"Is it wrong that I am this happy to be back at work?" Daisy asked Keira as they walked together into the Auror department where they would have to go over some contracts with the new Aurors.
"No, I was happy to get back to work after Claire," Keira replied smiling at the girl she had raised. They were both wearing their black robes, issued by the ministry.
"Really, I feel bad for feeling happy to get back into my work. I love Bridget to pieces, but admittedly things are weird between me and Michael," Keira looked down at her daughters hand and gasped.
"The ring it's gone, you never told me!" Keira exclaimed, coming to a standstill in the corridor. She had not been happy about the engagement, but she would have liked to have been told that it was over. Even if she had suspected that the relationship was going to end quickly, Daisy was simply for the remnants of her family, and Michael had been searching for his old friends… it was all too late for both of them if they were still searching for Bridget and Joe in this world.
"I gave it back to him, he'll always be Bridget's father, but he's not the man I want to spend the rest of my life with," Daisy replied, she smiled up at the woman who raised her eyebrows at her. "I would have told you, but I suspected you already knew."
"I did, I know you as I know Claire, Brian and Lisa," Keira said smiling at Daisy.
"Is it ever weird that you raised me, I mean not being your daughter and all?" Daisy asked suddenly.
"No because I when I held you in my arms for the first time after your parents died… I just knew, I knew I had to raise you as my own, there was no question in my mind that it was up to me to bring you up, for you, but for my best friend as well," Keira answered smiling lovingly at her daughter, Daisy smiled back and the pair continued on their way to the Auror department.
"Mrs Wood, Miss Burke, glad that you finally came," Deputy Head Gavin Dawson said as Keira and Daisy reached the entrance, all around the Aurors looked more stressed out and tired then Keira had seen them for years.
"We're sorry for the delay Dawson, but we had no information on what this is all about," Keira said more snappish then she would usually, but she had little time for Dawson, he was certainly not on her favourite people list.
"Follow me," Gavin said. Keira and Daisy followed him to Christopher's office; inside they found Hermione, Sirius, Harry, Christopher and Missy Diaz.
"Hello Keira, Daisy, well, you've grown," Missy said to Daisy smiling. "Congratulations, I heard you had a beautiful little girl."
"Thanks," Daisy replied, before Gavin made an impatient noise in his throat.
"Let's get started," Sirius said.
Keira walked out of the room looking ashen, she couldn't believe it, she wouldn't. Turning to Daisy beside her, the younger woman looked terrified. Christopher appeared behind them, and silently wrapped the pair up in his arms.
"I'm so sorry guys, but it is happening again," Christopher whispered not wanting to cause a scene, but knowing someone needed to say something.
Suddenly thought Daisy was overtaken by a rage so strong and deep that she could hardly control herself.
"Sorry! You're sorry!" She shouted at her uncle. "I have a baby! What am I meant to do?! What is going to happen to Bridget?! What happens if I die like my mother?!" Daisy screamed, tears were welling in her eyes as Keira tried to soothe her, but it wasn't working. "I have a nine month old child for Merlin's sake!" She turned to her adoptive grandfather and let her tears fall. "Sirius what am I meant to do?"
But there were no answers.
James gulped as he was called into the office, Christopher was sat at his desk, Sirius was standing behind him, Harry was to his right, Gavin was next to the door and Keira was sat in the left chair that was sitting before the desk, there was one chair left, the right one in front of the desk, he took it silently.
"James, we wouldn't, as you are probably aware, take these precautions, but we need you to sign a contract stating that you will remain silent about the issues we are about to tell you. As part of the family directly involved with this you of course would have been informed anyway, but we ask that you tell none of the public, or any newspaper," Christopher said grimly, barely looking his nephew in the eye, he felt like he was betraying his family by getting them to sign the contract.
"About what?" James asked nervously, things seemed off.
"This," Keira said moving a pile of photo's in front of James. Each picture showed a man or woman dead, James gasped, these weren't nice, they were awful. Some seemed as if they had been killed by a muggle with the amount of blood, as he was about to ask his father answered.
"All of them were eventually killed magically," Harry said, there was a hint of anger in his voice, knowing these people were tortured.
"Who are they?" James asked slowly.
"They were members of the American Ministry. Each was Head of their Department or Key in a project," Christopher said. "Remember when Henri's flat was broken into… Whoever killed these people, well, we believe it to be related."
"Is this like last time… Another Voldemort?" James asked.
"Yes, I was contacted by a friend from America a few months ago, since then more and more people have been killed, all wizards, all in the ministry, all somehow important. Unfortunately we can confirm that this person has been coming to England. No one here has died yet, but they know how to get into our homes, they killed Chase, the man who designed our wards," Christopher explained.
"Is my family safe?!" James demanded. "Is Blaine safe at my house?!" James demanded.
"We think so, there aren't any certainties," Harry said.
"What about the kids, how are they meant to be protected?" James demanded angrily, he knew it was hardly their fault, but he could not contain his anger at this whole situation.
"Your father and siblings were only kids when they fought," Gavin said from behind him.
James jumped to his feet angrily and turned on the older man.
"I have baby cousins, Bridget is nine months old, Rory is seven years old, you want them to pick up a wand and kill people, because I know that's exactly what my parents did, they had to. My baby brother will not be fighting anything, in case you forgot we lost a lot of people to that war, it isn't an option!" James shouted at Gavin his frustration and hatred growing with each word… his parents had been far too young everyone knew that, but for this man to actually say that his baby brother should...
"And you'll have to do that to if this is what we think it is," Gavin yelled. James was infuriated, he knew that Gavin had not been part of the first war and yet he stood there and said these stupid things…
"You sick bastard! My brother won't be fighting anyone!" James roared, stalking threateningly towards Gavin.
"James! Stop!" Keira screamed, helping Harry hold the eighteen year old back.
"Gavin out now! You are no longer needed in here!" Sirius barked.
"What?!" Gavin yelled.
"You are winding up the Aurors, leave now, or I shall have you removed." Sirius barked, eventually Gavin left, and James settled back down.
"James, understand this, you can't tell anyone," Christopher stressed.
"What about Blaine?" James asked worriedly.
"She'll be informed, I promise. Now sign this contract, it will make it impossible for you to talk, no matter what happens," Christopher said grimly, James nodded and picked up the quill beside the contract and quickly signed his name.
He knew even then that something was going to happen, that's why everyone was so out of sorts.
Eventually Halloween came around, James had somehow managed to put the recent issues to the back of his mind and relax with Blaine on their sofa. The fire was roaring, and the pair were snuggled together. Blaine leant up and kissed James along the jaw, only to be distracted when there was a knock at the door.
"Didn't you put the charm on?" James asked, Blaine had put a charm up so that they weren't disturbed by trick or treaters.
"Of course I did," Blaine called as she walked to the front door, she pulled it open and quickly returned with a sobbing Miley and an ashen Alastor. The pair now sixteen usually were bright and happy, but for some reason they weren't today.
"We didn't know what else to do," Alastor muttered as James sat him down on the sofa, Miley was sitting on the chair across from him, Blaine resting on the arm, rubbing the younger girls back.
"What do you mean you didn't know what else to do?" James asked warily.
"Miley… Oh Merlin," Alastor murmured, and then sunk back into the couch. James looked up at Blaine and caught her eye, they were really concerned now.
Miley hiccupped loudly, tears running down her face.
"I-I'm p—p-p-p-pre-" But she couldn't get the words out. Blaine went white.
"Miley, are you pregnant?" Blaine asked her softly. Miley nodded silently.
James could have passed out then.
"Mum is going to kill me… Oh God…" Alastor murmured, and James couldn't have felt sorrier for the pair, this is not what they had planned in anyway.
"I'm pregnant!" Miley wailed suddenly, Blaine wrapped the younger girl up in her arms, unsure what else to do; she looked at James and frowned.
An hour later when both Miley and Alastor had calmed down slightly, holding their cup of tea that Blaine had made.
"How did it happen? I mean did you just forget the spell? Or what?" James asked.
"I'm on the monthly potion, we always use the spell, I can't honestly think of how it happened," Miley answered shakily.
"Have you told your parents yet?" Blaine asked. Both Miley and Alastor shook their heads no.
"You have to tell them," James said. Miley looked up at him almost fearfully. "I won't, but you really do have to."
"I don't want to," Miley murmured, looking up at Blaine fearfully.
"I know sweetheart, but if you don't and they find out themselves, well, then there is going to be bigger problems. Come on, you can stay here tonight. But does Severus know you're here?" Blaine asked.
Miley nodded, and Blaine smiled, leading the younger girl to the spare room.
"I don't want a baby, not yet," Alastor said quietly, not daring to look anywhere but at his feet.
"I think it is a little late to be saying that mate," James said carefully, not wanting to upset Alastor further, but knowing it needed to be said.
"This isn't meant to be happening," Alastor groaned, his head dropping into his hands.
"Well it is, so we'll just have to deal with it. Talk to your parents, figure out what you want to do, if you want to raise the child or if you want to consider adoption. How far along is she?" James asked.
"Two months," Alastor replied immediately.
"Well you have about four months to prepare yourselves. We'll call your parents tomorrow morning, I'll have to go to work, but if you want Blaine will stick around or leave. Alastor, whatever you decide to do, I'm behind you, alright," James said reassuringly before letting the younger boy head off to bed.