Thanks JK! I have no imagination without any impetus from you (and even then it's not much)!
"Sirius don't; it's so trashy." Circe murmured against his lips as he tried to kiss her. They were standing on Platform 9 ¾ as the Hogwarts Express chugged beside them, masses of students pouring onto it.
"It's the uniform. Anyway, I shan't see you until you can convince your father to allow us a rendezvous in his office." Sirius grinned against her cheek and whispered in her ear "And you'd better make sure he does soon or I'll floo into Remus's office, rush up to Griffindor Tower and ravish you in your dorm. I don't care who is there."
"Sirius, I am sure I've said this before, but you are bloody incorrigible." But she smiled and kissed him, stopping as she heard the whooping of her friends leaning out the carriage window.
"Circe and the hot older guy, sitting in a tree . . ." came Jemima's voice.
"Bloody hell Sirius, you're going to ruin my reputation."
"You'll ruin mine more if people find out we're affiliated" Remus said as he marched towards them and snatched up Circe's hand.
"Come on Circe, the train actually wants to leave today." Allowing them one last kiss, Remus pulled her away, putting on his best 'Professor' face to assure the students watching that it wasn't OK to be making out with older men on a school owned platform.
"Is it true that you're Dumbledore's daughter and you were kidnapped by You-Know-Who?"
The question, spouted by a particularly brave second year Ravenclaw in the corridors of Hogwarts on their fifth day back startled Circe. She flashed the second year an intimidating look that only a prefect could muster and he ran back to his little friends whispering affrightedly. She sighed and walked to her father's office, unsure of how to broach this new obstacle.
They were all gathered in the Great Hall, Dumbledore facing the students with Circe at his right hand.
"You have all heard the rumours" he began.
A whisper ran through the student body as they looked at Circe.
"They are, for the most part, true" Dumbledore's voice rose above the noise and the students fell silent at this revelation.
"Circe is, in fact, my daughter. We had thought it best to hide her identity for her own protection. As many of you know Lord Voldemort's reach is growing..."
There was a general shudder at the mention of his name. Voldemort had gained enough power to be feared.
"Although you may pass it off as arrogance, Voldemort has never been terribly fond of me. You also may have noticed Circe's unique command of magic which was another impetuous to keep her arrival at Hogwarts as unpublished as possible. It is also true that Voldemort did abduct Circe over the summer seeking to understand her magic, but as you can see, she escaped unharmed. However, it is not true that Professor McGonagall is her mother or that she is a vampire. And I assure you her prefect status has nothing to do with her paternity. This issue has no bearing on either of our relationships with any of you. You should continue to seek my guidance and Circe's friendship."
Albus' speech had ended soon after this and Circe's friends had cornered her in her dormitory. She was relieved to find they were impressed by her parentage, as she told them the full story of Cybele and Artemis and Dumbledore. She had feared she would be ostracised in the growing disdain towards any who were not pureblood witches or wizards. The general student body accepted this revelation as well, coming more often to Circe for guidance on academic or personal matters, enjoying her warm and impartial presence. Finally, free to be herself without concealing secrets other than those of the Order of the Phoenix, she almost felt at home.
Remus' presence was more fun than Circe had imagined. She had a friend from the Order, who was under fifty, to talk to during term. They conversed, debated and strategised while they had private tea parties and played cards. But it wasn't long before she began to miss the others. As much as she loved her school friends, it was nice to have friends who were cognisant to what was happening in the real world outside of school. It had been weeks. It was almost Christmas – Remus was encouraging her to wait rather than hassling her father to let her stay in London for a weekend as Dumbledore had more important things to contemplate. Finally, the Christmas hols came. Circe opted to stay at Lily and James's new house in Godrick's Hollow rather than accompanying her father back to Cybele. She and Remus stood in Dumbledore's office, Remus shaking his hand and Circe kissing him goodbye before they flooed to the Potter's.
Sirius whirled Circe around in his arms as soon as she stepped from the fireplace, kissing her deeply, ignoring the presence of the other's until her sense of propriety kicked in and she broke the kiss, slipping out of his arms and crossing to James and Lily. Remus was embracing Sirius as James pressed a glass into her hands and swept her up in a hug. Lily was holding a glass already and motioned for Circe to follow her through to the kitchen while the reunited men gathered around the sitting room.
"Are you alright Lil?" Circe looked at her friend, concerned. There was an unfamiliar scent emanating from her skin.
"I'm fine darling, why do you ask?" Lily looked at her as though her question was completely unwarranted. Perhaps it's just the new house, thought Circe.
"Oh, Lily I missed you." Circe put her wine on the bench and wrapped her arms around the older woman.
"I missed you too." Lily smiled against her forehead.
"You don't know how unbearable it was having Sirius moping around every time we visited each other." Lily teased.
"He is pathetic." Circe smiled as she released Lily.
"And I heard your identity is common knowledge now."
"Yes, its fantastic. No more nagging from my friends or hiding my ears or having to be careful what kind of magic I perform in class."
"What about Severus? Is he still being shitty?"
"Yeah, I guess. We've had six Occlumency lessons this term and he hasn't breached my mind once but all the praise I got was "Well done for not cocking up again Miss Dumbledore." But he has been perfectly cordial in every other respect."
"I'm glad to hear it. I would have used my new-found aggressive abilities on him."
"Aggressive abilities?" Circe picked up her wine again and leaned against the bench looking at Lily expectantly.
"Yeah. James and Sirius and I, as well as Remus when he can sneak away, have been practicing. I knocked both James and Sirius flat on their arses within a week of each other."
"Good work Lil. Cheers." Circe saluted Lily with her wine glass.
The days passed quickly, Sirius was doing his best to keep Circe in bed again and Remus was marking papers religiously while Lily and James were at work. It was on the evening of the fifth day when Sirius and Circe had finally ventured from the bedroom. Remus had abandoned his papers and was playing wizard's chess with Peter Pettigrew when Lily and James walked through the door hand in hand. James was grinning his face off as Remus passed him a beer; Lily uncharacteristically declined hers and sat on the sofa.
"We've something to tell you guys." Her voice was a little high but there was a grin on her lips. The scent that had been bothering Circe since she arrived permeated her nostrils again and she realised she only smelt it around Lily.
"Oh my God." Circe burst out. "You're pregnant."
James roared ecstatically and Lily nodded, smiling broadly.
"Oh, by the goddess, I am so sorry!" Circe called her own faux pas.
"Fuck it Circe! I'm still bloody happy!" James grinned broadly at everyone.
"How did you know?" Lily asked Circe.
"I can smell it." The others nodded, remembering Elves' ability to smell chemical changes in people's bodies.
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Circe jumped onto the sofa beside Lily, hugging her hard. Sirius, Peter and Remus hugged James before walking over to Lily. Circe approached James who was still grinning maniacally and squeezed him.
"It's fantastic news James."
"Isn't it?" He hugged her hard.
"Beer!" Shouted Sirius, conjuring more as well as a pumpkin juice that he passed condescendingly to Lily.
"I don't believe James is having a kid." Sirius was holding Circe close to his chest as they lay in bed.
"Its great news," Circe replied, tracing patterns around his pectorals. "They're so happy."
"Bad time to do it though."
Circe wanted to admonish him but knew the truth in his words.
"It's ok Sirius, we'll kick Riddle's arse soon enough. Then their little brat will have a decent life."
"Did you say yes?"
"To what?"
"To being Godmother?"
"Yes. Did you?"
"I'd make a crap Godmother. Wrong genitalia."
"That's not what I meant." She smiled, her cheek pressing against his warm skin.
"I know."
"Well did you?"
"Yes. But I should make an effort to grow up. The kid will be more mature than its Godfather in a couple of years."
Circe snuggled closer into him, smiling. "You'll be perfect. You'll give the kid his first beer, his first joint and teach him how to seduce the ladies. Unless it's a girl, then you'll give her her first martini, her first pill and seduce her when she comes of age."
"Is that what you think of me?"
"Unless I'm about, then I'll put an appropriate matronly stop to such illicit activities."
"What do you mean? You don't think we'll still be together?"
"I don't know Sirius." Circe felt her face flush under his questioning.
"You better still be with me, you little wench." He pulled her tighter, almost squeezing the air from her body and kissed her hard. His hands raked through her hair possessively. "You shan't leave me Circe?"
"Gods Sirius! I'm the one who is supposed to be soulful and pathetic. You're the first man I've ever been with."
"But you're my first love Circe."
Circe jumped from the bed and raced to the bathroom, vomiting copiously in the toilet.
He loved her? The thought made her head pound. Circe couldn't deny that she had considered that she should be in love with him, maybe might be one day, but him professing his love for her made her feel a little anxious. Why should it be so? she thought. Was it the fact that more and more muggles were disappearing under an incompetent government? Or that more and more students were being pulled out of Hogwarts by parents who felt it was safer to keep a personal eye on them? The fact that Death Eaters had attacked her twice? The fact that her father's face was permanently drawn these days? Circe always gauged the climate of the wizarding world by the expression on Albus' face.
And now Lily and James were having a baby and she and Sirius were to be Godparents. Did that just feel like too much commitment? Courting in Cybele lasted for years before any real commitment was made. In fact, her parents had had the shortest courtship in centuries – a mere twenty years before they married and only twelve more before they had Circe. She obviously had to adjust to the way relationships were performed in this world. Maybe she was just afraid to lose him in the war that loomed closer and closer. Anyway, being Godparents together meant nothing. The Potters may well have asked the two of them if they hadn't been seeing each other. Circe pulled her head out of the toilet, wiping her mouth.
Sirius was standing behind her. She hadn't noticed. She smiled apologetically at him before walking to the sink to rinse her mouth.
"Sorry darling. Maybe I drank too much tonight."
"Don't lie. I'm sorry I scared you. Sometimes I forget how young you are and that you come from a different culture. I just, I . . . I didn't see the point in not telling you. I do love you Circe. You're the first woman I ever have loved. I don't mean to scare you, but. . . Well, just so you know." He finished pathetically, smiling sadly down at her. Circe reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, her mind racing.