“Come on, Al, get down here! Moony and Padfoot are already here!” Harry calls up the stairs.
Remus smirks at Sirius as he leans back in his chair. Harry’s children were always giving him a reason to nag them, and the two of them loved watching him do it. Loved seeing the little family grow around them, grandchildren in their laps and the newest Zonko’s toys fooling their aging eyes.
Sirius grins back as though he knows they’re both thinking the same thing: how lucky are we to see this?
They don’t have long to revel in the moment, though. Lily comes hurtling around the corner in jeans and a deep purple top.
“Mum, is this okay?”
The first pair of jeans had been covered in paint and Ginny had given her one look before Lily had turned around. Now, Ginny nods at her and returns to stirring the pot over the stove, tasting as she adds more pepper. Her mother’s approval gleaned, Lily slinks into the seat between Remus and Sirius - this spot was almost always reserved for her at family dinners.
The fire roars green and James steps out, his Quidditch gear still waterlogged.
“We couldn’t see a thing today, dad!” He exclaims by way of greeting.
“Tell me all about it after you’re changed, Jamie. Off you go.” Harry’s tone is kind but firm. Remus loves this about him. He opens his mouth to say as much, but is interrupted by Albus storming down the stairs.
“I heard the floo!”
“It was James.” Harry replies, not taking his eyes off the potatoes he’s peeling, bouncing them from one hand to the other. The corners of Albus’ mouth turn down for just a moment, then he spots Remus and Sirius.
“Come on, tell granddad Padfoot what sixth year was like. Did you try the charm that-”
“Sirius!” Ginny cuts in sharply.
Remus watches as Sirius winks at Harry.
“Sorry, Gin.” He says, a smile creasing the corners of his eyes. “Later.” He quietly adds to Albus, who lights up despite himself.
Remus remembers being sixteen. He is glad that Albus and his siblings see this version of life.
James saunters in, then, and the table is nearly full. The children chatter away as Harry and Ginny work seamlessly around each other preparing dinner. Albus’ eyes flick to the fireplace regularly, but he gives the rest of his attention to Remus and their conversation about their latest music finds. Albus has a varied taste in music - from a young age, he was thrilled whenever Sirius let him pick a record for the record-player, but just as happily listens to all kinds of Muggle music genres of the day. Remus loves hearing about it.
At long last, the fire turns green again, and Albus jumps up as a white-blonde head exits, followed by the rest of Scorpius’ lanky body.
“Sorry I’m late, Mr and Mrs Potter.” He says politely as he dusts himself off. “It’s good to meet you, err…”
“Remus and Sirius is fine. It’s good to meet you too, Scorpius.” Remus says, standing up to shake the boy’s hand. The fine clothing, the accent bordering on posh, the sharp, beautiful features - Remus could have guessed who this boy’s family was even if his grandson hadn’t dropped his name in every conversation of the last few years.
“Ah, thanks.” Scorpius turns slightly pink, then turns to Sirius.
“We’re related!” Sirius says brightly.
“Granddad, stop that!” Lily says with her face in her hands.
Sirius’ smile only widens as Scorpius replies, “It’s okay, my dad mentioned that.”
“Alright, let’s sit, hey?” Harry jumps in before any of his children - or Sirius - can say anything else. He levitates the large shepard’s pie to the middle of the table and Ginny surrounds it with vibrant salads, sauces, and a Butterbeer beside each person’s plate.
“Happy holidays, kids!” Ginny says, and they raise their glasses.
“Wish I was still a kid.” James grumbles, and Remus leans over to muss his hair.
“Oh, you always will be for us.”
***
Hours after dinner, the chatter and frequent laughter from upstairs tells Remus that Scorpius fits right in with Albus and his siblings. He’s listening to Harry’s latest stories from the office while watching Ginny having a heated discussion with Sirius about the Harpies’ latest player reshuffle.
“I just don’t understand, Myers was doing just fine as their third chaser.” Sirius argues.
“Yes, that’s the problem, she was just fine. Cooke, on the other hand, is going to be great. The team needed a push anyway, training up a new player will give them an excuse to practice together more frequently in the lead up to the next game.” Ginny counters.
Harry, meanwhile, is attempting to reopen a closed case.
“... and you wouldn’t believe how poor the record-keeping was back then! All the more reason to reopen the case, I say.”
Remus hums in agreement. “I’m not surprised about the poor record-keeping. We didn’t have all your fancy equipment back then, even in the Auror office.”
“I suppose. Still atrocious, though. Anyway, I’m going to keep pushing it, and I’ll- what was that?” Harry stops mid-sentence as there’s a scream from upstairs. Remus sees both him and Ginny reach for their wands before a series of thundering footsteps brings the four teenagers to the sitting room.
Lily, her eyes gleeful, enters first. She is followed by James, who at least has the sense to look guilty even as he can’t stop the grin from spreading across his face.
Behind them trail Albus and Scorpius, hand-in-hand, Scorpius’ hair dark and curly.
The teenagers are talking over each other, but Remus’ heart drops out of his chest as he stares at the pair of them, then pulls his eyes away to meet Sirius’. The devastated expression on Sirius’ face mirrors Remus’ feelings.
“... and it’ll wear off, or we can go see Uncle Ron and Uncle George in the morning, alright?” Ginny is saying when Remus’ brain catches up with his ears.
Harry’s looking between the two of them, his head cocked in questioning. Remus shakes his head.
“It’s nothing. It’s just… they look like…”
“It's like…” Sirius tries.
But this secret isn’t theirs to share. It isn’t even theirs to know.
“Albus looks a lot like your father, you know that, Harry?” Remus says instead.
And Scorpius, with his high cheekbones and beautifully tailored robes and newly-inky hair…
“I didn’t realise I’d forgotten what Regulus looked like.” Sirius says, his voice quiet. Just for Remus’ ears.
Harry shrugs, his eyes still concerned, but turns back to his children to agree that Scorpius can stay the night.
“Just put the Wheezes stuff away, now.” He reprimands them, trying and failing to hide his laugh.
***
Sirius is tucked into the crook of Remus’ neck. The freshly washed sheets are a cool blue in their assigned ‘guest’ bedroom in Harry and Ginny’s house. The dresser is littered with their things - they stay here half the time, anyway, and have long since stopped making a show of asking before turning up.
“That felt really weird, right?” Sirius whispers.
Remus thinks for a long moment before replying.
“Yeah, it did. I mean, it’s not like…”
“We never saw them like that, anyway.” Sirius finishes his thought for him.
“Exactly.”
They lay in silence for a little while.
“I hope he knows, though.” Remus says eventually. “I hope they both do. That in another life, they went to their boyfriend’s family’s house for dinner and no one thought twice.”
He doesn’t bother to hide the tears slipping out of his eyes, and doesn’t comment when he feels tears drip off Sirius’ nose and onto his neck.
Outside their window, the tip of the lion’s constellation twinkles just a little brighter.