Peter shuffled onto his feet from the sofa he'd collapsed on, storming outside into the darkness. Letting out a string of curses that would have put the Weasley twins to shame, Sirius followed his friend out, his hands balled into fists.

Remus let out a deep breath. Pinching the bridge of his nose he looked apologetically at Harry and Hermione as he took measured steps to go after the two.

Hermione had never in her life felt so suffocated by silence, her eyes staring fixedly at a hole in the carpet. She saw as Harry tensed, his shoulders beginning to tense from the exhaustion that all these emotions had welcomed inside him. She met his tired eyes, giving him a timid smile, shrugging as she did so.

He nodded tightly, ready to make his escape but before he could so much as turn around he felt someone engulf him into a tight embrace. He stumbled to keep his balance as Lily sobbed silently into his chest, her entire body shaking with grief and rage and a million other emotions she couldn't name.

Harry felt his own eyes tear up as he felt James join his wife, encircling the two Potters with his arms, holding them both as close as he could.

Hermione felt a lump in her tbhroat, her lips pulling into her first real smile since forever. Something warm settled in her heart as she saw her best friend finally united with his family. All these years he's been lost and yet he's finally home.

Bracing herself for a conversation she very much needed to get done with, Hermione raised her eyes to meet those of Rab's to find him already staring intently at her. He nodded at her in understanding, taking quiet steps to reach her. Placing his palm against her cheek he looked at her with remorse.

She caught hold of his arm, following in Dumbledore's lead, all of them silently deciding to give the Potters some well-deserved time.

'I do not find myself able to express my regret, Ms Granger,' Dumbledore said. 'To think I sent child soldiers to do all the fighting. I apologize. Pardon me. It seems like there's much to consider with all that we've seen tonight, feelings to be processed. It would be best if you spent the night as a family and do your grieving. We shall continue with the memories come morning.'

She nodded silently, watching him make his way to the fireplace and disappearing into the flames.

Hermione sighed heavily, entering the kitchen and quietly preparing some coffee. She did it the Muggle way, the simple act a great form of liberty to her.

'Hermione,' his voice broke out into a whisper.

Rab stared at her back, trying to find in himself the right words. What could he say to her after all? That he was sorry for being a monster? That he deserved no place in her life? That he could never even hope to be able to fix things for her?

She stilled for a moment, bracing herself for the worst, her mind shooting into a hyper drive, dreading his rejection.

'Hermione,' he tried again, 'I - I don't know what to say.'

She turned around to face him, hugging closely to her chest the two mugs she held in her hands. She looked anywhere but at him.

'I'm so sorry,' he croaked out, his voice heavy around his words as he collapsed into one of the wooden chairs strewn across the kitchen.

She looked at him in surprise only to find pain written all over his face.

He withered under her gaze, his sister looking the most fragile he'd ever seen her. And so the dam broke.

'I'm sorry you had to see that version of me,' he let out, his lips trembling as he spoke without taking a breath. 'There's so much I want to say to you. I wish - I wish I could have been there. I wish you'd told me sooner. I wish you didn't have to carry the weight of all these memories alone. I wish you'd never spent those nightmare thrashing in your bed alone. I wish it had been me and not you. I wish I could have helped, Merlin, Hermione, I am so sorry.'

He broke down into sobs, his head falling into his hands, each breath he took physically painful.

'You're not upset that I'm a muggleborn,' she wondered, surprised. 'You don't blame me for sullying your House?'

Rab shook his head in dismay, the ridiculous nature of her question pulling out of him an amused laugh. 'Hermione,' he shut his eyes, getting up and covering the distance between them in a single stride. He sighed heavily as he took her by the shoulders, making her sit down in the chair he'd vacated. Going down on his knees he brought himself at the level of her face. Brushing aside the strands of her hair that had come loose, he said, 'I thought we were past that.'

She nodded mutely in response.

'Do you think I care for you so little?'

She remained quiet.

'I think I've told you before that nothing could change my love for you. You are to me my entire world. You are my sister, my responsibility. You didn't sully the Lestrange House. You made it infinitely brighter. Papa loved you. Rolf loved you in his own way. And I love you still.'

Hermione blinked the tears away, embracing her brother tight. 'Thank you.'

'No,' he shook his head against her shoulder. 'Thank you. Thank you for making this journey. Thank you for caring enough to save us all when we least deserve it. Thank you, Hermione.'

'I don't know what to say,' James muttered, feeling completely out of his depth.

Harry smiled. 'Say nothing at all.'

Lily brushed her fingers through Harry's head, kneading his head as he lay in her lap. She looked sadly at her husband sat beside her, holding onto the hand of his son from another life.

'Just stay.'

'You've been through so much,' she whispered. 'You have just one memory of us and that too a memory so -,' she sighed.

Harry closed his eyes, reliving the screams of her mother as she died, feeling the heat of the fire that yelped just across his feet. 'I was never alone.'

'I'm glad you found yourself a family but I wish – I wish we could have been there for you too.'

Harry pulled away, sitting up on his knees and bending over, his hands enveloping both of his parents'. 'I don't blame you. Knowing your Gryffindor brains I bet you're fretting over with guilt right this instant but I never once blamed you.'

James patted the top of his head, tears glistening in his eyes as he smiled at him proudly.

'Besides you were always there too,' Harry shrugged. 'It's like Sirius once said. The ones that love us never really leave us. Not really.'

James chuckled, 'That git really did grow up, didn't he?'

'He had to,' Harry's eyes dropped to the floor. 'He had the entire world set dead against him.'

The air turned somber once again.

'There's so much,' Lily began, 'that we missed out on. An entire lifetime worth of memories.'

Harry looked at her hopefully, 'I'm here now.' Swallowing the lump in his throat he said, 'I know I'm technically not your son, just a remnant of your future selves and I know that you will eventually go on to have children but I'd – I'd appreciate it if you let me stay a part of your lives. I wouldn't interfere much, I promise,' he cried desperately. 'Just a day a month, that's all.'

Lily felt tears trail a course down her cheek as she once again wrapped him in her arms. 'I know this isn't the most conventional situation but nobody in this world could convince me otherwise. You are our son. You are our family and -'

'And in this house we don't leave family behind,' James finished for his wife, once again tousling his son's hair.

Harry nodded, too scare to open his mouth lest he break down into sobs again.

'Guess we owe Molly one, eh?' James mumbled under his breath.

They sat as they were, huddled around each other as a comfortable silence wrapped around them.

'Hey, harry, you're going to call me dad? Think of all the ladies at the groceries. They'll think I'm still so young after all that my son would look older than me. Think of it, Lily. I'll be the center of everyone's attention.'

Harry sniggered as Lily hit James behind the head, shaking her head. 'Want to be a dad, eh? Start acting your age and we'll think about it.'

James yelped, frowning as he whispered conspiratorially with his lookalike. 'She's a nightmare to live with, mate. I don't know about you but I'm right terrified for you.'

'Oh how do I bear with him,' Lily sighed. 'Harry, if you want to call us Mum and Dad, that's fine. But if you think it'll be strange Lily and James would be just fine too, yeah? So don't think you're under any sort of pressure, love.'

Harry nodded eagerly, warmth pooling at the base of his gut.

'Merlin knows this relationship between the three of us isn't going to be straightforward,' James said lightly. 'There's a lot we can't find out just from your memories but we'll get to know each other with time.'

Peter felt like he couldn't breathe, his throat constricted and lungs aching under the strain. He could hardly see, the blurriness in his eyes growing by the second. His heart thudded against his chest. Blood pounded in his ears.

He felt hot. He felt like the life inside of him had been sucked out dry. He was shaken right to his core, his entire concept of an identity collapsing around him, engulfing him in a thick blanket of emptiness.

Thoughts rushed through his head, memories of Harry and Hermione playing before his eyes. Every tear, every sob, every shriek, every attack, every life – it was all his fault. His. Peter's. He was a hellspawn. He didn't deserve to live. He had deceived the one person he'd never want to hurt. He'd taken away everything from the one child he'd sworn to protect forever.

He choked on his own breaths, gulping for air, his hands rubbing vigorously over his throat but did he even deserve to go on? He was an abomination. A filthy rat like him should have been crushed a long time ago. Why fight? Why was he trying to preserve life? He counted up to nothing. He was the worst sort there ever could be. He took and took love from his family and repaid them with blood. All the grief little Harry had to live through, the muggles who tormented him, the people who slandered him, the pity he received, the loneliness he survived, the burden he bore, the war he fought – HIM! PETER!

All of it was his fault.

Lily's shriek of pain rang in his ears, the green light washing everything else as he remembered baby Harry crying out for his parents. What had he done? What had he done? He was vile. He was scum. He was the dirt under James' feet.

He was a traitor.

Traitor.

Traitor.

Traitor.

Traitor.

Traitor.

Traitor.

'TRAITOR!'

'TRAITOR!'

'TRAITOR!'

'TRAITOR!'

Sirius halted mid step as he saw Peter claw at his own skin, yelling at the top of his lungs. In that moment Sirius was terrified.

Peter kept hurting himself, cutting across his skin with his nails, tears and snot running down his face, soiling his shirt.

No. Azkaban wasn't the right place for him. He deserved worse. He deserved to feel the pain of the hundreds of people he had hurt.

'That bastard was not you!' Sirius screamed at him, coming to stand face to face with him. 'You will never be him, you hear me?'

'You trusted me,' he cried out, throwing himself at Sirius' feet. 'You trusted me and I threw it in your face! You trusted me!'

'Pete, don't blame yourself,' Remus said to him, getting a hold of his hands. 'Listen to me – no, Peter, look at me. Peter. Peter, stop hurting yourself!'

'You trusted me, Sirius. You trusted me with everything. James trusted me, no, no, no, Lily! Lily! Lily – she trusted me and I got her killed! I killed her! I killed James! I killed them! I KILLED THEM!'

Sharing a look with Remus, Sirius got hold of Peter from behind, holding his hands far away from his body. He tensed as he felt Peter break out into shivering, his entire body feeling cold to the touch.

'Peter! Peter! You have to stop! Listen to me,' Remus begged. 'It's okay. You're safe. None of that will ever happen. We'll make sure of it. You'll make sure of it.'

'Don't even think about comparing yourself to that filth, Pete,' Sirius said, a semblance of calm returning to his voice. 'Voldemort did it. He broke through and made you do it. Peter – you'd never have done that. It wasn't in your hands. It was his doing. All his doing!'

'Harry – Harry – he, he grew up - alone,' Peter whispered, his words coming out in bits and pieces, clinging onto Remus's robes. 'He grew up,' he hiccupped, 'thinking he had no one. He grew up thinking nobody loved him. It was – it was my fault. Harry, he must hate me and rightly so!'

'Sh,' Sirius breathed into his ear, beginning to rock him back and forth. 'It's okay now. Everything is fine. We'll fight for a better world for the children, yeah? It won't happen. None of it will ever happen. That's what Harry and Hermione are here for, remember?'

Peter shook his head, frenzied. 'They shouldn't have to be!'

Sirius was struck dumb. He had no answer to that. He was in turmoil himself at having seen what had become of his life and his family's.

'What happens to the version of him who is here? He's already lived through it. He's always going to know! He's always going to hurt!'

'Oh, Peter ..'

Remus looked up to find Lily standing right across them with Harry on her side, looking at the scene unfold with pity in her eyes. Peter's yelling must have brought them outside. He saw as James came rushing out of the cottage, Hermione hot on his heels, carrying a flask of the Calming Draught. He came skidding across the ground, staring resolutely at Peter.

'You listen to me, Pete, and listen to me well. What happened to Harry was not your fault. It was Voldemort! You were taken. You were abducted and brainwashed so don't you dare go blaming yourself for something you'd never have done willingly. You'd have died, died rather than betray anyone of us. I know it and so does every person standing here. What happened, happened. This time nothing of the sort will be repeated because you're safe. Hermione got you out and you're safe. We aren't going to let anyone mess with your head, you hear me?'

Peter broke into another fit of sobs, pressing hard against Sirius, fighting to get out of his hold. Sirius only tightened his grip on him as Remus helped him hold the man down.

'We're not going to let you hurt yourself for Merlin's sake, Pete!'

'Peter,' Hermione said in a small voice, 'will you please talk to me?' She followed suit and bent down, 'Peter, when I first got here I wanted to end your life right then and there.'

There were gasps but Hermione held a hand out.

Peter sniffed as he looked at her in shame.

'I looked at you and I saw the man who had sent it all spiraling down for my best friend. Trust me. In my past life I hated you. But having spent only an hour with you I knew something terrible must have happened.'

She held out her hand to him seeing him still. She softly took his hand in hers, gently nudging Sirius away.

'Back when we were children we'd often wonder how you could have been a part of the brilliant Marauders, all of them so brave and so smart so it didn't quite make sense when I met you and you clearly seemed the most perfect of them all.' She smiled sadly. 'You were an angel, you know that? Everyone chose to believe the lies. Only you stayed loyal. So how could it be that the noblest, most loyal Marauder end up betraying his friends in cold blood? I got my answer the day you turned up at the Manor. I had to save you. I couldn't let him devour you, not again for I'd seen what life had been like for you the first time around and for no fault of yours. In my eyes, as I see it today, you were probably the first victim of the war we fought. I broke cover for you because you, Peter, are the one friend we could never deserve. You've always stuck with us. You've always been the gentlest. You, Peter, are the best of Marauders and we love you, all of us.'

Peter's breaths evened out, his heartbeat slowing down.

'Will you please take this potion?'

Peter trembled, nodding ever so slightly.

'That's a good lad,' James cheered as Sirius rubbed his hand in soothing motions across Peter's back.

'Thank you,' Hermione said as she helped him gulp the potion down. She saw as the hurricane inside him came to a rest, smiling at him as she wiped across his eyes.

Peter put his head in his hands, dragging himself a little farther away from Remus and Sirius, starving for fresh air. They saw as he got himself back under control, his shaking coming to a halt entirely.

The Marauders looked gratefully at Hermione. She merely nodded, smiling and shrugging her shoulders.

'For what it's worth,' Harry moved over to sit beside him, 'I forgive you.' He reached out a hand to Peter, patting him firmly on the shoulder. 'You will never be that man, I promise you.'

Peter took a deep breath, inching his fingers closer to Harry's face. He fumbled, pulling back all of a sudden but Harry got there first, grabbing hold of him and bring his hand to rest on his head as he'd willed it to.

'I don't deserve your forgiveness,' Peter whispered.

'You aren't the man who took away my life, you know?' Harry said. 'Besides, the only way you can fix it is by never letting that man be born and judging from what Hermione tells me it will be a no brainer. The man who away everything from me was a stranger. You, on the other hand, are family.'

Peter smiled, tousling his hair as he did so.

'Coming back here I figured I'd have two uncles but thanks to you I get to be spoiled by three,' he chuckled.

James stepped up the pair from behind, helping Peter up. He put an arm around his shoulders. 'It's time you spoke to those two as well,' he said to Harry, motioning towards his best friends.

Harry saw his parents leave with Peter as Remus and Sirius made their way towards him. He stood up, dusting away the dirt from his jeans.

Hermione patted his shoulder, 'You did a good thing. You let go of your resentment.'

'It was directed at the wrong man,' he shrugged.

Hermione's smile widened. 'You're happy today.'

Harry felt a wistful smile come on his face too, 'I am. I have so much more than I ever imagined was possible for me after all that we've been through.'

'I know. You deserve a break.' She turned around. 'Remus?' She called out, 'We're due for a chat.'

She saw as the man nodded. Smiling softly at Sirius before making her way inside.

Sirius watched her go. He turned towards Harry then. 'Hello there, dearest Godson.'

'Classic Padfoot,' Harry snickered. 'Make things a joke when things are awkward.'

Sirius rubbed embarrassingly at the nape of his neck as Remus nudged his side.

'You've been through a lot,' Remus said sadly.

Harry sighed, nodding his head.

'Seeing all of which happened, its – its unjustified and wrong. I am sorry I didn't fight harder for custody.'

'No, don't be. It was safest this way.'

Remus looked away in pain. 'You have us now. You're a part of the pack.'

Harry beamed at him. 'Can I make a promise to you too?'

Remus looked at him, confused.

'I will never again let them get the best of you. This time you get to watch your son grow up.'

Remus felt tears prick his eyes as he nodded, pulling the man in for a tight hug. 'You were his Godfather. You must have done a great job raising him right then.'

'This time around I won't have to. You will.'

Patting him one last time, Remus too left.

Sirius cleared his throat uncomfortably. 'Harry, I don't have the right words.' Rubbing hard at his eyes he simply pulled the man tight across his chest, holding him as close as he could. He felt as Harry broke down into another set of sobs.

'I just want to stop crying,' harry mumbled softly. 'I've done an awful lot of that today.'

'It's alright, mate,' Sirius chuckled. 'Once things go back to normal we'll have a fine time, we will. We'll go all out, you and I. I feel terrible I didn't have enough time with you ..'

'No, Sirius, I don't want any more apologies please.'

'Oi, young man, you listen when your elders are talking to you, eh?' He chastised playfully.

Harry snickered. 'Sorry, it's a little difficult to take you seriously.'

Sirius gasped with mock affront. 'You dare talk back to your Godfather, son?'

Harry only laughed harder.

'No, but listen up. We'll all be a proper family, the lot of us. Sunday dinners, Quidditch matches, quarrels over chores. We'll have Lily hex us into the future when we get down to trouble, okay? Blimey, hang on, come to think of it, it won't just be Lily breathing down our necks. Seeing all of that makes it seem Hermione will pretty much chew us out too, eh?'

'She will but it's okay she has quite the moon eyes for you,' he chuckled. 'I'm sure you'll find a way out.'

Sirius looked intently at him, studying his face for every scar. The thought of this poor boy having been so alone for so long threatened breaking his heart. 'You've grown into a fine young man, Harry.'

Harry nodded, his throat drying up once again.

'You've done so much for everyone around you. But you're here with us now. Once this stupid war is over with no more being the hero. Let us take care of you now, you hear me?'

Harry hugged him close again. 'Thank you, Sirius. You – you look so much brighter, so much happier than I've ever seen you. You have no idea how happy it makes me.'

'What happened was unfortunate but none of that is happening this time around.' He paused, smiling to himself. 'Prongs birthed a fine kid. You have so much of your father in you.'

Harry pulled back. 'You've told me that quite often.' He breathed in the fresh air, looking up at the sky. 'It went better than I expected. Thought it'd create a rift or something.'

'Good thing it didn't. Come on, let's head back inside. It's freezing cold outside.' Wrapping an arm around Harry, he dragged him along, pinching at his cheeks and messing with his hair, laughing at the boy's expense. 'Sorry, kid but I never got to baby you. Now's the time, eh? Oi we definitely need to have a drink together. Damn I missed your first, it sucks. No matter. You're here now. I'm going to spoil you right rotten, Lily will go bonkers you'll see - '

'Remus, I am so sorry for that night,' Hermione cried out, remorse written all over her face. 'I wish I didn't have to do it but if I hadn't - '

'He'd have killed us both,' Remus placated her, taking her into his arms. 'You're already forgiven. It was a year ago and I never once held it against you.'

'You're easy with your forgiveness,' she mumbled. 'It shouldn't be like that.'

'Well, so are you. Look at what horrible friends we've been and not once have you shut us out.'

'It had to be this way for the best.'

'Not at the expense of your life,' Remus cried out. 'We nearly lost - '

'Mi? Remus?' They heard Rab call out as he peered inside the room, 'Come, let's have tea. It's ready.'

Hermione counted backwards inside her head as she made her way inside. It was a long time coming. Next reconciliation would be hers.

She smiled meekly at Harry, sat beside his mother, engaged deep in conversation until then, each of them sipping their tea. She quietly made her way to where Rab stood. Pouring herself a cup she went to stand beside the doorframe, a little nervous with feeling everyone's eyes on her. She was very careful about not ending up accidentally make eye contact with anyone as she sipped quietly at her drink, feeling warmth roll over her body, almost crying out as Rab subtly slipped out of the room.

'Hermione,' Lily tested the waters. 'We will never deserve your forgiveness.'

Hermione shied away from the woman, looking resolutely at the floorboard. 'There's nothing to forgive. You did what any smart person would have. What do you think should have happened? Do you think you should have fought to talk to me, still trust me after clearly seeing his Mark on my arm? No, Lily. That would have been insane.' She paused, daring to look at her. 'I don't know, however, if you'll find it in you to forgive me for all the mean things I did.' Her gaze trailed towards Sirius who was sitting with his eyes shut tight. 'I don't know if you can ever forgive me all the filth I spewed, all the hurt I caused you.'

'You never meant any of it,' Peter mumbled tiredly from the corner. 'Somewhere deep inside all of us knew it wasn't true and yet we let you walk away.'

'Friends don't walk away,' Sirius whispered, getting up on his feet and coming to stand before her. 'But we did. I've known you for so long, this version of you, I mean and yet I never once tried to ask you to stay. Forgive me, Hermione. Forgive us all if you can. We're not the kind of friends you deserve.'

She felt wetness in her eyes as he went on.

'These three weeks when you were gone then the days you spent motionless in your bed – they were a nightmare but to think of what they were like for you – and for what? Why? Because we didn't try harder. You have always held us together. You've always been the rock and time and time again we abandoned you.'

'You, Mi, are the most selfless person I've ever met,' James said, coming to stand beside his wife. 'All those years spent together and yet we just walked away choosing to believe the worst when we should have searched for the best. We are so sorry for hurting you, for leaving you alone.'

'But why did you not tell us sooner?' Remus quipped.

'We'd have helped. We'd have been there for you,' Sirius said, his voice pleading. 'Maybe not in Voldemort's circle but we'd have been there when you felt weakest.'

'I – I couldn't,' Hermione whispered. 'I couldn't do this to you, ruin your childhood the way it happened for Harry and I when we were burdened with things bigger than us.'

'Nothing can bring back the time we've lost,' Peter said, wrapping his arms around her, 'but you bet you aren't getting rid of us this easy ever again.'

'Thank you,' she whispered as they all pooled in taking turns hugging her and then just ending up as a mess of limbs as they fell to the floor laughing.

'And Hermione?' Lily called out once again. 'Thank you for taking care of our son for all these years.'

James laughed out loud. 'The tyke would have ended up dead on his feet the very first year had you and Ron not been there.'

Both Harry and Hermione sobered up at the mention of their best friend.

'He's right,' Harry said, getting up and holding her to his side. 'You better not disappear on me again or I swear ill obliterate everything that comes in my way of getting to you. Stop being the hero.'

Hermione gasped, affronted. 'Really? The Boy Who Lived is going to ask me to stop being a hero? Harry, you're the epitome of a self-sacrificing idiot.'

'Yes, but I look good doing it because I do it with style,' Harry winked at the Marauders.

Sirius barked out laughing, turning into Padfoot and rubbing his fur against the man's legs.

Lily groaned as Hermione pointed her finger at the four tricksters, 'You! You troublesome boys are already rubbing off on him!'

Sirius turned back to being human. 'Please,' he snorted. 'This is his legacy.'

'Truly, though,' Remus asserted. 'Thank you, Hermione. You did what we couldn't for him. You left behind your own family, your parents for Harry. Thank you for never leaving him alone.'

Hermione nodded as Harry looked at her, pleased.

'So,' James whistled. 'She's like a sister to you, eh?'

'In all but blood,' Harry said firmly, slipping his fingers between hers.

'Excellent!' H exclaimed, clapping his hands together like a child. 'You put Snivellus on fire. You'll be adopted into the family alright, Mi. oh what devious little kids I have, Padfoot!'

'Oh, but Prongs,' Peter chuckled. 'Your best friend has the hots for your one of your kids. Really, it's a matter of your honor, mate.'

Sirius cried out in protest as Remus joined in the laughter.

'He'll just have to be beaten up real well. You may join me, boys.'

'Shut it,' Hermione shook her head with exasperation. 'We've all had a long night and some of us,' she looked pointedly at Peter, 'need to rest more than others.'

'Besides,' harry continued. 'We haven't finished yet. We haven't seen the worst of it yet. Best prepare for it.'

'I don't think I'm quite ready for that,' Lily mumbled as she bid everyone goodbye, dragging James away once she'd dropped a kiss onto Harry's head.

Harry and Hermione made to follow once they saw Peter being helped by the other two Marauders into his room. Hermione was just stepping outside when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She turned to find Sirius looking intently at her.

'Care for a chat?'

AN: It's been a very long time. I'm so sorry for the exceptionally long delay but real life caught up. I'm glad to see that you guys are still around. Also hoping everyone is safe and doing well during quarantine.

About the story, will be picking up with the memories that follow and some one-on-one character interactions to really flesh out the fall out Hermione had with the Marauders and Harry's initiation into the family. Hope you guys have a good day :)