"I've 'eard some interesting things from my kids," John said as I joined him in the private room at the Garrison.

It was a relatively quiet evening and I was surprised John had even asked me here. While we were on good terms - he could never thank me enough for getting him out of France, though he did feel guilty about leaving his brothers and comrades behind - we never went out of our way to speak to each other in the two weeks I had been back.

"Ah. I can only assume what it is they've been saying," I muttered, taking a sip of the whiskey Harry had given me upon my arrival. Since my return, John's children had been spending more time with me then they had with their father.

After his first nightmare on my return, Polly was at the door with the children in tears. Apparently this time, he'd gone into the children's bedroom and scared them. She didn't want them spending the nights at Watery Lane.

I was happy to have a full house again but I knew John resented that his children preferred to stay at mine.

"They've been talking about things you do. They call it magic and I've heard Ada and Finn talking about it with Polly. Polly said I had to talk to you." He paused as he took a long drag of his drink, his face turning into a frown. "I remember you, you know. You thought I was knocked out but I could hear you and there was a time I caught sight of you. I know what you did for me. Getting me sent here."

This was not how I expected John to be. From the glimpses at the children's memories and the ones I'd seen from Ada and Polly, he never spoke like this. He was smart and I think he didn't know what to do with it so he hid it.

"I'm a witch, John. If you don't believe it, you can come back to the house and I can show you," I told him, not bothering to beat around the bush. He was going to find out sooner or later. Come November when Tommy returned, I'd be telling him the truth so there was no point keeping it from John. "I'm not the only one, John. Your bloodline comes from one of magic too and I have my suspicions that your children might have magic in them, but we can't usually tell until their eleventh birthday."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they get invited to practice magic at Hogwarts. It's a school to help hone their magic and to teach them spells." I was confusing him. "Let's not worry about that, John, We've got a couple of years before any of that and I'll be here to help you."

"Fucking hell."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dumped that all on you. I'm a little nervous."

"Because your boy looks like Tommy?"

"You noticed that?" I fidgeted in my seat as John smirked at me and shrugged.

"I spent a couple of weeks with him before you returned. He calls Tommy his dad, but I know it's not possible for Tommy to be his dad. Yet he looks like him." John tilted his head to the side as he fiddled with his toothpick. "Has it got to do with magic?"

"I don't want to confuse you anymore, John, but yes. It has something to do with magic."

True to my word, I introduced John into the world of magic.

He wasn't naive to it. Considering Thomas-J was already showing signs of magic and John had walked in on him levitating a few of his toys more than once.

The next step was having him enter the house. He said a cold shiver went up his back when he stepped over the threshold, an indication that he'd been accepted by the wards.

He'd been introduced to the magical creatures quite fast. The Jarvey's were running circles around his feet shouting curse words at each other and Grey was flying around the kitchen while Newt was busy trying to gather a Niffler that was running across the kitchen.

It had been a little touch and go for John's first introduction to magic, but he was used to it by now that it didn't even bother him.

It seemed that John was an ally when it came to magic and the Shelby's.

It was also John that told me I needed to act a little more relaxed when it came to talking to Muggles.

He said I was too eccentric and gave them the wrong impression.

"You know, I don't think he's even going to remember today," John said as he watched me hang up some homemade banners around the living room.

I want to get photographs for Tommy," I said, giving him a small smile as I waved my wand to lower the banner. "I hate that he's missed two birthdays already."

"Aye, from the way the paper goes on, he'll be here for the third."

Even without the knowledge of the newspaper, I knew the war would be coming to an end soon. Only two more weeks until the war officially ended and then soon our boys would be back.

I think Polly had caught on that it was soon. She didn't say anything about my unnecessary cleaning and organising, but I think she knew something was about to change when I instead that the children start sleeping back at Watery Lane. She was also suspicious when I added silencing charms around John, Arthur and Tommy's bedrooms.

There was a slight change in Polly due to my actions.

She became happier in herself and smiled more. Something I was sure would vanish when she wasn't in charge of the betting den anymore. I knew how much she loved that job.

"You have a letter," Ada said, throwing said letter at me.

I glanced down at the said letter and frowned. Why had I received a letter from the Ministry?

Dear Miss Lupin,

We are writing to offer you a position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures as a field agent.

Due to your previous help with Phineas Black and Newton Scamander, we are pleased with your credentials and would like to offer you a position in the following year.

We understand that you have a commitment to your son, and offer any help you may need in caring for him. If you take the position a Nanny House Elf will be given to your household.

Please report to Phineas Black about your reply by the end of November.

Hilda Jones.

"This has Phineas written all over it," I muttered, handing the letter to John, who smiled upon reading. "Did you know about this?"

To my utter surprise and annoyance, John and Phineas had formed a friendship upon meeting each other and were almost as thick as thieves.

"He might 'ave mentioned it."

"I don't want a job at the Ministry. He knows I want to be a Healer!"

"Aye, but he also knows the time and effort it takes to be a Healer," John said, resting his hand on my shoulder. "He also knows you don't want to leave Thomas-J and with Tommy coming home, perhaps it's best to have a job where you ain't gone for most of the day."

He had a point.

"I guess," I muttered, frowning at the thought of putting my medical training on hold.

"Who knows," John said, removing his hand and taking a step back. "Perhaps you'll end up in the family way by next year and won't be working at all."

"Fuck off!" I snapped reaching out to smack him but missed as he darted out of the room.

It's not like I hadn't thought about having Tommy's children. If I could give Thomas-J siblings in the future I would, but I didn't know if it was going to be serious with Tommy yet. What if he got one look at me and decided he wanted a relationship with Thomas-J and not me?

Plus, I wasn't too keen on having any more children this early in a relationship. Besides, we already had Thomas-J. Why add another baby to a strange new relationship?

"Happy birthday dear, Thomas-J, happy birthday to you!"

Thomas-J clapped as we finished singing for him and reached over and pulled a strawberry from the top of the cake floating in front of him. He smiled brightly at everyone when they laughed and Polly tutted as she tried to look disapprovingly at him.

"What did you get him, Phineas?" Polly asked and I was sure we all paused upon hearing the warning tone in her voice. I guess she wasn't a fan of the last present he bought.

Maybe the Crup wasn't the best idea.

The only reason we were able to keep Nova was because this was my house and Polly didn't have any real control over it.

"I was going to buy him a broomstick." You could see the anger on Polly's face. "But I decided to get him some winter clothes and a couple of soft toys instead."

"A wise choice," said Polly, causing me to share a look with Ada. It wasn't that Phineas changed his mind, more like the thought and fear of Polly had him doing it.

"What did you get Romy?" Ada asked, a hope at causing trouble shining in her eyes.

"She knows what I got her."

At their curious glances, I rolled my eyes and looked at John. I thought he'd have told everyone by now but I could see the smirk on his face.

"Phineas has offered me a job in his department working with Newt."

"That's fantastic, love," Polly gushed, looking at Phineas as if he'd finally done something good.

"But I want to be a Healer, Pol. Helping people is what I'm meant to do."

"I'm sure you can still do that, but why not wait a couple of years? Newt's told me how hard Healer training is and you need to remember you've got a child to care for."

"I do think of Thomas-J in everything I do, Polly, I want the best for him."

"Have you thought that perhaps you taking this job with Phineas is the best thing for him? You are an exceptional witch, Romy but perhaps you should enjoy your time as a mother before you lose their childhood."

I got the feeling Polly was hiding something. Why was she so insistent that I wait until Thomas-J was older before I started on my Healer training?

"I'll think about it," I muttered, not enjoying the way everyone was listening and watching our conversation.

November 11th.

How could a day seem so daunting?

No disrespect to those in 1918 that had to go through it, but as a child, I never took a second thought about it. It wasn't because I was self-centred and oblivious to the first world war, and at this point in the future there had even been a second world war and almost a third war.

In the wizarding world there had been three major wizarding wars and that had impacted our world tremendously. It was for this fact, the constant reminder of the wizarding worlds, why we'd never really been aware of the impacts of the first and second Muggle wars.

I also had first-hand experience in this war so I felt it was more of a relief when it was over.

So, as the eleventh of November came around, I was feeling jittery and nervous.

When words reached us that the war was over, it was like everyone forgot that we were all of different classes and everyone was out in the streets celebrating.

"Why are you crying, Aunt Romy?" Mary asked, tugging on my sleeve as she glanced around the crowded street. I suppose it passed her that everyone was crying in the street.

"I'm just happy, Mary," I told her, shifting Thomas-J in my arms as he tried to climb over my shoulder to get to Newt.

"New, New," he called, his hands doing the 'gimmie' gesture as he reached out for him.

"Your uncles are coming home, Mary," Newt told her as he took Thomas-J from me.

"Really?" she asked, although we knew she couldn't remember them, she was used to seeing their photographs in the kitchen and John had recently been telling his children stories about their uncles. "When?"

See, that was the thing. While we knew the war was over, we weren't sure when our boys would be returning to us.

"Soon, Mary, soon," I assured her, running my hands over her head and sharing a soft smile with Polly.

"Come on," John said, lifting Edward from the floor. "Harry's opened the pub."

They were coming home on the seventeenth.

All the Birmingham boys that were sent to France were due to arrive home six days after the war had ended.

I didn't want to focus on how fast they were managing to get them out of France. It took me a week to get home and now they were managing it in five or six days.

I suppose they didn't have their enemies to look out for while moving the troops around.

Polly seemed as flustered as me. Running around the house in Watery Lane trying to make it look spick and span before Tommy and Arthur returned.

I told her I could use magic to clean but I think it was her coping mechanism. She needed to keep busy to be able to function properly.

John didn't seem too bothered on the outside. He was panicking but I could see him in the betting den by the chalkboard as he fiddled with the chalk.

He'd made it his job since he returned to find if any of the previous Peaky Blinders had come home early like him.

He found one, a man that went by the name Scudboat.

Not entirely sure if that was his real name but he was a lovely man that always smiled at me in passing.

I wasn't certain what this Peaky Blinders thing was but knew it was some sort of gang. I knew it was a gang because Polly had told me about it but she didn't go into great detail about it. I knew it had something to do with betting and all that but I wasn't sure if that was all they did.

It made me shudder at the thought of a group following orders and doing harm to innocent people.

Though I guess in a way, if they were willing to bet and then not pay their bookies they weren't really innocent.

I tried to take things slow as each day came flying by, but soon the whole 'they'll be coming home on the seventeenth' became today.

They were coming home today.

Any minute now.

Why did it suddenly seem like all the air was being sucked out of my lungs? Was it hot in here or was it just me?

"Finn!" I snapped as he came into the kitchen mud smeared over his face. "Polly will be back with your brothers any minute."

"I was just tryna find Tommy," he said, whining as I rubbed at his face with a wet cloth.

"I know you want to find him, but look, you're all dirty now," I muttered glaring at Ada as she smiled down at her brother. "Don't let him touch that," I added as Edward reached over to grab at the stew bubbling away on the stove.

"Calm down," she said, moving Edward to the floor and taking hold of his hand.

"I'm nervous, Ada," I whispered, running my hands over my dress and wiping off the imaginary dust that had collected on it in my panic.

"I can see that. You have nothing to worry about, Romy. Take a deep breath and relax."

I nodded and followed her instructions. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath before releasing it slowly. I felt slightly better but there was still a butterfly fluttering around in my stomach.

"I wish they'd get back already," I muttered, opening my eyes and letting my eyes roam over the children. They were all in their best clothes ready to greet Arthur and Tommy home. Glancing down to Thomas-J, I felt myself lose my breath when I realized he wasn't there. His toys were on the floor under the table where he'd been playing but he wasn't there. "Where's Thomas-J?"

"What?"

"Where is he?" I asked frantically, dropping to my knees and searching further under the table. Ada rushed over to the sink and looked under there, a usual hiding place when the children played hide and seek.

"He's not here," she muttered, the panic showing in her voice now.

"Romy, the doors open," Finn said weakly. He looked up at me in fear, no doubt having left the front door open when he returned.

"You go," Ada said, clasping Finn on the shoulder as his lip trembled.

I ran to the door, grabbing hold of the threshold as I swung into the hall and to the front door but came to a stop as I saw Thomas-J, giggling in Tommy's arms.

Tommy's eyes lifted away from Thomas-J and locked with mine, a small smile grazing his lips.

I was ashamed to say that my body tightened upon seeing him.

"Hi."