Sirius stood in Harry's room, standing over his bed. Orion was in Harry's bed and Harry was sprawled over a mattress on the floor. Sirius knew that April was putting Emma and Rhia away. Why James and Lily still hadn't come back from Hogwarts was beyond them. Apparently they had some stuff to discuss with Dumbledore so Sirius and April had brought the children back to put them to bed. Sirius smiled and bent over and kissed Orion's forehead.
"Goodnight Orion." Sirius whispered. He got up and left the room, leaving the door slightly open. He head a door close and he turned quickly. April was coming out of Emma's room. The door was closed and she had her head against the door. She didn't seem to notice Sirius standing there staring at her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Um, are you ok?" Sirius asked. April jumped slightly and looked at Sirius. She tried to give him a weak smile before walking down the stairs. Sirius followed her. Dumbledore had said many things during the feast. Many of them he directed at Sirius and April though he didn't make it too obvious. It had got Sirius thinking. Dumbledore had said something about so few happy families, that Voldemort had tried to rip up families and killed so many and there were so few who were still together and that he was proud of them all. That had really affected Sirius. He had been excluded from his family because he was good and his family wasn't. And that wasn't acceptable to his parents. He hated his family because of it. He wondered if he wanted that for his own family. He didn't want any of his children hating either him or April because they weren't around enough, or because they weren't living together. It had hit Sirius hard tonight that he really really loved April, he really really needed her and he was trying to trick himself into thinking he could live without her.
"I'm fine." April said quietly. "Um, I'm going home." She said. She went for the door.
"April." Sirius said. He blocked the door.
"What is it Sirius?" April asked, she wasn't meeting his gaze. Sirius made April look at him straight in the eyes.
"I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to hurt you." Sirius said. He could see tears in April's eyes, at first Sirius thought that April was upset but she couldn't be, she was smiling.
"So am I Sirius." She said. "I'll see you tomorrow." She said. She licked her lips uncertainly and let out a shaky breath. She gave Sirius a quick kiss on the lips before opening the door behind Sirius and leaving the house.
As she walked home she put a hand to her lips and grinned. She couldn't believe that she'd just kissed Sirius. This whole divorce thing was stupid. She didn't want to be angry at Sirius anymore, she didn't want to sleep on her own, she wanted Sirius next to her. Dumbledore had the most amazing matchmaking skills. If you could even call it that. He was able to make people think. The smile disappeared from April's face.
"Dammit!" She muttered to herself. Sirius had already filed the divorce, he had told her, she was officially a Marsden again, she was no longer a Black. April gave a heavy sigh. She came to her door and put the key in it. She opened the door and stepped in. She closed the door and was about to take her cloak off when she stopped. Sirius was standing in front of her with an envelope.
"Sirius?" April asked hesitantly. Sirius looked at the envelope in his hands.
"Um, April." He said almost nervously. "Do you still want to...I mean to say...do you really want to break up with me?" He asked nervously. April shook her head.
"No." She breathed. Sirius looked at April with a smile. His smile grew into an even wider grin and he held up the envelope.
"Would you like to do the honours?" He asked, handing the envelope to April.
"What is it?" April asked.
"The divorce papers." Sirius said. April smiled and took the papers. She was tired so she had to use a bit more energy then usual to tear through the envelope. Sirius grinned and April let the pieces drop to the floor.
"I guess that means we're both ok?" April asked, looking at Sirius. He grinned and pulled April in to a fierce yet passionate kiss. April returned it just as hungrily as Sirius pushed her up against the door. April pulled away for a moment.
"Bedroom" She managed to say as Sirius kissed her throat. Sirius murmured some sort of reply. April closer her eyes and realised it would be hopeless to get to their bedroom. Instead Sirius pushed her into the living room and they fell onto the sofa. April's last thought before she lost her mind that night was 'why do Sirius and I always make up on the sofa?'
James and Lily sat against the single beech tree that over looked the Hogwarts lake. They didn't want to leave the castle. It gave them both a strange warm feeling inside. Over the duration of the night Lily had run over as many things as she could remember from her years at Hogwarts. From everything she had learnt to every happy and sad memory. James pulled her closer to him and pressed his face against her head. Lily smiled to herself and put her head on his shoulder. Dumbledore had said they were always welcome in the castle. James and Lily felt like taking advantage of that invitation tonight. The castle was an inky black outline against the midnight purples and blues of the sky. The moon was a half moon and a few lights came from the castle. Not many, mainly from the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Towers.
Lily let out a sweet and gentle smile that James didn't see and pressed herself closer to James. He grinned and pulled his cloak around her. Lily regretted not getting together with James earlier then they did. Hogwarts was perfectly romantic and it would have been nice to be with James earlier in their seventh year or even in their sixth year.
"Lily." James said gently.
"Hmm." Lily answered.
"You know all that land behind the house." James said. He didn't phrase it as a question.
"Hmm." Lily answered.
"Well, um...I bought it all." James said uncertainly and slightly nervous. He wasn't sure about what Lily would say.
"Ok-what?" Lily turned to look at James. "How much land exactly?" Lily looked at James enquiringly. He frowned and shifted slightly.
"Um, you know the hills that surround the lake and then they go around towards Sirius' road?" Lily nodded, "Well, it's all ours." He said. Lily looked at him sceptically.
"How much did it cost James?" Lily asked. James shrugged nonchalantly.
"Not much." He said. Lily gave him a stern look. "About the same as the house." He said. Lily gave him a rather surprised look.
"Really?" She asked. "So that lake is ours?" a small smile was playing on her face. James grinned and nodded. Lily smiled and settled back in James' arms. "I suppose that's ok." She said.
"Just because we now own a lake?" James asked. Lily nodded.
"You should know me, James. I like the lake." Lily said. James laughed slightly. Lily felt comforted as she felt the rumbling of his laughter through his body. James looked at his watch.
"I suppose we should be getting home. You know Sirius and April probably killed each other before they even got home." James said. Lily sighed.
"Yeah I suppose. Come on." Lily said. She leant forward and let James stand up. She then held her arms up. "Pick me up husband!" She said. James rolled his eyes and pulled Lily to her feet. He put an arm around her waist and gave her a quick kiss.
"We should have done this more often." James said
"Well, you were an arrogant big headed, ego driven-" Lily started laughing as James put a hand over her mouth.
"I think we all know what I was." James said. Lily grinned and pulled James' arm away.
"Now give me a kiss then you can buy me a drink at the Three Broomsticks." Lily said with a slight pout.
James hummed as he walked to April's house the next morning. It was a bright sunny and clear day but very cold. There was a thin layer of frost on the floor, James was slightly surprised that it hadn't snowed. He had a broom stick slung over his shoulder. Rhia and Emma were chatting behind him and Orion was jumping up and down. Emma and Rhia had literally forced him into a seat that morning and made him watch Winnie the Pooh. Now he thought he was Roo, the baby kangaroo.
"Wondaful fing bout tiggahs." Orion sang as he hopped around.
"Good morning James." Said a man coming out of a small newsagent.
"Good morning Lawson." James said. Lawson Banks was Kara Banks' dad. The bright young girl was holding a bag of sweets and grinned when she saw Emma and Rhia. Lawson was about the same height as James, he had fair hair like Kara did but his eyes were a darker blue. He had a good humoured smile.
"How are you today?" James asked.
"Very good." He said. He looked at James' broom. "Um, why do you have a broom on you shoulder?" He asked. James swung his broom off his shoulder.
"What this?" James asked. "It's a Clean sweep one hundred. Quite an old model. I'm giving it to April, because she knows someone who wants it" James said with a smile. Lawson laughed heartily and shook his head.
"James, you are weird sometimes. It's just a broom." He said. James looked at Lawson confused for a moment before he remembered that Lawson was a Muggle. James grinned.
"Well, you know me." James said with a shrug. "Come children." James said swinging the broom on his shoulder and started whistling.
"Daddy!" Emma said. James turned on his heel and looked at Emma. He was so full of energy this morning.
"Yes daughter." James said.
"Can Rhia and I play with Kara?" She asked.
"Please uncle James." Rhia said with her hands behind her back. James looked at Lawson.
"I don't mind. We haven't got anything to do today." James nodded.
"Ok, Emma you can go. Rhia, you have to go home to talk to your mummy, afterwards you can go play." James said. Rhia grinned and Emma jumped up with happiness. Emma and Kara said bye to Rhia before running off towards Kara's house. Lawson said bye to James, leaving him to lead Rhia and Orion home.
"Now children. You will not eat sugar, you will not hit people with your lightsaber, Orion!" James said pointedly to Orion. Orion gave him an innocent look. "And Rhia, be nice to your mummy." James said. Rhia nodded.
"I want to live with Daddy." Rhia said.
"I know you do, that's why you have to be nice to your mummy." James said, letting April hold his hand. James knocked on April's door and waited for a moment. When no one answered James glanced around and got out his wand.
"Alohamora." He whispered. The door opened slowly and James went in. Orion ran up the stairs to his room to retrieve his lightsaber. Rhia went to the kitchen and got down a coat. She had been wanting to go and visit her pony all morning but now she wanted to go to Kara's. Sirius should have never bought her that stupid pony. It currently lived in paddock near the Potter's Lake. James called April's name and heard a tired reply from the living room.
"Great, she crashed out in the living room instead of the bedroom." James said to himself. He put the broom against the stair banister and pushed the living room door open. "April I have your – AAAAHHH!!!" James quickly ran from the room and closed the door. That was too much. What he'd just seen. No...April was very pretty but he felt seeing her and Sirius...naked...on the sofa...
James shook his head to clear it. No, he had to forget it. He shivered, he was scarred for life. The door opened and Sirius emerged from the room with his boxers now on. James looked at him with slight shock
"Nice to see you have something on. You've shown me way too much." James said. Sirius grinned widely.
"It's payback my friend. The number of times I've caught you and Lily at it." Sirius said tutting. "And I never complained."
"Yeah, but you think Lily is fit!"
"What and you don't think April is fit?"
"No! She's like my freakin' sister!" James said wildly. April emerged, fully clothed.
"Nice to know that. Shit James! Would it have hurt to knock?" April asked.
"Would it hurt for you to fuck in your own bedroom?" James asked. "God, the living room is public domain. I'm never going in there again!" Then suddenly it dawned on James what was weird about this situation. "Oh Merlin, you two just...but aren't you divorced?" James asked. April grinned and Sirius pulled her closer.
"Nope, not any more." Sirius said. James shivered as he got a sudden mental image of Sirius and April.
"I'm going home." He said. He apparated home and sat on his living room sofa. Harry was looking at him curiously. Ron was here as well and the young red haired boy glanced at Harry.
"Um, Dad, you're sitting on our cake." Harry said. James stood up and looked at the sofa, and there, where he had sat, was a flattened cake. James shivered again and left the room.
"Lily." James said. Lily came down the stairs, half dressed in her healer's uniform. It was a Sunday but she'd been called in for an emergency.
"What is it? James what's wrong?" Lily asked.
"I...April...Sirius...urgh..." James said shivering. Lily had finished doing up her uniform and held James hand, trying to be serious.
"What?" Lily asked.
"April, Sirius, on sofa...fucked...urgh..." James said closing his eyes and shaking. Lily tried to contain her laughter.
"Ok." Lily said with a smirk. James looked at her.
"It's not funny. They were....naked, on their sofa...It's very disturbing." James said. Lily hugged him and gave him a kiss.
"Aw, baby, it's fine. Now will you be ok to look after Ron and Harry and E...where's Emma?"
"At Kara's." James said. "And I'll be ok as long as I don't have to see April and Sirius naked again." Lily bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.
"Alright darling, see you later." Lily said.
2 months later....in otherwords December 1986
Emma, Rhia and Orion sat on the floor with Kaylee and Jessie between them. Emma and Bo's parents had finally agreed to let Rhia's parents have their children back, even though Rhia's parents still weren't actually living together.
"Ready?" Orion asked.
"Ready." Emma and Rhia replied. Orion handed Emma and Rhia two sugar cubes each.
"Kaylee, Jessie." Rhia said. "Come here." Jessie crawled over to Rhia and sat between Rhia's splayed out legs.
"Eee-a" Jessie murmured.
"Kaylee." Emma said. Kaylee crawled over to Emma and sat down. "Here, look, sweetie." She said holding the sugar cubes out on the palm of her hand. Rhia did the same to Jessie. Jessie and Kaylee looked at each other and then they both picked up the sugar cubes. They weren't allowed to eat sweeties. They both started sucking on the sugar cubes and soon they were gone. Emma, Rhia and Orion sat patiently watching the twins. They had been told that they weren't allowed to have sugar, none of their parents said that Jessie and Kaylee couldn't have sugar.
Ten minutes later and the three older children were rolling around on the floor laughing. The twins had some very strange reaction to the sugar and were zooming around the Black's living room at high speed. They collided with everything then seemed to bounce back and go in a different direction. At the moment Kaylee had her head against the wall and was trying to crawl through it. Jessie was going across the room faster then any of the older children could run. The door opened and Jessie went zooming under Sirius' legs. He turned quickly and picked up the speeding girl.
"Whoa, what's happened to you?" Sirius asked. He glanced around the room. Orion, Rhia and Emma were all now crying with laughter and Kaylee had decided to stop and rub her head. She pouted angrily and looked at her older brother and sister.
"Sirius, are they in there?" Came Lily's voice.
"Mummy." Emma said brightly.
"Yes they are." Sirius looked at the three older children.
"What did you do?" Sirius asked as Jessie kept trying to crawl, even in Sirius' arms
"Give Kay and Jess sweeties." Orion said with a wide grin.
"What?" Sirius asked. "Why?" Sirius put Jessie on the sofa and tried to keep her put but she kept sliding from Sirius' grip and rolling onto the floor, causing the three older children to break out laughing again.
"April, James help me with Jessie." Sirius said.
"Wow! You can tell the difference?" April asked sarcastically as she came into the room. Kaylee went over to Rhia and sat in front of her. Rhia managed to compose herself slightly and put her arms around her sister like she was a teddy bear.
"What happened?" James asked. She was holding an instrument case in her hand. Rhia and Emma looked at each other curiously.
"Orion, Rhia and Emma fed them sweets." Sirius said. Jessie was beginning to calm down but she still seemed a bit fidgety.
"What's that?" Emma asked, pointing at the instrument case that James held. James smiled.
"It's an early Christmas present." James said.
"Christmas is next week though." Rhia said, looking at James.
"I know" James said.
"We also have an early present for you as well Rhia." April said. Rhia and Emma looked at each other with grins. They stood up and went to their parents.
"Give us presents." Rhia said, none too politely. April turned to Sirius with a smile and gave him a helpless look.
"Sirius." She said sweetly.
"Use your wand." Sirius said. April rolled her eyes and left the room. She returned with a long flat box, that also looked a bit like a case and a strange X shaped metal thing.
"Emma, this is yours." James said, "And Rhia, that long flat one is yours." Rhia and Emma went to their respective presents. Emma sat down and James sat next to her curiously and tried to open the case. James helped her and Emma grinned when she saw a small guitar lying proudly in the black case. She turned to James who gave her a smile.
"A guitar?" Emma asked. James nodded.
"Apparently, you've been naughty in school and the teachers think you should learn to play" Emma stood up and hugged James tightly while Rhia gave a happy squeal.
"PIANO!!" She screamed.
"No, a keyboard. Pianos are way too expensive." April said. Rhia jumped around the room happily.
"A PIANO!! A PIANO!!" She shouted.
"You think we did good?" Sirius asked a few minutes later as Rhia tried to drag the piano out of the case, without much success and Emma was sitting plucking the strings of her guitar.
"Yeah I think we did." James said.
"Me want sumfink." Orion said. April motioned Orion over as Kaylee and Jessie joined Rhia in admiring the keyboard.
"What do you want?" April asked. Orion grinned.
"Drums!" He said.
"YEAH!" Sirius said. April gave Sirius a look and Sirius grinned, "In a few years time Orion." He said.
"Ok." Orion said with a grin. He went to Emma and looked at the guitar.
"Play like this." Emma said. She tried to put the guitar on her lap but couldn't get it right, so she gave up and lay it on the floor and plucked the strings. James grinned and Emma laughed. She turned around and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you daddy."
Harry flew through the air on his broom. James was trying desperately to catch up but Harry was too fast.
"Come here you brat!" James said as he made his broom speed up. Harry laughed and as James reached out to grab him Harry pulled his broom up and did a roll so that he was now behind James. James turned and gave Harry an annoyed look.
"You should have never taught him to fly." Said Sirius as he flew by them. They were flying over the lake and they could see Rhia climbing onto her horse, which she'd called Pegasus. Harry looked down and smiled and manoeuvred his broom around and flew down towards Rhia. He'd got the hang of riding a broom very quickly. Rhia patted Pegusus' neck as he trotted around the paddock.
"Hello." Harry said, flying slowly next to Rhia.
"Hello." Rhia said with a grin.
"Can Pegasus actually fly?" Harry asked.
"Yeah!" Rhia said, looking annoyed that Harry would even think that.
"Show me then." Harry said. Rhia kicked Pegasus, like her mum had taught her to do and clicked her tongue. Pegasus started going faster then suddenly his wings unfurled and he began to beat them up and down. Rhia's eyes widened in alarm and she flattened herself against Pegasus' back and wrapped her arms around Pegasus' neck. No one had gotten a bridle or saddle for the winged horse because no one knew how to put it on, because where the saddle should go, the wings were. The bridle, no one bothered about because Pegasus seemed happy to let Rhia hold his mane. Rhia closed her eyes tightly as the magnificent white winged horse lifted off the ground. He flapped a wing and threw Harry off course slightly. When Harry righted himself Rhia was looking down uncertainly. Sirius and James were looking at themselves rather amused by the horse and it's owner looking terrified and slightly small on it. Yes, the horse was a little big for Rhia, but Sirius' theory had been that Rhia will grow, and the horse was still very very young so he should stay alive for a long time.
"Go Rhia!" Harry said, he punched the air, like he'd seen the pictures of quidditch players do. He lost his balance slightly and fell sideways. He rolled under the broom and back up again. "Whoa!" He said, feeling slightly dizzy. Rhia turned to look at Harry and Harry grinned at her. Rhia smiled as well and straightened herself on the horse's back.
A/N:-and thus starts a lovely relationship between Harry and Rhia....pfft, yeah, whatever! This story is going how I want it. ME I TELL YOU!! sorry if any of you were disappointed by that conclusoin and rather anti-climactic conclusion of April and SIrius' relationship. I was getting rather sick of it. But, they're still not living together..hmm.....I wonder why.....don't ask me, i don't know. And Pegasus...ah lovely pegasus....guess where he's from..:P Anyway, I LOVE you all, as soon as i finished the next 2 chapters I'll put the next chappie up. I decided tht i always have to be at least 1 chapter ahead of what i post......till next time