Chapter 41

Lily Potter and James Potter sat on their sofa, forever frozen at 21. They passed their time by talking, laughing, and watching their son. Lily ached to see him and set everything straight. She so badly wanted to tell him how much she loved him. She wanted to tell him she was proud of him. She was ready to beat everyone that ever harmed him. James popped champagne on his first Quiddich game and danced around the room when Harry caught the snitch. Marlene stayed with the two of them and celebrated with them.

"Did you see that? Did you see him? I was right! I told you so! I told Minnie-" James was running around their room and his face fell. Lily hugged him tightly and they didn't look back in on his life for a while.

One day, Lily was repotting some flowers in the kitchen when there was a knock on the door. James, who sat at the kitchen table, gave Lily a surprised look. They had never had visitors before, besides their parents of course. Lily walked over to the door and looked out the peephole. She felt herself tear up and looked back at James who stood up.

"Who is it?" He asked. There was another knock. Lily finally opened their door to see a young Sirius Black on their doorstep.

"Sirius," Lily smiled as tears gently rolled down her cheeks and opened her arms. Sirius looked at her for a minute before gladly accepting the hug. He began shaking as sobs escaped his mouth.

"I tried, Lily. I'm so sorry. I tried to help him. I tried to protect him," Sirius's voice shook and Lily stroked his hair as she closed her eyes. A couple tears escaped her eyes again. Whether for her son, her friend, or both she wasn't sure.

"I know, Sirius," Lily whispered. "It's not your fault. You did the best you could," she kissed his cheek and managed to get him inside. The door closed behind them, and Lily wasn't sure how long she held Sirius and whispered it wasn't his fault before he finally pulled away. Sirius finally composed himself and Lily ran her hand through his curls with a smile.

"Took your damn time," James hugged Sirius tightly and Sirius began to cry all over again, but this time from happiness. "You look good, mate," James squeezed Sirius and Lily watched fondly as best friends were finally reunited.

"I wanted to kill him," Sirius finally spoke bitterly. "He should've died, not you two," he shook his head. Lily touched his arm and his voice faltered.

"You didn't deserve what happened to you Sirius," she squeezed his arm. He nodded solemnly.

"Sometimes it feels like I did. I should've known-" he was cut off by a door slamming behind Lily.

"Sirius," Marlene almost whispered from the living room. Sirius turned to look at her and broke into a smile. He picked her up and spun her around before kissing her like he used to do years and years ago. Sirius decided to stay with them. He moved into the extra room. He would never be separated from James or Lily ever again.

Lily wasn't quite sure how much time had passed before there was another knock on their door. Sirius and James were playing some game from when they were kids, so Lily made her way to the front door. She opened the door to see Professor Dumbledore, in all his glory. Lily folded her arms and looked at him. Dumbledore walked in, humming lightly. He snapped his fingers and tea appeared on the table for her and Dumbledore. They talked for hours. Dumbledore told her stories of her son and his friends. Lily smiled and cried the whole time.

Dumbledore apologized at the end. He wished he could have done more to help before they were gone. He wanted to save Harry and told Lily all the mistakes he made with Harry.

"Is it really parenting if you don't mess it up?" Lily laughed a little and Dumbledore shook his head. "You did fuck my kid up though. Really? You had to give him to my sister?" Lily felt a surge of anger go through her body.

"I bet Minnie would've taken him," James called from the living room and Sirius agreed. Dumbledore smiled and nodded solemnly before apologizing again and attempting to explain. Lily felt her smile slipping off her face as if someone yanked it off.

"You USED him! He doesn't even know! You're sacrificing my baby, I died for him! And you're just going to let him die."

"I have made countless errors in my lifetime. I can only hope that everyone moves on if they cannot forgive me," Dumbledore said and Lily did not respond. Dumbledore left them that evening and Lily looked in to see her son for the first time in years. She almost cried again when she saw him. He looked so different. He had gone through too much.

It was only months later when there was a knock came at the door.

"You've got it," James yelled from the backyard where he and Sirius were racing each other on broomsticks. Lily smiled and went to the door. When she opened it, a tall, freckled, red-head stood on the stoop. He looked distressed.

"H-hi. I'm sorry. I didn't know- I didn't know where to go and they just brought me here and-" Lily wrapped the tall boy who was probably the same age she was when she died, in a tight hug. He started to cry quietly and Lily brought him to the couch and handed him a cup of tea.

"Don't worry," Lily smiled and moved the hair from his forehead back. She wiped a tear away and squeezed his hand. "I'll take care of you, Fred," Lily whispered and Fred nodded. Fred told Lily all about the war and leaving his brother behind. She listened while he cried until he cried so much he was laughing. Lily showed him how to check in on his family and Lily told Fred all about her life growing up in the first war. Fred laughed when Lily told him all the pranks James and Sirius had done.

"Talking about me?" James came inside with Sirius and kissed Lily's cheek. Sirius went over and hugged Fred tightly.

"Always," Lily smiled up at him. "This is Fred Weasley," Lily motioned to Fred and James pulled him into a hug.

"Fred Weasley? Stole my map from Filch's office first year Fred Weasley?" James grinned. "Prongs," James said and Fred's mouth dropped open.

"Padfoot," Sirius grinned and Fred stared at the two of them.

"Moony was Remus," James explained and Fred sat down.

"My own teacher created the map? My friend's dad created the map?! Who's Wormtail?" Fred asked surprised.

"We don't talk about him," Sirius said darkly and left to his room. Fred stayed with the Potter's and Sirius. It was later that very same day another knock on the door. Lily looked out the peephole before calling James and Sirius over.

"I think you should get this one," Lily bit her lip. James opened the door, and finally, after 16 years apart, Remus was reunited and in the same room as all his friends. The more people that joined their house, the more rooms appeared.

Lily already knew who the next person to ring their doorbell would be and it finally happened after years of silence.

"Hey, Fred," Lily called in the back and Fred came jogging in. She motioned to the door and he opened it. Mother and son reunitied. Lily watched with a sad smile and hoped that one day she would get to see her son again.

"Lily, dear," Molly turned to Lily with tears in her eyes. Molly was as young as her son again.

"Molly," Lily threw her arms around Molly. "Thank you for taking care of my son, when no one else would," Lily squeezed Molly tightly and smiled.

"Thank you for taking care of my son, when I no longer could," Molly had tears glistening in her eyes. Fred left the household that day to go with his mother. They would soon be joined by his brother Charlie, then Percy, then Bill, and George would come last. Lily knew the day was coming soon and waited anxiously. When there was a knock on the door one day, Lily was convinced this had to be it. She looked out the peephole and sighed a little.

"Minevra," Lily opened the door. She looked young but old at the same time. Maybe Lily could never picture her teacher as young. "A long life," Lily smiled sadly and hugged her favorite teacher.

"Would have been longer if your grandkids weren't so much trouble," Minevra smiled and sat down.

"That's all on James," Lily joked and looked in the back. Sirius and James were sitting with Remus and laughing.

"You don't join them?" Minevra asked and Lily shook her head.

"I do. But some days they need their boy time," Lily joked and Minevra smiled. "Tell me all about Harry and Ginny and everything," Lily put her head in her hands. She listened for hours about the things Harry and his friends would do at their time in Hogwarts. She laughed and cried and everything in between.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall stood up as James came inside. James stopped dead before a smile cracked open on his face. He engulfed her in a hug and for the first time in years. McGongall looked truly happy and relaxed. She was at peace. Sirius practically screamed and jumped on them.

"Okay okay, Mr. Black," Minerva laughed.

Lily waited and waited in the kitchen for the next knock.

"Come on, love," James finally sat down next to her. "Come outside with us today," James took her hands in his and Lily sighed.

"What if it's today?"

"But what if it isn't," James whispered. Lily nodded and went outside. The sun was always shining. Sirius tossed her a firewhiskey and she sat next to Marlene in the grass. It was easy to pretend that they were sitting in the Hogwarts lawn again. Lily and Marlene laughed as the boys argued about something irrelevant.

"Remember when we went swimming that day in seventh year and James almost punched that guy. Who was it? McLaggen?" Marlene asked and Lily laughed as James looked sheepish.

"I was pissed," Lily laughed and James shrugged before kissing her cheek.

"Whatever. I got you in the end," he grinned and Lily laughed.

"I think we have company," Remus stood up as he heard moving in the house and Sirius followed suit. James pulled Lily to her feet and the door to the backyard opened.

"Don't even tell me 'I told you so'," James whispered and Lily hit his arm. She watched as he hugged Sirius tightly and they talked quietly, the same with Remus. Finally, he looked their way. Lily felt tears running down her cheeks as she looked into the beautiful green eyes.

"Harry," she whispered and pulled her son into the tightest hug she had ever given. Her son she hadn't seen in over seventy years. Her son that looked the same age as her and remarkably like her husband. Her son who missed out on years of her hugging and squeezing him until he popped.

"Mum?" His voice cracked as he slowly hugged her. Lily smiled and refused to let him go. She felt James hugging the both of them. After a while she felt Sirius hugging them and Remus joined in too.

"We're so proud of you," Lily whispered and kissed his cheek. Family was finally reunited and all felt right again.