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𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛

JULY 31, 1980

THE TWO FOUR YEAR OLDS watched their little brother in awe. The infant slept soundlessly in his mother's arms while the twins looked over her shoulder, their eyes full of wonder for the tiny being.

"Mummy," Max called, confusion in his face as he turned to his mother. "What this?"

James and Olivia couldn't help but laugh at the innocent question.

"This is Harry, little nugget," Olivia said, reaching out to softly touch the infant's tiny hand. "He's your baby brother."

"Bwother?" Mari asked. "Like Maxi?"

James nodded, grabbing the two children and placing them on his lap as he sat beside Olivia. "Yes. Like Maxi, but he's still a baby."

"His name is Awwy?" Max asked again, his eyes focused on the cooing baby.

Olivia smiled at the two. "That's right. Harry James Potter."

The twins shared a look as if communicating with their eyes before looking back at Harry.

"He tiny," Max finally said.

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AUGUST 15, 1981

THE PLAYROOM CONSIST OF the three children. Max and Mari had toys around them with their ears covered while the one year old cried at the top of his lungs.

It was the first time both parents are out since Harry was born, leaving Sirius and Regulus to babysit. Unfortunately, Harry was still at the stage where he only calmed down with his mum or dad holding him and therefore leaving Remus and Samuel unable to stop his crying.

"Merlin's sake," Sirius breathed out as he continued rocking the baby. "I am not ready for children."

"What the hell does he want?" Regulus asked as he entered the room with a formula, offering it to Harry who only pushed it away.

The two had fixed their differences after the war with the help of Olivia and their friends. The war came with many losses as well as the realization of how short life is. Holding on to grudges is wasteful.

"Mommy and Daddy," Max answered as he covered his ears. "Hawwy only sleeps with mommy and daddy."

"James and Olivia won't be back till tomorrow morning," Sirius said frustratingly. "Fuck."

"Don't say bad wowds," Mari told his uncle seriously as she stood up and walked over to Regulus and Harry. Without saying anything, her little hands reached for her little brother, trying to take the child from Remus' arms.

"Oh, God," Regulus breathed out as he helped Mari hold the baby properly. "Please don't drop him, Mar."

Harry's cries finally ceased for a moment, but his eyes remained glassy with tears and his lips trembling as he clutched Mari's hair tightly.

"Stop crying, Hawwy," Mari told the baby seriously who gazed up at her with teary grey eyes.

Just as Harry was about to start crying again, Max shoved his favorite bunny stuffed toy to him. The baby let go of Mari's hair and held the toy up in amazement.

Seeing that the baby was having trouble holding his head up since Mari was unable to support it properly, Max sat beside the two and supported Harry's head as Mari tried to rock him to sleep.

Not long after that, Harry's eyes start to flutter before they hear soft snores coming from the little being, his arms clutching the bunny toy to his chest.

Sirius and Regulus watched the siblings in amazement as Mari and Max shared a look before turning back to the sleeping baby.

"Tiny and loud," Mari decided.

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DECEMBER 25, 1984

MAXWELL FLEAMONT POTTER WATCHED his little brother eat the Christmas cookies, making sure he doesn't take off his newly acquired glasses. Little Harry was still bothered by them after two weeks of being forced to wear one, the same way that Maxwell himself had been forced to wear one so the little eight year old had been tasked at making sure his brother kept the round shaped glasses on at all times while his father tend to whatever had caused two year old little Thomas Potter to start screaming at the top of his lungs while his mother gave one year old Lilian Potter a change of nappies.

"Don't finish all the cookies," Max told his little brother as he pushed back the younger boy's messy jet black hair, one that's identical to his own, before grabbing a cookie for himself.

Harry Potter nodded his head enthusiastically, causing his glasses to fall to the edge of his nose. Max reached over to push it back, knowing that Harry wouldn't bother.

"Where's mum?" twenty year old Lucas Potter asked, Mari hanging on his shoulder like she weighed nothing, giggling like crazy.

"She's changing Lil's nappy," Max answered, smiling up at him. The younger Potters completely adore their older brother and Lucas adores them just as much.

"Can I have another Cookwie?" Harry spoke up, crumbs on his chin as he looked up at his older brothers with those big grey eyes. Out of all the Potter children, it was only Harry who inherited their mother's bright grey eyes and so he often stands out.

"No," Mari answered in between her obnoxious giggles. "Momma said only three since we ate so much earlier."

"Can gramma make more?" Harry asked innocently, making Lucas grin at him.

"Gramma went home already, bub," Lucas said. "How about I go there tomorrow to get you guys more?"

"Are you making promises you can't keep again?" Olivia asked, entering the kitchen with Lilian on her hips.

Lucas smirked, running a hand through his hair before placing Mari on the countertop. "Who said I'm not keeping it?"

"Me," Olivia said, placing Lilian on her baby chair and handing the one year old her sippy cup. "Your grandma brought tons already."

"Good evening, family," James greeted as he entered the kitchen with little Thomas Potter on his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure at least six of you are way past their bedtime."

"You still have a bedtime, Luc?" Mari teases as more giggles fell from her lips.

"Can I just say that I'm already twenty years old?" Lucas said with that boyish smirk after tapping Mari's Nose. "I think it's time we talk about my bedtime."

James nodded his head, giving Olivia a look. "I think he's right, baby."

Olivia grinned. "I guess we can extend it till ten. What do you think, monkey?"

"You guys are incorrigible."

"Will you read me a story, Luc?" Mari asked excitedly, jumping from the countertop and straight onto her older brother's chest, legs wrapping around his hips and tiny arms around his neck.

Out of all the children, it's perhaps Mari most attached to Lucas. Max is a quiet kid, often keeping to himself and observing instead talking like Mari does. Harry is turning out to be more like Max in that sense and so it's often Max who's watching his younger brother. Thankfully, he seems to enjoy the task. Thomas is a mess, still in his terrible twos. He's perhaps the most active child out of all the Potter children and from the looks of things, the most mischievous. Lilian is a happy little baby, content so long as she has her toys and her food. Mari is loud, with a little bit of an attitude problem but that's probably due to the fact that his father, grandfather and brothers had treated her like a princess her entire life and so she's learned to act like one.

"I'll read you ten stories," Lucas said, letting Mari hang onto him like a koala.

"One," Olivia interjects as she grabs Thomas from James' shoulder.

"Five," Lucas negotiated.

"Please, mummy," Mari says, her bright hazel eyes staring at Olivia with that pleading look James had given her that day he dragged her into the quidditch field when they were seventeen.

"Three," Olivia compromises.

"Fine."

"Momma!" Thomas called loudly with that high pitched voice of his, all traces of the tantrum he just threw a few minutes ago completely gone. Thomas pointed at the cookie Harry is eating, a bright smile on his face. "Cookwies."

"Oh no," Olivia says, putting him on his feet. "No more for you or you're never going to sleep."

James can just tell from the look on his little face that he's about to start screaming again and so he quickly grabbed the toddler by the hips and placed him on his shoulder, causing giggles to erupt from his lips. "How about we play pirates while taking a bath then you can have more cookies tomorrow?"

Thomas enthusiastically nodded his head, willing to agree to anything as long as the word pirate is in it.

James gave Olivia a grin before heading to Thomas' bedroom to prepare him clothes.

Olivia grabbed Lilian from her baby seat, also going to get her ready for bed which includes gently wiping her with a soft cloth wet with lukewarm water to calm her down.

She smiled at Harry happily munching on his last cookie and at Max happily watching after him. "I'll get you guys ready for bed after Lily, okay?"

Max smiled at his mother, nodding in agreement. Harry gazed up at her with that innocent eyes of his and gave her a grin, his front teeth missing.

Olivia then narrowed her eyes at Lucas and Mari. "Lucas, get Mari ready for bed and I swear to Merlin if she's still awake when I check later, you're both grounded."

Lucas grinned. "You faith in me is astounding, mother."

Once it's only Harry and Max in the kitchen again, the older of the two watched his little brothe devour the goodies. "You can have my cookies, Harry."

The smile that appeared on the little boy's face was so infectious it made even Max smile as wide.

"Tenchu!"

As Harry continued eating without a care in the world, feet dangling from his high chair and head happily bobbing side to side, Max watched him in awe. "For someone so tiny, you eat a lot."

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SEPTEMBER 1, 1987

A LITTLE BOY WITH THE brightest hazel eyes and messiest black hair bounded in the King's Cross station, pulling the now twenty three year old Lucas Potter behind him.

"Thomas Sirius Potter!" A woman's voice called back loudly. "Stop dragging your older brother around like a dog."

"It's fine, ma," Lucas assures her, a wide smile on his face as he allowed the little boy to drag him along.

"No!" Thomas giggled loudly, maneuvering his way through the sea of people till a pair of arms wrapped around his little body and James Potter hoisted him up his shoulders, causing his giggles to intensify.

"What do you think you're doing?" James teased the five year old boy as he took his wife's hand.

"I wanted Lukie to show me the trains," Thomas admitted after his giggles finally ceased.

"Lucas can't do that, Tommy," Amara Euphemia Potter butt in, trying to seem more mature than her eleven year old body show. "He's old and stuff so he's not allowed on the train. Only Hogwarts students can."

Lucas smirked as he put an arm around Mari's shoulder. "Who says I can't?"

Mari looked up at her older brother as if doubting herself now. "Can you?"

"No, but I have dad's cloak and I can definitely sneak in if I wanted to."

"Which you will definitely not do," Olivia cut in, giving Lucas what James teased to be her 'mom eyes' as it has the ability to halt the children's movement with just one look.

"I'm an adult," Lucas says, puffing up his chest. "And I'm out of the house. You don't scare me anymore, mum."

James chuckled. "You sure you wanna do this, bambi?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

Lucas instantly wavered, giving his adoptive mother a sheepish smile. "Of course I'm only joking. You know how much I love to joke."

Though Lucas is only six years younger than the couple, it was no doubt to anyone who had seen it that James and Olivia had raised him and treated him like one of their own.

He was only six years younger but Lucas Potter is definitely a momma's boy. His mum is his weakness. There was just no denying that.

James laughed at his oldest son's quick surrender while Olivia smirked.

"I thought so."

"Momma, there they are!" The seven year old Harry James Potter exclaimed happily as he ran into his godfather's arms.

"Harry, be careful, please," Olivia called back as she helped Max push his cart and James grab little four year old Lilian Olivia Potter, balancing their youngest with Thomas still on his shoulders.

Lucas grinned at his younger sister, crouching down to let Mari climb on his back. "You ready for Hogwarts, little sis?"

"Yes!" Mari exclaimed. "I can't wait to beat everyone in quidditch."

"You're going to have to wait a little more," Lucas says calmly, pushing her trunk to the direction of their family. Harry had refused to let go of his godfather, Max quietly stood by his cart yet the soft smile on his face never left while Huxley Lupin smiled excitedly at each other between their parents. "But I'm sure you'll do great in your flying lessons."

"Of course I will," Mari boasted. "I'm a Potter!"

Lucas smiled at her excitement just as they finally reached everyone, Mari quickly climbing down from his back to give her uncles a hug before running to where Huxley and Max now stood together.

"I can't believe you're all so big already," Sirius said, smiling at the kids as he struggled with holding seven year old Harry who kept moving around.

To an outsider's point of view, it seems as though time had not touched Sirius Black. He was as handsome as he was in their Hogwarts years with the same smirk and the same leather jacket, but his friends knew different.

He had slept with many women, went on many dates and even adopted a dog but it seems Sirius has no plans to ever settle down. He tells his friends that he's content with being the cool uncle, but of course everyone knows that it's due to the fact that he was never truly able to move on from Kat's death.

He had been right after all. He continued to wake up everyday in his life with that same ache in his bones. He kept waiting for that same sign and letter that will never come. And in that same sense, Kat was right too. They had a love that consumed every atom in their bodies.

"Tell me about it," Remus muttered sadly in response to Sirius, eyes turning glassy as he watched his son with the same scars littering his face, grinning wildly with Mari's arm around his shoulders.

"Don't cry on me now," Samuel teases his husband though he too sadly watched the little boy they had brought home, battered and newly bitten, become a man.

"Can I see Minnie?" Harry asks, having finally settled. His parents had chosen to name Minerva both Harry and Lilian's godmother and so the old witch holds a soft spot for the Potter children, often visiting their house and taking up Euphemia's job of bringing baked sweets after she died due to dragonpox.

Thomas' godparents were Arthur and Molly Weasley whom Olivia and James formed a close bond too after the many summers of Charlie running around in their house and so Max, Mari and Huxley also formed a bond with Fred and George, who is only a year younger than them.

James and Olivia had also been chosen to be Ron's godparents with Samuel and Remus being Ginny's. It was also Molly who had taught Olivia how to cook, also taking up Euphemia's place after the woman died. And so when Olivia decided to open up a restaurant in Diagon Alley, Molly was the perfect business partner.

"Maybe next time, bud," says James..

The train's engine then came to life, alerting everyone that it's time to go. James and Olivia both opened their arms for their children while Remus and Samuel did the same for Huxley.

"Don't forget to write, okay?" Olivia tells them as she hands them their packed lunch. "I expect at least one letter every week. And always study hard."

"Yes, momma," Max obediently nodded his head, still not untangling his arms from around his father's neck.

"And have fun!" James followed once Max finally let go of him, though it was Mari's turn.

"Not too much fun, though," Olivia reminds them.

The twins shared a look, small smirks forming on their faces. It's simply impossible to be best friends with Fred and George Weasley without catching a few of their tricks.

In front of the Potters, Samuel and Remus both kneeled in front of their son, making sure he remembers the instructions that's been given to him.

"Professor Regulus will be waiting for you by your common room then he'll accompany you to the whomping willow," Remus repeats again. "He'll stay with you all night but he'll be outside so he can treat your wounds in the morning.

"I'll be fine, dad," Huxley insisted.

"We know," Samuel says. "But we just want to make sure."

"Don't worry," Huxley tries to reassure them again. "I'll send letters each week."

"You better," Samuel huffed.

"We love you," Remus tells him. "And we'll be right here waiting for you in Christmas."

"I love you guys too," Huxley said, his usual mischievous smirk softening a little.

The horn blew, signalling that the train was about to take off and so Max finally ripped himself away from Thomas, planting a little kiss on all of his siblings and parents' cheeks before climbing aboard. Huxley did the same and so the two waited for Mari who still wouldn't let go of Lucas.

"Have fun, baby sis," Lucas tells her. "And don't forget to send me letters."

Mari obediently nodded, finally letting go of his older brother. She gave everyone one last hugs before climbing on the train. "I'll see you on Christmas."

Olivia can see both Thomas and Harry starting to tear up and so James took Harry from Sirius, cuddling the little boy to his chest and Olivia did the same to Thomas whereas Samuel had taken Lilian to hide the fact that he's crying.

Olivia smiled at James, hands intertwining with his. "We did pretty good, didn't we?"

James wrapped his free arm around her waist as they watched the train roar to life. "Baby, we did amazing."

It was ending but that was okay because everything that needed to be said has been said. Olivia learned that no storm last forever. You push through it and once hurricane has settled, you live.

𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:

I can't believe it's done 🥺
Thank you guys so much for
all of the support and for
sticking with this book even
after everything.
i know i made some
decisions here that not many
of you like and i'm so grateful
you stuck through it all.

Also Alec Mcgarry plays older
Lucas

read the next one after this
to clear up some questions