Knowing me, Knowing you

Harry

After watching the scene go down from the bushes, then seeing Regulus and Lily grab their bags and leave, the trio went chasing after them.

"Please wait! Where are you guys going?" Harry shouted after them, catching their attention.

"Harry, your father kicked us out." Lily stares at him with a look of sympathy. While Regulus bursts out laughing. "Actually according to Lily, we are going to our boat. A lovely catamaran it is."

"What else was I supposed to say? At least now we can still decide how we leave."

"Please don't leave, you don't know how much it would mean to me." Hermione shoots him a sharp look before saying, "Look, I don't know you that well, but I do know that Mr Potter looks so happy when he talks about you guys. And Harry of course"

"Oh don't worry, we're staying, but we need to find a boat"

"Leave that to me and Lils. You three, go find McDonald and my cousin, and bring them to the docks in an hour"

"Which ones?"

"Are the north ones still there?"

"Yes, wait I thought you hadn't been here before"

"Good, meet us there and I'll tell you later."

The trio ran back to the top of the stairs where Mary and two others were waiting. The older guy had honey blonde braids with dark skin and kept holding his phone up to the sky, while the boy was someone Harry knew very well.

"Malfoy?!" Ron had beat him to it, and when Draco looked up, he threw his head back and groaned.

"Please don't tell me that my uncle's being here has anything to do with you, Potter. Is this really the outdated island that you live on?"

"Unless your uncle is Regulus Black, you're safe. And yes this is the island with no cell service"

"Enough. Harry, where is my wife?" Mary spoke on top of them all until they looked at her.

"Regulus and Lily told us to bring you to the north docks, with a boat apparently"

"What does my Uncle have anything to do with you?"

"Draco, leave it. My name is Evan Rosier. Take us to the docks then."

"You married my-"

"Yep! Just this way, thankfully no more stairs."

Ron pointed them in a general direction before staring at Harry in disbelief.

"That could be your step-dad"

"Imagine if bleach-head Malfoy found out"

"You don't know if Adhara is your mother yet, so let's just cross that bridge when we get there."

"I should tell you guys as well, even if Adhara was my mother I don't think it would matter." Harry fell back behind the other two, making sure to talk out of earshot of Mary, Draco and Evan up ahead.

"What? Why not?"

"The reason why that guy is here instead of herself is that she disappeared years ago, the same year I was born apparently"

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry"

"No don't be, I just don't know who to hope for now, you know? The mum who is just starting off her own other family with her wife, or the mum who is dead?"

"Mate, that's just shit"

"No shit. Either way, those three are going the wrong way. Hey guys! Sorry I meant to say it's this way" Harry began to lead them past the hotel towards the northern docks where they could see Regulus and Lily waiting with a boat, and someone else?

Regulus

"So how do you plan to get us a boat?"

"I'm resourceful, we have to head back into town though"

"You are awful, I hate you with every fibre of my being"

"You talking to the stairs or me?"

"Both"

They continued down the steps quietly, finding it easier going down than up, when Regulus finally led them to the docks where Barty was waiting, arms spread wide open, a grin on his face. However Lily, physically stopped in her tracks.

"Barty Crouch Jr?"

"The one and only Miss Evans"

"Mrs Evans-McDonald"

"Apologies. Although I think you can forgive me after I have made your terrible lie come true."

"How did you even?"

"Just followed old Reggie's instructions here. He's quite resourceful" Lily turned to him, raising an eyebrow. He simply mirrored her, before gesturing to the 44ft sailboat's ladder.

"Ladies first"

"I feel like something's going to go wrong with this"

"The boat or hiding from Potter?"

"Both"

"What's the worst that can happen?"

Barty, impatient begins to scramble aboard and holds a hand out to Lily, who takes it. Once Regulus hopped on, they all began to release the sails and head off to the North docks. "So, Regulus, how did you manage to find a boat to fit all of us?"

"Just talked to a local guy"

"Who was willing to give us a boat this big? Jesus, they're generous"

"The guy did seem pretty happy... or stoned." Barty chimes in.

"Stop talking! I don't even want to know!"

"As you wish M'lady"

"Stop that too."

Regulus got up and started adjusting the ropes, tying knots and taking a look around below deck. Barty followed him down and the questions immediately followed. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"How the fuck could you let Draco follow us? who is watching Cassie?"

"Dora, obviously."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Not here, later"

"Yeah, when's 'later' Regulus?"

"Not when Lily fucking Evans is sitting up there, probably hearing everything"

"Fine." Barty sighs before sitting down at the kitchen table. "How's the kid?"

"Potter has got cloning genes or something, looks just like him."

"Um guys, I can see some sort of docks is that it?" Lily yelled from above. The two men climbed back to the deck and started to slow the boat down, pulling up to the dock and anchoring. They began to wait for the rest of their company.

"You know Regulus,"

"Yes, Evans."

"Thank you for fulfilling my bullshit lie."

"Anytime"

"No thanks for me?! You know, the one who actually got the boat"

"You mean stole it from a stoner?"

"Call it whatever you want, he was well compensated." Lily and Barty began to bicker when Regulus started to see Harry leading the way to the docks in the distance.

"Guys shut up, they're coming"

"We'll finish this later"

"Sure, Junior"

Regulus put a hand across Barty's mouth to stop him from saying something stupid. As the group approached the docks, they marvelled at the boat. Mary was the first to speak. "So what happened to our rooms and why are we making the pregnant lady get onto a boat?"

"James kicked us out, god knows why, and you're only in the first trimester Mar"

"I told you he wouldn't have changed. His pride was almost as large as Remus's" As the couple talked to each other, Barty came up to Draco and put him in a headlock, to the surprise of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Two of which immediately began snickering at the sight.

"OW! Uncle Barty! Stop it! Bloody hell!"

"That's what you get for being a little shit-stirrer!"

"Hun, you say that like you aren't one yourself, now let him go"

"Jesus Christ fine" Barty released the blond boy who immediately tried to fix his hair, helping the amusement of Ron and Harry.

"Enough of the talking. If you want us to stay here for the re-opening, then we have to get on before Potter tries to kick us out again" Regulus started, looking pointedly at Harry. Harry opens his mouth to talk but surprisingly Mary is the one to say, "Black is right, never thought I'd say that but, talk on the boat, not now."

They all climbed on board, with extra care towards Mary, who headed down to the kitchen to make herself food. Once they had left the northern docks, Regulus looked out towards the sea before someone coughed behind him. He turned around and arched an eyebrow at Harry Potter standing awkwardly behind him. He turned back to the sea. "Sit down kid, I can't guarantee that I can answer much but I'll try"

Sirius

Oh, Regulus was dead, supposed to be anyway, and if he wasn't, then Sirius was going to kill him. But the sight of James standing in the spot that his 'back from the dead' sibling had probably stood in, looking more confused than ever, really took away the attention from Regulus and onto James. He sighed pinching the bridge of his nose, just to make sure it wasn't a dream or a nightmare.

"James, I don't know if this is what I think it is, or just if someone is trying to play a really fucked up prank, but either way we need to find them now"

"Ok but can you guys promise me something?"

"What is it?"

"I want to start off by saying that I'm so sorry and that when we find them I'll be apologising to everyone as well, but no matter who Harry's mum is, he doesn't know."

"What do you mean Prongs?" Peter asked from the corner, trying to understand how all this had happened.

"Harry- fuck, this would destroy him, and I can't let that happen. So even if they stay, Harry knows them as family friends, not his possible mum."

"Maybe he would be cool with it"

"You don't know him like I do, this- this would be like a bombshell!"

"Fine," Sirius cut him off, annoyance at James still lingering, "but we need to find them now or they're not going to be family friends at all"

James nodded back at him in agreement, looking ready to do just about anything to get their forgiveness. "I'll ask Halina and anyone else downstairs if they saw them leave the goathouse and where they went"

Remus who'd been quiet up until that point, spoke. "I'll come with you. Pads and Wormy can ask around town, to see if they heard of any foreigners walking around. The good thing is that the next boat out is tomorrow so we have until then, to find them."

"Oh yeah. About that. Lily said she came here on a boat, so when they said they would leave, Regulus was going to go with her I think."

Sirius was just about to lose his mind,

"And do pray to tell, James, why Lily Evans would have a boat?"

"If chemical engineering didn't work out, she'd travel and write." Remus spoke again, tension in the room rising by the second.

"That's ... exactly what she said." Ignoring James, Remus continued on, "So we don't have time anymore, so instead ask around to see who's just left on a private boat, then we need to follow them if they've already left"

"Then you ask about who watched the goathouse Moony, I'll talk to Lazaros and get a boat for us."

"Good" As everyone started to head down the ladder, Sirius was trying not to get false hope of seeing his sister again.

Remus

"Halina, please, I'm friends with James"

"I know who you are, fine! But you tell him he still has to fix my window"

"Of course, did you see anyone leave the goathouse?"

"After James ran off, saw a ghost he did?" Halina had no idea how right she was.

"Yes, did anyone else leave after him?"

"You could just ask Haz, but fine, was a redhead and a man who looked like that husband of yours, but with shorter hair. Harry talked to them with his friends then they split up"

"After that? Which way did they go?"

"The tourists went towards the main dock, Harry led the other ones towards the old north docks, which haven't been used in years"

"What other ones?"

"Ah boy, I don't have time for all your questions, more tourists, two boys and a girl"

"Ok, thank you so much, Halina, this has helped a lot"

"You tell my Jamie he has to fix my window!" She yelled as he ran out the door towards town. It's been years since he's had to run this much or felt that familiar anger bubble to the surface. Getting to the bar that you could guarantee to find Lazaros at, he skidded inside, put his hands on his knees, arriving just in time to hear the flirty barkeep say to James,

"I'm terribly sorry my dear heartthrob, but she's already been given to someone else"

"Moony?"

"Harry's talked to them, they were just at the main docks"

"What? Wait, Lazaros you don't just anyone with that boat, who took her?"

"A man who cashed in a favour on behalf of an old friend"

"What did he look like?"

"Your age, but less good-looking, dark hair, pale, many tattoos"

"Do you know anywhere we could get a fast boat, like now?"

"No, I'm sorry, you know it's a nice day, everyone with a boat is out on the water right now"

"It's ok, thank you so much"

"Always" With a wink, Lazaros turned back his old CD player, starting it up again. As James looked at Remus, the same thought went through their minds.

"Main docks?"

"Yeah, you grab the others and meet me in the troopie" As James sped off to find Sirius and Peter, Remus walked towards James's old white troopie. As he waited for them in the passenger seat he could only think of 4 words.

What the actual fuck?

Harry

"Sit down kid, I can't guarantee that I can answer much but I'll try"

He sat down next to Regulus, and he was starting to understand that both guests that he'd invited, knew much more than they were letting on.

"I have so many questions"

"And now you don't know which one to ask?" Lily joined them, sitting on the other side of Harry.

"Yeah.."

"How much did your cousin tell you? Before she..."

"Died you mean? Not much, just that they'd loved each other and she knew she'd betrayed him by marrying Evan. But it was either that or face the wrath of Walburga Black"

"Whose she?"

"She was your uncle's mum, my very distant aunt. Awful woman, very traditional. Once Sirius had run away to your dad's she held an iron grip on Adhara. Forced her to marry our cousin, Evan over there" Harry turned back to look at Barty and Evan still arguing with Draco going downstairs to talk to Mary.

"I remember Adhara from school" Lily spoke up after a moment of silence.

"You do?"

"Course, though weirdly enough she'd never speak to Sirius at school, I remember him telling me he never understood why. We always got each other when it came to the sibling stuff"

"Really?"

"God yeah, my sister and I had a similar relationship. I think she saw me leaving to go learn magic as abandoning her and the family, and in a way, I was." Harry looked down at the sea in front of them, with the clear water, you could see nearly all life down there.

"Harry?"

"Mhmm"

"What's the real reason you invited us here?" He swallowed and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Most of what I said before is true, he misses people from the past, and I guess I just don't want him to be alone after I leave. Like, my uncles have been around my whole life, but they all have to go after a while. I just want him to have more friends."

"You know your dad always has friends to back him up, even after 17 years of trying to push them out. That's not your job"

"I know"

"Actually wait just a sec", Lily got up and went down to where there was a pile of bags and started rifling through one. "When I thought James had invited us, I'd brought along some old photos, reminiscence and all that."

"Can I see?"

"Course"

I can still recall

Our last summer

I still see it all

Walks along the Seine

Laughing in the rain

Our last summer

Memories that remain

He saw so many photos of his dad, some that he'd seen before, many he'd never seen. One that stood out was all their friends standing next to a river and everyone had been caught in their little worlds. Uncle Pads and Moons were smirking at each other, Mary was winking at the camera, while two women he didn't recognise were smiling softly at something behind the camera, Uncle Wormy was bending over laughing and Dad was at the back, looking out to the river.

We made our way along the river

And we sat down in the grass by the Eiffel tower

I was so happy we had met

It was the age of no regret

Oh, yes

Those crazy years

That was the time of the flower-power

But underneath

We had a fear of flying

Of growing old

A fear of slowly dying

We took our chance

Like we were dancing our last dance

This one just had Dad and Lily in it, but she was laughing at the camera and he had turned to look at her, smiling.

I can still recall

Our last summer

I still see it all

One had his Dad giving Uncle Sirius a piggyback on the side of the road at night.

In the tourist jam

The next one was his Dad, Uncle Sirius, Mary and the blonde woman from the other photos, all sprinting through cars on a main road.

Round the Notre Dame

Peter was talking to a girl, who looked like she was blushing, nearly everyone else was in a small corner of the background, punching their fists and pretending to swoon and faint.

Our last summer

Walking hand in hand

As the photos continued on, you could tell who had left the trip they were on. First was Uncle Moony, then the couple he didn't recognise.

Paris restaurants

Then Mary after the photos switched to Italy, then Uncle Moony.

Our last summer

Then Sirius, who'd featured in many photos where his Dad was holding on to his ankle as he tried to board the train.

Morning croissants

Uncle Wormy and his Dad sitting on the train doubled over laughing while his Uncle was waving around a rolling pin.

Living for the day

Worries far away

Our last summer

We could laugh and play

Once Peter left, there was more with them kissing, then back at France, then Greece.

And now you're working in a bank

The family man, a football fan

And your name is Harry

Lily spinning on the beach at night, red hair glinting in the streetlights.

How dull it seems

One that made him laugh was his Dad pretending to propose to her with a ring pop, she was smirking down at him.

Yet, you were the hero of my dreams

Finally, as they reached the end of the photos one of the last ones was Sirius and his Dad running to each other, reuniting, with a dark-haired girl in the background looking at her twin with annoyance.

I can still recall

Our last summer

I still see it all

Walks along the Seine

Laughing in the rain

Our last summer

Memories that remain