*Lilah POV*

He stared at me, flabbergasted. His eyebrows drew together in shock as he processed my words.

"How in the Merlin..." he trailed off, not meeting my eyes as he stared down at the deep red comforter.

"I was in the midst of a battle," I explained softly, "I don't know how it happened, really. One moment I'm ready to die and the next you lot are kicking my foot down by the lake. Would it be corny for me to say that it was like magic?" I grinned despite myself.

Remus shot me a withering look, apparently not appreciating my humour. "I-I-how, though? You can't come to the future! You could screw something up majorly!" He stressed, running his hands through his hair as he leapt up, pacing the dorm.

"The past." I corrected, examining my dark blue-coated nail polish, smiling amusedly as I saw his shocked look through the corner of my eye.

"The past?"

"Yes, Remus. This is the past for me. I'm from the future," I hum, trying to explain this calmly without freaking him out too much.

"This is the past?" He sits down, stumped, resting his head in his hands. "Am I- Am I still alive in the time you come from?"

I meet his dark chocolate eyes, my own tearing up as I am forced to remember his death. "No." I forced out, wincing as the first tear fell.

A warm hand startled me out of my memories, his eyes warm and reassuring as he held my face, soothingly rubbing his thumb in circles on my cheek in an attempt to comfort me.

"You were there," he states, not asking, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah-yeah I um, I was." I stumbled out, disconnecting my eyes from his as I stared at Peter's snoring form behind him. "They-uh-they had to drag me away from your body." I finished quietly, my lips pulling into a sad smile.

"They didn't allow you to mourn?" He asks darkly, his grip on my face tightening almost uncomfortably.

I didn't mind though, it kept me grounded. It refused to let me fall victim to the memories.

I shrugged, "we were in the middle of the war."

"That's no excuse!"

"They needed me, Remus. He needed me."

"Who did?" He asks, frowning confusedly.

"My son." I laughed softly, still unable to comprehend it fully.

Remus leant back, his hands dropping from my face as he leant against the bedpost. "You have a son?" waiting for my nod before he continues, "How old was he?"

"Seventeen," I answer, a small genuine smile escapes as I laugh at his facial expression. "I didn't get it either but I mean now that I'm back in the past, well, it kinda makes sense, don't you think?"

He hums in agreement, still processing the information presented to him.

"So I died, you were in a battle, found out you had a son and were sent back to the past – which is here. You woke up at the lake once we found you and you've been here since? You haven't tried to find a way back?"

"I did, at first, but now I'm not so sure that I want to go back," I replied, apprehensive for his response.

"And why not?"

"Because you're here, alive. And so are James and Sirius." I mumble, not wanting him to hear the last half of my sentence.

"They don't survive?" He whispers, unshed tears building as he struggles to keep them at bay.

"James dies on Halloween in 1981 but you never really mentioned him much. Sirius was sent to Azkaban as Peter set him up, only to escape after twelve years. We stole Hagrid's hippogriff and he literally flew off into the sunset. Bellatrix kills him a few years later though at the ministry."

"Peter kills James?" He forced out, a betrayed look on his face.

"Well Voldemort actually but yeah, pretty much," I mumble quietly, "Dumbledore is already aware. He didn't want me to tell him anything but I had to tell him that. Sirius didn't deserve that fate."

"So I guess we really are cousins then, huh?" He smiles sadly, taking my hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Uh yeah, about that..." I trail off, grinning sheepishly. "I wouldn't exactly say that you're my cousin."

*Remus POV*

I leant against the rough bark of the tree, ignoring the slight jabs it sent down my spine as I adjusted my body. I looked out onto the lake, the latest Alice in Wonderland novel lying in my lap now forgotten.

I sighed heavily, doing my best to reel in my thoughts and once more ignore the bumbling idiots in front of me fighting over my cousin.

Correction – daughter.

They were a pile of limbs, tumbling across the grass in an annoyed yet playful fashion.

"Will you just give it a rest?" I snapped, leaning my head back against the hard surface, taking a moment to calm my breathing before once more opening my eyes.

"What's up your ass? Not happy with James' latest prank on the Slytherins? Neither was I, it was a totally lame effort mate, step up your game," Sirius winked cheekily at the third Marauder.

"Aye!" James scoffed indignantly. "I thought red hair would suit them!"

"Just give it a rest, will you? Both of you! For Merlin's sake! She's not some trophy to fight over; she's a living, breathing person who deserves your respect. You both should just back off and leave her alone. She doesn't want anything more than friendship."

I hoped so anyway.

I don't plan on being a grandfather anytime soon.

On that thought though, she never did mention who the father of her son was. Was that on purpose? Perhaps I wouldn't approve.

It bloody better not be Snivellous, I'd give my right arm before I even allowed the thought of it.

Maybe it was Malfoy?

Holy Merlin Snivellous would be a bloody big step up from that blonde pompous asshole.

"Maybe incest isn't only a thing in pureblood families," Sirius mumbled quietly to himself, breaking me out of my reverie.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Sirius smiled tightly, staring at me in a way where I would have assumed he was sizing me up if I did not know better.

I gazed at him oddly before shaking my head, barely hearing the next words he mumbled under his breath, "I can so take him."

Maybe I didn't know better.