(3)Catching Padfoot!
The honeymoon went far better then the wedding! Harry & Merida spent the last week of summer in London, free of unicorns, doves & broken beds! Free to do as they pleased before Merida's final year & Harry's Auror training began. It was at this time that they began to discuss names for the baby, due at Christmas!
Harry stretched out under a tree, gazing up through the branches. "How about Sarah if it's a girl?"
"No, it's a lot like my name," Merida said. "Too many "A's"!" Harry snickered at that. "Why not Myrtle?"
"No," Harry blushed. "As much as I like the ghost, we'd better not!"
"Why? Because she has a crush on you?" Merida teased.
"Exactly!" Harry cringed.
"In that case, perhaps Myrtle would be a good name!"
"MERIDA! STOP IT!" Harry laughed nervously. "Why don't we call him Peeves if it's a boy?" He muttered.
"OK, so that poltergiest saw me in my lingerie!" Merida defended. "It only happened once! How'd you know?"
"Peeves told me but I didn't beleive him!" Harry shrugged. "So it's true?"
"It happened the time I ran away," Merida explained. "I ended up having to sneak through the castle but Peeves caught me! Thanks to him, I got distracted & ended up going in a different direction then what I had originally planned!" Merida stopped suddenly. Why'd I say that?! Why the HELL did I say that? & why did I even think of it just now?
"Peeves always tries to distract people!" said Harry. "So, should we call him Peeves?" he teased.
"Uh, NO!" Merida snarled, while still feeling a slight relief.
"If we have a twin boy & girl, we'll call one Myrtle & one Peeves!" Harry pressed on.
"HAROLD!!" Merida snapped. Harry burst out laughing.
Sufficient to say, after much teasing, it was decided! "Peeves" & "Myrtle" were a definite "NO!"
The last lazy days of summer past quickly & September was upon them. Harry began his training under Mad-Eye Moody while Merida began her last year at home through correspondence with Dumbledore. Merida did not want to go back to Hogwarts now that she was married & pregnant. She felt it would disrupt her new life. Dumbledore said it was fine so long as she went to Hogwarts for the final exam at the end of the year.
Harry suddenly came bounding in one day like a stag on two legs. He was clearly over-hyper about something! "Guess what Meri! MERI?! HELLO?!?! MERIDA!!!!!"
"Harry, could you scream a little louder?" Merida called from somewhere upstairs. "I'm not quite sure that the Canadians heard you!"
"Come on, Meri!" Harry said in a more quiet tone.
"What are you so excited about?" Merida asked, as she came downstairs, pressing a towel to her hair.
"Oliver needs a Seeker & he asked me & I said yes & the game's tomorrow!" Harry rushed.
"W-WHAT?" Merida stared.
"I'm playing on Oliver's team again!" Harry hopped on one foot then the other.
Merida rolled her eyes. Men were like children when it came to their sports! "Harry! This isn't Hogwarts! You'll be playing in a real Professional game!"
"I know!" Harry grinned. "Isn't it great?"
"What about being an Auror?"
"I'm doing that too!" Harry said. "Quidditch season isn't that long! Only for a few months! I'll do Auror work the rest of the time!"
"Harry....!" Merida sighed. "Well, you'll need to get a broom then!"
"Oh, I already have one!" said Harry.
"Harold!" Merida said firmly. "Like I said, this is a Pro Game! The Firebolt is too out-dated for it!"
"I wasn't refering to that one!" Harry explained. "Oliver has all the newest ones already. Firebolt Golden Ed.! But I'm not giving up my old Firebolt!"
"Harry, it still looks new!" Merida sighed. "Why do you treat it like you do me? I don't beleive it! I'm in competition with a Firebolt!" she added with a laugh.
Harry kissed Merida & held her close. "Because of who gave it to me!" he said in a somber tone.
"Can't whoever gave it to you just get a new one for you?" Merida wished she hadn't said anything the moment she asked. She could sense Harry's sorrow even though he tried hiding it.
"He's dead!" Harry whispered. "It was the only present my Godfather managed to give me before he died!" Harry walked over to the desk in the living room & pulled out the photo album. He flipped through it until he came to a picture of his father's wedding. Sirius was standing on the side. "See? Here he is! My Dad's best man! There's Remus, my mom & Peter."
"The Marauders? Yeah they look devious!" Merida said. It was true! The four Marauders had a look of misheif about them!
Harry flipped the pages again. "Here's Dad & Peter in their animal forms. & this one's Remus! I don't know who the foolish one was to stay human & take his animal picture! Probably Sirius!" Harry laughed softly. "Oh, here's Padfoot!"
Merida held the page close, staring at the black dog. Next thing Harry knew, Padfoot had run off the page so fast he had practically left tire marks in the picture! The mirror on the wall cracked in two & his ears were ringing. Merida had let out a screeching scream!
"GEES LOUIS MERIDA!" Harry slammed his hands over his ears. "I'm sure Canada heard that one! What's wrong with you?!"
"THAT----MUTT----!" Merida pointed to the dog who had dared to poke his nose back into the picture frame. He had a somewhat guilty look on his face! "IS SIRIUS BLACK?!?!"
"Err---yeah!" Harry stared at Merida.
"I knew it! I knew there was something odd about Sweetheart!" Merida fumed.
"Sweetheart?"
Merida heaved a long-suffering sigh. "During my 2nd year, Azkaban had a break-out remember? Through-out that year, I had sort of adopted a stray black dog that I named Sweetheart!"
"Oh, I'll bet he loved that!" Harry smiled. "Sirius was a bit of a lady'sman!"
"A BIT?!" Merida raged. "Harold! I was in the girls dorm, having a bath! I had Sweet----er---Pad-----THAT MAN in with me! No wonder he couldn't keep his paws off me! The dog kept slipping in the bath so I had to hold him close! He was faking it! He wanted me to hold him!"
Harry had his face in his hands, trying not to laugh. "I'll bet he enjoyed that sight!" I shouldn't have said that! I should NOT have----why am I thinking like Hagrid?!
Merida groaned in dismay. "If I NEVER see that creature again; it'll be too soon! First my mom, then me?!"
"What about your mom?" Harry tried desperatly to keep his face straight.
Merida rolled her eyes. "He dated mom for a bit before Remus or my father even knew she existed! Remus told me!"
"No wonder Padfoot enjoyed that bath!" Harry could almost feel a rope tighting around his neck!
"HAROLD JAMES POTTER!!" Merida fumed. "You think this is funny?!"
"Well----yeah!" Harry snickered. "Not like he actually made love to you or anything!"
"He nipped my nipple!" Merida snarled through greeted teeth.
"OHHH! So THAT'S why they're called nipples!" Harry doubled over with laughter.
Merida slammed her eyes shut! Too bad you weren't here to see this Remus! It would have put all your fears to rest! She couldn't believe it! Two Marauders had been with her mother. The same two Maraurders came on to her. To top that off, she was married to the son of a third Marauder, basically "Prongs Reincrnated"! All that was left to do was go on a date with Peter, if he was a ghost! Merida then glowered at Padfoot in the picture. "Stupid dog! How could you?" Padfoot fled to Moony's side on the opposite page. Merida could have sworn both canines seemed to be laughing!
It was then, that Harry actually had the nerve to ask, "Merida? If it's a boy, could we call him Sirius?" somewhat timidly.
"Excuse me?!" Merida snapped.
Harry became very sober. "I would really like to call him Sirius?"
Merida really REALLY wanted to scream again, but she didn't. Partly because she didn't want to break any more mirrors. Partly because she didn't want to bust anyone's eardrums. Partly because it was quite possible Canada had a headache by now & all her flags were knocked off! Mostly because she could sense how much it meant to Harry. Thank God & Merlin for telepathy! "OK! FINE! We'll call him Sirius!"
"Really?" Harry dared to hope.
"Yes! Really!" Merida sighed. "Now get out of here & get ready for your game tomorrow before I change my mind!"
"Thanks Meri!" Harry kissed her quickly & bounded up the stairs.