A Different Beginning

Chapter LXVI - Learning to be a Family Again

Harry stepped into the entrance way just as Sirius and Lexy came out of the fireplace. He grinned at them when he saw Sirius lovingly holding her close as she stumbled.

"Hi, you guys."

Lexy smiled. "Hi Harry. How's everything going over here?"

He shrugged. "As well as can be I suppose. What about for you two?"

Sirius grinned and kissed his wife softly. "Great. We're having a baby girl."

Harry grinned at the look of pure joy that was radiating from his godfather's eyes. "Congratulations! I think that you'll be a great da, Uncle Sirius."

"I always said so," Lily replied from behind them.

Sirius' face paled as he watched her step into the room. "Hey Lily-Love."

She smiled at him and then she stepped forward and pulled him close, burying her face in his shoulder. "Oh, handsome, I did miss you!"

He laughed and kissed her cheek. "Me too. I'm sorry that I wasn't here to greet you last night."

She pulled back and smiled up at him. "Speaking of ..." She reached out and cuffed him one across the head.

"Ow!"

"Sirius Ignatius Black! If you ever treat your wife like that again I'm going to do a lot more damage then shrinking your bits! Do you understand?" Lily exclaimed.

Sirius nodded. "Lil - I apologized to Lex and I -"

"Apologized is not enough!"

Lexy smiled. "Thanks, Lily, but he knows he has a way to go. Lots of grovelling, right dear?"

Sirius sighed. "Tons. Don't hurt me, Lily-Love."

Lily laughed. "Baby. But you get off the hook this time." She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. "I missed you."

He nodded. "I missed you too."

James stepped into the room and his eyebrow rose. "Jeesh, Padfoot! Trying to steal my wife with your own standing there!"

Sirius grinned. "It was worth a shot." He slipped his arm around his wife and then looked his friend in the eye. "Thanks Prongs."

James nodded. "Anytime." He noticed Harry standing near the fireplace and he smiled. "I'm assuming that the twins found you."

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

"I don't know how long we're going to be at the hospital but I'm hoping not too long since it is Christmas Eve."

"I don't even know why I have to go back. I feel just fine and besides it was Ginny that brought me back not them." Lily replied stubbornly.

"I know, Lil, but they want to make sure everything is great. Then we'll come home, alright?"

She nodded. "Alright."

"How are we getting there?" Harry asked.

"We're driving. I side-apparated your mum home last night and she was a little dizzy and I think floo might be the same so we'll take the car."

Harry nodded as he followed his parents out into the garage. "Want me to drive?"

James turned and tossed him the keys to the new car he had bought; a Rolls Royce in dark blue. "Sure, get in."

Lily sat in the back and quietly watched the two of them. The conversation was polite but they were so tense. She wondered how long it would take for one of them to blow.

Once they were driving along the Scottish roads, James spoke up.

"Well, are we going to have this out at some point or are we going to continue on this way during the Christmas break?"

Harry shrugged. "Depends."

"On what?"

"On your explanation. You're the one keeping all the bloody secrets ... elementals, prophecy, Potter legacy, and now Mum."

James sighed. "First of all, the elementals I told you about when I was supposed to tell you about them, when your power began to take control. You didn't have a problem with that before so don't act like it was a big secret then. Second, the prophecy ... I would have kept that from you longer if I had the chance. No fifteen-year-old should know that he's going to have to kill the darkest wizard of the century. No one should ever learn that about themselves. Maybe you deserved to know but that's beside the point, the point is that I wanted to keep you safe. Third, the Potter Legacy is hardly a secret and you never thought so when I told you either, it doesn't matter to me in the least. And lastly, your mum ... well ... I was beginning to lose hope and I thought that she might actually never wake up. So I kept it from you, yes, but that's because I didn't want you to see her like that."

"I don't buy that! Neville has known about his parents his entire life and he goes to see them. They've been in St. Mungo's even longer then Mum was." Harry replied.

James shook his head. "It's different and you know it. Alice and Frank ... they're awake and alive. They might not remember who their son is or what happened to them but when they do come through he can talk to them and see them. You couldn't have done that with Lily. She was in a coma the entire time."

Lily reached through the seats to place a hand on each of their arms. "James was right, Harry; you wouldn't have wanted to see me like that. I wouldn't have wanted it. That's not the way that you should remember your mum."

"I don't bloody remember you at all!" He shouted. "At least I would have had something!"

Tears poured down Lily's cheeks and she squeezed his arm gently. "But what kind of memory is that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

They drove in silence after that to the rest of the way of the hospital and then checked in at the front desk. Lily went off with Healer Dolan, who promised they wouldn't be any longer then an hour, leaving Harry and James alone.

James turned to his son. "We still need to talk, let's go out to the car. I'd rather do it in private."

Harry nodded as he followed his father out to the car. "I don't know what to say."

James shrugged. "Me neither. I kept it a secret, but it wasn't just from you. The healers told me that she would never wake up, that there was next to no chance, and that I was wasting my time. I couldn't let her go, Harry, because when I looked at her I realized that it was my fault that she was there."

"How was it your fault? Voldemort did that to her."

"Ah, one would think ... but I couldn't help but think, if only I had been faster and stronger, if only my powers had been as strong as they are now, if only I hadn't tried to hold him back but had taken the two of you away somewhere, if only I hadn't gotten hurt. There were so many if onlys." James replied, his voice far off. "Everyone told me that I had to let her go, that it was wrong of me to keep her alive that way. But I couldn't do it ... I couldn't let her go. I didn't think anyone would understand since they kept badgering me to let her go so I said I did but I let her live."

Harry stared at his father. He wasn't sure what to say. "If only isn't going to change anything! Mum doesn't blame you for what happened! If you should blame anyone other then Voldemort, its Peter Pettigrew! He betrayed you! I understand why you didn't let her go, Da; you were hoping that by some chance she would come back to us. Ginny showed you that you weren't wrong to hope that. But how can I get over the fact that you never told me? I'm not a child anymore so why do you keep trying to shelter me from the world?"

James shrugged. "You'll always be my child, Harry. I know that I have to realize that you're almost an adult but there's something that you have to do as well. If you want to be treated like an adult then you have to stop acting like a child."

"I'm not acting like a child!"

James' eyebrow rose. "Yes, you are. Giving me the silent treatment? Yelling and whining about me keeping this from you? That's childish. Merlin knows I'm not perfect, Harry, but I work to be the best damn da that I know how to be. I made mistakes and I'll probably make a few more. I've kept secrets but I thought that they were for the best. There's nothing else that I could have done."

"Nothing else that you chose to do! You still kept them from me! Things that I deserved to know!"

James shrugged. "Well, you know now. I'm tired of arguing with you. I'm just tired in general. You're temper has one hell of a short fuse, something that you get from Lily. You need to accept that I kept things from you, but you know now and there's nothing more that I can do. Right now I have two concerns; one is getting the path clear with you again. You're my life, Harry, you've always been the most important thing in my life and now the second most important thing in my life has returned to me, my wife. Lily is going to need both of us more then anything in the next little while. She's been gone from the world for fifteen years. She has lots to learn, lots to remember, and lots of ground to make up. Especially with you. When she left ... the last time we were a family together you were snuggled into her shoulder, sucking your thumb and your fingers twined around her hair. Now you're practically a man. I know that you haven't really spoken to her yet, not alone. I can't imagine what's going through your mind right now but I know Lily is nervous. You're her baby boy, but you're not anymore and you don't even remember her. She needs us both. If we're going to be a family again then we need to straighten out our priorities."

Harry sighed. "And you're saying what? That it's my fault that we haven't done that yet."

"Hardly. I'm telling you to grow up. I love you and I love Lily and together I want us to be a family again."

Harry nodded. "So do I."

"Good, so are we all good?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess so. I do understand why you never told me. I don't suppose that I would have understood when I was young."

James nodded. "Especially after everything that you had gone through with the Dursleys ... I didn't want to put you through any more pain."

"Alright." He was quiet for a few moments and then he leaned in and wrapped his arms around his father. He felt James sigh inwardly in relief as his arms wrapped around him as well. "I'm sorry, Da."

"I'm sorry too."

"I forgive you for keeping it from me. Mum's back now and that's all that's important."

James nodded and he kissed the top of his son's head. "Exactly. I love you, Harry, and I miss not fighting with you. Do you remember those days?"

Harry laughed. "Yeah. They seem awfully far away."

"Aye they do."

Harry pulled back and he grinned at his father. "So now what?"

James laughed. "Now we kill time until that healer is done examining your mum. Why don't you tell me about Ginny? Did she enjoy her trip?"

Harry grinned. "Yeah, I think she liked it a lot. She learned a lot of things and obviously became very powerful considering she ... well she learned a lot."

James nodded. "I'm never going to be able to repay her for what she did. But I did have an idea I was throwing around to Lily this morning."

"What's that?"

"Well, I thought maybe that I could pay for a girl's night or a girl's day or something between her and whoever she wants to bring. They can go have fun and buy lots of stuff. It's the least that I can do and I figured I can make it a Christmas gift as well so she had to say yes."

Harry laughed. "I think that she'd like that."

"I hope so. Oh, speaking of Ginny ... Sirius told me that you thought you were going insane or something a few months ago, something about images of Ginny?" James asked; a look of amusement on his face.

Harry blushed. "Oh yeah ... I wasn't."

"Care to share?"

He grinned. "No more secrets, right?"

James nodded. "No more secrets."

"Ginny learned how to be telepathic."

James' eyebrow rose in surprise. "Telepathic?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah and I guess when she was practicing she thought it would be funny to send me all of these sexy images of us doing things, playing on my own fantasies as well as hers. She witnessed a dream I had once, accidentally when she was trying to get into my mind. Well, anyway, I thought I was going insane because I was just being bombarded with these images and then they would stop. I mentioned it to Uncle Sirius because I didn't understand and the only thing that I knew was that there was no way that it was Voldemort."

James laughed. "Voldemort sending you sexy images? That would be bloody priceless."

Harry laughed as well. "I think that I would be more scared of those then the death ones. Anyway, then she started talking to me in my mind, but I thought I was talking to myself. So then one day Hedwig comes with a letter telling me to picture her in my mind and say clearly that I had just received her letter and was doing what I was told. She answered in my mind. I thought that I was going insane. But then she began to explain about everything that she had learned. I had been able to reach her because she had connected with my mind and was waiting for me. But the next time I wanted to talk to her I couldn't get through. It was hard and took me nearly a week to get through to her, I used the elementals. And ... well ever since then, we've been having conversations in our minds."

"Wow," James replied.

"Exactly."

"So Ginny can listen in to any conversation you have any time she wants and vice versa? And to anyone around her."

Harry shook his head. "No I mean, she can hear people's thoughts but she has to be connected to them mentally first. She's telepathic but she has to connect. Like if she wanted to talk to you in your mind then she would have to picture you and then get past any wards you might have blocking her out. She only got past mine because my elementals know who she is and gave her entrance. And I know when she's in my mind. I can't see her but I can feel her."

James nodded. "That's some intense stuff. She's incredibly powerful ... and I must say ... she really grew up."

Harry blushed. "Er, yeah I'd say so. She uh ... she got a bellybutton ring."

James grinned. "Really?"

Harry nodded. "I've never really thought about them before, I mean, I've seen them on other girls but ... damn it's sexy."

James laughed. "I'm guessing Molly hasn't seen that yet."

"No, not as far as I know."

James nodded. "She's beautiful. I mean, don't get me wrong, I always thought that Ginny was cute and sort of pretty, but she really blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Managed to knock up a few inches in height and filled out in all the right places ... I'm betting your eyes just about rolled out of your head when you saw her."

Harry grinned. "Oh they did! Not to mention the fact that she had on this short denim skirt and black knee high boots. I think I might have drooled."

James laughed and swung his arm around his son's shoulders. "I missed this."

Harry sighed and leaned into his father. "Me too. Da?"

"Yes Harry?"

"I'm glad we're talking again."

James smiled. "Me too."

***********

Lily found the two of them laughing and talking playfully like that in the car an hour later. She climbed into the back seat and her eyebrow rose slightly in surprise. They were both so handsome and they were her men. She was glad that Harry had obviously forgiven his father and she loved the easy-going relationship she could see was there. She wondered, not for the first time, how she was going to break into that and make room for herself and she wasn't even sure if she wanted to. They had such a tight and wonderful bond.

Harry climbed into the backseat next to her and kissed her cheek making her sigh. This was her baby boy, man now. "Hey Mum, did everything go alright?"

Lily nodded as she clicked her seatbelt on and watched as James pulled out of the parking lot. "Everything went just fine. The healers are amazed and in awe over my sudden recovery. They did a bunch of tests and said that everything was normal and that my magic should be normal within a day or so and that it was just getting into sorts again."

James smiled at her through the mirror. "There, knew you had nothing to worry about."

Lily smiled back. "Yes well, it still seemed pointless to come here. So I noticed that the two of you have made up?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, everything's all worked out. Mum, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for earlier."

Lily glanced over at her son in surprise and reached out to run her fingers through his messy hair. "Whatever for, sweetheart?"

"For shouting out that I didn't remember you."

Lily sighed and cupped his face in her hands. "That's hardly worth apologizing for. Of course you wouldn't remember me. You were only a little baby, still a toddler and barely talking. I understand why you were frustrated. And growing up with me so sick and out of my mind ... that had to be even harder. I'm sure James kept you away from me until I fell into that coma."

Harry looked up into the mirror and saw his father's eyes harden. "I didn't actually live with Da."

"What?" Lily asked. "Why ever not?"

James sighed. "You were sick, Lil, so incredibly sick and you were dangerous. You hurt yourself and me and Moony a few times ... we took your wand away but you found other ways. It was too dangerous for Harry to be in the same house as you."

"So where was he?"

"Dumbledore had thought that we both died that night so he had Hagrid bring him to the only place he would be safe. You had ... you threw yourself in front of Harry to save him and it placed a blood bond on him, Dumbledore calls it the ultimate sacrifice, even though you didn't die, the intention was there and the bond was still created. So for Harry to be safe, he would have to go live with someone of your blood." James replied carefully.

"Petunia?" Lily asked. "She took him in? She took care of my son? Even after everything that ..." Tears fell from her eyes. "I knew that she would have to forgive me."

Harry reached out and wrapped his arms around her. "Not exactly, Mum."

"What do you mean?"

James pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned around so that he could look at them. "I was so busy trying to take care of you ... I couldn't leave you alone, Moony and I had to be there twenty-four/seven. I never got to visit Harry for four years ... it was too dangerous to leave you alone; we never knew what you would do."

"You never visited? James! Harry was much and is much more important!"

James nodded. "I know ... but I couldn't trust you alone with Moony and there was no one else around to help me. I wrote letters and sent money and toys. It wasn't the same, I ached for him but I just kept telling myself that Petunia said that he was fine and that he was having a good life. Petunia's letters were short and lacking a great deal of details but I just thought that it was because she had never quite taken a liking to me. But then you slipped into that coma. I placed you in St. Mungo's and the same day I went to go see Harry. He was five years old." He closed his eyes for a moment and Harry kissed his mum's cheek.

"Mum, maybe it would be easier if you saw the pensive memory?"

James' eyes met his son's. "I think so. Can you bring me the pensive?"

Harry nodded and he quietly instructed his elementals to bring him his father's pensive. It was only a few moments before it appeared before them. Harry carefully set it down on the seat and nodded at James who put his memory of the day he had brought Harry home into the pensive. Lily chewed her bottom lip nervously.

"You two are making me scared as to what I'm about to view."

Harry smiled. "I love you, Mum. And it's not that bad."

Lily nodded and dipped her finger into the pensive. She watched as James approached the house and everything else that followed up until he sat talking with Remus in the common room. When she came out she looked at them, tears pouring down her cheeks. She reached out to lift Harry's shirt.

"Are there scars?"

Harry pulled his sweater over his head to show his mum his back. They were extremely faded but there were light white lines. He heard her sniff and when he pulled his shirt back on he pulled her into his arms. She clung to him, sobbing on his shoulder, her fingers fisting in his shirt. She smelt like citrus and home and he breathed it in as he held her close. When she pulled away, she was wiping tears from her eyes which were now flashing dangerously.

"Petunia did ... she let Vernon ... oh I'm going to kill them!"

"Lily," James said cautiously. "Look I know that you want to, Merlin I do too. But we both know that that's not the answer. It was years ago and it won't solve anything."

"Solve anything? James! I'm past solving anything! She's my sister and she ... the broken dishes, the black eye, the welts on his back ... he was just a little boy. My little boy. Her nephew! How could she ... how could she do that?" She sobbed.

Harry reached out to tug on a lock of her hair. He wasn't sure why he did it, but it seemed right and familiar before he kissed her cheek. "It doesn't matter, Mum. Besides, Da threatened to kill Uncle Vernon during the summer. He was pretty scared."

Lily reached out to place her hand over his. "You used to that as a baby."

"What?"

"When I was scolding your father ... you used to just tug on my hair and place a wet kiss on my cheek. I always thought that it was a way of trying to get your Da out of trouble."

Harry grinned. "Maybe it was."

"Come here, sweetheart," she murmured and Harry allowed her to cuddle him into her breast like she had that day in the meadow in his dream. He inhaled her scent, the scent of his mum, citrus and home, as she stroked his hair. "Now James, why don't you tell me about this summer with Vernon?"

James explained what had happened at the Grangers house. "Anyway, I told him if he ever came near us again I'd kill him. They're not worth it, Lily, and personally I don't ever want to see them again let alone even be a part of their life for a moment, even if it is to make them suffer."

Lily nodded. "I understand. But I don't know if I could ... I might have to talk to her, James."

He nodded. "I know. We'll face that when the time comes." He smiled at her before he turned around and began to drive again.

Lily stroked her hand through Harry's hair. "I'm not going to get to hold you like this anymore am I?"

Harry shrugged. "Maybe sometimes ... when no one can see."

She laughed. "You look so much like your father, handsomer though. I bet all the girls are after you in school."

He laughed. "A bit yeah, but I don't think it has to do with my looks. More to as that I'm the Boy-Who-Lived. Ginny keeps me in line though and she says that she's going to make sure that all those girls know who I belong to when we return to school."

Lily smiled. "I bet she will. I like Ginny."

Harry nodded. "I know. You told me, in my dream, that day in the meadow."

"I remember. I told you a lot of things that day."

"A lot about Voldemort."

She nodded. "Yes I did. Do you remember what I told you?"

He closed his eyes. "Yes. You said that I had accepted the prophecy a little too quickly and that you didn't think that it had sunk in yet, just what exactly I had to do. That I had to forgive Da for keeping it from me and that I had to prepare, work with Da and study as much advanced magic as I could. That Voldemort is a very powerful wizard and that I needed to be prepared for the worst. You said that Voldemort is getting stronger once more and that the Ministry of Magic is in utter chaos. You said that Voldemort was going to take advantage of that chaos and use the time to act. That he had gained the control of the giants and his followers had grown. Destruction would once again fall upon the magical community and there would be nothing that I could do to stop it. You said that the prophecy meant nothing and that we both knew that I wasn't ready to fight Voldemort face to face and win. It will be a battle to the death and it is not yet time for me to take the stand to do so. The Order can only do so much and Voldemort will lead a path of destruction. Innocent lives will be lost once again. It's time for the war to begin. It's already begun, but now, the world knows it."

Lily nodded. "You remembered that pretty clearly."

"The words have kind of been there every time I hear something about Voldemort. He has done some horrible things since then." Harry explained.

"I know." She leaned down to kiss his cheeks and his forehead. "You won't be alone in any of this either. Not only do you have the Marauders, but you have me. I love you so much and I know that it's going to take some time between the two of us to build up a relationship. I haven't been around and I can't just expect you to accept me right away. But I just want you to know that you're the most important person in my life and nothing matters more then your well-being. Alright?"

He nodded as he looked up into eyes so much like his own. "I know. But I want to accept you in my life. I want you to be there like Molly always is for her kids and me sometimes as well. To fuss over me stupidly and to kiss me goodnight and to yell at me when I do something wrong. I want a mum, I need my mum. I need you. I may not remember you so well, but the stories and things that I've heard have all been wonderful. Da used to tell me stories all the time about your time at Hogwarts, along with all of his pranks."

"Hmm," Lily said, tears in her eyes. "And of course you haven't fallen in your father's footsteps?"

Harry grinned at the hint of sarcasm he heard in her voice. "See! That's why I need you. I love you, Mum, and I'm so glad that you're here."

She kissed his forehead again. "Me too, precious, me too."

Neither one of them had realized that they had arrived back at the manor and were parked in the garage. James grinned at them. "Are you two ready to go inside? Or would you like me to leave you alone?"

Lily smiled at Harry and brushed a bit of his hair out of his eyes. "I think that we can go inside. I'd like to talk to you more though."

He nodded. "Okay."

They stepped inside and Lily and Harry went into the kitchen and took a seat around the table. Maddy served them tea and promised to not allow anyone in to bother them.

"So, this is going to sound odd, but will you tell me a little bit about your life?" Lily asked.

Harry nodded. "What would you like to know?"

"Let's start with the guests that are here."

He smiled. "Alright. Well, my first day on the school train I ran into Fred and George, who were in complete awe over my scar. I used the mirror Da gave me, the one that he used to use to talk to Sirius while they were in separate detentions, to tell him about it. He told me not to worry and that it would probably happen a lot. He said that I needed to ignore it and not to get full of myself. Ironic really, considering the stories that I've heard about him."

Lily laughed. "James always did have a big ego. Go on."

"Well, after they left, their younger brother Ron came in. He was a first year too. We got to talking and we became best friends almost instantly. Then Hermione came in. She was a bossy know-it-all. Going on and on about how she was muggleborn and didn't know anything about magic and had memorized all of her school books by heart. We thought that she was mental. Annoying too and she was everywhere, always correcting us and stuff. She wouldn't go away. She drove Ron crazy more then me. Then on Halloween, Professor Quirrell, who we later discovered was sharing a body with Voldemort, let a troll into the castle. Well, we had made Hermione cry and we knew that she was in the bathroom. So we went to go warn her but the troll was there. To make a long story short, we saved her and she lied to McGonagall to get us out of trouble. We've been best friends ever since." Harry explained.

Lily smiled. "Obviously you have followed in your father's footsteps. A mountain troll? What were you thinking?"

Harry grinned. "I wasn't. Anyway, that summer I was really upset because I had been writing to my friends and had received nothing from them. Found out this crazy house elf named Dobby was keeping my letters to prevent me from going back to school. He said that there was going to be danger there and that I shouldn't be there. I told Da when he came from work and the next day we went to the Weasleys house. Molly was great, gave us breakfast and offered to let me stay the entire summer. I agreed. That's where I first met Ginny ... she had a terrible crush on me, quite embarrassing actually and Da kept teasing me. She got over it in a few months as it was the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing. Ron's got five other older brothers. After Fred and George is Percy. He's a real git and is currently estranged from the family. He agreed with the Daily Prophet, that I was an attention-seeking lunatic and basically told them that if they associated with me he wasn't going to. He said some other horrible stuff about his dad. This was last year, the summer before fifth year. Then there's Charlie and Bill who you met last night. They're pretty cool and really close to Ginny."

"They sound like wonderful people, and I know that I took an instant liking to Molly." Lily replied. "But can I ask who the blonde boy is? I believe James said his name was Draco. He didn't say much last night."

Harry nodded. "He wouldn't. His name is Draco Malfoy and we hated each other's guts up until a few months ago. He comes from an old pureblood family. His parents are Lucius and Narcissa or as Uncle Sirius calls her, Cousin Cissy."

"Ah, I do know them. Not the nicest people."

"Exactly. Well anyway, Draco pretty much was from the same mould or so I thought. In August he came to me in muggle London asking me for help, begging more like it. I was shocked. Da left us alone to talk and he told me that since Voldemort had returned and his father had escaped from prison that he was now being forced into becoming a Death Eater. He didn't want to be. I'm sure there's more to it then that, but he still is ... well, he doesn't say much. Anyway, I used Legilimency on him, because naturally I didn't trust him. He had made my life miserable, almost as much as Snape has, since I started school."

"Snape?" Lily asked in surprise.

Harry nodded. "Yeah Severus Snape. He's the potions master at school. Ever since my first day he's hated my guts all because he and Da don't get along. He's been failing me too and my potions are brilliant! I aced my O.W.L.s but according to him I can still only scrape up an Acceptable grade. He's a git."

Lily nodded. "I never thought that he'd take a childhood hatred that far as to continue it on a student."

Harry shrugged. "Dumbledore's supposed to be keeping on eye on him since he's marking my grades so bad and now he's picking on Draco just as much as me. Draco was his favourite student. But I think that it's because Snape's a Death Eater, or he used to be and now he's a spy for the Order. Dumbledore is the only person that really trusts him. Draco doesn't know anything about the Order or Snape actually being on the good side, we don't trust him enough yet. But anyway, Draco ran away from home and Da let him live here with us so that he would be safe. We're sort of friends now. Da's working on trying to help him get out of his betrothment."

"He's betrothed?" Lily asked in shock.

"Yeah to this real cow named Pansy Parkinson, she's horrible I don't blame Draco for not wanting to marry her. I mean she's pretty but she's an evil bitch - er, I mean ... sorry Mum."

Lily laughed. "Yes, watch your language. Why don't you tell me about Ginny now? You said that she had a crush on you. How did you two end up together? And how long have you been together?"

Harry blushed. "Oh well ... er ... she had a crush on me but it didn't even quite last a year when she realized that I wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived but just Harry, you know? Well, anyway we kind of ignored her a bit that second year at school. Ginny is a year younger then us and started up at Hogwarts that year. Lucius Malfoy slipped a diary into her cauldron in Diagon Alley that summer and no one knew about it. Ginny started writing in it and it possessed her. The diary belonged to a sixteen-year-old Voldemort. Anyway she had black outs and people at school were being petrified and it came out that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened again. Towards the end of the year, Voldemort made her write her own message on the wall in blood and then go down to the Chamber to wait for him. He was sucking her soul out of her so that he could live. It was really advanced magic. Anyway, Ron and I had sort of been playing detective and we were pretty sure that we knew where the Chamber was so we were on our way to tell McGonagall when we heard about Ginny. We went to go see Professor Lockhart, the DADA teacher at the time as he was supposed to be going to save her. He was running away. So we took his wand and forced him to go down into the Chamber with us. He tried to put a memory charm on us, which backfired because Ron's wand was still broken from when we flew his dad's flying car into the Whomping Willow, long story, so it backfired and he went all crazy but he caused the cave to collapse. We were separated. Ron on one side with crazy Lockhart and me on the other."

"What happened after that?"

"Well, I kept going and I sort of rescued Ginny from Voldemort and a basilisk and then we were in McGonagall's office and Da was telling me that I had a lot of explaining to do. That summer I talked to her and I told her that I understood what she had went through and that since I was the only other person who had been touched by Voldemort like she had that I was always there to talk. We became friends pretty quickly. She wasn't my best friend but she was getting there." Harry explained. "And then ... at the end of fourth year ... she came to the manor and ... I don't know. I just started having all of these feelings that were so wrong because Ginny was my friend, my best mate's little sister and I wasn't supposed to feel like that."

Lily smiled. "So you were around fourteen?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah and Gin was thirteen, briefly as our birthdays are both in the summer. So I turned fifteen and she turned fourteen. Anyway, we were in the garden out back watching Ron trying to teach Hermione how to fly. She's terrified of brooms or heights or maybe it's flying in general. So anyway, I don't know we were talking and tickling each other and laughing and I just kissed her."

Lily smiled. "How did she react?"

"Shocked, surprised ... told me that she had a boyfriend and then she kissed me again. I don't know, Molly interrupted before she answered me about being my girlfriend. I told the Marauders when I was upstairs practicing my elementals because I was so shocked at what I had done. I didn't want to ruin our friendship. But a few days later she told me that she wanted to be with me. We've been together ever since. So over a year now."

"Wow ... I mean ... you two are so young."

"I love her, Mum. I don't think that age matters in the least. I may only be sixteen but I love her more then anything in this world. I missed her so much when she was in New York, I felt like I had this piece of me that was missing." Harry replied. "I told Da that I was in love with her last year I remember and he said something about how he should be telling me that I'm far too young, but he was that age when he fell in love with you."

Lily laughed. "I guess he has a point. Can't be a hypocrite then. What did you say to that?"

Harry laughed. "Told him at least Ginny loved me back and that if my memory served me right from the stories I'd heard, you hated his guts at that time."

Lily laughed. "True. I never actually hated James. I just ... I didn't understand how someone who was so intelligent and so ... handsome, could be so immature and foolish. He bothered me! He was so annoying and always picking on Snape ... I don't know."

Harry grinned. "Yeah, I suppose that that would be annoying."

She smiled. "He was." She sipped her tea and then tilted her head. "Tell me more about Ginny. I had a long talk with her last night and I think she's wonderful."

"She's amazing. She's brilliant too, got next to near perfect if not perfect on all of her exams last year. Better then Hermione; though don't tell her that, Hermione's a brain." Lily laughed and he grinned. "I don't know ... how can you explain her? She's beautiful ... incredibly beautiful. When she came back from New York ... my mouth just about dropped open when I saw her. She loves Quidditch and is an amazing chaser and seeker as well. She's loyal to her friends and so comforting to them. She's the type of person that if she sees a stranger crying she would rush over to comfort them in a second. She cuddles and hugs anyone who needs it, best friends, family, me. She's wonderful like that. She's powerful too, incredibly powerful and I'm pretty curious as to where the new powers she's learned are going to take her. She's a multiple animagi, like me. I can do four animals, but Ginny's mastered two. She likes to read those corny romance stories, the one's with the half-naked characters on the front. She's ... she's full of mischief, but then again, growing up with Fred and George that was probably for safety. She was the first one to accept Uncle Sirius when he came. We introduced him to the Weasleys when he was still on the run from the law and she simply walked over and wrapped her arms around him, told him that she knew he hadn't done anything wrong then welcomed him home. Uncle Sirius holds her close to his heart for that. He flirts with her outrageously sometimes and it makes me laugh. They kind of act like brother and sister. She's almost as close to Uncle Sirius sometimes as she is to Bill and Charlie."

"Sirius needs people like that. I always said that he needed family. He's going to make such a wonderful father." Lily replied.

Harry nodded. "I know he's going to be great. Ginny has ... a heart of gold but she can be really evil too, I think that comes from the twins. She's got a temper and she's always telling me to control mine. She keeps me ... sane I guess. She keeps me happy and she's not afraid to tell me off when I do something stupid. I love everything about her. From the sprinkle of freckles on her nose to the sexy bellybutton ring she got in New York; the way her hair feels in my hands; how she can make me laugh; how she makes me feel; I love her. She's always there for me. She's the most amazing, most beautiful, most wonderful person that I've ever known and sometimes I feel like I don't deserve her. She's just too wonderful."

Lily reached out to take his hand in hers. "She is wonderful and she sounds amazing. I can't wait to get to know her more. But you're all of those things too and of course you deserve her. You deserve the best."

He grinned. "Thanks, Mum."

"Now you're treating Ginny right, right? Being a gentlemen and romancing her properly?" Lily asked; a look of amusement on her face.

Harry grinned. "I try and if I do something to piss her off she'd tell me."

"Harry, watch your mouth."

He grinned. "On our first official date I sent her all of her favourite flowers to her room."

Lily sighed. "That's sweet. You're not doing anything ... okay I know that this is none of my business but I saw the way that you two were sitting last night. She was sitting comfortably in your lap, long deep kisses."

Harry blushed. "Um, yeah?"

"I don't want you two rushing into anything that you're not ready for. You take it slow and has James told you everything you need to -"

"Mum!" Harry exclaimed in embarrassment. "Da and I had the talk. Actually, Da, the Marauders, and I had the talk. Ginny and I haven't ... I mean ... we won't rush into anything."

Lily smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I just made you embarrassed. Every mother's privilege. I enjoyed it a little too much I think."

Harry laughed. "I think so too. I love you and I'm so glad that you're here."

She pulled him close for a hug. "Me too. I'm glad that you can talk to me so easily too. I was jealous of the bond I saw between you and James, worried that I would never get the chance to form one with you."

He smiled. "No chance of that. I'll tell you anything that you want to know. My life's an open book."

She laughed. "I'll remember that. I think that we're going to be alright. The two of us that is."

Harry shook his head. "No, the three of us. I've finally got my family back."

James stepped into the room just as Harry hugged Lily tightly. "Am I interrupting or is it alright to come in now?"

Lily smiled at him. "No it's fine, James. Harry and I are wonderful." She reached a hand out to her husband who stepped over and kissed her deeply. "Mmm, missed you."

Harry grinned and then he tilted his head to look at them a wicked gleam in his eye. "Da, can I ask you something?"

James glanced at Harry and sighed. "I think that I'm afraid to say yes. You've got that mischievous look in your eye."

Harry grinned. "Well, I was just wondering ... now that you and Mum are back together and everyone else is well ... when are you two going to give me a baby brother or sister?"

James paled and Lily laughed until tears fell from her eyes before she rushed forward to kiss Harry's cheeks. "You want siblings, do you?"

Harry grinned. "I think it would be neat. Okay, so there would be a huge age difference, but don't you want any more kids?"

Lily brushed her fingers through his hair. "I would love to have more children."

James slipped his arms around Lily's waist. "Children? Wow."

Harry grinned. "Well, it will give you something to think about."

James grinned and kissed his wife's neck. "I'm thinking that it's a great plan. More mini-Marauders running around."

Lily laughed. "Hmm ... we'll see."

They all turned at the sound of the kitchen door opening and Ginny grinned at them. "Sorry to interrupt, but Tonks just went into labour. Remus has rushed her to St. Mungo's with the emergency portkey."

James nodded. "Alright, let's go then. Where's Padfoot and Lexy?"

"They already headed that way. The whole house is getting ready to go." She explained.

Harry's stomach dropped. "Oh boy, I'm going to be a godfather."

Ginny's mouth opened in surprise. "You are? You never told me that."

"Forgot until just now." He replied, holding a hand to his stomach.

Lily laughed. "Like father like son. I believe James was a bit queasy upon your birth as well and Sirius was next to no help."

Harry grinned. "I remember. I saw the memory. It was very amusing." He walked over to Ginny and kissed her softly. "Sorry I didn't tell you."

She sighed. "It's okay. I understand that you were a little concerned with other things. Come on, let's go see Baby Lupin."

*************

They spent the afternoon and much of the evening waiting outside the room for news of Tonks. Finally after almost eight hours, Remus opened the door. "Sirius, James, Harry, you can come in now. Lexy, Lily, and Ginny as well of course."

Harry walked inside, holding Ginny's hand tightly. Tonks, her hair bubblegum pink was sitting up in the bed holding a tiny reddish scrunched up baby in her arms.

"Everyone, I'd like for you to meet our son, Daniel James Lupin." Remus replied as he sat on the bed next to Tonks.

Lexy smiled. "He's beautiful, Remus, Tonks, and so tiny."

"Tiny?" Tonks exclaimed. "This little bugger is nine pounds and eight ounces! Cuter then hell though. And just look at his tiny little nose."

Ginny laughed. "And Remus is still standing so that's a good sign. I felt a bit of pain coming from him before."

Tonks laughed. "He says I broke his fingers."

James shuddered. "I remember that pain."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Men are such babies."

"Would you like to hold him, Harry?" Tonks asked. "After all, you are his godfather."

He grinned as Remus placed the tiny bundle into his arms. He wasn't sure how to hold anything so tiny and he grinned at Ginny when she carefully adjusted his arms. "Hey Dan, I'm your godfather, Harry."

Daniel let out a big yawn and closed his eyes.

"He's cute," Harry murmured.

Remus grinned. "I'm a father."

James slapped Remus on the back with a grin. "You most certainly are Da, so now what are you going to do?"

Remus smiled warmly at his wife. "Take my family home with me."

James grinned as his eyes turned towards Lily and Harry. "Me too."