Disclaimer: I don't own HP.


Fred

The light tapping on the door alerted me to wake up; I checked the clock on the wall and saw that it was four in the morning. Kira was still sleeping, and when I slipped out of bed she didn't stir.

George was at the door, and when he saw me a puzzled look came upon his face. "You dressed quickly."

I was still in my nightclothes, but I knew what he meant; he figured I'd be stark-naked, having spent the night with Kira, and would have needed a few moments to change.

"Or I was already dressed," I replied quietly.

George stared at me, then scoffed. "Doesn't prove that you two haven't..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head absently, looking off down the hallway.

"Well, we haven't." I popped my head out the doorway, looking down the hall. "Are we in the clear?"

"Yeah," he replied without looking at me. "Kreacher was kreaching around, but I think he went back down to the boiler room."

The lights in the silent house had long been doused, but moonlight spilled onto the floor from the window at the end of the wide hall next to Kira's room, where George stood. Half his face was lost in shadow, but the other half glowed in the pale moonlight and I could see a shade of disappointment on the visible side of his face.

"George..." I caught his shoulder and forced him to look at me. I stared hard into his eyes, which narrowed.

"You really want to talk about this here?" he asked shortly.

"Yes. I...uh, never thanked you properly, or apologized for everything you've had to put up with."

He paused for a moment, and then the hard lines in his face softened, he even smirked slightly. "Don't patronize me, Fred. You would have done the same things for me."

"But that's just it," I replied stubbornly. "If I were in your shoes it'd be different. I wouldn't understand and therefore be more prejudiced, and I'd be harder on you than you've been on me."

George shook his head again, still smirking. "You didn't do it, did you?"

"Do...what?"

He looked at me with a half-bitter, half-smug expression. "You didn't give her your Christmas present."

I froze, almost jumped as if what he'd said had startled me. My eyes slid to the ground, but I could feel his acidic satisfaction.

"I decided to wait," I muttered.

The pale lines on his face showed no more disappointment as we slithered across the hallway and down the stairs. If he had anything to say about my hesitation he certainly didn't put words to it, but as we went about our business that night his body language was more relaxed, which made me think that he'd accepted my apology and thanks.

Yes, he was visibly more at ease as he levitated, not Ron, but a sleep-induced Hermione from her bed and moved her to Ron and Harry's room, just as we'd done the last night of our stay at Grimmuald the first time. Earlier that night, Hermione had eaten New Years chocolates from Ginny that had been dipped in sleeping potion, and Ron had unknowingly repeated her actions; eating a few chocolate frogs also from Ginny that had the same concoction drizzled over them...just to make sure that neither woke up in the process.

It was a joint effort as Ginny silenced her creaking door for us with her wand when we exited the room, and again when we entered Harry and Ron's room. She looked exhausted to be up at this early hour, but exhilarated and gratified at being included in our prank.

I made sure Hermione didn't bump into anything as we moved her, and kept a lookout for mum in case she heard something suspicious and decided to check on us. We were all cast under muting spells as a precaution, even Ron and Hermione in case the effects of the chocolates wore off sooner than anticipated.

Harry grumbled and moaned in his sleep but didn't wake up as we pocketed Hermione comfortably next to Ron in his bed.

George grinned and nodded at me over the bed, then lifted his wand and silently apparated back to his room. I barely caught a glimpse of Ginny's night robe in the doorway as she turned and scampered softly back to the room she and Hermione shared.

I glanced back at Hermione and Ron, knowing that they'd wake up utterly bemused.

When I realized how tired I was, I laughed mutely and apparated back to Kira's room. She'd moved since I'd left, and was now curled into a ball in the center of the bed. One of her arms rested across the side of her head as she fisted her hair with her fingers in her sleep.

My heart squeezed and throbbed in a way that was both pleasant and unbearable as I looked down at her. I pulled the fluffy black duvet back and lay down next to her with a disconcerted look etched onto my face.

As I scooted myself next to her, the sound of her deep breaths stopped short and she froze slightly. After a moment I heard her voice speak out groggily.

"Urghh, I fell asleep. S'it time?"

"No," I breathed, as I closed my eyes. "We have about two hours."

"Mmm, good."

Kira burrowed her face against my arm and I felt her fingers curled around mine. She sighed deeply and kissed my shoulder. I'd begun to relax when I heard her sniffing me; I frowned slightly.

"Umm..." I popped one eye open to look at her. "...Fred, don't take this the wrong way, but, well...has anyone ever told you that you smell like a pyromaniac?"

Her head bobbed lightly on my shoulder as I laughed. "Do you have reservations against that? Because I can honestly go sleep with George instead."

"No!" Kira held my hand a little tighter. "Just...just saying..."

I turned on my side and pulled her toward me. "Does my smelling like a pyromaniac bother you?"

"N-No..." she stammered, looking flustered. "Maybe pyromaniac was the wrong word. You always smell like you just came from a bonfire. I...kind of like it."

"It must be the cologne I use," I replied. "It's got a natural smoky aroma, like liquid smoke. The fragrance is called Arsonist."

"Arsonist. That's the word I was looking for." Kira laughed quietly, and the sound had an instant calming effect on me.

We lay there for a while in silence, forgetting momentarily about the rest of the world outside, forgetting the fact that in just two hours we would have to part again.

Kira finally broke the silence by groaning in pain. "Dammit," she hissed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my pulse quickening.

"It's nothing out of the ordinary," she replied gingerly, holding a hand to her stomach as she sat up. "The bugger just kicked me particularly hard."

She shook my concern off lightly, but from the way her expression had tightened I knew something was off.

My hair stuck up as I pulled myself off the pillow and sat up. I grabbed my wand off the bedside table and lit a few candles, then turned back to her, leaning my back against the headboard.

"Kira...is the sickness you had before worse than you let on?"

"Don't worry about it. It's just a baby."

"No it's not."

She didn't look at me, but I saw the way her lips parted slightly then pursed.

"You're right. It's not," she snapped. "It's not just a baby. It's a carnivorous, evil mutation that shouldn't belong anywhere in nature, but it does. It's not my fault I'm pregnant either, it's Voldemort's, and if he'd had a speck of common sense he would've picked my mum for the job rather than me, she certainly would have been the better, easier choice for him. But he didn't, and there's nothing I can do about that. Yes, Fred, I'm aware that it's not a normal pregnancy, so drop it."

I tried to think of something passive to say in reply but nothing came to me. I blinked at her, trying to figure out why she'd snapped so spontaneously.

Kira looked down and ran her hands over stomach , massaging it the way she might if she were trying to pacify an upset animal. Then she sighed tiredly and looked at me.

"Sorry," she muttered, biting her lower lip. "I'm, er...not in my right mind at the moment."

I brought my hand up to stroke her arm gently. "Kira, you'll get through this. I promise."

"That's a fat pledge to make, and the more you make it, the less I believe it."

She sighed again then moved toward me and crawled into my lap. When she'd settled herself against me she nuzzled her face against the side of my neck, and I felt her placing small kisses there. Our position reminded me of the way we'd sat in the cushioned chair that first night, and of the way Kira had begged me to consider leaving her for my own good.

I grimaced and tried to distract myself from those thoughts. I summoned one of the baby books from across the room with my wand, and held it out in front of both Kira and I. "Let's pick up where we left off."

She looked up at me with those tired sable eyes, and smirked slightly before nodding her acquiescence.

We couldn't find any names that either of us found suitable, and instead spent the rest of our time laughing as we came up with a list of bad name possibilities.

When it inevitably reached seven o'clock, I left the room to get my trunk and returned briefly.

Kira lay on her side while I moved around the dim room, scrounging up some of my things which were strewn around. I could have used my wand, but I wanted to do it by hand so I'd have a reason to stay longer.

When I was finished, and had given Kira a long lingering kiss, we went down to the kitchen for breakfast. Harry, Hermione, and Ron, were already there, helping themselves to the food set out on the table. Harry nodded toward Kira when she sat down, though the other two ignored both of us. Hermione glanced uneasily at Ron, who looked both confused and smug.

Had it been any other morning, I would have been excited by this. But it wasn't, and all I could think about was the fact that I'd be going back to Hogwarts in less than an hour.

The cup of tea I poured for myself didn't do anything to help my gray mood, and the more I sipped it the more my stomach tightened with a nausea.

I felt a sudden soft nudge against my elbow, and I turned to look into the midnight eyes of a tired looking Kira. Without offering an explanation, she moved her chair closer and scooted so close to me that our legs touched. The contact seemed to put her as ease as she continued to eat. I felt somewhat reassured, enough that the tea tasted less like ash on my tongue.

After a long moment of silence, Hermione slammed her fork on the table and turned to look piercingly at Ron. "I didn't do it."

My leg tensed against Kira's.

"Right," Ron nodded. "I'm sure it was someone else in this household who just happens to look exactly like you."

"That's not what I meant."

"Ah, you're saying it was you. So...how did you wind up in my bed, Hermione?"

"You can't possibly believe—"

"Maybe you were sleepwalking," he suggested complacently.

Harry, off to the side, caught my eye with a twinge of bitterness. My lips curved upward, and as breakfast went on, my shameless smirk remained unnoticed by everyone at the table but him.


Kira

While everyone stood in the entry hall, saying their goodbyes, Fred took my hand and pulled me into a private room close by.

"I have something for you."

With his hand stroking my face he reached into his coat. He pulled a long thin box into sight and glanced at the doorway nervously as he placed it in my hands.

"It's not meant to be sentimental," he added as I opened it.

Inside, was a sharp silver dagger, no bigger than a butter knife. It gleamed in the light, and as I looked down at it I saw my own face reflected in the blade.

"Why...?"

"Just in case," he said shortly.

He didn't need to finish that sentence. Just in case...just in case he doesn't make it in time if something happens, or if I can't contact him. I wanted to ask him when he got it, but decided otherwise. The dagger, it seemed, was necessary, but made us both nervous, and by the look on his face I got the impression that he didn't want to discuss it.

I nodded and closed the box, pocketing it shakily.

Our bodies pressed together as Fred wove me into a tight embrace. He pulled back slightly to press his face against mine. "A few months," he mumbled against my skin. "If you keep yourself pre-occupied, and we write each other every day, it won't last long."

He molded his mouth against mine, and I could feel his anguish in the kiss. It was one thing to unwillingly lose someone you cared for, and another to willingly say goodbye.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat to our right, and we turned to see George standing hesitantly in the doorway. "We're leaving now," he said quietly.

Unspoken words passed between the twins that I couldn't translate, and then George moved out of the room as Fred pulled back. I bit my lip as he looked at me, and he ran his finger over my mouth.

"Any more of that," he said with a stitch of humor, "and people might start thinking you're a cannibal."

I didn't know what to say, my mind was absolutely blank, so I slid my bottom lip from in between my teeth and tried to smirk back at him.

"Promise me you'll kick that habit before I get back," he continued. "I don't want to come back here and find out that you bit your lip off."

He gazed at me for a lingering moment, then kissed me once more before swiftly leaving the room.

I slid down against the wall and listened to the sounds of the group leaving the house through the thin wall behind me. I strained my ears to pick out his particular footsteps, and though I didn't hear him I could almost feel his presence leave the house.

An uncomfortable tightness appeared in my chest, filling the gap of his absence.


Third Person

Sirius' eyes briefly wandered upward, where he knew the Malfoy girl was, before he looked back down scathingly. An entire day she'd been upstairs, probably crying her eyes out. Sirius only hoped she didn't dirty his nice duvet with her tears—Lupin had forced him to give up that blanket so that she'd be able to sleep more comfortably.

Sirius sat in the kitchen, drinking straight from an expensive bottle of mead as his eyes scanned the sports section of the Daily Prophet mirthlessly. It was the one section of the newspaper that didn't besmirch his godson's name, and the one section that had only ever interested him.

The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed five p.m., and at that precise moment Kira stumbled into the kitchen breathlessly, her face paper-white as she held her hand over her stomach.

Sirius, who'd been inwardly startled, tried to look unconcerned as he glanced at her over his Daily Prophet. Her eyes didn't look red and puffy, and her cheeks were not tear-stained as he would have expected. Her face was dry and untouched, though there were dark circles under her eyes.

"Yes? Do you require my…succor?"

"Are you going to take care of that Boggart?" Kira demanded.

"Yes," he replied, though he remained unmoving. He held the Daily Prophet a bit higher, blocking the small girl from his view.

"When?"

"When..." he echoed. "Oh, I suppose when I'm not busy."

Kira crossed her arms and spoke levelly. "You don't look very busy now."

"I'm neither your butler, nor your landlady," Sirius huffed. "I'll bide my time."

Kira's brow wrinkled slightly as she frowned in disgust. "I'm not going to wait while you twiddle your thumbs. If you don't take care of that blasted Boggart right now, I'll tell Lupin that you...uh..."

Sirius raised a patient eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I-I'll tell him that you attacked me," she stammered. "Shouldn't be too hard for him to believe."

The ragged man's face remained completely passive as he licked his index finger and flipped to a new page. "Ah, so you do play dirty."

"You'd do the same thing if you didn't have a wand and there was a Boggart living in your room, and I had the power to remove it but chose not to help," Kira accused.

Sirius sighed impatiently and folded up the Prophet, tossing it off to the side. "Are you losing sleep at night because of this Boggart?"

Kira hesitated. "...yes."

"Then, you know what you should do?" he asked as he stood up.

Sirius walked toward Kira and didn't stop until he was just inches from her, looking down at her darkly. The close proximity emphasized his advantage in height, as he was an entire foot taller than her.

"I should...get help?" she suggested weakly.

Sirius moved his face closer to hers, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"You should pick a different room to sleep in."

He pulled back and his serious expression crumbled as he let out a bark of laughter. He stepped around her, still cackling as he crossed to the other side of the kitchen.

Kira stood in place, her eyes lightly wide.

"Is it hungry?" Sirius called as he looked through the cupboard next to the sink.

"It?"

He looked at her and nodded toward her stomach. "It."

Kira wrapped her arms around her torso defensively. "It's a she. And yes, she's...hungry."

"She..." Sirius scoffed under his breath. "O-kay..."

He raised his eyebrows conspicuously then pulled a deep steel pot from the bottom shelf. "Molly left some stew. Should last us for a while, that's assuming you don't eat like a pig. You're not a pig, right?"

Kira frowned at him but didn't reply. A smile played on Sirius' lips as he carried the pan to the kitchen table.

"I'll take that as a no," he said smoothly. "Oh well. I suppose I'll just have to keep guessing what the hell you are."

He looked at her meaningfully before lifting the lid and smelling the contents of the pan. With a flick of his wand he summoned a ladle, a bowl, and a spoon to him. He touched the tip of his wand to the pan and a stream of vapor suddenly floated up from the stew.

As Kira inched toward the table, the smell of Mrs. Weasley's cooking wafted over her, causing her mouth water.

"As much as it pains me to say this, girl, we'll both be eating in here. Lupin and I don't take food out of this room."

"Why?"

"It attracts bugs to the wrong places."

"And I suppose the kitchen is the right place?" Kira asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sirius gave her a look that was pungent with loathing. He scooped himself a portion of the stew and sat down. He looked up, noticing the way Kira looked at him expectantly. "What?" he interjected rudely.

Kira stared at him. "I merely thought you might decide to be gentleman, rather than make me get a bowl myself. That'll teach me," she added under her breath as she moved further into the kitchen and obtained a bowl and silverware from the places which she'd seen them summoned from.

She helped herself to the stew and moved to sit as far away from Sirius as she could.

Kira stared hard at her bowl in an attempt not to look at him, even tilted herself toward the wall as she ate. Sirius on the other hand kept his eyes glued to her, and when she got up to take seconds he gave her the look of a territorial dog.

Kira's eyes were drawn to the ridiculous hand print on his face, which he'd been recently trying to hide by growing out his facial hair. She took comfort in knowing that every single time he looked in the mirror, not only would he have to live with the fact that he had a piece of her etched on his face, but his beard would remind him of the dreadful facial hair incident.

They were halfway through eating when Lupin entered the house, bringing their heavy tension to a slight standstill.

Lupin stepped into the room, sensing the hostile vibes immediately. Looking between Kira and Sirius, he hesitantly removed his shabby brown coat and draped it over the edge of a chair that was placed in between the two of them neutrally.

"Erm, is this Molly's stew?" he asked slowly.

Sirius drew his eyes back to the man and nodded before looking down at his bowl and collecting a spoonful of soup.

Lupin continued to look between the pair as he served himself and sat down uneasily. "How, ah, has it been here today? Has it been...quiet?"

"We haven't had a row today, Remus, if that's what you mean," Sirius cut in smoothly.

Lupin raised his eyebrows and nodded. "I see…" He turned to look at Kira. "Is that true?"

Her face twitched as she looked over at Sirius, remembering the threat she'd made less than an hour ago. If she didn't go through with it, he'd think all of her threats were empty and he'd never take her seriously. But if she did, it was guaranteed that his maltreatment would get worse when Lupin wasn't around.

Lupin stared at her, and the longer she hesitated the more suspicion grew on his face.

Kira blinked. "Yes, yes it's true. We haven't fought today."

Lupin nodded slowly and began to eat, but he still looked suspicious.

Mind suddenly reeling, she looked back at Sirius and added hurriedly: "Ah, and while I'm thinking about it, there's a Boggart in my bedroom upstairs. Do you think you could deal with it tonight, Sirius? Since I don't have a wand..."

He gave her a dirty look as Lupin turned to him expectantly; if he didn't deal with it, then he'd indefinitely get a lecture from his old friend. "Certainly, Miss Malfoy," he drawled. "When I'm done eating, I'll take care of it."

She gave him her most charming smile and sighed with false relief. "Thank you, I greatly appreciate it."