He was lost in dancing with her, drowning in her scent when someone poked him in the back. Remus looked backwards and raised an eyebrow

“Done avoiding me?” he asked.

Sirius scowled, “Can I have a word?”

Remus looked at Tonks and asked, “What do you say?”

“If he says the magic word,” she grinned mischievously and looked at Sirius still in Remus’ embrace.

“Please?” Sirius scowled even deeper.

“When asked with such enthusiasm how can I say no?” Remus said pleasantly and followed Sirius to a little parlor. Sirius stood rigidly and inhaled deeply. He mumbled something.

“Didn’t catch that,” Remus said.

“I said I’m sorry,” Sirius hissed.

“See, that wasn’t hard,” Remus teased.

“I don’t want you to go because I don’t know how to be without you constantly there. I never learned how to be alone like that and I realize that is very selfish of me so if you really want to accept the position, I’m fine with that. Well, no I’m not. But I’ll try to be.”

Remus smiled and pulled Sirius into a hug, “Thanks.”

Sirius shrugged and pulling away asked, “So, when do you start?”

“I have to ask the Minister when I accept.”

“What? Why? Haven’t you already?” Sirius asked bewildered.

“No Sirius, I was waiting for you to be fine with it. I wouldn’t have accepted if you and Harry hadn’t wanted.”

“But that’s daft!” Sirius cried.

“No, that’s family,” Remus said squeezing Sirius’ shoulder. “And no matter what, we’ll always be family. Wherever we are.”

“I hate it when you make sense!” Sirius scowled and Remus laughed.

Xx

“So, where are you going to be working now?” Sirius asked as he flopped on the chair next to Hestia’s and took a sip of his firewhiskey.

“That, Mr. Black is none of your business,” she answered not sparing him a glance.

“Oh, come on. I deserve to know; after all we have shared a closet,” he said cheekily leaning in.

She eyed him with disdain and drawled, “Do not repeat that in public again Black or people might think I have lost all common sense and have become one of your conquests.”

Sirius, not realizing he was trading on dangerous water, snaked an arm around the back of her chair and smiled, “Then we better make sure they are correct.”

Without a second’s hesitance Hestia got up and dumped her martini in Sirius’ hair, “The day I lower myself for a Casanova like you Black is the day you can commit me into St. Mungo’s permanent ward!”

“But-but- the closet!”

She leaned forward and said in a low tone, “You may be friend material Sirius but I would have to be mad to go out with you,” in a whisper only he could hear she added, “Especially in public.”

Sirius, wet and with his dignity hurt, crossed his arms and glared at the snickering crowd.

“She should have been a Slytherin,” Emmeline Vance remarked from the other side of the room.

“Excuse me what?” Severus who had been next to her asked horrified. “After that public display! A Slytherin would never do that.”

“You really did not pay attention did you?” Emmeline smirked, “But, then again, Slytherins wouldn’t have been that smart. No wonder she was a Ravenclaw. We do know how to use our brains better than you.”

“Did you happen to see the same thing I did?” Severus snapped, offended.

“Yes, I unlike you, saw all of it,” she sneered superiorly and glided away snapping her long blond hair in Severus’ face as she turned.

Severus coughed confused and watched her go. Kingsley came behind him and clapped a hand on his shoulder, “Having fun?” Severus glared at him and walked away still thinking about the blond who had just out-sneered him. What the bloody hell was that? That had never happened to him before!

Xxx

A few days later, Harry was carrying his rucksack towards the Marauders Quarters. They were going home for Christmas and Harry welcomed the change after this hectic term. Next term there would be some changes, yes, but Harry hoped things would go more calmly for him. He had said goodbye to his friends and Susan and was going to meet his dad after he oversaw the Gryffindors who were boarding the coaches.

“Harry!” he heard and turned around to see Cedric coming to meet him.

“I am glad to have caught you before I had to leave,” Cedric said smiling.

“You are not coming back right? My Uncle told me,” Harry asked.

 “Yeah, Professor Dumbledore arranged with Madam Maxime for me to transfer to Beauxbatons and my dad got a transfer too so we will move to France. A new school with a bunch of people who have never met me before.”

Harry smiled; he knew Cedric had tried but the stress of readapting was getting to him and had started affecting his schoolwork.

“Do you think it’s selfish of me to leave my friends and Cho behind instead of sucking it up?” Cedric asked.

“No,” Harry answered sincerely. “Sometimes we have to do what’s best for us not others. Besides, it’s not like you won’t keep in touch with them. I’m sure you and Cho can work out a long distance relationship too. If they don’t understand you need your space right now then they weren’t good friends to begin with.”

Cedric smiled and extended his hand and Harry took it.

“I hope I can keep in touch with you Harry. You helped me a lot.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Harry shrugged.

“Exactly, you just treated me normally. Didn’t tread around me. But I’m not talking just about this year. I’m talking since we’ve met. When you were just a little midget.”

“Hey!” Harry scowled playfully.

“No seriously,” Cedric smiled. “You’ve always been nice to me even though I didn’t always treat you fairly.”

“You weren’t the only one three years ago who thought I was a Dark Wizard,” Harry shrugged.

“Yeah, but I can’t talk for others, just me and I’m sorry!” Cedric said firmly and Harry nodded even though Cedric had already apologized before, he wasn’t about to say so. That was exactly the problem.

“Good luck!” Harry said.

“Thanks and tell your Uncle my dad wishes him good luck on his post. Merry Christmas.”

“Thanks! You too.”

With that Cedric ran away, probably to get his trunk, and Harry smiled. Yes, things were looking good.

Xxx

Christmas went by uneventfully. Severus came by a few days before Christmas and ended up staying the rest of vacation since no Slytherin had stayed in the castle. All in all Harry was basking in the quiet and normal life. On the first night back at Hogwarts they were presented with a surprise at the staff table when the new DADA teacher was announced.

“She was until now a highly decorated Auror that left the field by my request to lend her knowledge in the classroom. I’m afraid you will find more dangers here,” Dumbledore said pleasantly to Hestia and laughter was heard. “Please welcome Professor Hestia Jones.”

Harry clapped first, having heard about Hestia from his father and uncles, and seeing that the Boy-Who-Was-A-Target-To-All-DADA-Teachers approved of the choice the rest of the student body felt confident that this time they might finally have a keeper.

Xxxx

Their prediction had been true and soon all students realized that Professor Jones was, for a change, not only a very competent teacher as she actually knew what she was talking about, but she was also fair. She was in between McGonagall’s and Severus’ strictness and Sirius joviality. She was light hearted in class but unlike Sirius who reigned his students mostly because they liked him and therefore had very few times in his years of teaching had to become stern with them, she was able to quiet down a class immediately with just a stern look. As she had said at the fist class she might be a nice teacher but she was the teacher.

There wasn’t a person in Hogwarts that wasn’t pleased with the new addition, or almost none. For some very weird reason Sirius seemed to be very grouchy with her. The fact that the little episode of her dumping a martini on his head had been mysteriously vastly known by everyone at Hogwarts, including portraits- the Fat Lady had had the gall to look at him in a pitying way!- did not help at all. But Harry  was of the opinion that once again Sirius didn’t like to have his favorite teacher post threatened. Ah, well! You can’t have everything. Besides he was really looking forward to what would happen the next morning. Remus had decided to go later to work just for that and Harry had promised to bring pictures back to his friends.

Xxxx

The first thing Sirius realized was that he was suddenly pulled out of his nice dream to feel cold and wet. The second were chuckles. He opened his eyes and saw a grinning Harry and Remus holding a bucket. There was a flash of light and Harry put away a camera.

“Happy birthday dad!”

“Come on Sirius, we are celebrating this joyous occasion with a very nice brunch, then we are going to lazy around and tonight all your friends will come to praise such a wonderful day,” Remus said happily. Why was Remus so chirpy?

“We never have birthday parties since my birthday is in the school year,” Sirius said.

“Yeah, dad, but this one is important!”

“What? Why?”

“Because Siri, you just turned thirty-six.”

“No I didn’t!” Sirius cried outraged.

“You have officially entered your late thirties very soon you will be entering-“

“NO I WON’T!” Sirius cried. “That’s  lie! A lie! I am still young and beautiful and I turned twenty-nine!”

“Hum, dad, I’m fifteen…and a half, and if you were twenty when-“

“Twenty-nine Harry! Twenty-nine!” Sirius cried jumping off the bed and clamping a hand over Harry’s mouth. With wide, mad eyes he added in a whisper, “Twenty-nine.”

Sirius kept repeating firmly that he was turning twenty-nine to whoever asked. When the cake came later on at the party being held in the staff room and to which all the teachers and Harry’s friend had been present, he had tried fruitlessly to change the little thirty-six in the candle to a twenty-nine but the number just grew larger each time. Sirius swore he saw Severus smirk.

Xxxx

Time kept moving and life went on. Remus was very happy with his new job and was working avidly, even at home he would suddenly have an idea and write it down in a little notebook he had been keeping with him recently. His relationship with Tonks was going wonderfully and he was more in love with her with each passing day, Harry on the other hand wasn’t feeling so into his relationship anymore. Now that he wasn’t dealing with Umbridge and had more free time he and Susan were seeing more and more of each other and Harry was starting to feel like it was becoming too much. He saw her out of class, in class and at the D.A. meetings. He really didn’t know what to do; he liked her all right, he just didn’t like her as much as he did when they started, and he had no idea how to solve his little conundrum.

xxxx

In the beginning of February, when the teachers were lounging in the staff room as they were prone to, one teacher approached another.

“So, I hear your son is leading a little rebellious studying group and I want to see how they are fairing. So if you could please convince him to let me participate in a meeting I would thank you,” Hestia told Sirius and was quite surprised when he just gaped at her. She couldn’t help herself, and laughed. She was also regretting not having a camera to record Severus Snape choking on his tea.

“A what? He has a what?” Sirius asked.

“You didn’t know?” she asked skeptically.

“Harry has no such thing,” Severus said firmly.

“Yes he does,” Hestia said simply.

“No he doesn’t,” Sirius stated.

“Look, I thought it was strange that even with the toad here most of the students from fifth year above are not only up to date in what they should know had they had a competent teacher, but the younger years actually know more than they should. I gave all years a standardized test considering the very unstable teachers they had. I wanted to know how much they knew no matter what grade they were. So I gave all years the same test, letting them know that they should answer only what they knew. Of course I knew first years wouldn’t answer much and seventh years would have hopefully most of the test answered. But I got one huge shock when looking through fifth and sixth years and some fourth year tests. So I questioned a few of the students that scored too high and they were extremely tight lipped saying they couldn’t tell. Being the Auror that I was I did my job. I kept an eye on them and followed them straight to the Room of Requirement where to my surprise every single one of the students that marked high entered. Including your son. Now, I knew Harry would score high because you trained him but this just reeks of Marauders. So I asked around. The ghosts happen to know a lot and keep quiet most of the time. After assuring Sir Nick I only wanted to help, he told me what he knew about Dumbledore’s Army from when he floated unseen in the Room.”

“He floats unseen?” Flitwick asked.

“Apparently a lot. You should watch yourselves,” she said shuddering.

“Dumbledore’s Army?” Sirius squeaked.

Hestia smirked, “You seriously did not know? They had been learning behind Umbridge’s back. Sir Nick told me Harry has even asked your help to teach him hexes so he could show the group.”

“No he never ask-“ Sirius eyes went wide, “The little Slytherin bugger.”

“Actually, he is a Gryffindor,” Severus pointed out.

“This is all your fault!” Sirius cried.

“Mine?” Severus cried outraged.

“Children, don’t fight,” Dumbledore said patronizingly as he took a seat, “Tell me more Hestia, I find myself very interested in a group with such an interesting name.”

Hestia snorted, “From what Nick said the students were afraid of failing their OWLs and NEWTs and decided to join around Harry, since Harry did get extra training in that area. There are students from all Houses, which surprised me,” she sent an apologetic look to Severus.

“Which Slytherins?” he asked.

“I saw Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass, but there could be more. They could have had already  been inside.”

Severus nodded rubbing his chin, “Yes, Harry was a friend with Zabinni’s older brother. It makes sense he’d use him as an ambassador. Also explains another piece of knowledge Harry had about my Slytherins.”

“Are you going to share?” Filius asked.

“No,” Severus answered. “Suffice it to say that Harry helped one of my snakes who was in a tight spot.”

And he had, thanks to Harry’s scheme Nott had maintained his grades and was able to return to class without any trouble after his father was convicted.

“Yeah, apparently Harry has been very sneaky this year,” Sirius grumbled.

“Oh Sirius, he is a teenager. It’s normal. What did you expect? Do you think our student’s parents know everything they do?” Filius laughed.

“I know everything my son does, or at least used to,” Sirius said annoyed.

“Harry was bound to grow up and start taking care of what he thinks is his business alone,” Dumbledore said. “Sometimes he may make a mistake as in the blood quill incident but I don’t think this time he did. I am quite proud of him and of my other students for finding a way through adversity.”

Sirius just scowled harder.

Xxx

“You called?” Harry asked as he bounced in the Marauder’s Quarter’s happily and sat on the couch. “Where’s Uncle Moony?”

“He called to let me know he would be working late,” Sirius said irritably as he sat in front of Harry and pinned him with the coldest of stares. “Anything to tell me?”

Harry looked around and shrugged, “No,” he said without the slightest clue of what his crime was.

“No, didn’t do anything? Didn’t have any secret meetings? Didn’t mislead your poor innocent father?”

Harry’s eyes went wide and his mouth formed an ‘o’ but he quickly recovered. “Say what now?”

“Confess! I know everything about your little ‘Army!’” Sirius cried annoyed.

“Okay,” Harry said raising his hands in a defensive way. “But I can’t tell you.”

“WHAT?” Sirius cried standing up.

“I can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t.”

“Can’t.”

Sirius’ eyes narrowed and he asked, “Is there something stopping you from telling me?”

“In a way,” Harry said simply.

“Fine! Don’t tell me!” Sirius scowled crossing his arms.

“I want to dad! But I can’t! It was for your protection at first you know? Plausible deniability and all!”

“I don’t need that!”

“I know,” Harry shrugged. “But we didn’t change that detail after Umbridge left. Look, I can see with the others if they let me tell you okay?”

“Fine,” Sirius said pouting as he sat back on the table. “Professor Jones, who by the way was the one who found out and enjoyed oh so much making me look like a fool, wants to participate in a meeting so she can gauge your level and maybe integrate your little group with her classes.”

“Oh,” Harry said rubbing his chin. “We never thought of that. I’ll tell the others.”

“You do that. But let me know first!” Sirius warned.

Harry smirked and asked, “So dad? Are you upset because I didn’t tell you or because Professor Jones knew before you?”

“Because you didn’t tell me,” Sirius said with a ‘isn’t that obvious tone’.

“So she didn’t make fun of you?”

“No.”

Yes she had. She had been annoying him all the time in the staff room later about the most stupidest things. “Oh I saw Harry eat a carrot today. Did you know?” “I think he sneezed, how could you have missed that?”

“And I want in on that meeting too! I can help! I was an Auror!”

“I know dad,” Harry tried to bite back his laughter.

Xxx

After calming his father down and trying to wait for his Uncle to come back, Harry had to give up and go back to the dorm or he’d be late for curfew. He was walking through the halls thinking of the best way to break the news to the DA when a movement caught the corner of his eyes and he hastily moved out of the way missing a spell by inches. Turning around Harry found himself face-to-face with none other than Draco Malfoy and his two goons Crabbe and Goyle.

Wand posed in defense Harry asked evenly, “What do you want Malfoy?”

“To make you pay,” Malfoy sneered as he walked closer. “No one to help you here is there? Just you and me.”

“And your goons,” Harry corrected and Malfoy smirked.

“You are going down Potter. I don’t care if the whole world thinks you’re a hero,” with a quick movement Malfoy cried “Sectusempra” and Harry rolled out of the way just in time for the spell to miss his chest and just graze his arm.

“Stupefy!” Harry cried but missed Malfoy who ducked and hit Crabbe instead who had been raising his wand at Harry.

“One down, two to go,” Harry thought as he jumped to his feet and sought cover in a suit of armor.

“You’ll get expelled for this Malfoy. I know that curse!” Harry tried to reason.

“Oh do you? Do you know the traitor invented it?” Malfoy cried gleefully and Harry let the jibe pass. Yes he knew. He knew many spells Severus created and it had been with great anguish that his Uncle confessed to have invented that spell this summer when he wanted Harry to learn how to close the wound if he was ever cursed by it again.

“Then you’ll know your Head of House will recognize it!” Harry cried out.

“Why won’t you come out and play Potter? Where is your Gryffindor courage?”

“Courage shouldn’t be mistaken with stupidity Malfoy. I am outnumbered.”

“Not anymore,” came a new voice as a flash of light rushed towards the general direction of Malfoy’s voice.

Turning around Harry saw Nott and Zabbini approaching and he decided to risk it. If Nott really wanted to clear his family’s name he wouldn’t harm Harry.

“You!” Malfoy cried. “Have you no shame? Aligning with Gryffindor’s!”

“Doing the smart thing,” Nott said firmly. “Now why don’t you do the same before a teacher comes and spare yourself a detention?”

“No, I think I’ll teach you blood traitors a lesson. Goyle!”

Goyle threw a hex at Zabbini who raised a shield while Malfoy launched hexes at Nott and Harry. While Malfoy and Goyle had been aggressive Harry, Blaise and Nott were trying to keep on the defensive side. The hexes flew until they were interrupted by water splashing them all and they all turned to face a livid McGonagall.

A/N- Thank you all for reading and reviewing.

Thanks SWaddict1986 for betaying.