Chapter Ten: Boys, Girls and Dementors

I disclaim it all! (watch for blood content...like a drop really)

"I didn't mean to, James, I swear," I heard Sirius say from the other room.

"Sirius, she's my sister and Harry's friend and godmother! She's from the future! And if you went over seas you'd find a baby in her place!"

"She's not in the future right now. She's here. It's not as if we meant this to happen. Not as if I meant this to happen. God, this is all my fault! If I hadn't bugged her about the bloody blanket she wouldn't have called me stubborn," Sirius' voice trailed off.

I stayed quiet, pretending to still be asleep.

The healers had revived me and Amanda had called for Sirius. We had come strait to Lily and James' house because it was safer in Amanda's opinion. I had fallen asleep in the spare bedroom after sobbing into Sirius' shoulder for half an hour but I had woken up to here him and James arguing.

I kept my eyes closed for fear of the door being open. I didn't really want to talk to anyone. I would tell Sirius it wasn't his fault later. I would tell him I could've stopped him. I would tell him we wouldn't call the baby a mistake or an accident. I would tell him it would all be all right. And I would hope he would believe me more than I believed myself.

I listened to them walk away, still arguing, before sitting up and bringing my knees to my chest, holding myself curled up in a ball. All sorts of thoughts were buzzing in my head.

What will everyone say? Will they expect us to be excited? What will Dumbledore think? What's going to happen when we do reach my normal time…? Is it a boy or a girl…? What will we name it?

My last thought surprised me a little and I immediately began making a mental list of names that I would tell Sirius about later. Whatever we decided to do, the baby had to have a name. A name. It would define the baby forever. That's when I realized just how big this whole thing was. It wasn't going to be all about me or all about Sirius and how it would affect our lives. It was about the baby's life too.

There was a gentle knock at the door and I looked over to see James standing there looking at me with his overly concerned big brother eyes.

"I can't think of one," I said off-handedly.

He gave me a questioning look coming into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "One what?"

"A name. The most important part of this baby," I replied turning away from him to stare blankly at the foot of the bed. "You can't be mad at Sirius. I could've stopped him," I said quietly.

"I know but I just didn't like seeing you upset and I wanted to blame someone," James replied lamely. "Keena?"

"Yeah?"

"Sirius left,"

My head snapped up to look at James.

"Where did he go?"

"He said he had to take a walk. He wanted to clear his head for a bit. I just wanted to let you know before I went to look for him."

"James, you shouldn't be leaving the house so much anymore," I said, swinging me legs off the bed. "Sirius can handle himself. He'll be back before you know it,"

Sirius didn't come back. Not for a full day and a half and surprisingly I wasn't panicking. Lily was visibly nervous and constantly went to check on Harry. James kept pacing around the room. Dumbledore had sent out a few members of the Order to look for him but had told James he had to stay with Lily and Harry.

"James?" he stopped pacing long enough to give me a look that plainly said 'why the bloody hell aren't you hysterical yet?' but then continued to go in circles around the living room. "Well, I'll ask you anyway. Has anyone checked the apartment yet?" thinking how hard I would laugh if they hadn't.

"I would think so," he replied.

"Oh."

"Aren't you scared or anything?"

I shook my head in response.

"Not at all?"

"No,"

"What is wrong with you today?"

"Being from the future has its advantages," I said shrugging. "And I'm pretty certain he's fine,"

"If being from the future had advantages, you wouldn't be pregnant,"

"How do you know? Maybe it's a good thing,"

James just shook his head when there was a loud rumbling outside of the door.

"What was that?" I asked as James went over to investigate. He stood at the door for about two seconds before wrenching it open and shooting outside. I ran over to the doorway to find James dueling with Sirius, who had just barely stepped off a huge motorcycle.

"James! What is your problem?" Sirius shouted as they shot minor spells at one another.

"Disappearing for two bloody days to buy a bugger of a motorcycle? What kind of arse are you exactly? Dumbledore sent a bleeding search party after you! We all thought you were dead!"

"I told you I wanted to go clear my head!"

"So what the hell is with the motorcycle?"

"I was walking by and I saw it and I wanted it! Is that alright with you?"

James stopped firing spells at Sirius to stare. "How far did you walk?"

"I apparated first," Sirius replied. "It took me longer than I expected to get back here that's all,"

I laughed and they both turned to face me. "Dumbledore is going to have your head," I smiled.

"Why settle for just the head?"

I turned around to see Dumbledore walking through the Potter's living room and over to the doorway where I was standing. I stopped smiling at the grim expression I was given from the headmaster and I was instantly reminded that I was only going to be a thirteen year old when I returned to my time.

Dumbledore held a conversation with Sirius in private and by the time they came back (for they had gone to Hogwarts to discuss whatever they had discussed) Sirius was a ball of fury and Dumbledore seemed more worried than when he had left. Sirius didn't say a word but walked out from the fireplace strait past James, Lily and I and out the door. From outside we heard a loud crack signifying a careless apparation followed in quick succession by another one. Sirius poked his head inside the door for a moment to tell me he'd see me at home before apparating away once more.

James frowned, Lily's eyes widened, and I arched an eyebrow.

"What did you say to him?" I asked causing all eyes to turn to the headmaster.

"That is--"

"Lemme guess, a matter between yourself and Sirius? Sir, seriously, do you really think he won't rant?" I asked. "I'd rather have both parties' versions personally,"

"I asked him where he went exactly and he supposed that I thought that he was in the company of Voldemort," Dumbledore answered after a moment. "I thought it odd that he jump to a conclusion such as that so quickly, so I questioned him a little more,"

"And when you realized you were mistaken and you apologized?" James guessed.

Dumbledore didn't say anything for a minute. "We must consider all the possibilities."

"Get out," James commanded. "When you accuse Sirius, you accuse all of us. He is the most loyal friend—no brother, that I have and ever will have. Nothing will ever change that,"

The professor heaved a heavy sigh before departing back through the fireplace. Just before he went he said, "James you know as well as I do the risks you are taking," then he left.

At those words, James paled and faced me for a moment before shaking his head and going slowly up the stairs.

Being five months pregnant was no picnic. My stomach had nearly doubled in size outward and it was harder to walk through crowds, not that I did that often. My wardrobe had changed completely and so had my eating habits. I craved random foods at random times in the day and most of the time they were strange combinations, though one night I needed Mexican food and I made Sirius get up and help me find a place that was open.

It had taken a while (and a few minor arguments) but we had chosen two names for the baby, one for each gender. We had decided on Aradia if we had a girl and Damian if it was a boy. Sirius had picked the boy's name and I the girl's name. It finally seemed as though everything was going to turn out to be all right.

It was late April now and I had woken up to an empty apartment. Sirius had left a short note on the counter reading that there had been an attack on a muggle street and Death Eaters were raiding the apartments and homes. It wasn't an unusual event so I left the note on the counter and went to get dressed. It had been decided long ago that I would go to James and Lily's house if Sirius wasn't home. He didn't want me staying alone in case something happened.

I finished getting dressed and was about to apparate when a loud bang erupted from one of the lower floors of the apartment building. The explosion shook the building violently and I fell to the ground along with several items that had previously been on a dresser or shelf. Suddenly I heard screams coming from below.

I rushed to a window to see cloaked and hooded creatures gliding along the streets mixed in with Death Eaters running, pointing their wands in the directions they wanted the dementors to go. I slammed the window shut as I felt a rush of cold air blow in threw it.

I tried to apparate but I couldn't. The Death Eaters had set up barriers so that no one could escape. My heart began to beat faster and I tried to apparate again but to no avail. Suddenly the screams seemed much closer and I gasped as cold air flooded the room. I thought I heard another bang but next moment I saw Mrs. Potter laying in her own pool of blood and the inferi of Mr. Potter standing over her.

I brought my hands to my eyes, trying to make the memories go away. I tried to think of a happy time, but Mr. and Mrs. Potter kept reappearing. Suddenly there was another loud bang and I looked up to see a seven-foot monster gliding in towards me, its cold, gray hand reaching out from under the sleeves of its cloak.

I took a step back only to trip over a book that had fallen to the floor. I landed on my back and hit my head on the side of the bed. I gasped out in pain and the cold seemed to deepen.

The dementor continued to come closer. Floating over me, it slowly reached up and began lowering its hood.

CLIFFY! So mean! Only one way to see what happens next! Until chapter 11!

:-D