Snapshots

1983

The small town they lived in was quaint enough. It had a comprehensive school that kindly hired Remus, no questions asked, a park where Harry could play with children his own age , and Sirius could put his Auror training to good use as Detective Inspector Black for the small local police force.

To the average neighbour, they appeared to be a perfectly normal family, save the few odd noises that sporadically came from their cosy cottage house...and how Mr Black reacted to seemingly mundane products at the market.

"Zroom!" Harry, just shy of his third birthday, said as he manoeuvred his model Spitfire about his head.

Remus smiled and marked cornflakes off the list as he tossed a box into the shopping cart. "Having fun, Harry?"

"No!" Harry shouted and giggled, continuing to "fly" his Spitfire and make airplane noises.

"Good," Remus said, pushing the cart. "Where did Sirius get to?"

"Doggy!"

Remus smiled and pushed the cart down the aisle. As they rounded a corner to a sweets display, Harry started a mantra of "doggy" and started bobbing up and down in his seat. Remus stopped mid-stride when he noticed Sirius staring at the display like a man who hadn't eaten in days. With an impish grin, he pushed the cart to the display and stared at it with the dark haired man.

"It's all so beautiful, Moony," Sirius said wistfully. "It's almost like being back at Honeydukes."

Remus smiled. "It is, isn't it? Let me guess--we'll be getting two of everything?"

Sirius turned and pecked him on the cheek and ruffled Harry's hair. "Remember what happened the last time we bought too much chocolate?"

Remus chuckled. "I thought that sugar high of his would never end. Next time you can stay up 'til three trying to put your godson to bed."

Sirius plucked a straining Harry from the shopping cart. "Why's he my godson when he misbehaves?"

Remus awkwardly leaned in for a quick kiss. "That's because you are his godfather. I'm just Moony--and make that 'fairy godmother' joke one more bloody time and you'll be sleeping on the couch until disco comes back."

"But you're my Moony, and disco's never coming back, thank Merlin," Sirius said and sat Harry down, firmly holding his tiny, sticky hand so the toddler wouldn't dart away at anything that even gave the illusion of movement. Sirius wrapped his free arm around Remus' shoulders and pulled him into a kiss, neither noticing Harry straining to sneak bags of chocolate into the cart.

"Are we out of whipped cream?" Remus said when they parted. He glanced at the sweets in the cart and winked at Harry, who giggled and dropped his Spitfire.

"Whipped cream?" Sirius said thoughtfully, picking up the toy airplane. "I think there's still half a can in the bedroom.... Why?"

Remus smiled wickedly. "Remember why it's in the bedroom?"

Sirius returned his smile, his face lighting up, and gently pulled Harry's thumb from the boy's mouth. "How'd you like to go stay with Molly and Arthur for a night or two?"

Harry looked between the two of them before answering. "Ron be there?"

Sirius ruffled the toddler's hair. "Yes, and Fred and George too. What d'you say?"

Harry thought hard for a moment, his tiny brow furrowed adorably. "'Kay!" he said jovially after a moment and reached for Sirius. "Up!"

Sirius chuckled along with Remus and heaved his godson 'up.' "That's a good lad," he said, dodging Harry's Spitfire, and wrapped a possessive arm around Remus' waist as they started towards the diary section Just In Case.