Hmmmmmm........... Tried something else instead of Wordpad. £20 that it will make no difference (joking. About the £20 anyway). The story of my life. lol.

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Chapter 9

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It would be folly to say that Remus was abandoned by his family, though, after his parents died (his father of colon cancer and his mother of flu) one could say that it was partly true. The rest of his family hadn't bothered to contact him regularly, and the only reason his Grandmother still sent him a Cristmas card was because she hadn't had word of his funeral yet.

Lira's family were different to say the least.

Only one Grandmother remained, her own mother's mother, but both her parents were still alive and healthy. They knew that Sirius was a wizard and had accepted him readily - despite them being muggles. Luckily for Remus, they also accepted him too, though he doubted any of them knew he was gay.

Lira had five other siblings, one older than her, the remaining four, younger. Perhaps as she was the oldest girl, it always seemed to Remus that she acted more like the eldest than Thomas, her senior brother.

He stepped inside, having received the usual warm welcome from Mrs. Pelinski and breathed in the scent of fresh, homemade bread appreciatively.

"Ah! Sillus's fleend Lemuse!" Mr. Pelinski called, hobbling over as quickly as possible to greet his favourite son-in-law's best friend. "So good to see you again, no? Come in, come in... Lila is still awaiting you... We are all still awaiting you!" Leading the old man, Remus walked towards the front room. When he entered, he saw Sirius give him an exasperated look.

"You could've gone to the library any other time," He muttered. "You did come with *us* after all."

Remus shrugged.

Thomas grinned at him, his wife busy with their jammy Samuel. Then, there was Georgette and her husband Eric - a stockbroker and comic strip artist - Ruth and her fiancee, Otto - Archaeologist - Patrick and the youngest, a young woman called May. She had just finished at Cambridge University.

"Good to see you again, Remus," she said softly, eyes dull behind her glasses. This surprised the werewolf because she was usually the brightest of the lot.

Lira looked at him sympathetically.

"You okay?" He asked, sitting down by her.

She nodded. "Flu bug. I feel *really* ill, but our parents don't want me to miss out today, so they forced me to come." She grinend tiredly then yawned. "Still, Mama's soup may be worth it. You know she does the best Minestrone and chicken and mushroom in the world."

"She does the *only* minestrone, chicken and mushroom soup in the world," Thomas muttered.

May stuck her tongue out at him.

"Leave me alone! I'm ill!"

"I'm sure I've seen that mineswhatsis, chicken and toadstool stuff, *somewhere*," Patrick lay back in his chair. "Up for a game of chess, Remus? I swear, I'm gonna beat you this time..."

Chuckling, Remus turned round and started putting out the pieces.

After the lunch - which was eaten in the front room, overlooking the leafless bushes of red twig - the family and Remus sat back and swapped occasional sentences of gossip. Sirius and Lira remained unusually quiet, occasionally giving each other small glances.

"Now, now!" Mrs Pelinski grinned broadly. "Vhy are our two little ducks so- so quiet?"

"Hm?" Sirius looked up, then smiled. "What?"

"You are both being extraordinarily quiet," Eric drawled, eyes flashing mercilessly. "Is there something we ought to know?"

"Well..." Lira started. She and Sirius exchanged coy smiles.

"Go ond..." May said, grinning.

"Ermmm..." Lira was blushing now. "Well..."

"Well?" Remus and Patrick chorused.

Lira took a deep breath. "I'm two months pregnant," she said in a rush. When she finished, she looked up slightly, trying to hide her small smile.

"Oh... Lira..." Already, Ruth was sniffing. "Th-that's..." She got out a handkerchief.

"My deallest!" Mrs. Pelinski got up and went over to embrace her oldest daughter. "Zat is tllooley vunderful, *vunderful* news! Oh! And you too Sillus! Zis is so... so...ah! No need to blush or be shy!" She shooed at the couple. "Now, now... vot shall ve..."

Remus couldn't help laughing. This was typical Pelinski household mode. Already, they were discussing the future names for their grandchild.

"Now, Remus!" Thomas grinned. "Don't patronise!"

Samuel gurgled and his mother - Lousie - sighed and whipped out another wet j-cloth. "You wretched child!" She muttered, as Samuel tried to grab for her cheeks. "Honestly! The minute you start walking, it's off to America with you!"

"Need help?" Remus enquired.

"Oh, would you? This one has got to be the most messy child I have ever dealt with..." she handed her first-born son over to the werewolf and smiled wearily. Remus began to bounce him slightly.

Ruth, meanwhile, was still wiping tears from her eyes, as was Mrs. Pelinski and May. Even without their weeping, the room was noisy enough, with Lira's family calling out suggestions for the child's name as well as your average Pelinski exclamations.

*

Dear Severus, (it read)

I know we haven't been in touch for some time, but I wanted to know what had happened to you. I'm sure I wrote plenty of times before, but you've never answered - (this was partly true) - and I am concerned for you. You are my little brother, after all.

Jona's doing really well at school. He got into the University of London for Talented Warlocks. Maybe you read about it in the papers -

Severus sneered. Oh, who couldn't have read about the famous Jona Snape? Youngest academic of the University in five hundred years? Jona'd be surrounded by halls of marble and antique tomes of magic. Nothing like the dingy apartment his elder brother had been landed with and this was after his success at Oxford and all. The worst about it was that he had mainly brought it upon himself. At that moment, Severus realised that it would be foolish to get jealous of a younger sibling, so returned to keeping his face blank as he continued to read the letter.

- Simon had really grown. Well, of course, when they're that age, they all do. He actually reminds me quite a bit of our father. Perhaps I should send you a photo for you to make your own judgement.

Paul was wondering if you could give him some information on Mervyn Peake, you being the admirer and scholar of him that you are. It's the literature that Paul is trying to lecture his students on. I, however, only ask that you take care of yourself and try not to get too annoyed with me for writing this letter.

Please write back. It's been eighteen months now.

Eleni.

Severus didn't move for a few moments after reading the letter. If it was possible, then tears would be filming his eyes. But they weren't. Instead, as calmly as possible, he tore the letter to shreds and thre them in the empty fire grate.

How dare she mention their father to him. Why the hell did she even write the letter? He had never asked her to. He had replied quite specifically to her all those months ago, that he did not wish to communicate with her or her family ever again. As far as he knew, it was probably Grandfather Cohen who had given her his contact.

"Damn them all." He muttered. It felt like it had just as long since he'd spoken. It probably was. Here, no one dared come to him. Not even the Death Eaters. He was far away from everyone. His lecturers, his friends from University, the Death Eaters... just about everyone could not gain much of an access to him.

It was cold. The aforesaid grate was empty, the shiny coal black and unburnt, old ash and dust having settled upon them.

The mantlepieces were just as dusty, as were the jars and bottles that lined them. The bookcases, the desks everything was covered in a thin layer of dust.

It was also dark. And grey and unwelcoming. Severus fumbled for a cigarette before realising that there were none left.

He swore. Just not out loud.

Then, a small rat scurried along to his foot, a long cigarette between it's jaws.

*

"So... that was your big surprise?" Remus looked at his best friend, amused.

Sirius shrugged. "Yeah.... don't you think it's wonderful?"

Remus nodded. "It's fantastic. I just hope that it'll go okay this time," he added softly. "I'm sure it will... "

Sirius nodded and hugged himself, shivering in the breeze. "I don't want another miscarriage."

"There won't be."

"That's what I keep on telling myself." Sirius nodded again, almost absently. "I don't want to see her hurt ever again Remus. It was my fault, Azkaban was, and I know that... I'm not so disillusioned... but... I wasn't there the first time... I could've been there to support her. But I wasn't." He bowed his head. "I'll never be able to live with myself... not the same way... I love her, Remus. I mean, I know it sounds corny, but she's the best thing that's ever happened to me... I truly do love her. She's fantastic. Been helping me get my strength back and everything...."

"Hey," Remus said gently, laying a hand on his friends shoulder. "She's forgiven you... I know you probably will never forgive yourself, but, her and her family have forgiven you. And she loves you just as much." He sighed. "Trust me, Sirirus, you will have this baby."

Sirius wiped something from his cheeks. Tears? Remus couldn't see.

*

"Hey."

Severus looked up. It was Roger. Mildly amused, he said, "what now?"

"You should be doing the literature, not me," Roger laid a kiss on Severus' cheek. "Gothic literature. Characteristics... themes... the usual." He laid another kiss on Severu's neck. "Please?" He whispered. A wicked tongue ran around in small circles.

"Mmmm... alright then..."

"Thank you," Roger grinned, feigning subservience.

They were silent for a while. Severus felt Roger's arms wrap around his waist. "Now what?"

"On the surface, you pretend to be annoyed with me, but deep down, I know you really hate me," his lover quipped.

"Oh, shut up."

"Marcia and David are beginning to worry." Roger said. "They have no idea why you're spending so much time alone. Tina thinks it was something to do with last night, but then she realised you've always been a social recluse."

Severus stiffened.

"I was joking, my dear."

"Please don't."

Roger swallowed a sigh. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. Next time I let my impertinent tongue get carried away, remind me to tie it into double knots."

"I'm not angry," was the hasty reply. "And I simply appreciate solitude." There was a pause. "But thank them for their concern."

*

TBC...