A Last Chance For Salvation

James and Lilly Potter were made for each other. It started out as a simple crush in second year and escalated into so much more. They had been each other's first and last kiss. Isn't that romantic?

Sirius looked up from his journal and his eyes fell on the muscular body of none other than his childhood friend Remus Lupin. Moony had taken Padfoot in shortly after the incident in the shrieking shack (1995). What Remus didn't know was that Sirius had more than just friendship in mind when he had accepted. In fact Sirius had always been in love with Remus, ever since they met on the Hogwarts express in 1971

Over the span of his life Sirius had only loved one other, Lilly Evans. But who could help loving her? She was the epitome of perfection. Lilly was smart, beautiful, kind, and nothing short of hilarious. Sirius sighed audibly thinking of her cheery smile the night before... Well, her last night. Sirius pushed those thoughts from his mind as Remus pulled on a shirt, much to Sirius' chagrin, and stumbled into the kitchen. Sirius met his eyes and gave him a dazzling smile. Remus, ever the shy one, blushed and nodded in acknowledgement. Mornings were always like that, Sirius awake at the crack of dawn waiting for hours before Remus graced him with his presence.

"Good sleep?" Remus broke the awkward silence.

"I don't sleep."

Remus realized quickly that Sirius was in one of his moods and didn't press the matter further.

"He's back."

Remus spilled scorching coffee on his hand in surprise. "You're not serious."

"Oh but I am." Sirius' face twisted in what may have been a smile but Remus couldn't be sure.

"Harry?"

"He's fine, Dumbledore assured me that Hogwarts cannot be breached."

"You got in." Remus was thoughtfully disposing of the remains of his coffee mug.

"True but I am a genius." Sirius suddenly fearing for his godson, jumped out of his seat.

"And good old Voldie isn't?" Remus' attempt at a joke was a failure.

"What on earth..." Remus was torn from his thought when Sirius yanked him by the arm and muttered some words under his breath.

"I hope you have your apparating license," Sirius yelled as an afterthought.

"Where are we?" Remus surveyed his new surroundings apprehensively.

"About a two minute walk from the Burrow," Sirius said, breaking into a jog.

"The Burrow?"

"Ron's house, I just remembered Harry isn't at Hogwarts yet, he's got a week before school starts."

"Oh."

Minutes later Remus and Sirius arrived at the Burrow.

"Well will you look who's here?" Molly Weasley smiled cheerfully bustling out of the door to greet them.

"Harry!" Ginny called glancing out of her window nervously, she'd never been a big fan of men with long black hair. Although she recognized one of the men as her defense against the dark arts professor when she was a third year, she was still intimidated.

"What is it, Gin?" Harry peeped his head in the doorway of her room.

"Isn't that Professor Lupin?"

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed a smile lighting up his face.

Upon hearing the name of their friend, Ron and Hermione raced down the stairs nearly bumping into a very confused Ginny. There was a torrent of emotions as friends greeted each other and for a brief few moments everyone forgot about the news. After all the hugs and kisses were spent, reality set in.

"I suppose you two have heard." Molly's usually bright features were clouded by fear.

"That's why were here." Remus met her gaze as he reached out and took her hand in his own. " We thought you might need some help."

In the Great War as it came to be known, in 1997 Molly Weasley had lost her husband and three sons. Charlie, Fred, Ron and Ginny were all she had left. Although Voldemort had eluded them once again, ninety percent of his minions had been destroyed by the alliance. But Peace came at a terrible cost. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, Trelawney, Pomfrey, Hagrid, and many of the wizarding families perished. Surprisingly enough, it was Snape who was appointed headmaster of Hogwarts the following year. Molly had to withstand another heartbreaking blow when Fred committed suicide. In his final note he asked that no one blame themselves for the tragedy, but say a prayer for him and George when Voldemort was killed. Out of the goodness of his heart, Snape even allowed Charlie and Molly to come work at Hogwarts, Charlie as care of magical creatures professor and Molly as a cook. Of course, with all the house elves Hogwarts didn't need a cook but that just goes to show that Snape wasn't just a slimy git after all.

Molly had prepared a roast beef dinner especially for Charlie, as it was his favorite, and cordially invited the former Marauders to join them. The dinner was quiet, as everyone needed time for reflection. As well as losing his immediate family, Charlie's fiancée had also been killed. But Charlie was able to save their two-year-old daughter Claire and she now sat on his lap chewing on a Yorkshire pudding. Remus was always good with children and he was taking great joy out of making faces at her from across the table.

"Would you like another glass of wine Hermione?" Ron inquired seeing that she had drained her fourth glass. Hermione was thinking about her parents and a pang of regret shot through her. I should have been there when he came... Hermione jerked her head up, having been disrupted from her thoughts by Ron.

"Sorry?" Hermione looked venomously at him, which caused him to stammer.

"I...I...Wondered if you...Erm... wanted a drink?" Ron mentally kicked himself thinking of what an idiotic question that was.

"I have arms you know." Hermione rolled her eyes and demonstrated by pouring herself yet another glass of wine. Ginny looked over at Harry who shrugged obviously not knowing hoe to handle her either. No one seemed to know how to handle Hermione these days. She was always sarcastic and it had been nearly a year since anyone had seen her smile. Sure she would give a glimmer of one on a special occasion, but not the full-out teeth barring Hermione smile that everyone had become accustomed to whenthey were around her. Sirius and Remus seemed to notice the change in her as well and they were giving each other private looks. Hermione may have been less together than usual but she was still as sharp as a knife and immediately noticed the looks everyone was giving each other.

"Will you all just sod off?" She screamed breaking down into sobs before running up the stars in a flood of tears.

"Oh for heavens sake!" Everyone could tell Sirius was irate by the look on his face as he stood up.

"Padfoot..." Remus attempted to calm him by using the childhood nickname, but no such luck.

"Hermione Granger!" Sirius spun the girl around to look at him. "Pull yourself together girl! What's gotten into you?" Sirius paused and waited for her to respond, when she didn't he continued. "You used to be the brightest girl I knew, and now, I don't even recognize you! You used to be optimistic..." Hearing that Hermione snorted and then glared at Sirius once more.

"I have lost everyone and everything that has ever been important to me! How can I be optimistic when I want to fucking die?" Hermione dissolved into sobs once again and clung to Sirius. Downstairs everyone had abandoned their food and were sitting motionless, staring up the staircase and listening to the incessant sobs.

"That's it, I'm going up there, he can't treat her that way!" Ron was furious.

Harry just put and arm on Ron's shoulder and forced him back into his seat.

Meanwhile upstairs Sirius was still trying to talk sense into Hermione.

"You haven't lost everyone! What about Ron and Harry? They love you so much."

Hermione just sighed and said, " They only liked me because they had to, if they hadn't made me cry in the first place, we wouldn't have even been friends." Sirius tried to find fault with what Hermione said but after a lot of though decided she was right.

"But that doesn't change the fact that they have stuck by you all these years now does it?" Sirius asked in a much softer tone.

"No." Hermione whimpered. No sooner had the words left her mouth when there was a loud knock on the door. Wordlessly Molly got to her feet and answered it. To everyone's shock they saw Draco Malfoy standing there a smirk on his face.

"Where's Hermione? I have a proposition for her."