Deathly Hallows is canon before epilogue. Teddy lives with the Potters. Post series tidbits from JK Rowling are not necessarily followed either, i.e. Ron is still an Auror and doesn't work at the joke shop with George.

"Cheating Death"

"Chapter One: Beyond the Veil"

Harry Potter was annoyed. He had been summoned to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries over an hour ago by the Department of Mysteries. They had, apparently, discovered someone hidden within the department and needed Harry's help identifying the individual. Harry had tried to send another Auror but Gareth Greengrass, who headed the department, was very adamant that it should be Harry to identify this mysterious person.

If there was anything that Harry hated more than waiting around doing nothing while, no doubt, reports were piling up on his desk at work, it was dealing with Unspeakables. They all seemed to have the skill of saying as little as humanly possible and had the uncanny ability to answer complex questions with a single word. Gareth Greengrass was quite possibly the worst.

Harry knew it was going to be a bad day when Greengrass knocked on his office door and asked him to accompany him to St. Mungo's. What had started his foul mood was that Greengrass didn't even have the respect to ask him for his help, he downright demanded it in a way only a pureblood wizard could accomplish.

Letting out a deep sigh, Harry was happy that he was in his right mind to grab the file he was working on off his desk before leaving work. At least it gave him something to do as the time ticked on in the waiting room. As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Greengrass told him he'd just be a few moments as he wanted to have a quick word with the unexpected visitor and would grab Harry shortly. Shortly, Harry had snorted.

"They're ready for you now, Auror Potter," a female voice called for him in a monotone voice.

Harry looked up and saw an unfamiliar woman standing in front of him. She had on pitch-black Unspeakable robes on. Her blonde hair was tucked neatly in a bun on top of her head. She had the classic serious look about her that all Unspeakables seemed to have when they were on duty. Ron and him had theorized that, while on duty, Unspeakables must have to take some sort of potion to make them as emotionless as possible. Hermione had rolled her eyes at the theory.

Harry stood up and straightened the jacket of his three-piece navy suit which was underneath his open scarlet red Auror robes. He shoved his file underneath his left arm. The Unspeakable turned briskly on her heels and started down the corridors of the fourth floor. Harry, rubbing his stubbled chin wearily, followed her wordlessly. Looking down, he idly adjusted his Head Auror badge on his robes which had sagged to the right slightly.

They winded through the corridors, passing countless amounts of rooms in the spell damaged section. Tucked away, in the very back of the hospital, Harry noticed a slew of people. There were three Unspeakables huddled around Gareth Greengrass. Draco Malfoy, donning his Healer robes, and another Healer that Harry did not recognize were also amongst the group.

"Ah, Auror Potter, I hope you don't mind I've taken the liberty of assigning my granddaughter's husband to this case. Draco was just telling me you two know each other," Greengrass spoke pleasantly as he gestured to the tall blonde beside him. "I thought the less people involved the better. We haven't run into anything quite like this before."

"I'd like to know if you're going to fill me in on what's going on here," Harry said dryly. "I've been waiting over an hour in a waiting room when I have a million other things I could be doing in the office right now."

"Yes, I understand how much paperwork us Heads seem to have. I had yet to ask the individual any questions before. Draco was kind enough to see to him as quickly as possible to ensure there was nothing wrong with him medically. We've had to secure this corridor. Draco had all other patients transferred to other rooms and I had some of my Unspeakables place quite a bit of privacy charms around the room and the corridor so no prying ears can be had."

"So, if this is private enough for you, do you care on telling me what's going on?" pushed Harry as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

"How familiar are you with the Death Chamber within the Department of Mysteries?" Greengrass asked solemnly as he clasped his hands in front of him.

"The Death Chamber?" Harry's heart skipped a beat in his chest but he did not show the emotion on his face. "There's a Veil in there that separates our world from the afterworld."

"Correct, Auror Potter. We've recently started a new… experiment with the veil. To our surprise, we pulled someone from the Veil," Greengrass explained.

"You pulled a dead man out of the Veil and now he's alive?" Harry questioned with his brow furrowed. "Is he an Inferi or is there some other kind of dark magic you want me to investigate about him?"

"No, no, no, nothing like that, Auror Potter. The man is very much alive and I don't believe there is darkness surrounding him. He was in a sort of stasis when he was beyond the Veil and-"

"I'm sorry, stasis? What do you mean?" Harry inquired with a blink.

"It means that he's been virtually untouched since he's been beyond the Veil," Malfoy now spoke up. "He is the age he was when he went through the Veil. His health is, presumably, the same. Nothing has changed. It's like his body slowed down until it was more or less frozen in time. It's as though he went through the Veil and then less than a second later came back."

"The dead can't come back to life," Harry said grimly.

"We don't think he was dead when he passed through the Veil," Greengrass explained.

"What does this have to do with me exactly?"

"We think you will be able to identify the man," Greengrass spoke simply.

Harry sighed, his eyes flickering to the drawn curtains of the window into the room. He reached up a hand and ran it through his already messy locks. The synapses in his brain were firing at rapid speed.

"Is it a dark wizard? Are you trying to tell me you think you have a Death Eater in there from the war or something?" inquired Harry.

"Why don't you and I go speak with him?" Greengrass suggested as he stepped aside and motioned at the door behind him. "Malone, Hyde, please stand guard outside the room for us. Draco, perhaps, you should come in with us in case the patient gets… agitated."

Malfoy nodded and turned on his heels to open the door to the room. Greengrass followed him. Harry brought up the rear as he thought there must be some sort of joke about a Healer, an Auror, and an Unspeakable that was bound to be funny. Harry entered the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

He turned to see Greengrass standing at the foot of the hospital bed. Draco had walked around to stand on the other side of the bed. Sitting in the bed, looking pale and confused, was Sirius Black. Harry stilled by the door as he stared at the man in front of him. He looked just like he had the last time Harry had seen him in the Department of Mysteries. Shoulder length black hair, a couple days stubble on his cheeks. He looked thirty-six which made Harry only six years younger than his godfather now.

"I…" Harry started but cut himself off. "Sirius?"

Sirius was breathing heavily on the hospital bed, his chest heaving as he continued to stare at his now adult godson. At the very mention of his name, what little color he had on his face was completely gone. He looked as white as the eggshell sheets around him. His mouth opened for a few seconds before he closed it.

"You are confirming then that this is Sirius Black?" Greengrass questioned.

Harry snapped his head towards the man. His left arm flew up to rub his chin as the file that was tucked neatly under his armpit went tumbling to the ground. Papers flew out including a Father's Day picture that the kids had made him just two days prior. Harry's eyes glanced at the drawing that had Teddy's small and neat writing where he had written Happy Father's Day on the top of the sheet and signed his name at the bottom, James' careful and painfully large letters that spelled out his name, Albus' shaky letters that somewhat resembled his name, and Lily's scribbles. The picture in the middle was a combination of little drawings from all the kids. Teddy drew a rather good snitch, James drew a lumpy fire-breathing dragon, Albus drew little potato people that were supposed to be the two of them, and Lily drew a circle of rainbow scribbles.

Harry bent down to gather up the papers quickly to shove back into his folder. He picked up the picture last, carefully laying it on top of the other rumbled papers and closed the folder shut. He stood to his full height to see Greengrass chuckling.

"Ah, did your children surprise you with a picture in your work things? Draco was telling me that little Scorpius shoved five pictures into his work briefcase the other week," Greengrass commented in a light tone. "It's nice when our children think of us, isn't it, Auror Potter?"

Harry held the file securely with both hands in front of him. His eyes flickered from Greengrass to Malfoy before finally setting on Sirius. His godfather was just staring at him like he had never seen anyone like him before. He looked as though he were afraid to speak.

"Are you alright, Auror Potter?" Greengrass' voice rang. "Draco, can you check on our very esteemed Auror? I, daresay, the Minister would be quite upset with me if something happened to him."

"I'm fine," Harry croaked out hastily as he continued to stare at Sirius.

"Can you identify this man as Sirius Black, Auror Potter?" Greengrass pressed again.

Harry's tongue peeked out and licked his bottom lip. His gaze snapped back to Greengrass and nodded his head in the positive. The Unspeakable merely smiled in return.

"Excellent. That's what we presumed, but one can never be too careful. Thank you for coming down, Auror Potter, I appreciate your patience with us today. We are very much in uncharted territory. I'll contact you directly if I have any more questions or concerns. Please, keep what you saw today private. Have a good rest of your day."

"Excuse me?" Harry snapped as he felt like his brain was working once more.

"You're no longer needed here," Greengrass repeated. "I believe you told me you had a million things you could be doing in the office instead of being here. I merely needed you to confirm his identity. Nothing more."

"You just… what? Expect me to leave after showing me my dead godfather?" Harry questioned as his eyes snapped back to his godfather who seemed to have relaxed just slightly at the words.

"Harry?" Sirius rasped as he tilted his head and squinted his eyes as though he had just realized exactly who he was.

Harry's heart sank slightly. Sirius was so confused before because he did not know if he was Harry or if he was James. Harry threw the man a small, forced smile as he nodded his head to confirm his identity.

"I expected you to help out a fellow department and then leave the rest to us once the task was completed. I have always heard you were extremely professional," Greengrass commented with raised eyebrows.

"Professional? You want me to be professional right now?" Harry asked with irritation rising in his tone as his attention snapped back to the Unspeakable. "How is this for professional: I'll overtake jurisdiction on this matter."

"This is a Department of Mysteries matter. He was retrieved from the Veil in our department," Greengrass said coldly.

"This is an Auror matter. He disappeared during the Second War and Aurors have jurisdiction over anything having to do with the war," Harry challenged.

"Ah, you have jurisdiction over any dark objects or dark wizards that were involved in the war. He's merely an innocent civilian."

"Perhaps, I should contact my good friend, the Minister of Magic. He has the final say over which department has jurisdiction over a matter," Harry coolly. "You'll find that the Minister very rarely disagrees with me. We are very good friends. He's even been known to pop in on family events when he's not busy."

Harry very rarely liked to use his name or his connections to people to get what he wanted, but this time was entirely different. He knew Kingsley would not mind in the slightest. Harry supposed he was just lucky that Kingsley was still in office as he had been in office longer than any other Minister of Magic and consistently retained a very high approval rating.

"Auror Potter, we are both highly regarded department heads within the Ministry," Greengrass started. "You did not get where you are today through threats or throwing around names. I would hate to see you fall from grace by doing so now."

"In the Ministry bylaws, the Auror Department has the authority to investigate what they deem worthy of investigation with reasonable cause. Sirius Black disappeared during the Second Wizarding World and was presumed dead. Aurors have automatic jurisdiction over anything dealing with either of the wars. That is my reasonable cause. As Head Auror, I am officially taking over this matter. If you would like to object, please, go see the Minister and tell him I said hello," Harry told him stiffly. "Now, if you would please leave and take the Unspeakables standing guard outside with you. I have no need for them as I will get my Aurors out here to do the job."

"Auror Potter-"

"Unspeakable Greengrass, you will find that my department trumps your department," Harry interrupted.

He shifted his file to his left hand as his right hand reached inside his robe pocket to pull out his wand. Silently, he casted a Patronus to send to Ron to tell him to put together a team of select Aurors for a private matter and then meet him at the hospital. The stag galloped to the exterior wall and disappeared through it. He paused for several seconds before he sent another Patronus for Ginny to meet him at the hospital.

"Your reputation certainly proceeds you. I will fight you on this, Auror Potter," Greengrass promised.

"I look forward to it. If somebody isn't properly mad at me, then I'm not doing my job," Harry said pleasantly as he swept his arm to the door. "Healer Malfoy, I don't need your services right now."

Greengrass shot Harry one last nasty look before storming out of the room. Malfoy eyed him wearily before leaving as well. Once they were both gone, Harry casted his own privacy charms around the room as he did not trust Greengrass not to spy on their conversation. Once satisfied, he crossed the room until he was standing by his godfather's bedside. He tossed his file on the end table before running a shaky hand through his hair.

"Sirius," Harry started, his voice suddenly thick with emotion.

"You're different," Sirius interrupted as he looked up at Harry like he had never truly seen him before. "What is going on? How are you… older?"

"Fifteen years ago, you fell through the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries while dueling Bellatrix Lestrange. We all assumed you died. Somehow, you didn't die and your body was in a sort of stasis. Apparently, some Unspeakables pulled you out from the Veil. As you can see, I'm not exactly on good terms with the Head Unspeakable at the moment and he's rather pissed at me so I don't know any more than that."

"Fifteen years? Fifteen years has passed? So, you're thirty and apparently the head of the Auror Department and have kids?" Sirius asked in disbelief and looked as though his head was spinning.

"What do you remember, Sirius? Because, I remember Bellatrix stunning you and you falling through the Veil."

"I remember being stunned. Then, moments later, I came to with some strangers staring up at me. Everyone was gone. There was no more battle. I thought I was about to be dragged back to Azkaban when they brought me here," Sirius explained with a furrowed brow. "What's happened in the last… Merlin, it's really been fifteen years since I've been gone?"

"Voldemort's dead. We won the war," Harry said slowly, hoping this bit of information would help ease the blow.

"He's dead dead? As in gone for good?"

"Yes."

"What about you? I saw some drawing on the floor and Greengrass made some comment about you having kids."

"I'm married to Ginny Weasley," Harry started.

"Remus and I both thought you'd end up with her," Sirius commented with a grin. "Potters have it bad for redheads."

"We've been married for ten years. We have three kids and my godson lives with us as well," he continued, his hands finding their way into his pockets.

"Three kids and a godson? Tell me about them," Sirius asked with a look of pure bewilderment on his face.

"My oldest, James, is six. He's a… handful. Very hyperactive, can't sit still, loves to fly, and is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable. Then, there's Al who is almost four. He's a sweetheart. He's a lot shyer than James is and a lot quieter. He's thoughtful and can be quite serious at times. Then, my youngest, Lily, is two. She's very girly in a way that Ginny doesn't know how to handle because she was always such a tomboy. She loves flying though as long as she has a fluffy dress and a crown on her head while she does it. Ginny says she has me wrapped around her little finger, and I cave to her every whim."

"I can't wait to meet them," Sirius commented as he seemed to relax slightly. "What about your godson? Who are his parents? What happened to them?"

"Yes, well, I saved him for last since I'm sure you'll be upset when you hear his story," Harry spoke sadly as Sirius frowned. "He's twelve. I was only seventeen when he was born. We were in the middle of the war still and it was bad. Voldemort had taken over the Ministry and Hogwarts. He was throwing Muggleborns in jail for stealing magic. Ron, Hermione, and I were on the run for nearly a year as Voldemort had placed a nice ten thousand Galleon price tag on my head for my capture. The more I evaded, the higher it got. I think by the time the war ended, it was up to two hundred thousand."

"How…" Sirius trailed off. "How did you survive for so long with that amount of money on you?"

"Hermione. She was very good at keeping us hidden. We got caught due to a stupid mistake on my part once but managed to escape."

"Is your godson Ron and Hermione's kid?"

"No, he's not. They're both alive and married with two kids of their own. I work with Ron at the Auror Department in fact," Harry answered and knew he couldn't put off his godson's identity much longer. "Teddy is… Remus is Teddy's father."

"Remus? Remus has a kid? He… he's dead too then if you take care of his kid," he said sullenly, his eyes casting downwards.

"Remus and Tonks got married right before the Ministry fell and got pregnant around that time too. Teddy was only a few weeks old when they died. It was during the final battle of the war – the Battle at Hogwarts. I gained custody of Teddy a few months after their deaths. He was living with Andromeda before then. She… she had a tough time. Her husband was murdered for being a Muggleborn. Her daughter died in the final battle. She wasn't… well. I helped her and Teddy as much as I could before she asked me to take over full custody. She still sees him all the time and she's invited to every single holiday and birthday. They have a good relationship. A normal grandmother and grandson relationship. Ginny and I treat Teddy like he's another one of our sons. The kids love him and don't hesitate to introduce him as their brother. I think they wouldn't even know he wasn't their real brother except James has asked me why he calls us Harry and Ginny and not Mum and Dad. We had to explain it then."

Harry reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. He normally carried a Muggle wallet with some Muggle cash and his identifications. He pulled out a wallet size photo and handed it to Sirius. His godfather accepted it with a shaky hand. Harry leaned forward to gaze at the picture for a few seconds fondly.

It was taken last Christmas on the front porch of Potter House. All five Potters and a single Lupin donned their Weasleys sweaters with their initials embossed on them that were made with care courtesy from Molly Weasley. Harry sat on the top step in his traditional emerald green sweater. A wide grin was plastered across his face as his hair blew wildly in the wind. A tiny girl, just barely two, sat on his lap. She wore a matching dark emerald sweater with a very big, poofy, sparkly skirt. Her red hair was curly around her freckly, pale face. A large, emerald bow was situated on top of her head. To their right was Ginny Weasley who sported a golden sweater and whose hair was pulled back in a side plait. Her arm was around a small three-year-old Albus in a red sweater with his wild black hair and bright emerald eyes. He grinned as he leaned into his mother's side. On the other side of Harry was a lanky eleven-year-old Teddy in a navy-blue sweater. He had been sporting green hair for the holiday. His arm was around a five-year-old James in an apricot sweater who was standing beside his godbrother. James' arm was slung over Teddy's shoulders. He had Ginny's brown eyes and Harry's black hair – except James' hair laid flatly on his head naturally which was a feat that Harry nor Albus could ever achieve. He was, unfortunately for him, the only child of his who had inherited his father's terrible eyesight. Although, Harry suspected that Lily might be falling ill to the curse of bad eyesight as Ginny had made her an appointment at St. Mungo's the following week to get her eyes checked due to the small child turning her head to the side when she looked at things.

Sirius was fingering the picture with a look of pure wonderment on his face. Harry knew he was probably wondering where the time went, how his fifteen-year-old godson had grown up to be a married man with four kids and impressive job. Sometimes, Harry wondered the same damn thing. He had never even considered having kids when he was a teenager. He, honestly, didn't think he'd live long enough to get married and have kids. Merlin, was he glad he did. Him and Ginny were pumping out kids every two years and Harry had the itch to add a fifth child but Ginny was more hesitate to the idea. She was more than content with their current family size of six.

There was a knock on the door that drew Harry out of his reverie. He went to the door, not bothering to get his picture back from Sirius, and opened it to reveal his very nervous looking wife. She sighed in relief as she flung her arms around his midsection. Harry wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She was nearly a foot shorter than him and fit nicely against his chest.

"You utter prat! I thought you got hurt at work!"

Ginny lingered in his arms for a few moments, her face buried into his chest, before she pulled away and hit him hard in the bicep. Harry scowled slightly as he rubbed his arm where she clocked him.

"When you say, meet me at the hospital, something's happened you should really add that you're fine! I was in a meeting when I saw your stag outside the conference room window staring at me. I about had a heart attack because you never send me a Patronus while I'm at work unless it's something serious! Then, I get here and they tell me I can find you in the spell damage ward!"

"First of all, ow. Second of all, it's nice to see you too. Third of all, have I told you I love you today?"

"Nice try, Potter. Your charms are not going to work in your favor right now," she said with a smirk. "What's going on? Is everyone okay? Is it Teddy? I know he was spending the day shopping with Andromeda."

"Teddy's fine. All the kids are fine. I'm fine."

"Is it Ron?" Ginny pushed.

"Just, come in, alright?" Harry said as he ran a hand through his hair and stepped aside.

He watched Ginny carefully as she eyed him suspiciously before taking a step into the hospital room. Harry closed the door behind her as she stared at Sirius in the hospital bed. He was looking up at her sheepishly. In then, in a flash, Ginny was across the room and flung her arms around the man. Sirius looked mildly shocked and uncomfortable, but he patted her gently on the back a few times with the picture still clenched in his hand.

"What? How?" Ginny questioned as she pulled away as her eyes landed on the picture. "Harry told you about the kids? Merlin, Sirius, they're a handful and amazingly loud. You'll love it but hate it at the same time. Did he also tell you he wanted a fifth? He said we won't even notice another one so we might as well add one. I called him mental and thought about checking him into a psychiatric ward to get his head examined."

"Let him breath, Gin," Harry said with a chuckle as he stepped up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Well, what happened?" she directed her question to Harry when Sirius seemed to be stunned into silence.

"The Unspeakables were doing some sort of experiment on the Veil in the Death Chamber and out popped Sirius not having aged a day. I don't know much else because I kind of clashed with the Head Unspeakable and kicked him out."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Ginny asked with a shake of the head. "When can he get out of here?"

"I don't know. They had Malfoy as his Healer," Harry commented as Ginny wrinkled her nose before turning her attention to Sirius.

"You know you're going to come home with us, right? We'll bunk James and Al together for a while and you can take one of their rooms."

"I know Greengrass said something about how I was an innocent civilian…" Sirius trailed off.

"Your name has been cleared. After the war, I made sure of it. I just thought it was the right thing to do," Harry explained. "There were quite a few innocent people who got their names cleared after it was all said and done."

"Thanks," Sirius said softly. "I… are you sure it's okay to stay with you? I mean, you're adults with kids and-"

"Nonsense," Ginny said quickly. "Where else are you going to go? Grimmauld Place? Over my dead body, Sirius Black. You're our family. You belong with us. The boys will be fine together until we think of a more permanent solution."

"Sure," Sirius replied as he looked down at the picture in his hand again.

"Are you okay, Sirius?" questioned Harry. "I know it's a lot to take in."

"I…" Sirius trailed off as he looked up at Harry with a lost look on his face. "I always seem to lose time. First, it's twelve years in Azkaban and now fifteen years behind a-a, what did you call it? A Veil of Death?"

"The war is over with," Harry spoke softly as his insides twisted at his godfather's comments. "No more losing time, alright?"

Sirius merely just nodded his head with a frown etched in every corner of his face. He looked broken. Harry had no idea what to say or do to help his godfather. He couldn't even fathom losing decades of his life multiple times. Both times, things were so different that it was hard to even recognize where he was.

There was another knock on the door before it opened slowly. Harry whipped around to see Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway. He kept his face expressionless as he strolled into the hospital room, closing the door softly behind him.

"Are you going to let me check on my patient or are you going to pitch a fit to have him reassigned?" Malfoy asked coolly.

"Depends on if you're going to keep patient confidentially or go blabbering to your wife's grandfather about him," Harry snapped back.

"Mine and Astoria's relationship with Gareth is strictly a familial obligation," Malfoy spoke stiffly. "I believe you recall our conversation after the war?"

Harry nodded briefly, remembered sitting down with Draco and Narcissa Malfoy. He remembered thanking them both for saving his life, talked about how they have changed and saw how a world with the likes of Voldemort or anyone like him were disastrous. How they were forced to follow him for Lucius' foolish actions and how Voldemort had controlled them with a healthy dose of fear. Harry had believed every single word they spoke as Draco Malfoy did not give his identity away after being captured by Snatchers and Narcissa Malfoy had lied to Voldemort about him being dead after being hit with the Killing Curse.

"I do," Harry spoke softly.

"I would not risk my job for someone who is still stuck in their old ways and treats people unfavorably if they do not bend to his every wish. He will come after you, Potter, and he will not rest until he deems you've been punished enough for your insolence."

"I'd like to see him try," Harry said dryly. "When can Sirius get out of here?"

Ginny shifted uncomfortably next to him but didn't say anything. Harry knew she did not understand why he was always willing to give Malfoy a second chance or how he was able to speak civilly with the man when they would see each other. She was not there when Malfoy refused to confirm his identity in front of his deranged aunt and parents. Harry liked to believe that it was a big part of the reason Narcissa didn't give him up as well. He truly believed that Malfoy was a changed man, a better man, a man who was not ruled by blood hatred any longer.

"He seems fine. I would like to keep him overnight for observation to ensure something isn't going to crop up unexpectedly seeing as he's the first case of this happening," Malfoy said as he took a step towards Sirius and drew his wand.

"Like what?" questioned Harry as Malfoy ran a wand over a very tense Sirius.

"I haven't the faintest idea, Potter. I just want to do my due diligence. Who knows what the consequences are of being undead in the realm of the dead."

"He had to have been dead though," Harry said as he thought suddenly about seeing a ghostly Sirius in the forest with his parents and Remus when he had the Resurrection Stone. No one could come back from the dead so how was Sirius actually here? A sinking feeling settled into his chest and started eating away at him. It was a thought he did not hold before, too stunned to think clearly when he originally saw his godfather.

"I can assure you, I don't believe he was dead at all," Malfoy replied.

"No, he had to have been dead. He wasn't alive the whole time."

"He was in a sort of stasis," Malfoy said slowly as though he thought Harry was a toddler who he was explaining something serious to.

"No, he had to have been dead," Harry replied in annoyance.

"Why are you fighting about this with me?"

"Because, I know he was dead."

"If this has anything to do with you feeling guilty that he was alive all these years and you-"

"It's not about that," snapped Harry as anger was now rising.

"Harry?" questioned Ginny as she reached out a hand to touch his bicep.

"I… Ginny, the forest that night I…" died he finished silently.

Ginny looked at him thoughtfully for a few seconds before a look of realization crossed her face. She leaned into him, her hand reaching to grasp his into hers. She looked thoughtful for a few seconds as though clearly thinking of the circumstance.

"What if it wasn't actually the dead, Harry," Ginny spoke softly. "What if it wasn't really them but just your projections of them? Or, what if, since Sirius was technically in the afterlife but not dead, he was able to appear?"

"What are you talking about?" inquired Malfoy.

Sirius was looking at him curiously as well, his brows furrowed deeply, lines etched like large crevices on his forehead. Harry swallowed.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter," Harry said with a sigh.

He glanced sideways at Ginny and silently told her they'd talk about it later. Satisfied that Sirius was still stable, Malfoy excused himself to check on other patients and said he'd be back before shift change. Harry, trying to wrap his brain around the situation and think logically instead of emotionally, asked Sirius if he was well enough to change into Padfoot. His godfather slipped easily from dog to man. The last of Harry's tension seeped from his shoulders.

Harry met with a team of Aurors that Ron had sent to the hospital and stationed them outside of Sirius' room. They were given very clear instructions to let no one in except for his assigned Healer and the Potter family.

The rest of the day was spent with Harry filling Sirius in on the war, about the deaths, the horcruxes, the final battle. He conveniently left out the story about the Resurrection Stone, about how he walked to his death willingly, how he himself had been a horcrux. He thought some of it was best to be discussed later. Before they knew it, Malfoy was coming in to check on his patient one final time and announce visiting hours were over with. Harry promised to be back in the morning to take him home. Ginny stepped forward, giving the man a hug and a kiss on the cheek before pulling back. Harry took a step forward, bending down, and embracing his godfather for the first time since their brief side hug after Christmas fifteen years ago.

After gathering the children from the Burrow and waiting for Andromeda to drop off Teddy, the family ate dinner. The children talked over each other excitedly to tell about their day. Ginny listened warmly as she interrupted with several questions and clarifications. She even was in her right mind to ask them to settle down and eat their vegetables. Harry sat next to her, pushing around a majority of his food on his plate and taking very few bites.

After dinner, Harry sat at the head of the table, Lily snuggled back against his chest, as the boys and Ginny remained in their spots at the table. Albus was squatting in his chair in excitement while James was trying to poke Teddy in the ear. Teddy, annoyed, sent protests Ginny's way.

"Quiet!" Harry boomed and everyone stilled.

Harry was normally the calmer parent. If he raised his voice, the children knew that they were in deep trouble. Ginny was more of the disciplinarian and approached situations with a lot of yelling, finger wagging, and hands on her hips akin to Molly Weasley. In fact, the kids were not phased in the slightest when Ginny got worked up. They froze in fear, however, whenever Harry got worked up.

"We are having a family meeting," Ginny spoke calmly as the boys sat very still. "Do you know what a family meeting is?"

"Sitting at the table and talking?" supplied James.

"What's wrong?" frowned Teddy.

"A family meeting means you lot are going to sit nicely in your chairs, listen to what your father and I have to say, and then you will get the opportunity to ask questions. Is that understood?"

All three boys nodded their heads in agreement. Lily, still on her father's lap, leaned forward and was scribbling on a coloring book that had been placed in front of her. Harry knew Lily was too young to understand what they were going to say or be able to implement what they expected of the children. Even Albus teetered on being able to fully understand at the age of nearly four. Harry expected James and Teddy to comprehend and lead the example of what was expected of them in the next week.

"We are going to have a house guest tomorrow," Harry explained calmly. "He's going to stay with us awhile. He's not used to, err, all the noise you lot bring."

"Who is he?" questioned Teddy.

"My godfather, Sirius Black."

"I thought he was dead…" Teddy said as he narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"We thought he was," replied Ginny. "It's very complicated what happened."

"How can someone be dead but not be dead?" inquired James.

"He wasn't actually dead, James. He never was. He was… well, I don't exactly know what he was," explained Ginny as her eyes glanced over at her husband for help.

"He was missing, I suppose," Harry supplied.

Teddy was sitting very still next to Harry. His vibrant blue hair had turned a dull black. He was white in the face, his eyes darting between his two guardians with a question on the tip of his tongue that he looked too nervous or too scared to ask.

"Does this mean that maybe my…" Teddy faltered.

Harry felt his heart break in two at the innocent question. He held a breath in as he felt like he was slowly suffocating at how to answer that question truthfully yet not totally destroy the boy.

"Oh, Teddy, honey," Ginny started as she stood up and walked around the table to the boy. "I'm sorry but your parents can't come back."

Teddy bowed his head as Ginny tugged him out of his chair and pulled him close to her chest. Her hand weaved through his dark hair. Harry couldn't see his face but he heard a strangled sob. Ginny was whispering in his ear so only he could hear.

"What's going on?" James asked in confusion.

"It's nothing," Harry replied. "You are to be on your best behavior while Sirius stays here. That means keep the fighting to a minimum, no blowing up things, no jumping on him, give him some space, and be polite."

"So, you're saying Teddy and I can't set off the dungbomb at Friday night dinner this week?" James asked with a frown.

"We probably will not be going to Friday night dinner this week," Harry commented.

"What in Merlin's name even makes you think setting off dungbombs at Friday night dinner is acceptable in the first place?" Ginny asked in a shocked tone as she pulled away from Teddy who was still frowning.

"Why?" Al whined. "I wanna go to grandmum's and grandpa's!"

"Where was he if he wasn't dead?" Teddy inquired as he took his spot back in his seat and Ginny stood beside him with an arm around his chair.

"Uh…" Harry stilled.

He took off his glasses and started to rub the lenses with his shirt. It was often a move to stall when he collected his thoughts. How could he explain the Veil of Death to his children?

"He was trapped," Ginny spoke up softly. "We just didn't know he was trapped. It's very complicated to explain."

"He knew my dad?" inquired Teddy.

"They were best friends," Harry replied as he placed his glasses back on his face.

"Tomorrow, we are going to move Al into James' room. You guys will be sharing for a while," Ginny explained.

"YES!" Al cried as he began bouncing in his chair again.

"NO!" James cried. "Can't I stay with Teddy?"

"No!" Teddy interrupted as he turned his attention to his godfather. "I need to do homework and stuff. He can't room with me! Harry!"

"We've already decided James and Al are going to be sharing," Harry said flatly. "James, you and Al are closer in age. You two will be together."

"That's not fair!" James groaned. "I'm a big kid! I go to school too!"

"You go to a Muggle primary school," Teddy said dryly, clearly unimpressed. "I go to Hogwarts."

"Boys, enough," Ginny said sternly.

"Time for bed," Harry commented. "Ginny, take Lily. Teddy, go get ready. Al and James, come with me."

Ginny reached down and picked up the half asleep two-year-old into her arms. The three boys grumbled their protests as they followed their father up the stairs. Harry wrestled Al into his pajamas as James dressed himself. They then met Teddy in the bathroom for a tooth brushing session before the younger boys kissed and hugged their godbrother goodnight. Harry led the younger boys into James' room for a story and then he carried a half-asleep Al to his own bed. He ambled into Teddy's room, bade him goodnight with a kiss on his head, and set the lights on a thirty-minute timer to allow the boy some reading time before he had to go to sleep.

Harry leaned back into the pillows before taking off his glasses and sitting them on the bedside table. The palms of his hands scrubbed his eyes when he heard the bedroom door open. Ginny slinked past him to the on suite. He heard her rustling around for a good ten minutes before she emerged in an old Gryffindor Quidditch shirt that had once belonged to Harry. It was nearly see through, a hole under the left armpit. For some reason, she insisted on wearing her husband's old shirts to bed. The rattier the better in her opinion.

She glided into bed as she inched close to him until her body was pressed up against his side. Her feet like ice teased his calf as her nose buried into his chest, her arm slung across his stomach. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, keeping her tight against his chest.

"How are you doing?" she murmured against him as she turned her head so that her cheek rested comfortably on his bare chest.

"I'm fine," he said as he stared at the blurry outline of their large family canvas picture across the room.

"Harry," she said slowly as she lifted her head to look at him. "Anybody who knows you knows that you're not fine right now. Your very dead godfather just showed up miraculously alive and hasn't aged a day. Nobody would be fine."

Harry squinted his eyes as he stared at the freckles splashed across her nose and cheeks. They were scattered around in a haphazard manner and there looked to be more of the little flecks than last time he had really looked at them.

"I'm not sure how to feel," he said honestly.

He was through the moon that he had his godfather back. He had missed Sirius something awful over the years. The prospect of finally having the relationship he craved with Sirius when he was on the run was now very tangible. His kids would have a chance to get to know him. Teddy would be able to hear all the stories he wanted about his father. Except, something about it didn't sit well with him. What were the Unspeakables doing with the Veil of Death? How exactly had they pulled Sirius out? Why hadn't he aged? Was he really medically alright?

"Well, something exciting hasn't happened to you in a while so I guess this is the next adventure, isn't it?" Ginny said in a jovial tone. "It's all been smuggling of dark objects and illegal potions with the occasional mad wizard for you at work. All very boring compared to someone back from the dead."

Harry chuckled as he reached out and brushed a lock of hair behind Ginny's ear. He was still squinting at her features and half wished he hasn't taken his glasses off so prematurely into the night.

"More like a lot of paper work and damage control," Harry said dryly.

"I was thinking that tomorrow I'll see if we can get our money back for the holiday we had planned next month to Greece."

Harry sighed. He had totally forgot about their yearly summer family holiday. They had always tried to go on a Potter family holiday and had rarely missed one in the past ten years since they started the tradition. They had missed one the year Albus was born has his birthday was in late June. They had missed another the year after Lily was born as Harry had been roped into a rather large smuggling ring operation that had constantly taken him out of the country for the majority of the summer. Ginny had taken the kids with her parents for the week to their holiday in the Netherlands without him as it was too late to cancel the vacation and get their money back.

"Don't cancel yet," Harry told her. "Maybe Sirius would join us or maybe he'd appreciate some time alone after he sees how loud this house is. The kids look forward to the trip every year. What week are we going again?"

"Your birthday week. I hope you've already put your time off request in at work," Ginny supplied. "We also have Al's birthday party next weekend too, by the way."

"I have already submitted it and it was cleared. Ron's going to act as head that week so I'll be working overtime when I get back because we both know Ron won't keep up with the paperwork. I just couldn't remember exactly what week it was," Harry admitted. "The party is at the house though, right?"

"Yes, but we have, Merlin, Harry, close to a hundred people coming to the house. Do you think Sirius will be up to seeing that many people?"

Harry sighed and slammed his head back into his pillow. Ginny's fingers were trailing along his jaw idly. He shivered under her touch.

"I mean, he'll have to be. We can't cancel Al's party," Harry said as he stared at the fuzzy features of his wife's face. "He can always get away in the house if it's too much. Who all is coming that it's a hundred people?"

"Our birthday parties are always around a hundred people. All of the Weasleys are coming. Andromeda. Luna. Neville. A bunch of the old D.A. members. Some of my friends from the paper and Gwen from the Harpies. Kingsley. McGonagall. Hagrid. I mean, Harry, honestly, the list goes on."

Harry nodded. He supposed their parties were always huge affairs. Ginny had a problem when it came to guest lists. She never wanted to exclude anyone and she loved massive gatherings as she grew up in such a huge family. Really, they didn't throw a lot of parties at their home anyways, so it didn't matter to Harry in the least. They threw massive parties for all four kids' birthdays and an even larger Christmas party every year. Molly Weasley still threw Harry and Ginny family birthday dinners at the Burrow. Five massive parties a year didn't seem that outrageous. Harry would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the parties as well.

"For my birthday, we could potentially be in Greece?" Harry inquired.

"Yes, which, by the way, don't mention that in front of my mother. She was rather upset we picked that time to go on vacation and said the weekend after we get back, she's throwing us a huge joint birthday dinner. Don't ask me who she is even intending on inviting, but apparently it's going to be big."

"What else is going on this summer?" asked Harry.

"Nothing as far as I know. Just shopping to Teddy for school in Diagon Alley. Then, I want to go into Muggle London to school shop for the boys another day. Al starts nursery school this year," Ginny leaned forward and kissed his chin. "Can you take two half days off so we can do the school shopping as a family? Preferably, half days on two back to back Fridays to extend our weekend?"

"I can do one half day on a Friday and one we will have to do on a weekend," Harry compromised. "Especially if we do end up going on holiday, I'll be swamped at work come August."

"I will threaten Ron to keep you up to date and not let things fall behind so you're not swamped," Ginny commented as she wiggled her eyebrows. "It's been awhile since he's seen my Bat-Bogey Hex."

Harry roared with laughter as he reached out to place either hand on her cheeks. He pulled her face close to his gently and kissed her squarely on the lips. She adjusted herself so more of her body was on top of him to return the kiss. She pulled away, their noses and foreheads touching.

"I'm assuming you're taking tomorrow off if we're going to pick up Sirius from the hospital."

"No, I have to run into work in the morning first. I want to start an investigation on what exactly the Unspeakables were doing with the Veil. I think I'll need permission from Kingsley to open it and get jurisdiction over it," Harry said. "Then, I'll go grab Sirius myself. Do you want to stay home with the kids?"

"That's fine. Have him home by lunch. I'll have everything ready," Ginny agreed as she pulled away and laid down next to him, her head invading his pillow. "I'll have another stern talk with the boys as well. They'll be perfect angels tomorrow or else."

"Or else what?" inquired Harry with a grin, slightly amused.

"How should I know? Parenting is a bunch of empty threats, Potter, you should know that by now," Ginny replied as she kissed his shoulder which caused Harry to chuckle once more.

"I love you, Gins," he spoke quietly as he nestled his face into her hair.

"I love you too, Harry," she replied in an equally low voice. "It'll all work out and we will get through this. Everything with Sirius, the investigation, the kids, everything. We always come out stronger in the end."

"I love your optimism."

"Well, one of us has to be optimistic in this relationship. We all know that you aren't going to see the glass half full anytime soon, Mister Doom and Gloom."

"I'm pragmatic," Harry interrupted with his grin widening.

"You're pessimistic and infuriating," Ginny replied with a teasing tone.

"You want infuriating? I can be infuriating," he spoke happily as he turned in bed to face her. "His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad."

"Harry!"

Ginny slapped his shoulder, hard, causing him to roll onto his back. There was a wide grin plastered across her face that she was trying to cover up but failing miserably. Harry was laughing at this point as he squinted up at her.

"His hair is as dark as a blackboard," he continued as he held his hands out in front of his body to defend himself. "He's so divine, I wish he were mine."

"You arse, if you're going to say it, say it right!"

She attempted to sling him on the shoulder again but Harry caught her wrist in his hand easily. She struggled in his grasp, strangled laughs attempting to escape her rather stern-looking lips.

"Did I get it wrong?" Harry asked in confusion. "What part?"

"I wish he was mine, he's really divine. The hero who conquered the Dark Lord," Ginny supplied as a wide smile spread across her face. "It's rather clever for an eleven-year-old."

"Twenty-nine-year-old me appreciates it a lot better than my twelve-year-old self," Harry supplied as he pulled her hand down that he was still clenching and kissed the palm of her hand. "I bet my thirty-year-old self will appreciate it even more next month."

"Maybe I'll hire a little dwarf in a pink tutu to come sing it to you while I present you your cake instead of us singing happy birthday," Ginny commented slyly.

"Merlin, that would be fantastic. Can you pull that off?" Harry grinned.

"Oh, yes, I'll make reservations at a nice restaurant and tip off the press so they can take pictures. It'll be marvelous."

"No, no, no press," Harry said as he pushed her gently to her side of the bed. "The dwarf in the tutu reciting your eloquent poetry is quite enough. As for my gift this year, I'll take a brand new poem by you. You haven't written me one since we were kids."

"What rhymes with Harry Potter, the Vanquisher?"

"Oh, Merlin, I forgot they called me that after the war for a while. That was bloody awful."

"It was one of your more macho titles," Ginny supplied with a giggle.

"My personal favorite was when I was called Harry Potter, the Husband of Star Chaser Ginny Potter."

"Oh, during that one game! When the commentator drew attention to you in the stands when you started screaming when I nearly got knocked off my broom and your delicate tones were demanding a penalty shot?"

"He was playing bloody dirty! He should have been booted from the game. That hit was illegal!" Harry defended himself. "I was going to go to the ref when Ron stopped me and told me I was going a bit overboard."

"I rather miss when you and Teddy would come to the games all decked out in your Harpies gear with war paint under your eyes."

"I still have my Potter jersey in the closet. I can wear it for old times and paint my face again."

"For my birthday," she told him as she intertwined her hand with his. "Walk into our birthday dinner at the Burrow dressed like that."

"That could be arranged. You know I'll have to find jerseys for all the kids. Al and Lily could probably fit into some of Teddy's old ones. Maybe I'll see if I can get ones made for Teddy and James."

"James is small enough that he may be able to fit in Teddy's one from the year I retired. I can see if I can shrink one of your old ones for Teddy."

"You know I'm going to organize I pick up game with your brothers now for that day too. Make them get out all their old jerseys," Harry told her. "Who would play? We need fourteen."

"You, me, Bill, Charlie, Ron, George, Angelina…" Ginny trailed off as she counted on her fingers. "We got one full team at least."

"We can extend the guest list if need be," Harry said in a slightly serious tone as he turned his head to look at her fully.

Harry brought up Ginny's hand to his lips and gave her knuckles a soft kiss. She sighed in contentment as she snuggled deeper into the bed.

"Goodnight," he told her has her fingers slipped away from his.

"Goodnight. Try to relax a bit about everything, alright?"

"I'll try to."

Harry sank down under the covers and turned to his side, his back facing Ginny. He closed his eyes and couldn't help but see his godfather being stunned and falling backwards towards the veil. It had been some time since he thought of that night. He heard Ginny's breathing even out next to him as he opened his eyes and stared at the darkness while his mind flickered back to Greengrass and what exactly his department was doing. Part of him feared that Sirius was only the beginning.

I hope you enjoyed the beginning of the story. Please, let me know if it's worth continuing! I'm planning on a less than 10 chapter story. I'm still outlining the finer details but have a general idea of where I am going. For those of you who read "Oblivion," I needed a short break to figure out what I was going to do with the story. I veered from my original plan so I'm just replanning it a bit.