Well it sure has been a while since the last update! I hope you all enjoy reading this, thanks again to betas: undercrisis and fuegodealmas for putting up with me, it's tough.

JKR owns all except for...god i should make a link to the characters I've created. But the ones I've created those are mine, and if you don't know which ones those are... well...


Fun and Games

22 May 1983

"What the bloody hell is this?" Regulus demands after Apparating into his brother's sitting room. He waves the pink colored parchment wildly. "D'you think this is funny?"

"Whatever do you mean? And could you keep your voice down? All of this anger is not good for Gemma." Sirius replies, looking casually at the baby lying on a blanket on the sofa.

"You know full well." He answers. "But let me refresh your memory, 'Birth announcement: Gemma Marseille Black born 15 May 1983. Parents: Sirius and Gwendolyn Black.' This. You sent one to mother."

"Yes, as much as I loathe her, it gives me a great sense of irony to show her how much better off I am without her pulling the puppet strings." Sirius says, as he gently rubs Gemma's little belly. "She gets so fussy if she's gassy."

Regulus furrows his brow and continues, "Mother didn't know that you two were having another baby, you know."

"What, you didn't tell her?" Sirius asks innocently, knowing full well that Regulus would not have breathed a word.

"Merlin, no!" Regulus replies and frowns as if remembering the reason why he kept quiet about Gemma. "I'm only twenty-two."

"So? It's your duty as a pureblood to produce more purebloods." Sirius says mimicking their mother. "Hell, Reg, look at me, I'm producing more purebloods, 'blood traitors' but they're pure nonetheless… and who expected that, eh?"

"Ergh, don't remind me." Regulus winces.

"Remind you to be fruitful and multiply? Live long and prosper?" Sirius counters, making an odd gesture with his hand.

"You're officially a nutter." Regulus mutters and shakes his head.

"What?" Sirius shrugs, "Sometimes, Gemma and I like to watch reruns on the telly of this show called 'Star Trek' and they all wear these funny clothes, and there's this bloke with pointy ears and a monobrow and he says stupid shit like that all the time."

"Isn't he called Spock?" Regulus queries.

Sirius snorts. "So that's what you're doing when you're not 'fulfilling your pureblood duties'?"

Regulus rolls his eyes. "You know, just because Lucy and I remember to use the contraceptive spells-"

"Right." Sirius rolls his eyes. "And what about you being twenty-two? This is why you're not a Gryffindor. I had twin boys at twenty-one-"

"You really enjoy making my life miserable don't you?" Regulus groans. "First you marry a pureblood, well blood-traitor, but, still. Ergh.Then, you have twin sons. Twins. Sons."

"Well them being twins wasn't exactly my doing. Pleasant surprise that was." Sirius shrugs.

"-As if I didn't have an inferiority complex already."

"You know what this means, Regulus," Sirius says with a cocky grin, "mother is definitely going to watch you shag now."

Regulus pales significantly and stammers, "-Maybe if you and your wife would stop once in a while."

"We do, she's not here now, obviously, and besides, the Healer says six weeks minimum before 'le shagging' anyway." Sirius comments. "So hop to, little brother. Go find your wife and shag her senseless-" Sirius is interrupted by a red envelope that flutters into the room. "Is that-"

"Bugger. Get Gemma out of here, she doesn't need to be scarred." Regulus sighs as the envelope starts to steam out of the corners. He watches as Sirius scoops his infant daughter into his arms and hastily walks out of the house just as the letter explodes, and apparently starts where Walburga Black's last Howler left off.

"IT IS YOUR DUTY AS A PUREBLOOD TO PRODUCE MORE PUREBLOODS!" is the last thing Sirius hears as he decides to take Gemma on a long walk around their neighbourhood.

Later that night after Sirius tucks his boys into bed, he is confused by Gwen's furrowed brow. "All right there, Gwen? I never got to ask you how the zoo went. The boys gave me an earful."

"Oh! The zoo was lovely, actually. They both loved the penguins." Gwen smiles with amusement.

"Then why the look?" He asks as he settles into bed next to her. "Tell me if it's me so that I can get ready to sleep downstairs-"

Gwen rolls her eyes. "It's not about you, if that surprises you, Sirius. I saw Liam and Cass today while I was passing through Diagon Alley. They looked surprised to see me."

"Oh yeah?" Sirius asks, keeping his voice neutral, "What were they up to?"

"They were just chatting, they get along so well, you know." She says as if it was an afterthought. "I think I may have interrupted a joke, when I went over with the boys to say 'hello.'"

With a guarded look Sirius replies, "And Cass was all smiles, I suppose?"

Gwen nods, and continues, "Liam seems a bit, I don't know how to describe it. "

"And you didn't find this at all peculiar?" Sirius asks, unconsciously putting his arm around her, and twirling his finger in a lock of her hair.

Gwen settles in and continues, "What? I… I didn't really think about it being peculiar, but now that you mention it, he was, Sirius." She says with realisation. "He was being dodgy, and Cass was too. Ah, the word I was looking for is carefree."

"I think I know Liam enough to say that he can be even-tempered, cheeky sometimes, but never carefree." Sirius replies.

"I know!" Gwen exclaims. "That's why it's so odd!"

Sirius cannot help himself now and says, "I wonder what got them in that mood. Something in the air perhaps?"

Gwen sits up again and looks at him. "You make it sound like they're in love or something." Sirius shrugs noncommittally and Gwen presses, "What do you mean-" and she shrugs as well.

"You know me, I don't like to make random assumptions." He says casually.

"Yeah, right, and I'm the Queen of England." She says with a pout. "You made that mad random assumption that I fancied you."

"Well that's different, I had a hefty dose of wishful thinking." Sirius grins.

"Right" Gwen laughs, "But… humour me, Sirius. Make that mad random assumption, even if it's something you don't normally do."

"All right," Sirius sighs, bracing himself for a rather long night of boring bedroom business, or as Gwen calls it 'talking about their friends and their feelings.' He looks at Gwen who seems to be waiting on bated breath, "I think Liam and Cassandra are involved."

If Gwen chose to be closer to the edge, she would have fallen off of the bed. "So… you think they're- hang on, define 'involved,' Sirius."

Sirius thinks about this for a while, and also decides that he's glad that this boring bedroom business only happens once in a great while. "You know, together. Not living together, though, who knows? Liam hasn't got a house."

Gwen makes a face, "I didn't need that imagery."

"And they were giving each other, oh if I were to write a book, I would title the chapter 'A Beginner's Guide to Meaningful Glances.'" Sirius continues.

"Just when did you see these meaningful glances between them?" Gwen asks, crossing her arms, and starting to pout.

"While you were busy fussing over Gemma during her picture session, while you were telling little Gid off for jumping off of his broom from six feet in the air, while you were telling Finn not to crash into the fence-"

"So I'm preoccupied-"

"-But they're so horribly obvious. I mean, it's embarrassing." Sirius says, "Like at the baby shower, I'm quite sure Liam used his 'wistful glance' on Cass then."

Gwen's eyes widen considerably and her jaw drops. "The baby shower? This has been going on since the baby shower? And you didn't enlighten me about this before...why?"

"You never asked, and we sort of had a daughter." Sirius shrugs.

Gwen shakes her head, and says "All this time, I thought she was making progress with Big Gid."

Sirius pulls Gwen close to him and says, "Guess they're just friends then, yeah?"

"Oh, that's another thing!" Gwen says emphatically, "I asked them what they were doing in Diagon Alley, and Liam said 'Just having a friendly lunch!' that tosser."

"That's one way of looking at it." Sirius smirks.

"Oh, those two are going to get it." And Sirius cannot see, but he knows she is narrowing her eyes and plotting. "My birthday is coming up, I think that would be a great time."

"To get all worked up on your birthday?" Sirius asks in mock confusion.

"No, to have my friends over for a little… chat." She replies smugly.

Sirius just remembered that Regulus was over that afternoon, even though he told Gwen about it over dinner. "So, could we make Regulus godfather? I think that would be horribly ironic… and funny."

"Sirius, do what you will to one-up your mum, but you will not use our child in your shenanigans and 'mum problems.'"

"Even if she's ridiculously adorable?" Sirius asks before continuing with, "No, don't answer that."

"I think Liam and Cassandra would make good godparents." Gwen says, smirking, "Since they're so involved already."

"Isn't that a bit-presumptive?"

"Not at all. Liam's a good family friend, Cass is one of my best mates." Gwen answers airily. "Not assuming anything, I can start with that, and then, oh, gently ask them why they didn't tell me they were 'involved' as you say."

Sirius kisses her hair and laughs. "My sneaky little ginger wife, are you sure you're not a Slytherin?"

----

26 May 1983

"Ten galleons, Prongs. I hope you pay up. This is going into Gemma's trust fund." Sirius says smugly as his friend Apparates in.

"Oh come on, Padfoot, we were stone drunk." James says rolling his eyes.

"You know the Marauder Code, rule four, section three: 'When betting, if in a state of questionable sobriety, said bet should be enforced.' And I am enforcing it." Sirius answers as he adjusts a rather large umbrella over him with his wand.

"What are you doing that for?" James asks as Gwen walks out into the back garden carrying Gemma.

"Gingers and sunlight, not a good combination." Sirius says. "So you'll be off to pick up the boys from Gideon, then?"

"Yes, if it were a perfect world, I'd be home in ten minutes, but knowing my brother-" Gwen rolls her eyes as she hands the little pink baby, with her tuft of copper coloured hair, to Sirius.

"You'll be home by dinner then." Sirius finishes. "All right, well, it's just me, Prongs and Gem. I think we can handle it."

Gwen gives James a quick hug and Apparates out. "Polka dots, Sirius?"

"They were the only beach umbrellas I could find." Sirius replies dismissively. "And besides, it's not like she minds. And she also would like to know where her ten Galleons are."

"Prongs!" Another voice calls from inside the house. Remus emerges into the back garden. "Didn't see any wreckage inside there so I assumed you must've been out doors."

"Moony, saw the calendar, you all right?" Sirius asks gravely. "I was really bothered that I couldn't go out."

"No, it was fine. Wormtail came 'round." Remus answers. "You two both busy with, you know, children."

"Want to hold her, Moony?" Sirius asks and the other shakes his head. "Ah.Still a bit under the weather, then?"

"Always sick you are." James laughs. "Anyway, Moony, you're our keeper of Marauder Code-"

"You made another drunken bet, Prongs?" Remus asks, raising his brow.

"Damn!" James exclaims. "Oh, all right, Padfoot. Here's Gemma's ten Galleons."

Sirius pockets the money with a smirk. "Excellent. If she were to talk, and I'm sure she would love to, she would say, 'Your generosity will never be forgotten, James Potter,' and then never write you on your birthday."

"You really don't want her to take after you, do you?" Remus jokes. "I mean, personality's the only way, she looks nothing like you, Padfoot."

"Looking like her mum isn't a punishment." Sirius replies, kissing Gemma's forehead. "Except she's got my eyes. Apparently Gwen's rubbish at giving her kids brown eyes."

"Well aren't you all just a genetic anomaly?" Remus grins and recites, "Anomaly, a noun meaning deviation from the-"

"Shut it." Peter's voice breaks off Remus' dictionary entry. "I promised myself not to do any learning when we finished school. And here you go, making me break my promise, Moony. Now where is she?"

"You think it would've been easier if we had the official Marauder offspring meeting together, this time around?" James asks, scratching his head, as he watches Peter make faces at an otherwise bored looking infant.

"She might take after you, mate. Gideon and Finneas thought that routine was great." Peter says, as he stands up straight again.

"How do you mean?"

"Bit of a snot, but she's got Gwen as her mum, if she could sort you out-" Sirius raises an eyebrow and gives Peter a look as though daring him to continue. "Pretty. Surprised she's a ginger, definitely, but she's pretty."

"Better answer, Wormtail. Anyway," Sirius says loudly, "Prongs, how're things over in Godric's Hollow? Gwen's thinking about moving us to a magical community, especially with this lot. We won't be able to explain whatever accidental magic they do. That and, ah, our neighbours have gotten their houses broken into. Not like any muggle could make it into our house, but-"

"Ah, well, we'll get your owl saying you need my expertise when you decide to move." James laughs. "Harry seems to like Addison, but we'll see about how he feels once she's interrupted more naps. My parents are over for the week, you should come 'round, bring all the family, they'd love to see Gemma, by the way. Mum'll kill me if I forgot to mention that."

"Right, right." Sirius nods, as he looks at Gemma, looking quite bothered by all the noise. "So, boys, what say you? Yea, nay?"

"Do we even have a choice?" Peter jokes. "Moony, tell us, things still magical for you and Megan, then?"

Remus grins broadly. "We're going to Stonehenge next weekend. Where she'll probably talk at great length about the mystery that it is, when we all know it was just the work of some wizards who were just really rubbish at architecture."

"Too lazy to clean up their mess, too." James adds. "Stonehenge, does that lend itself to your legendary 'philosophical discussions' on life… and things?"

"Those were so boring." Sirius jokes.

"They lend themselves to things, all right." Remus says casually. "Good thing too, can't afford normal aphrodisiacs like oysters."

"They're disgusting any- hang on just one minute." Peter's eyes widen.

Sirius gently puts a hand over Gemma's ears, "There are children present, Moony, watch the language!"

James, however, grins with amusement and laughs, "Thought I'd never hear that. Ah, golden. I'll have to tell Lily."

"Good that you and Megan are getting along… swimmingly." Sirius grins. "Gwen'll be pleased. Does that call us even, then?"

"Even for what?" Remus asks.

"Oh you know, considering that she's sort of married to me because your bet made me behave." Sirius answers.

"That's debatable, don't you remember what you did at Harry's birthday party last year?" James asks.

"Wormtail dared me to run about the neighbourhood naked. It's not as if I haven't done it before." Sirius replies defiantly.

"Yes, but we were fifteen, you tit." James argues. "Gemma, I'm so sorry that your dad is touched in the head. That happens when you're inbred like he is. Consider yourself very lucky."

"No Christmas present for Prongs." Sirius says with a feigned haughtiness. "And extra nice ones for Moony and Wormtail because they weren't right gits."

-----

"Remus and Megan are all right, then?" Gwen says excitedly at that night's dinner. "Oh wonderful, they've been together a while, now, yeah?"

"Longest relationship in Moony's life." Sirius nods. "Aside from, you know, his parents."

"That's hardly the same relationship." Gwen laughs, though she immediately makes a look of warning to Gideon. "Seems like Gideon's was the dumping ground for nephews today. Charlie and Percy were there as well. Poor Charlie, all he wanted to do was play some Quidditch."

"Quidditch, you say?" Sirius grins. "I haven't gone flying in ages."

"Well you know if we move to a wizarding community we won't have to care about the neighbours seeing you three in the air." Gwen says slowly. "I mean there's a relatively large one on the Gower peninsula, I mean, Merlin is said to come from there and everything. I've got a few roots there as well, and since you're married to me the Welsh shouldn't be so… ah, judgmental of you, considering you had the sense to marry a Welsh girl."

Sirius is about to answer when a very regal looking eagle owl swoops into the dining room. "Regulus? Writing me? He must be in some deep- erm, trouble." He says eyeing his sons to see whether or not they caught his near slip up. He rips open the letter. "Merlin."

"What?" Gwen asks. "What is it?"

----

28 May 1983

Sirius squirms as they stand in the entryway to what most in his family would call Regulus' 'modest home'. Regulus' taste in decorating is far too similar to the stuffy and pretentious decor at Grimmauld Place. He looks over at his sons who are giving their mother the most pleading eyes to undo their buttoned up collars, both scratching and generally uncomfortable. He smiles a little at this.

"Gid, Finn, you're just going to have to sit and wear the fancy clothes. Look, even dad is wearing fancy clothes. He was harder to dress than the two of you, you know." Gwen says, nudging Sirius. "I'm just glad Gemma got a nap in today. I'm going to have to ask, erm, someone, if they knew how you were as a baby."

"A right nightmare." Sirius grins proudly.

"Well that's where she gets it then." Gwen says. "All your fault that I haven't slept properly in ages."

"Ah, but in a good or bad way?" Sirius asks with a raised brow.

"Don't answer that. I really don't want to hear." Regulus replies. "Glad that you've made it. The boys all right?" In a move that piques Sirius' curiosity, he watches his brother kneel down and greet Gideon and Finneas.

"Gid, Finn, go on, say hi to Uncle Regulus." Gwen urges. "They're a bit uncomfortable, not used to dressing up posh."

"Like Sirius would let them in posh clothes." Regulus says, winking at his brother.

"Question is, Regulus, are you all right?" Sirius asks with a furrowed brow.

"Yeah, you know I'm fine. Just.. let's all go to dinner, shall we?" He says brightly.

Sirius stops when they reach the dining room. His jaw clenches so tightly, Gwen wonders briefly how he has not yet broken it. She nudges him gently. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to greet your mother properly like you were taught?" The condescending tone fills the room.

"Mother." Sirius says curtly, daring to defy her again by not saying any more. "Regulus, you're still such a conniving Slytherin. Thought you'd come around."

"It was the only way for you to come." Regulus insists as Sirius places Gideon next to him, Finneas sits across from his twin, next to Gwen.

"Is that… Gemma?" Walburga asks trying to hide her curiosity.

"Regulus, why are we here?" Sirius asks finally. Regulus looks at his brother and leaves the room.

"Typical." Sirius replies. Gideon pats his side, "Yeah, Gid?"

"Gran? Her?" Gideon asks pointing very indiscreetly at Walburga. Fabian echoes the same to his mother.

"Yeah." Sirius says gruffly. "That's… Gran." He puts extra emphasis, knowing it's informality, it's… common sound would annoy his mother. He sits back in his chair like he always did at dinners, till he was just being supported by the back two legs. "Ah, still as easy as it was when I was fifteen. Grand."

Regulus comes back in and rolls his eyes after seeing his brother reclining, with his hands behind his head. Gideon and Finneas try, with limited success for their age, to emulate their father. "Sorry, Lucy was a bit ill."

"Oh, sorry to hear that." Gwen says looking at Lucy. "Hang on, it's nothing Gemma can catch, is it?"

"No, just-" She looks at Regulus.

"Sirius, Gwen, mother already knows this, but Lucy and I are having a baby. Due in February." Regulus finishes Lucy's sentence.

"A girl." Walburga adds, almost coldly.

Sirius' eyes widen and he looks at his brother. "So that's the real reason why we're here, then." He looks at Gwen and says, "Come on, we're going."

"Going?" Gwen asks incredulously.

"Sirius, we've got to work out mother's will." Regulus insists.

"Give it to him, I don't want any of it." Sirius snarls. "Give to Narcissa's boy. What's his name? Draco?"

"Sirius,you may have balked at tradition, but as you are the only one of my sons who has children that will carry on the Black family name-"

Sirius is about to object when Gwen interrupts. "Sirius, let's… let's listen. It'll help us if we need that money… and, if we want to move to a different village."

Sirius tries to keep a disinterested look on his face as Walburga summons a scroll of parchment. "To Sirius Orion Black, my eldest son, I leave him ninety percent of my fortune, currently around 850,000 Galleons, his childhood home, and shield with the Black Family Coat of Arms and several other heirlooms that I won't read off."

"The house, I.. give it to Regulus." Sirius answers. "I don't want it. I'll never go back there."

"But it's been passed down by the generations." Regulus insists. "Eldest son gets it no matter what."

"Well so when it's finally mine, I'll give it to you, Reg." Sirius shrugs and sits back in his chair.

"To Regulus Arcturus Black, my loyal son, I leave 100,000 Galleons and 11,000 Sickles and all of the other family heirlooms." Walburga finishes. "That should be adequate, I think, considering Sirius had two sons before his daughter."

"You say it like I had a choice." Regulus grumbles as several house elves come to serve dinner.

Gideon, who has never seen a house elf, looks at them curiously, while Finneas takes his mother's hand. "Odd creatures house-elves." Gwen says. "We don't get one with the… will, do we?"

"You don't want the one we've got." Sirius mutters darkly.

"He just doesn't like you because you were a git to him, Sirius." Regulus answers.

"Language, Regulus." Walburga warns.

Dinner proceeds with stiff cordiality between Walburga and Regulus. Sirius coldly dismisses everything either of them had to say, and before dessert has even had time to settle, Sirius stands and announces, for his family, that they are going to leave.

"I will be visiting you if you move to that wizarding village." Walburga says. "I'd like for my grandsons to know that I'm not a batty old hag, like you say I am."

Sirius rolls his eyes. "Try again , straight away, Reg. Even if it means we don't get that money." Gwen looks at Sirius as though he's mad. "I got as far away from our family as possible, and now look where I am, about to inherit everything."

-------

30 May 1983

"You know, for one baby, she's twice the trouble the twins were." Gwen sighs as Sirius carries a sleeping Gemma. Gwen has spent the last ten minutes trying to put her hair up into an appropriate ponytail to no avail. "Ergh, I miss being pregnant, my hair looked so lovely."

"You're lovely." Sirius reassures her. "And besides, it'll look less threatening to Liam and Cassandra if you look like a normal sleepless parent." He follows her downstairs to find Gideon and Fabian entertaining their nephews.

"Oi!Off of the table Finneas Caspian." Gwen says sternly. "Andyou two, you know-"

"She's in a right state." Fabian mutters to Sirius as Gwen decides to go off on her other brother, who was holding his namesake upside down by the ankle. "You two all right?"

"Yeahwe're fine, it's Gemma." Sirius replies. "She's a bit more of a handful than we expected. Colic. And it's apparently all my fault. But I think you'd know more about Gwen-"

"She was a boring baby. Didn't cry. Mum loved that." Fabian mutters.

After Gwen finishes berating her brother, she takes her son into her arms. "Oh, and Gid, could you watch the boys sometime next Tuesday? I've got an appointment, you know, baby things. Sirius is going on a mission, and I know the boys would just wreak havoc in the waiting room."

"Awfully rich of you, yelling at me and then asking a favour." Gideon grins. "But, in all honesty, I can't, Gwen. I want to, but I'll be a bit tied up that day."

Gwen purses her lips and looks at her dark haired son. "The odds of you behaving...nil."

"All right, I had to see it for m'self, a ginger girl?" The amused voice of Dorcas Meadowes fills the sitting room. "And why is it that you always look good, Gwen? Honestly."

"Dorcas, you just haven't seen me on a daily basis." Gwen grins, putting little Gideon down to hug her friend. "And Benjy, how are you? Met her parents, then? Her mum never liked me, said I was a 'bad influence.'"

"Unlucky for you, she must like me, she made me treacle tart." Benjy says smugly. "Now, where's this baby?"

"Ah with Sirius." Gwen says, and is surprised to see Cassandra in the doorway trying not to trip over Gid and Finn's shoes. "All right there, Cass?"

"Gwen!" Cassandra smiles. "Glad you liked the pictures for Gemma's birth announcement. You two were both gorgeous."

"Well that goes without saying." Gwen says smugly. "And you're a bit dolled up for, ah, Swansea."

"It's spring. Felt like it." Cassandra replies airily. "Now do I get to hold Gemma at all, or do you want me taking pictures again? Because Idid bring my camera."

"If you feel a picture, suppose you could." Gwen shrugs.

"I heard you were moving to some place on the Gower peninsula." Cassandra says casually, as she leafs through a photo album.

"You're moving down to Gower?" Gideon asks incredulously. "Why didn't you say anything? Who'd you hear that from, Cass? Liam say something? How did Liam know before me? Did you talk to Fabian without me, Gwen?"

"Is this a game of twenty questions?" Gwen asks stifling a laugh. "First of all, we've just been entertaining the idea. Secondly, I did ask Fabian, and he said, rightly so, to wait."

"Iam quite right, most of the time, aren't I, Sandra?" Fabian grins. Sandra rolls her eyes but laughs anyway. "And I did tell Liam but only because he's got family there, so I thought it was relevant."

"Still doesn't explain how she knows, and I didn't. I mean, I'm you're effing brother." Gideon says crossly. Fabian looks at him incredulously.

"All right, so I've taken nearly forty pictures of her, but I haven't even held her yet, today." Cassandra's voice is higher pitched but she makes her way towards Sirius, who is currently trying to hand Gemma over to Dorcas. Gemma, however, was having none of it.

"Ah, well, bad luck, Dorcas." Sirius says. "Benjy?"

"No thanks, dropped my cousin Andrew once. Then again he did bite me." Benjy says thoughtfully.

"Cass?" Sirius offers. He winks at Gwen and nods towards the door. "Now, you have held this baby before, right?"

And as Cassandra makes her way over to Sirius to try and carry Gemma, Gwen turns to see Liam grinning. "Gwen! You liked the photos, I assume. My mum loved them."

"She told me, she came 'round the other day to see Gemma." Gwen answers. "And what have you been up to?"

"This and that." Liam replies dismissively. "Where's the little ginger, anyway? Odd the little ginger isn't you anymore, isn't it?"

"She's more of a red ochre." Gideon interrupts their conversation. "And you, how come you didn't tell me that you heard she was moving."

"Not for certain." Gwen says rolling her eyes. She wonders, if Gideon continues to interrupt, how she'll ever manage to get to interrogate Liam and Cassandra. "And leave him alone, he's just arrived."

"Et tu, Gwen?" Gideon says dramatically.

"Anyway," Gwen says loudly, "Gemma's over there with Cass, but there's a bit of a queue. I think Dorcas is going to have another try at holding her. Then Fabian wants to show her to Evey and Ella. And Gid's already held her plenty of times."

"Well the exposure should probably help her from not being completely frightened of him." Liam replies. "And, don't worry about it, I'm just fine being able to see her, 'fraid I might break her."

Gwen looks over at Sirius, who raises his eyebrows once and ever so slightly nods his head to his right. Gwen furrows her brow before inhaling sharply, as an idea occurred to her. "Oh, Liam, hate to put you on the spot, but, ah, I haven't got a picture of Cass and Gemma yet. I mean, she's taken nearly fifty photos. And erm," She thinks hastily, "with Dorcas too, if she doesn't cry when she holds her."

"Yeah, definitely." Liam answers, distractedly. Gwen follows his gaze over to Cassandra who is looking absolutely petrified at the fact that she is holding an infant.

"Liam."

"Yeah?"

"You're going to need a camera to take those photographs." Gwen says.

"Oh." He remembers. "Right. Right. Erm, Cass brought hers, I think. She brought a green bag with her, right?"

"Er… dunno, didn't look. Said she brought it though." Gwen answers. "You two and Gideon been having more of those Lonely Hearts Club meetings, then?"

"Not really, no." Liam answers, finding Cass' camera bag. "Sort of went by the wayside."

"Yeah, like when you decided to abandon Gideon at pub?" Gwen asks.

Liam is about to respond when they both hear the unmistakable sound of retching and Cass lets out a squeaky noise. Gemma spit up all over the front of Cass' sundress, and Sirius, with some amusement, takes a less fussy Gemma back, patting her on the back. "Oh, Merlin." Liam says, looking at Gwen as Cassandra makes her way into the kitchen to try and clean up the mess with a few cleaning spells.

"Oh Merlin is right, Liam. Come with me." Gwen says, marching into the kitchen. With a simple flick of her wrist Gemma's spit-up vanishes.

"Thanks for that, Gwen. Should've come to you, you probably know about your fair share of cleaning spells. What with twin boys, and all." Cassandra laughs.

"Any chance that you'll be holding Gemma again, Cass?" Liam asks. "The mum here wants a picture of the two of you."

Sirius follows into the kitchen, heading to the icebox and taking out the cake Molly sent yesterday. He looks at Gwen, whose eyes have the telltale gleam, and tries to hide an answering gleam as he looks at Liam. "Oh, so still on about Africa, then? I mean, Gemma's here already, you've taken her picture and all."

Gwen gives her husband that mischievous smirk of hers that he loves so much. "Sirius, you should make sure Gideon's not holding our boys up by their ankles, again."

"Right." He grins, and smirking a bit to himself he mutters to Liam, "I'd gird your loins, if I were you." He sends the cake ahead of him with his wand then leaves the room, gently patting Gemma's back.

Liam looks over at Cassandra, who is trying to look for traces of baby spit-up. "Erm, Africa?"

"So, is there any special reason about why my husband knew about you before, oh, I don't know...me?" Gwen asks bluntly.

Cassandra stammers an answer, "Erm, Gwen, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid with me. If anyone passed Advanced Meaningful Glances, it was me and Sirius." Gwen says smugly. "He's been helping me along this little path of interrogation all afternoon."

Cassandra rounds on Liam, "You told Sirius?"

Liam replies with an immediate "What? No! Haven't even told Fabian!"

Gwen laughs triumphantly, "Caught you." Liam and Cassandra exchange sheepish glances. "That was too easy, Sirius is getting to be a bit of a bad influence."

"A bit." Cassandra mutters.

"This is where I wish I could have some champagne." Gwen replies. "A toast to myself and my skill. Hang on, Cass, didn't you swear off Welsh men? What happened to that?"

"Same thing that happened to you swearing off Sirius, I think." Cassandra replies evenly.

"Oh, that's good. I'll let you have that one." Gwen nods. "I stuck to it about three years, though, Cass, you caved early."

Liam looks at Gwen incredulously and says, "You swore of Sirius? That's something I would've never thought possible."

"Yeah, well I more than made up for it." She answers dismissively, before remembering that she hadn't yet given him a piece of her mind. "Andyou, all that talk of going to Africa. That wasn't true, was it?"

"Pretty smart for a Gryffindor." Liam says smugly.

"Shut it, Hufflepuff." Gwen replies. "So, were you two ever going to tell me in this century, or was I supposed to live in peace while you hie off to your own little world?"

Cassandra shifts in her spot and shrugs. "We, erm, haven't actually told anyone."

Gwen furrows her brow in confusion and runs a hand through her unruly ginger hair. "So, let me get this straight, those pub crawls, and you beating him royally at darts-"

"Unless you're looking for some dirty double entendre, which I know you are," Cassandra interrupts, "I have beat him royally at darts, and that's pretty much all there is to those things."

"They're all innocent, Gwen. At least, at the time." Liam says looking quite satisfied with himself.

Gwen looks disgustedly at Liam. "Oh, just to be sure, does Gideon know?"

"Didn't you hear what Cass said? We haven't told anyone, therefore, Gid would not know. Besides, if Gid knew, we pretty much told everyone else."

"Right." Gwen nods, as she mulls over the recent information. "So, are you going to be telling anyone else, or do Sirius and I get to blab on about this?"

"Well, I don't mind either way." Liam shrugs. "But you'll have to ask Miss Prissy English here."

"Precious, you have nicknames for each other." Gwen says with amusement.

"Wait, what happened to waiting to see where this goes?" Cassandra asks him, eyebrows raised as high as they can go.

Gwen inhales sharply and smiles forcedly. "Erm… is that Gemma crying?" She looks at Liam and says, "Try not to kill each other," before scampering off.

In all reality, Gemma is actually quite captured by her uncle Fabian, and Gwen's sons are taking turns chucking Chocolate Frogs into the air for Sirius and Gideon to explode. "What's got you in a huff, little sis? Gemma apparently thinks Fabian's funny looking, and the boys are all under control."

"Oh, I had to skip out on Liam and Cass' Lovers' Quarrel that's all." Gwen says, sitting next to Evelyn who was leafing through one of the photo albums with her mother on the other side. "Oi! You nearly dropped Finn!"

"What- do you mean to say- is that what they've been doing all along?" Gideon says in disbelief.

"I don't know. I mean, Liam says-shit." Gwen realises who she's talking to and stops.

"No swearing in front of the children." Fabian says mockingly.

"That's rich coming from you." Sirius laughs.

"But-Anti Valentine's Club." Gideon continues.

"They won't be anti-Valentine's next year, if things go well-"

"And she swore off Welsh men." Gideon grumbles.

"Evey, let's go out into the garden, why don't you get your cousins to go with you?" Sandra urges, shutting the photo album.

"Good idea." Sirius says. "Come on, boys. Mum and your uncles have got some ginger issues to work out."

"They'renot ginger issues." Gwen says exasperatedly.

"I think I'm going to have a word with Liam." Gideon says crossly. His arms are folded across his chest. Gwen stands up to take Gemma back from Fabian.

Fabian looks over at his brother and replies, "Gid, I don't think they kept it from you deliberately."

"Let him finish his word with Cass first. Tact, big brother. Tact." Gwen adds.

"They didn't tell me." Fabian says encouragingly. "Or Gwen, obviously."

"-And you, isolated here and thinking of nothing else but Thing, and your little...thingies. I was with them!"

"She did come 'round a few times." Gwen counters. "And it's a bit difficult to get around with twin boys, and being, oh… I don't know, pregnant?"

Meanwhile, Sirius and Sandra keep a close ear to the door, while Evelyn plays a game of tag with her cousins. "I don't know what's worse," Sirius starts, "The Lovers'Quarrel in the kitchen, or the siblings' in the sitting room."

"You should've seen this one coming." Sandra says, shifting as she holds a fussy Ella. "You know how they are with the new and different."

"Should've known this by now, right?" Sirius shrugs.

"I should change the name of our club to 'Gideon-drinks-himself-stupid' club, then? The only member being me?" Gideon pouts.

"Oh quit feeling sorry for yourself, big brother." Gwen replies. "And you know what I think about you and a certain titian haired Irish girl."