Harry had never seen such an assortment of being in his life, many of them could pass for human, but certainly not all of them. Fur, feathers, horns, wings, he didn’t know what to make of any of it. He gulped as he saw one particularly strange man stare at him, he was over six feet tall, with a pair of curved horns on his head and a set of large, leathery wings. It took a few moments before Harry realized the man was actually smiling and waving at him as he approached them.

“Hello Bruid” Cat said cheerfully “I’m so glad you could make it, I was afraid those hunters would keep you too busy to join us.” she kissed him on each of his cheeks as he leaned over to hug her.

“Nothing could keep me away from my little girl, I hardly get to see her as it is.” he replied, smiling sadly “I hope Siobhan will forgive me one day and we can be a family again. I’m certain Sara would be much better off with her father watching over her.”

“Now Bruid,” Cat warned “I told you, I’m not getting in the middle of this, its between you and Siobhan. And you should have told her up front you were a changeling, she’s not upset by what you are, just the fact that you lied about it.”

“I know, I know” Bruid sighed “but I was so afraid I’d lose her if I told her the truth.” He paused for a moment, trying to shake the pain from his mind. “Is this the son we’ve heard so much about?” he asked, smiling warmly at Harry.

“Yes, this is Harry” Cat replied proudly, smiling from ear to ear as she looked at her son. “Harry, this is Siobhan’s ….uhm…husband, Bruid of the Pithy Swell”

“How do you do sir?” Harry asked politely, extending his shaking hand towards Bruid.

“Sir? So polite” Bruid smiled “but hardly necessary, just call me Uncle Bruid” the frightening looking man said as he smiled and winked at Harry, who did his best to smile back.

Bruid pulled Cat over towards himself “He seems a bit nervous Kitty, perhaps you should start your introductions with the children. You know, closer to his own age.” he suggested, “By the way, who else do you have with you?” he asked as he noticed Remus and Sirius.

“These are my friends from the wizarding world.” Cat explained “This is Professor Remus Lupin, he teaches Defence against the Dark Arts, he’s one of Harry’s instructors. And this is Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather.”

Bruid smiled widely as he shook their hands “Sirius Black hmmm, I’ve heard that name before.” He knit his brow as he turned and called to one of the men he had been talking to earlier. “Wallace, weren’t you saying something about a Sirius Black earlier? This is him.” Bruid called out across the crowed room.

Sirius felt his insides freeze with terror, what if this man knew about Azkaban? How would Cat ever trust him again, how would he ever explain not telling her. He looked at Cat, her lovely deep green eyes were fixed on him as a soft smile lingered on her lips. He would never survive if he lost her again, the past twenty-four hours had almost been more than he could bare, and that was before Gustavas had even entered the picture.

A tall man with dark curly hair and happy blue eyes made his way towards them, he was grinning from ear to ear as soon as he saw Cat. “Ahhhh, my little Kitty” he said as he held open his arms. Cat ran to him and hugged him tightly as the man threw her in the air like a child. “How is my favorite trouble maker? I hear you’ve made several changes in your life my little one.”

“Oh yes Wallace, quite a few in fact” Cat beamed as she reached her hand for Harry “This is my son, Harry. I trust I can count on you to help me teach him.”

“I’d be hurt if you didn’t” he shot back as he took Harry’s hand and gave him a firm handshake. “Good grip laddy” he winked “you should be a natural with a sword. Just like the rest of your family.” Wallace paused a moment and notice the look on Harry’s face. “Would you just look at that smile, …..now where have I seen that smile before?”

Cat turned and looked at Harry, “Hmmm, Shane maybe?”

“Ah yes, that’s it. Shane.” Wallace sighed “I hope your son doesn’t take after him. And Remus, look at you, you look like hell, tsk tsk tsk, either you’re still single or you married the wrong woman.” Wallace teased as Remus blushed brightly.

“An you, you’re the man we’ve been hearing about” Wallace continued, looking at Sirius. “Bruid, this is the one Cash has been telling us about.” Wallace reminded him

“Cash has been telling you what exactly” Cat asked, only to be interrupted by a woman’s voice calling out Remus’s name.

“Remus? Remus Lupin?” a voice cried out “It is you” a young woman said as she flung herself into his arms and covered him with kisses.

Remus turned bright red as the room suddenly hushed, only to fill with laughter and heart-felt smiles “Uhmm, hello Amber” Remus grinned, avoiding looking at Harry or Sirius as he tried to pry himself out of Amber’s embrace…….

Cat and Wallace laughed and rolled their eyes as Amber continued to ask Remus question after question, her voice full of excitement and her eyes shining brightly. “She still remembers him I see” Cat remarked as she reached for Harry’s hand…

Harry continued to grin, looking from Remus to Cat, he smiled even wider as he felt Sirius’s hand giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, looking up, he returned Sirius’s grin as Cat pulled him behind her, on his way to the rest of the introductions.

Harry’s mind was swimming as he was introduced to one member after another. He quickly realized Cat had not been exaggerating about the size of their clan, and this wasn’t even one quarter of them. He also began to understand how inhuman they really were, he wondered how Snape would have reacted if he had come along. He had the distinct feeling the potion master would have be clawing his way out of the large wooden door by this time. After all, if Snape had trouble with the vampyres and Garou, Harry could only imagine what he would think of the Elves, Mages, Fae, Sidhe and other creatures he had never even heard of before. Apparently Clan MacLeod was anything but prejudice, they had married into and accepted all sorts of other beings without question or qualms.

He was practically trembling with joy and relief as the clan, his clan came up to him and greeted him as Cat walked around the large room, introducing him to everyone. His heart practically leaped when he realized how many cousins he had, granted it wasn’t the same as having brothers or sisters, but it was close enough for now. He smiled as his Aunts would walk up to him and pinch his cheeks, hug him, tell him how glad they were to finally see him, how proud they were of his achievements. Part of Harry was afraid this was all a dream, that he would wake up in the hospital wing, or worse, at the Dursley’s.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by his Uncle Luke hugging him tightly and whispering in his ear that some of his cousins were waiting to show him the house and were he would be sleeping. Harry looked over to where Uncle Luke was pointing to see a group of children on the stairs, waiting for him. He nodded his understanding and walked over to them “Hi” he said nervously, hoping they would accept him as easily as the rest of the clan seemed to be.

“’lo” the oldest boy said, “so, you’re my cousin huh? Aunt Kitty hasn’t talked about anything but you since last Solstice” he said as he looked Harry up and down. “Is that tall guy your da?” he asked motioning towards Sirius.

“Sirius? No, he’s my godfather, but I’m kind of hoping he and mum will get together.” Harry replied, “He’s the closest thing to a father I have, and he loves mum so much.”

“Well that’s obvious” a young girl behind Harry commented. “Is his name Sirius? Ginny was telling me about them, but she said something about another teacher too. It isn’t that other fellow she brought with you, is it?”

“Sara!” another girl admonished. “At least let him get settled before you start pumping him for information.”

“Be quite Callista, you’re only saying that because you think he’s cute.” Sara shot back “You want to know every bit as much as I do.”

Callista took one look at Harry and blushed a deep shade of pink, she turned her face to Sara had gave her a wilting stare “You have a big mouth cousin” she hissed as she swatted at Sara.

“Yep, that’s me” Sara grinned as she blocked Callista’s hand “But I get things done, isn’t that right LJ?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure Sara.” LJ deadpanned as he rolled his eyes. “Come on Harry, let’s get going before anymore girls join us. They’re all such pains it isn’t even funny.” Harry smiled widely as he ran up the stairs with his cousins. He felt Sara’s hand on his arm as they went down the hall, she wasn’t going to give up….

Remus sighed with happiness as other members of Cat’s clan came up and greeted him, he couldn’t believe so many of them remembered him. It had been years since he had last been here, at least seven if not more. But it could have been yesterday as far as they were concerned, they treated him just like family it was something he so needed to feel. He had kept himself apart from everyone and everything for so long, it was wearing heavily on him, and they could sense it, he knew they could.

Remus allowed himself to be hugged and kissed, smiling as old women patted his face and the men clapped him on his back. They were all welcoming him back to Fernglennis, back to the clan. Through it all, he saw Amber smiling at him, he remembered how fond she was of him, actually it boarded on hero worship, she had been that way since the night he saved her and her sister Ullah’s life. The clan had hoped he would marry one of them, but he kept insisting he couldn’t, as the Sidhe went, they were both far too human, too delicate, too mortal. After going out with one of them, he would wake during the night, drenched in a cold sweat after having dreamt he had transformed and killed the very woman whose lives he had saved.

Remus pushed those thoughts from his mind as one of Cat’s brothers made his way towards him. “Hello Luke” Remus said, smiling broadly as the sandy haired man with hazel-blue eyes smiled back. “Is Leah with you tonight? I heard you had twins.”

“Oh yes, a boy and a girl” Luke grinned “a bit older than Cat’s Harry in fact, and Leah has warned me several times since then, if I so much as think of touching her, …. Well, lets just say she’s not the sort to make empty threats.” Luke added, laughing deeply as he and Remus walked towards the fireplace.

“So, I’m hoping I can count on you to tell me the honest facts Remus” Luke said gently as Leah approached them, steaming cups of chai in her hands.

“Are you going to ask him?” Leah nudged as she handed the cups to them.

Luke looked at Remus and rolled his eyes, smirking playfully “See what I mean, not a moments peace when you’re married” turning to his wife, he kissed her cheek “Yes dearest, I was in the process of doing just that.”

“Should I be worried?” Remus teased, “You aren’t going to try setting me up with one of the girls again, are you?” he asked as he sipped the chai, enjoying the warmth and spices.

“This is about Kitty” Luke replied, suddenly serious “Cash has been writing us, telling us as far as he’s concerned this man she’s brought with her, Sirius, is it? That he is her husband.” he explained “I remember his name from the last time she was at Hogwarts, but I seem to remember they broke up. Has something changed?”

“More than I can possible explain” Remus sighed, “but I can tell you this. He loves her with every fiber of his being. And he wants to marry her, claim Harry as their son, and have a family with her, a large family last time I asked.”

“So you think he’s good for her?” Leah asked as she sat next to Luke “Does she love him? Is she willing to be his wife?”

Remus placed his hand on Leah’s and looked into Luke’s eyes “What is it? What aren’t the two of you telling me?” Remus felt his heart catch in his throat as Luke and Leah looked at each other, communicating silently before turning to him.

“Maharet is on father about Kitty. She is insisting that she be married by the end of summer, and ‘she’ wants to do the choosing.” Luke explained softly. “I need to know the entire truth Remus, everything you know I need to know. I don’t intend to lose another sister. You heard what happened to Wanda, didn’t you?”

Remus hung his head “Only bits and pieces, Kitty still won’t talk about it. I can only assume it was horrible, I take it no one has found the boys.” the pained look in Luke and Leah’s eyes was all the confirmation he needed. “I don’t want to go into details here Luke,” Remus explained softly “but I will tell you everything later, for now, trust my judgment, Sirius is the one for her, and I know she still loves him. I asked her earlier today.”……