Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.

Chapter Twenty- Seven

New Life

Pig twittered in a silly happy way until Ron was finally able to grab the letter from him. "It's from Mum," Ron said absent-mindedly to his friends as he read through the disturbing letter from The Burrow. "Mum and Dad are worried about Ginny. She keeps disappearing for bits at a time."

"That's terrible, Ron. Where is she going? Is she all right?" Hermione asked anxiously.

While George and Harry were no fans of Ginny's any more, they exchanged worried glances. "It can't be too safe for her to take off being so close to her due date," Harry offered.

"Bloody hell, Harry! Don't you think we know that?" Ron asked petulantly.

"Ron! I think Harry was just sympathizing," Hermione scolded.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Harry."

"No big deal. I understand- really I do," Harry confirmed. "I didn't want to say anything, but actually, Sirius has been taking off as well. Hagrid says he'll be gone for days, but he's worried. He says it's in both dog's nature and Sirius'."

"I'm sure Sirius is okay, Harry," George said.

"I know, it's much more of a concern about Ginny," Harry added.

"It's just odd though. You know, coincidental that they're both taking off. I wonder if there's any connection. But I guess that's just silly," Hermione speculated.

"Maybe it's not so silly," George said. "Your hunches are usually spot-on, Hermione. It may be worth keeping an eye on Sirius, and see where it leads."

They all nodded at each other, and started doing one of their favorite things- planning. At the end of this session of the Fabulous Four, it was decided that they would take turns, in pairs, following Sirius. That way, should anyone come to any trouble, the other would be there to help. A schedule was constructed with various combinations of the four all taking turns. Harry and Ron, Ron and George, Harry and Hermione, Hermione and Ron, and so on. The first watch belonged to Hermione and George. After their last class they took off for Hagrid's Hut.

"Hi Hagrid!" they said in a unison greeting.

"Well, hullo young ladies!" Hagrid replied. "It's not usual for me to have such lovely visitors as yourselves on the first night of a weekend. Usually you're off with your fellows. Not that I mind your company! But where are Harry and Ron?"

"We thought it would be fun to see you and Sirius. Harry and Ron are in an intense debate over the pros and cons of the Harpies' all-witch policy. We left them dicussing their Quidditch statistics for the last 600 years," Hermione bluffed.

"Those boys are fools!" Sirius yowled. "Imagine, Hagrid, letting our two favorite young witches slip away while they argue over Quidditch!" Sirius and Hagrid couldn't help laughing over their young friends' foolishness.

Hermione and George spent a good portion of the evening at the hut, laughing and telling stories with Hagrid and Sirius. They all enjoyed the night, especially since the girls had thought to bring along a tin of sweets that Dobby had secured for them- saving them all from Hagrid's awful teacakes. Sirius in particular seemed to enjoy both the good-natured company and savory treats they'd brought him. Perhaps Sirius has just been taking off to find some decent chow, they wondered later. The only sad note was Sirius' disappointment in discovering that no headway had been made in finding a cure for his canine-ness.

"Come on, girls. Let's not get too sad now. I'm rather getting use to being a full-time dog. Things could be worse," Sirius put on a good face. "Let me escort you back to the castle. It's getting late."

"Why don't you let Fang go with you. It'll seem more natural that they'd both be together," Hagrid suggested. Although it was actually a good idea as a cover, Sirius was sad that Hagrid seemed to keep forgetting that Sirius was actually human- not just a talking dog.

After saying their goodbyes to both Sirius and Fang, with hugs and kisses on their wet noses for both of them, Hermione and George feigned entrance to the castle. After it appeared that the two dogs were retreating to the hut, the girls pulled their hoods over their heads and cloaks over their faces and followed. Almost immediately, while Fang ran off towards Hagrid's, Sirius stopped and circled, as if looking for a good spot to relieve himself. Instead, he plopped on the cool earth and lifted his front right paw.

Honk, honk! The Knight Bus appeared from nowhere, stopping right in front of Sirius, now sitting at attention. The girls looked at each other in surprise and wonder, and sprinted towards the same spot. They'd heard all about the bus from Harry, but seeing it make its way over the lush green lawns outside the castle seemed implausible.

"Well, hullo little doggie. Ernie, the doggie's back!" Stan Shunpike yelled to the driver.

"Let him on. He's such a nice dog. Besides, it's nice to have someone else who's stuck in the wrong body," Dread surmised.

"Why'dja think he's stuck in the wrong body, Dread?"

"He's too smart to be just a dog, Stan. That's pretty obvious to everyone but you." As Stan and the dog moved towards the front of the bus, the girls slipped on back just as it started to move.

They took a seat on one of the beds in the back, and pretended not to be watching what happened next. Sirius jumped up on the first front bed, and was promptly catching bits of bread and cheese that Ernie threw behind him as he drove. Seated next to Sirius was a rather frumpy redhead who was deep in conversation with Stan. "So when did you know you wanted to be a conductor? Was your father a conductor? Do you really use magic all the time? And no one supervises you? Her questions were relentless, but Stan seemed to enjoy every one of them. What's more, he seemed to be answering them as if he'd been asked the same questions before, yet still he answered patiently.

Finally, a most shocking question- and answer. "Stan, where are we going to live?"

"Ginny, as I've told you before, we'll live with me mum- same as I do now. She'll like you. And she likes having little ones about. I already told her it's mine, and it's all set. We'll head to the parson right after the end of this shift." Ginny! George and Hermione were aghast. So this was where she was taking off to- the Knight Bus. In a strange way it made sense. If there was ever a stranded witch or wizard, it was Ginny- that is, mentally. Just as they shared shocked looks, Ginny started moaning.

"The baby, it's coming, Stan!" Ginny screamed.

"Ernie, stop the bus!" Dread yelled.

Stan yelled to the back of the bus at the two figures cloaked in black, "Sorry! Unscheduled stop! Won't be but a moment."

"Won't be but a moment, Stan? I'm having the baby!"

"I know, Red, but we've got other customers, dear," he replied solicitously. George brought up one hand in a sign to the front of the bus as if to say 'no problem'.

Ginny was now writhing in pain on the first bed. Sirius had leaped off at the first scream, and was standing by, watching intently. "It's coming, I see the head!" Stan shrieked, and then proceeded to pass out cold. Ginny delivered her own baby, as Dread and Ernie stood by in the driver's car, mouths dropped in surprise. George and Hermione had started to the front of the bus, anxious to help, but the baby came before they made it. As they walked forward, they saw Sirius standing next to Ginny, licking the baby as a mother would lick her pups. Ginny seemed dazed and tired, and made no protest, apparently soothed by the dog's presence.

"Ginny! Ginny!" the girls quietly said as they approached her bed, cautiously stepping over Stan's limp form.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as they approached.

"No, we were wondering what you were doing here. But right now we want to know, are you all right? Is the baby all right?"

"I'm fine. The baby's fine. I'm just tired. Need to sleep."

George whispered to Hermione, "what should we do? Where should we take her?"

"I'd suggest The Burrow. Molly will know just what to do." The girls wheeled around to look at Sirius, standing in front of them in full human splendor. They'd forgotten all about him as they were talking to Ginny, and now couldn't believe their eyes seeing him as a man. "Sirius! How did you...? Aren't you afraid that...?" the girls shot questions at him right and left.

Sirius laughed in his usual lowkey way. Nothing seemed to faze him. "I'm not quite sure, really. My dog intuition made me clean up the baby. After that, I just felt different. I wondered if it had affected my powers, and apparently it did. I do recall something back in my Gryffindor days about the healing and charm-breaking powers of new baby essence. Did the trick, I'd say!" he said, laughing again.

"But what about Ernie and the rest?" Hermione asked anxiously, looking over at the driver's compartment where Ernie and Dread were still standing with mouths agape.

"Oh, I've learned a few memory enchantments in my time on the run. Don't worry about them. I'll change back into a dog as soon as I say the charm, and you direct them to The Burrow. We can talk tomorrow back at Hagrid's. Bring Harry and Ron." And with a flick of Hermione's wand and a quick incantation, the focus was back on Ginny, the baby and getting to the Weasley's.

As they got Ginny and the baby off the bus, and watched Stan being shuffled into the house with the Weasley's, George turned to Hermione. "That trip was high entertainment value, considering we didn't even pay a fare!"