Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or that phrase uttered by Dumbledore.

Note: This can be seen as light Lily/Remus/Sirius/Severus, or as just strong friendship, either way you prefer. I kind of see it as a little shippy, but that's just me. I've always liked all combinations of those four (though I typically write Sirius/Severus and Lily/Remus). See it as you please.

Lily's Angels

"It doesn't matter who his father is," Lily said, looking up at the three of them. She was appalled that they would even suggest that she consider not keeping the child. "You of all people should know that blood does not determine who a child will become. Severus, your father was cruel and abusive, your mother just as angry. And yet you are not. You are kind and gentle. Sirius, your parents have supported Voldemort's efforts in every way they could, shy of becoming Death Eaters themselves. But you, you have loved muggles, you have opposed the oppression of my kind at every turn. And Remus, you who has a vicious monster living inside you at every moment. But you have never once let that beast control you, for you have control over it.

"Look at you all," she smiled. "My beautiful angels." She smiled. "Lily's Angels," she laughed at her little joke, though they didn't quite catch it, each having grown up in a magical home.

(Lily's Angels)

Lily was exhausted from labor, but had no intentions of sleeping. She was far to busy watching her beautiful baby sleep.

"Ms. Evans," a tiny voice interrupted her thoughts. Lily looked up. One of the hospital's elves was standing in the doorway. "Three young men are here to see you," the elf said. "Shall I let them in?"

"Of course," Lily smiled weakly.

The three men, her three wonderful friends, entered the room quietly, each of them grinning.

"Hey there," Sirius said.

"My angels," she smiled at the three of them.

"You're never gonna stop with that, are you?" Severus asked, as Sirius began making faces at the now awake baby in Lily's arms.

"Never."

(Lily's Angels)

"He's coming for me," she told the three of them, as baby Harry tried, unsuccessfully, to fly around the room on miniature broomstick Sirius had gifted him. "Voldemort. I want the three of you to promise me something."

"Anything," Remus replied for all of them.

"If anything happens to me," she began.

"Nothing is gonna happen to you," Sirius interrupted.

"If anything happens to me," she repeated, ignoring his optimism. "Promise me you'll all look after him, protect him."

"Of course," Remus said.

"Always," Severus added.

"With our lives," Sirius finished.

(Lily's Angels)

"Harry," Lily whispered to the small child sitting in his crib. He was chewing on the ear of a little stuffed wolf (a gift from Remus). "I know you won't remember this," she said. "Not in your mind. But in your heart you must know. I will always be with you Harry. Always. I love you so very, very much, don't ever forget. I'm sorry I cannot be with you in your life. Not in body. But I will be there, in spirit, right next to you, through it all. And never forget, beautiful boy, that my Angels will always look out for you. They will always be there."

(Lily's Angels)

"Why do you do it?" Remus asked Severus one day. They were alone in the staffroom, for the first time since Remus' arrival at the school.

"Do what?" Severus asked, not looking up from the text he was reading.

Remus let out a half laugh. "Behave the way you do. Angry. Always so angry. And you take it all out on Harry, which I really don't get. He's a brilliant kid, Lily's kid, and you treat him like… well, like he's his father."

"So he never becomes his father," Severus answered shortly.

"He's not," Remus said. "And if you had taken a second to get to know the boy, you would have seen that. In fact, he's very much like Lily."

"I know he is. He's quite intelligent, and truly brave."

"But-"

"You believe James to be a good person for a long time. You were his best friend. And look how he turned out. I won't spoil the boy, as his other professors have, with praise. It's bad enough he's famous around the world. I won't let him let it get to his head. I won't let him become his father."

Remus nodded slowly and looked back to the paper he'd been reading. He supposed, in a sense, he did understand.

"Do you really think he did it?" Remus asked a while later.

"Hmm?"

"Sirius," he clarified, holding out the article he'd happened across, on the escape of Sirius Black. "You really think he betrayed her?"

"The evidence is too strong to ignore."

"But…" Remus looked that the screaming picture of his old friend. "It's Sirius. How could he?"

"We've already seen once how a good person can go bad. To answer your question, yes, I do believe he did it."

Remus stood up to leave for his class. "Liar," he said before exiting the room.

(Lily's Angels)

"I will settle, in the short term," Dumbledore said, with a bite of impatience in his voice. "For a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any of us."

Very slowly, still glaring at one another as though each wished the other nothing but ill, Sirius and Snape moved toward each other and shook hands. In an instant, they had their arms wrapped around one another in a tight hug.

"You really believed," Sirius began. "That I betrayed her? You believed I could do such a thing?"

"I did not want to," Severus assured him. "But the evidence against you."

"Evidence, shmevidence."

(Lily's Angels)

"He's really dead," Severus said disbelievingly. The Order had returned to their respective places after the Battle at the Ministry. Remus had been responsible, along with Tonks and Mad-Eye, for returning the children to Hogwarts. Remus took the chance to tell his friend what had happened.

Remus reached out and took Severus' hand. No one else could understand what they alone were feeling. The loss of yet another friend, a friend they'd been so close to for so long. No one else could understand.

(Lily's Angels)

All around him lay the bodies of the dead. Fred, Colin, Lavendar, Remus, Tonks. Down at the Shack lay the body of Severus. Harry bit back tears. This had to end. He had to put a stop to all the death.

He ran to meet the Dark Lord in person. His death would ensure that the others could live.

(Lily's Angels)

Harry brought his lips to the snitch in his hand. I open at the close. The snitch opened, and out fell the resurrection stone. Harry looked up. Around him stood four figures.

"Hello, Harry," his mother beamed at him. He reached out. He wanted nothing more than to run into her arms, but one brush of his fingertips to hers confirmed what he already knew. She was not really there. Only an image.

Harry looked around at them all. His mother, Sirius, Remus, Severus.

"Does it hurt?" he asked. "Dying?"

"Quicker than falling asleep," Remus assured him.

"So… you'll be with me in this?"

"Always," Sirius and Severus said in unison.

"We never left," Lily said, continuing to smile.

Harry nodded and took a deep breath, before moving on through the forest. Lily and her angels continued to smile broadly after him. Then she turned to her companions.

"Oh, my beautiful angels," she said fondly. And for the first time, none frowned at the name she'd given them.