ᵒⁿᵉ 𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 ʷᵒˡᶠˢᵗᵃʳ/ᵈʳᵃʳʳʸ (ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉᵈ)

July 31st, 1989 and August 1st, 1989

It's Harry's birthday so I get up early. Well, Harry wakes me up early. He jumps on the bed.


"Moony! Paddy!" He says, jumping really high.

I sit up, my hair a mess. I rub my eyes and check my watch. 5 am. "Okay, Harry." I say. "Okay."
Sirius and I get out of bed. I reach into the closet and get his presents. He's running around the room like crazy. I laugh.

"Come on, Harry." I say, going out to the living room and sitting on the couch. Harry sits next to me, squealing.

He opens it. It's a stag stuffed animal. He smiles.

"It's so cute, Moony!" He says, hugging it. I bite my lip, holding back tears. I had no idea Sirius got this.

I feel Sirius's hand on my shoulder. "I thought he would love it." He whispers in my ear.

"I love it." I whisper back. "I really do."

Later, Harry runs around, playing with his new things outside. I sit with Sirius on the couch.

"That was a really sweet gift, Pads." I say. "Does he know about...about James?"

"His patronus and animagus form?" Sirius asks. "No, I don't think so. At least, I've never told him."

I nod, wiping at my eyes, tears streaming down my face; though they aren't only bad tears. "Okay."

Sirius puts his arm around me. "Should we tell him?"

"I don't know." I say. "Maybe we should wait. Maybe someday, he'll have the same patronus without even knowing. It will be like having his dad right next to him."

Sirius nods. "Maybe we tell him when he's older."

"Yeah. Older." I say. I sigh. "He saved the world you know, when he was one year old."

Sirius nods. "Yes. I hope he saved it permanently."

"I doubt it." I say. "Maybe though. It just doesn't seem right for him to just be gone."

Sirius shifts. "Yeah. I suppose not. You-Know-Who isn't the type to just disappear."

We sit in silence, watching Harry toss the toy stag in the air, and riding his first broom, a Cleansweep 5. I smile.

"I remember when we got him." I say. "That was a horribly wonderful day."

Sirius nods. "He was so small. Now look at him."

"Well, just two more years, and then he gets to go to Hogwarts." I say. "Then, he'll be able to defend himself."

"From what?" Sirius asks.

"Who knows." I say.

The next day, I wake up, rubbing my eyes. I turn over. Sirius isn't in bed. I get up and get dressed in my favorite sweater.

"Sirius?" I call.

"I'm in here!" He calls. "With Harry!"

Harry and him are playing with the stag. I smile.

"Morning, Harry!" I say.

"I named my deer!" He says. "Padfoot said to name him after my daddy, so his name is James."

I smile at Sirius. "Did he?" I say. "That's nice."

"I'm going to show him the orange tree!" He says and runs outside.

I smile again. "Sirius, that's so cute."

"I know." He says, staring at Harry. "He's adorable."

I sigh. "I wonder if he'll be the same when he grows up."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asks quizzically.

"I just hope he doesn't change." I say finally. "He's such a sweet kid."

"Yeah, me too." Sirius says. "He's so pure."

Later, I recieve an owl from Molly.

Dear Remus,
If Harry would like, he can come play with Ron, Ginny, Fred and George today. Sirius and you are welcome too, of course.
Molly

I set the note down and scribble a quick response on the back. I send it with the family owl, Merlin.

"SIRIUS!" I call. "HARRY!"

Harry and Sirius both run into the room.

"Yeah?" Harry says

"We are going to Ron's house." I say. "Grab my hands."

I hold Harry's small hand and Sirius's warm one. I apparate and land in the garden of the Burrow, tripping and almost landing in a flower bed. Molly scurries out, holding the hand of an eight-year old girl, Ginny Weasley.

"Oh, Sirius! Remus! Harry!" She hugs us all and beacon us inside. Three red haired children run out to play with Harry.

"Would you like some tea?" She asks. "I have lemon, jasmine and chamomile.

We nod.

"Lemon for me." I say

"Me too." Sirius replies.

"How is the family?" I ask.

"Well, Arthur is rather busy at work; an exploding toilet in a Muggle residence. And Fred and George are starting Hogwarts in the fall." She says as she bustles around the kitchen, making the tea. "Percy's a third-year, so I had to sign his form for Hogsmeade. Charlie's got his O.W.Ls this year; all 12; and it's Bill's last year." She sighs. "So much to think about."

She hands us each mugs of tea and sits down herself.

"How are you three?" She asks.

"Well, yesterday was his birthday, as you know." I say. "We got him a stag stuffed animal and his first broom, a Cleansweep 5."

Molly smiles. "Oh, I remember Charlie's first broom. Now he's team Captain!"   She seems so proud of her son.

I smile. "Well, maybe Harry will be someday too."

She nods. "Well, I'm sure he could be." She sighs. "They are so young. Ron and Harry are only nine and Ginny only 8."

Sirius nods. "Yes. Someday they'll get into just as much mischeif has we did."

Molly frowns at him. "I certainly hope not, Sirius."

Sirius blushes. "Right, no of course not."

Soon, we head home.

"Did you have fun, Harry?" I ask.

He nods. "Ron gave me a present." He shows me a small, top-like device; a sneak-o-scope.

I smile. "Oh, that's a good one."

Harry nods. "I like it."

Sirius laughs. "I sure hope you don't need it though."

I bite my lip. "Yes, me as well."