�Sirius! Hurry or we�ll be late!�

�Coming! Coming!� came the somewhat muffled reply.

�Harry�ll never forgive you if we�re late.�

�Of course he will,� Sirius replied, walking down the stairs, fixing his collar, �He�s Harry.�

His lover smiled. �Yes, well that�s no excuse. Where are you going?!�

�To make a quick sandwich. I�m hungry.�

�Sirius!�

But he had already gone. Remus shook his head. Sirius was never one to be on time, pushed or otherwise. Despite severe prompting, Sirius had maintained a record to his five-minute entry. From everything including exams and graduation straight into James and Lily�s wedding and Harry�s christening.

Remus was startled out of his memories by a knock at the door. �Sirius!� He exited the living room, and entered the hall, crossing to the door and opening it. �Albus!�

�Good Afternoon Remus.�

�Alright, alright, I�m here. I-�

�Sirius, Good Afternoon.�

Sirius gave a curt nod.

�Albus, shouldn�t you be at the school?� Remus asked, �The match starts in five minutes.�

Dumbledore nodded. �I should. Yet I could ask the same of you.� He smiled at Sirius, who had the grace to look chided. �However, there is something of great importance I must speak with you about.�

�Is it Harry?� they both asked hurriedly.

Dumbledore smiled. �Harry is quite fine. But, indeed, it concerns him. A moment please.�

Sirius stepped aside as Remus opened the door widely. Dumbledore entered, followed by a witch and wizard neither could place. Remus shut the door and the group entered the living room.

Dumbledore sat, his companions standing on either side of him. Remus and Sirius sat on the couch across from him.

�As long as we have fought,� Dumbledore began, �you two have been loyal, courageous, and supportive of the cause, despite horrible, biased, and often unfounded accusations.�

Sirius swallowed reflexively, body tensing. Remus took his hand. They�d been through hell before, they could do it again. And as long as they remained a family, Remus was willing to face anything.

�No, there have been no new threats,� Dumbledore said, with a small smile, �However, I know that if there were, you�d both be ready and willing as always.�

Both men nodded.

�However, this does have to do with past griefs.� He folded his hands. �Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, I would like to reintroduce you to some very good friends of mine, James and Lily Potter.�

Before their eyes the two strangers suddenly became recognizable. Sirius made chocking sounds, while Remus opened his mouth and closed it again, for once in his life having no comment whatsoever.

James smiled. �Padfoot, Moony�It�s been a long time.�

The chocking found coherency as Sirius sputtered, �How?�

The explanation was given in an abbrevied version, before Dumbledore excused himself, leaving the four reunited friends together.

Sirius wasn�t fairing well, but was managing to be more articulate than Remus, which was a rare occasion.

�Explain this to me again,� he said slowly.

�The potion wasn�t a counter curse, but a sort of pre-emptive strike that helped us build a small immunity,� James explained, as Sirius nodded.

Lily crossed to stand by the fireplace, pulling a photograph off the mantle.

�Is this Harry?� she asked in a small voice.

Remus approached her cautiously, looking over her shoulder.

�Yes,� he replied, finding his voice. �That was his first Quidditch Final Championship.�

Lily ran her hand over the picture, as though it would crumble.

�And you took it for three weeks?�

James nodded. �But it was dangerous for us to give to Harry. And we felt safe enough. So we stayed. We thought we could protect him.�

Sirius� wand hand flexed, fisting and unfisting compulsively.

�You were wrong.�

Another nod. �We know that.�

�If you�ve been alive, why didn�t you come back?!�

Remus and Lily looked at him, Lily clutching Harry�s picture to her chest. Sirius was getting angry.

�We couldn�t,� James replied calmly, though there was regret in his voice. Deep regret.

�Bullshit!� Sirius snapped.

James shook his head. Sirius shot to his feet.

�I went to Azkaban for you! Twelve years! And Harry-! He grew up alone! They wouldn�t give him to Remus! They sure as hell wouldn�t give him to a murderer! And all this time - All this time you�ve been alive?!�

Remus grabbed Sirius� wrist, pulling his arm down from where he was pointing at James accusingly.

�We never meant for that to happen,� James replied.

�We didn�t know. Albus made us hide.�

�Hide?!� Sirius cried, turning on her. �So the cause was more important than your infant son?!�

She looked away.

Remus tugged at Sirius, who was trembling. He forced him into the couch and turned to James.

�And Albus was your secret keeper.�

�Yes.�

Remus nodded. Lily walked to the armchair, sinking into it, still clutching Harry�s photo.

James was shaking his head. �There were so many times Sirius, Remus�so many times�But Dumbledore thought it best��

Remus found himself nodding once again.

�We�re sorry.�

The silence was broken as a door opened and a crowd of voices were heard.

�Harry�� Sirius breathed.

Remus was already out the door.

�We just want to see him Padfoot,� James begged. �Just once, up close.�

Sirius glared.

�Please, can we see our son?�

�You gave him up when you left him.�

�Then may we see your son?�

�Please Sirius,� came Lily�s soft voice.

�Will he recognize you?�

They both shook their heads.

�Only Albus can reveal us and we�ve chosen not to do so with Harry.�

�You�d shatter his entire world.�

�We know.�

�Everything he�s worked so hard for, based on a lie.�

�We know.�

�And he won�t recognize anything? Anything at all?�

More shaking of heads, James� more sure, Lily�s less resolute.

But conversation was brought to an end as Hermione and Ginny entered, giggling like mad. Ron came after them, still absorbed in his story. And following them a nervous Remus, and red faced Harry, still in Quidditch robes.

Sirius stood, heart racing.

�Harry, how�d it go?� he asked, crossing over to hug the dark haired teenager.

Ron pulled an awkward pose, which caused Hermione and Ginny to dissolve in fits of laughter, legs giving out. They stumbled over to the couch as Ron turned to Sirius.

�You should�ve seen it! Best catch in Hogwarts history.�

He posed again, doing a double take and grasped at the air, recoiling his fist and hitting himself in the face. He stumbled backward and dropped into a chair. He then joined the near hysterical laughter. �Bloody Brilliant!�

Harry�s blush deepened.

Remus patted his shoulder comfortingly as Sirius managed a laugh.

�Did Colin manage a photo?�

�It�ll be plastered on the front page of the Daily Prophet by tomorrow,� Harry mumbled.

Sirius laughed a bit more genuinely.

Harry gave an embarrassed moan and was being begrudgingly pulled into the couch by the two girls when he noticed the couple across from him.

�How come you didn�t tell me we were having guests?� he asked, turning toward his parents.

�Old school mates,� Sirius replied, �Heard a lot about you. Wanted to meet you.�

Harry nodded and smiled, turning to James and holding out his hand.

�Harry.�

�James.�

They shook.

�And this is my wife, Lily.�

Lily stood, barely refraining from trembling as her son smiled at her happily.

�May I hug you?�

Harry thought this a rather strange request, but it wasn�t as if he hadn�t been asked before. He nodded, and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging tightly. She eventually let go, to a slightly bewildered room.

�Old school mates, huh?� Harry said, �Did you know my parents?�

�Everyone knew your parents,� James replied.

�So, you were friends?�

�You could say that.�

�Are you staying for dinner?�

James looked to his friends.

�Stay. Ron�ll tell the story again.� Harry smiled. �And he�s got lots more.�

�I know some!� Ginny offered with a giggle.

�We all do,� Remus said, smiling, brandishing his consent.

Sirius relaxed.

�Yes, stay. It�s been too long anyway.�

�Ages,� finished Remus.

�Yes, Ages.�

Lily sniffed. James smiled widely.

�That it has�Far too long.�

�So you�ll stay?�

�Yes. We�ll stay.�

�This time, we�ll stay.�