It seemed that once the Order was established, the days became darker. Everyone still had fun, but with a dark cloud looming about, it was more somber than before. Remus and Sirius took a bigger role while Lily finished school and Ava continued her regular job. James job let him work alongside the Order, although not all Aurors did. Peter maintained his aloofness, which continued to grow as he would disappear for weeks, and show up randomly. The others rather taken up in their own tasks, lives, and missions overlooked his growing discontent.
After Lily's graduation, she took up a bigger part in the Order as well. If someone had told her years ago, she wouldn't have believed them. The Order was growing phenomenally as James recruited some of his fellow Aurors, and things kept a strong pace. Ava still remained at her garage, but she took more 'strangers' business that came in. She would create and engineer devices and tools for the Aurors coming in. Dale let her take care of the 'freaks' that came in, saying she was strange enough to handle them. She would roll her eyes at him, warning him to not get drafted into their cult.
Sirius was gone a lot, always on the move, as he had to go to allies and do most of the traveling. Ava missed him fondly, and tried to strike down the jealousy she felt when seeing James and Lily together, both having their employments near each other. Ava truly wanted to travel too, but her assignment kept her chained to the garage. Thankfully, she had many visitors.
Remus traveled almost as much, but his circumstance kept him home more often as James would keep in him company in form. Ava started as well, taking Sirius' spot when he was gone, even though she felt of little use, but was assured she was a comfort and a help. With a big dog missing to keep Lupin in check, a big bird could cause enough distraction if necessary. Usually, she would entertain them by hunting Peter, who played along good-naturedly for some time.
Eventually, he came around less, saying he was on missions, which he had really made up. He spent his time soul-searching, not really his own, but for someone to understand him. He wandered around mostly.
Slowly, both sides seem to building up there forces. The battle was still a few years off, but the Order felt that they needed to catch up, for the rumors of the darkness lurking about continued to haunt them all.
--
Anyone who has ever been in a relationship with anyone or anything knows that there are fights that come about along the way. James and Lily had plenty of fights to satisfy their quota, as did Sirius and Ava. As Remus once said, the value had to be tested every once and while. But both couples were perfectly happy in a storybook way. To say they never had any fights would be impossible. With tensions running so high as the darkness gathered its forces, everyone had a slip of anger and words occasionally.
Within time, James proposed to Lily, who of course accepted. They put the wedding off until they had time to plan it. During this time, Sirius took time off to go on vacation. He knew Ava wanted to travel, so he promised to take her. Ava begged out of pre-wedding plans to go, and told Dale she needed a break from his crap (who played hurt to see that they had broken up.) Lily 'let' her go on the promise that they would plan like mad when she got back, which Ava unwittingly accepted.
Sirius took her to the various places he had been, the one he knew she would like, and to the places he hadn't been, which looked interesting enough. It didn't matter where they went really, they had a fabulous time anyways. However, he didn't expect what happened when they went through Paris. How could he? It was a fluke, a most unexpected and little appreciated occurrence.
Ava and Sirius walked along in the park one morning, enjoying the day, the city, the country, the freedom. It was a relief not to be on duty. They teased each other back and forth as was their way, when someone in front of them Ava saw made her stop mid stride. He face froze and she looked suspended in restrained surprise. Sirius looked at her, and then who stood in front of them. A youngish man stood, holding his little boy's hand, who was looking around yelling and being a pain. But the man had his eyes on Ava.
"Ava?" he asked as he walked up to her, pulling the kid along. The little boy turned quiet to see the two strangers in front of him.
"Cain," Ava spoke with a strained expression. Sirius looked back at the man, sizing him up in an eyeful.
"How are you?" He asked, as he only seemed to see Ava and not Sirius. "How've you been?"
Ava nodded slowly, in her mind reeling at what was in front of her. She really hadn't ever expected to see him again. "Okay." He didn't need to hear the details of her life. "You?" she asked politely enough, not bothering to hear his answer she leaned down and smiled at the little boy.
"You must be Deacon." She asked the little boy, who nodded with enthusiasm.
"How did you know that?" Cain and Sirius asked in unison. Cain turned to see Sirius for the first time as he eyes him up and down.
"You always wanted to name your little boy that." She stood back up to make introductions. "Sirius Cain, Cain Sirius."
She turned back to the little boy, and talked to him. She wasn't overly fond of kids, but she had an odd curiosity for this little boy. Maybe because if she had been stupider than she was in the past, he would have been hers. Thank goodness that hadn't happened.
Sirius and Cain stood off for a little, staring the other down in their own manner, not quite letting the other know what they thought. Both turned back towards Ava and Deacon, who were in deep conversation of the different sno cone flavors to choose from.
"Blue is pretty," he told her with all of his kid intellect, "But purple tastes the best."
"Hard choices, eh?"
He nodded seriously. Extremely pleased to have someone to talk to who understood the all the troubles of being five, he took her hand and walked her over to the playground. Ava looked over her shoulder at Sirius and Cain with a puzzled look, jerking her head at them to follow and not leave her alone with this kid.
They followed slowly over, both intending to grill the other. Sirius knew exactly who this was, and what he had done, and couldn't believe he was actually standing there having a conversation with him. Hadn't he sworn to hate this guy once upon a time? Now he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He had gone down in hill in his advancing years, or at least, Sirius hoped so, thinking Ava could never have been attracted to the sad petty man before him now. It wasn't worth his time, he decided, the guy had made a mistake years ago, it was his fault, and Sirius had benefited from it. Instead of killing him, he should thank him.
"Ava looks well." Cain tried to talk to Sirius, but the voice came out strained.
"Mm."
"How long have you two known each other."
"Long enough." Sirius couldn't hold back the voice that spoke down to this man, as he walked on to watch Ava, and who knows, even play with the brat.
Sirius actually did play with the kid, who wasn't as bad as his old man, but would inevitably turn out horrible. He and Ava laughed at what the kid said, always something outlandish and random. Cain broke in, asking Ava if he could talk to her for a minute or two. Sirius felt this was good practice for the kids he was sure James and Lily would have, because the good wizard knew he wouldn't breed, he nor Ava wanted little offspring running around, to take care of, clean, feed, entertain, pay for!
Ava didn't really want to talk to Cain, but had no real reason not to, so she agreed. She didn't think anything about it, never having thought more about him since meeting Sirius. She waited politely for him to speak.
"You doing well?" Ava nodded when he asked. "Looks like it."
"Deacon seems to take to you." He tried again.
"Mm." She shrugged.
"Ava," he moaned. He didn't want the silent treatment he thought she was giving him.
"What?" she looked at him, waiting for this to be relevant.
Sirius looked over to see his Ava looking bored, and Cain running his hands through his hair in frustration. Sirius smirked at the situation, the man should know that Aves was never easy. Deacon grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the sandy playground, and over to the grass where a bag lay on the ground. He pulled a ball out of it and tossed it Sirius who tossed it back. A woman came over, that Sirius presumed his mother. She switched the little girl she held to the other hip, and told her son to go tell his father something, and the little boy ran over to Cain and Ava as he was told. The woman walked over to Sirius.
"Hi," she held out her hand politely. "Seems we have a connection."
"Seems so." He shook her hand.
Over by Ava, Cain picked up Deacon and held him on his hip, similar to the woman that stood before Sirius. Looking back, he felt the need to introduce himself. "I'm Sirius, that's Ava, they seem to be old friends, eh?"
"Yes," the woman seemed a little dazed. She shook herself out of it. "I'm Tina, Deacon seems very taken with you."
Sirius smiled with a casual shrug. He looked at the little girl she held. "And who's this doll?"
"This is Eva." She took the little girl off her hip and held her in front of her body. "Little Eva."
The girl fused about, so she set her down. The little girl looked a t Sirius then turned and buried her face in her mother's legs. She would turn around and look at Sirius and turn back around. Sirius was slightly thrown off at first, wondering why she was hiding from him than insisted on looking. Then he realized she was playing a game. So he played with her too.
The mother laughed to see her daughter enjoying the game. But she saw Cain and Ava still talking, as did Sirius. He noticed that the boy had run off again and that left the two again. Tina seemed unhappy about this, and turned Eva to face her.
"Evie, honey," she looked at her. "Go get daddy." She smiled saccharinely at her, then turning it on Sirius. He smiled politely.
Taking it upon himself, he just turned to follow the little girl, making sure she went the right way, and to put the jealous mother at bay. He walked up to see Ava turn to him with a thankful smile. He could see her hiding her insane laughter behind the grin she forced at Cain. He introduced her to Tina, who put her arms protectively around her husband, making sure to touch him and he her.
"We should go to Tea." Tina lied through her teeth at the two. Cain, oblivious, nodded.
Ava turned to Sirius her head tilt in mock thoughtfulness, "Are we going to be in town tonight, or was last night our final?"
"Unfortunately," he inflected, "Tonight were due at Marco's villa. He is eager to meet you, as is Sofia."
Ava frowned for all her acting was worth. She shook her head. "Maybe we'll meet up in London again someday."
"Oh, is that were you're living now?" Cain asked after her. Ava and Sirius nodded, looked at each other as if for confirmation and nodded again.
"We're up in Manchester now." He told her. There was an awkward pause. Ava tried to say goodbye, but Cain asked her, "Your dad?"
Sirius' eyes almost bugged out of his head at the insincerity of this foul man. He looked over to see Ava fight the fuming emotions stirring in her. But she held herself in check. With a strained smile, she clasped her hands together, nodding at them. "Goodbye Cain, Tina."
She turned around and walked away from them, Sirius in sync with her. He thought it very classy of her to let it go, and told her so. They continued walking along and left the park.
"He's a jerk." Ava finally said. Sirius didn't say anything, she didn't need or want to know what he thought.
He was a jerk, but Sirius could have run back and kissed the man, later disinfect his body. How could he have given up Ava? Foolish bastard. If he hadn't been such an idiot, Sirius might not know the incredible woman in front of him now. So he kept his feelings to himself. Thankfully, Cain was an ass.
"Don't worry about it." Sirius told her about meaning that comment on her father.
"I won't." She smiled up at him. Her dad was nothing of her concern any more, not since she wasn't one of his. "Besides, we need to go meet a Marco, and visit his Villa."
"I love you," he said as he slid his arm around her. He had said it many times before, but felt its powerfulness right now. They laughed at that joke for the rest of the tour through France, moving to another country to corrupt.
:: Sirius is so cute! I just can't quite get over it. hehehe, So I guess Lily and James are getting married next time (chapter). It'll be fun, you'll see. Stay tuned kids!
