Beta'ed & Revised

Harry eyed his father's displeased expression. "She will be home for dinner, Dad."

"Maybe," James sighed, rising with his plate in his hands. He took it to the sink and rinsed it off before placing it in the dishwasher. He slowly walked back to the table, watching his son eat his breakfast. James smiled gently and kissed his son's head, rumpling his raven hair affectionately. "To each his own though, right? I like to have you here. For everything."

Beta'ed

Harry sank to the floor and wrapped an arm around her. Harry looked to Ethan's empty eyes, staring at his ceiling blankly. Harry reached forward and gently closed them. He tried to smile. "There. There, Mary, he's only resting."

"I don't want him to rest," Mary sobbed against Harry's chest. Harry engulfed her into his arms and hid his tears in her mass of blond hair. "I know. Me neither. But he's sleeping now. He's just sleeping."

Beta'ed

Lily nodded and let him rise from the bed. She watched him, drenched in sweat and as naked as he could be, fade into the bathroom. She let out a loud sigh of satisfaction as she sprawled out along the bed's satin covers. She buried herself in them. The smooth touch of the covers made her skin feel so relaxed and...Dreamy.

She giggled and dove for the bucket of strawberries at the end of their bed. She kicked her feet in the air as she popped them into her mouth, chewing in delight.

Beta'ed

"Sweetheart, you shouldn't even bother with trying. I can see that you've been crying."

"I can't help it," whispered Claire into her husband's chest.

James gathered her weak form into his arms. He buried his head into the crook of her neck. She smelt of worried tears, anxious sweat, and burning, sweet cinnamon. He kissed her neck, lost in her feel, in her touch. In her. "I'm sorry about this. I should have been there."

"You couldn't have stopped it," whispered Claire.

Beta'ed

"Ha," Sirius laughed. It was suddenly so easy to loose his train of thought with Harry. All he could think about were his times with James. Sirius snorted. "Ha-ha, Professor Lupin. Ha, Moony would make a great teacher. Smart little prick."

"Hey!" Remus almost laughed.

"He actually is," Harry complimented his teacher. Remus flashed Harry a quick smile.

Beta'ed

"You know, we can help you spy better," the boy named Fred said. Harry felt his lips turn up into a grin. He had thought he would get in trouble for listening in, but it was clear that these boys were of pure fun.

"That's all right," Harry said to Fred. "If you could tell me what you know. That would suffice for now."

"Big words, Harry," Fred snorted. He stuck out his hand. "Fred Weasley. Nice to meet you."

Beta'ed

"James?"

James smiled to his old friend feebly. He shrugged his shoulders, opening up his arms in a unknown way. "Hey, mate."

Sirius looked over his shoulder as an uproar of laugher emerged from within the Burrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Is a father not allowed to drop in for a visit with is son? Is a man not allowed to chat with his old friend?" James chuckled.

Beta'ed

"Moody says it doesn't matter his age. The battle could be coming at any day. As soon as Voldemort makes his move on Neville, we will throw Harry in there. Harry is our secret weapon. I'm glad James is showing up around here less often. He's teaching him pure defensive spells. How does he expect to confront Voldemort in combat if he only knows the defensive spells?"

"I guess you're right," sighed Arthur. "Best not tell Molly, though."

Beta'ed

The twins engulfed the two into their arms, hugging them tightly until they grunted with their embarrassment. Ron groaned into Fred's shoulder, his voice muffled, "Urrr! Gerrr off me, Fred!"

Fred let go and the four Weasleys were all smiles. A brown headed girl bounced up next to Ron. Her chocolate eyes were ecstatic. "Oh! You must be Harry! Mrs. Weasley has been owling Ron non-stop about you. We've been dying to meet you."

Ginny flashed a smile of agreement while Ron muttered under his breath. "Way to be casual, Hermione."

Beta'ed

Sensing Lily's secrets, he pressured. "Lily, tell me. What's happened?"

Lily fell into Sirius' open, friendly embrace and wiped her eyes on his jeans. He touched the back of her head, ran his hands across her hair as a sign of propulsion. She toyed with a fray on the jeans, something to avert her attention as she confessed. "I have CHF."

"And that is?"

Beta'ed

"Sirius..." Lily cooed. She went to sit in his lap and kissed his forehead, soothing his temper. "We will all die someday. I will just leave sooner than the rest of you."

"You can't leave me. I just got you."

Lily smiled gently and touched his warm chest. Her hand folded around his left side, cupping his heart. "I won't leave you. No matter where I'll be - I will always be in here."

Beta'ed

"You what?" James yelped. He was suddenly furious, all attempts to woo Lily gone. He raced forward and attempted to seize Lily's wrists. She jerked free of his grasp. "I slept with Sirius!"

Ginny attempted to rise to her feet, grimaced, and allowed herself to relax on the floor. She looked about the hazy room. "This is where you live?"

"Yes," Harry said, but he didn't pay much mind to his words. He focused all his attention on Ginny, on her pain. "What hurts?"

Beta'ed

"He said..." James found his strength and looked to his lap in sadness.

Lily touched his hand lightly and urged him, "It's okay, James. It's okay. Tell me."

He found Ginny laying on her bed, tossing her wand up and down, rose petals shooting out the end at every toss. She was waiting, bored, and hopelessly waiting. She jumped up from her position, a burst of roses spurting out at her abrupt toss of the wand, and she groaned. "Finally!"

"Finally what?" Harry questioned.

Beta'ed

"What do you want!" The woman pleaded.

Harry's eyes met her terrified blue ones. They were shining with her horror struck ones, truly worried of what Harry might do to her. Harry sighed, "I'm not going to hurt you. W-What's your name?"

"Why should I tell you!" Her accent was different, hard to understand. After a long minute of Harry's emerald eyes boring into her frightened blue ones, she stopped struggling.

"O-Oh," Ginny gasped this time. She unfolded her hand and gazed at the beautiful piece of gold in awe. She blinked, wondering what it would feel like to wear a part of someone's soul around their neck. However deranged or sweet this thought sounded, she nodded. "I will wear it."

"And keep it safe?"

"With all my heart," she agreed thoughtfully.

Ginny pushed back her untamed hair. "Stop us right in the middle of something...sexual. It's a total turn off, Harry."

She looked up into the demented face of Fenrir Greyback. Her eyes flew open further and she tried to let out a scream, but the werewolf's hand was so tightly clamped over her mouth that she couldn't do anything but cough. Fenrir grabbed her small form and yanked her into his arms, turning her so she could face the scene before them. His hand remained over her mouth, so no sound escaped her. Even as her tears seeped between her cheeks and Fenrir's dirt covered hand, even as she did her best to scream, fight, kick, and punch. It was to no avail.