You Only Live Once

CHAPTER 48

"Can you even fathom how weird it is for my brother and sister to be dating?" Sirius asked the room at large, his arms flailing with his usual flair for the dramatic.

"Sirius, stop being weird" Lily muttered, though she was clearly fighting back a smile as she shifted Harry in her arms.

"You could've phrased that so differently" Remus added. He was leaning against the doorframe, looking more relaxed than he had in years, but his eyes were still tracking Sirius's restless pacing.

"I want to cut off my eyes" Sirius groaned, flopping onto the armchair. "My sister and my brother. It's a tragedy. It's a Shakespearean nightmare."

"Yes, Pads. Get your facts straight, they're not dating" James chimed in from the kitchen doorway.

Everyone in the living room slowly turned their heads to look at James. They moved in perfect synchronization, just to make sure they had heard him correctly. The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the soft gurgles of baby Harry.

"After that sentence... all you had to say was that Ro and Regulus aren't dating?" Remus asked. He sounded genuinely concerned for his friend's mental state. "James, they literally walked out of the hospital holding hands."

"But Ro said they're still figuring it out, Moony" James insisted, shrugging his shoulders as if that explained everything. "Figuring it out doesn't mean dating. It means... navigating. Exploring. Testing the waters."

"Jamie, just—just stop talking" Mira interfered, stepping into the room. She was wearing a coat and checking her reflection in the hallway mirror.

Mira had been officially out of the hospital for a week. It was strange to be back in the world, breathing air that didn't smell like potions and sterile sheets. The war was over, and the wizarding world was scrambling to fix itself. There was a new Minister of Magic, a mountain of paperwork, and enough trials to last a decade.

Regulus, Evan, and Theo had been spared the heavy hand of the law. Mira had stood as a witness, her voice steady as she recounted the ways they had helped from the inside. Dumbledore had backed her up, his presence in the courtroom carrying a weight that no one dared to challenge. Mira was still a bit surprised the old wizard had been so willing to help, but she didn't complain. He knew how to pull strings better than anyone, and she needed the jury to see her friends for who they really were, not the marks on their arms.

With their names cleared, the old Slytherin gang had decided to reunite. Mira had seen them all separately—mostly while she was stuck in a hospital bed—but she hadn't seen them all at once in months. She hadn't even seen Regulus in the past seven days, though they had talked every single night. She had introduced him to the telephone during his visits to her bedside, and the novelty hadn't worn off. She'd even convinced Monty to install one at Potter Manor, and Lily had loved the idea so much that soon, everyone had one.

Before heading to meet her friends, Mira had stopped by James and Lily's house in Godric's Hollow. She wanted to leave baby Melody with Harry so they could play while she was out. Remus and Sirius had tagged along, eager to soak up the peace of the Potter household after the long, dark years of hiding.

The doorbell rang, the sharp sound echoing through the quiet house. Even the babies stopped moving to look at the door.

"Okay... I'm going now" Mira announced. She felt a bit creeped out by the way everyone was staring at her, their expressions a mix of curiosity and protective hovering.

She walked over to the playmat on the floor to kiss Melody and Harry goodbye. "Be good for Auntie Lily" she whispered, promising to be back before they knew it. Both babies let out small whimpers of protest. They didn't like seeing her leave; the last time they had watched her walk away, she hadn't come back for a very long time.