"Brumous"

"Chapter Twenty-One: The Birthday Pensieve"

Sirius made his way through the Ministry of Magic, ignoring the stares and whispers as he went. He kept his head held high and walked as though he didn't notice the commotion going on around him. In all honesty, he didn't give a flying fuck what anyone thought about him. It had been a long time since he cared what people thought. Nobody's opinion mattered except for a select few that Sirius trusted and loved.

Sirius slowed in his pace, his eyes lingering on a tall redhead with thin wireframed glasses. He looked like a young Arthur, one he remembered meeting in the summer of '81. Sirius couldn't help but wonder if he was staring at the wayward Weasley, the boy who fancied prestige over a loving family. There was an urge deep within him to talk to the kid, to tell him how incredibly stupid it was to leave such an amazing family. But Percy Weasley didn't know Sirius and probably hated him for all the wrong reasons.

Snapping his attention back in front of him, Sirius picked up his speed. He had things to do and places to be. He couldn't ponder what exactly possessed the kid to leave a good family other than greed and status. It always came down to greed and status. Percy would have made a wonderful Black.

Entering the Department of Transportation, he looked around for the familiar face of Hestia Jones. He spotted her right away and made a beeline towards her. When she caught his eye, she smiled at him and motioned for him to meet her across the room. They slipped into her office and she shut the door behind her.

"Hey, Sirius," Hestia greeted. "Arthur told me you'd be stopping by, so I already have everything pulled for you. I may have went overboard, but I figured you'd need everything anyway," she explained as she grabbed a folder off her desk and opened it. "I pulled your birth records, which I put copies in here, to get you two Ministry-issued identifications. Then I also pulled a copy of the adoption document in order to issue you travel documents. Then, you didn't actually need this for France, but I put in copies of Lily's and James' death certificates just… well, in case you wanted a copy for anything dealing with the Potter accounts or anything like that."

Sirius looked down at the folder in Hestia's hands, watching as she closed it and held it out to him. Swallowing and forcing a strained smile on his lips, he accepted it.

"Thanks for gathering everything for me, Hestia," Sirius said, trying to sound sincere instead of depressed as he opened the folder to look at the documents.

The identification cards sat on the top, both looking shiny and bright. He collected the cards and shoved them into his pocket so he wouldn't lose them before he looked at the rest of the contents in the folder. The document on top was his birth record, the names Walburga and Orion glaring at him. He quickly flipped past it to see Harry's birth record and only skimmed it to make sure it was all good before turning towards the travel documents. His chest constricted when he looked at Harry's travel document with his own name listed under the title of guardian. It still seemed surreal that he was finally Harry's official guardian. While that made him happier than he could admit, it also brought a sense of sadness to him knowing that James and Lily were not there to raise their only child. Sirius didn't have it in him to look at the death certificates in the back of the folder.

"It was nothing," Hestia replied with a wave of her hand. "I'm going to try to get the Portkey sorted by Friday for you. We often do discreet Portkeys for famous wizards, so I'll file the proper documents so that your name isn't attached to the Portkey. I'm going to set it to go off early in the morning, if that's all right. I'm thinking four or five so that you can sneak in and be off to France with no one the wiser."

Sirius glanced up at Hestia, his eyebrows raising. "You are brilliant. I really can't thank you enough for doing this all for me."

With a tap of his wand, the folder shrunk in half and he shoved it into his expanded pocket for safe keeping.

"I'll send your Portkey confirmation with Arthur," Hestia continued. "If anyone asks, I'll say you forgot to dot some I's and cross some T's for that emergency Portkey you bought. I'll have that ready by the time you leave as well."

"That's perfect," Sirius said with a smile. "Thank you again."

With that, he left Hestia's office and out of the Transportation Department. Except, Sirius didn't make his way towards the exit. Instead, he found himself walking towards the Auror Department. Heads turned as he entered, of course, and Aurors stopped what they were doing to peer at him. Sirius ignored the looks and whispers, his fingers rubbing along his chin as he looked around for one Auror in particular. With a little help from Sutton, he found Tegan's office tucked away in the corner of the room. He tapped his knuckles on the door and waited for her to call for him to enter.

Entering the room, Sirius shot Tegan a smile as he closed the door behind him. She beamed up at him, rising from behind her desk to greet him with a warm hug.

"Hey, how's the leg?" she asked.

"Been better but it's also been worse so who am I to complain?" Sirius replied, his arms wrapping around her in greeting.

Tegan pulled back, a wide grin on her face. "At least I can no longer see bone."

Sirius chuckled, his hands shoving into his pockets. "I rather my bones stay inside at all times."

"I was going to stop by to see you at the hospital, but Demelza's been anxious since the gala," Tegan explained, her bum leaning against her desk. "I've been coming to work and going straight home to be with her. I think the danger has become very real to her. Not that my job wasn't dangerous before, but I think the war is really hitting home now."

Sirius nodded. "Nah, I definitely get that."

Tegan grinned, her bottom lip sucking between her teeth as a grin tugged on the corner of her lips. "I knew you'd understand our kids come first," she said as she looked up at him, her fingers curling around the edge of the desk. "I have been thinking about the cave though."

Sirius swallowed. "Me too. It was a really nice kiss. And… I wouldn't object to another one but, Tegan, I don't want anything… serious."

Tegan arched her left brow at him. A beat later, a laugh escaped her lips and her eyes sparkled.

"What exactly do you think I want?" Tegan asked. "A kiss isn't a marriage proposal, you know."

Sirius paled. "What?"

Tegan rolled her eyes. "I think you're kind and funny, so I kissed you. I'm not asking for anything serious. I'm in charge of the Major Crimes unit since Gawain left me to head the entire department. I like quiet nights in with my daughter. I've never once introduced Elza to any of the wizards I have been with over the years," she explained, a sigh escaping her lips. "I look for a wizard who I can enjoy some time with and who's fun to talk to. But most blokes don't like when you cancel last minute because of a work emergency or your kid needs you. For some reason, I don't think you'd even bat an eyelid over a last-minute cancellation."

Ah, Sirius understood now. To be honest, it was a welcome relief because he knew there would be plenty of times he'd cancel last-minute or disappear for a half hour if Harry called him on the mirror.

"I wouldn't care," Sirius clarified as he leaned his body closer to Tegan's. "Because I know for a fact, there will be plenty of last-minute cancellations on my end if Harry needed me."

Tegan shrugged. "I'd get it. The kids always come first. No matter what," she agreed as she pushed off the desk to stand up to her full height. "I don't want Elza to know, though. I refuse to introduce her to anyone unless I'm very serious about the relationship."

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't tell Harry either."

He wouldn't want Harry to think he couldn't call him or rely on him for something because he was seeing some witch. Sirius wanted Harry to know he was the priority and would always be the priority no matter what.

"And you should know," Sirius whispered as he leaned against the desk, his chest brushing against Tegan's arm. "I'm actually leaving the country on Friday until the thirty-first of August."

Tegan looked up at him. "Because of Fidelius?"

Sirius nodded, his hand reaching up to brush her hair behind her shoulder and his fingers lingering near her neck. "I have a family holiday villa in the South of France. Hestia is securing us a discreet Portkey. Its already blood-warded so I just have to add Harry."

Tegan turned to face him. "Your eye rolling and grumpy demeanor when Snape speaks at Order meetings will be greatly missed."

Sirius cupped the side of her neck as a smile tugged on his lips, his thumb brushing against her jawline. "I'm glad someone will miss me."

He closed the space between them, her soft lips brushing against his. The spark he had felt in the cave had only intensified, all of his nerve endings tingling. It had been a long time since he was desired and he had desired someone back. It was a nice feeling to have.

All the noise in his head and the anxiety in his bones seeped from him. He couldn't help but smile against her lips as he slowly and steadily became more human than he had been in over a decade. Tegan knew next to nothing of his demons and was blissfully unaware of all the baggage that weighed him down. She was a fresh start and he could be a clean slate.

Things with Tegan could be simple. Being with Tegan was simple. Marlene was… complicated. Even if she had all of her memories back, she probably wouldn't want to be with him anyway. Bellatrix had tortured her and killed her entire family all because of her connection to him. He held nothing but terrible memories for her. If by some miracle she did want to be with him, he didn't have the time nor the emotional capacity to even work through all of the history between them at the moment. He wanted something fun, something easy, something where he didn't have to fucking think. He wanted someone fun and he could just share a laugh with. Tegan was that for him, exactly what he needed.

As much as Sirius hated to admit it, Remus was right. As long as they were going into this with their expectations laid out clearly in front of them, then no one would get hurt. Knowing she was only looking for a spot of fun and a warm body was perfect. Because that's exactly what Sirius needed.

Even when they parted, they stayed close to one another. Sirius reached into his back pocket and pulled out a handheld mirror and offered it to Tegan.

"If you wanted to talk when I was gone," Sirius said as she accepted the mirror. "I could show you how to connect Demelza's mirror as well for when she's back at Hogwarts."

Tegan smiled up at him. "I would like that very much. Maybe after we get the kids off to school on the first, we could, I don't know… go to dinner or something. In the Muggle world, of course, because you're too infamous to go anywhere in our world."

Sirius chuckled. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot. I'm going to be staying in Hogsmeade for the year."

"And I have a cottage in Dorchester if you want a change of scenery once in a while," Tegan added. "Since I have no doubt you'll be staring at that castle all day, every day."

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "Fuck off. Have you been chatting with Remus because I swear to Merlin, he's made that same joke about twenty times since I bought the bloody house."

Tegan laughed. "No, I haven't. We just know you well enough."

"Glad I'm a ruddy open book," Sirius commented, the corners of his lips still turned up. "I, uh, I'll see you on the first."

Tegan waved the mirror between them. "I'll see you sooner."

With one last quick peck, Sirius made his way out of her office. As Sirius left the Ministry, he felt a lot lighter than he had in a very long time. That was, until, he realized he needed to grab Harry's birthday present. It was something he had been putting off for weeks now since the idea came to him. There was no more waiting because Harry would turn sixteen in the morning.

Sirius made his way to Andromeda and Ted's cottage in Essex. When he hatched his plan, he had picked Ted to go with him. Ted, being Ted, immediately said yes with a smile on his face. Sirius wondered if 'no' was even a word in Ted's vocabulary.

Unfortunately for Sirius, Andromeda was home when he arrived. A million questions flitted across her face as Sirius expertly dodged every single one of them.

"Ted," Andromeda turned to her husband as he entered the entryway. "Where are you going with my cousin?"

"Out," Sirius interrupted, knowing full well Ted wouldn't keep anything from Andromeda. "Leave him be. He's allowed to have a social life."

"I'm not saying he can't!" Andromeda protested. "I think it's great the two of you are going out, but I'd like to know where and what you're doing."

"He's helping me acquire a birthday gift for Harry, all right?" Sirius snapped, his eyes glancing at Ted not to say anything more because he didn't want Andromeda tagging along and becoming weepy.

"Ted, where are you two going exactly?" Andromeda asked, but Ted only looked up at the ceiling. With a huff, Andromeda turned back to Sirius. "Are you going to your and Marlene's old cottage?"

"Yep," Sirius lied as he wrapped an arm around Ted's shoulders. "You caught us! I'm going to go feral and destroy it some more while looking for a gift for Harry. You are so right."

"Sirius!"

He didn't respond. Instead, he pushed Ted out the front door and the two made their way down the walk towards the street. Andromeda followed them out. Sirius turned around to give her a little wave, smiling as he saw her on the front porch with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I don't like lying to her, Sirius," Ted said with a sigh as they made their way to the Apparition point.

Sirius shrugged. "This is going to be hard enough to go there. The last thing I need is Andy fretting or wanting to tag along and getting all emotional."

Ted turned to Sirius. "Why did you want me to go with you?"

"Remus would deal with it as well as I will. Andy would cry. Dora, well, Dora would just be too chatty and ask too many questions," Sirius ticked off the list of people. "You know I like you a lot, Ted, right? You're like the big brother I never had but desperately needed and wanted."

Ted looked pretty chuffed at that. "You're like the little brother I always wanted, Sirius. Andy worries about you a lot. She doesn't think of you as just her cousin. You are officially her little brother who she wants to smother. Andy wasn't lying when she declared us Harry's new aunt and uncle. Which, I'm not complaining about. Harry's a great kid. I would be very honored if one day he viewed me as Uncle Ted. I've never been an uncle before. Well, I guess I am, but I've never met Draco."

Sirius snorted. "I doubt you're missing much. Lucius is a cockwombling fuck muppet."

Ted laughed. "Yes, well, I do remember him at Hogwarts. He was prefect when I was Head Boy. I think he looked down on me being in such an authority position. He definitely did not like me very much."

"Merlin, I wish I was at school when you and Andy were Head Boy and Head Girl. One year too late," Sirius replied.

Ted grinned, his hand clapping on the back of Sirius' neck. "I'm glad I wasn't. I've heard all about the mischief you and James got into in school. I think I would have handed in my badge to Albus."

They reached the Apparition point and the smile fell from Sirius' lips. He turned towards Ted, wondering if he should just forget about the entire plan he had. Perhaps there was a new broom out or something he could buy Harry for his birthday instead. Except Sirius knew deep down that Harry didn't care about material items. No, what he was going to get would mean more to Harry than anything Sirius could buy him.

"I'll Apparate us," Sirius said in a thick voice as he reached out for Ted's arm. "I know the closest point to the house."

Without another word, Sirius and Ted disappeared with a resounding crack. They reappeared in a familiar yet slightly changed alleyway. Sirius looked down at the cobblestone, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other at a brisk pace. Ted matched his stride, keeping close to Sirius as they made their way through the small village of Godric's Hollow.

Sirius knew he should be watching his surroundings. There had been whispers of Death Eaters roaming around the village ever since Marlene had been discovered and started to stay in one of the homes Dumbledore owned. His heart skipped a beat. He could bloody well run into Marlene in the village as well, which only sent a shockwave of dread through his system. He pushed that thought out of his mind as he turned onto Crested View Drive and looked up.

The Hollow was just as he remembered it on that fateful Halloween all those years ago: the door kicked in and the hole blasted out of the roof. Sirius swallowed, a panic rising in his chest the closer they got to the house.

"In and out, Sirius," Ted said as he wrapped an arm around Sirius. "This is for Harry. You can do this. Now, tell me what it looks like."

"It's… uh, it's a green book with a white rectangle in the middle that says The Story of You on it," Sirius described the baby book he had seen Lily working on plenty of times whenever he would go over to entertain Harry and chat with his best mates. "She kept it in the parlor when she wasn't working on it. But she often worked on it in the kitchen."

"All right, parlor first then, I think," Ted commented as he pushed the gate open, a loud creak ringing in Sirius' ears.

Sirius was floating as he marched towards the house, feeling as though he were having an out of body experience. His entire body went numb as he stepped into the entryway of the house and he could see James' body lying on the ground. Sirius' limbs trembled, tripping over his feet as he clamored towards the wall so he wouldn't step on his best mate.

"Sirius…?" Ted trailed off. "Talk to me, Sirius."

Sirius blinked away the tears that brimmed his eyes. "He's right there, Ted," he whispered in a strained voice. "He died right there. The body is right there."

Ted made his way towards Sirius, nearly stepping on James. "Nothing is there, Sirius. All right? James was buried. He's not here."

"OPEN YOUR EYES, TED!" Sirius shouted, his knees growing weak.

Ted gripped Sirius' shoulders, putting his face directly in front of his. "Look at me, Sirius, just me. Nowhere else. All right?" he commanded and Sirius listened, his focus solely on Ted. "It's the thirtieth of July, nineteen ninety-six. Harry is sixteen tomorrow. James died fifteen years ago. He's not here. It's just you and me, all right, brother?" Ted said with a smile, his hand cupping Sirius' face and helping him keep focus. "Just you and me. We're going to grab Harry's baby book to give him for his birthday because he deserves to have it, right? Harry would be so happy because he has so little from his past. You wanted to give him that. You're a stellar godfather, a stellar father. You hear me, Sirius? In and out."

Sirius focused on his breathing, his eyes never leaving Ted's. James was dead, gone, not there. Sirius knew that, but the memories were fresh and awful in the forefront of his mind. He could remember falling to his knees next to him, could remember how he felt like dying. James had been brave, running to face Voldemort without even his wand.

James didn't have his wand.

That little detail jolted him into action. He pushed his way past Ted to go to the parlor, hearing Ted following him. James had a habit of losing his wand in furniture cushions. It had been something that had annoyed Fleamont to no end as he always told James to tuck his wand in a more secure pocket. Sirius made a beeline for the sofa, shoving his hand between the middle cushions, then in the back, before running it along the side. His fingers brushed against dented wood and Sirius let out a shaky breath. He pulled the wand out and held it in his quivering hand.

Sirius turned around to see Ted going through the books on the bookshelf, pulling out any of them that looked even remotely green to take a closer look. Letting out a shaking breath, Sirius pocketed the wand before he turned to look for the baby book as well. He just wanted to get the fuck out of Godric's Hollow.

He took a step closer to Ted when Harry's little kitchen set pressed against the wall caught his eye. Some of the plastic food sat scattered in front of it, the door to the refrigerator open. Sirius stepped closer to the kitchen set and he could practically hear Harry's little childish voice cackling in glee. Bending down, he saw a teacup sitting in the little sink. A plastic carrot sat in the teacup and Sirius couldn't help but let out a watery chuckle as he picked it up and held it in his hand.

Sirius could picture Harry stomping his little feet as they drank carrot tea together. His thumb brushed along the plastic cup, tears flowing freely down his face.

"Found it," Ted announced. "Is this it?"

Sirius turned to see the familiar baby book in Ted's hand. Unable to speak, Sirius just nodded his head as he rose to his full height, the carrot tea still clutched in his hand. It was a silly thing to want, out of everything he could choose from the house to keep, but he wanted the damn carrot tea. Harry could have everything else, but Sirius was going to keep the carrot tea.

"You ready to go?" Ted asked.

"Yeah," Sirius responded in a thick voice as Ted made his way towards him, handing him the baby book.

Sirius walked out of the house with Ted close to his side. He allowed Ted to Apparate him back to the Burrow, knowing he wouldn't be able to do it himself without Splinching. Sirius only nodded at Harry and the Weasleys eating dinner in the kitchen, not feeling hungry himself. He made his way up to his room to be alone, not even caring if Ted told them all what they had been doing.

Sitting down on his bed, he sat the carrot tea on his bedside table and he just stared at the damn plastic toy. He would never again have carrot tea with Harry, knowing he had missed the kid's entire childhood. Sirius couldn't help but weep over everything they had both lost.

Harry woke up on his sixteenth birthday in an empty bed. He pressed his hand to the now cold spot where Ginny had laid earlier. Frowning, he realized he didn't even wake up when she slipped out. In fact, he had no idea when exactly she had left his bed but he was just grateful that they hadn't been caught. Again. Harry winced as he sat up, reaching for his glasses on his bedside table and placing them on his face.

After a quick trip to the loo, he made his way down to the kitchen to see Ginny helping her mother at the stove wearing an apron covered in lemons. Sirius sat at the table with a cup of coffee as he flipped through the Daily Prophet, no longer looking as if he was in a bad mood like when he had arrived home the previous night. Ginny must have heard him enter because she turned around, a wide grin spreading across her face as she waved her spatula.

"Happy birthday!" she shouted as she sat the spatula down on the counter. "Mum and I are making you the works!"

Harry only grinned as she practically skipped across the kitchen to greet him with a kiss. He smiled against her lips. It was far too short for his liking, as she pulled away fairly quickly. Her brown eyes sparkled up at him, her freckles squishing together as she grinned.

"Sit down with Sirius," Ginny instructed. "Mum won't let him help because he started a grease fire and was about ready to pour water on it."

"I didn't know!" Sirius protested, tossing the newspaper into the middle of the table. "I never cooked. We had house-elves! That's the last bloody time I try to be helpful!"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Sirius, you should know how to at least put out a fire!" Mrs Weasley chastised, her head shaking as she carefully flipped the bacon on the stove.

"Yeah, fucking water!" Sirius exclaimed.

Harry only grinned wider at the bickering as he took a seat next to Sirius at the kitchen table. Sirius rolled his eyes as he turned his attention to Harry, clapping a hand down on his shoulder and giving him a squeeze.

"Happy birthday, son," Sirius said with a smile.

Harry's heart skipped a beat at Sirius calling him son. It was the first birthday he could remember that he spent with an actual parental figure, with a father. Harry's grin widened to the point where his cheeks ached. Ginny sat a cup of tea in front of him before she rushed back to the stove to help her mother.

"So… I have some news that we need to talk about," Sirius said and Harry's good mood deflated at how serious his godfather looked. Harry couldn't help but wonder if it was about where he had gone yesterday.

"What's wrong?" Harry whispered, his eyes searching Sirius'.

Sirius licked his bottom lip. "You know how I left for a bit yesterday? Well, I went to the Ministry of Magic to see someone in the Order. She is working on securing us an international Portkey that leaves on Friday."

Harry blinked, his brow furrowing. "You're leaving?" he whispered, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach. "Why?"

Sirius cleared his throat. "No, we are leaving. Together. For the rest of the summer."

Harry tried to comprehend what Sirius was saying. Why would they be leaving the country? Weren't they safe at the Burrow? Wasn't there anywhere else they could go that was in England so they could stay with the Weasleys? He glanced across the room to see Ginny staring at him, her face falling at the news.

"I don't want to leave," Harry replied, snapping his attention back to Sirius. "Why can't we stay?"

The muscles in Sirius' jaw tightened, a grimace working its way on his face. "The gala that I attended over the weekend was not just an information gathering mission, as I'm sure you've worked out. We assumed, wrongly, that Voldemort wanted something up for auction. It turns out that he was after a person. A wizard by the name of Adriano Fidelius."

Harry's heart sped up. "Fidelius? As in… the Fidelius Charm?"

Sirius nodded grimly. "Fidelius was captured. Voldemort wants to know how to break the Fidelius Charm, as he hasn't been able to work it out himself. It's dangerous for us to assume that we'll be safe when our main defense has been that charm. Voldemort will torture and work Fidelius to the death to have him figure out how to break the charm."

Harry didn't know what to say.

"My family has a holiday villa in France," Sirius continued. "We'll be safe there, far safer than in England. We'll come back the day before school starts and I'll see you off on the train before moving into the Hogsmeade house."

"Why can't we stay at one of the Black properties in England?" Harry asked, knowing there was more than just Grimmauld Place. "What about the cottage you lived in with Marlene? Your Uncle Alphard's old place."

Sirius gave a strained laugh. "Oh yeah, that place is trashed worse than Grimmauld Place. Besides, Narcissa and Bellatrix no doubt have eyes on that cottage as well as every single property in England. They grew up Blacks. Chances are, they've been to the properties and know the layouts and every single defense around it. We have a fighting chance in France if we can leave the country discreetly, which is already happening."

Harry understood the logistics behind it all. If Sirius had offered to take him to France even last summer, he would have been beyond excited to get as far away from England as possible for a while. Except he liked living with Sirius and the Weasleys. He enjoyed getting out of the house weekly to visit his grandparents' house. He loved spending his days tossing around the Quaffle or just chatting with Ginny and Ron.

Sirius gave the back of Harry's neck a squeeze. "I know this isn't the most ideal thing ever, trust me. I'd rather stay here as well. But I don't know what else to do. I'm just, I'm trying my best, Harry. I'm trying to do right by you and keep you safe."

Harry nodded, knowing that Sirius had done nothing but try to protect him and be there for him ever since he escaped Azkaban. He could very clearly remember the cave Sirius lived in with Buckbeak during his fourth year, how he had lived off rats to survive just so he could be close to Hogwarts in case something happened. Sirius had been there for him after Cedric's death, waiting for him in Dumbledore's office and offering him the comfort he so desperately needed. Sirius had fought for him to stay at Grimmauld over the summer, had adopted him the first chance that was available. It's not like they would be slumming it in France, as he was certain the home was probably just as massive as Grimmauld Place.

"I know," Harry whispered.

Sirius offered him one of his tight smiles and another squeeze. "All right, let's celebrate your birthday, yeah? No more France talk. Ginny has a damn adorable gift for you."

Harry turned his attention to Ginny to see her neck flush just a tad as she shot Sirius a look that clearly told him to shut up. A soft chuckle escaped Harry's lips as he really did try to put France out of his mind. It didn't take long for that to happen as Ron barreled into the kitchen a few minutes later and took a seat next to Harry.

"Happy birthday, mate!" Ron greeted. "It's a great day because we get to have cake instead of treacle tart, because Mum seems to think that's the only dessert you like."

Mrs Weasley huffed. "It's his favorite!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "You don't make me my favorite dessert all the time like you do for Harry!"

Ginny scrunched her nose as she carried two plates of food over to the table. "You like a jam roly-poly."

Ron widened his eyes. "What's not to like? Cream? Good. Jam? Good. Add on some custard? You may as well kill me because that is something I could die over."

Ginny rolled her eyes as she placed the plates of food in front of Sirius and Harry. Ron scoffed, gesturing to himself.

"Nothing is wrong with it," Ginny replied, flicking her ponytail behind her shoulder. "It's just not meant to be someone's favorite dessert."

Mrs Weasley sat a plate down in front of Ron and then another one in front of the empty chair next to Sirius. She told Ginny to sit and she did so with a huff.

"I will make you a jam roly-poly tomorrow night for dinner, all right, darling?" Mrs Weasley said, brushing Ron's hair off his forehead and smoothing it down.

Ron beamed. "You're the best mother there ever was, you know that?"

Mrs Weasley laughed as she made her way back to the stove to grab herself a plate of food before joining them. Harry really did try to enjoy himself. Maybe France wasn't a done deal. Maybe they wouldn't be able to leave the country discreetly. But Harry only had to take one look at Ginny and he knew they couldn't spend the rest of the summer together. He would be putting them all at even more of an unnecessary risk knowing that the Fidelius Charm could very well be rendered useless in the upcoming days.

After breakfast, gifts were placed in front of Harry. Ron gestured for his gift first, a broad grin crossing his face as Harry pulled out a few Quidditch books about the Montrose Magpies as well a few t-shirts and even a replica jersey.

"That's from the twins, Bill, Fleur, and I," Ron explained with a grin. "Thought if you were going to support your dad's old team, you needed to have a bit of merchandise! They told me to wait until dinner tonight to give you your gift, so just reopen it when they get here and act surprised, yeah, mate?"

Ginny glared across the table at Ron. "What is wrong with you?"

Ron shrugged. "It was my idea! They just… paid for it all," he explained, his ears going red.

"Oh, Ronald," Mrs Weasley sighed as Sirius let out a loud bark-like laugh.

"Give it to me, I'll pack it back up nicely," Ginny ordered as she arranged the things back in the gift bag neatly and arranged the tissue paper like it had been.

Harry grinned as he thanked his best mate. Ron shrugged him off, a pleased little smile crossing his lips. Next, he opened Ginny's gift to see a knitted Snitch. He picked it up and held it in his hands.

"I made it myself," Ginny explained. "Well, Mum helped a bit, but it was mostly all me."

"Oh, it was all you, dear," Mrs Weasley waved her off. "I just gave some pointers."

Harry turned towards Ginny. "Thanks, Gin. I really like it."

Ginny smiled, flicking her hair behind her shoulder. "There's a card too, but you can wait until later to read it."

Harry blinked, wondering what on earth she could have written. Curiosity gnawed at him, but he also didn't know just how embarrassing it would be. He didn't fancy having it burst out singing or something in front of Sirius, Ron, and Mrs Weasley. He tucked the Snitch carefully back into the bag and his eye caught sight of the card at the bottom.

"I, uh, I stopped by your old house last night," Sirius said as he sat a gift in front of Harry.

Harry's brow furrowed at the words old house. Did he mean the Dursleys? Then, it hit him like a ton of bricks. Sirius' grumpy mood, the way he stormed upstairs without a word. He had gone to Godric's Hollow. Reaching out his trembling hands, he reached into the bag and pulled out a green book. He opened it to see a photo of a black-haired baby in the arms of his mother looking exhausted in a hospital bed. Next to her sat his beaming father. A lump lodged itself in his throat.

"That's your baby book that Lily was making," Sirius explained in a rough voice.

Harry's eyes locked in on the caption written in his mother's handwriting: James, Lily, and Harry at Hereford Medical Centre. Harry was born on 31 July 1981 at 11:15 in the evening weighing 3.3 kg and measuring 50 cm.

"There's something else in the bag that I found that I thought you might want," Sirius added.

Harry kept the baby book open to the first page as he reached a shaky hand into the bag. His fingers brushed along something long and thin. Holding his breath, Harry tugged out the wand from the bag and just stared at it.

"It was James'," Sirius explained. "He had a habit of losing his wand. I remember," he cleared his throat, a weary hand running down his face. "I remember that night I didn't see his wand on him. He faced Voldemort without it. James knew he was going to die and he, he didn't care. He just wanted to buy your mum time to run."

Harry stared at the wand in his hand. His dad faced Voldemort knowing he was going to die. Harry didn't know how to process that information. How his dad could rush into the face of death without any defense on him. For the first time since seeing that awful memory in Snape's Pensieve, he felt guilty for ever believing his dad was just some immature bully. James must have grown up to be so selflessly brave.

His fingers coiled around the wood as Harry pushed back his chair. He needed a moment, his throat clogging something awful. Bolting up from the chair, Harry nearly tripped as he tried to get away from the table.

"I, uh, I gotta… I'll be right back," Harry said in a rush, his eyes blinking furiously to hold back the tears that burned his eyes.

Harry made his way into the parlor, his heart hammering in his chest. What would have happened if his dad had had his wand on him that fateful night? Could he have held Voldemort off? Could he have bought them enough time to actually run? Harry took the stairs two at a time, just needing to be alone. He stumbled into his bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him. Collapsing onto his bed, he stared at the wand as his thumb brushed against the wood.

A knock sounded on the door, but Harry couldn't find his voice. The door pushed open and Sirius walked in wordlessly. Harry sniffed, not even bothering to wipe the tears off his cheeks. Sirius sank down next to him, his hands clasped in his lap.

"That, uh, went differently in my mind," Sirius admitted in a thick voice.

"Where was it?" Harry croaked, his attention turning to his godfather.

"In the sofa cushions," Sirius replied, his face tugging down. "It was always in a cushion or left on his bedside table or, or somewhere stupid like on the bathroom sink. Merlin forbid he just put it in his pocket like a normal person."

Harry leaned into Sirius' side. As though snapping like a rubber band, Sirius immediately wrapped his arm around Harry and hugged him close. Sniffing, Harry looked down at the wand still clutched in his hands. He could remember Ollivander listing off the statistics for his parents' wands, not knowing what any of it meant at the time. More than ever, he wished he could remember exactly what he said. It looked about the size of his wand, very bendy like his own.

"Even if he had it that night, I don't think the outcome would have been any different," Sirius whispered. "Lily ran upstairs, to your nursery. I don't know why. I think she panicked. James wouldn't have been able to kill Voldemort."

Harry licked his bottom lip, remembering his grandfather's letter. "Because Voldemort can't die."

Sirius sucked in a breath. "One day, he'll be able to die again. But at the time, no, there was nothing James could have done."

Harry picked his head off Sirius' shoulder. "We still have my letter left," he said in a soft voice.

Sirius nodded, his palm rubbing against Harry's arm. "We do and, well, Molly… she, uh, she met James once a long time ago. She plucked that memory out of her head for you to see."

Harry squinted down at the wand. "Can we do both? The letter and the memory?"

"Of course, Harry, it's your day," Sirius replied. "Memory or letter first?"

Harry thought for a few moments, his eyes flickering down to burn a hole into the wand once more. "Memory. I want to see my dad."

Sirius gave Harry's shoulder a squeeze before he rose from the bed. "It's unicorn hair," he said, his chin jutting to the wand. "The least likely of wands to turn to the Dark Arts. They're hard to change loyalties as well. Stubborn and steadfast. My first wand was a unicorn hair too. Said not to be very powerful, but I think James and I did all right with ours."

Harry swallowed. "I have a phoenix feather."

Sirius smiled. "I, uh, I actually knew that."

Harry's heart beat harsh in his chest. "From Dumbledore?"

"Yeah, uh, after the third task of the Triwizard Tournament," Sirius supplied. "Remember? You were there."

Harry's face screwed up. After the third task. Yeah, that made sense. He could remember talking about when his and Voldemort's wands connected. That night was all a blur, one that he didn't even like to think about.

"Do you mind if I put your dad's wand with the others?" Sirius asked. "I'll give it back with your other one once Dumbledore clears you this week."

Harry forgot about his meeting with Dumbledore to prove that he could be trusted with valuable information about Voldemort and the prophecy. His mood deflated even more, anxiety settling in the pit of his stomach. It was make it or break it for him. What would happen if Dumbledore didn't think his Occlumency skills were good enough? Would he be kept from Hogwarts and magic until it was?

With a long sigh, Harry pushed that thought out of his mind as he handed over his dad's wand to Sirius. His godfather pocketed the wand before gesturing for Harry to follow him back downstairs.

It took a few minutes to get the Pensieve set up in the kitchen, and nobody mentioned Harry rushing out of the room in an emotional mess at being presented his dead dad's wand. Harry decided he wanted everyone to see the memory with him so Mrs Weasley could answer any questions he had. He thought it would be nice to have Ginny and Ron there, since Mrs Weasley did say they were also in the memory.

With Ginny's hand pressed tightly in his, and Ron's shoulder bumping against his, they fell into the Pensieve together.

Harry blinked at the line of Weasley boys sitting in the front row. They were eerily quiet and oddly still. Little Ron sat on Bill's lap, snuggled against his chest. Next to Bill sat the twins who swung their legs with their heads bowed. Charlie sat next to them, his arm slung around Percy's shoulders. Harry's stomach cramped uncomfortably as he turned around slowly to see Mr and Mrs Weasley standing next to two identical caskets. In Mrs Weasley's arms was a bundle of blankets. Peering at the bundle, he saw the tiniest baby he had ever seen and knew immediately it was Ginny.

Next to him, Ginny, his Ginny, squeezed his hand, her body leaning against his side. He tightened his fingers around hers as he watched people he didn't know shake hands with Mr Weasley and give a tear-stained Mrs Weasley their condolences. Harry just felt uncomfortable seeing the memory. He turned around, craning his neck to see if he could see his dad and they could end the memory. Mrs Weasley hadn't told him she met his dad at a funeral.

That's when Harry caught sight of his dad and Sirius, the pair of them walking into the room with their shoulders touching. His dad looked different than Harry was used to seeing. He looked skinnier and less muscular, dark spots stamped underneath his eyes with a gaunter face. Meanwhile, Sirius looked equally as stressed next to him, a deep fatigue obvious in his shoulders as he leaned his face in close to James to say something that Harry couldn't hear.

Harry tore his gaze away from them to look over at his Sirius and Mrs Weasley. They were huddled together close, talking in soft tones. Mrs Weasley dabbed her finger under her eye as Sirius said something that made her chuckle.

"I was aghast knowing a Black had been friends with my brothers," Mrs Weasley said, sniffing with a sad sort of smile on her face. "If only I could tell younger me that she becomes best friends with a Black. She'd die on the spot."

Sirius chuckled as he slung an arm around Mrs Weasley's shoulders. "I remember not liking you that much either when I met you. You gave me dirty looks."

Harry turned his attention back to the scene in front of him.

Sirius and James made their way towards the front of the room. Mrs Weasley's brows furrowed as she eyed the pair of them, her arms tightening around Ginny just slightly. Mr Weasley smiled and nodded in their direction as James smiled warmly at them, his hand extending towards Mr Weasley.

"Hello, my name is James Potter," he greeted, his voice warm and welcoming. "I believe you know Sirius through mutual friends."

"This is my wife, Molly," Mr Weasley said as he gestured to Mrs Weasley next to him. "Molly, you remember me telling you about Sirius Black?"

"Yes, hello," Mrs Weasley said in a terse voice.

Mrs Weasley gave a watery laugh as she leaned into Sirius' side. "Oh, Merlin, I was so nervous to have you at the funeral."

Mr Weasley reached out a hand. "Sirius, nice to see you again."

Sirius frowned, his eyes flickering over to Molly. "I wish it was under better circumstances. I'm sorry for your loss. Gideon and Fabian were outstanding wizards."

"They really were," Sirius added, his hand rubbing Molly's arm. "I was being very sincere. We used to go on missions all the time for the Order together."

James peered down at the small bundle in Molly's arms. "Ah, she's a tiny one."

Arthur nodded, his arm wrapping around his wife's shoulders. "She's only a week old today. Born on the eleventh of August. Her name's Ginevra, but we'll call her Ginny."

A smile crept on Sirius' face as he craned his neck to look at the small bundle.

"I have a son who's a year old," James commented, looking up at Molly.

Harry felt himself leaning forward, eager to hear what his father had to say about him. There was something about hearing his father speak in memories that made his chest expand oddly. It was far better than hearing his father's panicked voice when the Dementors were near and definitely better than the ghostly apparition of his father telling him how to survive in the graveyard at the end of his fourth year. No, memories like this of his father speaking were something he could cherish and not feel upset about afterward.

"My youngest boy, Ron, he's seventeen months. I suppose he'll be at Hogwarts with your son," Mrs Weasley said with a smile.

James nodded. "I hope they're friends."

"Oi! Best mates!" Ron exclaimed as he clapped Harry on the back of the neck.

"Sirius has had nothing but wonderful things to say about your family," James continued. "I'm just sorry I haven't had the pleasure of getting to know you all better, but… circumstances have been put in the way of that."

Mrs Weasley and Mr Weasley shared a look for a brief moment.

"Yes, I heard you were rather… wanted by certain parties," Mrs Weasley said in an uneasy tone.

James gave her a strained smile. "I've made quite a few enemies it appears."

Harry tensed at the turn in conversation. Was it well known that his family was in hiding and being hunted by Voldemort?

"You know, my son Harry, was supposed to be born on the eleventh of August," James said in a casual tone. "But he came twelve days early."

Harry's brow furrowed. He knew Sirius had told him he had come early, but he hadn't connected that he was supposed to share a birthday with Ginny. Next to him, Ginny laughed as though that tidbit of information was highly amusing.

"So close to being birthday buddies!" Ginny explained, bumping her hip against Harry's.

Mr Weasley chuckled. "How ironic that your Harry and my Ginny almost shared a birthday! Molly, isn't it a small world?"

Molly nodded, a soft smile gracing her features as she looked down at Ginny in her arms. "Ginny came on her exact due date. You know, there's an old witch's tale that says if two people share a due date, regardless if they were born on the actual date, that they are soul mates."

Harry blinked at the words 'soul mates'. He had never really thought about that concept before. Turning towards Ginny, he saw her staring at her mum and his dad like they had sprouted two heads each. He couldn't tell if she was disgusted by the idea or not. Harry didn't know how to feel about it. He certainly didn't like the idea if Ginny found it repulsive. Maybe she didn't want to be soul mates with him. Harrys squinted at her, trying to determine what was going on in her head.

"My wife is a redhead," James said with a grin. "As was my mother and grandmother. Us Potters don't stand a chance against the lure of a redheaded witch."

Ginny caught Harry's attention finally, her brown eyes sparkling at the mention of the Potter men being goners for redheads. Harry reached out, grabbing a strand of hair between his fingers.

"It's a nice color," Harry complimented, his lips twitching. "Red is my favorite color."

"Hmm," Ginny hummed as she stared at his eyes. "Funnily enough, green is my favorite color."

"Ugh, you two are so disgusting," Ron mumbled.

"My grandmother loved old witch's tales," James said. "She was particularly enchanted by wand lore in families."

The tension in Harry's stomach eased. She was definitely not disgusted by the idea of being his potential soul mate. A soft smile spread across his face before he tore his gaze away from Ginny to pay closer attention to the memory, feeling a bit lighter.

"Fascinating. I've never thought about that," Mr Weasley said.

James nodded. "There were stories dating back centuries of lovers using each other's wands when in great peril and the wand will respond with such force and power due to the connection of its yielder. Even if the wand has never responded to the lover before, it will always respond in a life and death situation. I feel like there's something rather beautiful about that."

Sirius looked bored with the conversation, his hands stuffed in his robe pockets and gaze focused on his shoes. A man that looked like Mr Weasley and a witch with black hair stepped up to the small group.

"Molly, Arthur," the man said, pulling Molly into a warm hug, his hand cupping Ginny's head, as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"That's my dad's parents," Ginny supplied.

Harry watched as Ginny's grandmother smiled at Sirius, but he only turned away towards James. The two friends stepped away from the group. They were pulled from the memory, landing back in the kitchen of the Burrow. Harry didn't know what to say, knowing that the memory of his father was just a couple of months before his death. It was the latest memory he had ever seen of James and that settled on Harry's chest heavily.

"All right, why don't you lot wash up for dinner? Fred and George, Bill and Fleur, Remus and Dora, and Andy and Ted are all stopping by for dinner tonight," Mrs Weasley announced. "Go, go!"

Mrs Weasley dabbed her cheeks with her apron and Sirius pulled her into a warm embrace. Harry followed Ginny and Ron upstairs, the two siblings chatting about how young their grandparents looked in the memory and how odd it was to see the twins not running amuck. Harry only listened, his thoughts drifting to the wand of his father. He refused to believe things would have turned out the exact same if he had had his wand on him. Surely, something would have changed.

Stuffed and happy, Ginny lounged back on the sofa with her feet in Harry's lap. She lazily looked at him peering at her toes with a deep concentration knitted between his brows. Sitting up, she looked at her toes and wrinkled her nose. Clearly, Harry had never learned to color inside the lines as a child as he had not only painted her toe nails a bright red but also her toes. When he dipped the brush to gather more paint, Ginny wiggled her toes.

"You're supposed to just paint the nails," Ginny commented, her lips twitching.

Harry's brows furrowed as he looked up at her, his glasses sliding down his nose. "I am."

Ginny gestured towards her feet. "No, it's all over the skin!"

Harry squinted down at her toes, his head dipping down to inspect them. "I guess a bit."

Ginny laughed, loud and boisterous. It was definitely more than a bit. Harry licked his thumb and then reached for her toe.

"Don't do that!" Ginny protested, drawing her legs back and attempting to be mindful of not getting polish on the sofa.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because it'll be hard to get off! Plus you can't just relick your finger with polish on it! This stuff lasts longer than the Muggle stuff!" Ginny protested. "Merlin, Harry!"

Harry glanced up at her, annoyance clear as day on his face. "You act like I do this every Friday night."

"You mean, you and Ron don't?" Ginny asked, her eyebrows wiggling.

Ron groaned from across the room where he was playing a game of chess with Bill. Ginny only grinned.

"I've never even seen a bottle of this stuff before!" Harry protested. "How am I supposed to know how to do it?"

Ginny grinned. "It goes on the nail, Harry."

Harry sighed, his eyes widening. "I know! I did do that!"

"Merlin, please stop," Ron said in an exasperated tone, looking up from the chess board. "I can't concentrate when you two are being all disgustingly cute over there."

"Ahh, do I sense a tad bit of jealousy, Ronnie?" George asked, looking up from the piece of parchment that he, Fred, and Sirius had been pouring over for the past hour.

"Does thy heart ache for a certain bushy-haired girl?" Fred added, his eyebrows wiggling.

Ron grunted.

"Stop what exactly, Ron?" Ginny snapped, her lips pursing.

Ron waved a hand between them. "That! The sickening sweet nail painting and you practically sitting on top of him."

Ginny looked at Harry. Her feet were the only part of her body touching Harry. She shot Harry an incredulous look but Harry only shifted on the sofa.

With a huff, Ginny turned back to Ron. "I thought you approved of us dating."

"I do!" Ron said in a loud voice. "But that doesn't mean I want to see it! It's just nice knowing that I don't have to worry about either of you being with some wanker and getting hurt!"

"You just have to get used to it," Sirius said, looking up from the parchment. "There will be a day when you are all over a girlfriend too so you can pay them back."

"Yeah, but it won't be with her best mate!" Ron protested. "She won't have to suffer through watching her brother and her best friend snogging and being all, all cutesy!"

Harry's mouth gaped for a few seconds. "We're obviously not snogging."

Ginny leaned forward, closing the space between their faces. "We can show you what snogging looks like."

Harry jerked his head back, his eyes wild. "Gin!"

George snorted while Fred broke out laughing. Ginny couldn't tell what Bill's reaction was as he hadn't turned away from the chess board and she could only see the back of his head.

"Ugh, for fuck's sake!" Ron grumbled in disgust.

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "You'll get used to it, Ron."

"Yeah, but, again, it wasn't your sister and your best mate you had to witness all over each other!" Ron protested.

Sirius shrugged. "No, but James was as good as a brother to me. More than Regulus ever was," he said, his hand waving. "Lily was, well, Lily was unique. We had a nice understanding of one another."

Ron huffed. "It's different!"

"Well, uh, Remus is dating Dora now," Sirius added. "My cousin and my best mate. My very little cousin. When I was your age, she was two to put it all in perspective."

"Fuck, when you put it like that, that's weird," Fred commented. "She was bloody two?"

Ron's face pulled. "How mortifying for you."

"Nah, it's great," Sirius replied with a shrug. "I mean, they work well together and if they get married then my best mate is now family."

"What if they don't work out?" Ron pressed, his eyes glancing quickly over at Ginny and Harry.

"Then I would hope they could be fucking adults and be friends," Sirius replied.

"Did Remus know her as a kid?" Ginny asked, pressing her feet into Harry's chest so she could stretch a bit.

Sirius squinted. "I don't think so. I mean, I would go out to lunch with Andy and them during Hogsmeade trips. James tagged along sometimes, but never Remus or Peter. James and I used to mind Dora sometimes, but again, Remus and Peter were never around."

"Did Harry know Tonks as a kid too?" Ron asked.

Sirius shook his head. "No, James and Lily went into hiding the day after he was born. He was limited to who was allowed to see him and who was allowed over to the house. As time wore on, that circle just became smaller."

Ron glanced over at Harry briefly. "Well, I wish I was limited to who I was exposed to. Aunt Muriel is someone I could have done without."

"Here! Here!" George chimed in.

Ginny snorted as she looked over at Harry, who didn't seem to find Ron's joke funny. He just looked sad as his fingers ghosted along Ginny's toes. Luckily, the polish was dry by this point.

Sirius let out a small humorless chuckle. "It's like we were telling you when you announced you were dating. It's best to keep your circle small. James and Lily had a list of people that were allowed near Harry but they had another list that was even smaller of those allowed alone with him."

Harry blinked, his head snapping to Sirius. "Who was allowed alone with me?"

"After your grandparents died, just Marlene and me," Sirius said with a sigh. "If your parents needed a break, which almost exclusively was a quiet dinner on the back deck, nine out of ten times I was there. Sometimes, Marlene tagged along. Very rarely did Marlene mind you without me, but that was purely because I didn't have as many commitments as Marlene did. Nor was I as social as she was."

"Did they not trust Remus and, and…" Ginny trailed off, not wanting to say Pettigrew's name.

Sirius bobbed his head from side to side. "James trusted Remus and Peter with his life. There was no shortage of trust with James. But, I think it's just different when a child is involved. I mean, James didn't even want to use Peter as a Secret Keeper. I pushed it because I was terrified I'd break too easily. You've seen what Bellatrix did to Marlene. I knew what Bellatrix was capable of and she had had practice messing with me in the past, already knew how to break me," he sighed, his head shaking. "Anyway, James and Lily were just far more selective of who they trusted alone with Harry. Which turned out to be a good thing, because I shudder to think what would have happened if Peter was allowed to mind Harry alone."

A door opened in the distance. Ginny could hear her mum greet someone in the kitchen but the voices were too muffled to hear who it was. It wasn't long before Remus and Tonks entered the parlor, a soft smile on his face as he greeted everyone.

"Ahh, did you two snog under the stars in the back garden?" Sirius asked before he glanced over at Ron. "See, you just got to embrace it."

Ron wrinkled his nose. Remus sighed, his head shaking. Harry just looked curious, his bottom lip sliding between his teeth.

"We went for a walk into town to grab candles," Remus said with a sigh, rubbing his fingers across his forehead.

"We did hold hands and snuck a kiss when we were at the till," Tonks added, rising on her tiptoes to press a kiss on Remus' cheek.

"Sure, sure, sure," Sirius replied. "That's all you two did. I believe it. Not."

Remus parted his lips as though to say something but was interrupted by a new voice.

"Cake is ready!"

Ginny looked up to see Andromeda standing in the doorway, a wide grin spread across her thin face. Harry looked like he would rather do anything else than be the center of attention, so Ginny swung her legs off the sofa and held her hands out for him. She helped him up before her hands cupped his cheeks. She tugged him down for a quick kiss.

"Enjoy it, all right?" Ginny whispered. "Let us all sing to you."

Harry grimaced. "Cake is just fine."

"You're blowing out the ruddy candles And we're singing!" Ginny insisted. "Be fun."

Ginny led him to the kitchen where everyone stood around the table. She pushed him towards the large Golden Snitch cake with the sixteen candles in the middle. Her dad turned off the lights and they were cast in darkness. Ginny squeezed Harry's hand, her free hand wrapping around his elbow as she leaned into his side.

"Happy birthday to you!" Ginny started and soon the entire table burst out in song.

Harry shifted, his fingers tightening around Ginny's hand. On the last verse, he leaned forward and drew in his breath. He blew out the candles and everyone cheered. The lights burst back to life and Ginny could see Harry's neck tinged a tad bit pink. Pressing her nose into his arm, she hid a smile into his t-shirt.

Harry sat on Sirius' bed, his knees drawn to his chest as Sirius broke the Sticking Charm with his thumb to the final letter from Fleamont Potter. His heart pounded in his chest, not knowing what to expect. His grandparents had died when he was only a few months old. They had barely even known him. Harry chewed on his bottom lip, watching the letter unfold. He craned his neck to see the familiar handwriting and it looked considerably shorter than the rest of the letters. Harry's heart sank just a tad.

Sirius cleared his throat. "My darling grandson," he started. "I have but only one great regret in life. That is that I will not be around to witness you grow up into an incredible young man like I've been fortunate enough to see with your father and your uncle," Sirius' voice cracked at the word 'uncle'."Your dad and uncle are two of the finest lads I have ever had the pleasure to know. They both love you so fiercely that I have no doubt they will keep you safe from the battles that lie ahead of you."

Harry shifted. He had never thought of Sirius as an uncle figure before. It was odd for him to hear Sirius referred to as such. Anytime he thought of an uncle, he unfortunately was doomed to think of Vernon Dursley.

Sirius looked up at Harry. "Fleamont always referred to me as your Uncle Sirius," he said with a shrug. "I always just called myself Sirius around you, I suppose. Did I tell you, you used to hiss at me because that was the only sound you could make out for my name?"

Harry nodded. "You've mentioned that before. I think I like calling you just Sirius, if that's all right."

Sirius smiled. "It'd be a bit odd if you changed now."

Harry agreed with that. He didn't want to taint Sirius with the ugly moniker that his uncle held. Sirius was just Sirius, his… well, his dad. Sirius was more of a father figure to him than an uncle. He rather liked it that way.

"Harry, I find myself struggling the most with your letter," Sirius continued."There is so much I want to say and yet such little time to say it. I am only a picture to you, a man who you have heard stories about. I'm like a character in a novel, so obscure and intangible. But you are very real to me. You are a very bright and shining spot in our otherwise dark lives right now."

Fleamont's words never rang truer. It was how Harry felt about his parents. They were these untouchable and almost character-like figments in his mind. While Sirius had helped them become more real to Harry, it was hard to conceptualize them a lot of the time. He could clearly hear Sirius' voice in his head, know what Sirius would say or do in a given circumstance, and had a corporal body in front of him. His parents were just not that solid in his mind. He certainly didn't know their personalities well enough to even determine what they would say or do in any situation.

"My heart shattered when your dad told me about the prophecy," Sirius read. "I have been grappling to make sense of it for months now. Your parents have just been devastated by it all. Your uncle has been spiraling, wanting to destroy everything and anything in his wake. Your grandmother and I have traveled far to try to protect you all, but have only come home with dragon pox and certain death."

"What exactly did my grandparents do?" Harry asked, his gaze snapping up to Sirius' face.

Sirius sat the letter down in his lap, his brow furrowing. "Fleamont read some article in a research journal about some kind of dragon secretion that could be used as a main ingredient in some quick escape potion," he explained. "I didn't understand the logic behind it because Potions was never my specialty, but I think he was desperate to find a way to help you three. They went to some dragon reserve and only ended up contracting dragon pox and dying."

Harry frowned. "That's…"

Awful seemed too mild. Devastating was more like it. Sighing, Harry looked down at the letter. He felt like the problem, causing not only his parents but his grandparents to die trying to protect him. A very large part of him wished that none of them would have tried so hard to protect him. He wasn't worth it.

Sirius pressed a hand on the back of Harry's neck. "You are so loved, Harry. So very loved. That is your biggest strength. We love you so much, Harry, and I know that I won't have to worry about you after I'm gone. I know your parents and your godparents will protect you. I know that they will unravel this entire prophecy mess, that they will be able to find a way to defeat Lord Voldemort and keep you safe from harm."

Harry's heart sank even deeper, like an anchor plummeting to the bottom of the sea. His grandfather had been wrong. The only person Harry had left was Sirius. While Harry knew Sirius would do everything in his power to protect him, Harry couldn't help but wish he had both parents and both godparents by his side. Harry had exchanged a few letters with Marlene in the past month, but he wasn't anywhere near as close to her like he was with Sirius. Without her memories, Harry didn't have high hopes that they'd ever be very close.

"I hope by the time you read this, that Lord Voldemort is nothing but a distant nightmare," Sirius continued reading. "But if he is not, you need to know that evil never prevails. Good always wins. You will win. You all will win. Of that, I have no doubt."

Harry's bottom lip slid between his teeth. "Do you think he's right? That good always prevails and we'll win?"

Sirius stiffened next to him. "I think we have to hope it does."

Harry leaned into Sirius' side, his eyes closing shut.

"I have warned your father of being too trusting in dark times," Sirius read. "Family should be the only ones you truly rely on. I have warned your uncle about letting his anger consume him as it has in the past. I have asked your mother to watch out for all of you, to be the strength that you all so desperately need. I ask you, Harry, to keep the family together. You are what they are all fighting for, you are the beacon in the fog, you are the Sticking Charm that will hold the Potter family together."

Except, Harry wasn't. He had destroyed his family by merely just existing. That was the most painful realization of all.

"I have cherished the few short months I was able to spend with you," Sirius barreled on. "You were more than I could have ever hoped for. Don't worry, Harry, the ones that love us never truly leave us. You can always find us in your heart. Your grandmother and I will always be with you, watching over you and guiding you in these uncertain times. With all my love, your grandfather."

Harry opened his eyes, his gaze lingering on the letter in Sirius' lap.

"You said that to me before," Harry whispered. "About the ones who love us never truly leaving us."

Sirius nodded. "Fleamont said it to me when my Uncle Alphard died. I didn't even know he had died at first. Fleamont read about it in the paper and came to the flat I was living at with James at the time. He said that to me and it stuck with me even after all these years," he explained before he pressed a kiss onto the top of Harry's head. "All right, you need to get to bed. It's getting late."

Harry nodded before he stood up. Sirius rose from his spot on the bed as well, holding out the letter to Harry. He accepted it, the parchment feeling heavy in his hand. A lump lodged in his throat as he stared at his name. Sirius smiled as he pulled Harry into an embrace.

"I love you, Harry," Sirius whispered, tightening his grip around Harry. "Happy birthday."

Harry screwed his eyes shut, his face burrowing into the crook of his godfather's neck. "I love you too, Sirius."

It felt so, so, so good to say those words. He knew he meant them with every single fiber of his being. Sirius was his family, his home. For as long as Harry could remember, he had always hoped for a family to take him away from the Dursleys and that would love him as unconditionally as his aunt and uncle loved Dudley. He finally had that with Sirius. With a sniff, Sirius pulled back. He looked a tad bit teary eyed as he cupped Harry's face with his hands.

"We're going to Hogwarts tomorrow," Sirius explained. "So you should go get a good night's rest."

Harry nodded. "Do you think I'm ready?"

Sirius offered him a watery grin. "I think you'll do amazing, Harry. You've done so well and I am so proud of you."

A weight lifted off Harry's shoulder, a smile creeping on his lips. With one final goodnight, Harry made his way out of Sirius' bedroom and turned to his door. He froze when he noticed the bracelet on his wrist, knowing Sirius forgot to activate it. He hesitated for a few moments, knowing he should go back to tell his godfather about it. Biting the inside of his cheek, his gaze dropped to the letter and he decided to make a small detour before he went back to his godfather's room. It wasn't like Sirius would actually go to bed. He'd probably head down to the kitchens because somehow, Sirius could function with only a few measly hours of sleep. Harry suspected it had something to do with the copious amounts of coffee Sirius drank in a day.

Harry crept down the stairs as quietly as he could. He stopped on the landing on the first floor, his gaze focused on Ginny's bedroom door. A light shone from the bottom of the door, so Harry knew she was still up. Without hesitation, he opened the door to her bedroom without knocking just like she had done to him night after night after night.

Harry darted into the room quickly, closing the door behind him. Ginny jumped before a wide grin crossed her face and she tossed a bit of parchment and a quill onto her bedside table. Harry moved into the room, the letter still clutched in his hand, as he made his way to the bed.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked, sitting up straight in bed.

Harry sat down in front of her and gave her a shrug. "I told you about my grandfather's letters he wrote to everyone before he died, right?"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, you did."

"Well, Sirius and I just finished the last one. It was to me," Harry explained lamely as he held out the letter to her.

Ginny accepted the letter but didn't open it. "You want me to read it?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Harry assured her.

"No, no, it's not that, Harry," Ginny insisted, her hand reaching out to touch his knee. "I just wanted to double check before I read it."

"It just… I guess, it upset me more than the other ones," Harry admitted, feeling very odd to be acknowledging such a thing. "I'm not exactly sure why."

Ginny searched his eyes, her thumb brushing along his knee. "Could it be because, well, because you never had the opportunity to meet him properly but he met you?"

Harry sighed. "I don't know. It's just… he talks in his letter like he knows me but I don't know him. He knew things about my life that I don't even know yet. It was like he could, I don't know, this is going to sound so stupid, but it was almost like he knew exactly what I would be thinking when I would read his letter."

Ginny's hand left his knee and grabbed at his hand. She pulled on his arm, her head gesturing for him to come sit next to her. He did so without hesitation, his back pressing against her headboard. She snuggled up to his side and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his cheek pressing against her head. She unfolded the letter and Harry stared at the words my darling grandson and his chest clenched.

The silence dragged between them as she read. Harry found himself playing with a strand of her hair, twirling it around his index finger as he waited impatiently for her to finish.

"Oh, Harry, he loved you so much," Ginny said finally in a sad tone.

Harry swallowed. "You think?"

"I don't think, I bloody well know. It's all right here, in writing," Ginny explained as she pulled away from him so they could look at one another. "I think what you're feeling is longing. You're sad you never got to know him or your grandmother or your parents. That's… it's such a crime, Harry."

"I have Sirius though," Harry whispered, tears burning his eyes. "Shouldn't he be enough?"

Ginny fumbled for his hand, her eyes never leaving his. She squeezed his fingers tightly.

"You can still love Sirius while also missing what you could have had," Ginny reasoned. "You can appreciate that Sirius is trying to fill the void of father and mother and grandfather and grandmother and whatever else on top of being the best godfather he can be. He's all of those roles rolled up into one, and that's pretty great that he's trying so hard to be all of those people for you. But it's all right to wish that you had those actual people here with you and with him. I'm sure Sirius wishes more than anything to have them here too."

"Yeah…" Harry whispered, a lone tear escaping his eye.

"It doesn't mean you love Sirius any less or that he loves you any less," Ginny continued, her free hand reaching up to brush away the wetness from his face with a soft smile.

"Thanks, Ginny," Harry said in a sincere voice, the lump leaving his throat.

She leaned forward, her lips pressing against his cheek. "You two are not alone, you know that, right? I think the Tonkses have all but adopted the two of you. Remus is always looking out for both of you. Ron has disowned me and declared you his official brother," Ginny said as Harry chuckled. "The twins ignore my very existence to greet you. Mum and Dad love you both. I know it might not be the family you want, but I think it's a pretty great family."

Harry shot her a lopsided smile. "You know, you're my family too… in a non-weird or creepy way," he said but then winced because that sounded all kinds of wrong. "You know what, forget I said anything."

Ginny laughed as she leaned into his chest. "No, I know what you mean. I'm here for you, Harry. Whenever. Wherever."

Harry swallowed, his forehead connecting with hers. "I don't want to go to France and leave you."

She smiled. "I know. But we'll be together soon enough. In the meantime, I'll scheme how I'm going to sneak into your dorm to sleep with you every night."

Harry laughed, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Ron may very well kill us."

"Well, at least we'll die together then," Ginny replied in a lighthearted tone.

"If one goes down, so does the other," Harry added before his lips met hers.

Ginny pressed herself even closer to him, their bodies molding together perfectly. Harry felt impossibly lighter. He couldn't help but wonder why he never thought to actually talk about his feelings before. But it was easy with Ginny, so impossibly easy. He couldn't help but wish he had noticed her a bit sooner than he had. He could have felt this wonderful for years.

I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter after the small hiatus. I hope everyone had a great holiday who celebrates! Next up France! Don't forget to drop a review. They motivate me to keep writing and they just plan make my weekend. Share some love.

Special thanks to Bell for always being a rockstar when it comes to editing.