Delayed Post

Harry Potter lay on his bed at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place staring at the ceiling, feeling horrible. Not only did he miss Sirius but he didn't go to Sirius's funeral. It would be admitting he was dead. He couldn't do it. He would've had an emotional break down if he saw the coffin, filled with nothing but a charm identical to Sirius, being lowered into the ground. He had finally been cleared of all charges, unanimously, only two days before his funeral. Harry tried not to think about it but it was as if Sirius was standing in front of him, talking to him, Harry couldn't not think about him. It was all his fault Sirius had died, all his fault, all his fault, all his fault, all his fault…

Harry awoke to see something flying above his head, someone had removed his glasses so he couldn't see it clearly, but it looked familiar somehow…Harry grabbed at it and missed, then it suddenly took a nose dive and landed in his lap. He realized what it was, a paper airplane. Harry put his glasses on and looked at it. It had his name on it, in a handwriting that he could not recognize. Harry opened the airplane and read a letter…from his mother.

October, 30

Dear Harry,

I hope this found you, I'm not good at delayed letters. If I am alive then you already know about this, but if you are the one the prophesy states then you won't know it. I hoped you wouldn't have to read this, but I doubt I was there to tell you. Harry, James Potter was not your father, Remus Lupin is. If he has died too then he will have been screamed at since he reached death by me, for leaving you alone. I know this is a shock but seeing how I'm running out of room I suggest you talk to Remus, if you haven't approached him by your sixteenth birthday he will tell you about this, tell Dumbledore, if you live with Petunia, that it is my last wish for you to live with your father,

Love, even in death,

Mum

Harry looked at the letter, dumbfounded. Then, standing up, and checking the time, three in the morning Harry thought, Remus is in the library, Harry put the letter in his pocket and walked down the stairs, and opened the first door on the left. He had often woken at this hour to come and sit with Remus. He took a deep breath and walked straight in.

Remus didn't even look up, "Harry, you'd think after a month of coming in here that you would rather sleep in than listen to an old werewolf turning pages."

Harry sat down across from him, "I was just wondering how in the three years we've known each other you never told me how we're were related exactly."

Remus missed the hint, "Well your grandmother and my mother are twins, so that would make us first cousins once removed," he explained, still engrossed in his book.

"That's not what I meant, think a little harder eh, Dad?"

It took him a minute, "Well I'm not sure what you mean by…" Remus looked up and stared Harry in the eye, "What did you say?"

"You know, Dad, like a male parent."

"Well Harry I'm flattered that you consider me a Dad, and you know I consider you a son, but don't try and make me a Dad to help me get over Sirius's death, I don't want to replace James."

"Actually I believe you liked Lily, a lot considering that I'm here, and you would never replace James, but he's more of a first cousin once removed, it makes a lot of since now." Harry said thoughtfully.

"Harry, allow me to be frank."

"By all means, Frank."

"You remind me of your father when you pull one line jokes."

"I don't. My father doesn't seem the joking type," Harry said pointedly.

"For the last time Harry, what are you talking about?"

Harry held up his hands, "Whoa, slow down Moony, I'm just following a suggestion from my mother."

"Are you ever going to give it to me straight or not?"

"When you quit pretending you don't know what I'm talking about."

"Then I'll never hear it, because I don't know what your talking about."

"You know the only person I know who lies worse than you is me."

"Just tell me, before we think up a whole other side to conversation, what are we talking about?"

Harry just showed him the letter when Remus started to sweat and look to the exit.

Harry yelled as loud as he could, "FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY!" in a great imitation of Mrs. Weasley.

Fred and George Apparated instantly to the room, begging forgiveness, when Harry said, "Sorry to disappoint you boys but you are the only Weasleys that owe me and can do magic."

"What do you need us to do?" Fred asked, or was it George? Only Hermione could really tell the difference anyway.

"Just leave me and Remus alone, sound proof the room and triple lock the door."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Fred and George trooped out, muttering incoherent incantations.

When the door closed Harry turned to Remus and looked at his watch. "There, we have absolute privacy, you better start explaining, because I hear that werewolves can't go long without eating, and if you bite me, then you'll have the guilt and the wrath of Molly Weasley to attend to for years to come."

"You forget Harry, I have my wand," he walked to the door and stuck his hand in his pocket, pulled out his wand and started to open the door.

"You do it, Remus, and I'll have passed through the Black Veil before you can blink."

Remus turned and looked Harry in the eye. Harry's gaze seemed empty, like he lacked the point to live. Plus the seriousness he could feel radiating from his son made him sigh. "You'd do it anyway wouldn't you?"

"I would have…Yesterday, maybe"

"What was it about yesterday?" Remus asked, knowing the answer.

"Yesterday my dad was dead."

Remus felt something change in the room, he felt venerability coming from Harry. He walked over to him and placed an arm around his shoulder, a comforting gesture that seemed to open Harry's emotions. He cried on Remus's shoulder. Harry looked Remus in the eye, "Tell. Me. Now."

"I fell in love with your mother in fourth year. I'm really not sure when it happened. I just looked her in the eyes and saw…something. We started dating and we were the couple that year."

"I thought James fancied Mum?"

"James was…um…this will change your life, probably…James was gay.

Harry started laughing.

"I missed the joke."

"You thought I would care if James was gay? Seriously? That may have been weird when you found out, but Dean and Seamus are gay together and…"

Harry whipped his head around, "Did he ever ask you out?

It was Remus's turn to laugh, "No, that would have been wrong on man levels. He did ask Sirius out in front of all the Gryffindors though."

"And if I recall correctly all the girls started crying and the boys started edging away," added a voice from behind them.

Harry and Remus turned to look.

"Harry, I think I'm losing my mind."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I see Sirius Black standing behind me with wings."

"Well Moony, I think I can cure your fears," Sirius walked up to Remus, stood in front of him, and slapped him, "There. Better?"

"Yes."

Harry couldn't stand it any more, "Will some one open the door, so everyone can hear you tell us how you returned from death."

"Sure thing, Kiddo, but first, why did James pretend to be Harry's Dad?"

"Yeah, why?" Harry asked

"To make sure you weren't shunned for being a werewolf's son."

"Would I have been?"

"If you had got the disease then yes."

"Do I?"

"I don't know," Remus looked forlorn, "We have to wait for you to turn sixteen to find out."

"Great! I still haven't missed his sixteenth birthday!" Sirius walked over to the door and knocked once. It immediately sprang open.

"Wow!"

Sirius looked at Harry, "One perk of being an angel. Come on, being dead gives you a powerful appetite."

"That's definitely Sirius," Harry said laughing. He ran up to Sirius and grabbed him in a hug, "If you die again, before I have kids, I will make your after-life miserable."

"Fine," he hugged Harry back. "Oh and Harry…"

"Yeah?"

"I'd like you to meet someone," He led Harry to the kitchen. Inside he led him up to a very familiar face, "I'd like you to meet Lily Evans."

"Mum!"

"Harry!" She ran up to him.

"Oh, Harry it's nice to talk to you again. I hope you aren't mad at me for not being there for you."

"Not at all Mum, you died saving me, you both did."

"Now then," Remus spoke up, "I want to hear the story.

"When I fell through the veil, I came to this fancy hotel-looking place with a long line and elevator that sent you to Heaven or Hell. First you went to this desk to find out where you were going. I thought I was dead so I walked up to this weird bloke. He asked me my name and when I told him he checked against this long list. It took him a while, but when he reached my name he looked up at me. He told me I wasn't supposed to be dead for another fifty some odd years. He told me I could get home with some guardian angel. He slapped on my wings and pointed me down a hallway. When I got there I saw this one angel waiting for me, and we suddenly just appeared here."

"You're a guardian angel?" Harry asked, amazed.

"Yeah. And FYI, Voldemort was supposed to have died before the prophesy was made. He cheated his way out of death that time and you know how many times after that. The only reason I had to wait was Sirius was supposed to fetch me."

"You should have killed him the first time."

"But what about James?" Harry wanted to know.

"Where ever he is, he isn't dead."

They turned to a creaking doorway to see Molly Weasley walk into the kitchen.

"Sirius! Lily!"

"Molly!" Lily ran up and hugged her friend.

"Oh, Molly, could you start breakfast? There isn't anything to eat when your dead, you know,"

"Fine Sirius, I will, just spend some time with your godson, I'll hear the story later."

Sirius walked over to the three people standing at the door, "You guys, in the library, now."

The four of them started walking, they passed the portrait of Mrs. Black, who for once couldn't make any comment, and they entered the library.

"Before we start I must say that I'm very disappointed, Remus," Lily berated him, "I don't believe Harry had to threaten you with suicide before you would talk to him."

"Well, you see…"

"I'm not asking why, but I hope he won't have to do that every time he wants to speak with you."

"Ease up, Lils," Sirius spoke up.

"Stop calling me that!"

"Fine, fine."

"Now then Harry, is there anything else that you want to know?"

"What if I am a werewolf?"

Lily started looking around nervously, but only Harry noticed it.

"Then I'll have more company in Shrieking Shack, won't I?" Remus said smiling, but that smile didn't reach his eyes.

"I guess so."

"Anything else?"

"Not now, no."

"Then see you later, I've got a date with some pancakes," Sirius joked walking out the door. Remus soon followed.

"Okay Mum, spill."

Lily sighed, "You will be a werewolf for a term at school. But then Hermione will create an antidote on Christmas Eve," Lily said, as if that made it better.

"So I'm a werewolf now?"

"No."

"Then why not stop me from being bitten?"

"I can't stop it from happening."

"Why not?"

"When angels try and change things they stop being angels."

"Oh."

"I'd love to tell you but I'm supposed to stay an angel. And besides you won't be bitten anyway. No way we could stop it if we were allowed to."

"Okay, well maybe you'd like to see some old friends.," Harry walked toward the door, "If Sirius is hungry from one month dead then you must be starving."