Prologue:

Remus set the last box from the attic on the coffee table. For the last three years after the war he and Harry had been doing what they coined, "Renovation Therapy." They renovated and redecorated Grimmauld Place as a coping mechanism. Both had lost their loves to the war...

Sirius, of course, was lost through the veil in the Department of Mysteries; and Ginny was murdered during a Death Eater torture session during the final stages of the war. The Vanquisher of Darkness needed normalcy and Remus all too ready to help him achieve it. He had promised Sirius he would protect him.

The werewolf heard Harry cough on the dust as he performed cleaning charms on the now empty attic space. They wanted to add atrium windows to the ceiling so that the attic would make for a warm sunroom.

Remus sat down on the sofa in living room on the first floor and swept the dust off the top of the crate, pausing at what he read: Sirius' Stuff. Thou shalt not open unless thy name is Moony, Padfoot, or Prongs. Remus grinned, unlatching the clasp and peering into the wooden crate. It was full of vinyl records and photographs. There were magazines, books, quidditch jerseys, and some of Sirius' signature clothing items...his aviators, leather pants, concert tees, and a black leather jacket. There were love letters written between the two of them. But underneath all the nostalgia was something that made him pause in disbelief.

His calloused hands lifted a worn, leather journal and shakily rubbed the imprinted title. He thought it ha been lost in Godric's Hollow.

At the sound of Harry's heavy feet stumbling down the stairs, Remus stuffed the journal under the sofa cushion and the love letters into his robes, He looked up to find Harry sweaty and dusty with a lopsided grin.

"I went ahead and did the carpentry transfiguration on the ceiling," Harry said tiredly. "Tomorrow we should go get some comfy furniture for the room and I dare say we've finished."

"Excellent! Then we can begin planning our trip around the world like we've been talking about."

"What have you found?" Harry asked casting a freshening charm on himself.

"It's a box of Sirius' things. Could you bring that stack of frames over here?"

Harry lifted the stack of picture frames they had found all over the house, unhexed and cleaned. He sat near his adopted father and peered into the box. For the next hour they went through the photos and chose which to frame and which to stick in an album. They put the books in the library and the magazines in Sirius' old bedroom as decoration. They also hung his jacket on the rack and mounted several photos in that room.

"I'm going to shower," Harry announced. "Maybe we can order takeout?"

"That sounds perfect. I'll freshen up as well," Remus breathed. He watched the young man go, relieved that he had successfully distracted him from the trial of Severus Snape today.

The werewolf stepped calmly into the living room and retrieved the journal. He had to show this to the kid. Had to. Sighing, he called in to their favorite Chinese place and went to shower.

Harry studied his father closely. The lycanthrope had been awfully quiet tonight. "Is something wrong?" he asked, taking a bite of his dinner.

"Hmm?" His amber eyes shot up. "No...well, there's something I didn't show you from the crate we went through today."

"Is it bad?"

Remus sighed and stood from the sofa and disappeared from the room. He returned with a worn leather journal in his hand. He tossed it to the boy and sat back down.

Harry looked at the title in confusion. "The Marauders' Handbook? What is it?"

"The Fall after our graduation, there was a group of us who fate had thrown into friendship. Eleven of us, actually. The war was escalating and we were worried our story wouldn't ever be told. So Lily came up with the idea to enchant this journal to write our story in novel form...as a omniscient narrator. She then used a time turner to go back to our sixth year and hid the book in the wall of Gryffindor Tower and cast the spell to initiate its writing. She retrieved it during an Order Meeting and hid it in her and James' house...until, apparently Sirius got his hands on it."

Harry swallowed, gazing at the journal. "So this will tell me everything I've ever wanted to know?"

Remus nodded. "We...could read it together if you wish."

Harry looked up at the anxious man. "It looks like we're pulling an all-nighter. Is that why you put the coffee on?"

Remus smirked. "If you didn't want to read it, I would have anyway."

Harry opened the book and read the author's note. "'To the reader of this tome...within these pages lies the tale of bravery, friendship, and sacrifice. The story is true and the pages will end their tale on September 1, 2001. Read this with an open mind and heart for the members of this tableau...and learn from The Marauders' Handbook.'"

Remus set a coffee cup on the table and sat back. "I'll read when your tongue turns to lead."

Harry chuckled, excitement brewing in his chest. "Rule #1: You can't teach an old stag new tricks. Lillian Evans inhaled the magically infused air of Platform 9 3/4..."