Joanne, in shock, looked back and forth between Pansy and the shy little girl who had now followed her mother in, hiding behind her legs. There was no mistaking the similarity between the child and her lover's godson. "She's…"

"Helena Parkinson Potter," Pansy whispered with a smile, reaching down to smooth the child's hair back from her face.

"You cannot be serious! You expect me to believe that this child… Harry's…" Sirius roared incoherently.

"Married? Since when has that stopped anyone? Not my husband? Look into the mirror, Mr. Black. Perfect? Well, I like to think our daughter is just as perfect," Pansy spat quietly, not wanting to upset the little girl.

"How? No… Does Harry know?" Joanne asked in awe, dropping to her knees and smiling at the child.

"I don't… I haven't seen Harry since the night she was conceived. I heard he was getting married… I'm not a home wrecker," Pansy sobbed, causing Helena to look up worriedly.

Sirius was still speechless, he simply stood with his mouth opening and closing as he stared down at the child who was now looking up at him curiously. "Hi," she whispered, smiling slightly at him.

Sirius was silent until Joanne nudged him the ribs, hissing, "Talk to her."

"Hi," Sirius choked, still goggling at the resemblance between Harry and Helena.

"Do you know my Daddy?" Helena asked in a quiet voice.

Sirius glanced at Pansy and Joanne seeking help. Pansy stared back, waiting to see what his answer would be while Joanne winked at him, extending her hand down to Helena. "Yup, he does, Helena. He's your Uncle Sirius and I'm your Aunt Joey. Would you like some cookies?"

Helena looked to her mother before taking the stranger's hand. Pansy nodded, saying, "Yes," as well.

"Sirius," Joanne whispered as she took Helena's small hand in hers. "Get Harry here. Now."

"I think that is a brilliant idea," Sirius muttered, heading towards his office to summon his errant godson, Pansy following Joanne and Harry's daughter to the kitchens.

***

"She what?"

"She ran up to me and kissed me," Draco repeated warily, watching as Ginny's eyes flashed dangerously.

"She…kissed…you," Ginny repeated slowly. "Did you kiss her back?" she asked furiously.

"Of course not," Draco quickly assured her. "I only have lips for one woman and one woman only."

Ginny eyed him suspiciously. She sat down on the bed in the very same room that she and Harry had first made love in, crossing her legs as she leaned back onto the bedspread. "Good. Because if you had," she paused for effect, "I would have killed you."

Draco laughed at the threat. "I know, my Queen, I know." He followed her to the bed, leaning over her so his longish blonde hair fell into her face, his lips close to hers but just out of reach. "Just remember, the same holds true for you," he warned her ominously. "Speaking of other men you've shagged, where is your husband?"

"I don't know," Ginny pouted. "Guess he doesn't love me half as much as he said he did."

"I'd be here in a heartbeat," Draco whispered, nuzzling her neck. "But then again, I'd never have let you go."

Ginny looked up, her eyes locking with Draco's. "You mean that?"

"Of course," Draco murmured in her ear. "You are mine, body, heart and soul. If you try to leave, I'll chase you down. If anyone tries to take you, I'll hunt them down and bring you back."

"Draco," Ginny gasped, tears in her eyes from the knowledge that Harry had never loved her like that. "Oh, Draco," she cried as his lips captured hers in an all consuming kiss. Ginny moaned as Draco slipped his hand up her leg, feeling her tremble with desire. "I want you now," she said fiercely as her lover's hands roamed her willing body.

"Anxious little minx aren't we?" he laughed as she started pulling his clothes off, licking the exposed skin as she went.

"Well can you think of a better way to pass the time….." but her words were cut short as Draco pulled open her shirt, popping buttons in his impatience. As his lips found exposed skin she purred, "I take that as a yes?"

"Gods yes, now hush and love me," he demanded.

***

"What is it Sirius? You're bellowing has not pleased Hermione's baby and that leads to Hermione yelling at Ron and then Ron chewing out me! What is so bloody urgent that I have to drop everything to get here?" Harry complained angrily, stalking into Sirius's office.

"Sit," Sirius ordered none too gently as he pointed to the couch. "I expected better of you, Harry. I… I know you didn't have the greatest role models in your life, including me, but… How could you to Ginny?"

"What are you talking about? Ginny? Ginny left me! And I'm supposed to be meeting her in the Shack right now…" Harry trailed off, remembering the letter he'd received by owl. He was worried about her, but right now was more concerned with Sirius's yelling at him, something Sirius had never before done.

"Were you thinking of your wife when…" Sirius trailed off, looking up as the door to his office opened to reveal Joanne with Helena, Pansy right behind them.

"When what?" Harry asked in confusion, turning to follow Sirius's gaze. "Hey Joanne…" he stopped upon seeing the child in the doorway. Green eyes met green eyes as he stared at the child who was nearly his mirror image.

"Oh shit, we're early," Joanne moaned, a look of horror on her face as she watched Harry.

"It's OK, Annie, this says it better than I could. Harry meet your daughter, Helena Parkinson Potter," Sirius muttered, motioning for her to leave the room with him.

"Parkinson?" Harry whispered in a strained voice, still staring at the child who was now grinning at him. "Oh my gods…"

"Mummy?" Helena asked softly, turning to look up at Pansy who was unconsciously holding her breath, her eyes focused on a man she hadn't seen in three years.

Harry quickly looked up when Helena broke eye contact. He gasped at seeing her there, the woman he had thought about for years, the woman who he couldn't help but think of when he shouldn't, his fantasies giving him more comfort than the touches of his wife. Jumping to his feet, he swiftly crossed the room to stand in front of the girl and the woman who now had his full attention, Ginny completely forgotten. There were a million questions and things he wanted to say that were running through his mind but the only one he could give voice to was "Is she mine?"

"Yes, of course she is," Pansy sobbed tenderly, wanting to reach out and touch him and also throw every hex she knew at him. "Just look at her, Harry."

His breath caught at hearing her say his name, at the way she rolled the r's due to her slight French accent. He wanted to hear her say it again and again, preferably screaming it in the throes of passion. "I'm too busy looking at you," he murmured, reaching out gingerly to touch her face, to make sure she was really there.

"Is he my Daddy?" Helena asked impatiently, glancing back and forth between the man that looked like she did and was touching her mummy's face and her mummy who was letting the strange man touch her and crying.

Harry's hand was caressing Pansy's cheek as the little girl, his daughter, asked her question. Slowly dropping to his knees, he had to blink back tears. "Yes, I'm your Daddy," he told her, voice breaking.

Helena grinned, her face completely scrunching up so wide was her smile. "Really?"

Pansy knelt by her child, inches from Harry. "Yes, Helena, this is your Daddy," she whispered happily.

"My Daddy…" Helena echoed, touching Harry's face with her little hand mimicking the way Harry had touched Pansy seconds earlier. "Are you going to marry my Mummy so we can become a family?"

"Helena…" Pansy started hesitantly, not wanting her to get her hopes up only to be dashed. "Your Daddy is…"

"As soon as I can," Harry blurted impetuously. "If she'll have me," he whispered hopefully, staring into her eyes. "Say you'll have me, Pansy."

"Say you'll have him, Mummy," Helena pushed.

"I'll have you. I'll have you, it's all I've ever wanted to have…" Pansy sobbed as Harry leaned in to kiss her, Helena bouncing happily next to them until they broke, pulling her into a group hug.

***

"Meet her in the first place they made love," Neville thought out loud. "How sweet," he sneered. He racked his brain, trying to remember where it was that Ginny and Harry first shagged… It was his seventh year, Ginny's sixth. Ron had been furious, his little sister and all. He remembered vaguely Harry talking about it… How he needed Crookshanks's help to… Through the Willow! "The Shrieking Shack! Ha!"

"Now…how to get Harry… They'll kill Ginny if I show up, but what is another casualty? Never did like that girl anyway, never thought I was good enough for her," Neville remembered bitterly, crossing to the mirror. "Who to go as?" he asked his reflection. "I've always wanted red hair," he laughed maniacally. "Harry will do anything I ask him to when I look like this," he smirked, "including killing his godfather."

***

"Sirius?" Joanne called from the top of the stairs. Harry and Pansy had used Floo to get to his place the night before to 'talk'. The old house was abandoned except for Sirius and Joanne, but now she could not find him. "Sirius are you here?" Grumbling about his not telling her when he disapparated, she slowly descended the stairs, carefully holding onto the railing.

"Well, little one, lunch then?" she asked her son, rubbing her stomach lightly. She paused to look into Sirius' office, not surprised to see him missing. There was, however, a note taped to the door.

Annie—

Went into Diagon Alley to meet Remus for lunch. You looked so happy sleeping; I couldn't bring myself to wake you. Remus just bought a new flat in London, 12 Vale Royal, 5A is his. He's attached it to Floo of course, wards will prevent your apparating in. Come by when you wake up? We should be done lunch by 2 at the latest.

I love you

Siri

"Couldn't bring yourself to wake me?" Joanne laughed. "More like you wanted a little time for male bonding, cigars, and talking about who's shagging who… Of course it's not gossiping though, that's what women do. You wouldn't be caught dead doing that," she grumbled, still wandering towards the kitchen. Looking down at her watch, she saw it was nearing half past two. Figuring she'd make Siri get her something to eat, he had robbed her of lunch by not waking her, she headed back towards the office. She paused, remembering the book she had borrowed from Remus the last time they had visited. As she ran up the stairs to get the book, she didn't hear the soft thud that accompanied Allie Moody's arrival at Dragon Fire.

Allie stepped from the hearth, thanking Ares that Black wasn't there. He needed to find the paperwork on the Angels, he had to know where they lived, where they ate, where they slept if he was going to be able to proceed with his plan. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the messy desk, the cozy couch and the vast bookshelves. His gaze was attracted by the presence of a piece of parchment on the door. Crossing the room silently, he was Alastor Moody's grandson after all, he quickly read the letter. "Hmmm," he whispered excitedly, salivating over the opportunity to take out not only 'Annie' but also Black as well. "It will make getting the rest of the Angels a lot easier. They'll all be in one place when they attend the funeral of Black and his bitch. Yes, this could be very, very fruitful."

Returning to the fireplace, he threw some powder in, laughing as he cried, "Remus Lupin's flat!"

Joanne was carefully coming down the stairs when she heard a man's laughter. "Sirius? Siri?" Rather confused because she knew she heard a male voice, she looked around the office, a sudden chill running up her spine as she realized the letter was no longer on the door.

"Hey!"

Joanne screamed as she spun around, wand out.

"Joey, what's wrong?" Coleen asked worriedly, eyeing the wand still pointed at her. "Look if a man's wand springs to life when I walk in a room… well, you know, it's flattering, but wanna put yours back in the holster there, killer?"

"Sorry," Joanne whispered shakily, "there was someone in the house."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Siri left me this letter but it was taped to the door when I went upstairs. When I came down, it's gone now," she explained uneasily. "I heard a male voice too, but Sirius isn't here."

"Well of course not, he's at the hospital with Brandie. She lost it again," Coleen shrugged, sitting down on the couch and crossing her legs while she examined her nails.

"He's at Remus's. Not at the hospital."

"No," Coleen repeated slowly, "I just saw him at the hospital. Glaring at me while I flirted with this cute red headed guy who was in the emergency room."

"If he's not at Remus's… Why did the note say to meet him at Remus's then? And what are you doing picking up men in the emergency room?! They're in the emergency room for a reason. They do dangerous things!" Joanne yelled exasperatedly, shaking her head at Coleen who just smiled.

"He was cute," she drawled with a wink. "Cute, tall by my standards, not yours, red hair, definitely lickable. He was in for a burn," she laughed, slowly licking her lips in remembrance of his taste. "What's so dangerous about a burn? People get burned everyday."

"What burned him?"

Coleen paused, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Well… Um…"

"What burned him?" Joanne repeated sternly as she sat in the chair across from Coleen.

"A dragon."

"A dragon! A bloody, ruddy, sodding dragon! Not dangerous! Not dangerous she tells me! Dragons eat people!" Joanne ranted as Coleen laughed at her.

"Yes, people they don't like," she giggled. "Come on. He works with dragons. Do you know what that means? What kind of man it takes to work with a dragon? Two words: big cajones (spelling?)."

Joanne gasped then snickered then giggled then laughed full outright. "How big do you think they are?"

"I'd say, from experience, that he's hung like a Hungarian Horntail."

Joanne stopped laughing, leaning towards the blonde Angel. "From experience?"

"Those closets they have in the hospital. They're nice and big…" Coleen smiled widely.

"In a closet?!"

"Uh huh. And…"

"And?! Oh my god… He was injured I thought…" Joanne gasped, moving to sit next to Coleen, wanting to hear all of this story as she was now living vicariously through her friends when it came to random hookups and shag sessions.

"The burn was on his arm. You don't need your arm to screw… I'd know!"

"What? You did a guy with no arms?" Joanne asked in horror, her hand covering her mouth.

"No. Of course not. You are so guillable… A guy with no legs…"

"Coleen!"

Coleen laughed, "I'm kidding! You know me well enough to know I'm all for flirting and all, but I don't shag every male I see…"

"So you're all talk… Tell me more about the guy in the closet…" Joanne urged impatiently.

"I doubt he's in the closet about anything," Coleen teased. "There are a lot of rooms in St. Mungos. Many that aren't even being used. Beds are a bit squeaky though."

"You didn't! You did! Oh gods…" Joanne sighed, leaning back on the couch. "Good then?"

"Actually, it was ooh fuck and I was screaming not sighing… And it was spectacular. I'm seeing him again tonight," she announced happily, her eyes glittering. "This is the one, I think."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah… He likes caramel as much as I do!" she laughed as Joanne tossed a pillow at her. "Now, back to you… If Sirius didn't leave that letter, who did?"

"What letter?" They turned to see Sirius standing in the heart, shrugging off his traveling robe. He crossed the room towards his regular robe as he repeated, "What letter are you talking about?"

"Don't put your robe on, Sirius," Joanne purred, staring at his butt. "We need to get you more of those jeans…" she muttered dreamily.

Sirius looked at her over his shoulder, a quizzical yet confused expression on his face. "What? What were you talking about before I got here? What letter did I not leave? And where did you disappear to in the hospital, Coleen?"

Joanne smiled at him, thinking about what she'd like to do with him in a closet as she walked as if in a trance, across the room and kissed him deeply. "You've got such a cute little ass."

Sirius pulled back, searching her eyes with his. "Annie? You're not one of those shape shifter pod people things are you?" he asked warily.

"It's me, you git," she laughed, laying her head on his shoulder. "I just like your arse."

Coleen cleared her throat, "Ahem. Guys… The letter?"

Sirius sobered, his mind snapping from Joanne's mouth back to business. "Yes, the letter…"

"You didn't write me a letter telling me to meet you at Remus's new place?"

"Remus's new place? Remus doesn't have a new place. He's still in his old place with his new roommate," Sirius replied concerned that someone had forged a letter to her.

"Roommate?" Coleen called from across the room, her mind also thinking of what the faux letter could mean.

"Jacki. It's a long story," Joanne answered with a laugh. "Girl has a thing for older men who turn into wolves on the full moons."

"Annie, where is this letter?"

"I don't know… I came down when I heard a man's voice…"

"You heard a man's voice?" Sirius growled, his arm protectively going around her shoulder as he stared straight ahead. "In the house?"

"Yes. I thought it might have been you but when I came in here, you weren't here and the letter which was on the door was gone," Joanne explained carefully, Sirius's concern making her more worried than she had been.

"I don't like it, Sirius. Who would leave a bogus letter for her? And who was here? Was it the same person and they just came back to get the letter, chickening out or something? Or was it two people?" Coleen theorized, twisting a lock of hair around her finger as she thought.

"I'm more concerned with what would have happened if she went," Sirius groaned, his right hand possessively caressing her tummy. "Did they want you, Joey or did they want to get at me through you and the baby…. Or both?"

"Jo, do you remember where you were supposed to meet Sirius?" Coleen asked suddenly. "We could go… See what we discover."

"London, 12 Vale Royal, flat 5A," Joanne remembered after a moment's thought. "You can't go, Sirius!"

"Why not? You would have gone to meet me and the sick bastard…well, who knows what he had in store," Sirius growled menacingly.

"No, Sirius. You're too worked up. It clouds your judgment and gets you into trouble. Please, don't go," she plead quietly, her hand resting over his heart. "Please, Sirius. Last time you ran off, incensed like this, you spent over a decade in Azkaban."

Sirius stared down at her, his eyes flickering between anger, worry and grief. Finally, he sighed, pulling her into his embrace, "Fine. I'll send some of the girls."

"I wanna go," Coleen volunteered, reminding them they weren't alone in the room. "It's been too long since I got to kick a little."

"You'll need back up. Take Jacki and Zarya. Get Remus too, we might need the expertise he has in Dark Arts," Sirius instructed gravely.

Coleen nodded grimly. "Will do. I'll report back as soon as we know something," she told them as she apparated to Zarya's flat.

Sirius tightened his arms around Joanne, "You might have been killed. You and the baby."

Sighing, Joanne pressed herself against Sirius. She whispered gently, "We're fine."

"You might not have been. Someone is trying to hurt you whether to hurt me or just because you're you. I don't like it. Maybe it's time to rethink this…" he trailed off, images of what could have happened running through his mind.

"Rethink what?" Joanne asked suspiciously, her voice low.

"The Angels," Sirius replied, eyeing her. "You didn't think I meant you… No, of course not. You want out, you've said that. Maybe it's time we both retire. Get a nice little house in the country, raise a few kids, get a dog…"

"Sirius, you know that it sounds good. But you'd hate that kind of life. No excitement, no thrills, no danger. It would bore you and you'd resent…"

"Just…it's something to think about," he muttered, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Fine… Gods, I'm hungry," Joanne smiled against his shoulder.

"What would you like to eat, love?"

"A ham sandwich with a side of Sirius for dessert," she teased, grinning up at him so her nose wrinkled.

"I think that can be arranged," he replied huskily, tipping her chin up to kiss her.

"Yum," she purred, licking her lips. "Let's start with dessert, shall we?"

"We're all out of eclairs," he laughed, running his hands down her back.

She giggled, remembering what happened to the eclairs… "Well, then… I seem to recall some whipped cream and chocolate sauce in the kitchen."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "What's gotten into you today?"

"Let's just say, I'm inspired… And I'd like for you to get in…" she stopped when his mouth covered hers. He lifted her into his arms, made a detour by the kitchen, grabbing various condiments along the way, and then took her upstairs to their bedroom, where they discovered why Coleen likes "fun with food" so much.