Translations: "Sirius Black, must you always be the center of attentions?"
"Always, Bink, always."
Chapter 18:
"Is Ron alright?" Bianca asked Sirius a few days later. She took a seat next to him at the kitchen table, concerned for the boy.
Sirius took a sip of his coffee and nodded. "Better than we thought. He's strong," Sirius said. "But he's been sent back to the Burrow on an early holiday. They'll all be here today except for the Weasleys. They're coming either tomorrow or Sunday." Bianca nodded as she sipped her tea. "I like it when everybody's here."
"You won't be saying that next week," Bianca replied. "If I remember correctly, this past summer you couldn't wait to have everyone out of the house."
"Just so we could be alone. But now it's Christmas, and I went everyone to be around me!"
"Sirius Black, dovete sempre essere il centro di tutto?"
"Sempre, Bink sempre," came her response.
Bianca moved over to settle herself on Sirius' lap. "Well, we're completely alone now," she said, seductively.
"Hmm, yes we are," Sirius responded, before kissing her passionately. They continued for awhile before a discreet cough startled them from each other. The two turned to see Kingsley smiling there, next to Eden, who was shaking her head. "Um, hi, you two," Sirius said, blushing.
"Hello. You know, I was going to ignore you. Be polite. Apparently someone didn't pick up on that!" Eden said, turning to the Auror next to her. He merely shrugged in response. "Anyway, we came to help decorate Headquarters for Christmas. Merlin knows we don't want my father doing it!" This caused a laugh from Bianca, who was the only other person there for Albus' Christmas "surprise" a few days previous.
"Something tells me I don't want to know," Sirius said, looking at Kingsley, who shrugged.
Bianca regained her composure and kissed Sirius again. "No, Love, you don't want to know," she replied. Then she kissed him again, causing him to forget everything. Eden pulled Kingsley out of the room.
They stood in the parlor as Kiki and Severus popped in. "My, you two are home early," Eden said. "I'm certain Mama said that classes didn't end until tonight."
Kiki watched as Severus pulled in their luggage. "His classes were finished by lunchtime, so he's helping move our stuff now before dinner. He still has to hang around and make sure all the Slytherins go home," she explained. Severus returned from having levitated their luggage upstairs to their shared room. "I'll see you tonight?"
"Of course," Severus replied, kissing her. "I dare say that the Lupins will be here within the hour." With another kiss, Severus stepped into the fireplace and flooed back to Hogwarts.
Sure enough, an hour later, Harmony and Remus appeared in the parlor. They brushed the soot off themselves and then where the other had missed. Sirius came bounding in and dropped to be eye level with Harmony's abdomen. "Hello, and how are my two lovely goddaughters doing? Mommy treating you well?"
"Sirius, you look like a fool, stand up," Remus said, amused with the situation. "And of course their Mommy is treating them well."
"That's because their Daddy is hounding her to the point she wants to whack him in the head. Or hex him into next week. Or—"
"Kiss him senseless for being the most caring husband and father-to-be ever?" Remus suggested, tilting her back to kiss her.
Sirius shook his head and resumed his conversation with the unborn children. "Lily, Jamie, I am pleased to tell you that you will have the most loving, caring parents ever," he said. "Only after James and Lily, your namesakes, of course."
Harmony broke the kiss and smiled at her friend. "Don't worry, Sirius, I'm sure you'll be a wonderful father when the time comes," she said, hugging the man as he stood up. "Now, Remus, be a dear and bring the luggage upstairs. I think I should take a nap."
"Now you're starting to talk my language. And I think I'll take that nap with you. The full moon is tomorrow. I hope Severus remembers the wolfbane," Remus said, following his wife upstairs.
Kiki's voice drifted down the hall. "He left it with me! I wouldn't let him forget it."
Sirius chuckled as he felt two arms enfold him. "She's right, you know. You will be a wonderful father someday," he heard Bianca whisper. "And I only hope that it's to my children."
"Me, too, Bink, me too," he whispered back.
Severus and Minerva came back before dinner, which Bianca had prepared. Tonks reappeared with Moody and Ace just as everyone sat down. She bounced into a seat next to her cousin and Kiki, while Moody took the vacated seat next to Minerva. "So, Albus isn't here yet?" he asked.
"No. There were some last minute things to tie up at Hogwarts," Minerva explained.
"And you left so readily because…?"
"Oh, believe me, she didn't leave so readily," Severus drawled. "Albus practically had to push her into the floo to get her to leave his side. Devotion I tell you." He turned to Kiki. "I love you, but don't ever become THAT devoted to me, okay?"
"Wouldn't dream of it, darling," came his reply.
Ace chuckled as he took the empty seat next to Eden, who was sitting on the other side of her mother. He placed a kiss on the Dumbledore girl's cheek, causing her to blush slightly. "Oh good Merlin," Kiki and Tonks exclaimed at the same time. Eden stuck her tongue out at both of them while Ace sent his Aurors a hard glance before they returned to their food.
Albus came after dinner and graciously accepted the food offered by Bianca. He explained how he had stayed due to a change in plans involving the children that would stay with them for Christmas. "Yeah, where are they?" Sirius asked, now being able to express concern over his godson's presence, or lack of.
"Molly requested that they all come to the Burrow first so that Ron wasn't lonely anymore. I agreed since we feel that Ron is now safe and needs his friends nearby as part of the healing," Albus explained. "So, we're child free for the next few days."
"Save for Sirius," Kiki remarked, continuing to eat. Sirius launched a meatball at her, which was quickly repelled by Severus back into Sirius' face. His shocked, sauce stained face stared down the smirking one of Severus Snape, oblivious to the trying not to laugh faces of those surrounding him.
Minerva, reverting back into strict Deputy Headmistress mode, quickly diffused the potentially bad situation. In the end, Bianca and Remus pulled Sirius from the room. Kiki and Severus counted slowly to twenty and then left themselves. Eden and Ace began clearing the table as Minerva helped Harmony out of the room.
Remus met the two women at the top of the stairs, thanking Minerva. He helped Harmony down the rest of the way to their room, before she collapsed on their bed. "I honestly can't wait for these daughters of ours to get out!" she said, slightly muffled by her pillow.
"Oh?" Remus called from the bathroom. "Do tell why."
"Because I'm getting sick and tired of everyone helping me everywhere. I'm only a pregnant woman, not an invalid."
"Harmony, even you have to admit that you need just a little extra help lately," Remus said, carefully treading around his wife.
Harmony bolted right up. "So you are just affirming that I'm an invalid," she said.
Remus shook his head. "No, no. I'm saying that you are a pregnant woman. Who occasionally needs to help now and then," he said.
Harmony's eyes shrunk to two mere slits and Remus began to worry again. He inched towards the door and before Harmony could hurl her pillow at him, Remus ducked out of the room and closed the door. He slid down and crouched outside the room. He looked up at Albus, who was staring down in a concerned manner. "How many more months?" he croaked at his father figure.
The Headmaster shrugged. "Three or so," the man replied. "But then starts the after pregnancy mood swings." Remus buried his face in his hands, groaning. Albus patted the man's shoulder and went off to his own wife.
Remus wasn't the only person dealing with the joys of women's swinging hormones in 12 Grimmauld Place, though Sirius had it easier. He was able to eat a midnight snack on the counts that one, Bianca asked him to do it, two, Molly wasn't there to yell at him, three, Bianca asked him to do it, four, no one really cared, and five, Bianca asked him to do it. "I don't want to be alone," Bianca said. "No offense, but your house at night? Very creepy."
"Couldn't agree with you more. Pass the whip cream." Sirius dived into his bowl of ice cream.
In their room, Severus was pretty sure he was going to have to use that muggle contraption known as the jaws of life to get his fiancée off of him. "Didn't we just have this conversation about not getting too devoted to me?" he asked, exasperatedly.
Kiki refused to let go and pouted. "Don't leave me!"
"I'm only going to the bathroom!"
"Don't. Leave. Me." Kiki was near tears at this point. Severus felt slightly guilty about leaving her in such an emotional state, but he really needed to use the bathroom. Or else he would never be able to go to bed. He absentmindedly stroked her hair as he thought of ways to get the sniffling witch off of him in the nicest way possible.
"Look, the sooner you let me go, the sooner I can be back in your arms," Severus said. "And I promise not to leave you for the rest of the night."
Kiki sniffled and finally released the man, who made a beeline for the bathroom. Kiki sighed and climbed into bed herself, waiting for Severus to join her.
Luckily, there was a happy ending for everyone that night. When Severus re-emerged from the bathroom and changed for bed, he found that his lovely fiancée was back to normal. She watched as he climbed into bed, gave him a quick kiss and settled back into her side of the bed. Severus breathed an inaudible sigh of relief, extinguished the candles and soon gave in to sleep.
Sirius felt rather sleepy considering all the sugar he and Bianca had just consumed. But the two fell into his bed, not caring about anything considering that Molly wasn't due for another two days. Sirius extinguished his candles and smiled at the sight of a sleeping Bianca, who was wearing one of his old t-shirts. He pulled the cover up and fell soundly asleep.
Remus didn't know when he had fallen asleep, but was jarred from said sleep when the door opened. He was wrapped in a cozy Gryffindor blanket, no doubt provided by his caring former Head of House. He looked up to see Harmony standing over him. "I'm sorry about earlier," she said, quietly.
"It was nothing. Just a hormonal outburst. We survived Lily's, we'll survive yours," Remus said with a smile.
Harmony held out her hand. "It's cold; can you please come back to bed? Please?" Remus took her hand and hoisted himself up. He kissed her passionately before walking back into the room, shutting it quietly behind him. The two climbed back into bed as Remus folded the blanket to return to McGonagall later. Within minutes—thanks to his more comfortable position—the couple were out like lights.
A beautiful tawny owl was flying around the kitchen the next morning. A very exasperated Eden was trying to catch it, but failing miserably. Bianca and Sirius stared at her in shock as she let loose a string of curses that would've shocked her mother and that put Fletcher (back in his drunken states) to shame. "Come on, Andrasta, come on," Eden tried to coo.
The owl kept flying around the kitchen, occasionally dive bombing Bianca and Sirius. "Stupid owl!" Eden cried. "Sirius, do you have a ladder?"
"A ladder? Why?"
"So I can climb up and catch Andrasta," Eden replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Kiki walked in and shrieked when the owl came right at her, realizing that she would not be able to duck away with her pregnancy. Severus came up behind her and reached for the offending owl, only to frighten the bird back to the ceiling.
"Whose—bloody—owl—is—that?" Kiki panted out, enfolded in Severus' protecting arms.
"It's my mother's," Eden explained. "Andrasta dropped off the mail this morning and now is flying around the kitchen nonstop. Oh, I hope my mother wakes up soon…"
"What is the commotion down here?" Minerva's voice came on cue.
Kiki was still flustered from being nearly killed by an owl. "Your ruddy owl," she hissed out. Minerva patted her former student's arm and then walked into the kitchen. Immediately, Andrasta stopped fluttering around and alighted on her owner's arm.
"So," Minerva addressed the bird, "you seem to be annoying people today. Makes me wonder if I should give you your owl treat." The owl hooted indignantly. "Go on upstairs to Albus." Andrasta hooted again and flew up the stairs to find her other owner. Minerva sighed and apologized to Kiki for the scare her owl caused her.
After that, breakfast continued without interruption (considering the fact that Sirius wasn't speaking to Severus and the other man was more than happy to comply) and the residents of 12 Grimmauld Place went their separate ways until lunch would bring them together again. The kitchen was the busiest place in the house, considering that it currently held two pregnant women and Sirius Black.
Sirius was carefully roaming through the refrigerator—out of habit mostly, since he often didn't want his cousin to know how many times a day he actually raided the thing—when he came upon the whip cream he and Bianca had used the night before. He fought down the same ideas of how to use the whip cream he had had mere hours earlier. Sirius was about to return to the fridge when he remembered that Molly wouldn't be fluttering around the house for a few more days. He loved his cousin dearly, but she was definitely too maternal for his liking. (Maybe having seven children does that to one).
Sirius thought long and hard, all while staring at the can of whip cream. Albus and Minerva were in the parlor, discussing school business (or so they claimed. But the idea of them doing anything else was still too new to Sirius and he had a similar reaction to a certain Weasley boy on the subject). Harmony and Remus were napping together—what with her carrying twins and him having to endure the full moon that night. He hadn't a clue as to where Kiki and Severus had gone off too, but doubted either would be bothering him any time soon.
With a devilish smile, Sirius found Bianca. "I have a proposal for you," he said, coming up to her. She cocked an eyebrow while trying to look behind his back. "I won't show it to you unless you agree to my proposal," Sirius taunted.
Bianca sighed. "Alright, what's the proposal?"
"First you have to agree to it."
"What? Sirius Black, I am NOT agreeing to anything I don't know!" she said. "What is it?" Sirius smiled and whispered something into her ear. "Oh, well I'm all for a little fun," Bianca replied. "So count me in. Now what's behind your back?"
Sirius pulled Bianca into his bedroom and showed her the can of whipping cream. "Oh…" Bianca said in realization. "Suddenly, I'm very glad that I agreed to this mysterious proposal." With that, she closed what little space was between them and kissed him passionately.
"There was a can of whip cream in here last night! Where could it have gone?"
"Knowing this house, it probably grew legs and walked out."
"Severus, darling, you're not helping," Kiki said, slamming the refrigerator door. "All I want is some vanilla ice cream—"
"Not chocolate?"
"With some nuts, hot fudge—"
"Ah, there's the chocolate."
"Caramel and whip cream! Is that so much to ask for?" Kiki collapsed at the table. She looked up at Severus, who was smirking. "What?"
"You forgot the pickles," he replied, holding up the jar his fiancée had taken out of a nearby cabinet. He ducked the spoon Kiki hurled at him with a grin. "Aw, is that anyway to treat the father of your child?"
"Yes. It's all YOUR fault that I'm pregnant and therefore craving all these weird things," Kiki cried, placing her head on the table.
"Well, if memory serves me, you had quite a big role in Samantha's conception yourself," Severus shot back. He sighed when he received no reply. "I suppose it's also my fault that the whip cream is gone?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it just is."
"Listen," Severus said, stroking Kiki's hair (black with red and green mixed in), "why don't we just blame Sirius for this and go for a walk. I think the three of us desperately need fresh air and the exercise."
Kiki lifted her head and smiled. "You are so wonderful when it comes to my mood swings," she said, grabbing his hand. "Let's go!"
"Wait! You need your coat. Kiki? KIKI!"
Remus looked over at his wife, who was sitting at the kitchen table. He then turned his attention back to the boiling water on the stove. Remus carefully poured the water into two mugs filled with chocolate powder and then charmed the spoons to stir the contents. He went over to the refrigerator but then closed the door when he realized what he was looking for wasn't there. "Looks like the whip cream is gone," he said, turning back to the mugs.
He placed one down in front of his wife, who smiled in gratitude. She carefully took a sip as he sat down. "Looking forward to tonight?" she asked with a grin.
"As always," came her reply.
"Do you want me to lock the door?"
"Which one?"
"The one to your transformation room?"
"Mmm, no. I don't want to have to bother anybody with unlocking it for me."
"Remus, you wouldn't be bothering anybody."
"I don't think I'd get out before the transformation is complete and the potion takes effect. It'll be easier for me to get to you. Oh, leave the door slightly ajar this time."
"Sorry," Harmony said, sheepishly. She looked up in time to meet the passionate kiss Remus gave to her. "What was that for?"
"For looking so adorable," Remus replied. He then chuckled as he took a sip of his hot chocolate. "Damn I made that hot."
"I'll say. Luckily, Jamie and Lily happen to like food hot. And I hear tell that Samantha likes her food the other type of hot."
"So that's why the kitchen's been stocked up on salsa for the past few weeks," Remus said, thoughtfully. He and Harmony drained the rest of their cups. "Here, you cast the cleaning spell, I put them away and then we go and grade some papers."
"Oh, gee, just the way I planned on spending the day of a full moon with my extra-heightened husband," Harmony remarked. "Grading papers on boggarts."
"You need the rest," Remus said, placing emphasis on the word "rest." Harmony kept giving him pleading looks. "No. You, me, tests…now!" With that, the two left the kitchen.
"Looks like someone beat us to the hot chocolate, my dear," Albus said, looking at his wife over his shoulder. "And to the pickles. And to the whip cream."
"Well, we are in a house with two pregnant women," Minerva replied, leaning against the table. "I'm surprise there is still some food left at all!"
Albus embraced his wife. "I suppose you're right…but I doubt that whip cream is actually being used by the two pregnant women. I think there were some loud thuds and giggles coming from Mr. Black's room earlier…"
"Albus, I am NOT thinking of former students like that!" Minerva said. "Just as much as they don't want to think of us like that."
Albus kissed her, muttering, "Pity he got to the whip cream before us."
Minerva sighed into the kiss and moaned, "Albus!"
A few days later, all the Weasleys returned. Upon arriving, Molly did a thorough inspection of the house. She commented on the amount of food, but had to admit the kitchen was left spotless. She found Remus napping on his bed, Harmony sitting next to him reading and munching on a candy cane. Satisfactory. Kiki was off tying up loose ends at the ministry. Severus was making a batch of hang-over potion in advance for the (undoubtedly spiked) eggnog and then the New Year's celebration…Molly shook her head at the thoughts of what could possibly happen in that house. That only left one room left to inspect…
She threw open the door of Sirius' bedroom. He and his girlfriend were busy wrapping presents and quickly hid them from sight. Molly nodded, understandingly, and walked around the room to inspect it. Sirius sighed as Bianca entertained herself with the peel off present labels she had found.
It seemed to the other two that the room passed whatever inspection Molly was doing before she froze coming out of Sirius' private bathroom. She stalked over and lifted up the now empty can of whip cream from where it lay partially underneath his bed. "What is the meaning of this?" Molly asked, shoving the can in her cousin's face.
"Erm, would you believe that Bianca and I had the late night munchies and needed the wipe cream?"
"No."
"Oh." Sirius and Bianca gulped as they realized they were in for it now. They watched as Molly's eyes raged and she took in a deep breath.
"I LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR A FEW DAYS AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS? WHAT TYPE OF EXAMPLE ARE YOU SETTING HERE FOR THE CHILDREN?"
"WELL IF MEMORY SERVES ME, THERE WERE NO CHILDREN HERE!"
"Sirius, I will not argue with you," Molly said, "but I do not want to see anything of the sorts like this. Again. It was bad enough that I realized too late the implications of letting Harmony and Remus share a room together last year. You think those two would have more common sense than to give the children a bad idea. And you and her with this and out of wedlock and…I need to go lie down."
With that, she left the room—whip cream can in hand. Bianca was shaking and Sirius was fuming over his cousin's words. He was a grown man of thirty-something years—he could very well chose what he wanted to do. And if that meant having some "fun" with the woman he was coming to love more and more each day—than Merlin damn it, he would do so. The door opened a crack and a sympathetic Kiki walked in.
"Happened to pass Molly on the way here," she said, sitting down on the bed. "Now, there's one thing I have to do first." With that, she took a pillow and brought down playfully on Sirius' head. "That's for using the whip cream when all I craved was vanilla ice cream, nuts, hot fudge, caramel, pickles and WHIP CREAM!"
"Did you say 'pickles'?" Bianca asked, bursting into giggles. Sirius soon joined her as Kiki sat there with a smug smile on her face. "What?"
"I'm just picturing myself laughing when you're pregnant and you start craving the oddest things," Kiki said. "Like my craving for ice cream with all the trappings and pickles. Or Harmony's craving for carrots and ranch dressing."
"That doesn't sound too weird," Bianca commented.
Sirius made a face. "No…but Harmony doesn't like carrots. Or ranch dressing. Anyway, thanks for coming and cheering us up."
Kiki stood. "No problem. Besides, I'm not too mad…at least the whip cream was used for some good. At least SOME people should be having that sort of fun." With that, she swept out of the room.
"I think she's been practicing that with Professor Snape," Harry commented, watching the witch leave. He walked into his godfather's room and Sirius pulled him into a giant bear hug, along with Bianca. "So, do I want to know what that was all about?"
"Probably not," Sirius replied. "Molly would skin me alive if I told you anything. Besides, we have got to have some privacy!"
"You're living in a house with the Weasleys. I think your privacy is foregone," Harry commented. "Besides, don't think Mrs. Weasley's little tirade now has given fuel to our little imaginations…we can probably imagine things twice as worse as whatever you and Bianca ACTUALLY did with that whip cream."
"Amen, hallelujah to that!" Bianca replied, finishing stuffing the wrapped presents in the closet. "Now, why don't you go and get everyone. Meet me in the kitchen and we'll bake Christmas cookies!" Harry nodded and left the room.
Before she could leave, Sirius spun Bianca around. "Christmas cookies?" he asked. "And a bunch of seventeen and sixteen year old wizards and witches?"
"What?" Bianca teased, fiddling with a loose piece of Sirius' hair. "You're never too old for Christmas cookies, Santa." Sirius stared at her flabbergasted before kissing her passionately.
A/N: Okay, no fair. I blinked and now I'm back at school! I want my Spring Break back! Anyway, Friday's my birthday…yes, I share it with the Weasley twins. Okay, sorry there was no update last week, but I couldn't get the files onto the computer with internet connection! Anyway, thanks again to my readers:
Sarahamanda: Thanks!
Brielle Lupin: Don't worry; Narcissa doesn't come around again for a few more chapters. Unfortunately, she's playing a bigger role in my story than I realized or wanted. It's where ever the muse takes you, and unfortunately, mine believes she's the incarnation of Narcissa. And, can I still have that Smartie? I love those things!
SarahtheBardess: Thanks for your reviews. I have so much fun writing that running gag about everyone's reaction to Narcissa's second marriage! Ace and Eden are major characters, but they will get their own times—as does Riley and Tonks. And don't worry, there are times I have to go back on chapters I've read just to remind myself. And I'm glad you liked the names of the girls—besides the plot, they were the seconds things I knew before starting the story.
Moony Lover: I'd be hyperventilating if I were in your situation. I'd be like "I need a computer NOW!" Not just for fanfiction, but I'm also sorta a news whore (Hey, I'm studying to be a journalist), so yeah. Jamie and Lily aren't the Lupins' only children, but that's for ELIII. And how do I know Italian so well? Two words: Online Translator. I actually study French, but I decided on Italy instead. Don't know why…though I do have many Italian friends. And Ace didn't die, we will be seeing more romance for the Dumbledores, and there should be a good focus on our couples here.
yeah whatever: I hope your mood is better. And that your friends escaped their mother. And that you are working on getting over your best friend's boy. But honestly, I just hope you're in a better mood.
This chapter was humorous to make up for the previous darker ones. Hope you got a good laugh out of it! TTFN! Mac