A/N: big moment here and I hope you all like it.

this writer of words doesn't own Harry Potter and wishful thinking doesn't count…

Chapter Three: This is What the Stork Brought…

Gran's cottage was located near the outskirts of Hogsmeade and had one spectacular view of Hogwarts. It was two stories with the bedroom upstairs with a living room, kitchen and study downstairs. Gran admitted that the only residence of the cottage since Granddad died had been the dust bunnies. There was a houself that seen to the up keep but he only came about twice a week to clean. Gran and Granddad had lived there from when they'd married as early twenty something's until about late 1981 or early 1982 before they moved into Fracochtur after Gran's brothers had passed; it was the family seat.

There'd been a little work that'd gone into the cottage before Angie and Gran had officially moved in, little bit of remodeling and bringing the cottage up to code that Uncle Ted and a couple of his buddies had seen too. Rotten beams, shingles and carpets had been replaced while the wood floors had been refurbished. The kitchen got new appliances that ran off charms as Hogsmeade didn't have electricity. They'd added an extra room while they were at it, at Gran's request, for a nursery.

Besides getting away for a while and decompressing a bit, that's why Harry and I were here at the cottage. We were helping to decorate the nursery, painting it and move in the furniture that Gran, Angie and Aunt Andy had picked out. Harry and I were there for the manual labor and dismal painting skills.

I got Robert's bedroom that still had a few of his childhood things there. That must have been a mixed bag of cats, living so close to Hogwarts. Probably took the mysticism out for the boat ride across the lake…if they were doing that then. It was mostly posters, trinkets and a few articles of clothing (Ravenclaw themed) but it was enough to make the room feel like him. I really wish I could have meet him.

Harry and I had the widow open in the nursery, three days into our week at Gran's. The record player blaring as we worked on filling in the paint by number mural that Gran had put on the wall; just a flick of her wrist and there were griffins, giraffes, elephants, lions, cats and a dragon over grassy fields and a pond. We were moving quite well along, half the room was finished, with only minimal paint splatter on each other when Uncle Ted arrived with more paint and pizza.

We were sitting at the kitchen table, Angie was relishing every bite because her intake was being watched because of how much chocolate she admitted to having consumed. Angie's baby healer had put her on a healthier diet and vitamin potions that weekend before school had let out.

"So, I got a request today, Angie," Uncle Ted said slowly "Hermione is back from holiday," my head snapped up, I hadn't realized that much time had passed "and she'd like to join Athena here."

"Oh," Angie blinked and rubbed at her stomach before sighing "I guess it'd be alright, she'd find out sooner rather than later," the girl frowned and looked to Gran "what do you think, Professor?"

"Firstly, Angie you can call me Minerva or Gran like Harry has taken too," Gran grinned as she reached out ruffled up a beaming Harry's hair "none of this professor stuff until we're in school, got it?"

Angie nodded a bit self-consciously and asked again "but…umm, what do you think?"

Gran sighed heavily, they'd been having that argument since Gran was granted guardianship "I am not against it but only if you are comfortable, Angelina."

Angie set her slice of pizza down and looked to her swollen belly "okay," she said looking back up "but I want to talk to her alone, if can, first when she gets here. I-I know how infatuated Hermione had been with Gilderoy and well…I just don't want her to think badly of me."

I put a hand on Angie's shoulder and grinned "Myne can be pretty understanding if giving the chance."

Harry and I were putting the finishing touches on the nursery's paint job when Hermione arrived. For once it was pretty hot in Scotland and Harry and I had been resorted to wearing tank tops. Harry had stolen one from me that Nym had supplied me with; the Auror shirts were addictive to wear when one considers that it was the shirt that saved me from Riddle's stunning spell.

Angie and Hermione were in the living room and Gran pulled us into the back garden to give the girls some privacy. Gran just sighed heavily when Harry and I found some old brooms in the shed there and started playing air tag which turned into bumper cars. Woman could have strangled the pair of us when Harry gave a bit too hard of a hit and somehow I ended up standing on top of the garden shed, my broom on the ground.

"That's it!" Gran cried as I lowered myself to the ground, throwing up her hands "you lot aren't allowed to do anything beyond breathe otherwise you'll kill each other."

"Aw, Gran," Harry pouted as he jumped up on my back and rode on my back as we made our way over to her "that fiasco with the stairs and that sheet of cardboard wasn't our fault."

She narrowed her eyes at him "the first time you surfed down my stairs Mr. Potter, but the fourth or fifth?"

Harry jumped down and just hugged the woman until she relented. The boy was very much loving this family thing and getting hugs all the time. I was smiling at this when I got my own hug when Hermione came from the cottage and basically broadsided me. There were tear streak down her face, I saw that before my vision was corrupted by bush brown hair.

"How is it you're taller than the last time I saw you?" Hermione complained grumpily

I shrugged "growth spurt," I told her "what can I do to make this better?"

"Kick that man the tenders?" Hermione asked miserably "several times with great force."

Chuckling, I pointed out "I did punch him twice in the face and if he ever gets better he'll go to Azkaban," I frowned then and lowered my voice "which I can tell you is a not so happy place of cold, gloomy misery."

Hermione smirked as she looked up at me and wiped at her cheeks "I never thought cold, gloomy misery would make me feel better about something."

"She's going to be okay, you know," Harry said coming over and rubbing Hermione's shoulder "Angie's got us, don't she? And Gran and Uncle Ted, plus Jubilee and Kreacher. Wish those two would stop bickering. They're going it every time they pop into a room together; and its nice bickering too. They're so polite to each other even when Jubilee is smacking Kreacher with a pillow."

Hermione giggled into my shoulder before looking up at me, geez I really was getting taller than her if only several centimeters "I forgive you by the way," I raised as curious eyebrow, not sure what she meant "for keeping this bit of information from me, what Lockhart said to you in the cavern and Angie's condition."

"Oh, right," I nodded "sorry, that wasn't mine or Harry's to tell. Hey, want to see some wicked?"

I snagged Hermione's bags before we headed up the stairs, dropping them on the bed as I dragged her to the window of my room. The look of awe on her face was mesmerizing, the girl was so beautiful that I couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in chest. I think I fell a little harder for her; and I cursed myself for it

"So, whatcha think?" I asked to distract myself "castle looks completely different from here, don't it?"

Hermione was grinning as she looked over at me "whole different perspective, thank you Hammy."

"For what?" I asked "showing a castle that's you've spent the last two years at?" shaking my head as Hermione just rolled her eyes as she dragged me back out of the room.

That night found Hermione, Harry, Angie and I bunkered down in a blanket fort in Angie's room. We were reading comic books and snacking on hidden candy that we'd gotten from Honeydukes. Granted that we'd get to visit on weekends during school but having Gran show us around was the best.

"So…" I'd washed down the last of a cauldron cake with lemonade. I wanted to talk to them about Azkaban because this was something that had been bugging if the nightmares I'd been having were anything to go by "I want…I need to tell you guys about Azkaban, just wish Neville was here so I could get it out in one go."

Hermione leaned into me, comfortingly, as I started the story from meeting the Lestranges at Gringotts. She scowled a little when I mentioned what Uncle Ted had said about Pierre and crushes, she slipped her hand into mine when I theorized that Uncle Ted had done drugs once upon a time to come up with that. I noticed the smirk that passed between Angie and Harry, their eyes flicking from Hermione to myself.

I got Harry's attention when I mentioned that I'd found another…shit, what had Kreacher named that locket? Well…it was certainly dark and troublesome as it felt the same as the diary and the locket. The three of them found that interesting when I explained that my hand could feel magic. Hermione was inspecting my hand.

"Seriously?" Angie asked curiously "then how'd you never feel my concealment charms?"

"Maybe the diary was high jacking your whatever," Harry offered chewing on a gummy wand "I was carrying it with me for a while and then Hermione went all stony on us and your emotions were wacky."

I shrugged and pointed at Harry "boy's probably right, I don't know how it works but…" I frowned and looked to Harry "do you remember what Peeves was shouting when we found Justin?"

Harry's face darkened "yea, I do."

"Harry, Sirius Black, my cousin, was friends with your dad," I frowned "he went to Azkaban for supposedly murdering a bunch of muggles and some bloke named Peter Pettigrew."

Harry frowned "what's that got to do with my dad?" he asked

"He was something called a secret-keeper to them, under a fidelius charm, it keeps things hidden," I explained "but if you believe the mainstream than Sirius is the one who sold your parents out to Riddle."

Harry's face started to darken and paused "I hate it when you say 'if you believe'," he growled "what'd ya mean by it now?"

"Simple fact is Harry is that I don't know if he did what he was accused of because he was never taken to trial and proven guilty of his crimes," I shrugged "you lot know how I feel about proof. I mean, here's a guy who ran away from his family at sixteen because he didn't like their stance on muggle-borns and blood purity. He gave up a title for it and a shite-tone of gold or tried too," I pointed out "he's good friends with your dad and some bloke named Moony Remus or Remus Moony or something like that."

Harry huffed and left the blanket fort. He took the rest of the conversation with him and I never got to tell them about Bellatrix. I slipped out next of Angie's room next. Heading to my room where I could sit in the window and stare at the castle in the moonlight. I played with the ring that was always on my hand, chosen for me by Bellatrix.

Baby shopping was the most annoying and depressing thing I'd ever experienced in a shop. I was thoroughly convinced that the only reason Harry and I were brought along was so we could carry the shopping bags. Both Harry and I were ready to kill Gran, Aunt Andy, Angie, Hermione, Nym and Mrs. Granger (who'd been told and wanted in to support Angie) by the time that lunch came round and we were shoving bags into the boot of Aunt Andy's car.

We'd gone to Diagon Alley for lunch because Aunt Andy and Gran wanted to visit the shopping district for some specialty new born shops. Had lunch at a little café in a pocket alcove where Harry and I put away our burgers, chips and seconds on milkshakes before even Angie was done.

When the older women started trading baby stories Harry and I snuck away; they never noticed…none of them. Things got better when we ran into Neville browsing one of the vendor stalls that sporadically lined the alley. He was with his Gran and it was with a sigh that the woman shooed us along after giving Neville a small coin purse, telling him not to spend it all in one place.

"I feel like a bottomless pit," I frowned, Neville hadn't eaten yet and so we wound up at the ice cream shop that also sold sandwiches and hot foods. Harry and I had put away a large order of chili cheese chips and another milkshake each; there was no sharing "these are so good!"

"Could be cause we're growing," Neville offered, he and I were staying close to the same height, Harry was a shade shorter "Gran says that my dad would have eaten her out of house and home if given the chance."

Harry patted his full stomach and sighed "I could die happy right now, I think Aunt Andy might have to roll me home."

Neville and I chuckled about that; mostly for me because I was nodding in agreement. Might have to take a page out of Angie's book and waddle about until digestion set in but as it was, none of us waddled out the outside dining area of the parlor. Of course we left with ice cream cones in hand, great divines we were going to make ourselves sick at this rate.

The three of us managed to visit my favorite junk store where I found Hermione's birthday present, Harry and Neville liking what I'd gotten and bought likeminded items for it. Also found something for Angie in there as well, which the clerk happily shrunk for me so it would fit in my bags. We visited the various candy stores along the way and found that jelly filled confections were becoming popular. Got several tins of this new trend, biscuits, gummies, hard candies and little pastries. Made it through the joke shop, the book shop and was drooling at brooms at the Game store window when we got caught by a group of unhappy women.

Lady Longbottom was very amused as Gran dressed Harry and me down, Neville was guilty by association before Lady Longbottom came to our rescue. Pointing out that we hadn't left the alley and that not every teen likes clothes shopping. Didn't get us out of trouble for sneaking off though.

Before Lady Longbottom left with her grandson, she let us know that they were having a little get together at Longbottom Manor for Neville's birthday; Harry's too if he wanted to be included. Aunt Andy thanked the woman before we went our separate ways. I think Harry and I would have liked to go with Neville instead of going home because Aunt Andy ranted at us the whole why home while Nym sampled the candy we'd gotten.

We were supposed to be putting together a baby shower for Angie that next day. Mrs. Granger had worked it out with her husband so she could have a few days to help us. Gran and Angie had arrived early that morning and were helping put together food stuffs, gift bags and non-alcoholic drinks; apparently drinking copious amounts of alcoholic drinks is a thing for baby showers. Aunt Andy and Mrs. Granger were lamenting the fact that there'd be none at this party. Things were moving along find until Angie suddenly cried out and put her hands to her stomach.

She looked up at Gran, everyone in the room having stopped what we were doing to look at her "I think my water just broke."

The adults flew into pandemonium then as Gran sent Nym to the cottage for Angie's bag that was by the door, while Gran and Aunt Andy keeping Angie on her feet headed for the floo. Mrs. Granger stayed with the rest of us teenagers, getting us calmed down and the party stuff put away. I sent Gorgo to Uncle Ted telling him about Angie.

"She's going to be okay, right?" I asked worry and concern in my voice, we were seated in the living room watching some random movie that'd been in the VCR; had to rewind it first though. I looked up at Mrs. Granger "Mrs. G, Angie's going to be fine, right? I mean, she's almost sixteen but that's still too young, right?"

Mrs. Granger smiled tenderly me "Angie is going to be just fine, poppet," she pinching at my nose "you think your aunt would allow for anything else?"

Hermione and I sat on either side of the woman while Harry sat of the floor pressed back into her legs. We stayed there like that for the rest of the two hour movie, ordered a pizza that Mrs. Granger went and picked up because she wanted to drinks as well. The woman even picked up a newer movie while she was out.

We stayed up that night until exhaustion caught up with us. Uncle Ted was home by then and found us air mattresses which Jubilee got inflated and made into beds in the living room. The man transfigured the couch for Mrs. Granger and put up some charmed fairy lights about the room before he claimed one of the mattress for himself.

Morning, well…afternoon found me wrapped up around Hermione as we'd shared. I'd forgotten about my cuddling tendencies when we'd fallen asleep very early that morning. My cheek was pressed to Hermione's shoulder with my arms around her to make her the little spoon, our legs were intertwined. I was woken because someone was poking my shoulder.

"Hammy, wake up!" that was Hermione's voice buzzing at me

I shook my head and tightened my grip "no, warm and comfy, shush dream Myne," I mumbled back.

Hermione giggled a little "I'm not a dream, Hammy and I have to use the loo!"

Smirking I shook my head "you're someone's dream, love, now shush, sleepy."

"Athena Cassiopeia Black, you wake up now!" Hermione glowed before she pinched me

"OW!" I cried, fully awake now, letting of Hermione and rolled away, coming off the edge of the mattress "what was that fer, ya mean penguin?"

Hermione just glared softly "maybe next you should wake up the first time I call you, Athena," she said before getting up and racing for the bathroom.

I looked to Hermione's parents (both of them) who were sitting on the reformed couch with a cup of coffee and a donut each. Mrs. Granger was grinning like she knew an inside joke and Mr. Granger looked sympathetically towards me. I looked to them for answers as I was rubbing my arm that was bruising.

"Can't help ya kid," Mr. Granger shook his head "there's donuts and chocolate milk in the kitchen."

I nodded, trying not to yawn "thanks…umm any word on Angie?"

Mrs. Granger frowned "still in labor. Makes it almost twenty four hours since her water broke," I frowned, deflating a bit and rocking back on my heels "hey," I looked back up at the Grangers "I was in labor with Hermione for almost two days because the little brat wasn't ready to come into the world just yet. My theory is that she was trying to decide if she really wanted to come now or later, Doctors said it was because she wouldn't get in the right position," Mrs. Granger just shrugged as her husband and I chuckled "just proved my point. I had the worst false labor with her, keep us going to the hospital for almost two weeks."

"Mum!" Hermione protested coming came "stop already!" she glared at me as she down on the makeshift bed "and you are a cuddle monster with death grip, Miss Black."

My blush would have put the Weasleys' hair color to shame. I muttered an apology and fled to the kitchen were Uncle Ted and Harry were. The elder Grangers' chuckles following me out of the living room. Uncle Ted raised an eyebrow at me as I rubbed at my burning cheeks as I sat down at the table.

He poured me a glass of chocolate milk and put a couple donuts on a plate, sliding it towards me. I blushed again when Hermione sat down beside me with the Gangers following. She nudged my shoulder to make me look at her.

"You alright?" she asked slipping her arm through mine

I nodded "yep, perfectly fine."

Mr. Granger coughed suddenly and when I looked to him Hermione kissed my cheek. I froze with a growing grin on my face. A pleasant tingling went throughout my body radiating from my cheek. Slowly my hand come up to rest her lips had been and then I realized I was being watched…by everyone. Especially some very amused and smirking knowingly Granger elders.

I gave a strangled yelp, making some excuse (might have been about bears attacking, I'm not sure) and fled for the second time that morning. Made sure to take my drink and donuts with me. I ignored Hermione's pounding on my bedroom door.

Should have figured Jubilee would aid Hermione. Two hours after I'd finished my donuts and chocolate milk and dressed, an hour after Hermione had stopped pounding on my door, I was sitting in my bean bag. The radio was on and there was a book propped up on my knees when Jubilee popped into my room, holding Hermione's hand.

"Hey, Jubilee, can I get some more chocolate milk and donuts by chance?" I asked casually

The little elf shrugged and smirked before popping out "of course you can have apple and orange juice."

I frowned "I worry about her."

"I worry about you!" Hermione cried, pacing my bedroom floor "are you alright? I'm sorry I embarrassed you. I wasn't really meaning too, it was something that Dad said I should do. He wanted to prove something."

My frown deepened "your father is sadistic but I'm alright, Myne, just…well, ya know, a bit embarrassed," I sighed heavily "I-I well, yea…."

"I know you like girls, Hammy," Hermione said softy as she knelt in front of me "you don't like boys the other girls do."

"What?" my voice was high pitched, I gulped hard "err…what?"

Hermione smiled "it doesn't make you any different, Athena. Not to me and when you're ready to talk about it let me know."

I just nodded to her, unable to speak. Hermione smiled at me before patting me on the knee and getting up again. She left then, heading back down stairs and leaving me shell shocked with tears forming in my eyes.

What the hell had just happened? Why was everyone so certain of this and accepting of this but me? Why couldn't people just leave me alone about it? I couldn't move and I struggled to breathe, it was coming shuddering gasps. This was the state that Harry found me in ten minutes later. He closed the door and pulled the other bean bag over.

"That was unfair, what Hermione did, outing you like that but I don't think she meant anything mean or vicious," he said softly sitting next to me "Uncle Ted sent me up to see if you were okay. He told the Grangers that you needed to be left alone for now."

I shook my head "I'm not okay, Harry, I'm not. Why can't I be normal?" I asked him "why do I have to be one or the other? What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing wrong with you," he said simply "you're just Athena. You are what you are. You know, I've read some of the books you keep in your trunk over there and it seems to me that the idea of same…err…gender love being bad started after Rome fell," I looked over at him and raised an eyebrow "it was the Christians who made it wrong…they made the human body wrong too. They had weird ideas honestly."

I chuckled as I wiped at my tears "I feel so wrong though…"

"That's only because you like Hermione more than just a friend," Harry said simply "I pay attention, you know. I see how you are with her sometimes and that look on your face. Uncle Ted has it when he looked at Aunt Andy."

Shaking my head, I tossed my book towards my bed "what I am I supposed to do Harry?"

He shrugged "don't know, just be you, Whiskers, that's all you can be, ya know. Being anyone else you'd be a lie. Besides you never know what's going to happen…"

The door opened then and Uncle Ted stuck his head in, he was grinning "Angie's had the baby and their both perfect. Get rid and we'll so see them."

My troubles were forgotten when Aunt Andy placed a yellow swaddled bundle in my arms just moments after we came into Angie's room. She'd named the heavy baby Alec Orion Johnson, the other name had been tainted and Angie just wanted a fresh start; she also drew from a Black family tradition too.

I'm not sure what the Alec Angie's-son's weight was but he was heavy. His skin was a couple shades lighter than Angie's and he's features were more like his fathers but his hair was like Angie's silky and black. I smiled down at the boy, who was staring up at me curiously as a newborn could be. His eyes were blue and they were going to stay blue, I could feel that all the way to my magical core.

"Hello, little man, I'm your Aunt Athena," I was tearing up for a completely different reason than I had earlier "and I promise that you are going to have a good life. You've family that loves you, a mum that would move the world for you and some pretty wicked aunts and uncles."

Alec just yawned tiredly and started getting fussy, I kissed at his little forehead as I gently danced my way back to Angie. She brought him to her breast and though she was completely covered, Harry was blushing from where he was sitting. I ignored the boy as I reached up to brush a few strains of hair out of Angie's tired face.

"What about you, Angie, you alright, big sister?" I asked

Angie looked towards were Gran and Aunt Andy were sitting tiredly with Harry and Hermione, the elder Grangers and Uncle Ted. Her eyes watered as she nodded and caught my hand with hers and for a moment she struggled for words. I rubbed at the back of her hand and waited.

"I wish my parents were here," she finally managed "I wish my mom could see her grandson, I wish they wanted to see him. He wasn't the mistake, my actions were but never him."

I hugged her the best I could and whispered "sometimes family isn't about blood no matter how we wish it," I told her "you aren't alone."