Sorry it has taken me so long to update, lovelies! Midterms are awful! Hope you enjoy finding out just what has been bothering Natalie for the past several weeks; I think you'll be as happy as she is! *Kisses to all of my faithful readers!*
The next day, Natalie waited patiently for Sirius to approach her. He finally did so in early afternoon, motioning for her to follow him outside. They climbed to the top of the mountainside that surrounded the cave, settling down on a rock ledge that overlooked the valley and the tiny town of Hogsmeade. They sat in silence for several moments, the warm sun shining in a cloudless sky. Natalie looked over and noticed that Sirius was chewing on his lower lip, deep in thought. She reached over and laid a soft hand on his arm.
He turned to look at her. His black eyes were unfathomable. "Natalie-" he began.
She gave him a trepid smile. "I know what you're thinking." When he frowned, she looked down at her robes and picked at a piece of imaginary lint. "I overheard you and Remus talking last night." She bit her lip guiltily. "I didn't know how to speak up without getting in trouble for eavesdropping."
He reached over and grasped her hands, marveling at how slim and small they were. "So," he said slowly. "Is it true? Are you-?"
"Pregnant?" she finished for him. She nodded. "I think so, Sirius. Yes."
A wide grin spread across his handsome face. "Really?"
Natalie couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "Are you happy about it?"
Sirius leaned over and held her face in his hands, kissing her hard on the mouth. She laughed as he kissed her wildly, first on her lips, then her cheeks, her forehead, and her nose. She tried to hold him back. "Sirius!" she protested.
"Brilliant, brilliant girl!" he shouted. He stopped and grabbed her face in his hands again. A smile played on her lips as he stared hard into her eyes. "Natalie, I want to marry you," he said firmly.
"W-what?" Her joyful expression betrayed her attempt at seriousness.
"Marry me," he repeated.
"Sirius-"
"I mean it, Nat. I want you to be my wife. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Natalie considered it, only for a moment. Isn't this what she had wanted all along? She had nothing left in the Muggle world to go back to. And Sirius- he made her so happy. Yes, he was impulsive, but hadn't he always been so? His child was growing in her belly. She belonged here, with him.
"Yes," she said finally. "Yes, Sirius. But I have to know-"
"I'm not doing this just because of the baby," he assured her. "I knew- from the moment I saw you- Nat, I can't explain it. I never thought I'd-" Here he broke off and began kissing her fiercely again.
Eventually, he rose to his feet, offering her a hand. When she stood, he surprised her by scooping her up into his arms, laughing. "I'm not letting you do anything," he told her. "I will wait on you hand and foot if I have to, but nothing will upset you or the baby until summer. Hear me?"
He carried her down the trail back to the mouth of the cave and walked inside. Remus looked up from where he sat on the trunk, a piece of parchment on his lap and the tip of a quill pen in his teeth. He raised an eyebrow at Sirius' jubilance. "Alright, there, Padfoot?" he asked mildly.
"Nat agreed to marry me!" he shouted, spinning her around in circles while she laughed wildly.
Remus grinned. "Really? That's wonderful news!"
Natalie struggled in Sirius' arms until he put her back down on her feet. She rushed over to Remus and grabbed his hands, kneeling in front of him. "Are you really happy for us?" she asked earnestly. "Remus, you're my best friend-"
"My kind don't breed," he told her matter-of-factly. "I'm not jealous, if that's what you're asking. I'm truly very happy for both of you. I know it's sudden, but I can't say I didn't expect something like this from him." He looked over at Sirius again and winked. "Congratulations, Padfoot."
Sirius grinned and stuck his hands in the pockets of his robes while Remus took Natalie's hands in his and kissed her cheek. "I wish you all the best," he told her. "You know I will always be at your side if you need anything."
"Well…" Sirius stepped forward, his eyes sparkling. "I do need a best man for the wedding…"
Remus looked surprised. "Me?" he asked, pointing at himself quizzically.
Sirius threw his head back and gave a sharp barking laugh. "Why not? You're the only other Marauder left, Moony."
Remus smiled. He looked over at Natalie, who nodded her agreement. "Alright, then," he said. He paused. "Just don't get married during a full moon," he joked.
"We're not," Sirius told him. "I want a Christmas wedding, while Harry's home from school."
Natalie spun around on her heel to face him. "Christmas? But- Sirius- that's only a couple of weeks away!"
His robes rustled as he walked quickly across the cave to help her to her feet. He touched his forehead to hers, saying, "I don't want to wait, Nat. I want to start my life with you right away. God knows I've waited long enough during all those wasted years in Azkaban." He stroked her hair. "I love you, Natalie. You are the one I've been waiting for, I can feel it."
She felt her eyes water at his words. She smiled. "Alright, Sirius, I give in. Right away!"
Remus spoke up. "You know Molly will want to be a part of this, Nat."
She turned to face him. "Of course," she insisted. "She's the closest thing to a mother that I have. And I'll need the girls to help, of course." She laughed. "At least I'll still be able to fit in my dress!"
"You're so tiny, Nat," Sirius protested. "I'm afraid you might fall over as the baby gets bigger."
"You are pregnant, then?" Remus broke in as Natalie hit Sirius in the chest playfully.
She nodded. "Yes, I'm pretty sure. I had no idea how to talk to either of you about it, though." She grabbed hold of Sirius' hand. "I wasn't sure how you would feel," she told him honestly.
He kissed her. Remus looked thrilled. "More good news!" he exclaimed, smiling. Suddenly, his expression sobered. "And bad news," he said. When the other two turned to look at him, he was frowning thoughtfully. "The full moon is tomorrow," he informed them. "Is Nat safe here, Sirius?"
Sirius turned to study Natalie carefully. "You should go to Molly's," he declared. When she frowned, he said, "Nat, it's not a risk I want to take. I can take care of Lupin. Besides, you shouldn't be living here in a cave with a runaway convict while you're pregnant."
"The runaway convict is the one responsible for my condition," she teased him, then nodded. "I agree. Can you arrange for them to come and get me in the morning?"
He chucked her under the chin. "I'll send an owl straightaway," he promised.
The next afternoon, Natalie walked into the Weasley's house at the Burrow and smiled. It felt like coming home, she thought. Mr. Weasley hurried in behind her, carrying her blankets and a handful of other belongings. "I'll just put these in your room for you," he told her, hurrying up the stairs.
Mrs. Weasley bustled in right behind him, humming to herself. She grabbed Natalie's elbow and guided her over to an overstuffed armchair in the corner by the fire, saying, "Can't have you on your feet, dear, it's not good for the baby- my goodness, a child in this house again- and I'd thought I'd been done after Ginny- it will be great fun, dear, don't worry, I'll help you along the way- no, don't get up, I'll put on some tea- take your shoes off, please, dear, that's a girl- "
Natalie sank gratefully into the chair and ran a hand through her thick brown hair. She felt overwhelmed by all of the attention. It had started with Mrs. Weasley's response to Sirius' letter yesterday, saying that of course she should return to the Burrow, Molly had been against her going from the start. The sun had just peeked over the horizon when the Weasleys had appeared on the hillside, ready to take Natalie back to their home. She had hugged Remus tightly and kissed Sirius until her lips went numb from the cold. She could see her breath hanging in the air like a cloud as she waved and called goodbye to both of them. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the armchair. Anything she did took all of her energy now, and just returning to the Burrow had been enough to sap her of her strength. She heard Mrs. Weasley puttering around in the kitchen and closed her eyes, relaxing and enjoying the feeling of safety she felt in their home.
She awoke almost an hour later to the smell of steak and kidney pie wafting from the kitchen. Her stomach growling, she followed the scent to find Mrs. Weasley bent over the oven, pulling out a large casserole. When she turned to place the dish on the table, she smiled and said cheerily, "Well, hello, dear, did you enjoy your nap?"
"I'm so sorry, Molly," Natalie apologized. "I meant to come and help you- "
Molly cut her off with a wave of her hand. "No need to apologize. I remember the toll a baby takes on your body. It will wear you out and make you eat for ten men." She motioned at the casserole dish with an oven mitt. "Help yourself. Arthur should be down any minute."
As she spoke, Mr. Weasley clomped down the stairs into the kitchen. He gave Natalie a friendly smile. "So, I hear you are to be congratulated," he told her, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses.
Natalie blushed. "I know it was spur of the moment, but- "
"Sirius has always been that way," Mr. Weasley assured her. "And Lord knows the man deserves some happiness in his life."
"Oh, I can't wait to help plan your wedding," Molly sighed. "You'll need new robes, too, Natalie dear, you can't get married in those."
"Molly, you must be sure Natalie wants you to help her," Mr. Weasley cautioned her. "It's her wedding, you know."
"Of course!" Natalie hurried to interrupt, seeing Mrs. Weasley's expression cloud over. "It's going to be so soon, Sirius insisted on a Christmas wedding-"
"Christmas!" Mrs. Weasley's eyes were wide. She threw down the oven mitt and bustled upstairs, muttering to herself. "Too soon, too soon, oh dear me, how will we ever get ready in that amount of time- "
Natalie and Mr. Weasley watched her go, before Mr. Weasley got up and pulled two plates down from the cupboard, handing one to her. "I reckon we won't see her again till tomorrow," he joked. He pulled a wooden spoon out of a drawer and began heaping steaming spoonfuls of pie onto Natalie's plate. As her eyebrows rose, he chuckled. "Got to eat for two, now," he reminded her, handing her a fork. She sat down and dug in without waiting for her food to cool. Being pregnant isn't so bad, she thought. As long as I get to eat like this.