AN: PLEASE READ- I am starting a poll for Ria's baby's gender and name. Please vote and review. Offer a few names for the kid. Thanks.
Impressions
The remaining order members watched as their guests were shown down the hall to their wing. Each one had different thoughts as to what this meant for the war effort. Albus called a new meeting to order as the marauders and Lily returned from showing them to the rooms. "Well what do you think of these people?" Padfoot was the first to answer, "I have spent the most time with them and I feel confident that they will be able to help us to the best of their abilities. I saw them training and living their lives for a week, even if it was hectic because of our departure. Ria is a natural born leader; she is in control of their missions and of their world. Ron is a planner; his strategies and techniques are unmatched. Hermione is the brains behind their force; she does all the research and figures out what is going on. Harry is their power and heart; he is what they rally around and who fights the battles. Together those four are a force to be reckoned with."
Lily spoke up, "I talked to Ria on the way to their rooms, and she is very brave and very foolish. Can you believe that she actually jumped dimensions while six-months pregnant. I mean that is so ridiculous." The women all shook their heads at that, but most were smiling at the thought of having a child around again. It had been a long time since any of them had thought that they could live a normal life. James spoke up, "I think that to her being with her family, and that's what those people are to each other, was the most important thought in her mind when she came. I talked to Malfoy and Snape and those two are different from the two we know. They still behave similarly, but there is no malice behind their words, just snarkiness. Wow, I just said we could trust Snape, what is the world coming to."
Dumbledore stood, "Sirius, what bout their animals?" "Well, Ria's are a phoenix and dog. She uses them to see and get around. All the big animals are trained for battle. Harry had a snake that he can talk to; in their war he used it for spying. Hermione used her cat for the same purpose. The birds are used as messengers and scouts, because Ria can spell them so she can see through their eyes." Dumbledore then addressed the order, "Well, I think that it is late and we should all go to sleep. Active members please report to the training room at 7:00 to take them up on their offer to train us. We will see what they can teach us and how much help they can give us tomorrow." The order members stood and dispersed to their rooms.
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In a different part of the complex Sirius and Harry were lying awake in their bed after making love. Both of them needed the relief the act would bring, and coming from the absolute silence of silencing charms they guessed the other couples needed it as well. So much had happened over the last week. While he was getting everything ready it had slipped Harry's mind that his parents would be here. Well, they weren't his parents, but they were close enough to cause his heart to hurt. He rolled over to look at Sirius, wondering what he was thinking, even after all this time Sirius still blamed himself for the deaths of James and Lily. "Siri, are you alright?" "I don't know Harry love, on one hand it's great to see everyone again, but I was getting over everything. I was happy with you and our family, even Snape, and now everything is out of whack." "I'm sorry love maybe we shouldn't have come. This is all my fault." "No it's not Harry, we needed to do something. We all know that life was becoming extremely dull at home and one of us, most likely Ria, was going to do something bad to make life interesting soon. Listen I am happy with you. I am over their deaths. Yes it will always hurt, but I have to move on and be content with my life." "Thanks Siri, I love you." "Love you too Harry."
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Remus stood in the doorway connecting the bathroom to his bedroom watching as his mate slept with an arm draped over their cub. He had never been so happy in his life than the day he found out he would be a father. He knew that he drove Ria to madness with his incessant worrying, but she was giving him something he never thought he would have. By the time he was fifteen there were laws already passed that made it illegal for him to get married and have children, when Arthur was made minister and the laws changed his life had improved so much. He had watched the jealousy flare in the other Remus's eyes at the thought that he had a wife and a family. Seeing James and Lily again had been hard on both him and Ria. He knew that if she weren't pregnant and worn out, Ria would have been seeking reassurance from his touch tonight. As it was she was still tossing and turning in her sleep, which meant that tonight would be spent dealing with nightmares. He walked over to the bed and lay next to her, almost immediately she had rolled over and cuddled into his side. Remus draped an arm over her, resting his hand on his cub and she settled down into sleep, Remus following soon after.
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In their wing the marauders and are assimilating everything they have seen and heard in the last few hours. Padfoot was bombarded with questions that he answered to the best of his abilities. Both he and Moony are sulking though because their counterparts are happy and have found people to spend the rest of their lives with, even if the two were Harry and Arianna. James and Lily were ecstatic to see their children, though they are different. Hopefully over time they would get to know them and form some type of bond, even if it would only be for a little while. Soon they five went into their rooms and went to sleep, excited by what the next day will bring.
