The first meeting of the D.A. was an exciting time. Everyone entered the room of requirement in amazement. Fred, George, Aludra, and Naos flopped down in the large cushions. "Well I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and – er." Harry began until he noticed Hermione's hand was raised. "What Hermione?"
"I think we ought to elect a leader." She said.
"Harry's leader." Said Cho at once looking at Hermione as though she were mad.
"Yes but I think we ought to vote on it properly. It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader please raise your hands." Hermione said. Everyone put their hands in the air, even Zacharias.
"Right – thanks. And what Hermione?" Harry began and Aludra scoffed.
"Can she let Harry run the meeting?" She mumbled to Fred who simply just shook his head and chuckled.
"I also think we ought to have a name. It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity don't you think?" Hermione said.
"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" Angelina asked hopefully from next to George.
"Or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group?" Fred suggested earning himself a pinch from Aludra. "Ouch!"
"Careful buddy my Mum works for the Ministry." She snapped.
"I was thinking more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings." Hermione said with a frown.
"The Defense Association?" Cho said. "The D.A. for short so nobody knows what we're talking about?"
"Yeah the D.A.'s good." Ginny agreed. "Only let's make it stand for Dumledore's Army because that's what the Ministry's worst fear isn't it?" Everyone laughed and nodded.
"All in favor of the D.A." said Hermione as she kneeled up on her cushion to count. "That's a majority – motion passed!" She pinned the piece of paper with all their names on it on the wall and wrote Dumbledore's Army across the top in large letters.
"Right," said Harry when she had sat down again, "shall we get practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, you know the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful-"
"Oh please." Said Zacharias rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who do you?"
"I've used it against him," said Harry quietly. "It saved my life last June."
Smith opened his mouth stupidly. The rest of the room was very quiet. "But if you think it's beneath you, you can leave." Harry said. Smith did not move, nor did anyone else.
"Okay, I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practice." Harry said with a nod of his head.
Soon enough Fred, and George had paired up as Aludra and Angelina had. The boys instantly began messing with Zacharias Smith. Both girls just laughed and shook their heads.
Naos had paired up with Shelby, while Jude and Conner had paired off. None of the four third years could believe they were rebelling so much. Naos knew that his parents would approve thankfully, unlike Conner's parents who would blow a gasket. Neither believed that the Dark Lord was back and had told Conner to listen to Umbridge no matter what.
All too soon, their time was over. "Walk me back to the common room." Aludra said looking at Fred not bothering to ask but demand.
"Of course." He said with a smile neither had a plan to actually go back to their respective common rooms any time soon.
"Don't get caught." Cho warned as the two slipped out and headed towards the hunchback witch statue.
Ashlynn was near her due date but had not taken leave from the ministry yet. She wanted everything to be in order before she left that way the interim Head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes would not be overwhelmed. Sirius had begged her to stay home, but she had promised that today would be her last day. She was sitting at her desk when Arnold Peasegood entered looking more than a bit flustered. "Mrs. Black I don't think I'll be able to take over for you, there is just too much to do." He seemed to almost cry.
Ashlynn sighed and slammed down her hand. "Arnold it's only for five months, plus you have my assistant and you can floo my house during normal work hours. Today is my last day I don't have time to train a new Head in five hours. I swear to Merlin if I have to put you under the Imperius Curse I will!" She screamed loudly her face turning bright red. "Do you understand?"
Arnold saw the look in Ashlynn's eyes and knew that she was not joking about the Imperius Curse. "Yes ma'am." He said softly looking down at the floor.
"Good, now here are my reports, I'm going to lunch I suddenly don't feel well." She said as she stood up. Yet something unexpected happened when she stood up and heard a pop then suddenly she felt a rush of water go down her legs. "Oh dear, Arnold floo into my home! Tell Sirius… tell him I've gone into labor!"
Sirius sat in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place with Remus playing a game of chess together. It felt like old times when Sirius and Remus were still in school. Remus was currently chewing on the end of a straw as looked over the board and Sirius chuckled. "Give it up Remus I have you beat!" Sirius said as he tugged on his hair.
"Never." Remus mumbled as he stared at the board.
Sirius was about to prod his mate when the flames in the kitchen's fireplace turned green and the face of Ashlynn's assistant Arnold Peasegood appeared. "Oi!" Sirius cried unhappily. "What are you doing there?"
"Ashlynn sent me, her water has just broke. She is awaiting your arrival to escort her to St. Mungo's Hospital." Then without another word Arnold was gone just as quickly as he came.
For a moment, Sirius and Remus stared at each other before jumping into action. "I'll get Ashlynn to the hospital; you go to Dumbledore and inform him." Sirius said as he grabbed his jacket and was gone with a crack.
When Sirius arrived at the Ministry, he strode through the halls as if he owned the place. He usually tried to avoid this place but today his wife needed him. He got on the elevator and stared defiantly ahead daring any of fellow riders to say a word to him. When the elevator finally arrived at Ashlynn's floor Sirius pushed his way to the front and quickly made it to her office, he didn't bother knocking just swung open the door. Ashlynn laid on the couch with her assistant Hector holding her hand.
"Oh thank Merlin you're here!" Ashlynn cried as she struggled to sit up, Hector pulled her up and smiled.
"I got here as quick as I can." Sirius said with a smile. "Are you ready?"
"That's a real stupid question Sirius." Ashlynn mumbled as she got to her feet. "Let's go." Sirius without even asking charmed the office chair to scoop up his wife and floated her out of the office. "This is embarrassing!"
"Deal with it love, it's faster than you waddling through the hallways." Sirius said with a smile.
At Saint Mungo's Ashlynn was a bit of legend, during her first labor with Aludra she had give a Healer a piggy tail, and with her second labor she had cursed the Healer's mouth off. This time the Healers of Saint Mungo's were not taking any chances when Mrs. Ashlynn Black came through their doors. "Ma'am your wand please." The Head Healer Rose said holding out her hand. Rose had overseen Aludra's birth after her mentor had been given a piggy tail.
"Oh?" Ashlynn asked with a frown as she pulled out her wand and Rose jumped back causing Ashlynn and Sirius to laugh. "I wasn't going to hex you." Ashlynn quipped as she dropped the wand into Rose's hand. "Though I should probably tell you, I am very good at wandless, silent magic now days."
A look of horror went over Rose's face as she clutched Ashlynn's wand. Finally, the Healer pulled herself up to full height. "Come along Mrs. Black let's get you to your room."
Soon enough Ashlynn was settled into her room and Healer Rose entered carrying a bottle of potion. "Mrs. Black, Ashlynn we are old friends, I delivered Aludra into this world. Now I would like to trust you to not curse my mouth off, or make my hands fingerless but I can't so you are going to be dosed with this potion. It's going to put you in a twilight, when you come to your babies will be with us. Sound like a plan?"
Ashlynn nodded slowly. "Though you take all the fun out of it that's fine with me." Rose nodded and came over to Ashlynn measuring out some of the potion, within moments Ashlynn was floating on a cloud.
Tonks stepped off the Knight Bus with Remus right behind her. The empty Hogsmeade lane was a bit creepy but it seemed that neither of the adults seemed to notice. It was an extremely late hour but they were expected at Hogwarts. They walked in silence until they got to the gates of the castle they both had once called home. Hagrid who both greeted warmly opened the gates for them.
"You just head up to Dumbledore's office, and when you see Ashlynn and Sirius tell them congratulations." He said with a smile.
"We will Hagrid." Tonks said with a smile and the two continued to move towards the castle. Finally, Tonks seemed to break. "Are you okay Remus?"
Remus looked up at her and nodded slowly. "Yeah it's just a bit sad, I thought the next time I said Ashlynn had given birth I would be saying it as a Father." He rubbed his head and shrugged. "But I'm happy for them, as much I loved Ashlynn they deserve each other."
Tonks looked up at Remus adoringly. "Remus," She said and grabbed his arm. "it takes a real man to support Sirius and Ashlynn. And I know that you will be happy one day, you'll find the perfect girl for you and have your own babies."
Remus just shook his head. "No my time for playing Daddy has passed, plus my kind don't breed." The subject was dropped as they entered Dumbledore's office.
"Uncle Remus!" Naos cried when he saw the man he once considered a Father enter the office. "What are you doing here?"
"Well I've come to get you, and Aludra." He said as he hugged Naos then Aludra.
"Why?" Naos asked.
"Your mother gave birth to the twins today we figured you'd want to meet them." Tonks said with a smile. She had been one of the first to hold the twins and was extremely happy about it.
"Well are you ready then?" Remus asked. "We have to get down to the Bus and get you back."
The birth had gone great, and the Healers had sent Ashlynn home just a mere four hours after the twins had arrived. Ah, it was brilliant to be witch much better than the way Muggles did it. The new Mum for a third and fourth time sat in a lounging chair watching Sirius sing a song to their new little girl, Gemini. Molly was rocking her twin, a boy. His name had caused quite the spat between Sirius and Ashlynn.
All their children had been named in Black fashion of stars, Aludra, Naos, and Gemini. Yet none of the stars Ashlynn had liked expect for the name Orion, the name of Sirius' father. Sirius had been dead set against naming him Orion but Ashlynn had broken him down, promising that Orion James Black would be influenced by them and not by the name.
"Holding a baby makes me wish I could have another." Molly said looking down at the boy in her arms.
"Okay that's enough of holding the babies." Arthur said as he quickly walked over and gently took Orion from his wife's hand.
"Aww Arthur don't you want to raise a new baby with ours?" Ashlynn asked with a laugh as she gladly expected Orion into her arms.
"No thanks, I'd rather keep both my eyes on Ginny." Arthur said as he sat down next to Molly.
"It would be nice if Harry would figure it out and ask her out." Molly said with a smile.
Sirius chuckled. "Be glad you only have Ginny to worry about, I have to keep an eye on Aludra, and now I have Gemini to watch out for." He said and then began talking to just Gemini as the front door opened and in bounded Naos and Aludra.
"Mum!" Naos cried and hugged her around the neck making sure to not touch the baby in her arms.
Aludra hugged Sirius before greeting her mother. "So what are their names?" Aludra asked looking over at the baby in Ashlynn's arms.
"Here take him." Ashlynn said and handed over Orion. "This is your brother Orion, and that over there is your sister Gemini."
Aludra made a face. "Orion is a cool name but I'm so not calling her Gemini." She said with a frown.
"Well what are you going to call her?" Sirius asked he handed off the little girl to Naos who took her with shaking hands.
"Gemmy." He whispered.
"I like it! Yeah we'll call her Gemmy or Gem!" Aludra cried happily.
Ashlynn smiled and nodded. "Fine we'll call her Gemmy." She said with a smile glad that Naos and Aludra had adapted so easily to the new babies. Both seemed to be in awe with the child they held.
"Fantastic!" Aludra cried happily. "Mum hate to say it but no more babies after these ones you and Dad are getting way too old."
"We aren't old!" Sirius cried unhappily, as he flopped down next to Ashlynn. "Are we love?" He asked her with a slight pout.
Ashlynn patted his leg and nodded slowly. "I'm sorry love, we are old."
"At least we are old together then." Sirius said and kissed his wife gently.
"Stop it guys, that's gross." Naos cried. "Think of the babies these are their first few hours of life no need to ruin them with your mushiness!"
Ashlynn laughed and rolled her eyes. "Of course anything for you Master Naos." Ashlynn said forcing back a yawn.
Two days after the twin's birth Naos and Aludra returned to Hogwarts at dinnertime. Naos went straight to Gryffindor table but Aludra had owled Fred to meet her at their place. Their place now being none other than the Shrieking Shack. The dark haired girl practically skipped to the whopping willow, looked around before casting Immobulus and slipping down into the passageway.
She hummed happily, as she made it into the dilapidated shack. After Sirius had vacated the area, Aludra had taken it over to have a quiet place that only she and Fred knew about. The living room had been made livable thanks to Fred and Aludra charming the area. It now had a smokeless fire in the fireplace, a rug, and a couch. Stacks of books and magazines sat around the room. When she entered, she saw Fred reading over the book of inventions.
"Freddy!" Aludra cried as she bounded over to the couch. She had missed Fred sure it had only been two days since they last saw each other but it had been the longest time they had gone without seeing each other since the summer.
"Starchild!" Fred said as he grabbed her into a hug and kissed her hard on the lips. "I missed you."
"I missed you too." Aludra said as she cuddled into her boyfriend's chest.
"How are the babies?" He asked as he began to run his hands through her hair.
"Good, adorable. Their names are Orion, and Gemini but we are calling her Gemmy." She mumbled.
"You Blacks and your star names, that will change when we have babies." He said with a smile.
"Oh we are going to have babies?" Aludra asked
"Eventually." Fred said in a matter of fact way. "I mean I can't see my life without you. So one day we'll get married and have seven red headed children and make the Weasley clan even bigger!"
Aludra chuckled. "We aren't having seven children, three or four." She said with a smile.
"Well we can't agree on everything, but at least we agree we'll be getting married one day." Fred said with a smile.
"Of course." Aludra said and kissed him once again. "I love you."
"I love you too starchild." Fred said as nuzzled her neck.