Rays of sun came through the window and Sirius groaned as his head pounded. He tried to pull his pillow over his head but there was something heavy preventing that move. He grabbed harder and his eyes shot open when his hand touched flesh. He cautiously moved his head and jumped when he saw her lying next to him. He looked around dazed as he did not remember getting back to his room; he did not remember getting back to Grimmauld Place at all. He peered under the covers and quickly covered himself again in shock. A groan from  beside him caught his attention.

“Oh, my head!” Hestia said as she rubbed her head. “Where am I?” she looked around and jumped as she saw Sirius. “What are you doing here?” she demanded. “Am I naked?”

“Yes, and I live here.”

“What?” she asked and looking around, her eyes widened as she saw the room, the clothes strewn around, the picture of Sirius, Harry, Severus and Remus on the nightstand. She turned to him and said, “What did you do? You hexed me!” she accused.

“Hey! If someone was hexed that was me! I have no recollection of what happened! You obviously Obliviated me and took advantage of my fit body!” he cried outraged.

“Hardly!” she cried as she got out of the bed taking the covers with her.

“Hey! Bring those back!” Sirius yelled as he frantically tried to grab the covers.

She hastily grabbed her clothes from the floor and ran into the bathroom, “You will pay for this Sirius Black!” she yelled as she slammed the door shut.

Angry Sirius got up and yelled, “No you will!”

The door of the bedroom suddenly opened and Remus poked his head in, “Why are you shouting?”

“Moony! Where were you? Why didn’t you save me?” Sirius asked desperately.

“From what?” Remus asked calmly, too calm for Sirius’ taste.

“From her!” Sirius cried and pointed at the bathroom door that opened at that moment to reveal a dressed Hestia.

“Yes, good question, why didn’t you save me from him?” she demanded crossing her arms.

“I didn’t think there was any saving needed to be done,” Remus answered calmly rocking on the balls of his feet.

“He took advantage of me and dragged me to his bed!”

“She took advantage of me and dragged me to my bed!” They both yelled in unison.

“First of all,” Remus said calmly to the fuming pair, “from what Harry, who is quite traumatized by the way, told me, you were both very much active participants of the making out session you had at the Burrow. But nothing more than that happened. You see, you were both highly drunk and it wasn’t long before I found both of you slumped on the ground snoring on top of each other. And I brought you here,” he finished flatly.

“But- we were naked,” Sirius spluttered and Remus scoffed:

“Hardly, the spell I used removed only the robes, the underwear stayed.”

“Excuse me?” Hestia asked angrily. “Why would you put me in the same bed as him and take off my clothes?”

“I did not take off your clothes like that!” Remus defended himself blushing. “I covered you both and then magically removed the clothes. I am a gentlemen and did not see you naked.”

“That didn’t answer her question!” Sirius growled crossing his arms.

“Oh, Dora and I though it would be funny.” Remus smiled innocently.

“What?” Sirius asked “Why?”

“Didn’t I just say?” he asked and repeated slowly, “Dora and I though it would be fu-nny.”

“You what?” Hestia spluttered.

“I could have just left you on the Weasley’s lawn to be found by Molly in an undignified drunken hip if you would have preferred,” Remus shrugged.

“Well, er,” Hestia fumbled with her shoes as she put them on, “Er, I normally don’t drink like that see. I couldn’t be held responsible for my actions- understandably I did things that were- er -debatable.”

“Excuse me? Making out with me is not debatable!” Sirius shrieked indignantly.

“Well, thank you Remus for preventing someone else finding me in less than desirable company, see you,” Hestia said as she scuttled away, her cheeks tinged of red.

“Bye, bye,” Remus waved while Sirius spluttered and pointed.

“She- she-“

“You do know you are wearing only boxers,” Remus called out when Sirius had stalked out of the room after Hestia. Seconds later, a scowling Sirius returned and glared at him.

“Stop laughing Moony!”

Xxxx

Harry watched as the front door closed and turned back to his breakfast. He eyed Tonks and asked:

“If Professor Jones doesn’t like dad why would she kiss him like that?”

“Who said she didn’t like him?”

“Were you eavesdropping on the same conversation I was?” Harry asked pointedly waving the extendable ears that had been on the table and then put them away.

Tonks smirked, “You see Harry, Hestia has never liked men that were- how can I say- think they are Merlin’s gift to humanity.”

“That’s dad,” Harry nodded.

“But, although Sirius is like that, he does have his qualities, but Hestia could never admit that after she so vehemently said she would never date someone like him. I’ve known her since I started Auror training and I believe me, she has always put men that come on to her like that down. And she always said she would never date someone like that. As a matter of fact most of her boyfriends have been the opposite of Sirius. They were responsible, very courteous men. But I believe that Professor Jones may just have a slight crush on the epitome of what she considers the bane of her existence and she is in quite a pickle.”

“Women, you make no sense,” Harry snorted. Tonks just burst out laughing.

Not long after that a smiling Remus came to the kitchen followed by a scowling Sirius. Remus sat next to Tonks and kissed her as Sirius dropped dejectedly next to Harry. Harry handed Sirius a piece of parchment.

“What’s this?”

“The therapist estimate of how much it will cost to un-traumatize me. Really dad, there are things I just don’t need to know you do very much less see!” Harry cried dramatically. Sirius’ eyes widened and he grabbed Harry’s head and held it close to his chest, covering Harry’s eyes.

“What? What did you see? Where’s the therapist address? Let’s go now!” he said standing up and dragging Harry.

“Dad! I was kidding!” Harry tried to reason.

“But Harry! You’re just a baby! I shouldn’t have- I really don’t know what got into me. We have to discuss this, professional help can be useful. I don’t want you to think that is appropriate behavior.”

Seeing from the broken tone that Sirius was not acting and that he really was uncomfortable with having broken his golden rule of never dating where Harry could catch him, Harry stopped the teasing.

“Dad, it’s okay. I’m not baby anymore and I don’t mind if you date Professor Jones.”

“I am not dating that-that- woman! She drugged me!” Sirius defended himself.

“I think he got drunk all by himself,” Remus whispered to Tonks, who snorted and covered it with a cough lest Sirius notice.

“Okay dad,” Harry said soothingly rubbing Sirius’ back. “Why don’t we sit and have breakfast? I believe Uncle Moony and Tonks have news for us,” he finished, helping Sirius sit on the chair.

“What?” Sirius asked dazed.

Tonks held her hand in front of Sirius and he just stared.

“Dad- don’t you see anything new?”

“No,” Sirius asked and Remus banged his head on the table.

“Don’t you see anything you helped me pick up?” Remus asked slowly.

“Yeah, she’s wearing the ring you dragged me all over London for days to find.”

“You really did think this through,” Tonks said gushing as she kissed Remus.

“Yeah, I- er- had this whole dinner planed but then the moment just felt right and- er- I didn’t have the ring with me so I just gave it to you later,” Remus blushed.

“When did he ask her?” Sirius asked.

“At the wedding,” Harry said happily.

“MOONY! That’s cheesy!” Sirius moaned flapping his arms in a defeated manner. “You had booked London’s finest restaurant and you ask her at someone else’s wedding without the ring?”

“Hey, you all knew?” Tonks asked.

“ Of course we did,” Harry waved dismissively at her. “Who do you think gave him the idea to go to a Wizarding restaurant where the Weird Sisters played once a month to ask you on the day they played? Now that’s all for nothing!”

“We can still go,” Tonks said throwing her arms around Remus, “Besides, I loved the way you asked me.”

“Still,” Sirius sighed. “All that planning. And that compulsion potion Severus suggested to make sure she agreed. All wasted.”

“I wasn’t going to use the potion Sirius,” Remus glared at him and Sirius shrugged.

“So, you two are fine with this?” she asked.

“Tonks,” Sirius whined. “This is what my master plan was aiming all along!”

Harry nodded.

“Don’t flatter yourself, you had nothing to do with this Sirius Black!” she said shaking a finger at him.

“As if,” Sirius snorted.

Xxxx

“And I think Harry should enter bringing the rings, that would be just adorable,” Andromeda said to the tired couple in the kitchen of the Tonks’ house.

“Hum, honey, I believe Harry is a little old for that,” Ted chuckled.

“Oh,” Andromeda’s face fell and she started looking at the huge planner she had taken after Remus and Tonks had announced their engagement three hours ago. Apparently Tonks’ wedding had been almost completely planned for ages. Though by Tonks’ looks a lot of things in that planner would be discarded. “Where can we find a cute kid to borrow?” Andromeda wondered and Tonks rolled her eyes.

“Remus, why don’t we leave the ladies at this and you and me go for a walk in the back yard?” Ted asked and Remus sat straighter, his eyes wide.

“Er, hum, okay,” he said feeling like a teenager.

After leaving the two women to discuss why Tonks would not be wearing her normal hair color that day, thank you very much, Ted accompanied Remus outside.

“Dora is my most precious gift Remus.”

“I know,” Remus nodded as they paced the back yard.

“I won’t lie to you. I come from Muggle upbringing and even having been in the wizarding world for so long sometimes the fact that we live longer escapes my grasp and I had imagined someone younger for my baby.”

“I know Ted, that’s why I had reserves about dating Dora-“

“Do you love her?” Ted cut Remus off by turning around and staring him straight in the eyes.

Remus nodded firmly, “Yes, like I never thought I would love someone.”

Ted nodded seriously, “I owe your mother the very fact that Dora is here Remus, but that does not mean that I will repay that debt with her happiness. If you ever hurt her, debt or no debt I will hurt you.”

“I know and you won’t have to,” Remus said firmly.

“Good,” Ted beamed and clapped Remus’ arms. “With the cliché warning out of the way I can welcome you as my future son–in-law. At least I know she chose a good man with whom I can hold a conversation. Her last boyfriend before you …” Ted shuddered. “Best leave him alone”

Xxx

Harry eyed the letter in front of him with distrust.  He of course had already received a squealing phone call from Hermione and more sedated floo calls from Ron and Neville informing him of the contents of their letters and asking if they could meet in Diagon Alley to buy their school things. Harry didn’t know if his dad, who had still been slumbering, would let him go. Since the owl had left, Harry had been seated at the kitchen table glaring at the closed envelope, sometimes receiving sympathetic looks from Twinky.

Remus had been observing this rather strange behavior in his opinion from the stairs for quite a while and was loathing having to go out for work before Harry managed to gather the courage to open the envelope but there was nothing he could do. He was already incredibly late and could not wait any longer. He went upstairs, woke up Sirius and told him to go straight to the kitchen with no more explanation than that.

He passed through the kitchen door once more and sighed as Harry had yet to move. He hoped Harry did soon because he knew Severus would be Flooing soon to know the results and he had a slight suspicion that Harry needed to talk to Sirius before that happened.

When Sirius came down Harry was still in the same position. Sirius sat down, grabbed his coffee and started drinking.

“Did that envelope insult you?”

“Maybe.” Harry answered.

Sirius peered over the envelope, “Ministry seal. Oh,” he said knowingly. “Dawdling won’t change the results.”

Harry bit his lips and shot a quick worried glance at Sirius who did not miss it. He inhaled deeply and opened the envelope quickly. He scanned the parchment and sighed in relief; he scanned the other parchment and bit his lips. Sirius plucked the first parchment from Harry and beamed.

“Well done son. Exceeds Expectations in most subjects, and Outstandings, in DADA, Potions, History and Arithmancy. Must be the History teacher.”

“The History teacher was responsible for my good grade in Arithmancy?” Harry asked.

“Of course,” Sirius scoffed and looked at the other parchment. “What’s that?”

Harry bit his lips, “I have to choose my courses.”

Sirius looked at him cautiously and said, “Well, you did discuss with Minerva your options. My advice is keep your options open, I know you can’t take everything but don’t just take what will let you have only one career.” There was the biting of his lip again, “No matter what you choose Harry, I will be proud.“ he said seriously.

“You were an Auror.”

“Yes.”

“So was my first dad.”

Sirius nodded and looked at Harry. “I know I tell you all these stories about James Harry, and sometimes I comment on how you are alike but that’s because I knew him and you didn’t. When I tell you that you are like him with something it’s because that way you can have a better grasp of how he was, not because I want you to be like him.” He smiled and walked around the table sitting next to Harry and turning Harry’s chair around so that their knees touched. “I love you son. You are much more than some part of James to me. Yes I love the parts of James and Lily that you give me back, but I also love the parts that you get from me, from Moony and even some things you caught from Sev. But most importantly I love the Harry parts, the ones that are you unique to you and that come from that mixture of persons and your experiences. I love you Harry and I want you to be happy …and safe,” he added as an afterthought.

Harry bit his lips, “I kind of wanted to take Arithmancy, DADA, Charms, Transifiguration, Potions and start Runes,” he said quickly. “I like working out how spells work and Aunt Minerva said there is a department that works with that.’

“Yes, there is,” Sirius said, and that was one of the no-no pamphlets. Didn’t Minerva see Lily after one of her accidents? he thought. “If that is what you want I will support you,” and have a calming draught and the emergency floo number at hand.

“Really?” Harry asked hopefully.

“Of course,” Sirius smiled kindly. “But I would like if you could keep History. I mean , my own son dropping me.  Besides, you have to know History to know what has been done.”

“I’ll try dad,” Harry hugged Sirius fiercely and grabbed the parchment and ran to his room.

“Congratulations,” came a silky voice from behind.

“Severus!” Don’t scare me like that.

Severus entered calmly and sat down, “I have to confess I was worried about how you would handle Harry’s issues about not being James.”

“And how do you handle him not being Lily?”

“Just as you said, even if what attracted me to him was her in him now I love the whole Harry. But the issue with James is stronger since he looks so much like James,” Severus said calmly as he sat down.

Xxx

“I thought your dad wouldn’t let you come like in third year,” Hermione said as the group walked towards Florish & Blots. Harry had met with Neville, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and her friend Luna at the Ice Cream shop a few moments earlier.

Harry glanced at an old lady that was shopping near by, “Yeah, he was persuaded to let me come. Even dad can’t be that neurotic- Ouch!” Harry rubbed his head and glared at an empty space behind him.

“You okay?” Neville asked staring at him oddly.

“Yeah,” Harry mumbled as they entered the shop.

Shopping for their school things had gone quite peacefully, even when they encountered Narcissa and Draco Malfoy at Madam Malkin’s. The  Malfoys had been extremely polite to all of them and Harry couldn’t shake the feeling of unnaturalness of Malfoy not trying to provoke him or insulting Hermione. That was just not right! After Madam Malkin’s, they went to see the Joke shop Fred and George had opened and Hermione looked at him oddly when he paid a lot more than for what he had taken. Fred and George on the other hand had not missed their products vanishing into thin air. They had tried to refuse Harry’s money but Harry had quickly mumbled that he and Cedric were silent partners and if they didn’t let Harry pay word could get to Mrs. Weasley, and even though she had apparently been mollified with the twins’ success Harry would rather she not know where they got their starting money.

Everything was going quite wonderfully and Harry was quite ready to tell his dad “told you so” when they got home, when on their way back to the Leaky Cauldron Harry felt someone grab his collar and pull him backwards into an alley. The hard feeling against his neck told him there was a wand digging into his flesh.

xxx

A/N- Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Thanks SWaddict1986 for betaying.