"This... is – was my room," Grace said as she pulled Sirius into her old bedroom. She still would sleep there when she stayed overnight, but it was exactly how it was when she was ten. After Grace told her mother about how she found out the truth, and then her, Sirius and Remus then told her mother about how they all found out the truth about Sirius' innocence, they finally had lunch. Grace thought it was nice, sitting down with her mum, Remus and her dad, all of them together.

Sirius took a step into the room and looked around. The walls were a light pink, but her ceiling was a dark midnight color, with twinkling stars. There were some bookshelves that was full of books, most of them were children's books. He noticed a few photos scattered around the room, all of which were of her and Remus. He picked one up from beside her bed and stared at it. He watched as a little Grace, who couldn't be more than five years old, waved at the camera on top of Remus' shoulders, they were outside and covered in snow. There were so many photos just like that one around the house. He placed the frame back on the bedside table as he sat on her bed, and he noticed a familiar blanket that was folded neatly at the end of her bed. He smiled as he reached for it.

It's lost most of it's softness, but he held it gently as he traced the little gold snitch pattern of the fabric. "You still have this..." he whispered, feeling something in his throat swell.

"Huh?" she asked, turning to him and she frowned, watching him cradle an old blanket in his hand.

"This blanket... you still have it," he smiled sadly, running his thumbs over the worn fabric.

"Oh, yeah!" she nodded with a smile as she sat beside him. "It was my favorite blanket, I wanted to take it with me when we moved but Mum wouldn't let me," she told him. Grace looked at him, and her smile fell when she noticed the glossy look in his eyes. "Dad?"

"Sorry," he whispered, shaking his head as he blinked. "I just... I didn't think you would still have this. I – I bought you this, shortly after you were born. Your mum thought it was too big for you, but I said you would grow into it and it was the last one at the shop, I had to get it for you," he chuckled at the memory. "I used to buy you so many things just because when I saw them, I thought of you."

"Really?" Grace smiled, and he nodded.

"Bought you your first broom. When I brought that home, your mum nearly lost it. I assured her that they were safe, they don't hover more than a few inches from the ground. When you got on it, you were zooming around the house, laughing so loud and squealing..." Sirius laughed, and then his smile fell. "Bout one of the few firsts I had with you," he sighed sadly.

"What were the other ones?" she asked carefully.

"I saw your first steps," he answered, smiling at her. "You were crawling one minute, and then you climbed up to your feet using my trousers and we couldn't keep you still after that. You were walking all over the house," he told her, chuckling. "Your first Christmas, oh you loved all the lights and the decorations. Then there was your first birthday... Lily baked you a cake that you smashed your little face in before we could even sing you happy birthday," Sirius laughed, and Grace found herself smiling too. "The first word you ever said was 'dada' and I never felt prouder than I did in that moment." Then the smile slipped from his face. "After that... the world started becoming too dark... and I missed the rest of your firsts."

"Not all of them," she whispered as she leaned into his side. "You were the first person I told that I fancy a boy for the first time," she told him, and Sirius smiled awkwardly.

"I was a dog."

"I still told you, no one else knew."

"Finding out my daughter fancies my godson wasn't on a list of firsts I had in mind," he said lightly and she laughed. "How did that happen, by the way?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "It just... sort of happened? It crept up on me and I didn't realize it until well... I told you."

"Well, I missed twelve years of firsts, I can't be particular on what firsts I can get, now can I?" he teased lightly, but there was that little bit of bitterness and regret in his voice.

"How about," she started, turning to him with a smile. "For every new first I have or experience, you'll be the first person I tell?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," he smiled at her, "but if any of them are with boys, please keep the details to a minimum. A simple tell is all I will need to know. I don't really like the idea of my little girl dating." Grace blinked at him, then she started laughing, then Sirius started laughing.

"Hey," their laughter faded when they looked up at saw Helena leaning against the door frame. "Time to go, Gracia."

"It's not even dinner time-"

"Gracia."

"Why can't we stay here?" Helena paused, not having an answer.

"We've been here all afternoon-"

"But Dad's coming with us, right?" she asked, looking from her mother to her father. "You are coming with us, aren't you?" Sirius paused, his lips parting as he stared at Grace, then turned to Helena, then back to Grace.

"Grace... I don't think-" he started gently but she shook her head.

"We're a family. All four of us! We're a family-"

"Gracia," Helena started but Grace stood up, shaking her head.

"But dad's innocent, we can be a family again-"

"Love, it's not that simple," Sirius started softly, giving her a sad look. He wanted nothing more than to go with them, to be with them, but he couldn't.

"Yes it is," she said to him. "We have an extra room! You can stay there if you don't feel comfortable sharing a room with Mum!"

"Grace, I can't go home with you two," Sirius told her gently.

"But what about as Snuffles?" she asked, and he shook his head. She stared at them in disbelief. "What's the point of finally having my family if we can't be one!" She shouted, pushing past them and running downstairs. She pushed past Remus as she ran outside.

"Grace! Gracie!" Remus called after her. He turned and saw Helena and Sirius making their way down the stairs. "What happened?"

"I told her it was time to go," Helena started and Remus sighed, shaking his head. "She-"

"She thought I was going with them," Sirius sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "When I told her I wasn't and she got upset."

"Well of course she did," Remus rolled his eyes, setting his tea cup on the coffee table. "To her, her father is back, her mother knows the truth, she thinks things will be as they're supposed to. You two may have gotten older, but you're both still tackless."

"She should've known that Sirius wouldn't come home with us," Helena sighed, rolling her eyes.

"How could she if the two of you haven't even discussed how to move forward yet?" Remus asked, narrowing his eyes at her. "You're taking the first chance you can get to run away from your problems, Helena."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are! Instead of asking to talk to Sirius about whats next, you're deciding to take Grace and leave! What were you going to tell her tomorrow when she asks to see him?" Helena opened her mouth, then closed it when she didn't have an answer. "Exactly. Now, I'm going to go talk to her while the two of you talk and figure out what to do next, likeadults," Remus rolled his eyes. "Still after all these years," he muttered under his breath.

Remus knew exactly where Grace was, and it only took him a few minutes to get there. He knocked on the little door, and when he heard a muffled 'come in' he opened it and climbed into her tree house. "Gracie..." he said softly as he sat next to her on her little sofa, and wrapped an arm around her.

"I thought we were all going to finally be a family," she cried, and Remus pulled her closer.

"I know, but... Grace, you've got to understand that almost thirteen years have passed since they last saw each other."

"But they love each other, don't they?" she asked innocently, looking at him. "I-I know Mum only filed for divorce because she thought he was guilty..."

"Grace, your mother isn't the same person she was thirteen years ago, and neither is your father. They can't pick up where they left off, and you can't expect them to. Sirius... he spent twelve years in Azkaban, that alone will haunt him and he may never recover from it," Remus told her gently. "I know he would want nothing more than to be with you, but him not staying with you and your mother is his way of protecting you..."

"Protecting me from what?"

"Himself," Remus admitted sadly. "He...he doesn't do well at night, Gracie. He doesn't want you to see that and he doesn't want you to worry about him."

"He's my dad...of course I worry about him," she mumbled, and Remus smiled at her.

"I know, and he knows but... it's different for him. When you have children of your own one day, you will understand," Grace rolled her eyes at him as she wiped her cheeks. "Your parents need to talk it out, and navigate how to go forward. It's going to be rocky at first, because both of your parents are stubborn mules," Remus scoffed and Grace felt herself smiling. "Give them some time, Gracie, they'll figure it out."

"If Mum even lets me see Dad," she grumbled. Remus wanted to tell her that she was being silly, that of course Helena would let her see Sirius... but the Helena that he knew, that he watched changed over the years, would limit Grace's time with Sirius. Or, she would finally see it as an out, and leave Grace with Sirius. It could go either way.

"Sirius won't let her keep you from him," Remus assured her. "No matter what demons he faces in the night, he won't let her keep you from him. He risked the dementors for you, Grace, he'd fight for you." Grace smiled smally, knowing Remus was right.

"Do you think... do you think they'd ever try again?" she asked. "You know, be together?"

"I don't know," he answered her honestly. "Helena isn't the same person she was back when they were married... and Sirius well... he's lost so much of himself, he needs time to remember how to be himself again."

"But they love each other..." she said and then frowned. "Right?"

Remus didn't answer her right away, because he didn't know. He knew fourteen years ago they were in love; they were madly in love. However, he wondered if Sirius had never been framed, would they have stayed together? Helena had dreams and aspirations to travel, to learn the unknown, and discover worldly secrets, she was structured and made plans; while Sirius, he was so impulsive and lived life on the edge – no – he was like that before Helena got pregnant. They were polar opposites, but he saw that was what had attracted them to each other. Helena liked the thrill of Sirius' spontaneity, while he loved to show her new things and experiences. They thrived off that in their youth. They made plans to go places, and do things once the war was over, and wanted to experience all life had to offer while they could. Even James and Lily had reservations about Sirius and Helena getting married so fresh out Hogwarts, they had only waited six months before getting hitched. Then he remembered the night everything had changed between them. He remembered the snark remarks, the butting heads, the constant arguing and the horrible fights.

Many times Sirius had came to him and James, angry about Helena and her inability to compromise. He wanted a family, she didn't. She was the youngest of four children, and she had no desire to be a family person. 'I want to be the fun aunt! I get to spoil all of my nephews rotten!' he remembered her saying after she had found out that her sister had her twin sons in their seventh year at Hogwarts. Like every other seventeen year old, none of them thought about being parents, especially when they noticed the atmosphere of the world around them. However, he couldn't blame Sirius for being upset about finding out that the woman he loves didn't want a family. 'She won't even think about the idea of having children one day! What was the point of us getting married if we can't have a family?!' Sirius had once said.

Then Remus remembered when Helena found out she was pregnant. It was a surprise to everyone, but more so for her because she didn't want children. She didn't think that Sirius would want children that soon either, but he couldn't forget the look on her face when she told Sirius, and Sirius was so happy that he fell to his knees and loved on her stomach. 'a little star this one is! A bit of light in this dark world' is what Sirius had said, and Remus could never forget the guilty, broken look in Helena's eyes when she realized she couldn't take the one thing Sirius was clutching on to.

So he wondered if Sirius had never been framed... would they have stayed together, or would they have realized they weren't compatible anymore? Would they have had a messy divorce? Or a mutual one? Would they have shared custody of Grace? Or would Sirius have had full custody?

"Remus?"

"Hm?" he asked, looking at her.

"They love each other, right?"

"I think they remember they loved each other."