Jamie plopped on his bed with a sigh. “Well that was fucking weird.�

“So you’ve mentioned,� Al muttered as he rolled his eyes, perching on Jamie’s desk chair.

“Did you hear? I’ve got Grandpa’s eyes!� Lily leapt onto the bed, narrowly avoiding Jamie’s family jewels. “Everyone always says how you two have Mum and Dad’s eyes, and I always got left out. But now they can say that about me too! I’m in the club! The family eyes-having club!� She flopped down next to him, giggling to herself. Jamie couldn’t help but be sucked into her joy, and he leaned over to attack her with tickles.

“Don’t you think it’s even a little strange? How would they come back? Why now?� Albus questioned his siblings intently from the other side of the room. Neither were paying him any mind over Lily’s gales of screamed laughter.

“James! Stop it, this is serious!� Al roughly pulled his brother’s arm to get his attention.

“Ow, fuck, Al!� Jamie rubbed his arm as Lily’s giggles slowly petered out. “What’s your problem? Can you not be cool for like, two seconds?�

“No, I cannot be cool when our dead grandparents are sitting down the hall in the guest room, along with our infant father. This isn’t one of your stupid pranks, James, this is serious!�

“Call me ‘James’ one more time, I dare you,� Jamie snapped at his little brother. As if he could have forgotten about that. Lily wisely picked that moment to insert herself.

“I wonder how long they’re going to be here. I hope Mum and Dad let us stay a while longer and get to know them, don’t you, Jamie?�

Jamie didn’t respond, choosing instead to grab his acoustic guitar from its stand. He pointedly ignored them as he gave it a few despondent strums, but continued to listen to their back and forth.

Al rolled his eyes and focused on his sister. “I hope so too, Lily,� he said softly, “But I’m also worried. Time travel is not something to be taken lightly. Everything we know could change if they’re here for too long.�

“Oh come on, Al! Can’t you just be excited that we get to meet them?� Lily reached out and grabbed Al’s hand. Her bright smile made his heart hurt. “This is like something out of a fairytale!�

Al was silent for a moment. Jamie switched from strumming at random to playing the few chords he already knew. Cycling between C, F, and G Major, he thought to himself that comparing this situation to a fairytale was completely the wrong tact to take to get Al on Lily’s side. Lily was good at getting her way, but Jamie knew Al better than her. Growing up, he’d always been the one who could convince Al to do anything. One word from Jamie, and he’d step into line, whether it was putting on his coat or cleaning the broom shed. Of course, they were closer in those days before he went to Hogwarts.

Jamie decided to stay out of it this time - his head still hurt, and his brain felt like it was lagging behind. Images from the past half hour kept flashing through his mind: his dad choking on his words; his mum, putting on a brave face for him. Sirius Black, discussing his looks like one of Dad’s coworkers. A baby version of his dad putting his foot in his mouth, looking exactly like Al did in old pictures.

“You’re right. It shouldn’t be possible at all,� Al said slowly, bringing Jamie back to the present. “Why are they here? And maybe more importantly, how? From what I know, time-turners go back minutes, not years. I don’t even think I’ve heard of anyone traveling years back or forwards successfully…�

“Al!� Lily grabbed his face and forced him to look into her eyes. “Who! cares! Mum and Dad will deal with all that. Just be a kid for a minute. Our only job is to make sure we do everything we’ve ever wanted to do with our grandparents while they’re still here. I want to make a scrapbook with them, and play the piano for them, and go looking for nargles, and show them the sweater I’m making Mum for Christmas. I bet Jamie wants to play quidditch with them, or plan a prank with them…� she looked enticingly to Jamie for confirmation, and he just shrugged. He caught Al and Lily’s shared look of unease, but stayed quiet. Truth be told, he’d rather just curl up and go to sleep.

“And you…you can find out if any of them can beat you at gobstones!� Lily finished with a flourish.

Al begrudgingly responded with a small smile. Jamie caught the look on his face before it smoothed back into neutrality. The mystery still tugged at his sleeve, begging for his attention. But on the other hand…he was president of the Gobstones Club for a reason. Jamie frowned privately. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who knew Al, anymore.

“I’m just saying, I don’t know how much more proof you could need. He has the cloak, he has Potter manor. Fuck’s sake, James, he looks exactly like you, and your dad!� Sirius nearly smacked James in the face as he gestured wildly. Since they’d been left in the guest room upstairs, he hadn’t stopped lecturing his best friend.

James flinched at the mention of his father, but didn’t respond.

Sirius paused his rant, and laid a heavy hand on his best friend’s shoulder. After a moment, he murmured, “It’s hard to be here without them.�

James nodded jerkily. Lily saw an opening to get through to him, and took it. “But just think…they would be overjoyed to see Harry and Ginny and the kids living here. To see us all together.�

James met her gaze steadily, and she gently took his hand. Emboldened, she continued, “They’d be over the moon, and I think you know that.�

“Oh shit!� Sirius muttered, looking at Remus. “Any idea when the next one is?�

Remus took a deep breath and shrugged. “I feel pretty good, so if I had to guess, a couple of weeks away. We should find out, though. Gotta figure out where I’m gonna go. I shouldn’t be anywhere near here.�

Lily winced, and caught Sirius’ eye. Reading her thoughts, he rounded on James once more. “See James? You’re being selfish. You’re not the only one with issues here, mate!�

As James loaded up a biting retort, she met Sirius’s gaze. Lily gave him a small smile, and got a wink in return. She rounded the bed, so she could sit next to Remus.

“Hey,� Lily said softly, dropping down next to him. “How’s it going over there?�

Remus shrugged, playing with Harry’s tiny socked feet as he lay on his back between them. A quiet moment passed, both vehemently ignoring the rising voices of James and Sirius.

“I wanted to check in with you before, at the ministry…there wasn’t really a chance…� Lily tried to catch his eyes, urging him to speak. Remus’ hands stilled, but he kept his gaze on Harry.

“I really thought that was it,� he finally whispered hoarsely. “I thought for sure that would be the end. They knew…before I even said it under veritaserum, they knew.� He shook his head in disbelief.

“I think things are different, here. Now.� Lily shook her head as she corrected herself. “It doesn’t really seem real, does it?� She watched her friend intently.

He nodded. “Some part of me wonders if this part isn’t just a weird dream. Something my brain came up with as I lay bleeding out in that interrogation room.� Harry squirmed under his hands, but Remus was far away.

“Don’t go there, Remus Lupin,� Lily whispered fiercely. “Don’t even think that. We wouldn’t have let them hurt you. If you’re dead, that means the rest of us are, too.� She pinched his arm hard. “Do I feel dead to you?�

He winced, but gave her a shaky smile.

“Does Harry feel dead to you?� She scooped up the giggling baby and plopped him in her friend’s arms. He grinned his gummy grin at his surrogate uncle, and Remus squeezed him tightly. They sat in silence for a moment, letting the light of Harry’s presence warm them.

“I don’t know how different things are, really. Did you hear, earlier?� Remus nervously played with Harry’s miniscule hand. “He’s worried we wouldn’t love the kids. That feels more like the world I know.�

“What? When did he say that?� Lily sat up straight, bewildered.

“I…well, I may have overheard him talking to his wife before we met the kids. He said he couldn’t trust us yet.�

“No,� Lily said gently, “I heard that too. He said he didn’t know us yet.� The thought seemed to worry her more than anything else.

“Besides,� she sighed, glancing at her irate husband, “It’s not as if we made a very good first impression.�

A soft knock on the door interrupted them, halting James and Sirius’ bickering. “Come in,� Lily called out. Harry slowly opened the door and let himself in.

“Just me again,� he said with a quick smile. “I have one last introduction to make - today, anyway.� He took a few steps in, and a tall, lanky young man followed him in. Lily liked him immediately. His outfit was subdued; a comforting melange of earth tones in classic silhouettes. It was in stark contrast to his hair, which was an unnaturally bright turquoise color. Lily thought there was a familiarity in his face that she couldn’t quite put a finger on.

“Everyone, this is my godson, Teddy Lupin.� That answered that question, she supposed. Suddenly it was clear as day: everything from the arch of his brow to the quirk of anxiety in his lips screamed Remus. The man in question sat dumbfounded, a term Lily never would have thought she'd use to describe Remus Lupin. She carefully extracted her squirming son from his grip as his arms went limp.

After a stretch of silence, Teddy was the first to unfreeze. “One of us is gonna have to change,� he quipped. Sirius burst out laughing, and it wasn’t until that moment that Lily realized that Remus and Teddy were wearing the same jackets, down to the leather elbow pads and worn-in collar. Teddy’s seemed in rougher shape, to be sure, but it was the exact jacket that James had given his friend as a graduation present. ‘So the outside can match the inside,’ he’d quipped.

“I can’t believe he lent you that, he won’t even let me touch the ‘Professor Moony’ jacket!� Sirius howled, doubled over.

Lily snickered. It was true - Remus was exceedingly possessive of the obnoxious tweed blazer that James had nicked from his father’s closet. For what felt like the hundredth time that day, a shiver crept up her spine, and the air stuck in the back of her throat. Laughter continued around her until Remus’ voice skillfully sliced through it.

“No he’s not. There’s no way.� Remus finally said, abnormally calm.

Harry grimaced, as if he’d been expecting this. “He is,� he said simply.

“No, no I wouldn’t…you’re mistaken,� Remus responded with a chuckle.

“You told me yourself, Remus,� Harry intoned softly. “On the day he was born, you asked me to be his godfather.� Teddy looked at Harry, surprised. This was not a story he’d heard before, apparently.

“You’re wrong, I would never have…� Remus laughed quicker, a clear sign that he was getting nervous. “I would never do that to an innocent child. I must have been…lying, or, or, or something like…� his breath was coming fast and shallow, and his hands were visibly trembling.

She shared a quick glance with Sirius and James. The familiarity of the topic must have been enough to bring her husband out of his funk for the moment, for his face bore the same scowl it always did when Remus went down this line of thinking. Because it truly was not new at all. In fact, it was unbearably old at this point.

Lily flashed back to the day she first heard Remus declare that he’d never have children. It was well before she and James were together; before she even knew he was a werewolf. They’d been doing homework next to the lake, in the middle of a particularly long week of their third year, and he’d said it as if it was obvious - a foregone conclusion. He hadn’t elaborated at the time, and she chalked it up to boyish immaturity (though Remus had never been particularly immature). As they grew closer, she realized he must have good reasons - the Remus she knew never did anything without solid reasoning. Combined with his monthly trips to the hospital wing, a growing collection of scars, and his Marauder bequeathed nickname (come on, seriously?), she finally connected the dots about a year later. When she was finally brought into his inner circle, they fought on this topic fiercely. Half of her dreaded his reaction on Teddy’s behalf; the other half wondered if maybe this wasn’t just the kick in the pants Remus had needed for many, many years.

With a sad smile, Harry said, “Show him your natural hair, Ted.�

Teddy shook his hair like a wet dog, and the bright turquoise faded to a soft chocolate brown that matched her friend’s to a tee. With his natural hair color, Lily mused that the two of them could have passed for brothers.

Remus gulped thickly. “But, why would I…? How could I?�

“Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much-� Sirius muttered bitterly.

“Oh my - the mother, how could I do that to her? I-I’ve ruined her life as well,� he looked up at Harry fearfully. “How did we…?�

Harry smiled, eyes seeming fuller than before. “You fell in love. Teddy came along almost a year after you were married.�

Remus was breathing heavily at this point, and Lily wondered if he might throw up. She, on the other hand, felt she might cry out of happiness for her friend. James and Sirius were similarly taken aback, though Sirius didn’t seem ecstatic.

“AND NO ONE STOPPED ME?� he roared. Teddy stumbled back, but Lily noted that Harry seemed more sad than surprised.

“I’m sure the only one trying to put a stop to it was you, you imbecile! The poor girl probably had to drag you down the aisle,� James scoffed. That caught Harry’s attention. Lily very nearly ran and hugged him, sensing the barely concealed longing in his expression.

“Anyone we know?� Sirius joked flatly.

“Well, yes, actually,� said Harry, trading a tight smile with Teddy. “Your cousin, Tonks. Well, you probably know her better as-�

“Dora?� Sirius said faintly. He sat down hard on the edge of the bed, mirroring Remus on the opposite side. “But she’s just a kid, she's not even ten yet.� He was frozen, staring at a spot on the carpet. Remus finally began to cry, and James instinctively went to comfort him.

“Well,� said Harry. He was gentle, yet firm. “She grew up to be an Auror, and a damn good one. Trust me, Tonks knew exactly what she was getting herself into. She loved you far too much to let any of that come between you.�

In the silence that followed, Lily did some quick math. Teddy seemed close to her age, maybe a little younger. Even with a considerable age gap, Sirius’ cousin would certainly be well into adulthood by the time he was born. What had conspired in the intervening years to change Remus’ mind? Had he been with her a majority of that time, or was her friend determined to be alone for over fifteen years?

“She’s not a…?� Remus finally asked thickly. “She’s not like me?�

“No,� Harry responded quickly. “And neither is Ted.� It took Teddy a beat to catch up, but then he shook his head vehemently.

“I get a bit grumpy around that time of the month, but then again, so does my girlfriend.� He shrugged, and tried to lean on the dresser nonchalantly. He knocked over the lamp that rested on it, but caught it deftly before it hit the ground.

Harry groaned. “That joke somehow gets less funny every time you make it, you know that right?�

He just shrugged. “It’s a work in progress, what can I say?�

“Tell us about yourself, Teddy,� Lilly said lightly. “How old are you?�

“I’m twenty one,� he responded, distracted.

She smiled. “Me too.� Teddy’s eyes darted to his father in surprise.

Lily decided to capitalize on his moment of vulnerability. “What house were you in at school?�

“Uh…Hufflepuff,†� he gulped. “Excuse me, I’m just going to…� Teddy rushed out.

Ted!� Harry exclaimed. He went to follow, but quickly turned to address the group first. “I’m going to check on him, and then we’ll have lunch. Meet you downstairs?�

The boys were all lost in thought, so Lily smiled and nodded for them. Harry nodded gratefully, and took off after his godson.

Teddy was right where Harry thought he would be - in the little room at the end of the hall which had been his since they’d moved to Potter Manor. He never had lived with them full-time, but he was certainly there enough to thoroughly make the space his own. He was welcome any time, and could stay as long as he liked.

Harry gave a light tap on the closed door. “Ted?� he called softly.

“You can come in, Harry,� Teddy’s muffled voice responded. Upon entering, he saw that Teddy had taken up his perch on the seat of the bay window facing the front of the property. Harry gently closed the door behind him, and took his usual place at the end of Teddy’s bed. Many of the world’s problems had been solved in this exact configuration: misunderstandings with friends, clashes with his grandmother, and of course the whole debacle when Bill found out about his relationship with Victoire. Knowing his godson as he did, Harry didn’t push him, but simply sat and waited for him to speak.

“I don’t know what I expected, exactly…but I don’t think it was that. I know he probably would have been different, if he’d - you know, if he’d lived, but…� Teddy trailed off, before turning sharply to face his godfather.

“Did you know that he was that scared?� Teddy’s pleading eyes only intensified the knot of guilt that was building a nest in Harry’s chest. “I mean, I knew he was scared, you told me that. But that was…I don’t know. That was intense.�

Harry sighed, hating his past self. “I know, and I’m sorry, Ted. It’s been so long, and he’s been gone so long… At first, I figured that you didn’t need to know that. Then time went by, and I think I forgot, a little bit. Maybe in some ways, it was on purpose. I wanted you to know about the best parts of him - of both of them. I just didn’t want you to think that they left you on purpose, because they didn’t,� he said fiercely. “But…he was terrified. We even got into a fight over it, at one point. He-� Harry faltered, and found Teddy’s steady blue eyes urging him to continue. He wasn’t scared; he wasn’t going to fall apart. He was simply hungry for any morsel of the parents he never knew. It was a feeling Harry knew well.

“When he found out your mum was pregnant, he didn’t handle it well,� he went on. “I don’t think I’d really noticed it much before that, but I never heard of him dating before Tonks. And he was always trying to keep himself away from people, to keep them from being hurt. I guess I didn’t think much of it at the time because I was doing a lot of that, myself,� he said with a dark chuckle. With a deep breath, he decided to continue. “You remember how Ron and Hermione and I skipped our last year of school?�

Teddy nodded anxiously. This story was familiar to him; he’d heard the kid-friendly version many times over the years. It was a bit of a shock when Harry had told him the more adult details after his graduation, but he’d had time to adjust in the years since then.

“Well, your mum found out she was pregnant not long after we left. Remus found us, and he…he asked to come with us.� Harry shifted nervously on the bed. Teddy stared at him.

“But that would have been helpful, right? To have an adult - oh.� Harry’s heart hurt as he watched the realization dawn on the younger man. “Because of me?� he asked in a small voice. Harry nodded solemnly. Neither said anything for a long moment.

“I told him he was a coward.� Teddy’s eyebrows shot up under his fringe at Harry’s suddenly harsh tone. “I’d never fought with him before that. And it got bad. We both said things we couldn’t take back. We probably would have had a duel if he hadn’t left. Ron and Hermione were so angry with me, but I had to be hard on him. I had to get him back to you.�

It was Teddy’s turn to shift uncomfortably.

“Do you think he would have come back on his own?�

“I really do believe so,� Harry said after a moment of consideration. “I think it would have taken him longer. I like to think his love for Tonks would have won out in the end. But to be honest, I’m glad it happened the way it did.�

“You are?� Teddy asked, baffled.

Harry nodded. “He was with her through the rest of her pregnancy, and by the time you came along, he was ready to be there for you. He was overjoyed, and so incredibly proud.� He smiled at his godson, and Teddy responded with a strangled smile of his own.

“And…I’ll never know for sure, but I think it’s part of why he named me your godfather. Because he knew that I wouldn’t let you be treated like that. That if - if anything happened, I wouldn’t do that to you.� Harry swallowed hard. “You are so indescribably important to me, Ted. I can never regret that fight, because it made us what we are.�

Teddy barrelled forward to hug him, causing them both to fall backwards onto the bed. They soon found a comfortable position, with Teddy’s head resting on Harry’s shoulder. They’d been here many times before, but not for years. For a moment, it brought Harry back to days when Ginny was at school, or on the road, and it was just the two of them left to their own devices. Before the kids, before they were married. Days when all that tethered him to reality was a chatty toddler with blue hair. He kissed Teddy on the forehead, just because.

“Feeling any better?� He gave Teddy a little squeeze.

Teddy nodded against his chest. “Mostly I just feel bad for him. I want to help, but I don’t think I know how.�

God, this kid. “I think you can give him a little time to think about it, for now. And then just be there for him. Don’t let him get too stuck in his head. Show him you’re not going anywhere.�

Teddy bent awkwardly to look at him. “You think that’ll work?�

Harry smiled, and smoothed his godson’s hair, which was slowly returning to his customary turquoise. “Worked for me.�

They let the moment linger until the feelings felt smaller. Teddy eventually dragged Harry to his feet, and they padded down the stairs in comfortable silence.

By the time they reached the kitchen, the mouth-watering smell of pizza reminded Harry’s stomach that breakfast had been a very long time ago. Thankfully, Ginny had gone ahead and ordered lunch while he had been introducing Teddy to the time travelers. As Harry carefully retrieved enough plates for all of them, he took in the sight of her expanding the dining table.

She had to be just as tired, and confused, and raw as he was, but she handled it effortlessly with her trademark grace and wit. He thought to himself that once things were more settled, he ought to take her on a vacation somewhere tropical and remote, just the two of them. Of course, she’d just laugh, and say he would have done the same for her, without expecting anything in return. They’d stopped keeping track of good turns years ago. Now it was simply second nature. That was how family worked, she’d explained to him years ago. We take the time to take care of each other. That’s all.

In spite of his children’s protests, Harry pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her soundly.

“How on earth do you continue to read my mind?� he muttered once he pulled away.

“As if you’re the only one who was hungry!� Her tone was offended, but she squeezed him lovingly.

“Ooh, pizza!� Lily rushed past all of them and reached on her tiptoes for the plate on top of the stack.

Ginny immediately switched back into mothering mode. “Oh no, miss Lily. You know that we serve guests first.�

“But they’re not guests, they’re family!� Lily whined impatiently. Harry couldn’t fault her logic; they certainly never stood on ceremony when any of the Weasleys came over to eat.

“Yes…but they don’t live here, do they?� Ginny said in the tone that made the kids all bristle.

Lily stamped her foot. “Teddy doesn’t live here, but we don’t serve him first!� Harry decided that maybe Ginny could use a little back up here, after all.

“Lily Luna,� Harry said with a pointed look, “please wait your turn.� Lily huffed, but acquiesced.

Once everyone had taken their plates to sit down at the table, Harry realized there was still an unused plate. He was sure he’d brought out just enough. He surveyed the table curiously, still standing with his plate in hand.

From a couple seats down the table, his mother cleared her throat. Sirius suddenly sat up.

“Oh uh, James is taking a nap. He was feeling a bit tired after…this morning.� Harry nodded, deflated. He took his seat at the head of the table, but was still not able to relax entirely.

Ginny cleared her throat politely. “This might be a bit nosey, but has James always been so…?�

“Stubborn?� Remus offered dryly.

“Paranoid?� suggested Sirius, with an eye roll.

Lily sighed, and paused her work cutting up a slice of pizza for baby Harry. “No, he’s not usually this sensitive.� She shot glares at her old friends, which they studiously avoided. “But it’s not just this…situation, he’s not been himself for the past few months.�

This piqued Harry’s interest. “Since you went into hiding?�

“No - well, yes, actually,� Lily sighed, resigned. “He’s had a rough go adjusting to it, but about six months ago, both his parents passed away suddenly. We couldn’t be there to…� Her voice wobbled, and she sniffed. “They never met Harry.�

Ginny took a deep breath, and reached across the table for the younger woman’s hand. Lily tried to smile, and Ginny just nodded.

“They were really wonderful people, just the best,� Sirius said, voice thick with emotion.

“You told me what they did for you, when I was younger,� Harry offered. Sirius watched him with full eyes. “How they took you in, treated you like their own son.� He spared a quick glance down the table at Teddy, who seemed rather lost in his thoughts. “I wish I could have met them.�

“Me too,� Sirius agreed heavily, his grin turning melancholy. “And that’s normally how James is too, you know. Best bloke you’ll ever meet, loyal as they come.�

“I think he’s rather off balance without them,� Remus continued, as Sirius drifted into silence. “He might have survived losing one or the other, but both at once was just…butal. Besides, I don’t think he really had experience with losing people, before this. His grandparents were gone long before he was born. It was just the three of them for so long.�

“That’s not exactly true, he lost his Aunt in our fifth year,� Lily interjected.

“They weren’t close, though,� Sirius corrected her, not unkindly. “He said he only really went to the funeral to get out of taking that Charms exam.�

Remus chuckled. “Then he had to make it up when he came back anyway. I still can’t believe he didn’t see that coming.�

“My husband is a man of many talents. Unfortunately, considering the consequences of his actions is not among them,� Lily remarked, wiping a bit of sauce from her son’s face. Ginny smirked across the table at her own husband.

“Ah, so Harry comes by it naturally, then?� she teased. “And here I was thinking he wound up in the hospital wing so much just because he had a crush on Madam Pomfrey.� Sirius snorted, genuinely smiling for the first time since they sat down. Jamie choked as he took a sip of water.

“Gross, Madam Pomfrey’s like a million years old,� said Jamie, trying not to picture his dad kissing the stern older woman who’d taken care of his quidditch injuries on more than one occasion.

“She wasn’t too hard on the eyes when we were at school,� Sirius said saucily. “Of course, she was only a little older than us. She was only assisting Madam Jasper at that point.� He leaned forward, balancing his chin on both fists eagerly. “More importantly, I want to hear some of these stories about Harry being naughty at school.�

Lily groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t waste all your time on pranks and quidditch and chasing girls, like these tossers did. Please just lie, and tell me you were Head Boy, and got O’s on all of your N.E.W.T.s.�

Harry grinned to himself. “I played my fair share of quidditch. Pranks weren’t really my thing, though. I left that up to the Weasley twins.� He and Ginny exchanged small, sad smiles from across the table.

“Oh God, those twins drove Molly spare once they started walking! I absolutely believe that they grew up to be little menaces,� Lily said with a giggle.

Ginny leaned in. “You know my Mum?�

Lily grinned. “Of course I do! She and Arthur are in the Order with us. Before she had the twins, she’d bring the boys with her to meetings, and I’d always help her keep an eye on them. Holy terrors, all three of them. I knew you were her daughter right away, you know. You look so much like her.� Ginny laughed, surprised.

“Thank you. Wow, I haven’t heard that since I was a kid.�

Lily just laughed. “Well it’s still true! How many of you are there now? Surely she stopped at six?�

Ginny shook her head calmly. “There were seven of us. I’m the youngest.�

Harry caught the emotions that flitted briefly across his mother’s face. Why had no one told him how perceptive she was?

“Were?� she questioned softly.

Ginny just smiled sadly. “We lost Fred, about twenty years ago.�

Lily’s eyes fluttered closed before she reached and grabbed Ginny’s hand once more. “Oh my…I’m so sorry, Ginny,� she said, and Harry knew she genuinely meant it.

“You know,� Harry interjected carefully. “Fred and George were the ones who gave me the Marauder’s Map.� Ginny’s grateful smile rewarded him from across the table.

Remus almost spit out his drink. “You have the map?!�

“What! How did they get it?� Sirius blurted out over his friend.

“They told me they stole it from Filch’s office in their first year,� Harry said with pride. Sirius whistled in appreciation. Remus, however, suddenly sat bolt upright.

“The Map!� he whispered. “He’s got to believe the Map.�

Harry’s eyes widened. “The Map never lies,� he said, the familiar phrase coming out as a reverent plea. Relief tried to flood his stomach, but he stomped it down for the moment. Remus nodded excitedly, and Sirius grinned wolfishly in satisfaction.

“First thing tomorrow,� Harry promised. “We all need a bit of rest tonight, but we’ll go to Hogwarts tomorrow - Al, you brought the Map with you?�

Al, who had been content to listen to the adult’s conversation as he normally did, simply looked at his brother and crossed his arms. Harry rubbed his temples and counted to ten.

“James, when we’re done with lunch, you and I are going to have a long talk in my study.� Jamie, who had been starting in on his fourth slice of pizza, wilted slightly at the use of his full name, but valiantly tried to defend himself anyway.

“Dad, Teddy had it the whole time he was at school! Why do I have to-�

But his whinging was drowned out by a wail from his sister, who was seated directly next to him. Harry was up with his wand out in a flash. And then, he saw it.

Lily was frozen with fear, holding out her right arm. Just as the boys had described, it was going in and out of existence. His mind nonsensically flashed to a memory, long forgotten, of his Uncle Vernon fighting with the rabbit ears on their television. It somehow reminded him of the way the picture would flicker out and be suddenly replaced by the fuzzy black and white static, accompanied by a monstrous roar that the little black box shouldn’t have been capable of creating.

A similar roaring filled his mind now. He dimly realized that the others were talking, but he was only focused on his daughter. He struggled to take in as much information as he could, like years of training had taught him. But it all went out the window as he remembered that last time, it had been limited to her hand. Bile rose in his throat. This time, it was her entire right arm.

Harry rushed around the table, and sank to his knees next to his daughter. Lily reached to him with her other hand, and he took it. He wrapped his free arm around her back protectively, his wand forgotten on the floor. She buried her head in his chest as she cried, and Harry leaned his head against hers. He felt helpless, watching Ginny cast every diagnostic first aid spell she knew on Lily’s small, pale unstable arm. The room had become silent but for the sound of his daughter’s muffled sobs. Ginny finally sat back on her heels, wand trembling in her hand.

“It doesn’t hurt, does it, love?� she asked Lily gently. The little girl shook her head ‘no.’ Ginny nodded, seemingly lost.

“Jamie,� Harry said hoarsely. His son’s snapped to attention. “Did it last this long, the first time?�

Jamie also shook his head in the negative. On his other side, Al quietly cleared his throat.

“Dad?� he asked tentatively. Harry’s steely gaze latched onto his son’s matching green eyes. “I think maybe you should go to Hogwarts tonight. I’ve been thinking and…what if it’s connected? I mean, this never happened before yesterday…� He trailed off, looking to his mum for confirmation.

“I think Al’s on to something, Harry,� she said as she stood up with a heavy sigh. “It looks like it’s almost done for now, and…I don’t know. What if it helps?�

Looking down, Harry found that she was right; Lily’s arm was present for longer periods of time, and with one final flicker, seemed to be whole once more.

Harry sighed, finding himself suddenly missing his two best friends. “It’s worth a try. Um, Dad can come with me, under the cloak. It’ll be quicker if just the two of us go. Kids, stay here with Mum, just in case. I can tell McGonagall I’m just picking up some things they left behind.� He was coming up with it on the fly, but the plan came together easily in his head.

“Harry?� Said Teddy, who had been quiet for most of the meal. “Do you mind if I come with you? I’d like to talk to Victoire,� he said softly, eyes flicking briefly to his own father.

Harry almost rejected it out of hand; they needed to be in and out quickly. But there was a pleading note in his voice that Harry understood all too well. “Sure, Ted,� he said with a quick smile.

“Oh ho? Who’s this Victoire?� Sirius teased.

“She’s Ted’s girlfriend,� little Lily piped up, smiling shyly.

“And she’s assistant teaching Defense this year,� said Jamie sullenly.

“And she’s our cousin,� Al said with a slightly queasy look on his face.

Sirius’ eyes lit up with each new fact, but Remus beat him to the punch. He finally turned to look at Teddy for the first time since they met.

“Your…girlfriend?� He gently inquired. Teddy swallowed, and nodded.

“Remus, why don’t you go with them? I’m sure Teddy has some great stories from his school years,� Lily suggested in a would-be casual manner. “Besides, I’m sure he’d enjoy introducing you to his girlfriend without an audience.�

Teddy flushed as his gaze flicked to Sirius, who was bouncing in his seat. “Yeah, that sounds nice, actually. Is that cool with you, Harry?�

Harry, who had watched the whole exchange with interest, said quietly “Of course, Ted,� and extricated himself from his daughter’s grip. “If it’s fine with you, I think we should get going.�

There were murmurs of agreement, and Sirius ran upstairs to fetch James. As Harry reflected on the eventful meal, Ginny snuck up beside him. She took his hand, and rested her head on his shoulder. He did the same, and felt the comfort that always came from her leaning into his side. His heart began to beat at a more normal pace. Even if this one last ditch effort failed, he always had her.