Rune stone path

Avengers Assemble! Masters of evil unite p1

Harry heard the chime signaling a visitor and watched his mother get up to collect their guests. Lily met his eyes as she walked out and they shared a small grin and wink. Sirius wasn't the only one in the family who could mess with people. Despite having known about – and actively advocating for – this arrival, Harry couldn't help the way his stomach flipped or his shoulders tensed.

Of course Hermione, sitting next to him, didn't fail to notice his nervousness. While Tonks and Fleur continued to eat their popcorn and watch "It's a Wonderful Life", Hermione twisted in her spot to peer closer at her partner with a curious tilt to her head. Harry gave her a small smile and nodded that he was okay before watching the entrance to the library carefully. His vigilance was rewarded when thirty seconds later Lily walked back in with a couple right behind her. The woman was tall with long wavy black hair and an amused expression dancing in her eyes while the man was toned with a rough cut to his chin and short-cropped hair.

"Who was at the door, Lils?" Shiva asked. "I thought Remus and Katie weren't coming for another hour or so."

"Is that any way greet your parents, Bathsheda?" Mrs. Babbling asked with a huge grin splitting her features. Harry saw Hermione's jaw drop as she switched her gaze between the two newcomers, Lily and Harry. Tonks and Fleur froze with their hands halfway to the popcorn bowl. Shiva's reaction was by far the most pronounced as she literally fell out of her armchair. The crash of his adoptive mother hitting the floor was followed by silence for a long moment before Shiva carefully poked her head over the side of the chair and stared wide-eyed at the couple.

"Mum? Dad? What are-what are you two doing here? You're supposed to be in Brazil!" she squeaked.

"Peru actually," Mr. Babbling commented chuckling and shaking his head. "Did you think we'd miss your first Christmas with a new family?"

"We did miss the first Christmas dear. And the second." His wife was obviously fighting to hold in her own laughter as she teased them.

Shiva stood and glared. "Hey, that's unfair! I didn't have Christmas at home for the past two years! Last year we were stuck at the castle for the Yule Ball and the year before that we still thought Sirius was a dangerous madman! Made it difficult to leave for the winter hols that did!"

"Excuses, excuses," her father said smiling and waving it off. "Now are you going to introduce us to your new son and girlfriend you going to keep standing there arguing?"

Shiva rolled her eyes and waved towards Lily and Harry. "Mum, Dad, that's Lily Potter and Harry Potter. Harry, Lils, my mum and dad, Rebecca and David."

"Bathy, really is that the best you can do?" David sighed. "We didn't even know you had a son until we got their letter the other day."

Harry froze halfway out of his seat. A pin could've dropped on the carpet and sounded like a cannon blast. All the color drained from Shiva's face. She started working her mouth for a few moments before finally managing to squeak out a few words. "What? But…I…I sent you a letter over two years ago…I know I sent it! I gave it to the owl right after I…picked up…the guardian forms…oh bugger…"

Harry groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Shiva, you forgot to tell your parents you basically adopted me?"

"I didn't forget! I didn't! There was that thing with Marge and the dog, you had all those medical issues, all that stuff about the Magical Guardian and Dumbledore, I still thought Sirius was going to try and kill you – " Everyone ignored an indignant "Hey!" from an implicated godfather while Shiva kept babbling. "I didn't forget! They travel like all the time with their work! They're gone for months or years at a time! I wrote a letter and I got distracted…I could've sworn I sent it out…"