SevenYears Later...
Chapter 13
"Kicks, Fights and Towers"
Artimis slowly walked toward her tent, covered in Blaise Zabani's blood. They had sucessfully stablized him to the point he could be transported to St Mungo's safely. She opened to flap to her tent and walked in, waving at Draco as she walked past him, heading for the shower. She undressed quickly and hopped in the shower, enjoying the relaxing massage of the hot water. She finished her shower and got out, drying off with her towel. She was drying her hair when she felt a odd sensation in her stomach. It was if something was quickly pressing against her stomach, but from the inside. After a second, it happened again. She pressed her hand to her stomach and after a moment felt a slight pressure against her hand.
"DRACO!" She yelled loudly and suddenly she heard scrambling and collapsing chair. Draco burst opened the door, looking wild eyed as he stopped looking at her with her hand on her stomach, completly nude.
"What is the matter, are you ok?" He asked panicked as Artimis felt tears brimming her eyes. Her baby was kicking. She really was pregnant...
"Honey, come here. You've got to feel this." She told him softly and he stepped forward, looking at her cautiously. He stood right in front of her and she reached out and took his hand, placing it over the slight bulge in Artimis's stomach. He looked at her in confusion and she smiled.
"Wait a second. There! did you feel that?" She asked as she felt another push on her insides. Draco looked at her stomach in amazement and then up at her.
"Is that the..."
"The baby. It's kicking." Artimis whispered softly, tears now streaming down her face.
"Oh honey, why are you crying?" He asked, raising another hand to wipe away the tears.
"It's true, I can't deny it now. I'm going to be a mom. And you're going to be a dad. And I am so excited, but worried." She spoke lightly and he looked at her gently.
"Don't worry. We'll do just fine. We've practically raised Manor Dela Loyalty, how hard can our own kid be?" Draco told her and she smiled at him lightly.
"Well let's see, we didn't have to potty train Alexis." Artimis joked and Draco chuckled.
"No we had to teach her how to control herself though, close enough." Draco replied and she smirked, the tears no longer running their course down her face.
"Honey, you know that question I wanted to ask you? I think now would be a good time." Draco whispered, removing his hand from her stomach and backing away. She raised an eyebrow at him and watched him intently.
"I love ya and-"
"ARTIMIS! DRACO! There is an order for patrol tonight." Remus yelled as he skidded into veiw of the bathroom door. He looked in and then turned away, blushing.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to interupt anything." He spoke and Artimis quickly grabbed her bathrobe, wrapping it around herself quickly.
"It's ok. I was letting Draco feel the baby kick. Wanna feel?" She asked as she fixed her self properly and he looked at her with astonishment.
"Really?" He spoke in disbelief, looking to Draco, who had an odd look of dismay on his face.
"Well, sure. But let me get dressed first. Honey, can you close the door behind you?" Artimis asked as Draco slinked out of the room.
"Sure." He spoke as he closed the door. Artimis dressed quickly, still feeling the tiny kicks from her unborn child, and then exited the bathroom, seeing only Remus in the tent.
"He left, mumbling to himself." Remus stated and Artimis shrugged looking at Remus happily.
"He is probably just overwhelmed. Come here." She told him and Remus walked forward cautiously, looking at her happily. She reached out and took his hand in hers, lifting her shirt a bit and placing Remus's worn hand on her stomach. He looked at her and then down at her hand over his.
"Wait a moment. Ok, right there. Did you feel that little movement? That's you're grandchild." Artimis spoke, looking at their hands and then she looked up at him, seeing tears in his eyes.
"My grandchild?" Remus questioned, his voice catching his throat and Artimis nodded sweetly at him.
"You've been as much of a father to me as you have been to Alexis, you've more than earned that title." Artimis informed him and he smiled at her, feeling the baby kick under his hand again.
"Very active little guy isn't it?" Remus asked, looking down again and smiling. Artimis smiled at him and then moved his hand from her stomach and he looked at her with concern.
"I've got to find Alexis, she has to feel this. She'll flip out." Artimis told him and he nodded, handing Artimis a envelope sealed with Dumbledore's seal. She took it and hugged Remus and Remus squeezed her tighter than normally.
"You take care of yourself." He told her and she nodded as he let her go. She walked with him out of her tent, heading toward Alexis's. She knew Alexis wasn't in the medic tent because Artimis went to look before she had left it. She went in the tent flap and heard nothing, not a good sign for Alexis. Alexis even slept with her obnoxius music blaring sometimes.
"Alexis! Come here!" Artimis spoke loudly, her voice echoing through the empty tent. She quickly picked up a nearby sword and walked cautiously to the back room, finding Alexis's bed a nasty mess of mashed potatoes and macaroni and chesse.
"God, that is beyond eating in bed." Artimis commented as she looked into Alexis's bathroom and the storage room. Not finding Alexis, she knew there was only one other place she could be. She quickly dove out of the tent, dropping the sword and walking hastily toward Ron's tent. She opened the flap quickly and heard loud snoring. Two different tones of snoring. Artimis looked in the kitchen, seeing the remains of a dinner on the table, then she walked into the Living room.
She gasped at what she saw before her. Ron was lying on the couch on his back and Alexis was curled up on top of him, her leg hanging off the side of the couch as she was covered by a small blanket. Ron had a hand on her butt as his head was lulled back and he was snoring. Alexis was snoring lightly too and her arm was curled around his neck as she lie there.
"ALEXIS!" Artimis shrieked, hoping to hell that she was not the witness of the aftermath of something bigger. She just really wanted to have Alexis feel this amazing sensation bombarding her. Alexis's 'Ron situation' would just have to wait till Alexis felt
Artimis's stomach, whether she liked it or not.
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Alexis smiled as she slept, feeling warm and cozy. Pleasant dreams and visions swirled through her head as she dozed to the steady rise and fall of someone's breathing. She inhaled deeply, snuggling into the warm body. Suddenly, a voice cut through her conciousness abruptly and her eyes snapped opened as she tensed involuntarily at the shout of her name. She looked up, seeing Ron yawning and stretching his arms back, lazily opening his eyes and gazing at her gently. She looked down with surprise, realizing the warm body she was curled into was actually his. She pulled her arm back, which was looped around his neck, and sat up abruptly, forcing the breath out of Ron. He exhaled sharply, looking at her in concerned confusion. They heard a cough and both froze, slowly turning their heads and staring wide eyed at Artimis. She stood watching them smugly, arms crossed.
Ron suddenly sat up as well, Alexis falling into his lap. He put his hands behind her back to keep her from falling, and she winced slightly. They both turned bright red as they gazed at Artimis sheepishly.
They looked at each other with the 'Oh-Shit' expression, then back at Artimis, who seemed to be waiting for an explanation. Alexis started rambling nervously. "Um... h, hey, Artimis... I swear, it's not what it l, looks like... nothing happened... we were just... and he, um... then I... ah, shit..."
Ron decided to try and help her. "All we did was eat dinner... then she was like, all s, sore and stuff... so I uh... and we..."
"H, he gave me a massage! That's all! Quit giving me that bloody look! I d, didn't do anything wrong..." Alexis whined, gazing at Artimis pleadingly. She just shook her head.
Ron complained. "Oh come on! It's not like that! You think I'd take advantage of her?"
Alexis looked at him with confusion. "Take advantage of me?"
Ron looked trapped as he gazed back at her. "Um, well... you're kind of, injured and all... maybe a bit... vulnerable..."
Alexis looked slightly offended. "Vulnerable? Do I look vunerable to you? A few slices and you're thinking I'm weak..."
"Hey now, I didn't say that... and it was a lot bigger than a few slices, alright... You're not exactly in perfect health..." He defended. Alexis hmphed.
"I'm far from vunerable, dude... you wouldn't be able to take advantage of me..." Alexis spoke smugly.
"Oh, is that so? Well, you seemed mighty 'comfortable' with me a while ago... something could've happened..."
"What's that suppose to mean? You were just as much in my control..."
Artimis sighed as she watched their squabbling, Alexis still in his lap as he still kept his arms loose around her waist. She was getting impatient.
"Hey! Shut up now! What I've got to say is more important than sex right now!"
They immediately closed their mouths and looked at her, wide eyed.
Well, that shut them up quick...
Artimis stood up straight, looking proud. "The baby was kicking!"
Alexis grinned widely at her, and Ron looked surprised at her.
"No freaking way! Really? Let me feel!" Alexis shrieked, leaping off of Ron, making him grunt again as she acidentally elbowed him as she leapt up.
"Alright. And next time, don't explain to me. You are a grown woman. And personally I think it's about damn time you acted like you were one with a man. Now give me your hand." Artimis spoke and Alexis glared daggers at her as Ron blushed slightly, running a hand through his bright red hair nervously. Alexis wearily gave Artimis her hand and Artimis lifted her shirt up and placed Alexis's hand over her stomach just as the baby kicked.
"WOW! Does it hurt? What does it feel like? Oh my gosh, you really are pregnant!" Alexis declared as she felt the baby kick again under her hand.
"No, it feels like a bit of pressure but that's it." Artimis informed her and Alexis smirked insanely, turning to Ron.
"Dude, you have got to feel this. It is so... wow." Alexis stated and Ron looked up at Artimis who nodded. He got up and looked at Alexis, who moved her hand and Artimis gently took his hand and placed it over the same spot Alexis's hand was a moment before. After a moment his eyes grew wide and he looked to Artimis who was smirking like no tomorrow. He pulled his hand back and looked at Alexis.
"That was so weird feeling." Ron spoke lowly and Artimis shook her head.
"Now I will leave you two alone, but I really, really wanted Alexis to feel that. I have got to go talk to Molly. And I'm going to try to gross out Severus by asking if he wants to feel the baby kick. Might work. Or I might actually end up with Severus wanting to feel the baby kick... Oh, by the way, we have a patrol tonight." Artimis informed them as she turned to leave the tent.
"Artimis?" Alexis stated as Artimis reached the flap of the tent.
"Next time, tell me later." Alexis sighed, rolling her eyes as Artimis nodded, winked, and smirked.
"Ok, I guess that means there'll be a next time." Artimis told them, leaving Ron and Alexis alone in his tent. Ron looked at Alexis, and Alexis turned to look at him.
They stared at each other for a quiet moment, the only sounds being the crackling of the dying flames. Ron smirked slightly, right before Alexis put her hands on her hips and exclaimed indignantly. "Vunerable!"
Ron sighed and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. He turned and walked towards the tent flap, Alexis trailing after him expectantly. "Oh, here we go again." He sighed, exiting the tent. Alexis was two steps behind him. She stepped out of the tent and called to his back angrily, hands on her hips.
"Hey! Don't walk away from me, I'm not done with you yet!"
"Later, Alexis." He called back wearily, still walking away. The people walking about the tents stopped to watch them curiously.
"Well... fine!" She yelled. Ron stopped, and turned around.
"Okay, fine!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"I said it first!" She taunted.
"Yeah, just like you started the argument first!" Ron shot back, smirking at her taken aback expression. Alexis glared at him and Ron turned to walk away. She grumbled to herself, turning and stomping back into Ron's tent. Their audience watched her amusingly. Suddenly Alexis stopped, actually looking where she was going.
"Hold on a minute..." She mumbled, then turned away from his tent in a huff and stomped back to her own. Arthur Weasley and Remus, who had just walked up to witness this, looked at each other amusingly. Remus turned to Arthur. "I can just see what kind of relationship this is going to be..."
"Hm, it seems boys always fall for women just like their mothers." Arthur mumbled back, causing Remus to laugh. Remus turned to Authur and frowned at him in humor.
"I'm sorry you're mother is like that." Remus teased, refering to Molly, and Authur turned to him quickly.
"Hey, watch it. I love my momma, almost as much as I love my wife, no matter how insane they are." Authur replied and Remus laughed loudly as Authur joined him in laughter, both of them walking toward the Weasley tent.
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Alexis bounded ahead of the group, her flickering green flames giving them enough light to see by, but not giving off enough light to make them visible. She skipped energetically, feeling important.
(I'm the light and the bait... How cool is that?...) Alexis mused to herself, a mind block up between herelf and Artimis to keep radio silence and not give away Artimis's position. After about ten minutes of Alexis bouncing around like a bouncy ball of green flame, a spell was tossed at her, being dispelled by the flames. Alexis stopped skipping and was suddenly surrounded by Deatheaters. The group pulled closer to her, the fight ensuing quickly as the dozen deatheaters realized that it was not just the fool hardy Alexis Whyte roaming the woods.
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Artimis moved forward toward the deatheaters circling Alexis, drawing her sword. She was quickly drawn into the fray, hacking and slashing at her opponents. There was a constant clank of steel against steel as she took on the other sword fighters of Voldemort's legion. She was parrying and thrusting with a particulary challenging enemy, the light from Alexis glaring off of the steel of her sword. She parried a slash and then brought her sword down at an angle, bashing her opponent in the head with the flat of her sword. As her opponent fell, Artimis saw a Deatheater lifting a huge rock from the ground with a Levitation spell. He quickly sent it towards her and she had no time to dodge as the rock rocketed forward towards her abdomen.
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Alexis fought visciously, taking one opponent down at a time. She was enjoying this night battle, because she knew she was the only light, so she was in complete control. Her nunchucks twirled in a continuous arc, hitting anyone and anything that got in her path and was not an ally and knocking it prone. She downed the closest deatheater, turning to survey her group. She froze suddenly, eyes wide as her breath caught in her throat.
Alexis glimpsed as the Deatheater looking at Artimis lifted a rock the size of bowling ball and send it jetting for Artimis. She watched in horror as the boulder bashed into Artimis's stomach, sending her flying off her feet and to the ground. Alexis watched as Artimis laid unmoving on the ground, horror and rage coursing through her.
She turned away slowly, glaring daggers at the deatheaters around her. She trembled with uncontrollable rage, eyes pooling over in a solid shade of green as she spoke in a loud menacing voice heard by all present on the small battlefeild.
"Run. Now." Was all she voiced to her companions before she threw her head back and erupted into green flames, a straight spiraling pillar of fire shooting from her body twenty feet into the air as she screamed with vengeful rage.
All Manor occupants in her fighting group heard the words and saw the pillar of flames, and all immediately stopped what they were doing and took off, running any which way as long as it was away from Alexis. The deatheaters they were once fighting stopped and watched them go with confusion, then turned to view the flaming Alexis and her tower of fire.
Alexis brought her head back down as the pillar of solid flame flared outwards in midair, spreading out and falling in a solid dome of flame that engulfed anything around Alexis within in a ten twenty foot radius. But just as suddenly as it had touched the ground, the dome of dancing flames drew back until they hovered over Alexis as she took a deep breath, head bowed.
As she looked back up, breathing heavily, she viewed with a cold, calculating gaze that every deatheater was flaming, and every one of them, the ones still alive, were flailing about, stripping off their cloaks and smoking slightly. She smirked evilly, raising her nunchucks and racing at the nearest deatheater, bringing her nunchucks over her head and bashing them unmercilessly onto the oblivious man's skull. He immediately crumpled to the ground, head bleeding profusedly.
Ignoring him, she snapped her nunchucks to her belt in one smooth motion, turned, and leapt, shifting into wolf form, and still flaming. She tackled the next deatheater that got in her way, sinking teeth into his tender throat and ripping the soft flesh as easily as she would a piece of paper. The smell of burning flesh filled her sensitive nose, merely goading her into more fury.
She didn't stop to watch him painfully die as she streaked towards the next Enemy, howling with rage, flames dancing and whipping eerily around her. She bowled into her next enemy without slowing, sending him falling backwards, newly aflame and screaming. She grinned inwardly, his cries music to her ears, as she leapt on him, tearing sharp teeth into any available opening, blood spattering her coat of snow white fur.
Satisfied at his stillness, she turned to see two more running away into the woods. She lowered her head and growled savagely, ears laid back. No prey would escape her. She raced towards them silently and swiflty, then leapt, turning into her human form at the last moment to tackle both of them to the ground. Taking her nunchucks, she bashed them into one's skull, caving it in as she cracked the other across the jaw, shattering it. She stepped back, breathing heavily, still flickering with green flame. Eyes wide and still hyped up, she spun around, looking for any more moving targets. All she saw was flaming bodies and scorched grass. Turning back, she saw the deatheater with the shattered jaw crawling away quickly.
She growled and turned to wolf form, jumping on him and sinking teeth into his flesh, tasting the warm blood flowing over her tongue. She shook her head roughly as she would a rag doll when he continued to struggle, and only let go when she realized he was limp. She turned back into human form, stumbling back and falling to her knees, out of breath.
She trembled slightly as she looked around once again, gasping for breath as she fought for her self control. She glimpsed the hunched figures of Manor residents kneeling over Artimis, a few of them watching Alexis in worried fear. Ron began to approach her with hesitant worry, and she placed one shaking hand up to halt him in his approach. She saw the look of hurt on his features, mentally sending him a note. (For your own safety...)
She pointed to Artimis and uttered one word through her strained breaths. "Her." She told Ron and Ron nodded reluctantly, walking towards Artimis to try and help. Alexis bowed her head as she breathed raggedly, not really bothering to wonder how she was able to talk to Ron mentally as she calmed herself slowly, shaking with the effort.
"Move. I've got her. Ron, get Alexis and let's go. We're done here." Draco demanded as he carefully hefted Artimis up in his arms. Alexis, wearied and drained of energy, could not protest as Ron rushed back over to her, placing one arm around her back and another under her knees, lifting her up gently. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, burying her head into his chest, and he looked down at her with concern laced with awe. He held her close and they apparated to the Manor campsite.
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Ron had been in the midst of shooting a spell at at deatheater when the whole forest around him seemed to glow with a green light. He spun around in confusion, seeing an enraged Alexis burst into flames. Wondering what had riled her so, he gazed around, viewing Artimis prone on the ground, a large rock a few paces from her. He guessed at what must've happened, and glared angrily at the deatheaters. He heard Alexis's command to leave, shivering with discomfort at her deadly tone of voice. But his concern for her made him hesitate in his flee from her flaming outburst. He knew that she was a formidable opponent when enraged, but he also knew that she sometimes got careless, endangering herself even moreso.
He froze in place with concerned awe as the dome of green flame began to form over Alexis, and he felt a rough jerk on his arm. Turning, he gazed at Severus who was roughly dragging him back away from her, glaring at him like he was crazy. He reluctantly let Severus pull him away, but started running when he viewed the dome of flames closing in around him.
Artimis was left where she lay for the present moment, she being unaffected by Alexis's pyro abilities.
Beside and a little in front of him, Ron noticed Severus sweating slightly with the heat of Alexis's magical flames. But, ironically, Ron felt nothing more than a slight tingling feeling, no heat whatsoever. They just barely managed to make it out of the twenty foot range of Alexis's dome of flames, Severus's cloak edges slightly singed. Ron cocked his head in confusion, for he himself seemed untouched. Ron halted after a few paces, while Seveus continued on until he no longer felt the heat of the fires. Ron was only about ten feet from the flaming wall of the descending dome, and he still felt nothing.
Curious and not heeding the warning bells in his mind nor the yells of Remus and Severus to stop, Ron actually stepped towards Alexis's fires. But as he did so, they began retracting back into Alexis's small frame until they hovered about her. He never got to test his theory.
He was about to race out to Alexis when she went totally ballistic. He watched in feared awe as she literally tore to peices the last of the deatheaters in a matter of minutes.
Mental note, never, ever, make her that angry... to live is a strong desire of mine...
Draco, Remus and Aaron raced over to Artimis's side when they were sure Alexis was in better control of herself, and Ron raced out to make sure Alexis was unhurt as well. She gestured for him to stop his approach, seeing the look of an inner struggle on her face. He was slightly hurt by her reluctance for him to comfort her, she should have known by now that he cared for her greatly, his only wish being to make her happy. She locked eyes with him, and a strained familiar voice echoed in Ron's mind.
(For your own safety...)
It was Alexis's voice. Ron gaped at her with amazement, but then understood that she wasn't yet in full control of herself. She ordered him to aid Artimis, and he left her reluctantly, confused as to how she could communticate with him mentally. As far as he knew, she had never learned to use Occlumency... but then again, she always managed to surprise him.
He hovered near Artimis, breathing a sigh of relief upon hearing she was okay, but getting worried when he heard the hesitance about her unborn child. He said a silent prayer in hopes it was fine. Draco shoved them aside as he lifted Artimis protectively. He told Ron to retrieve Alexis, glancing over at her momentarily.
Sighing with exasperation with this constant back and forth expedition, he nodded and gratefully rushed over to Alexis, who was kneeling weakly, unable to speak. He tenderly kneeled next to her, hoisting her into his arms, feeling her yeild to him. He hugged her gently as she snuggled into his chest, and he watched her with concern, hoping she was alright. They could get things straighted out when they got back to the campsite, he told himself, pushing aside his worries and questions as he concentrated to apparate them both back to the campsites.
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Draco saw the rock hit Artimis in the stomach and terror filled him as she flew through the air, landing on the ground roughly. He began to rush toward her when he heard Alexis tell them to run in a odd voice and he watched a spire of green flame shoot twenty feet into the air from Alexis. He quickly rushed off, knowing that Artimis was immune to Alexis's fires and he was not. He barely dodged the dome of fire and then watched as it retracted back into Alexis. After a moment of watching Alexis mutilate the rest of the deatheaters, he rushed to Artimis, being beaten there by Remus and Aaron. Draoc looked at her with concern as he heard Alexis barking at the fleeing deatheaters. He heard Alexis finally collapse as Hailey checked Artimis's vitals.
"She is fine, but we have to get her to my tent to check on the little one immediately. I can't feel it's pulse." Hailey exclaimed as Draco heard Alexis order Ron to check on Artimis. Ron walked over and Draco picked Artimis up quickly, holding him close to him. His eyes fell over her abdomen, hoping against hope that today would not be the first and last time he felt his child kick from within Artimis's womb.
"Move. I've got her. Ron, get Alexis and let's go. We're done here." Draco demanded as he carefully hefted Artimis up in his arms. Draco didn't wait for Ron to get Alexis, he apparated to the campsite, Hailey and Remus just moments after him and they rushed Artimis to the Medic tent. He laid her on the table and sat next to her, holding her hand and petting it as Hailey tested the life signs of their unborn child. Draco was praying for a miracle, a miracle that the accidental conception of their child would not be terminated so abruptly after they had just begun to plan for it.