Time jump:

Landing in the tall grass area, I growled at the water soaking my shoes. "Really?!"

A light chuckle came from behind me. "I told you to hold on to me."

"You haven't stopped grouping me since yesterday." Leaping over the next puddle, I broke past the large grass. Doing a quick scan of myself to ensure I had no spiders on me. I hated spiders.

Sirius grabbed my arm, pulling me into his chest. "I haven't seen you in days. Touched you in weeks. You can't blame me for wanting to make up for lost time." His hand slowly trailed down to my ass. "And believe me, we have a lot of making up."

I couldn't help the shiver running up my spine. "Don't go starting something you can't finish."

I swear his eyes got darker as he leaned down to my ear. "I always finish what I start." His teeth grazed the base of my neck. "You more than once."

"Sirius!" I yelped at the light nip he gave me.

Inclining back enough to look down at me, he smirked proudly. "Have I mentioned how much I enjoy hearing you yell my name?"

"Oh god." I could feel a deep flush running up the side of my neck. "How are you not drained? Did you forget the shower before coming here? Or in the hallway leaving the house?"

"Believe me that is not something I will easily forget." Leaning down he pulled me into a deep kiss. His hand slithered around my waist. "Do we need to be here? I am sure Molly won't be too hurt if we take a rain check."

"Have you met Molly Weasley?" I muttered. "Although that offer is enticing. We still haven't broken in the stairs."

Sirius chuckled. "I believe I may have finally corrupted you."

Dropping my hand to the bottom of his shirt, I slid it under. The warmth of his skin felt amazing against my cold hand. Running my nails down his chest, his abdomen, I stopped at the seam of his slacks. Inching closer to the buttons, I teased him for a moment. Popping the button, I slipped my hand into his slacks kneading him gently. I smirked at the deep intake of air he took. "I have always had a corrupted side; you just bring it to its peak." Hearing the door creak open, I quickly pulled my hand out and turned his back to the door.

"Athena!" Ginny yelled. "Mum said to let the man breath and come inside!"

"Bloody hell." Buttoning up his pants, I fixed his shirt. "In a second!"

"Oh, and Sirius's mum said to stop touching her bum!"

"She's my wife!" Sirius bellowed back.

I scoffed. "Are you really arguing with a teenager right now?"

"No."

Pulling him towards the house, I gave him a behave look. "No fighting with Molly tonight."

"I will be on my best behavior." Seeing the look I gave him, he grinned. "I promise."

"Mum we're here!" I pushed the door open, giving a mild dramatic entrance. "Who missed me?!"

Molly ran into me like a bulldozer, wrapping me into a tight hug. "How are you darling? And the child?" Her hand laid softly over my flat stomach. "Any signs of arrival?"

I shook my head. "No, nothing yet. The baby is a kicker I know that much. Treats my bladder like a bloody ball."

Hermione came bouncing into the kitchen, wrapping me in her arms. "You are finally here! If I had to spend another minute with Ron, I am going to turn him into a rat."

"Still?" I chuckled. "It's been three days 'Mione."

She shrugged. "Come, let's go outside."

"Don't linger too much!" Molly yelled after us. "Dinner is just about ready!"

Following her out into the meadow, I noticed her demeanor change. She was fidgeting with her nails, her eyes scanning the tall grass.

"Hermione, what is it?" She kept her gaze away from me. "Hermione?"

"H-Harry heard you, Snape, and Malfoy talking in the hallways." She spat out. "He told Remus and me that you and Snape had made an unbreakable vow for Malfoy. That you and Malfoy were given a task by Voldemort."

I turned away from her gaze. "He really shouldn't have said anything."

"So it's true?!" Hermione snapped. "Do you know what happens if you break a vow?! Athena, you die!"

"I know! Do you think I didn't know?! I tried to stop it, but I wasn't the one that committed to it."

"What does that even mean?!"

"It means I was added to the vow without my knowledge beforehand." I replied. "I wasn't able to stop it."

"What's the task?"

"I can't say." Seeing the look of pain in her eyes, I sighed. "If I tell you what it is they want, Malfoy and I fail. We fail and I break the vow. Before I would gladly mess up their plan, but I am not risking the life of my child. I don't think just for me anymore."

"How bad is it?" She asked.

"Bad."

"Does Sirius know?"

"Seriously?" I laughed. "Ask me a serious question."

"I just did."

I paused before shaking my head at the lame joke. "Very funny. No, he doesn't and I want to keep it that-"

"Athena!"

"Way." I closed my eyes with a sigh.

Hermione glanced over my shoulder, flinching at the anger on Sirius's face. "I think he may already know."

"You think?" Turning to face my fuming husband, I tried offering him a smile.

Did not work.

"You made an unbreakable vow?!" Sirius yelled. "For Malfoy of all people?!"

I spotted the others piling out of the house. Harry quickly adverting his eyes from mine. That kid needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut at times. "Sirius please calm down."

"How the hell do you want me to calm down?! I had to find out from the mouth of someone else!"

"No one was supposed to know!" I yelled back. "Especially Harry since he sure as hell doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut! There was no way of stopping it. When Snape was doing the vow, Bellatrix added my name to the vow. Snape agreed to the terms before I could stop him. I didn't know she was planning on doing that. Much less Snape agreeing to them."

Sirius just became even more angered. "That son of a whore!"

"Sirius wait!" Grabbing him by the hand, I made him turn back towards me. "Listen to me, please. Going after him will do nothing. It will only get you killed. I brought you back once, I won't be able to do it again. Don't make me go through that again." I hadn't realized I whispered the last words. The thought of going through that once more was enough to send me into a panic. "You need to let this run its course. I will not break that vow."

Sirius growled, clearly not giving up on the chance of hurting Snape. A cold shiver ran across my spine at the look he gave me. I have received that same look from my father one too many times. It was pure disappointment. Shrugging my hand off him, he stormed back into the house. Not once looking back at me. I don't think I have ever felt so alone, than at that moment.

Hermione came to my side, taking my hand in hers. "Give him some time. He'll get over it."

I shook my head. "He shouldn't have to. None of this should be happening."

Seeing Harry approaching us, Hermione was quick to stop him. "Nows not the time Harry."

"I didn't know he was listening." Harry whispered. "Sirius was listening when Mr. Weasley and I were talking."

"Harry." Hermione warned.

"He was going to find out anyway." Harry continued. "What's the harm now?"

"He wasn't supposed to. None of you were supposed to." I snapped. "There are things you need to learn to keep to yourself. Or ask before blurting them out to others. Why not come to me before you tell the others."

"Malfoy is up to something and you won't tell us what that is! You are on the inside! You can help us put a stop to all of this !" Harry yelled.

I scoffed. "You think I wouldn't have said something if I could? Voldemort doesn't tell me anything! How many fucken times do I have to say that?! My arraignment with him ends as one of his goons. If I say anything about the task I die. If I do anything to prevent the completion of the task I die. Malfoy fails I die. Forgive me if that isn't something I want."

"We could have helped you." Harry replied.

"How?! How could you possibly have helped me?"

"I don't-"

"You don't know." I knew I was being a little too hard with him, but he needed to understand. Things are not always easy to fix. Some things didn't have a cure. This was one of them. He can't fix everything. "Unless you have a way to break the vow, there is nothing to be done. So, leave both me and Malfoy alone."

"Why do you protect him?" Ron appeared beside Harry. "Why all of a sudden he is under your care? We've seen the way you keep the others away from him."

This conversation was getting old. "Those were my orders. Keep Malfoy out of trouble. No one harms him and I don't get hurt. That is all."

"I-"

"That's enough!" Hermione stepped in between us. "We came here to spend it as a family. Not so you can interrogate her as a criminal. You two have down enough damage for the night."

Harry flinched back at her words. "Right, sorry." Pushing Ron, they both trailed back into the house.

I was finally able to breathe. Placing my hand over my stomach, I groaned. "The potion is wearing off." Glancing down at myself, I chuckled at seeing my belly begin to grow. "I don't think I have seen just how much I have grown."

Hermione stared at my stomach wide-eyed. "Woah." Placing her hand over, she giggled at the slight kick she got. "You weren't kidding on the kicking."

"I think we might have a future quidditch player in the making."

"Hermione. Athena, the food-oh my." Molly gasped at seeing my full size. "How do you feel?"

"Surprisingly I feel much more comfortable this way." I chuckled. "I am sure the baby prefers this better."

"Well, come on out of the cold." She ushered us towards the house. "Dinner is ready."

Walking into the kitchen, I frowned at not seeing Sirius. Glancing at Remus, he just shrugged. Taking a seat between Tonks and Hermione, I grabbed the plate handed to me. I couldn't help, but roll my eyes at the large amount of food Molly plaster on my plate. "This is too much!"

"Nonsense." She waved me off. "You are not just feeding yourself. And I am sure you are not eating the amount you should." Giving her no response was enough for her. "I thought so. I want everything in that plate gone."

Leaning over to Hermione, I whispered. "Wanna go half on this?"

"I better hear a no, Hermione." Molly stood behind us with a stern look.

I gapped at her, pointing to the far end of the table. "How?! You were standing over there?!"

"I raised three teenagers. Currently raising two more." Molly smirked. "I have my little tricks."

"Little tricks." I grumbled, shoving a spoonful of mashed potatoes in my mouth.

I was about halfway done with my plate when Sirius walked into the kitchen. Suddenly all conversations stopped. No one looked up from their plates, wanting nothing to do with the awkward situation. Seeing him make no move to speak, I sighed and turned my attention back to my food. I sensed him approaching me before seeing him. His hand appeared next to me being held out. Dropping my spoon, I raised a brow before placing my hand in his. His eyes fell on my stomach the moment I stood in front of him. There was so much going on behind his eyes, but the love outdid everything else. I followed him into the living room without a word. He took a seat on the couch first, before pulling me down on his lap. That feeling of loneliness I felt early disappeared the moment he wrapped his arms around me. Laying my head on his shoulder, I inhaled his sweet scent. Sirius although wearing cologne had a lingering smell of wet wood. The kind you smelled after a rainy morning.

"You are not the only one that is at risk of losing." Sirius whispered. "I also live with that fear every day. Minerva is sick of me calling every night demanding she check up on you. Although I will forever owe you my life, I do not wish it to be in exchange for yours. I don't want our child to grow up without its mother. I can't bear the thought of someone telling me something has happened to you."

"Sirius-"

"Don't." He glanced down at me. "I understand you have no choice in the matter as of now. But don't leave me in the shadow anymore. I don't want to have to hear things in regards to you from others. Just make me that promise."

Cupping his jaw, I smiled at the slight stubble. "Alright, I promise." Giving him a quick kiss, I laid my head back on his shoulder. "Don't do that again please."

"Do what?"

"Walk away from me like that." I twirled his pendant in between my fingers. "That look you had, was the same one my father gave me. You left in such manner...it just made me feel alone. I know you needed to walk away and gather your thoughts, but-"

"Alright." Sirius ran his hand through my hair, grabbing a handful and forcing me to look up at him. "I will never walk away from you. But never compare me to that bastard."

Feeling him give another tug, I growled lowly. "Don't, we are in the living room."

Sirius raised a brow. "Is that a challenge?" Leaning down he gently nibbled on my neck. "You look amazing." He laid a hand on top of my stomach. "I prefer you like this. Showing."

"I do too, but I can't go to school like this." I scrunched up my nose at the words I spoke. "Never in my life did I ever think I would be married and pregnant before I graduated Hogwarts."

Sirius snorted a laugh. "I never thought I'd be alive this far into my life. Let alone married and with a child on the way." He took in a deep breath, pausing mid exhale. "Do you regret it?"

"Regret what?"

"Our marriage?"

I thought about the question for a moment. Knowing I needed to think carefully about how to respond. Sirius had a knack for taking things the wrong way sometimes. "I regret the way things happened. The contract behind our back and demands within. I mean imagine what would have happened if we didn't get along? How would we have had a child?"

"I wondered that a few days into our engagement."

"I hated we never got to properly...date. You know? Go out and get to know each other the way one is intended to." Seeing the look cross his eyes, I quickly cupped his jaw. Waiting for his eyes to meet mine. "But I don't regret falling in love with you. I suppose there was a reason we were meant."

"You believe in that?" Sirius asked.

"You don't?" He just shrugged. "In a way I do. I mean what are the odds. We are forced to marry. Ended up falling in love. Not something common in my opinion."

"She's right." Remus walked into the living. "Most arranged marriages end in divorce or are just simply miserable."

"Do you need something?" Sirius mumbled. "Or just looking to bother as always."

Remus smirked. "A little of both."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at the wolfman. "You have five seconds before I smash that lamp..." He gestured to the lamp on the table by the couch. "Over your head."

Grabbing his hands in mine, I made sure Remus wasn't in any immediate danger. "I would make it quick; I can only hold him off for so long."

"I am just here to say Tonks and I are leaving."

Jumping off Sirius's lap, I made my way into the kitchen. Molly was talking with Tonks, gathering some food for them to take. "Mum it's only the two of them. Why are you packing enough food to feed Hogwarts?"

Molly sucked her teeth. "Remus eats like a wolf. This isn't going to last the week."

Tonks chuckled. "She's not wrong."

"I saved some for Sirius as well." She pointed to the stack of Tupperware on the counter. "Merlin knows that man can't cook to save his life."

"I'll make sure he takes them." Sirius knew how to cook and damn well at it. But I also knew he wouldn't bother being alone in that house. I wouldn't be surprised if he went a day or two not eating.

Remus and Sirius walked in at that moment. Saying their goodbyes, we walked them towards the door. We hadn't realized just how late it was. Hermione and Ron had called it a night after dinner. Harry had wandered off after Ginny went off for a shower.

"Are you sure you won't stay?" Molly asked once more.

I zoned out whatever Tonks replied. My attention had been drawn to the fields in front of us. Something was off. There was a smell lingering in the air. It was familiar to me, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly where. The sound of a snapping twig caused me to jump. Sharing a look with Remus, I knew he had heard it as well. Scanning the area for anything out of place, I growled in frustration.

"Remus?" Mr. Weasley called.

Taking a few steps forward, I was pulled back by Remus.

"Athena?" Sirius's voice sounded so far away.

Tonks called for her husband. "Sweetheart?"

But neither of us was able to break our gazes away from the fields. My first instincts were to tell everyone to get back inside. But I knew that would never work. So, I opted in standing my ground. Taking a deep breath, I froze at the smell of fire. Before anyone could react a ball of flames whooshed through the air, hitting the ground and creating a circle around the house. I growled at seeing the black shadows appearing.

My eyes landed on Bellatrix as she ran off laughing into the fields. Once more caught off guard, Harry came running through us chasing after the witch. Sirius quickly pulled me back from going after him. But seeing the look of worry on Molly's face, I broke from his hold and took off after Harry.

"Athena!" Molly yelled.

The moment Harry crossed the clear opening, it closed creating two fire snakes. While Remus and Tonks distracted them, I ran through the small gap. I could faintly hear Molly scream Ginny's name, but took no notice of it. I needed to find Harry before the idiot got himself killed. I could hear Bellatrix taunting the boy. Her maniacal laugh floating around us.

"You coming to get me?"

"Harry, can you get me?"

"You coming to get me?"

Seeing a flash followed by the smoke of a death eater, I took off at full speed towards them. Grabbing my wand, I whispered a spell concealing the size of my belly. If any of the death eaters were to see me in such state would be the end of my baby.

"Harry!" That was Remus.

"Ginny!" That was Arthur.

'Were they all in the fields?' I stopped for a second. 'They are separating us. It's a fucken distraction.' Hearing the blasts of spells, I took off once more. I could hear Ginny's slight whimpers. It got me thinking where the hell was Hermione. Coming to the edge of an opening, where a large pond stood.

I stopped. Tonks, Sirius, Remus, and Arthur surrounded Harry and Ginny. Looking around I spotted Bellatrix. Turning left, I ran around the group and snuck up behind the witch. Tackling her to the ground I quickly aimed my wand under her chin before she could say a word.

"You made a huge mistake attacking my family." I sneered. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

"I could ask you the very same thing." She chuckled. "Fighting for the enemies' side? I am sure the dark lord will love to hear about this."

"I am warning you Bellatrix." I leaned down closer to her face. "You come near my family again and I will gladly scar that pretty face of yours. The Weasley and Grangers are off-limits." She simply smiled dissipating into black smoke. Seeing the rest of the death eaters do the same, I realized what they were about to do. "Sirius! Mum!" Taking off towards the house, I yelled at seeing the house go up in flames. "Fuck!" Reaching the house, I looked around making sure everyone was out of the place. "Sirius. Remus. The fire." Both men quickly got to putting the fire out. Walking over to Molly I stood frozen, not sure what I could say at a moment like this. "Mum?"

Snapping out of her trance, she wrapped her arms around me. Her tears soaked my shirt. "It's all gone."

"I know Mum." Holding her tightly, I was pulled down to the ground with her. "Don't you worry about that right now. We are all alive. No one got hurt. It's going to be alright."

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't shown up." Ron growled. We all turned towards him. "Why come here? They were following you! They knew Harry would be here."

"They are following all of us." I don't understand why he was still so angry with me. Did I hurt him that bad? "They weren't here for me. They didn't even know I was here. They came here to poke at Harry. Make a statement that Voldemort is on the rise. I had nothing to do with this." Glancing up at Sirius, I clenched my jaw. "They will pay for this."