Chapter 25

"I'm not naming them Castor and Pollux, Sirius, I refuse!" Gemini's protest could be heard clearly as Lily came into the common room.

"Lily, good! Tell Sirius Castor and Pollux are ridiculous names!" Gemini pleaded once Lily came into view.

"Oh no you don't, I'm not being dragged into this!" Lily stated firmly, sitting in her favorite spot near the fire. "I'm just going to sit and wait for James, thank you."

Gemini pouted.

"Well I think it's clever." Sirius mumbled.

"I think you're head's on wrong." Gemini snapped. "Why can't they have normal names, like Brian, or Peter?"

"Because those are too plain Gemmy! We need good strong names for our boys!"
"Assuming they are boys." Lily interjected.

"I thought you weren't getting involved." Gemini shot, adding a dirty look. Lily put up her hands in defense.

"And what if they are girls?" Gemini continued, ignoring Lily.

"I know for a fact you're having boys." Sirius stated defiantly.

Gemini threw up her hands in frustration. "You are infuriating! There is no dealing with you, I swear it."

"Gem, just calm down. We can pick out names calmly. Compromise, we can do that right?" Sirius said softly, draping an arm around Gemini. She sighed and nodded.

"You two are loonies." Lily stated nonchalantly.

"Oh shut it." Gemini mumbled.

"What'd I miss?" James asked sleepily as he came to join the group.

"Not much." Lily said with a smile.

"We're trying to name our children." Gemini said, somewhat defensively.

"Ah." James looked around thoughtfully. "You know, you could always name one of them James." He smiled sheepishly.

"Well, if they're girls, that wouldn't fit now would it. Speaking of girls, I like the name Elizabeth." Gemini hoped to plant the name softly.

Sirius thought for a moment. "Elizabeth doesn't sound like a strapping name for a young lad, my love." Sirius said, tilting his head towards her.

"You're impossible." She sighed. "Well, what about you then? Have you any names picked out?"

James and Lily looked at each other in shock.

"Well, we hadn't really thought about it much." James said quietly

"I mean, it's suddenly April, and you'll be leaving in a week, I suppose it is that time isn't it?" Lily stated.

"I like the name Orion if it's a boy." James mentioned casually.

"That's a nice name. Well how about this, since we're having twins I'll think of one boy name and one girl name and you do the same. That way we'll be prepared." Lily said, thinking logically.

James nodded. "That sounds like a plan then."

Gemini smacked Sirius in the arm. "Why couldn't we be that cooperative?"

"Blast woman! Stop abusing me!" Sirius grabbed his arm. "That hurts after a while."

"You're just scrawny is all." Gemini said with a smile.

"And now you're after my manhood! You'll be the death of me woman!"

Gemini smiled. "I love you too."

Hours later

"Oy! I've done it!" Sirius said proudly as he rejoined the group. He had gone to his dorm to think of baby names to keep Gemini happy. She beamed.

"You'd better have a girl name." She warned.

"I do. Just to please you, my love." He said with a smile.

"Alright then let's hear them." James said curiously.

"They're normal right?" Lily said teasingly.

"You two are way too involved in our lives." Sirius said nervously.

Gemini laughed. "Let's hear them."

"Alright. Logan and Annette." Sirius announced proudly.
"Oh Sirius, they're beautiful." Gemini said as tears formed in her eyes.

"Logan?" James asked. "Don't get me wrong mate, but isn't that a little too normal?"

"I think it's a lovely name." Lily said thoughtfully.

"Well I also thought of Balin. Balin is a nice name too."

"Oh I like that better than Logan." Gemini said happily. "I picked Elizabeth and Adrian."

"Adrian?" Sirius looked at Gemini like there was a bug on her face.

"What's wrong with Adrian? It's a perfectly good name." Gemini said defensively.

"Well yes, but I have to at least agree what my son's name will be."

"Oh lord. Here we go." Lily said with a sigh. James stood up with Lily.

"We'll be outside." James announced. "It's a nice day for once."

As they walked through the portal Lily and James could still hear the other two arguing.

It was a surprisingly warm day for early April. The sun was out and sparse amounts of clouds were dotting the sky. Luckily without the threat of rain.

Lily found a spot on the stone steps near the entrance door. James followed suit.

"So what's on your mind?" James asked curiously after a moment of silence.

"So many things. I wonder if my grandparents got my letter, I haven't heard from them since Christmas. I'm starting to worry."

"Have you heard from your sister?" James asked quietly.

A sad look crept over Lily's face as she shook her head. "Not since everything happened."

James put an arm around her in comfort. "I'm sorry Lils."

"She'll never know how much I love her. She can be a real prat sometimes, but she's my sister. And hopefully I can make amends with her before the babies are born. I wanted to ask you…if something were to happen to us, I think the babies should be left with Petunia."

It took a second for James to register. He nearly laughed. "Lily you can't be serious."

"I am. It's the safest place for them. No one would ever expect to find them with her."

"Well, this is true. But she'll never go for it."

The doors behind them suddenly burst open as Sirius ran out in a panic.

"Sirius! What in bloody hell is your malfunction?" James shouted, startled from the unexpected surprise.

"It's Gemini. Her water. With the breaking and the flooding and the floor it's covered and gross, really gross. The time! It's time!" Sirius shouted incoherently. His face was white.

"Her water broke?" Lily asked excitedly.

Sirius pointed to the door. "Bloody hell I left her there." He darted back inside.

James and Lily stared after Sirius in shock. Once the shocked feeling went away they both ran after him quickly.

They met Sirius outside of the Hospital wing, tired and out of breath.

"She just went in. She's three and a half weeks early, I don't know what's going to happen."

"Sirius, don't panic. That's the worst thing you could do right now." Lily said soothingly. Sirius nodded.

Madame Gumble poked her head out of the doors. "Sirius, we need you in here."

He looked to James and Lily.

"Good luck mate." James said with a smile.

Sirius disappeared behind the doors, leaving Lily and James alone in the hallway.

Lily leaned her head against the wall. "I think they put a charm on the walls. I can't hear anything."

"I hope everything goes alright."

"Me too."

An hour later Sirius slipped out. He looked just as pale as he had before, only now he was covered in sweat. Or was it tears? Lily looked at him, he was shaking.

"Sirius? What's wrong?" James asked first.

He looked up at him like he was in a fog. "The babies, they're breech. They had to cut Gem's stomach open. It was wicked."

James looked at Sirius as if he wasn't quite right.

"How is Gemini doing?" Lily asked quietly.

"I…I don't know." Sirius said quietly.

"What do you mean mate?" James put an arm around Sirius.

"They took the babies into another room, and then told me to leave. I think Gemini passed out, or something. I don't know. They won't let me come back in."

"Oh James." Lily put a hand to her mouth and came closer to the two boys.

"Now, let's be rational, she's probably just tired. She needs her rest."

"Did you get to see the babies?" Lily asked.

Sirius shook his head. "They were so tiny."

"They'll be alright man, they have to." James said comfortingly.

The door opened. Madame Gumble stepped out. "Sirius, you can come in now."

He looked behind him. "Is everything alright?"

Madame Gumble's eyes looked glassy. "You need to come with me."