I am so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. These past few months have been a complete strain and very stressful. My partner tried to commit suicide, and his mum landed in hospital, so I've been looking after two young children as well as making sure my partner is doing well. On top of that, my nan has passed away, and I've been struggling to keep my head above the ground. I fell out with the writing for a while, but I'm hoping to be able to pick it up a bit now. My partner is doing better, and his mum is out of hospital, so things are looking up a bit.

For those of you who read my other story, A New Beginning, as soon as I get to my laptop, I'll post the next chapter of that. I'm currently on my phone whilst my laptop is in for repairs.

Once again, I'm incredibly sorry for the delay in updates. I won't say they will be more regular, because I've no idea what's going to happen, and I don' have any chapters after this one written. But I'll try and update quicker at least, without leaving 5/6 months inbetween.

Once again, thank you for your patience, and for sticking by this story. And thank you to everyone who has reviewed and favourites and followed. I have been reading them, and I am so thrilled people do enjoy this story.

When Sirius woke up, the first thing he registered was that, though his favourite chair at the Potters was comfortable for sitting in, sleeping in it was not the best idea. He could already feel the crick in his neck, where he had slept at an odd angle. The second thing that registered was the noticeable absence of the small bundle of warmth that had been a near constant for the last few days.

He bolted upright, panic threatening to overwhelm him at Hermione's absence. He hadn't been far from the little girl for the last few days, doing his best to help her settle, and to bond with her. The only thing that stopped him from tearing the house down was that it was Prongs' home, and if something bad had happened here, he doubt he would have woken up at all. But still, his Hermione was missing, and Sirius didn't feel comfortable letting her out of his sight.

His ears perked up when the sound of squealing and Lily giggling reached his ears. A soft smile graced his lips. If Hermione was with Lily, then she was okay. He trusted his friends with his life, and he would trust them with his daughters life as well.

Standing up, and stretching, trying to crack his neck, Sirius smiled when he heard the high pitched squeal his daughter emitted whenever she was particularly happy about something. He made his way to the kitchen, where he could hear Lily laughing about something, and James' half-hearted grumbling, his own smile growing.

Sirius was not known for melting into a puddle at cute scenes, but seeing Hermione and Harry teaming up to smear what looked like orange mush over James did make his heart melt. Just a little bit. It also caused him to snicker, whilst Lily looked amused. James glanced at him, a mock scowl on his face. Seeing Hermione's eyes light up at his voice, and Harry to turn slightly to look at him, melted him just a tiny bit further.

Sirius decided then and there that baby cuteness would be his undoing.

He settled into the kitchen, relishing in the sound of his friends laughter, and the innocence of the moment. For a small amount of time, he could pretend there was nothing wrong with the world outside, that everything would be just fine. Conversation flowed freely between the three adults as James cleaned himself and the two children up and Sirius helped Lily prepare dinner.

It was a lively dinner table, with James and Sirius tossing jokes back and forth, and Lily watching on in amusement. Hermione and Harry were in the playpen, watching with bright eyes, even as Hermione shoved the foot of a soft toy in her mouth, drool immediately coating her chin.

The happy and content atmosphere turned more serious once dinner was over and the adults congregated to the loving room, Sirius cradling Hermione against his chest, Lily mirroring his movements with Harry.

"So, where did Hermione come from, Pads?" James asked, sprawling out on the sofa. Sirius gently ran a hand through Hermione's hair, the action an unconscious one that seemed to ease him. He smiled sadly, as he recounted the tale. James and Lily listened intently, eyes narrowing with suspicion when he mentioned Bellatrix, widening with horror when they heard what happened to his cousin's daughter. Lily's eyes filled with tears as he told them of his last meeting with his cousin, respect and sadness filling his friends when they heard how she had saved an innocent baby from her husband and his friends.

Bright green eyes that had filled with tears as Sirius spoke overfilled, tears streaming down her face as Lily hugged her son closer.

James' mouth opened and closed, and Sirius could see anger and pity and horror expressing themselves in the clenched jaw, heaving chest and hazel eyes of his best friend. James hated people dying needlessly, or for doing the right thing. He hated children getting hurt and suffering. Lily closed her own eyes when her husband left the room, both she and Sirius knowing James needed to rant alone, if only for a moment.

It was minutes later when James returned, though it felt like an eternity. Sorrowful eyes turned to Sirius as arms wrapped around his wife and son, holding them close, as if his embrace alone could protect them.

"Are you sure you can trust Bellatrix?" James asked. Sirius could tell his friend regretted as long the question, but he knew that of the situation was reversed, he'd probably ask the same.

"Bella had always been very family orientated. Her marriage to Lestrange was to prevent Narcissa marrying him. Not running, not hiding, staying, was to protect her family. Losing her child destroyed her. She had no reason to save this baby, a baby born to muggle parents. If she truly followed Lestrange and his master, if she believed the ideals the Dark Lord spouts, she wouldn't have saved this child. She wouldn't have risked Lestranges' wrath. She wouldn't have begged me to save her." Sirius sighed.

Lily nodded, shivering slightly as she held Harry tighter. James frowned, hazel eyes narrowing.

"Muggle parents, Pads? She asked you to adopt Hermione, using the old ways?"

Sirius nodded. "Its unorthodox, and very rarely done, bringing a child born to muggles into the Black family, but as long as the child has magic, it is possible. Bellatrix must have known somehow, otherwise she wouldn't have asked."

James nodded. Lily looked slightly worried.

"What about the muggle authorities? They'll know there was a child, and they'll be looking for her. Surely someone will recognise her?" she asked, fingers of one hand tangling the tips of her hair. Sirius gave a lopsided smile.

"The reason the Black's didn't adopt muggleborn children is because the process requires blood. Only a small amount is needed, pricking the tip of your finger would be enough. But it is enough to allow the child to take on the magical and physical attributes of the family they are being adopted into. If you were to do a paternity test, it would show me as Hermione's father." He explained. Lily nodded, appearing satisfied for now.

"We'll all be here for you Sirius. Both me and James and Harry. They can grow up together. You're more of a brother to me than Petunia is my sister. You and Hermione will always be family." Lily stated, voice firm. Sirius chuckled lightly, heart bursting with love for the people in front of him.

Years ago, before he had met James and Remus and Lily and Peter, he never thought he would feel as much as he did now. He had done his best to show he cared to only a select few, and very rarely. His mother had drilled it into him, love was a weakness that he needed to get rid of. And whilst he had tried to ignore most of what Walburga Black had told him, that had stuck with him. He knew he had loved his mother at one point, but that hasn't stopped him from being hurt by her. His father, he knew his father cared, in the way his father had healed the worst of his injuries when he was younger, the way his father had continually tried to warn him to back down, to stop rebelling, even after Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor. But the actions of his mother, the woman he had, at a very young age, loved and adored, had hurt him. She had proven that loving someone was a weakness that would only get him hurt.

It had taken James and Remus and Peter to prove to him that loved was a strength, was something to hold onto, was something that could make him stronger. James' parents had further proven It, with their doting and affection for James, and later himself. Lily had joined the small circle of people Sirius loved as well, though it had taken him longer, not quite as eager as James to forgive her for the insults she had thrown his way, the jabs at his family, even though at the time, she hasn't known what his family was like. But she had proved herself, with her bright, fierce love for James, a live that had extended to him and Remus, and to some extended, Peter, though she had always seemed slightly wary of the smaller boy.

But it was also that love that made him hesitant to mention Bella's warning about Peter, because he didn't want to believe that another person he loved, someone they all loved, would hurt them, betray them on such a large scale. It was the belief that Peter wouldn't hurt them, wouldn't betray them, that kept him silent. He just couldn't cast doubt on him, on his brother, when Peter hasn't done anything to raise suspicions like that.

And so he stayed silent, the warning playing on a loop in his mind. But he stilled his tongue, and let the noises of this family wash over him, enjoyed the heat and comfort of the child cradled against his chest. Looking around, at his family, he smiled. This was worth protecting at all costs, even if two of his own had him worried. They were still worth protecting, until they proved otherwise.

Remus listen as Sirius spoke, the aristocratic lilt of his friend, his pack mates, tone breaking every few sentences. The blow out from his admission had been huge, and it took reminding Sirius of Hermione to stop the young man from confronting their old headmaster. That argument seemed relatively minor compared to the story Sirius had just finished telling. Remus was pretty sure his mouth was hanging open, it would probably explain why his tongue was starting to feel rather dry. His own eyes were suspiciously damp, though his cheeks felt dry.

He wasn't sure he could formulate a proper sentence in response to the tale Sirius had told. He didn't doubt Sirius about his cousin, He had been around her in school, and whilst the female Black wasn't pack, Remus knew she could be trusted. He could smell the need to protect family on her. Where Bellatrix had an obsessive need to protect family, to protect what was hers, Sirius had a need to protect those who had proven themselves to him or couldn't protect themselves. They were similar in so many ways, Remus wondered how their family had missed it. Sirius defied the family openly and loudly and in every obvious manner possible. Bellatrix defied them subtly, quietly, plotting her moves carefully to ensure the safest outcome for everyone but her. But it was always with the same goal. If anyone had looked deeper, they would have seen Sirius' behaviour as his way of protecting his brother from their parents. They would have seen the decisions Bellatrix had made as her way of saving her sisters from their parents.

In the end, for the both of them, it had always come down to family. They had done their best, the both of them, to protect their family. Bellatrix had succeeded, and failed. Sirius believed he had failed completely.

The silence stretched on, Sirius watching his friend with troubled eyes. Remus blinked, cleared his throat.

"I don't really know what to say." He murmured. "I don't think there is anything I can say that will make this whole situation better. But I'll always be here, if you need anything. I'll be around more often, for you and Hermione and Harry and James and Lily. Lily was right, you are family. And I'll let Dumbledore know I'm having no luck with the werewolves and I can't continue going. It's a waste of time and I can be of better use here."

"Crazy old fool. What was he thinking, sending you to infiltrate the packs?" he snarled. "He knows what Greyback did to you and he sends you to him anyway."

Remus frowned. "He only wanted me to try and convince them to not follow Voldemort. I was willing to do It. I do owe him, if not for him, I never would have gone to Hogwarts or met you, James and Peter. And Lily."

Sirius snorted.

"As I said before, any decent human would have let you go to Hogwarts. It doesn't make him special, or put you in his debt. You owed him nothing Remus. He manipulated you, it's that simple." Remus shook his head.

"No one in their right mind would have let me attend Hogwarts knowing what I am. They would have kept me away, to keep their children safe. Sirius, he gave me an opportunity, an amazing opportunity that others don't get. I'm probably the only werewolf to have ever attended Hogwarts."

He still felt compelled to defend his old headmaster. After all, if it wasn't for Dumbledore, he would still be at home, friendless and without a proper education and no chances of a job anywhere. He wouldn't have his friends, or, as his wolf thought of them, he wouldn't have his pack. Dumbledore had allowed that to happen, by giving Remus a chance. He was the first person to ever give him a chance. Sirius was scowling, though there was a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"I wonder why." He mused. Remus shot him a startled look.

"Wonder why what?"

"Why you are the only werewolf our esteemed headmaster ever invited to Hogwarts. Surely there are other children who have been attacked, before and after you. Why did none of them ever go to Hogwarts? And there wasn't another student like you, we would have noticed if there was a furry friend with you on the Full Moon, and they would have been in the hospital wing. So why were you the only werewolf Dumbledore invited to Hogwarts?"

Sirius wasn't really sure where he was going with his thoughts, he didn't want to accuse Albus of deliberately setting Remus up. Sure, he was furious the old man had the audacity to send Remus to the werewolves, but he was a good man, and like he didn't want to believe Peter had betrayed them, he didn't want to think his headmaster had been so manipulative.

It had appeared Remus had realised what he was saying, had reached the sane conclusion, because he began to deny it vehemently, a look of horror in his eyes. And as much as Sirius didn't want to believe It, it really did make a lot of sense. If Remus was allowed to go to Hogwarts, then others should have been able to as well. There had to be a reason why not one other person like Remus had been at the school.

"It makes sense, Moony." He whispered. "I'm not saying he's a bad person, Merlin knows Dumbledore is one of the best Wizards there is. But he had to have had a reason, otherwise there would be more like you at school, or you wouldn't have gone." Remus continued shaking his head.

"Maybe the parents of the others didn't let them come. We are dangerous, it wouldn't be safe to have more than one of us at the same time. It would have been twice the dangerous, twice the risk. There will probably be another werewolf at Hogwarts in a couple of years or so. Besides, people like me aren't as common as you might think." Remus gave a self-depreciating grin.

"Most werewolves recognise children as cubs, too young most of the time to withstand the change. And when we are in wolf form, even though the human part is lost, the wolf can will still recognise small children as babies. Young that's to be protected. Even now, my wolf recoils in horror at the thought of hurting a cub. Prey that is the same size, or a perceived threat is what we usually go for. They present a risk to the safety and health, of ourselves, and if we have one, our pack. Only Greyback attacks children really. And he usually kidnaps them and raises them himself, so they trust him. I'm special. He only attacked me because my father insulted him, and Greyback thought it amusing to turn the son of Lyall Lupin into a werewolf and force him to raise it. I doubt there are many other who stayed with their families, most people don't tolerate people like me. I was probably the only one around when he was making the offer. I might have also been the only one to accept."

Sirius looked thoughtful. What Remus said did make sense, but Sirius still believed Dumbledore had other reasons. He'd give him the benefit of the doubt, keep his suspicions to himself for now, because he had been the one to make it possible for Remus to attend school. But Sirius wouldn't lay all his trust in the man any more. He'd keep Albus Dumbledore at arms length for now.

Remus looked relieved when Sirius nodded, seeming to accept his explanation.

"So you don't recognise adult humans, but you recognise children when you're a wolf," Sirius asked curiously. Remus shook his head.

It had been hard, breaking out of thinking he was a monster. When he had first changed, he didn't think he would hurt anyone. Didn't think it would make much of a difference, his furry problem. After all, the wolves he had read about, the real wolves that lived in the wild, they didn't really attack people for the sake of It, they only attacked when threatened or provoked. When he was younger, not quite understanding the difference between a wild wolf and a werewolf, he had devoured everything he could. He had wanted to understand everything about the animals his father appeared to fear.

Of course, being locked in a cage, chained down, and left alone during the Full Moon had changed his thinking. His mother and father wouldn't have done that to him if he wasn't dangerous. It was his reasoning, his basis for believing that the condition he suffered daily made him a monster. The rest of the time, his parents were almost normal. His dad wasn't as open with affection as before, and his mum often looked at him with pain and heartbreak, but he knew they had loved him all the same. It was just three nights a month that they had seemed afraid of him. Or for him.

Meeting the Marauders had changed everything. Not an instant change, but a gradual change. They had accepted him, brought him chocolate when he wasn't well, gifted him dungbombs and planning mercy from Zonko's (things that Madame Pomfrey inevitably confiscated), brought him noted and homework. They had made him feel normal, no different from any other person. They had made him as comfortable as that could, learned his ticks, his mood changes, what irritated his senses. It had all made a difference to the way he thought. Their consistent loyalty and friendship had kept him going, even in his darkest times. His happiest memories, the ones that enabled him to produce a patronus, involved them.

A loud, high pitched cry startled him out of his thoughts. He realised Sirius had been watching him intently, though now the other man chuckled softly as he stood.

"Little Monkey hasn't been feeling well the last couple of days. She's a bit louder than she used to be." He said, an affectionate smile gracing his lips. "I'll be back in a minute."

Sirius exited the room, loping down the corridor, disappearing into James' old bedroom. He returned moments later, doing a weird little bounce as he walked that strongly reminded Remus of Lily. The child in his arms was giggling and Remus couldn't help but study her, mind racing.

The child, Hermione (and wasn't that a mouthful, Remus thought wryly), had a thick head of dark hair. He could see it wasn't quite as black as Sirius' hair was, rather a very dark brown. The curls were as crazy as Andromeda's, and Remus wondered if that was due to the adoption ritual, or if they had always been that way. She had an adorable giggle, one that was infectious and made Remus smile as well.

Remus could feel the smug happiness of his wolf, another cub added to the pack, a pack , a family, Remus had once thought impossible.

It would take a while to get used to all the changes in his life, especially with two children and his inevitable and very much dreaded conversation with Albus Dumbledore, but he was feeling rather content. His family were okay, the air between them somewhat cleared, suspicions laid to rest.

Remus couldn't think of anything that could destroy his happiness.

6 months earlier

Lucius Malfoy sneered at the pitiful heap that lay at the feet of his Lord. He could hear the whimper and shovelling as the short, rather skinny man begged forgiveness. The Dark Lord was not pleased, and his anger was being directed at his double agent. His sharp, pale blue eyes narrowed as the man promised to return with more pleasing news, news that could help the Dark Lord against Dumbledore's little fighters. A hissed Crucio has the man screaming, a sound Lucius likened to of a rodent in pain.

Which was rather true, a snide undercurrent to his thoughts.

Of course, Lucius rather hated the man in front of him. He found him deplorable and without morals, something that Lucius himself knew he held little of. But Lucius would never betray those he considered family. And whilst he may have doubts concerning the raids and missions he had to participate in, it was done for the safety of his family. And he would continue to do what he had to, if it meant his family was safe. Besides, he did believe that mudbloods and their kind deserved what they had coming. His only concern was wiping out the blood traitors. Because traitors they may be, they were still Pure-bloods, and they did have a use.

The snivelling man began to grovel at his Masters feet. He promised to bring more information, more of Dumbledore's plans. The Dark Lord sneered. He opened his mouth, want pointed at the pitiful lump, poised to torture him some more when the doors flew open.

Furious, the Dark Lord turned to face the intruder. Blue eyes tinged with red met eyes of coal black. The new arrival spoke, even as the Dark Lord swept through his mind.

"My Lord, a prophecy had just been made."

Once again, thank you for your patience. I'm sorry if this chapter isn't up to scratch, but I wanted to get something out for you, especially after such a long wait. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think!