A/N: Sorry, I had to remember what I was doing with this fic. Here's a longer update as an apology. Remus is debating in this one, it also moves the plot along a bit more. I'm glad so many people like Torian, his POV's are going to be popping up every once in a while. Note: Severus and Lucius got away from me in this chapter, hopefully their humour isn't too OOC.

Chapter 31- The Stakes Increase

Remus Lupin sat alone on the back balcony of the villa, looking out over the spacious gardens and elegant, rambling miniature river. He subconsciously rubbed and hand across his lower waist as he thought about the current state of things. For the most part their 3rd side was doing well, the Custodis Pondera had laid a strong foundation. To Remus this whole thing appeared in his mind as a massive chess set, both sides cautiously advancing. Remus had never been that good at chess and so the analogy worried him.

However, there was a 3rd element, the sneaky Chaos factor called Lord Voldemort. The man had to be brought down, and soon. When he brought this up to Sirius his best friend had frowned and said that they were working on it. For Remus, just working on it wasn't enough. He clenched his fists and breathed in deeply through his nose, letting it out slowly. Forcing his left hand to unclench he snapped his fingers, summoning one of the Black family elves.

The creature appeared in front of him with a small pop. Remus said firmly, "I would like a pot of the wild orange tea and some sugar, please."

The elf nodded and popped out again. Remus closed his eyes as a wry smile crossed his lips. He well remembered how scandalised he'd been at first when Lucius summoned the house elves at Malfoy Manor for almost everything, but he'd learned a great deal about the creatures since then. They tended to take it as a personal offense or a sign of displeasure if they weren't summoned for things. It was their duty after all to ensure the comfort and easy lifestyles of the wizards they served.

He frowned in annoyance. Lucius had taken an international portkey to England, he was meeting Bill Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks for a brief amount of time at a restaurant Lucius preferred in Muggle England. It had been for the benefit of his pureblood acquaintances amongst the Death Eaters that he appeared to scorn the Muggle world. Lucius was well aware of how most of the Muggle world worked, he had major shares in quite a few companies. That he chose not to act like a child around them as did Arthur Weasley was a sign of dignity and pride, not arrogance.

That wasn't what worried Remus, however. His musings were interrupted when the elf popped back in with his tea. Adding his usual two lumps of sugar, he stirred and gingerly sipped at the hot liquid. What currently had Remus annoyed was the fact that Lucius had kept him from coming along due to extenuating circumstances. He grimaced slightly and rubbed his lower waist again.

It's not like he wasn't happy about the upcoming child, he'd been amazed to find that he'd conceived so swiftly due to his condition, but the timing for this baby was absolutely awful. He was not quite two months gone and he knew the others were becoming suspicious due to his strange moods and obvious lack of sleep. He had nodded off more times this week alone than he liked to remember.

Lucius was hoping for a daughter and Remus easily admitted that he liked the idea of seeing Lucius wrapped around his baby girl. If it was a girl she was going to be a very spoiled thing, not to mention the hell she would go through trying to date in her teen years. Lucius was highly protective of his family and a daughter would be that small baby girl in his eyes no matter how old she was. Not to mention any prospective date would also have to go through her 16 years older brother.

Remus snorted quietly just at the mental images that provoked and settled back to enjoy his tea. He had finished one cup and was halfway through the second when Sirius appeared through the doorway to his left. Remus scanned his weary friend and then called out to him. "Sirius!"

Grey eyes turned to him and lit up happily. Sirius moved swiftly to the open chair and sank into it gratefully. He poured himself a cup of tea and added five cubes of sugar. Remus' eyebrows rose into his fringe and he said, "No wonder you're so hyper. If I had that much sugar this late in the day I'd be up all night!"

"It's been a long day, Remus. I was cornered again by Kingsley and somehow managed to get myself into a meeting with Albus at the school tomorrow afternoon. I still don't know how I did it, I'm not good with words. That's Severus' talent, as we all know. He should be returning from the university soon."

"Are you going to tell him about the meeting with Albus?" Remus asked in concern.

"Yes, of course. Hopefully he'll have some ideas about what I can say to get Albus off our backs for a little while. Meanwhile, I've been investigating a switch over to the Italian Ministry of Magic. I know they have several Aurors that are close to retiring age."

"That would be handy, as Severus is already comfortably ensconced in his position at Riley's. Lucius can easily manage his finances and companies from here and of course the kids are studying here at the villa. Speaking of which, aren't you working with them tomorrow on their animagus forms?"

"Yes," Sirius smiled proudly. "They've already got the meditation down, but that isn't a surprise as they've all taken Occlumency lessons. Tomorrow I'll have them search for their forms. I wouldn't be surprised if they did it by the end of the year, they're quite the talented bunch."

"It took you, James and Peter almost three years. At this rate your son will beat the Marauders," Remus said teasingly.

"That isn't hard," a smooth voice drawled lazily, "as the bunch of lions you referred to were running mostly on luck."

Sirius rolled his eyes and without turning his head said, "Good evening to you as well, Severus. Did your classes go well today?"

The Potions Master dropped a kiss to Sirius' soft hair and took the only empty chair, leaning back with lazy grace. "Oh yes," he replied, "two tests, two pop quizzes and one ruined potion a student had to reheat in order to remove. A lovely day, for me in any case," the man was smirking slightly as he finished, dark eyes lit with what passed as cheerful humour.

Turning an eye on Remus he said casually as he poured a cup of tea, "When were you and my superior friend going to tell us about your good news, Lupin?"

Remus dropped the porcelain cup in shock. It hovered just above the patio due to quick wand work on Severus' part. Amusement running rampart in black eyes, he arched one thin eyebrow at Remus, waiting for an answer.

"H-how?" Remus sputtered.

"Some of us here at the villa are capable of adding two and two to get the correct answer, Remus," Severus replied lazily. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if Rial knew already, after all, he was the one to tell me you two were in a relationship in the first place."

Severus had set the cup back on the saucer as he spoke, however Remus was only aware of a brimming curiosity in Sirius' eyes and the laughter in Severus'. Thus he was highly relieved when a cool voice drawled behind him, "I would ask you to not startle my partner again Severus, if I knew you had any intention of holding your word."

Remus looked over his shoulder in relief to see Lucius standing there with a slightly amused smile on his lips. The elegant Lord stepped up the last few stairs and conjured another chair, sneaking it in between Severus and Remus. He poured a cup of tea and moved at the pace of a prim old lady as he added one sugar and a very precise amount of milk to it. He stirred it just as slowly, watching Sirius' open curiosity and brimming impatience with amused silver eyes.

"Remus, would you like to tell your friend what Severus has guessed or shall I?" he finally asked after taking a sip of the tea and sighing in pleasure.

Remus sighed, looked at his hyper friend and said, "Lucius and I are expecting a child in May."

For a half-second Sirius merely stared and then the biggest grin split his face. "Congrats Moony!" he yelped. Looking at Lucius he said, "Have you told Draco yet?"

"No," Lucius wasn't restraining the amused smile at Sirius' reaction. "We plan on telling him this weekend. It may have to be sooner if you can't keep quiet, however," he looked sternly at the hyper animagus.

"I can, I promise," he said with a big grin. "Not a word until you let me know that you've told him. I wonder if Rial already knows?" he wondered aloud.

"Like I said," Severus drawled, "I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Lucius, how did your meeting with the Weasley heir and Andromeda's daughter go?"

"It went surprisingly well. As we had thought they were more than slightly suspicious at first, but after I gave them an oath on my magic that I meant them no harm they opened up. It seems that Regulus was correct, both of them have had their doubts about Albus for a while now."

"Will they be moving into the villa?" Sirius asked.

"No, like Regulus they intend to stay in England and help keep an eye on Albus and the Ministry. William said he will work on speaking with his goblin contacts and peak through the late Lord Potter's financial history in regards to one Cornelius Fudge. They have both signed the contract that Lily Evans signed as well."

As Remus had suspected, Severus was more than slightly concerned about Sirius meeting tomorrow with Albus, the pair soon disappeared back into the villa to discuss the matter in greater detail and work out a conversation and several backups ahead of time. He stood and made his way to the patio railing, inhaling the fragrances that perfumed the mid-October air. When Lucius joined him he turned away from the gardens and rested his head against Lucius' shoulder.

"Hopefully this will be over before or soon after our child arrives," he murmured. "I don't like the idea of raising a child during a war."

"It will be over, Remi, I promise," Lucius said fiercely.

Remus chose not to comment on the fact that the promise was one Lucius couldn't know to be true. Instead he inhaled the scent of his lover and trusted in the optimism that had carried him through the first War. It was all he had left at this point.