It happened one day without call.

Y/n and Sirius Black had known each other since first year, and for a while they did not get along. It wasn't that he wasn't funny and cute and dorky or that she wasn't pretty and hilarious and adventurous; it was simply that she was shy and he was loud, she was the classic, quiet Huufflepuff, and he was the rowdy, troublesome Griffindor.

They never talked, but constantly annoyed each other, and so they did not get along. Otherwise their friendship would have been perfect from the beginning.

However, one day, that changed.

Fifth year, Sirius Black was setting up the perfect prank, when she passed. Instead of James, Moony, or even Peter (Or Lily, just to get the best laughs) getting caught, she did. She was doused in water, dripping she was so wet. Her hair and face got covered in snow from outside. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened in shock and her books dropped. Sirius popped up, hysterically laughing, but the second her gorgeous eyes opened again to seek out the source of his loud laughter, the glorious noise died in his throat instantly, his own eyes going wide in shock and horror.

Not that he hadn't caught other people in his pranks before, poor innocent passerby students that got entangled in the crossfire... But this was Y/n. The girl he'd been intrigued by and been turned away by countless times. The girl who's pretty face and burning eyes caught his attention, but who's quietness and reservation turned him away to more outwardly fiery girls. The girl he'd subconsciously decided to leave alone because she was too pure and precious and didn't deserve anything bad to happen to her. The shy, quiet girl with good grades, who always wrote her answers on her paper because she was far too shy and quiet to raise her hands. Far too shy and quiet to even meet her professors eyes or withhold her stutter when she had to read aloud or perform a spell in front of he whole class. The girl who had cried when, in Care of Magical Creatures, one of the ugly and dangerous creatures had a rock thrown at it and died. She had gotten caught in the shots he'd meant for someone else. Anyone else.

Truly apologetic, Sirius ran forward to her frozen body and started stuttering, trying to apologize. Get her to respond. In any way.

"Sirius," she began in an angry, shaking tone. "Orion Black," she continued in the same tone. Sirius stopped moving, slightly confused on how she knew his middle name but more concerned with how scary she sounded angry. "What the heck?" She finally demanded. Her eyes were more fiery than ever and met his, unshaken. No stutter. No hesitation. Headstrong determination and anger made her stand up straight and lo him dead in the eyes, her chin out and shoulders back. Even though she was a good head shorter than him, he shrunk back, highly intimated.

He'd only been this way when McGonagal herself had stared him down, her lips thin and her stare shooting fear through his body.

"I-I'm sorry," Sirius mumbled, not sure how to handle this girl. She was not quiet. She was not shy. She was not shaky or silently pretty as he knew her. She was a burning fire, explosive and proud and... gorgeous. Fireworks, in the sky, on the Fourth of July, as alcohol buzzed in his body and a smile tickled his lips.

A warmness that quite frankly surprised him filled his body and he was struck with how... OFF he felt. She'd thrown him completely off kilter and he had no idea how to react anymore.

Suddenly she wasn't so sure herself. The admiring, frozen look in the attractive boys' eyes kind of threw her off too. He really was very good looking, which she'd undeniably noticed since she first laid eyes on him. She knew his type, and she had been correct as he showed himself to be a womanizing heart breaker with eye-drawing good looks and heart racing bad boy tendencies. But he was smart, too, which not many people noticed or cared about. But she had noticed.

Both looked at each other, suddenly shocked and frozen, her caked in flour and drenched, shivering a little bit as the coldness of the castle air chilled her soaked form, and him staring at her, processing the new part of her he had never had the pleasure of seeing before now.

Someone cleared their throats and it suddenly dawned on the two that they were nose to nose, eyes locked, and ever so slowly leaning in to... they jumped apart - VERY far apart - and snapped their heads to look at James, Remus, and Peter, who looked back, smirking. James crossed his arms, wearing the biggest smirk, as if he was seeing a part of a movie he had predicted. As if, not only had he predicted it, but everyone had doubted him, and he was waiting until the movie was over to run it in everyone's face when the movie was over that he had been right all along. Peter had a childish grin on his face, not having predicted it but was instead surprised - but mainly excited about tormenting Sirius about it later. Remus looked like the one who had argued that James had predicted wrong, his smirk teasing while simultaneously shocked, but pleasantly so. A good ending to a good movie he had not predicted, but appreciated.

There was a moment of silence and then Y/n looked away, returning to her shy and quiet shell, scowling at her toes. She was disappointed in herself for snapping at Sirius so, as well as she was shocked and uncomfortable with the fact that she'd allowed herself to become so into the shocked look in his gorgeous, dreamy eyes, to get caught in the moment. If James had not interrupted them... "I have to g-g-go," she stuttered, barely loud enough for everyone to hear her. Sirius was thrown off again, to see her so quiet and reserved once more after her outburst of confidence. He now wondered if that had been the real her, and this was a facade... but it was, why...? "I need to get... c-clean." And so she turned around and left.

Left the hallway. Left the boys. Left the proud and snotty James, the ready-to-tease Peter, and the pleasantly surprised Remus. She left Lily, who had just came into the situation, noticed everyone's looks and the reviewing girl, and had a knowing smile of her own. She left the butterflies in her stomach, thinking about how close she'd been to kissing Mr. Black. She left the mess in the hallway.

And she left the boy she now could not get out of her mind.

Likewise, Sirius could not get her out of his.

--

From there on there was something between Sirius and Y/n. It wasn't long before he warmed her up to him and they became friends. Fifth year ended and she was very close to all the Marauders, and Lily and her friends. All summer her and Sirius wrote back and forth, letters coming back and going out almost the second they were received from the other, desperate to get the next response. Sirius let himself depend on her for comfort and support while he had to deal with his family, and she revealed that her own was not pleasant. Her parents were proper - she was in a pure blood family. Sirius related to her struggle of their need to be perfect and presentable and pretty in every sense of the word, and he really understood her want to be nothing like them.

She was fiery and funny and headstrong, but they taught her that being so was obnoxious and unattractive and that any man she should ever think of marrying would hate that about her. She was taught that she was to be quiet and shy, for that was attractive, and that her opinion not only didn't matter, but that it was unwanted and not in her post to offer.

Sirius offered to take her in if she were to get away from them and come to be with him. He kind of jumped around for he most part, with nights at home but days with James and the gang, but he had told James (only) that she had a same situation as he did and James was more than willing to invite her along on Sirius' visits. He offered again and again, giving her friends to turn to and a place to call home, but she declined every time. She was not ready to really tell him why she was bound to the life she lead, and he was not prone to pushing for he secret that she obviously held from him, respecting that if she wanted to, she would tell him when the time came.

Sixth year the two were inseparable, and the draw between them was obvious. They grew very strong feelings and she became more herself through him. She joined in his pranks and he joined in her study time, her keeping him studious and him keeping her fun. The two went well together and the more they got to know each other, the more they got along.

Sixth year ended and they were practically dating without the title, with how they flirted and joked around. Lily, James, Remus, and even Peter had gotten so fed up with the constant playful flirting and pretend dating, just to have the two deny feelings, that they set out all summer to get the two together. Y/n magically convinced her parents to allow her to stay with Lily over summer on a total and genius lie her and Sirius concocted and with James and Lily dating, Lily often dragged her over to James' house when she went, where Sirius usually tended to be.

The time together really set t he two off, and even James' family was starting to see why James and Lily were so hell bent on getting the two together. By the end of summer, James finally got Sirius to admit that he was totally and completely head over heels in love with Y/n. But, not one single person could get Y/n to admit it. If they pushed too hard, she would pull away and seclude herself. She would hang out with Petunia instead of Lily and pretend to be a muggle for Petunia's sake, becoming that shy and stuttering girl again. This often upset Lily very much to see her best friend being close with her sister. Since Petunia didn't really want to get close to any kind of witch, even such a cool and submissive one that would stay quiet and get things for her and not only listen to her gossip but also agree with her just to keep her happy, Y/n never did this long. She cared about Lily's feelings far too much.

Of course, as things do, it all changed.

Summer was practically over. The whole gang was doing some last minute shopping for their last year at Hogwarts and James had convinced Sirius to make a move, with some serious help from Lily and Remus. Peter had been too distracted that day to really help, and he'd lost interest in the two, but the others were still determined.

Hiding his nerves, he walked next to Y/n as they all strolled and Lily, James, and Remus dropped behind, Peter far behind them, dragging behind very slowly. The two talked and joked and he slung his arm around her waist as she stopped to admire a new broom in the window of a broom shop. She didn't react, as she was used to him being flirty and acting like her boyfriend. She didn't react, as she enjoyed this position, even though she wouldn't admit it. She didn't react - on the outside.

As they began walking again, Sirius took a deep breath and moved his hand - which had dropped from her waist as they walked - to her hand that swung by her side as she walked, intertwining their fingers. He nervously glanced at her face to see her fight down a smile, and to notice a blush creeping up her neck. He was flirty, but he'd been more so today. More touchy, his fingers brushing her everywhere. Her hair, her waist, her fingers, her face, as he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear of wiped a piece of food or dirt off her cheek. He'd been very touchy and close and payed very close attention to her today and it was a little more than she was used to, but nothin that she didn't love and enjoy very much.

He noticed her reaction and it gave him encouragement. Hope.

Towards the end of the day, after shopping was done and they had all returned back to James' (Lily and Y/n made a stop at Lily's first to drop their new stuff off) Sirius pulled Y/n aside and into the night air. She shivered but followed him into the cold without a jacket, because she could handle a bit of chill.

Sirius moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, leaning down to whisper in her ear and turn her attention to the gorgeous night sky. He pointed out constellations and rubbed her stomach softly with his thumb. Then, when she really started to shiver, he pulled away to take his jacket off. He'd planned this very meticulously and had even gotten Lily to help by getting her to take Y/n's jacket so she'd be chilly when he took her outside. He turned her to face him, wrapping his jacket around her shoulder, and she smiled.

All he could think was how gorgeous she was and how much he loved her, and he realized that if she ultimately rejected him - especially if she truly only saw him as a friend, he would be complete,y heartbroken and crushed. He would be devastated. It made his nerves spike and his heart race, his stomach twist. Merlin, let her love him back...

She looked up at him, to thank him, and just like that first day, she noticed the look in eyes. Desperate and scared, vulnerable. Hopeful. Her eyebrows rose in concern then her eyes widen in surprise as he leaned his forehead on hers, his hand wrapping from his thumb on her cheek to behind her head. She sucked in a breath as he leaned in suddenly and pressed his lips softly to hers. He closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly, resting his lips barely on her, hoping beyond hope that she'd kiss back.

Her hand reached out and flattened against his chest and his heart skipped beat as he realized she was going to push him away. Then her hand paused, and she seemed to switch gears, her rigid body relaxing and her hand instead gripping his shirt, pulling him closer. Her other hand went to his hair, intertwining into his dark, wild locks, and his free hand moved to her waist, pulling her body close.

Y/n tilted her head and the kiss deepened between the two and Sirius' heart soared.

Finally he leaned back and both gasped for air, eyes fluttering open and gazed locking. He smiled shakily. "I- I thought you didn't like me?" Sirius managed.

She blushed. "I thought I - But then- I, um..." her blush got worse and Sirius laughed, wrapping one arm around her waist to bring her close again and moving his other hand to cup her face, brushing his thumb on her cheek.

"I love you," he whispered. Y/n swore either her heart was beating so fast and so loud Sirius could hear it and she couldn't because of shock, or it had stopped all together, because she could feel nothing but overwhelming joy. "I have for a while now, I suppose. My feelings are very real, and we have so much in common and I want to be there to protect you and make you laugh. I want to be there to wake up next to you in the morning when you have nightmares, or have you wake me up from my own. I want you by my side to study with and flirt with and kiss in public. I want you in my life - forever. I love you. I know we're young and I'm a player or whatever. I know that you might not believe me because I've told girls before that they're pretty or that I like them, but I swear to you I've never said the word love to anyone but you. And Y/n I - I love you so much." He touched his forehead to hers, annunciating his point with the contact.

She beamed. Her mouth opened and the words that came out her mouth shocked, thrilled, and scared her, but were no less true than Sirius'. Just less passionate and poetic, as she wasn't as good with words as he was. They were more simple, but Sirius knew how much they meant and how full of passion and feeling they were. He knew the entirety of the meaning behind the words, even though she only simply said, "I love you, too."

-Later-

There wasn't a set way to explain how it happened.

All Sirius Black knew was that, without her, he had no idea what would have happened.

When he found out that Peter betrayed Lily and James and that they were dead, he was raging. He searched for the worm... tail... He was angry and hurt and when he finally found Peter, half crying and half yelling, it was a messy sight. She had come out of nowhere, pulling his wand out of his hand with a disarming spell as he went o attack Peter. The rat of a man changed into his animagous form - only now it seemed painfully fighting for him to be a rat - and she saw the finger. She saw the plan he'd so carefully layer out in in those spilt moments, and how if she had not intervened, it would have been bad.

So did he.

Carefully he picked up his wand, having not had the chance to do anything, and looked as she kicked the cut off finger into a street drain.

The two' eyes met and Sirius broke. She raced forward as he aLL but collapsed in her arms. She held him close as she sobbed, there in the middle of the street, endlessly moaning and whimpering about Lily and James in her ear. Her heart hurt for him and after a few moments, she could no lover bare it. Not because she was not strong and would not handle the pain if he needed her to, but because she had realized something. Something important. There were wizard police all around and as she sat Sirius on the curb and the bystanders were whisked away, she relayed the story of everything that had happened moments ago to anyone who asked. They checked Sirius' wand just in case then went about their way, finding him innocent of doing any harm to any person and - if anything - in the right for being as angry and hurt as he was. She could not tell them how much James and Lily meant to Sirius, not completely, but she could tell them that they were very close, and that Peter had betrayed them to someone evil, who had killed them.

She moved to Sirius' side and slowly got him to stand. He clung to her as she walked him - albeit, awkwardly - to the side, away from view. "Sirius?" He did not respond. "Sirius, love..." still nothing. "Padfoot, Harry..." that got his attention. His tired and bleary eyes met her and she rested his forehead on hers. "We have to go get him, darling..." his eyes were still watery but he nodded. "We need to aparate. Okay?" another nod. She felt bad for making him function under such conditions, but worried more for Harry than anything. And so, sighing, she did it herself, wanting Sirius to have to do as little as possible.

Being in front of the house made her stomach twist and her heart drop. It was destroyed. Ruined. She remembered all the work they'd put into that house, making it a home. All the memories, with the new marriage between Lily and James to all he marauders being in the house, to the emptiness when the war really got hot, to the night that Harry cried in his cradle for the first time. It hurt to see all that effort, all those times and memories and all that love just - gone.

How could something so special be demolished, so completely, so easily?

Harry, her brain reminded her. Harry.

Swallowing her grief, she rushed into the house and the second her ears stopped ringing, her brain registered the crying baby and Sirius' footsteps behind her. The two raced up the stairs and into the room. Y/n kept her eyes raised, avoiding James' body on the floor, but she knew that was where Sirius stopped. She understood, and therefore left him to grieve. She did not know how she was functioning with James' dead body, still and probably already cold, so close to her, but she couldn't stop.

Save Harry. Check on him. Check on my boy. It was like Lily was next to her, urging her to check on Harry. She could hear Lily saying it as if she really was, because Y/n knew that if could, that's what she would be saying.

Her footsteps froze as she heard sobbing and rounded the corner to see a black clad figure holding a body, rocking back and forth. The sobs seemed to com from the figure and Y/n was unsure who it was. As she got closer, she gasped. "Severus?" She whispered, very very quietly. The man turned to look at her as she Calle ships name. His eyes were puffy and raw, his face twisted with agony she couldn't understand.

Shock, she realized. I'm in shock.

"She's gone," The man whimpered. Y/n had never seen the boy look so broken or hurt as he did in that second, right there, on the floor. She could remember passing as James and Sirius would tease and torment him and she knew that even then, crying, humiliated, and full of burning hate, he felt more pain in this very second than he did even at Lily and James' wedding.

"I'm so sorry," Y/n whispered, her voice breaking. Her heart started to come undone as she finally allowed herself to slow down and realize what she meant. Her eyes landed on the figure in his arms and recognized the body. The red hair. The beautiful green eyes, open but devoid of life. Y/covered her mouth and placed her hand on the wall, sinking to the floor as it registered, finally settled.

Lily.

Her mind went blank and all she could see was Lily's face, laughing as James sat next to her with Harry in his arms, making stupid faces as Sirius, across from him, cracked bad puny jokes and Y/n, next to him, intertwined their fingers. She thought of how they'd looked at each other, thinking about marriage and family. Thinking about their future.

She thought of Lily as she ran in between James and Severus, blocking the bully from the boy.

She thought of Lily, pushing Y/n on the ground in the Gryffindor common room because Y/n had been falling asleep - which made sense at the late night (or early morning?) hour - and she had to stay awake because they had to finish cramming for the test coming up.

She thought of Lily, holding her tightly as Y/n cried tears of joy when she was asked to be Harry's godmother.

She thought of Lily, holding Harry in her arms, drenched in sweat, eyes exhausted, but looking admiringly at her baby boy, eyes bright despite tiredness and happy despite the war going on just outside her little, happy world.

She thought of Lily, as Y/n held her hair back, hunched over the toilet, throwing up in the early hours of the morning; later, when she'd taken a pregnancy test and had her hopes fallen when it came up negative; even later when she found out she just had the flu; even further when Lily had to comfort her because she wanted a child so bad but yet had to wait.

She thought of Lily, handing the small little Harry to her to hold, telling her that Harry was as much Y/n's family as she was James' and Sirius' and even hers ("I know you want children very badly and I know that it's been difficult with both your and Sirius' hesitation with the war, but he is yours to love and care for and be a part of his life until you have one of your own. You're our family, and I hope you know that...)

Tears started falling and her sobs were silent. Severus looked at Y/n's twisted face, watery eyes, and paths of salty tears falling down her face. "I'm sorry," he repeated her words, sincere and for the first time, the two really felt the other's feelings. They had a moment, a connection, and both managed to offer shaky, friendly smiles. There were some things you could not go through and not come out of friends. Neither would ever admit it, but they were now friends, no matter what anyone thought. There was noise downstairs and Y/n and Severus looked behind Y/n.

"Sirius," Y/n whispered, remembering. She looked back at Severus and he was frowning. "I'll take care of her," Y/n promised softly. "Don't let him find you here. He's too emotional..." Severus, even in his heavy grief, seemed to register and understand and he looked one last time at Lily before laying her down and then folding in on himself, disappearing.

Y/n pushed down her feelings, Rose her eyes away from Lily, and struggled to her feet. Taking one step out of a time, she tuned everything out except the cries of little Harry. Little Harry Potter. She raced to him and scooped him up. She calmed him and he looked up at her, face red and puffy from crying, and she cuddled into her.

"Don't worry," she whispered, tears falling again. "I'm here, Harry. Aunty Y/n is here for you." She kissed his forehead and turned as Sirius came into the room, looking just as horrible as she felt. He raced to the two, looking down at Harry like he was feeling happiness for the first time. "He's alive," Y/n whispered. "Lily and James are not, but he is. We cannot fall apart... For Harry's sake." Sirius met her eyes and nodded, very slowly.

They had to get help, though. Hey had to get help for the bodies. The thought made them cringe, but it was true.

Time to collect and rebuild. There was a lot to do still.

--

Her hand ran through the young boy's hair and his eyes fluttered open. He smiled as he realized who'd woken him and she smiled back. "Good morning, Love," the woman whispered lovingly.

"Good morning, mum." As they always did every time Harry called her that, butterflies burst in her stomach. The bed sunk a bit and Y/n looked over to see Sirius sitting on the other side of the boy. He had messy, unruly black hair that Y/n had finally given up on taming and green eyes that reminded both of them far too much of Lily's. He knew that Sirius and Y/where not his real parents. He knew his story. He knew how his real mother died to save him from Voldemort, who was destroyed that same night. Sirius and Y/n had told him every single memory of James and Lily they could think of, and never did he not know that they were his real parents and that they were the best two people in the whole world.

Harry had called Y/n and Sirius mum and dad since he could talk and though it seemed weird at first, and once he realized the full meaning of the situation he stopped for a while when he got older, Sirius and Lily had raised Harry. They were like his adoptive parents. Harry, Y/n, and Sirius had gotten used to this lifestyle and they all made up a perfect little family.

Harry was humble and happy, Y/n and Sirius keeping him away from fame at his young age while keeping him young while he was. "Not every day does our young man turn eleven," Y/n whispered. Harry smiled.

"And not every day does Mr. Harry Potter got to Hogwarts for his first day of us first year," Sirius added.

"Today's the day?" Harry whispered, ecstatic. The two adults nodded. Harry hopped out of bed and got dressed and Sirius got everything they'd packed into the car. Harry dressed and came downstairs to Y/n making breakfast and the three ate before heading to the train. The whole way they cracked jokes and Sirius andY/n relaid stories of their years of Hogwarts.

They walked to Platform 9 3/4 and walked him through the barrier. Y/n tried to tame his hair, kissed him all over the face, repeated her words of wisdom, reminded him to write every weekend, promised they would write as well, and then hugged he breath from his being. Sirius chuckled at Y/n's natural mother instinct and gave Harry a strong hug and told him to cause mischief, enough to remind Hogwarts again of the Marauders and the trouble they hadn't been able to cause since their departure, causing Y/n to slap his arm and both Sirius and Harry to chuckle.

Then Harry got in the train, where the only compartment that was empty he hid in, soon to be joined by a red headed boy with freckles and a rat in his pocket. He got on the train, which would take him to Hogwarts, for his first year, where he would write Y/n and Sirius every weekend and be reminded that he had a home and a family and a reason to be happy. His first year, where he would suddenly stop writing and worry his godparents while he got caught up in the troll in the girl's bathroom and Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley and the Philosopher's stone and Polyjuice potions. His first year, where he would get a howler from Y/n where she hysterically communicated that she was worried sick with the news she'd heard and the lack of letters to reassure her.

But in that moment, as Y/n and Sirius stood on the platform, they saw Molly Weasley and exchanged a friendly smile. They then saw Lucius Malfoy and frowned. They saw parents and too-young siblings, like the tiny red headed girl next to Molly Weasley, and wondered what the future held for them. For Harry, who would be going alone in a world where he was famous.

They thought about nights they'd stayed up with a hysterically screaming baby who cried for his mother. They thought of nights curled together with Harry in between them, missing Lily and James and trying to remind themselves that they had to be there for Harry. They thought of his first words - daddy, of course, which Sirius was very happy about - and his first steps. They thought of the baby food they couldn't understand to be good enough for baby Harry to like it enough to eat it, and when they finally transitioned into solid, real food. They thought of all the diaper changes and arguments and hugs and tears and anniversary of Lily and James' death they'd spent as a family. They thought of all the years that had passed with Harry being surrounded by a good home and two loving parent figures, and they wondered how it had all passed so quickly.

And, ever so quietly, they wondered how different everything would have been if Y/n had not been there to interject and prevent Sirius from attacking Peter in the alley that one day so many years ago...

Where would each of them be?

Dark thoughts rose so the two shook it from their minds and instead dwell on the happenings now.

Harry had the loving family and the warm home he deserved.

Under the circumstances, what more could they ask for?