After all, they had been there when he’d drowned his sorrows in firewhiskey and knew that he had sworn off all women. Including…bloody hell, Sirius mentally groaned, he couldn’t think of her name.
Oh sweet Merlin, she was getting closer. She was going to talk to him and he couldn’t even remember her name.

Beatrice’s eyes widened and she stared at just above Melora’s head, but the girl hardly noticed. “If he wants to talk to me, he will. It’s not as if I can just waltz up to Black and tell him I really do care about what he thinks and…why are you pointing, oh Merlin he’s behind me, isn’t he?”

“I do hope this will teach you a lesson about attacking another student in the hall Mister Black.”

Sirius looked from the towering stack of dirty cauldrons to his Transfiguration professor and Head of House, Minerva McGonagall, and back again. “Looking doubtful by the minute Minnie.”

Sirius allowed the brief idea of being expelled pass through his mind. No, if he hadn’t been expelled for nearly killing a student, he doubted he would be expelled for getting a fellow student pregnant.

Lily, for her credit, did not run away. She leaned Melora against the wall and quickly fixed her hair with a flick of her wand. She then set about getting toilet paper for Melora to dab her eyes and running nose with. Later, Melora decided Lily Evans would be the first one she was turning to in a crisis.

Unfortunately, the stress of studying caught up to Melora quickly. She was racing to Charms from the lunch, where she had grabbed a quick bite, when it hit her. A painful burning sensation around her heart stopped Melora on a dime, and she doubled over in pain.

“Relax Melly,” Melora winced again, “I just wanted to tell you look quite pretty today.” Melora glanced at him out of the corner of her eye curiously. 

“In fact,” Stephen continued, “You’re positively glowing.”


Melora stopped short and glared at him. “Leave me alone Stephen, you’re going to make me late for class.”

“Can’t be easy carrying the extra weight,” Sirius mused as he held the door open for her when they reached Hogwarts. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Melora glared. 

Sirius’ arms flew up in defense. “I just mean, well you’re pregnant!” 

 “The whole school knows what Sirius did to Nott,” Bea was grinning now, “Sirius must be the only one in all of Hogwarts who knows how to punch so hard Madame Moffat can’t heal the bruise.”

The blonde took another deep breath, no reason to be nervous. Only the future of her child at stake here, no need to worry.

 After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the Hospital Wing. Peter was sitting asleep on the ground outside, head lolled to the side, snoring slightly. Melora giggled as Lily reached down and shook his shoulder.

Peter jumped a little, mumbling something about cheese and looked up blearily.

 “No,” Mary rolled her eyes, “But you have to admit, you’re not the most tactful person.”

“I’ve got plenty of tact,” Sirius argued, looking at Peter and Remus for support. Remus shook his head and Peter shrugged helplessly.

 “I was studying,” Melora replied, waving her textbook as the three left the kitchens and headed up to their common rooms, “You do know NEWTs are in a month, right?”

“I know,” Sirius said quizzically, “So why are you studying now?”

An arm slithered around her waist, and Melora turned to smirk up at Sirius. “How’d you do?” she asked.

“Probably better than you,” he gloated.

Still, she looked nice in her professional robes with her hair pulled neatly back and she took a deep breath, reminding herself no one at the Prophet was going to magically be able to tell she'd just had a baby.

You know, unless they were a legilimens.

 “I can do this,” he told himself, taking a deep breathe; “I became an illegal animagus at age fifteen. I’ve fought Death Eaters and faced Voldemort himself. I’ve survived detention with Minerva McGonagall. I can do this.”

“Sorry, I’m still a little confused,” Sirius shook his head, “There’s a prophecy about Harry?"


“It’s possible it’s about Harry,” Dumbledore nodded, “It could also be referring to Frank and Alice Longbottom’s son. But we believe Voldemort thinks it is in regards to Harry.”


Divination was one of Sirius’s favorite subjects and it was slowly making its way lower on his list.

 

Although Melora and her daughter Emily "Emma" Jones could pass for sisters, with the same dirty blonde hair, round face and button noses, some days Melora had doubts she had taken the right baby home from St. Mungo's.