a pint with Greg."
"Yeah, he was there," Theo said. "Neville invited him. What about it?"
"And would it kill you to be nice to him? He's never once done anything to hurt you!"
"I was nice!" Theo exclaimed. "And that's not entirely true! Technically, he was the arse who told my father that I'm gay, so that's not a true statement." When she scowled, he rolled his eyes. "Look, we had a few pints. I asked about your kids. He said he was helping Neville with the bakery. End of story."
"You called him Goyle!"
Theo gave her a bewildered look. "And?"
"His name is Greg!"
Theo frowned. "I know his name is Greg. Fuck, Pansy, I went to school with him for six years. Everyone called him Goyle. It was Crabbe and Goyle."
"Crabbe is a piece of shit and it's not fair for people to constantly lump Greg in with him. He's never really had any real friends and being invited tonight meant a lot to him. The least you lot could do was call him Greg and get to know him instead of treating him like some unwanted outsider who invaded your private man bubble!"
Theo laughed. "Private man bubble? That sounds promising."
"Weasley brought you into her circle which means you've made friends with Potter and his band of misfits, can you not do the same for Greg? I want him to have friends, Theo."
Theo stared at her, his brown eyes full of surprise. "Wow. You know, I heard you were actually in love with him, but this really does surprise me. I guess I didn't really see it before. I never would have thought the bitch actually had a heart."
"Funny, because the bitch always knew the queer was an arse."
"I do love me a fine arse," Theo said. At Pansy's glare, he pursed his lips. "Look, was I surprised to see him there? Definitely, but Neville says that he's a decent bloke and Longbottom is literally the nicest man alive so that's enough in my book. Goyle, sorry, Greg, can come out with us anytime. Any of us."
"Good," Pansy said, sharply. "And Theo? We never had this conversation."
"Noted," he said. "Oh, and Pansy? Next time it's your time of the month, go bother someone else."
She called him a foul word before her head disappeared from the fire.
Theo stood up, shaking his head in surprise as Sebastian came into the bedroom with Armani and Arlo in his arms.
"Who was in the fire?"
"Pansy," Theo said. "She called to lecture me about her husband."
Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. "What? Why?"
"Because I called him by his surname and she wants him to have friends," he said, wrinkling his nose.
Sebastian put the kittens down and moved to stand in front of him, opening his arms. Theo immediately moved into them, snuggling into his chest. "He hurt you in the past."
"Not directly," he murmured.
He put his hands on Theo's chin, forcing him to look up into his eyes. "He's the reason Thaddeus Nott became aware of your sexuality."
"I don't blame him for it. He was… saving his own arse."
"Doesn't make it any easier to swallow."
Theo buried his face in Sebastian's chest again. "He's not a bad bloke, Bas. He's been through a lot and tonight was… he really loves his boys and Pansy. Neville's had nothing but good things to say about him since he started helping him work on the renovations. He's changed and for the better."
"And?"
Theo let his hands slip under Sebastian's jumper to slide up the warm skin of his back. "And I think maybe Pansy's right, he deserves a second chance."
Sebastian kissed Theo's forehead tenderly. "I love your big heart, but promise me that if he makes you feel uncomfortable, you won't let Pansy force it?"
Theo smiled up at him. "He doesn't make me feel uncomfortable, promise."
"Good," Sebastian said, reaching down to tug on Theo's towel so that it fell to the floor. "Now, how about you get on that bed and show me my hole."
Theo's lips curved as he moved out of his boyfriend's arms, reaching down to unbutton Sebastian's trousers. "No. Tonight I'm going to fuck you, Auror Arsehole. Take off your clothes and get on the bed."
Sebastian grinned, his blue eyes wide in desire. "As you wish, baby."
Theo watched Sebastian undress as he stroked himself eagerly. Once his boyfriend was lying on the bed, he let go of his cock and climbed over top of him to capture his mouth.
"I love you, Sebastian."
Sebastian cupped his face in his hands and brushed his thumb over his lips. "Show me how much."
Then their lips met again as their new kittens meowed and scurried off in embarrassment, the lovers oblivious to everything but each other as they did exactly that.
~ TTTC ~
Remus woke to the sound of Teddy's cries in the middle of the night. Tonks was asleep on her stomach, a little drool on her pillow and she snorted as she half woke.
"Whass?"
Remus leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I've got him, Nymphadora. Go back to sleep."
He'd barely climbed out of the bed before she was snoring lightly again. Remus pulled on a pair of sleep pants and since Teddy wasn't screaming, he used the bathroom first before he made his way into the nursery.
Walking in and seeing his little man standing at the bars of his cot, tears in his eyes made him smile as his heart swelled with love. He reached down to scoop him up into his arms.
"What's amiss, my little man? It's much too early for you to be awake."
"Badaba!"
"Yes, I quite agree," Remus said, bringing him over to the change table to give him a fresh nappy. Once he was changed, Remus picked him back up and settled him in his arms in the rocking chair.
Teddy didn't snuggle in though. Instead he stared straight into Remus's eyes, his little hand on his chin. It never failed to amaze Remus to take him in. He was going to be a year old in less than two weeks and it seemed that the time had really flown by. Teddy's eyes were the same golden whisky as his own and Tonks insisted that he had Remus' nose and ears, but the mouth, the shape of his cheeks and eyes… it was all his Nymphadora. The dark brownish gold hair on his head was starting to curl at the bottom in a way that he remembered his own hair had done as a child and he smiled.
"I think that we should get some sleep, Teddy."
"Gah-bah!"
Remus pressed his lips against Teddy's chubby cheek as Teddy pointed to the different animals around his room. At everything he pointed to, Remus dutifully said what it was, staring at the Marauders on the wall.
"Yes, that's your Uncle Sirius or Uncle Padfoot, the dog. I still can't believe he's back either."
In fact, he still woke most days convinced that it was all a dream. Sirius had been back for almost a month and it was… incredible. Having his brother back, his best friend was something he couldn't even describe. Of course parts of him were still hesitant in wanting to believe that it was real, but as more time passed, he knew it was. And Harry… Merlin, he was dealing with it better than he could ever have imagined.
"It's good that they're both talking to McCraight," Remus told Teddy as they rocked in the chair. "I know that your Uncle Padfoot never believed in mind healers, but after everything… they both need this. The interviews he's been sitting through have been hard on him."
Incredibly hard. Remus still remembered how his old friend had sent a Patronus asking to be brought into the Lupin Cottage after the first few days of interviews with Kingsley and Robards. Harry and Remus had both spoken to him about reopening the wards for his access but Sirius had shaken his head.
"Not yet. I just… once Bellatrix and Crouch are caught and then we'll discuss it."
Neither of them pressed him on it.
So Remus gave Sirius coordinates then went to meet him so that he could bring him into his house. When the door closed behind him, Sirius had immediately turned and wrapped his arms around Remus.
Remus hugged him back just as tight. "Was it awful?"
Sirius' grip tightened on Remus' shirt. "I put her in that grave, Moony. I dropped her in there like she was nothing."
Remus held the back of Sirius' neck. "No. You didn't have a soul. It wasn't really you. You didn't know what you were doing."
"But it was me! It physically was me and I just…"
"She wouldn't want you to blame yourself, Sirius."
Sirius pulled back, tears in his eyes. "We need to get her back."
Remus gestured for his friend to sit down, his eyes looking for Teddy. His son was crawling like mad now so he'd enacted magical gates to confine him to the living room. He saw that Teddy was playing with some alphabet blocks so he sat on the sofa, patting the cushion next to him. Sirius sat down.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Sirius closed his eyes. "All I've been doing is bloody talking about it! My head hurts from Robards and Kingsley pushing on my mind. Healer Galibrath gave me another full exam that included this spell that lit up my soul… it's all there, in one piece, as if it had never been amiss. I'm whole and me again."
"And the memories?"
"Snatches mostly," Sirius admitted. "What I do remember of being soulless… it's like watching a play. I can see myself doing these things but there's no memory there, no… reaction."
"Souls are tied to your emotions as well as your magic, Sirius. You know that."
He nodded. "But I could still do magic."
"Well yes, it doesn't mean you can't use your magic. It just means that you aren't as powerful as you could be. Your body still has the muscle memory and it still knows what to do. Magic without a soul is like power at half a charge, it can still do terrible damage."
He nodded again. "There's something else."
Remus' golden eyes met his. "What's that?"
"I remember our duel."
"Ah."
"I'm sorry, Rem."
"Don't apologize," Remus said. "It needed to happen."
"Yes, it did. You protecting Harry like that… he's so bloody lucky to have you as a father."
Remus' cheeks flushed. "You as well. It's because of you that we were given the opportunity to raise him right and I think we did well."
"Yeah we did," Sirius said. "And Zee… he's heartbroken over her and he's blaming himself."
"Well, he tends to hold the blame over a lot of things that he's not responsible for — we're working on that. As for Zee, he knows it's not his fault that she was taken; whether he wants to believe it or not."
"I'm glad that he had her when I was…"
Remus patted Sirius' knee. "After you… died, Zee and I had a long conversation about it. She lived in his home and we didn't want to change things if he didn't want them changed. As she told me very calmly and sternly — he was her son too. There was a minor hiccup at the time, something about with you being dead he was technically supposed to be returned to the Dursleys —
"WHAT?" Sirius bellowed, scaring Teddy who began to cry.
"Come here, Teddy. It's all right. Uncle Siri's not cross with you."
Teddy crawled over to his father and settled once he was in his arms.
"Fudge showed up and well, between Zee, myself, and Dumbledore we told him in no uncertain terms that it was not happening. Harry needed us and he backed down. Zee took him and Ginny with her to America for most of the summer holiday and it did him a world of good for him to be there with them."
"I always thought you and me were enough for him, you know? But the way he took to her…"
Remus smiled. "We were enough, Sirius. Zee was a bonus and he adores her. He really stepped up when you were gone. He read pregnancy books to help her. He wanted to make sure she wouldn't be alone for a second. They took care of each other and when he needed me, he came here for advice."
"On pregnancy?" Sirius teased.
Remus chuckled. "No, thank goodness. But we did have a few talks on contraception and sex."
Sirius' eyebrow shot up. "Yeah, I can see that. He and Ginny are sleeping in the same bed and let me say, that first morning seeing them together… it was clear they'd had sex."
Remus nodded. "They don't really seem to stop actually."
"Sounds about right," Sirius said. "Better or worse than James and Lily?"
Remus' lips curved. "Maybe I'm getting old, but I think worse. Much, much worse. They've been caught in some compromising positions and have snuck out in the middle of family gatherings for a quick shag. Harry forgets that I have a keen sense of smell and when he remembers, he can't quite look me in the eye."
Sirius laughed. "Oh Merlin! That makes me so happy that he's happy. He's really bloody happy and I love seeing that. He's a bloody Auror for Merlin's sake and Ginny's a fucking Harpy. I'm so proud I could burst."
"I hear you," Remus said. "How are Mina and Leo?"
Sirius' eyes softened. "Amazing. I can't even… I never thought that I could love anyone as much as I love Harry, but I look into their little faces and fuck, my heart just grips me by the throat, you know? They're beautiful and sweet and when they call me 'Dada' it's like I'm on top of the whole world. They have so much of Zee in them and myself and it's brilliant to see it shining out of them. I never really thought I'd have kids, you know?"
Remus kissed the top of Teddy's head. "I know."
Remus turned back to his son, the memory of that day fading from his mind. Having his brother and best friend back was incredible and he knew that it was more than he ever could have asked for. He kissed his son's cheek again.
"All right, Teddy Bear, let's get some sleep."
Teddy fought him a bit, but as he began to hum a Beatles song under his breath, his son settled against his chest. He didn't know how long he sat there, but he woke to the feel of his wife's lips on his cheek.
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty."
He blinked awake, eyes bleary as she took a sleeping Teddy from his arms and placed him back into his cot. Tonks took his hand and led him from the room, closing the door of the nursery.
"What time is it?" he asked, shifting his neck painfully. Bloody hell, that rocking chair had not done good things for his posture.
"Just after six," Tonks said.
She tugged him to his feet and then led him out of the nursery and into the bathroom. When the door closed behind them, she slipped her arms around his neck to kiss him.
"Morning, Rem."
He kissed her back, soft and slow. "Mmm, good morning, Nymphadora," he murmured, smiling when she moved out of his arms to go turn on the shower.
Remus took a moment to just take her in. Her short bright pink hair was sticking up in every which direction and she had a line across her left cheek from sleeping. He took two steps to stand behind her, grabbing her arse in the boxer shorts she was wearing that were definitely his and then he slid a hand up the vest to touch her smooth back.
"What time do you start?"
"Eight," she said with a smile, turning his arms. "Shower with me?"
Three minutes later they were standing in the shower and his wife was on her knees. Her hands were cupping his arse as she nuzzled his cock with her cheek. He made a rather loud grunt when she sucked on the tip of his erection and she stopped to kiss his cock.
"Quiet. You don't want to wake Teddy before you come, do you?"
Remus' fingers slid through her hair. "Mmm."
Tonks smiled and then let her tongue glide over him. He tried to stay as quiet as he could, but his wife's talented mouth and her watery grey eyes full of lust made him shove his fist into his mouth. He watched her head bob up and down over him, her hand fisting around what she couldn't take and he thanked every deity in the universe that he was lucky enough to have this woman as his own. When she reached for the lubricant they kept in the shower and slipped a finger inside of him, he groaned.
"Bloody hell, Nymphadora!"
Tonks removed her mouth from his tip to lick his balls and he grunted.
"Get up here."
He pulled her to her feet and turned her around, shoving her up against the wall of the shower. She gave him a saucy smirk as she placed her palms against the tile.
"See something you like, Rem?" she teased, jutting her arse out and giving it a shake.
Remus sucked her neck hard enough to bruise.
"Hey! No marks, I have to go to work."
"You love it when I mark you," he said, pressing hot kisses along her throat.
"Fuck… I so do," she murmured as he let his fingers find her half a second before he pressed himself against her.
Tonks bit her lip as he rubbed his erection against her arse.
"You want me to take you like this, against the tile?"
He worked his fingers in and out of her, his other hand tweaking her nipple as he continued to grind himself against her back.
"Yes," she moaned.
Remus pinched her nipple and then grabbed her hips, turning her so that she was bent over, her palms still on the wall. He rubbed himself against her arse, admiring how sexy his wife looked bent over and waiting for him before he placed one hand on her hip and slowly guided himself into her. Tonks moaned, the sound echoing in the bathroom.
"Shush," Remus said, leaning forward to kiss the back of her neck and driving himself deeper into her. "You don't want to wake Teddy before you come, do you?" he taunted.
Then he covered each of her breasts with his hands, flicking and rubbing her nipples as he shagged her, the hot water steaming up the bath while they worked each other. When she came, he followed moments later, his fingers digging into her hips.
Tonks made a whimpering sound when he pulled out and he turned her around to kiss her fully.
"That was exactly what I needed," he said, ducking his head to suck on her nipple.
Tonks grinned and slid her hand down to cup his chin, forcing his head up. "Me too. I have such great ideas."
"No complaints here," he agreed as she ran her hands down his chest.
"Now let's wash up and dry off so I can count how many new silver hairs sprang up on you overnight."
The sound of his palm hitting her arse echoed in the bathroom and she shrieked.
"Brat."
Tonks stuck her tongue out at him just as Teddy's cries could be heard. "Sigh. Guess I'll have to count them later then. Too bad, I think I saw at least three nestled near your cock."
Remus slapped her arse again and she laughed.
"You'll get Teddy, won't you, love?"
Remus stole another kiss as he quickly washed and rinsed himself off before getting out of the shower. "I'm sure I didn't get more silver overnight, you brat."
Tonks laughed as she hurried to wash her hair. "I wouldn't take that bet. You're going to be my silver fox a lot sooner than you think."
"I'm only thirty-nine!"
Her snickers echoed behind him as he pulled on his sleep pants again to go get his son, but he couldn't keep the smile off of his face. He was truly happy and when he saw Teddy babbling at him, he grinned wider.
His life was very good.
~ TTTC ~
Harry stepped into Black Cottage later on that evening and found Sirius sitting on the sofa in the living room. He smiled when he caught sight of him. It still gave him such a thrill to see his father, alive and well.
"Hi, Uncle Sirius."
"Hi, Harry. The kids are in bed already."
"Look at you, Super Dad."
Sirius grinned. "I wouldn't go that far, but I think I'm doing all right."
Harry plopped himself down next to Sirius. "More than all right, I reckon. How did today go?"
Sirius wrinkled his nose, waving his wand to shut off the wireless that Harry belated realized was playing the news on low. "All right, I suppose."
Harry lifted an eyebrow. "Just all right?"
Sirius' grey eyes met his. "I admit it, you were right."
"Was I?"
"Yes, now stop looking so smug. Talking to McCraight has been… helpful."
Harry tried not to smirk and failed miserably. "I know. I was reluctant at first too."
Sirius nodded and leaned his head back against the sofa, stretching his legs out to rest on the coffee table. "He's easy to talk to and even when I go in there, not sure what to say… I just talk. It's funny."
"Can I ask what you talk about?"
At first Harry thought his father might not answer, but Sirius surprised him.
"Everything. I mean, it started off with me talking about the interview and what I've uncovered about myself since everything's happened, but… it's delved deeper. Zee, your parents, my upbringing… it's a lot, but I leave there feeling emotionally drained and… better."
"I get it," Harry said. "I was forced to go. It was part of my Auror training and well… McCraight suggested I keep seeing him and he told me it wasn't mandatory, but that he thought I should keep coming and I'm glad I have. With everything that went down after I became an Auror… Zee being kidnapped and you coming back… Gin was right, I think I would have snapped."
Sirius squeezed Harry's knee. "I'm so fucking proud of you, Harry. A real honest Auror and doing a bang up job at it. Voldemort's gone and you're just… you're doing what you were meant to do and I'm so happy that you still have Ginny by your side. Seeing the two of you, going stronger than ever… it makes me happy to see. I remember when you didn't even want to admit to fancying her."
Harry chuckled. "I was a prat."
"Yup."
"Hey!" Harry protested. "You're not supposed to agree with me."
"I am when it's true," Sirius said.
Harry didn't know what to say to that.
Sirius folded his hands over his flat stomach. "Tell me about her."
"What?"
"Ginny," Sirius said. "Tell me about her. I remember your first kiss; right in the middle of the fucking pitch for the whole bloody school to see. You two were always close, drawn to each other. She was always a part of you even before you admitted there was more. Tell me about her."
Harry's eyes softened and he was pretty sure he had a goofy look on his face, but he didn't care. "She's perfect."
Sirius snorted.
"All right, not perfect, but you know what I mean," Harry corrected. "She's brilliant. Watching her play for Holyhead is bloody amazing, Uncle Sirius. She's an incredible Chaser, better on a broom than I am. She puts everything she has into her training, into the matches. But she's still here for me when I need her, even when I don't admit I do. Her being at Hogwarts this year has just been… so bloody hard," he admitted. "I miss her every day like an ache I can't quite soothe away. When she's here it's perfect. I sleep better with her by my side and I love waking up with her in the morning. She's everything."
"Well, according to Moony, you two definitely aren't celibate."
Harry blushed. "We've been dating for almost four years, Uncle Sirius."
"Does that mean that I get to hear about how you lost your virginity?"
Harry blushed deeper. "No, you don't."
Sirius grinned. "Aw, come on now. Just a hint. How old were you? How long have you two been shagging like bunnies?"
"Seventeen," Harry admitted. "And you get nothing else."
"Spoilsport," Sirius teased.
The sight of Sirius grinning at him, the teasing glint in his eye, it felt like he'd never left. It made his heart fill with love that he couldn't put into words and he couldn't stop smiling.
"It's brilliant, all right? I love her."
"I know," Sirius said. "You're the same age your parents were when Jamie proposed to Lily."
Harry swallowed. He knew that and another part of him couldn't help but remember that they'd only been three years older than him before they'd been killed. "I know."
"Speaking of… with how serious the two of you are, did you ever go into the vault in the back of the walk-in?"
Harry frowned. "No. I didn't have any reason to."
"Did my will not tell you something was left in there for you?"
"Yes," Harry admitted. "But there was nothing… I haven't been ready to go in there yet. I was afraid it might be something… no."
Sirius stared at him for a long moment before he nodded. "I'll be right back."
Harry watched his father get up and hurry up the stairs and he frowned after him. He knew that there was a vault in the walk-in as Zee had told him she kept things in there as well. He remembered her telling him there were things in there for him in a small box that Sirius had written his name on and Sirius too had mentioned it years ago when they went over the Potter holdings and estate. Harry tapped his fingers on his knee, wondering what exactly his father needed to get him right this minute.
Sirius came down the stairs a moment later and dropped a small red velvet box into Harry's lap. "That belongs to you."
Harry lifted an eyebrow as he stared at it. "What is it?"
"Open it."
Harry waited until Sirius plopped back down onto the sofa next to him before he popped open the lid. A stunning beautiful ring shone up at him. A yellow gold eternity band with a large ruby shinning in the centre that sat atop a white gold band with diamonds etched along the side. The centre ruby was encircled by diamonds and small rubies were inside of the criss crossed middle of the eternity symbol. Additional rubies were adjacent to the smaller ones, one on the upper outer leg of the "X" and one on the lower leg. It was breathtaking.
"It's a Potter heirloom. Rumour has it that Nathan Potter had it made for the woman he loved in the seventeenth century," Sirius explained. "He was an infamous pirate who was credited with being the curse-breaker to break through the underwater tombs in the Mediterranean. It's said he found incredible treasure buried under the sea; rumours claim it came from the ancient city of Atlantis, but I don't know whether that's true or not. Anyway, he had a ring made from the treasure for his wife, Eliza. She travelled with him all over the world; they went treasure hunting together and the story goes that when he presented her with this ring, she vowed it would be an heirloom the Potters would treasure always."
"Every Potter's had it ever since?"
"More or less," Sirius said. "Nathan's daughter Katherine was killed by Dementors and the ring was given to his twin brother James who passed it down to his son and so on. Fee actually never wore it herself. She had her own family heirloom and since your great-grandmother still wore hers, they decided to put it away for Jamie when he wanted it. I remember when Fee sent it to Jamie at Hogwarts."
"Yeah?"
Sirius nodded. "He was determined and a little terrified at the same time, even though he knew your mum was going to say yes."
"What happened?"
Sirius smiled as he remembered that day clearly. "Well, the ring arrived by post and I immediately knew something was up because he looked nauseated…"
"What gives? Your mum sent a package and you looked like you were going to upchuck your breakfast."
James chewed his bottom lip nervously. "It's nothing."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Liar."
James checked the stalls around them to make sure no one was around before he reached into his pocket to pull out the box. When he opened it, Sirius' eyes widened.
"Holy shit! Is that… bloody hell, mate! Are you serious?"
"No, that's you."
Sirius gave him a pointed look. "Haha, now is not the time to use my own joke against me. That was your grandmother's, right?"
James nodded, his foot tapping as he stared down at the ring. "Yeah. Gran left it to me when they passed. It's been in my family for generations."
"And now you're going to really propose to Evans?"
"I love her, Sirius."
Sirius' eyes softened. "Fuck, I know that. You and her are made for each other. We all see it, but marriage… mate, you're only eighteen."
"And she's Muggleborn," James said, his eyes meeting his friend's grey ones. "I don't want to rush into anything, I'm not saying that we have to get married right now, but if she marries me, she'll be safe, Padfoot. Not only will it protect her, but she'll have power and… she'll become marchioness one day. The name Potter means something."
"Evans isn't going to let you marry her to protect her, Jamie. She doesn't want protection."
"Maybe not," he admitted. "But she's going to get it. She's it for me, Siri. She's my heart. I want to wake up every morning with her next to me. I want to kiss her goodnight. I want to have babies with her."
"Um, godfather status. I'm calling dibs now."
James snorted. "I didn't say that we were having babies right now."
"Yes, but in the future," Sirius prodded, his eyes twinkling. He glanced back down at the Potter heirloom in his best mate's hands. "She's going to say yes."
Sirius shook the memory away with a smile. "He was head over heels in love with her and as much as he wanted to protect her, he just wanted to marry her."
Harry stared down at the ring. "Did you know that I've been thinking about my future with Ginny?"
"I had an inkling. You're a lot like James, Harry. The way you talk about Ginny, the way your eyes light up at the mere mention of her name… Remus and I talked about it the other day and we both agreed that we can see that same spark in your eyes."
"She's still at Hogwarts."
"For another two and a half months," Sirius said. "And then she's moving into Clevedon Court with you, is she not?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah." He chewed his bottom lip. "She's it for me. We've talked about it, about knowing that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. We said that we want to have babies one day and…"
Sirius smiled. "The ring belongs with the Potters, Harry. Whether you want to ask her tomorrow or ten years from now, it's yours. I just thought it was about time you had it. I think it will look incredible on Ginny's finger."
Harry snuck a look at Sirius under his long lashes. "Not ten years."
Sirius grinned. "All right then."
Harry snapped the lid closed on the ring and stuck it in his pocket. "Thanks." Then he leaned back on the sofa and stretched his legs out along side of Sirius'. "It's nice to have you back, Uncle Siri."
Sirius tossed an arm over Harry's shoulders and pulled him closer into a hug. "It's nice to be back, Prongslet. Now, let's talk about this all of this sex you and Ginny have been having."
Harry laughed. "No."
"Have you been using the book we gave you for advice? Trying out the different positions?"
Harry blushed. "I take it back. I haven't missed you at all."
Sirius grinned and pulled Harry tighter against his side. "We're going to be all right, Harry. I promise."
And for the first time since Harry had walked into Godric's Hollow and found Ron standing over Sirius' opened grave, he believed the words. They were going to be all right. Now they just had to figure out how to save Zee.
~ TTTC ~
Harry and Higgins made their way to Hogwarts to talk to Slughorn. The old professor had officially passed over the last of his classes in January to Penny Hayworth, the new Potions professor. However, since he was working with Libatious Borage on the Melanotaeniidae Reflection Potion among other things, he was staying at the castle to make use of the dungeons for the time being.
When they arrived in the dungeons, Slughorn beamed at them. "Ah, my favourite Aurors! Come in, come in!"
Higgins closed the door of the potions room behind him and nodded at Borage. Libatious Borage and his wife, Lara, had rented a small cottage in Hogsmeade while they were staying to work with Slughorn. Borage and Slughorn had both agreed that rediscovering such an important potion meant that they had a lot of work to do and were writing a paper together on both how the potion worked and its historical use, as well as using it in a modern way. Borage had no plans of returning to Brazil until everything was wrapped up and Harry was grateful for the old man's help.
"Good afternoon, Mr Borage, Professor," Harry said.
"Ah, Horace is fine, Harry! I'm no longer a professor after all. I'm retired!" Slughorn exclaimed.
Harry only pursed his lips. He wasn't quite sure he would be comfortable calling the man, Horace. "How are you two coming along with the potion?"
Borage rolled his shoulders back. "It has been a real challenge. I regret having to ask you for an audience with Fleamont, but rather unfortunately it turned out to be useful."
Harry bit back a chuckle. Borage had sent him an owl asking if he could stop by to speak to his grandfather's portrait, surprising Harry as he knew that the two men held a continued animosity towards each other. Borage and Fleamont had originally met over seventy years ago when his grandfather had invented Sleekeazy's hair potion. A few months later, Borage published a book called "Have Yourself a Fiesta in a Bottle" which boasted its own haircare potion recipe. The potion wasn't even remotely the same, but it started off a lifelong feud of friendship and animosity between the two men. They exchanged letters arguing over everything and almost never agreed on anything. Lara and Euphemia however did become close friends and often mocked their husbands both behind their backs and to their faces. Whenever Borage would publish a new book, Fleamont Potter would immediately read it cover to cover and then edit it, intentionally pointing out mistakes and different ways to brew potions and send it back to Borage.
Borage was well into his nineties now and still as sharp as ever. Harry knew that calling him in to help Slughorn with this had been the best decision he could have made. When he'd brought Borage and Slughorn over to Clevedon Court the other night to speak with Fleamont's portrait, the two old men had been as amusing as ever.
"Hey, Pop," Harry said, waking up the portrait hanging on the wall. "I brought some guests over who would like to speak with you about this potion that they're working on."
"Guests?" Fleamont demanded, his eyes wide. "I'm always willing to talk to guests about potions. As long as it's not that damned — bloody hell!"
Borage smirked. "Good evening, Monty."
"Lib."
Slughorn chuckled. "Well, I for one am absolutely tickled, Mr Potter. Big fan of your work."
"He's a two-bit hack," Borage spat.
Slughorn frowned. "Well, that's not true at all, Libatious! After all, we're coming to see him for advice."
"Ha!" Fleamont exclaimed. "You need advice from a real Potioneer, do you? What did I tell you, Fee? Not as good as me, is he?"
Borage rolled his eyes. "Well, since you're so good, Monty, perhaps you can help us with this. Horace and I have been working on a potion that's come up in one of Harry's cases as an Auror. It's the Melanotaeniidae Reflection Potion that was lost centuries ago."
Fleamont's eyes widened in surprise. "Blimey! Are you sure?"
"Oh, quite sure, Mr Potter!" Slughorn said eagerly. "We brewed it ourselves and did every test possible to confirm it."
Fleamont looked pensive. "What's the concern then?"
"The time process," Borage said. "Now that we've worked on the woman who was given the potion, we estimated roughly three months before the potion would officially wear off."
Slughorn and Borage took turns to explain the potion to Fleamont from ingredients, down to brewing options, down to the steps they took to reach their conclusions. Harry got lost somewhere among the different variations of fish scales and freshness before he tuned in again when his grandfather spoke.
"Sounds to me like everything is right, Lib. But you're forgetting one thing. If you really did all of that and got her heart beating once more, it's not the Melanotaeniidae Reflection Potion that's the problem. You need to break down the resurrection potion in more detail and compare it to the makings of the Melanotaeniidae Reflection Potion and see how it all interconnects. There could be side effects or things that clash between them. When you add in the use of runes, well… blood sacrifice is a tricky thing when it's used in magic."
"How so?" Harry asked, making Fleamont turn his attention onto him.
"Runes used in dark magic are different from regular runes and if they were built into an existing resurrection potion where a blood sacrifice was used and added to the use of the Melanotaeniidae Reflection Potion… it's not so much the potions themselves that will be the problem as much as the blood sacrifice."
Harry frowned. "What does that mean exactly?"
Borage ran a hand over his wrinkled face. "It means that we might have to start looking at potions connected to a blood ritual… there could be more we don't understand there."
"Wait, are you saying that there could be a potion that could help counter the sacrifice aspect of Zee's condition?" Harry asked.
Fleamont shook his head. "Perhaps something that could help, but counter it… I wouldn't bet on it, no."
Slughorn, Borage, and Fleamont began to discuss the potions in more detail again. They spoke for more than hour, half of which involved Borage and Fleamont arguing as Slughorn watched in amazement. When Harry said goodnight to them he wasn't sure the visit had really done much to help. Getting an owl from them the next day asking for a visit was definitely a hopeful sign.
"So, what do you have to share with us?" Higgins asked, bringing Harry out of his memory of the evening before.
Borage cleared his throat. "Horace and I had an idea after talking to Monty and it all came down to the sacrificial element. Zee's blood was used as the sacrifice, the heart was quite frankly a front. Her heart is beating in her chest, not in Sirius Black's, therefore her heart isn't part of the sacrifice, it was her blood."
Harry frowned. "I'm not following."
Slughorn scratched big belly as he spoke. "Basically it's the issue of the sacrifice itself. Her sacrifice wasn't willing; she didn't give herself over to bring back Black in the resurrection, it was forced from her."
"Doesn't make the sacrifice any less real," Harry said. "Voldemort took my blood from me by force when I was fourteen to resurrect himself and he still came back."
"Yes, it still worked, of course, Harry," Borage said quickly. "However, in terms of what it all means, it could be more of a focus on the sacrificial element in order to help Zee regain consciousness."
Higgins gave them a befuddled look. "How?"
"Well, there are all sorts of potions that use blood, human and magical creature, but ones that are used in a sacrificial way can sometimes cast their own light on how things are perceived," Borage explained. "Horace and I believe that if we can find something that could be used to help counter the sacrificial element of the potion, we might be able to reverse it."
"Like what?" Harry asked.
"That's what we're still looking into," Slughorn admitted. "Blood is blood and unfortunately it's very hard to find something similar enough, but we're working on it."
When they left the dungeons, Harry's head hurt and he wasn't sure the visit had really given them anything worth using. Higgins felt the same when he stepped Harry near the stairs leading them out of the dungeons.
"As confused as I am?"
"Maybe more," Harry admitted. "But I do think they might be onto something with the whole 'not a chosen sacrifice' thing. Hermione and I actually spoke a bit about it ourselves, not that I can really make sense of it."
Higgins nodded. "Well, that's something then. Do you think talking to Dumbledore's portrait might give us some more insight? He really did help with the whole soul bit?"
Harry shrugged. "It couldn't hurt. Dumbledore knows a lot of things about a lot of things. Let's give it a shot."
They made their way up to McGonagall's office. She greeted them with a polite smile.
"Good day, Higgins, Harry. How can I help?"
Harry took a seat in one of the chairs across from her desk. "We just popped in for a chat. Got any biscuits?"
McGonagall chuckled before he gestured to the tin in the corner of the desk. "Help yourself."
He did so and offered one to Higgins as McGonagall spoke.
"I assume you're coming from the dungeons after talking to Horace. He and Mr Borage have really turned one of the old dungeons into a potions lab. It's a blessing that Professor Hayworth took over as he's let this particular potion consume him."
"It's important," Higgins said. "We wouldn't have asked for his help otherwise."
"I'm aware," McGonagall said.
"How are you liking not teaching?" Harry asked, reaching for another ginger biscuit.
"I miss it," McGonagall admitted. "Professor MacGregor is doing a marvellous job though so I can't complain. Plus it's opened up my time to keep up with the administrative aspect of running this school, giving me more time to myself. Now, you boys didn't come here to eat biscuits and ask about my day. How can I help you?"
Higgins smiled and helped himself to a third biscuit. "We were actually hoping to speak with Professor Dumbledore's portrait."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow.
Harry quickly filled her in on what Borage and Slughorn had said concerning blood sacrifice and the problems concerning the potion and how it had affected Zee. McGonagall looked pensive as she listened before she leaned back in her seat and then turned her head to look at Dumbledore's portrait.
"Anything to add, Albus?"
Dumbledore turned to look down at them. "Sacrifice isn't exactly a nice topic."
Phineas Nigellus Black scoffed from his portrait on the wall. "No one asked if the topic was nice, Albus. The Aurors are clearly here to seek some sort of wisdom from you!"
"Phineas, do you always have to be such a prat?" Edessa Sakndenberg's portrait proclaimed.
"Now, now, there's no need for such rude language, Edessa," Armando Dippet's portrait chimed in.
"I don't know, Armando! Seems like Edessa makes a fine point! Aurors coming and going and demanding an audience with Dumbledore even though he's dead," Amrose Swott insisted. "Seems presumptuous, doesn't it?"
"I don't mind," Dumbledore interrupted. "It's nice to still feel needed."
Phineas shook his head. "Bah! There's that word again, nice. They want to talk about dark magic and there's nothing nice about that."
"Can you all please stop talking so that we can talk to Albus?" Elizabeth Burke's portrait interrupted. "No one cares what any of your opinions are."
Antonia Creaseworthy's portrait nodded in agreement. "Quite true, dear Elizabeth, quite true! I've always said that Dumbledore was an important man."
"A wise man," Fytherley Undercliffe declared, smiling at McGonagall. "It's where McGonagall's learned her best work. Now, shush, all of you. Go ahead, Albus."
Dumbledore gave a grateful nod towards Undercliffe before he spoke. "Sacrifice is a very noble thing when it's done willingly."
Vindictus Virdian's portrait scoffed. "Done willingly, indeed! No one wants to be a bloody sacrifice, Albus!"
"He's not saying that, Vindictus," Dilys Derwent's portrait declared.
"Will you let the poor man speak?" Eupraxia Mole exclaimed in annoyance. "Merlin, it's like bloody Peeves is in here stirring the pot!"
Dumbledore scratched his long nose. "As I was saying, sacrifice is something that's often disregarded as a notion meant to admire while also being foolish. There's this old story about sacrifice that I remember from my youth. How it's not done to be a martyr, but to better society, to better the lives of those we love. No one wants to die; to sacrifice themselves for another, but to do so is the ultimate gift of selflessness. Very few people possess that quality, that strength to sacrifice themselves for the common good."
"Can't say that I blame them," Higgins grumbled. "How do you make that choice?"
"Harry did," Dumbledore said, turning his cool blue gaze on Harry. "When Xander Papakonstantinou removed that soul piece from your brain, you went into that surgery with the very notion that it would all be over in that moment. You were willing to give up your life if it meant destroying Voldemort."
"That's completely different," Harry began.
"It's not," Dumbledore insisted. "It's not an easy choice and that's why this spell, this curse that Brambilla built using Dragomir's notes and ancient runes is so potent and that's why Borage and Slughorn are working out how it ties into the potions. Each piece interconnects together. It's difficult and precise magic that requires the work of a brilliant Potioneer."
Harry let out a slow breath. "So you're saying that Uncle Sirius is right then? He has to sacrifice himself if Zee's to come back to us?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "No. I was saying that there's an old story about a young man and a choice he made to save the woman he loved."
Harry frowned. "I don't understand, Sir. What does this have to do with Zee?"
Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled from the portrait. "Have you ever heard the story about the Rampant Lion?"
"No, Sir."
"Ah, it was one of my favourites," Dumbledore said.
"I love that story!" Antonia Creaseworthy exclaimed. "I always did have a soft heart for a good love story."
"Shut your gob, Antonia!" Phineas Black declared.
She huffed in response.
Dumbledore ignored them. "There was a powerful wizard in the second century named Leo Coeur de Lion. He was known for his love of animals, some say too much. He had griffin that was always by his side. This griffin was majestic, more powerful than most with the body of a lion, the tail and wings of a dragon, and the head of a beautiful woman with golden hair. He called her Rampara and together they travelled all over the world. Rampara was more than just a griffin. She'd been cursed hundreds of years before by a witch who had been jealous of her beauty. She was doomed to live forever in the body of a monster, but Leo Coeur de Lion fell in love with her despite her curse. He was determined to find a way to save her."
Harry's brow furrowed as he listened to his old headmaster's words, not sure what this had to do with anything.
"Wait," Higgins interrupted, frowning. "Coeur de Lion as in… Richard the Lionheart?"
McGonagall's eyes widened at the name. "Richard the Lionheart is very well known both in magical and non-magical histories. I've not heard a tale about someone named Leo?"
"Yes, he was," Dumbledore said. "But I said Leo, not Richard."
McGonagall frowned. "Go on, Albus."
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Now, Rampara knew it would be nearly impossible to stop the curse that was cast upon her. It wasn't built on a fairy tale curse — no kiss would break it. It didn't matter how much they loved each other, she would always be a monster and him a man. The curse was said to be impossible to break, but Leo Coeur de Lion wasn't a man to give up. As they travelled, he spoke to witches and wizards all over the world, teaching himself magic others had never heard of. He became obsessed with creating his own spells, designing his own runes, and trying to save the woman he loved. But the more he continued to fail, the more determined he became and the darker the spells grew in his attempt. Until finally he met a fae who told him that he needed a clavem. But not just any clavem, he needed to create one of himself and of Rampara to unlock the curse's true depths."
Dumbledore adjusted his glasses as he spoke. "Creating a key with that kind of power is said to have been impossible. Leo spent over fifty years trying to find the right pieces to put it together. He chose iron because of its physical power and symbolism of protection. He designed it with an artistic flourish and branded locks of Rampara's golden hair into the metal and finally created the clavem that they needed. He brought it to the fae, showing him the work he'd done and begging him for help with how to use it."
"The key is full of protection," the fae told him. "Iron protects the witch and wizard and poisons others. Love cannot come without sacrifice."
"Furious, Leo went into a fit of rage, demanding answers that the fae wouldn't give and took the key back to work on it. He took another five years before he told Rampara that he had found the cure."
"Did he?" Harry asked.
"Of a sort," Dumbledore replied. "The fae meant well in his words, but he also wanted Leo to understand the warning behind it. Leo didn't listen and when he presented the clavem to Rampara on a chain, it did work. The moment the key sat over her heart, the curse began to fade. Her wings disappeared first, then the tail, and then her body began to change into that of a beautiful young woman. Leo was amazed, but no sooner had she turned back to the beauty she'd once been, did her body begin to age along with it. In moments, the young buxom beauty was an elderly woman on her deathbed and Leo was furious. Rampara tried to tell him that it would be all right, promising that the curse was broken and that was what really mattered, but Leo wouldn't hear of it. Determined to make it right, he ripped the key from her and stabbed it through his own heart. Blood washed over the metal and he pulled the blood soaked key from his chest and placed it over her breast and it stopped the poison from spreading. His blood lit up the iron key and her body began to revert back to the young beautiful woman she was meant to be."
"And what happened to Leo Coeur de Lion?"
"He died," Dumbledore said. "He sacrificed himself to break the curse on the woman he loved."
Harry's eyes darkened. "Professor, I'm not going to let Uncle Sirius kill himself. I won't do it."
"The story was meant to show you that sometimes the sacrifice isn't worth it," Dumbledore said. "Leo Coeur de Lion was willing to die to save the woman he loved, but what happened to Rampara? She was devastated by the loss of him. He was the only person in her life and had been for over a century, everyone else she'd known and loved had died centuries earlier. She wore the key on a chain around her neck and mourned him the rest of her life. She never loved again and she died alone."
"It was a favourite story of yours, Sir?" Higgins asked, giving Dumbledore a rather skeptical look.
Dumbledore's lips twitched in the portrait. "I've always been a fan of tragedy. I find it made my own life look that much less bleak."
"I thought you said it was a love story," Euphraxia Mole exclaimed.
"Well, they were in love," Antonia Creaseworthy reasoned. "I didn't say it had a happy ending."
McGonagall shushed them and the portraits quieted.
"I don't know what you want me to say, Sir," Harry admitted, not at all sure how this old story was meant to help him.
"I want you to know that sometimes the hardest sacrifice we can make is to let the person we love go," Dumbledore said quietly. "Losing Zee will be hard, Harry. It's not fair and it's not right, but sometimes it's the best course of action we can take for everyone else involved."
Harry shook his head. "I don't believe that Uncle Sirius has to die to save her, Sir. Everyone told me it was impossible to save him, to give him back his soul, but I did it. He's alive. He's whole. He's back. I won't give up on Zee."
Dumbledore nodded. "I thought you might not, but it's still an important story to part with you."
"Why?"
"Have you ever heard that name before, Harry? Coeur de Lion?"
"I thought he was a Muggle like Rex said, a king."
"Richard, yes, he was," Dumbledore said. "Known as the Lionheart. There are many theories as to why he was called as such, but the real reason he obtained the name was because he met a woman with golden hair. She told him her name was Rampara and said he would be king. She gave him the necklace she wore and told him it would offer him protection."
"Did it?"
"He started to become known as Richard Coeur de Lion and the rampant lion was his symbol, a powerful symbol still used today by royalty."
Harry frowned. "All right."
"When he died, no one ever found the key, but Rampara gave him the name of her dead lover and called him her Lionheart. It's said the key protected him right up until his death," Dumbledore said. "So Leo's sacrifice helped another and helped forge a new story just as strong."
"And Rampara?" Higgins asked.
"Rampara died when she gave up the key that Leo had forged for her. Her life for Richard's and the sacrifice kept giving. When the key disappeared, people believed it was because the world had finally been set to rights. Rampara had died as she was supposed to and with Richard gone, the key had no need to take another life to save another," Dumbledore explained.
When Harry left McGonagall's office, he felt more confused than before. He understood what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him. Sacrifice came with a price and even if they found a loophole, something bad was going to come along with it.
"Sometimes the hardest sacrifice we can make is to let the person we love go," Dumbledore's words echoed in his mind.
Harry clenched his hands at his side. No, he wasn't ready to admit defeat. It was only April and if Borage and Slughorn were right about the timeline, he still had a few more weeks to figure things out.
And he would, no matter what.
End Author's Notes:
(Latin) clavem = key
All of the professors who spoke from the portraits are from the Harry Potter Lexicon and Wiki pages.
Thank you for reading and please review!
