Disclaimer -- I own nothing... not even my home... it's all JK Rowling's, who is one of the most creative people I have ever had the privilege to read...
Author's Note -- A review or two would be nice... if you like it -- or if you hate it... Pride is a strange thing...
At The Hospital
When Remus and Sirius returned to the waiting room, they found Madison and Draco had returned from Texas with information. "Okay, here's the scoop. Apparently, when she left here after the weddings, she didn't know she was pregnant. She went directly to Dallas and was in very intense counseling. She actually was in-patient for several weeks in an effort to, sorry, let me quote Uncle Ted, 'figure out how to live with the memories of everything that has happened to her in her life;' apparently she was making real progress with 'the darkness and the fog'.
"Towards the end of January, she started getting really sick. The counselor told my uncles that she should be in a regular hospital. By mid-February, she was transferred to the Baylor Medical Center. She was there for almost eight weeks. Pre-Eclampsyia and Toxemia were among the diagnoses." No one understood the term.
Draco explained, "Her body's blood didn't like her anymore, it was toxic to her and the fetus. She refused to have an abortion, which would have saved her life. Untreated, the diseases attack the organs and shut them down one by one. They also cause the seizures they mentioned earlier. We could have healed it with potions here, but in the Muggle world, it's much more complicated. She also had a separated Placenta, which means that her body tried like hell to abort the baby, but the baby did not wish to end its life prior to birth."
"Bottom line is that she almost died over there. She was released from the hospital yesterday. Her brothers said that while she was in the hospital, she did nothing but sleep. She met with her doctor. He told her that if she was determined to come here, she was given exactly one day to travel. She came straight over here. The flight was seventeen hours, sitting up. It's little wonder that she's sick. That's what the swelling is; her organs are shutting down one by one. She should not have come."
"She wanted us to forgive her," Sirius said through tears, "I have to get back to her." He left the room as she was being levitated into the hall to go to surgery. He followed them and stayed outside the doors as close as they would let him.
They watched him walk out. Turning to Mason, Madison's tone was even and without emotion as she added, "She's very weak. Her body has continued to attempt to abort the baby. There was a lot going on that the doctors didn't understand. Jeff couldn't explain everything. He did tell me that her fever went really high and she had intense doses of antibiotics. And that the doctors felt that the fetus was healthy when the doctor allowed her the trip."
She looked into the eyes of her big brother, and with the first hint of emotion, she spoke, "There's one more thing everyone should know… they all called me, us, several times. I… didn't return any of the phone calls."
Ron asked "So what does all of that mean?"
"It means, roughly, that if she survives the delivery, that she should be fine in a few days, but only with the proper potions. But they can't give her those potions until after the baby is out of her." Draco explained gently, his arm holding Madison.
And they waited. Ron prayed with the faith he learned the term they spent getting ready for the war. Time passed slowly for the group of people.
Dudley, lost and without the background to understand this world, simply asked Harry if he could do anything. Sarah gently guided him out of the room and up the stairs to get tea and coffee for everyone.
Madison, Draco, Mason, and Katie were found to be talking to Remus. He tried to put on a brave face before finally joining Sirius in the hall to wait for news.
Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys were talking quietly. Fred and George entered with their latest girlfriends, George, Percy, Bill and Charlie joined them with their wives and children to wait to find out the results. Mason, who was unable to sit and make small talk anymore, rose to leave the room to find Sirius, when he looked down the hall; he saw the shock of his life. He backed into the waiting room without a word to anyone.
Sirius entered carrying a bundle wrapped in pink, while Remus held a blue bundle. Both faces alight with excitement. "May I introduce Master Mattix Cowan Lupin-Black and Miss Madeline Lupin-Black Cowan… TWINS!"
It was quiet for two point three seconds before the noise level became unbearable. Neither baby moved, however, content to be held by their dads. Madison and Mason looked at each other, before moving to each take a baby from them. Pulling the blankets away from the tiny red faces, they introduced themselves.
A few minutes later, a stern looking medi-witch came into the room yelling, "Remus Lupin! Sirius Black! How dare you take those babies out here. You were to take them straight to the nursery for tests!" He rounded on her, about to defend his actions, when she saw them. She pushed past Sirius and walked to their older siblings. Raising her baby free hand, and never looking away from her little brother, Madison conjured a shield to keep her at bay.
Sirius put his hand on the Medi-witch's shoulder and pulled her back, "Those are their older siblings. Give them just a minute. I promise we will be back in Rowan's room in five minutes." He was trying to be diplomatic, but she didn't seem willing.
"Mr. Black, I don't care if you are the father of EVERY sorcerer and sorceresses for the next millennium, those babies need to be with in the nursery for further tests. We don't know what those idiot muggles have put them through. Return them now, or I will have you ALL forcibly removed from this hospital and THEN return them to the nursery. "
Madison and Mason, still carrying the babies, followed her with Remus and Sirius closely following down the hall to the nursery. Remus stopped in to check on Rowan while the others returned them to the Nursery. When the babies were safely behind glass, Mason turned to Sirius "How's mom?"
"She'll be fine. Apparently, as soon they took Madeline out, they were able to give her the proper potions. Her body is sort of... deflating, she almost looks normal again. The color is back in her face and she's resting. The healers said that she would be sore for a few days and she couldn't breast feed for a few hours. But she could probably start by tonight…so, we get to feed them first." He finished smugly.
"Are you sure they're yours?" Madison asked cuttingly; but the next instant, her tone changed in an instant from anger to caring, as if trying to make up for the way she had said it. "I'm sorry, I mean, she told you that I was yours, and I'm not. I just wondered if you were going to take her at her word again or be sure this time."
Mason grabbed his sister by the arm and pulled her away from Sirius, who was quite content just watching the healers conduct tests on his beautiful babies, looking at the babies through the glass and did not acknowledge her, "This is not the time or the place for this nonsense Mads. Knock it off." Mason told her through clenched teeth.
She pulled her arm out of his grasp as she met eyes with her older brother. "I will do what I want, when I want. This has NOTHING to do with you."
Remus entered just as Madison started the questions... not for the first time that day, he got angry. He had enough of his oldest daughter for the moment. His irritation growing as Madison's voice raised, with a feral growl, he spoke, using the lowest possible voice he could manage, "Madison, enough. Your brother is right; this is neither the time nor place for this. If you cannot control yourself, you are not welcome here. You can leave or go back to the waiting room until your mother wakes. But I will not allow you to continue this now."
She left with one last look over her shoulder at the man who, she was certain, was being lied to once again. The waiting room cleared out after they were told that the babies were going to be fine. Everyone agreed to meet at the estate in a few days when they were released in order to meet the babies properly, but for tonight, would let them all get some rest.
Since the twins were determined to be only one month early and healthy, Sirius convinced the Medi-witch to return the babies to Rowan's room and stay with them through the night. The next day, flowers, presents and reporters began to arrive. The Daily Prophet's front page read:
"MOTHER OF TWO OF THE STRONGEST WIZARDS OF ALL TIME GIVES BIRTH TO TWO MORE!
By Lavender Brown-McMillan
Rowan Cowan Black, married to infamous Sirius Black, gave birth yesterday to a set of beautiful twins. One boy and one girl graced St. Mungo's at approximately 3:00 PM. Details of the births are being kept quiet at the point; however, I have exclusively been told that both babies are healthy.
Mrs. Black, who had been on extended holiday on the continent for the past few months, took ill and had to endure months of Muggle health care, the anonymous source from St. Mungo's said that Mrs. Black was very ill when she arrived and is currently in a private room.
Mr. Sirius Black, husband, has not left her side since he was notified of her abrupt return to England. The happy couple and their older children; Mason Black, son of Mr. and Mrs. Black, married to American Muggle, Katie McRue and Madison Lupin Malfoy, daughter of Mrs. Black and Mr. Remus Lupin, married to Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, were seen shortly after the birth holding and talking lovingly to the new arrivals.
Mr. Sirius Black, rose to fame when he was accused of killing thirteen Muggles and a Wizard, Peter Pettigrew, in 1990. After the incident, Mr. Black was sentenced to Azkaban. He escaped twelve years later to go to Hogwart's to protect his Godson, Harry Potter, from Peter Pettigrew, who was an unregistered Animagus. He did, in fact, protect Mr. Potter and escaped imprisonment a second time. He was acquitted during Mr. Potter's seventh year, when it was determined that Peter Pettigrew was in fact alive until the Great War. It was rumored that Mrs. Black personally gave the final blow that took his life. Later, however, it was determined that Mason Black's sword that had killed him.
Mr. Black did not know of the Great War, or its end, due to his imprisonment in the Veil in the Department of Mysteries. He was rescued, by the same seven Sorcerers and Sorceresses who have rescued the magical children of the world. Those same seven joined him at the hospital to await the birth of his beautiful new babies.
Mrs. Black rose to fame when she returned, after an extended holiday to the United States, to the Wizarding World in 2006 to teach Muggle Studies at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She also assisted the Ministry with the rewriting of all curriculum, N.E.W.T. and O.W.L tests in the subject.
In December of that same year, Mrs. Black went into semi-seclusion, tutoring and mentoring the seven Hogwart's students: her Godson Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy, and her children Mason Black and Madison Lupin. Mrs. Black, assisted by Severus Snape and, Madison's father, Remus Lupin, developed the curriculum which included trips to other Magical Entities and Beasts to enlist their assistance in the Great Battle.
She further established her place in history days after the Great War, by meeting with all International Heads of Magical Ministries. It was rumored that she threatened the most influential members of the International Magical community with bodily injury, should she not be allowed to take the Seven to the continent for one year. That rumor, however, has not been confirmed.
In the United States, the group thrived in a small public high school out of the limelight. Upon their return to England, the Seven were elevated to Sorcerer Status and have created the Riddle House Orphanage and Children's Hospital. Her continued work with children has been an inspiration to us all.
We, at the Daily Prophet, wish her and her family best wishes.
For further information on the Riddle House, its founders, and their accomplishments turn to page 7."
"Siri? Would you have Colin take any pictures of the babies that are to be published? And maybe Lavender should be invited to the Estate when I go home."
"I really didn't think that we would have anyone over until you felt better."
"Does that mean you are going home with us?"
"Just try to get rid of me. You need constant medical attention and potions for a few weeks, and I am not leaving the babies." He paused as she nodded her head, he continued after a moment, his voice just a bit timid, almost as though he was afraid of the answer. "You don't want me with them, do you?"
She looked at him incredulously, "Sirius Black, I flew, in a muggle airplane, for seventeen hours to come home. You know I didn't want to leave either of you in the first place, but at that time, it just wasn't an option to stay. I think it's pretty obvious that I want you with them." He kissed her hand, and quietly thanked her.
"There is one more thing I have to know," She looked up to him, "Are they… mine or Steven's?"
She shook her head and smiled. "They are yours and well, possibly Remus'. I don't know that part but you should already know that is a possibility." Both men grinned at the irony of her statement as she continued, "And for the record," she looked from Remus to Sirius, "I never slept with or dreamed of sleeping with Steven or anyone else. If you want a paternity test, I will not be offended at all. Do it tomorrow. I am sure Madison would love to witness that one."
Kissing her on her forehead, the proud fathers each held a hand and waited until they could have their children again.