Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, as it is the property of the fabulous JKR.

Chapter 21

Two and a half months later - a Friday in mid January - Lena was stood in the shop during the evening, and looked at her watch with a sigh.

' It's 6 PM, Remus, you can go,' she sighed.

Since buying the shop, Lena worked there every day, whilst also having taken up the job at the magazine.

Remus had been asked to work in the shop not because Lena found that she couldn't cope, but because both she and James knew how hard his furry little problem made it for him to find and hold down a job. The store was only really busy on a weekend, but if Remus was there, it was company for both himself and Lena, and meant that Lena had more time to work on the answers for the column.

Witch Weekly recieved many letters for the agony aunt. Lena went in to the offices on a monday morning to collect all the letters sent in for that week, took them all home with her. She could answer them whenever she pleased, so long as they were all delivered on a Sunday morning, so it could be chosen which ones would be published, and the rest be sent back to the adress they came from - you see, even though only four pages worth were published, the rest still had to be answered, and sent back to the person with the problem. The magazine was put to press each sunday, so it was in the shops for Monday mornings.

James worked in the store whever he could ... weekends and evening that he wasn't busy with the Order, or doing extra work for his course.

Remus looked up from the till, where he had been emptying it all out for the night, to put away in the safe, and smiled at Lena, ' Are you alright? ' he asked,' only, you've been quite down today ... anything you want to talk about? '

Lena tried to force a smile, but it came out as a grimace.

Remus nodded in understanding,' Why don't we go upstairs and I'll pour us something to drink ... you tell your Uncle Remus about your problems.'

Lena had to laugh at this - he was making fun of her. Witch Weekly called her 'Aunt Lena' in the magazine pages.

She followed him upstairs, brushing past him at the top to unlock the door, and sat at the kitchen table, whilst he busied himself pouring drinks.

' Firewhisky? ' he asked, holding up the bottle and waving it in her direction.

Lena looked at him for a moment, before shaking her head slowly and saying,' Best not, make mine a glass of pumpkin juice instead.'

Once her friend sat down at the table, he asked,' So, do you want to talk about it? Is it James? '

Lena sniffed, placing her glass down on the table with a heavy bang, ' I'm pregnant,' she announced.

Remus smiled,' Congratulations,' he said.

' No! ' she cried,' that's bad! '

Remus raised his eyebrows,' Oh. You and James don't want children? '

' We've not spoken about it at all, actually,' Lena admitted,' but there's a god dam war on, we can't bring children in to this. And James is still in training - what if he doesn't want to be tied down with a kid? What if he doesn't want kids? We're young, what if he's not ready and he gets all freaked out?!

Remus smiled at her in sympathy,' James is crazy about you, he'll be thrilled. And as for being too young to settle down - well, I doubt that'll matter to him. He proposed to you while you were at school, you were living in your own home together mere days after graduation, you were married within a year of graduating - at the age of 19 - and you own your own business, still a few months off 19. Being young doesn't seem to be an issue here, if you're happy and you love each other, why should it matter.'

She sighed,' This is all such a mess.'

' Are you sure you're pregnant? ' he asked.

She nodded, ' I've checked three times, and then I went to St Mungo's early this morning, after James left with Sirius, before I opened up down stairs. They confirmed it - and I'm 10 weeks gone already. 10 weeks! That's nearly three months! Nearly a whole trimester! '

Remus shrugged slowly,' There's not much I can tell you, really. When's James coming home? '

Lena sighed, ' The Order have sent him out with Sirius. I hate it when they do that! Not only do I sit here at home worrying about my husband - if he's alright, if he's going to come home, if he's coming home safe - but my brother too. '

This complaint was something Lena had voiced many times, but the Order maintained that James and Sirius made a good team. Lena knew that it put Sirius at unease when Lena and Lauren were sent out together too.

' Look,' Remus said,' I'm going to have to get back home because Maria gets really worried if I'm late - you know, dark times and all that ... but I could floo her to tell her I'll be late, if you want? '

Lena stood up and began to walk to the door to let him out - having put spells on the house a few months ago to stop people apparating directly in and out,' No, no,' she insisted,' you'd best get home to Maria. I know what it's like when you;re worrying about someone, after all. Give my best to she and Lauren, and Sirius when he gets back, won't you? '

' Of course,' Remus assured her,' and good luck with James - you can tell me how it went in the morning - is he working tomorrow? '

' Yeah, I think so. Good night.'

Once Remus left, Lena picked up a stack of parchments from the kitchen table, carried them into the bedroom, turned on the radio, and listened to it as she worked on her replies for the column.