Cornerstone Revelations (completed)

.8

Hope lived for just over 9 years longer than doctors thought she would. She was transferred to a nursing home instead of her hospice care facility when her nurses saw her improvement.

Remus was thankful for this, of course he was, but he still felt extremely guilty that he didn't visit her enough. But money was tight, especially in the winter when he and Peter actually had time to travel to London. They managed the trip about twice a year.

Remus hadn't spoken to Sirius since he left the island. It seemed like so long ago, 10 years. Remus was 33 now, Sirius would be be turning 35 in a few months, and it had been forever since they'd touched one another.

But Remus was happy. He was surrounded by happy people- Albus, Peter, and his wife Lucy, who was expecting. Cornerstone got some new regular tenants and the farm was doing well enough.

It was the morning of the funeral, and Remus got to the church plenty long before the other guests. He wasn't necessarily religious, but this wasn't his funeral and he knew it was what Hope wanted.

He was sitting in the front pew, waiting for Peter, Albus and Lucy to arrive when he heard the excited laughter of a toddler echoing through the church, then the sound of footfalls striking the ground clumsily and then more laughter- obviously different from the first.

The two toddlers in question came running over to Remus, who couldn't help but smile, even in the somber setting of the church.

The children, who Remus now knew were boys, approached him cautiously.

"Huh-hullo," one of them said.

"Hi," Remus grinned at the doe-eyed boys before him.

"My brover, Cyg and me wanted to play hide and seek with you." One of them said in his best attempt at English.

Remus chuckled, "and what's your name?"

"Well I not supposed to tell strangers."

"Okay," Remus agreed, "well if I tell you my name, then we're not strangers, right?"

Both the boys nodded.

"I'm Remus."

The boy who was doing most of the talking stuck his hand out. "Cetus."

Remus chuckled at the formality. He made a mental note to track down the boys' parents and congratulate them on raising such a polite child.

"Can we play hide and seek pleassseeee?"

"Well-"

"Cetus? Cygnus?" And voice called through the church, "Regulus Procyon Black And Harry James Potter, I asked one thing of you- watch the twins. So please find them and then do a better job of watching them."

Remus would have know the voice anywhere even if the names of the boys he was yelling at didn't give it away.

"Ut-oh," Cygnus said, "papa mad."

"Adelaide prolly cry," Cetus explained.

The other boy nodded thoughtfully and two older boys, who Remus assumed were Harry and Regulus, approached them.

"Come on guys, uncle Sirius is mad at us for losing you," Harry said.

"We're really sorry sir," Regulus told Remus, "we won't let them bother you again."

"It's alright-"

"Regulus."

"It's alright, Regulus. I'd love to see your parents though. Can you show me to where they're at?"