14 September 1996

After coming up with his new theory concerning Malfoy being a Death Eater, Harry hadn't waited longer than until after the welcoming feast to communicate it to Sirius, who'd seemed rather upset about it, though he'd been open to believe every word.

While that reaction puzzled Harry at first, it hadn't taken Harry long to understand it: Sirius's younger brother, Regulus, had also been around that age when he'd joined the Death Eaters, according to what Mia had once told him. He understood then that, even if Malfoy was far from the top of his godfather's list of favourite people, it hit close enough to home to bring back some bitter feelings back… Yet, knowing enough of his godson's way and that they'd need better proof to even consider accusing Malfoy of being a Death Eater, Sirius had warned him to be careful if (or rather when) he kept on investigating it, which Harry had promised him to keep in mind as he'd already done with Ginny.

The first day of classes and the ones that followed seemed to go well enough, apart from Harry and Snape's constant quarrels, which, by the end of the second week of classes had already gotten him two nights of detention and another one to serve. Although, if DADA was a frustrating for many students, the newly created Defence Club, which gathered twice a week after classes, seemed to bring up the spirits of all its members, over half of them formerly affiliated to the DA.

Also, Slughorn's presence hadn't come unnoticed. As it had been his habit for decades, Slughorn liked to surround himself with brilliant (or simply well-known) minds, having gathered Harry during his train ride to Hogwarts as well as Ginny and Izzy. In the teacher's lounge, whenever he found Sirius or Mia around, he'd praise Harry's 'innate talent at potions', which puzzled them both, since their godson had barely made it into NEWT-level potions. When casually asked about it by Sirius, he'd shrugged and blamed it on luck, though Hermione had sullenly said that 'Harry's text book was so thorough that year that it practically did all the work', adding a glare to Harry by the end of it. That improvement in potions and his private classes with Dumbledore, seemed to be the two things Harry was most secretive about that year, though Sirius and Mia hoped he'd get around talking to them about it at some point.

On the second Friday of the school-year, Mia arrived at Grimmauld Place after classes by herself, as Sirius would be supervising the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts later that day. After Kreacher had thoroughly inquired her about her lunch – he'd grown very insistent that she eat properly ever since she and Sirius had fought back in June and she'd all but completely lost her appetite, causing herself to faint as a consequence of that and an unknown pregnaacy –, he'd informed her that Lulu had gone to the house library after she'd put Alex down for a nap and, with a small 'thanks', Mia made her way to go meet her mother.

The Blacks' library was large, yet far from being half as much as Hogwarts's, consisting of a single magically enlarged ballroom sized-room on the ground floor. Its collection had suffered several changes over the most recent years, considering Mia and Lulu, and later Sirius, had gotten rid of a large number of dark-themed books when they'd moved into Grimmauld Place.

When she came, Lulu was standing by one of the bookcases flipping the pages of a dusty book. "Looking for reading material?" Mia asked.

She didn't bother looking up, knowing her daughter's voice by heart. "Sort of. Your father asked me to check if there was any book on widely spread protective wards here," Lulu mumbled before looking up. "He and Mad-Eye are doing this job for the Order, trying to find a way to cast village-wide protective spells on Muggle areas without the Muggles in question noticing them, which is probably the hardest part of it…"

Mia sighed. "Well, I doubt you'll find them here. The Blacks were complete Muggle-haters before Sirius came around, remember? If anything, they might have books on village-wide curses against Muggles."

"Mad little creeps," Lulu murmured under her breath, closing the book and putting it away. "Where's your husband, anyway? Shouldn't he be following you around, being an overprotective berk?"

She couldn't help letting out a laugh at her mother's words. "He's not that bad now – at least not since I threatened him with a pumpkin head. Anyway, Sirius stayed behind at the school to oversee the Gryffindor Quidditch team tryouts."

"Harry's captain this year, isn't he?"

Mia nodded, smiling as she sat down by a table set between the bookcases. "He's thrilled about it. Sirius didn't really need to stay for the tryouts but Harry asked him to – he was a bit nervous."

Lulu chuckled, sitting opposite her daughter. "You know, in fifth year I was running for Quidditch Captain. Actually, Gabe and I were, though I was for Hufflepuff and him for Gryffindor."

"Really?" Mia asked. "You were both in the Quidditch team?"

Her mother nodded and snorted at something. "Believe it or not, our relationship started out as a vicious rivalry between chasers of opposite teams – the first time he kissed me was in fourth year just to shut me up when I was yelling at him for having stolen the quaffle from right under my nose. I still say that was cheating."

"Which part? The stolen quaffle or the stolen kiss?"

She paused. "Both. Of course, it wasn't long before I kissed him back. You know, this makes me wonder how the daughter of two gifted Quidditch players could end up a hopeless flier like you did," the older woman said, shaking her head. "It's just embarrassing!"

"I don't think that sort of skill is inherited with genetics, Lu," Mia pointed out dryly as her hand rested on her own pregnant belly. Suddenly, she felt like she couldn't wait to meet her baby, to know what skills and features it had inherited from her and Sirius. Three and a half more months, she reminded herself.

Lulu sighed. "Well, it should. There's still time, you know? For you to learn how to stop embarrassing yourself on a broom. Sirius is a Quidditch coach, after all."

Mia chuckled. "No, thank you. I'd probably end up accidentally impaling my own husband with a broomstick while trying to get it on the air and I'd rather have him around to change nappies." As if there weren't enough risks of one getting killed with the war going on for her to add another one… "Anyway, did you ever end up becoming the Quidditch captain?"

"Nope," Lulu said, casually. "I ended up getting knocked up by the guy who did become the other team's captain, instead. Didn't turn out to be that bad of a bargain in the end, seeing as you wouldn't be around if I'd gotten the position," she added.

That brought a smile to Mia's lips. "I'm glad I had you around too, Lu," she said back.

"Where else would I be?" her mother asked.

"I don't know… didn't you have any dreams for the future?" Mia inquired, finally voicing something that she'd always wondered. "Like being a healer or travelling around the world feeding starving children?"

Lulu shook her head. "I had no idea what I wanted to be. Really. I knew what I didn't want, however: a nine to five job or living in a routine. It was after I'd given you up that I decided what I really wanted: to be there for you. So, I went after you and you know the rest of the story. I got all I wanted."

"Except for Gabe," Mia added.

"I have him now, don't I? We were too complicated back then, anyway, with the whole teenager thing – you were enough for me. You have kids, Mia, so you know what that's like, now."

That last sentence worked a switch being pulled. She didn't want to think of that, a world without Sirius. Not again. "I don't think I'd be able to live without Sirius," she whispered. "I don't think I'd bear it, Lu."

Lulu reached for her daughter's hand, watching the shadows hit her eyes. "Don't underestimate yourself, Mia. You've spent twelve years without him, remember? And you lived."

"I don't think I'd be able to live that way again – not forever. It was like half of me was empty," she told her, her eyes clouding with tears. "Every time he goes out to fight or Harry gets in trouble… If something happens to him or one of the kids…"

"Stop thinking of the 'what ifs', Mia," Lulu told her firmly. "Not only will you land yourself in the loony bin if you keep up with that but also your baby will be born depressed. What the point of thinking of what may go badly in the future? It goes the way it goes – there's nothing we can do to change it. If anything, think of the good stuff. Like that kid you're carrying. Think of patterns for the nursery walls or its curtains. That will keep you occupied."

As always, in her own way, Lulu's words did the job. Mia's hand moved to her abdomen and she brushed the tips of her fingers against it – the baby was moving, feeling her distress or maybe just throwing a tantrum. It was calming, as always. "I wish I was more like you. That I didn't worry so much."

Her mother raised her eyebrows. "You think I don't worry, Mia? Oh, I do, Mia. Believe me, sometimes I worry so much I can't sleep. I worried for seven whole months from the time you went into hiding to when McGonagall showed up at my doorstep asking me if I wanted to go stay with you. I worried so much when you got hurt back in June that I wanted to bang my head against a wall to make it go away. Worry comes with the package. The thing is I'm better at hiding it than you are. Maybe at dealing with it too."

"Really?" Mia asked, surprised. She'd always taken Lulu as the positive-thinker.

Lulu nodded. "Look, people die every day for a million of different reasons. Nobody stays here in the end. There's just no use ruining your happiness by thinking of it too often. Sirius is fine, your kids are fine. Be happy with that. Have that baby you're carrying and then go ahead and make a bunch more with him. Hopefully, you'll get your happy ever after. Now, can we be done with the depressive crap?"

She let out a deep breath. "Okay. Sorry, I was just…"

"… emotional. I know. Your moods swing like a jump-rope when there's a kid on board. Been there, done that," Lulu told her, craving for another subject – the environment in the room had just gotten too heavy for her own taste… "Back to more cheerful matters, since Sirius is busy at Hogwarts, what are you doing this afternoon here all by yourself? Don't tell me you're going stay locked at home correcting essays or something, that's just a waste of a good afternoon."

"Well, I do have a bunch of essays on the Muggle inquisition to correct," Mia pointed out.

"My own daughter, an annoyingly responsible goody two-shoes," Lulu said under her breath, shaking her head. "Unbelievable..."

"However," Mia continued, ignoring her statement, "I have other plans for today."

"And those plans would be…?" Lulu inquired, suspiciously.

Mia raised her eyebrows and gave her an annoyed look. "Oh, now you want to know? I thought with me being an 'annoying responsible goody-two-shoes', my activities were boring to you."

"Maybe there's still hope for you if you prove me wrong."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Since you're so interested, I'm planning to wait until Alex is up from his nap and then I'll take him with me to Hogwarts so we can surprise Sirius by watching the tryouts. Happy?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Lulu pointed out. "Maybe if you took a little risk and considered leaving Alex with your daughter for a few minutes while you go looking for a broom cupboard for you and Sirius…"

"Don't you have work to get to or something?" Mia inquired to get her to shut up before that conversation reached more embarrassing themes.

"Nope. I've got the day off, since I went helping them last Sunday when I usually don't work," Lulu said, grinning. "I can't stay much longer, anyway. I've got a date tonight."

"A date?" her daughter asked, raising an eyebrow. "But you and Gabe live together."

"And that's exactly why we created a new one-date-every-week rule. To make sure we won't just fall into a routine. Each week one of us is in charge of the planning - last week it was me and we went bowling. We sucked at it, by the way, but it was pretty fun. Hopefully, tonight he'll take us to the Puddlemore United game – I've been sending him hints all week."

Mia smiled. "I see you guys are having a good time, then."

"We do what we can," Lulu said, shrugging like it wasn't that big of a deal as she got up. Truth was, she'd never been happier in her whole life. "Well, I should probably go – I've got stuff to do before the date, getting Gabe to spill his plans for tonight being one of them…"

"Wait, Lulu," Mia said, suddenly, "Can I just ask you one last thing?"

She shrugged. "You can ask me anything."

"Will you ever let Gabe make an honest woman out of you?"

"What? By marrying me?" Lulu inquired before taking a moment to think of it. She didn't think of herself as the marrying type but then again, she'd never thought she'd end up with Gabe again… "Sure, if he ever gets me drunk enough. I'd like to see him try, though – he drinks like a girl. Probably would pass out after the third shot of firewhiskey."

"I bet he'd make an effort for you, Lu."

"Auror or not, I'd kick his arse afterwards if he tricked me into marrying him. I'd hex his arse. He'd be bedridden for the whole honeymoon."

Mia smiled – she might give him a little grief but Mia knew she wouldn't even think of getting an annulment. It didn't really matter if they got married or not, as long as they were happy together.

"I don't remember so many people ever turning up for the tryouts," Sirius told his godson as they stood at the entrance of the Quidditch pitch.

"Don't say," Harry said through his teeth as he stared at the insane crowd of Gryffindors that was forming in the centre of the pitch, which only made him more nervous than he already was about being captain. He loved Quidditch, he really did. But what if he ended up sucking at the job? Maybe Katie Bell should have gotten the shield instead… He glanced once more at the mob. "Merlin, if I have to watch every single one of them trying out, I won't leave this pitch for the next two days. And I have detention with Snape today at half past nine!"

Sirius made an enormous effort not to snort at that – after all, it would sound just cruel to laugh at the kid in such a situation. "Hum, I can't help much with the tryouts, kid – as the referee for the games, I've got to be impartial to all Quidditch teams. Still, if you want my advice, before you actually have people climbing on their brooms, wave a golden snitch in front of them and see how many can even tell what it is. It's safe to say those who don't probably won't do any good for the team…"

Harry looked up at him, impressed. "That may actually work."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Of course it will work. I came up with it," he said in a mock-cocky tone. "Also, James used to have them all fly around the pitch once in small groups. That usually made a good filter too, so you might want to that as well. Those who crash or end up falling probably won't be promising success either."

He nodded nervously. "Ask them what a snitch is and have them fly around the pitch. Okay, I can do that," he said, trying to convince himself. Then, a horrible idea came to his mind. "What if they all fall and crash? Merlin, what if everyone sucks at Quidditch?"

Sirius snorted. "Kid, stop freaking out. Look at how many people are here to try out – it's statistically impossible for any of them not to be remotely decent at it."

"Sorry. It's just that this is important to me. I don't want to be a crappy captain…"

"You were the youngest seeker in a century, Harry. I reckon you'll be just fine as captain," his godfather assured him in amusement before suddenly being startled by the feeling of something, or rather someone, clutching itself around one of his legs. He looked down and was surprised to see his grinning youngest son was the responsible for that. "And how on Earth did you get here, mate?" he asked Alex as he picked him up, not actually expecting a coherent response.

Nevertheless, it came out clear enough. "Mama!" the little boy squealed, pointing towards Mia's approaching form.

Sirius grinned as he saw her walking in his direction. "Well, what a nice surprise," he told her.

She smiled back. "That little rebel escaped just as we were about to get in here and completely ruined my entrance." She turned to Harry. "I hope you don't mind having two more fans joining the club, Harry."

Harry smiled. "You and Alex are part of a restricted group of fans that I actually like to have around, Aunt Mia."

"I hope I'm in it too," Sirius pointed out. "Godfather and all. Devoted fan and possibly Quidditch mentor…"

"Not even slightly," Harry joked, feeling in a much better mood. "I had to pick between you and Ginny and she'd kind of prettier. I hope you'll understand…"

Sirius mock-glared at him. "I'll have you know that I deeply resent that."

Oh his father's arms, Alex laughed at the look on his face and turned to his surrogate brother. "Hawy queech!" he said, reaching to touch the Firebolt.

"I think that's supposed to mean Quidditch," Mia explained, smiling.

Harry chuckled and let him touch the broomstick, which Alex did eagerly. His hand, however, was still too small to completely close itself around the handle and the toddler let out an annoyed grunt. "Baaad," he complained, sadly, resting his head against his father's shoulder.

Harry reached to ruffle the little boy's hair. "One of these days you'll be big enough to play with it too," he said before looking at his godparents. "I should probably go or this will never be over."

"Good luck with the picks," Mia told him, to which he responded with a rushed 'thanks' before walking away and joining the other players on the centre of the pitch.

"Well, let's find ourselves a place to sit, shall we?" Sirius suggested. His free arm circled her back while the other held Alex firmly. As soon as he saw himself in the deserted stairway that led to the pitch's stands and out of everyone's view, he turned to her and, without a warning kissed her lips deeply. As always, she didn't resist and kissed him back, curling her lips against his.

"What was that for?" she asked him when they pulled away because of their little son's protests for attention.

"Just a small 'thanks' for the surprise. With so many people here, this is bound to take long and I was already thinking I'd get bored being here on my own all that time," he stated as they resumed going up the stairs.

After they found themselves sits right in the front row, Alex, faced with the unfamiliar surroundings looked incredibly curious, glancing every direction possible and naming everything he could.

Down at the pitch, the tryouts were starting and Harry seemed to be filtering the candidates in the ways Sirius had suggested. Soon, over half the crowd of students that had been trying to get in the team had moved from the field to the stands and others were still down there, protesting for having been refused.

It was with amusement that Sirius noticed one of them, a tall girl with long black hair, seemed to be trying to 'charm' Harry into accepting her not only in the team but also in more… personal ways – his godson, however, looked awfully embarrassed and took a large step back for every single one she took further. Suddenly, the girl jumped back and started to scratch herself furiously as if a million ants were crawling over her body. Sirius knew the effects of an Itching Jinx when he saw one and, judging by the fact that Ginny was just shoving her wand back into her pocket and glaring at the girl, he had no doubt she'd been the person responsible for it. Harry seemed to realize that too and shot his girlfriend a thankful look, who smirked in return.

"Who was that little vixen hitting on Harry?" Sirius asked his wife as Alex watched in amazement as the players flew around the field. He knew for a fact that the girl didn't belong to any of the classes he'd taught as he usually remembered all of their names and faces.

"That would be Romilda Vane," Mia said, dryly. "Vane as in Barbara Lasher's first husband… or was it second?"

"Babs's spawn? Don't say… seems as charming as her mother. Little question: why is she in Gryffindor?"

Mia shrugged. "Well, not all Gryffindors are saints, Sirius," she pointed out. "You know, I always thought there was a very thin line between the most arrogant Gryffindors and the tamest Slytherins. Take your cousin Andromeda for an example – she's far from cunning or conceited and was brave enough to stand up to her family and marry a Muggle-born. She probably walked on that line, though she ended up falling on the Slytherin side."

"And I fell on the Gryffindor side," Sirius added

Mia nodded. "Yes, but I don't think the line-theory applies to you. You may be a bit cocky from time to time and have had your bully moments but you're very far from the Slytherin house. No line-walking for you."

He grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment – I just can't picture myself as Snivellus' dorm-mate." Then, he nodded down at his giggling son. "Where do you think this one will end up?"

Mia caressed the little boy's soft hair and he looked up at her with a smile, calling her 'Mama'. "He's a very smart little boy – could certainly end up as a Ravenclaw."

"Hum, I don't see him as the bookish type," Sirius stated, doubtful. "

"That's a cliché. Not all Ravenclaws are bookish, Sirius. In fact, Hermione is bookish and she's a Gryffindor."

"Well, how about we ask him, then?" Sirius suggested, shifting their son so he was sitting sideways on his lap, half facing him and Mia. "What do you prefer, Alex? Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw of Slytherin?"

The little boy frowned at so many complicated words. "Want bawl!"

"Ball? That's not a house, mate," Sirius said with a laugh.

Mia rolled her eyes. "I think he means he'd rather watch the tryouts than answering silly questions like that one. How about we let the Sorting hat choose ten years from now?"

Sirius sighed. "I guess there's no other way of knowing…" he gave up, turning the little boy to face the game, for his own delight.

Meanwhile, to Harry's delight, Ginny had scored seventeen times in a row and, without a doubt impartially, gained herself a position as Chaser along with the already Quidditch-veteran Katie Bell and one of hers and Izzy's dorm-mates, Demelza Robins. Soon enough Ginny, now followed by Izzy and Luna, who'd been watching the tryouts from the opposite side of the Quidditch pitch until then, joined Sirius and Mia on the stands and unceremoniously stole Alex from them for their own entertainment.

At some point, as the sun was starting to set behind the clouds and the number of players trying out was reduced to a mere dozen, the Keepers' tryouts started and Ron was supposed to face a cocky seventh-year Gryffindor, Cormac McLaggen.

While the two competed, Mia sighed and leaned against Sirius's arm, closing her eyes. She couldn't tell why, she just felt like she needed to feel his comfortable warmth. Maybe it was the normalcy – they were sitting together, watching their godson's Quidditch tryouts and enjoying their time together. There was no sign of war whatsoever in the horizon. Just normalcy at that moment. She realized she wanted it, badly. It was her goal – all she wanted for the future was just that plain, normal happiness… and peace. His warmth completely covered her as his arm circled her and draw soft circled with the tips of its fingers against the side of her belly. The baby seemed to like it too, as it kicked back in approval.

"Are you cold?" Sirius asked her, his voice mixed with Alex's delighted squeal in the background as Izzy tickled him.

She opened one eye and shook her head. "I'm just thinking."

"Of what?"

"Happy stuff," she replied truthfully. "Did you feel the baby kick?"

He grinned and nodded. "I guess he or she likes me."

"More like loves you," Mia said. "If this is a girl, she'll have you wrapped around her little finger. If it's a boy… well, it will pretty much be the same."

"I'd be happy to let myself be wrapped," he pointed out with a grin. "If he or she comes out with your eyes, I'm a goner, love. You'd better watch out."

Mia laughed. "You silly idiot," she called him, lifting her head from his shoulder and looking at the pitch. Just as she did, McLaggen, who'd been defending the goal posts, completely missed one of the Quaffles thrown at him, launching himself in the direction opposite to it. There was an echo of laughter and boos. " don't know much about Quidditch but that wasn't good, was it?"

Sirius snorted and shook his head. "He'd either have to be blind or confunded to miss like that." He shook his head as, down at Quidditch field, Harry seemed to turn suspiciously to Hermione, who sat several yards away from Sirius and Mia at the stands and presented a very red face, which she promptly hid behind a book. Maybe McLaggen had been confunded, Sirius thought. But then again, the guy had sounded like a conceited git when he'd introduced himself to Harry before the tryouts and told him he hadn't made it to them in the previous year because he'd eaten a pound of doxy eggs in a bet… Nobody wanted someone that smug and stupid in their Quidditch team. "Well, if Ron catches them all, he'll be in." He turned to Mia. "How bored are you now?"

"Just a little. I'd be worse if I'd stayed at home," she pointed out with a smile.

"Hum, and what do you say I make up to you by dumping Alex on his wonderful godmother, Elizabeth, for a few hours just as soon as we leave the school so I can take you for a little romantic dinner that may or may not get me luck afterwards?" he suggested with a charming grin.

Mia smiled – apparently Lulu wasn't the only getting a date that night. "Actually, I think that's a very good idea." And, not caring for the people around, she kissed him softly on the lips. Normalcy indeed.

A/N: Back to the every-seven-days postings. I kind of missed Lulu dialogues - she's probably one of my favourite characters to write, so I used this chapter to make up for the lost time. Time to write was kind of limited as I have weekly projects for one of my classes (not my favourite). Anyway, I hope you liked to read it. Feedback is welcome - Review!