A/N: Vanessa's POV, this chapter is dedicated to reader and reviewer danceegirl92, who is one of those who finds the Vanessa chapters interesting. I hope this one interests you just as much!

-C

"It was a nice wedding, from what I remember of it."

I thought I was going to be sick.

Sure, my hopes at marrying James Potter were virtually done once I'd married Jack, but it hadn't been entirely possible, and Lily Evans could still be killed before she got the satisfaction of marrying well above herself.

But I was too late. I'd dragged my heels too long, waiting for the perfect opportunity, and now she was married to James Potter.

She was Lily Potter.

It just sounded wrong. Everything about it was wrong. He'd lost his mind.

At least Sirius had chosen a pureblood, even if they were a pair of blood traitors. Their child, at least, had a chance of being accepted into normal society if she could be attached and properly reeducated.

I smiled to myself, imagining my having a son, to court and marry Sirius's daughter. If he had no sons….

Well, no one wanted to talk about it, but by wizarding law, once Walburga died Sirius would inherit the Black family fortune, regardless of being kicked out of the family. They could have given it to Regulus, but now that he was gone…

What if Lily Evans got pregnant?

The thought hit me with a horrible weight in my stomach. I had decided to keep Amy off my list because of her pregnancy, because I did not want her child to be motherless. But what about any child Lily bore? Did I care if that child went motherless? Was there a difference somehow?

I hadn't ever thought of myself as particularly prejudiced about blood status. I had a few lingering prejudices, but who didn't? My dislike of Lily had never had much to do with her blood. It had to do with the way she talked to people, the way she looked at me, the way she got what I wanted when she didn't even want it.

But when I realized that I didn't care if her child went motherless, I began to wonder if maybe I hadn't been more prejudiced than I'd realized.

Was it because of the child's blood status, or because Amy and I had a history? Was it because I hated Lily more than anything in the world, or because I actually didn't have as much of a soft spot for orphaned children as I thought I did?

This would take some serious contemplation, but I might not have time for it.

"They're taking a honeymoon, I trust?" I said smoothly, stirring my tea.

He was allowed to come over to a guest, which kept us out of the prying eyes of the Order, should any of them start following him.

"Yeah, a short one," he chirped. "Couple of days. They're already back."

Already back from the honeymoon. How long before she stopped using contraception? They had the finances to have children, but the war was an unstable place. Perhaps Lily would be afraid of having children in such an environment.

It was unlikely, though, with Amy already close to bursting.

For one thing, James would want to have a child because Sirius would have a child, and if Lily and James ended up with a boy, they would each beg their wives for another child so that they could each have a boy and a girl. And they'd likely rack up quite a count of children just through trying to match if they couldn't manage it.

And I had this image of Lily desperately wanting children, lots of children, to dote on and homeschool before Hogwarts and teach the importance of rules. I smiled to myself, thinking of how James would undermine her in that particular wish.

"Very well," I sighed, stirring my tea still. "And Amy? When is she due?"

"I don't know the exact date," Peter admitted sheepishly. "I do know it's sometime next month, but…. Well, I don't know if it's supposed to be before or after the wedding. I can ask, though."

"Do," I ordered, lifting my tea and sipping it casually. I wasn't sure which way Amy would go about things. On the one hand, Amy having the baby before the wedding made some sense because she wouldn't be the size of a planet at her own wedding. "And try to be a bit more sober at the next wedding, Peter. I know it will be even more difficult for you, but at least be sober enough to remember things, if nothing else. Speaking of their wedding…how is the planning going?"

He shrugged.

He was privy to very little about the wedding planning, and not from the girls directly but when the boys discussed it later. It was bound to be distorted, but there had to be something in all of the muddle that I could use.

Peter had thought to bring the wedding invitation, which I looked at.

They were hand-done, obviously by Amy herself.

Miss Amy Maria McAuley

and

Mr. Sirius Orion Black

request the honor of your presence

at their marriage

"Interesting," I muttered. "They've issued it themselves. Which means her parents aren't hosting. I wonder if Mrs. Potter is paying the whole thing."

"She and Sirius are, but I think Amy's parents are paying some, for propriety."

I smiled slightly.

It was entirely likely that they would have put Mrs. Potter on it if they could do so gracefully, but the fact that Amy's parents were not listed made me think more that they were not supportive of her relationship with Sirius.

He knew they'd ordered a traditional cake, with four layers instead of three because Amy loved cake so much and was hoping there would be plenty left over. He also knew that they were having a more casual outdoor sort of reception with buffet style food.

Leave it to Peter to know all about the food, but nothing important like where she was getting her hair and makeup done, or what sort of shoes she was wearing.

"Peter's not giving a toast, which is really a wise decision on their part," I snorted. I was telling Jack about my discussion with Peter, both about what he remembered of the Potter wedding, and then what he knew about the upcoming union between Amy and Sirius.

"Who is giving toasts?" he asked, running his fingers lazily over my legs.

"James and Lily," I recited. "Probably Mrs. Potter. Since it's a small wedding, that's likely to be all. Remus might get a toast, but because Marlene isn't there…"

He nodded.

"There was an announcement in the Prophet, if you can believe it," he said slowly.

It seemed they really were making an effort to follow all of the protocol, strangely enough for a couple who were incredibly pregnant and living together since before they were engaged.

"That's odd," I said slowly, but Jack shook his head.

"I think he's taking every opportunity to poke at his mother. She's furious. I heard her and my mother discussing the announcement. That's the only reason I knew it was there. I don't waste my time reading such drivel."

I rolled my eyes, but said nothing. If they'd made an announcement, although it was a bit late for an announcement, that meant they were getting a Ministry license. It was possible that Walburga knew of a law that could block the wedding….

Except Amy was a pureblooded witch of excellent social standing. Oh, Jack was right. He was doing all of this just to aggravate his mother, and I had to admit to myself that it was brilliant.

"I suppose they're probably doing a rehearsal dinner," I said thoughtfully. "It would be at Potter Manor, of course. Lily and James will be there for certain. It's possible that her parents will be there, but I'm not even sure she's inviting them."

She would be picking up her wedding dress soon, if she was on schedule. They would be working out seating arrangements and doing all of those lovely last-minute preparations.

"Things do seem to be rocky between her and her parents, don't they?" Jack said thoughtfully, turning away. "Do you know about her sisters?"

"I know she and Natalie were always very close," I said, leaning back on the pillows. "It's possible that she's cut off with all the rest, but she'd not part with Natalie for anything. She'll be at the wedding, maybe even in the wedding."

If she were in the wedding, then Remus would be too. And they would both be at the rehearsal dinner.

"I think it would be easier to ambush them at the rehearsal than the wedding," Jack said thoughtfully, and I laughed.

"Both are impossible," I drawled. "There's nothing that can get through the protections on Potter Manor, and Dumbledore's going to be there, likely at both events. He's officiating."

"Hmm."

Jack got up, pacing a bit, looking out our window, then turning back to me.

"Pettigrew won't be at the rehearsal, so it might be difficult to work with, anyway."

I sat up slightly, frowning.

"Jack, what are you talking about?" I said. "Were you actually planning a raid on the wedding? Why?"

"Never you mind," he said harshly, his eyes flashing as he turned back to the window. "As I said, it won't work, anyway. Raiding any place Albus Dumbledore is at is a bad decision."

I could feel myself trembling slightly. I told myself that it was because I was concerned about the unborn child, but I really couldn't be sure.

He stood watching the window for a long time before he turned back to me.

"Are you coming to bed?" I asked.

"Not yet," Jack said, pulling on his dressing gown. "I have some business to take care of. I will be in my study and wish not to be disturbed."

I wasn't sure why he was bothering to tell me that. I was already undressed and in bed. What possible reason did I have for disturbing him?

I gave him a quick kiss before he left. Then I fell back onto the pillows, running over the conversation in my head. A raid on the wedding…. But what purpose could that possibly serve?

It occurred to me, as I turned over his words about his being in his study what he was really saying.

He was not to be disturbed, but he expected and seemed to almost encourage me to listen in. I smirked. It seemed Jack was an even better match than I had anticipated. We were of one mind in most things, and it didn't take much for him to go from telling me not to ask questions to hinting that I should listen in on his private conversations.

Because I knew what he had to be doing in his study. He was receiving a firecall from someone else in the Death Eaters.

Carefully, I climbed out of bed, adjusting my hair and putting on my own dressing gown. It was not nearly warm enough, but it would have to do, as I wasn't sure how much I would have already missed by not properly considering his words sooner.

I put on my slippers and slinked down the hall as quietly as possible, careful not to alert whomever he was meeting with. I slid to the floor, pressing my ear to the door.

And it was Lucius's voice I could hear speaking about how the Dark Lord would be disappointed.

"I know," Jack said. "But there's nothing I can do about it if Dumbledore's there, and it sounds pretty certain that he will be. We know he's officiating." He paused. "Vanessa seemed concerned when I talked about raids."

"How much are you telling her?" Lucius demanded. "Don't be a fool, Jack. She was friends with these people once, or some of them. She might think there is no affinity, but weaknesses might be things she does not recognize about herself."

"I told her nothing," Jack said coldly, and I clutched my dressing gown around me tightly. "I assure you, Lucius, she wants revenge on them. She is not concerned about their well-being."

"Yes, you told me," Lucius replied skeptically. "But she cannot know what she will do until she is in a situation where she has to find out."

"Well, none of that matters at the moment anyway," Jack said lazily.

Of course it didn't. If there was no raid, I couldn't betray anything. It was a bit annoying that Lucius thought so lowly of me, but I suppose he had to think of everyone that way. There was no being too careful when serving the Dark Lord.

"She doesn't know what he wants, right?"

"Of course, not, Lucius. She assumes he's attacking them."

My heart was pounding. What could he want if he wasn't attacking them?

"Keep it that way, especially if she's hell-bent on revenge."

"I just can't figure it out, myself," Jack said softly. "I mean, I can see Potter and Black and even McAuley, the werewolf perhaps…. But Evans? Or rather, Mrs. James Potter now. She's a Mudblood. Why would he want to recruit her?"

Recruit?

Why indeed. It didn't add up. She was, after all, very powerful, but her blood status was completely undesirable for being a Death Eater.

"I don't pretend to understand half of what the Dark Lord asks of me, Jack, but I do it and I do it without question. As should you."

"I know that. I don't think he's going to be very successful, at least not where the Potters are concerned. I think the right appeal to Sirius could work, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Vanessa tells me he's completely dependent upon his beloved McAuley, and from what Peter tells us he's already besotted with the child they're expecting. Make some sort of appeal that involves their safety and he'll be in the palm of your hand."

My heart was pounding in my throat. Threatening the child? Certainly I didn't put such a move past the Dark Lord, but it still made me feel sick to my stomach.

"There are a few ways to approach that," Lucius said thoughtfully. "We could offer them protection, saying that there are no promises what might happen to them unless we assure Bellatrix has been told to keep her hands off and play nicely. We could also just threaten to kill them ourselves if he doesn't cooperate."

"I've always found a lighter touch to start with is better in delicate cases like this," Jacks said slowly. "Sirius is stubborn, and if we work our way up through negotiations it could work out in our favor. If we make big threats and then he proves more stubborn than we thought…. Well, it would be a shame to waste such pure blood, wouldn't it?"

I leaned closer to the door, licking my lips.

"Speaking of pureblooded children," Lucius said, and I nearly moved away when I sensed a change in topic, but then I heard my name. "Have you and Vanessa started trying to conceive yet?"

I shivered.

"We have," Jack said slowly, "in a casual way. I know we should be more diligent about it, but…I'd rather not make such efforts while my parents are in the manor. They're moving to a different property next month, but…."

Lucius snorted.

"Aren't they in a completely separate wing from you?"

"Yes, but…"

"No, Jack, you're being absurd. He is going to start asking soon, and you had better be making a sincere effort or he will punish you for lying at best."

I hugged my knees tightly.

It was bad enough that my husband's time was completely at the mercy of the Dark Lord. Now my womb and childbearing was at his mercy as well?

That was why he wanted Amy. Sure, she was good at magic, but more importantly she was a woman with very pure blood who was obviously fertile. Because it wasn't enough to simply destroy all of the watered down blood, but purebloods had to dominate the populace, to rule from a position of majority. The gene pool was already so wilted, I hated to think about what would happen once that occurred. There were already…adverse cases in my own living memory of cousins marrying cousins.

Then again, Sirius's parents were cousins, and he was pretty much the most perfect wizarding specimen of our era. He was gorgeous, talented, charming, and virtually a sex god.

So maybe it would just be hit or miss.

"I know," Jack sighed. "Well, I need to get back before Vanessa falls asleep if I'm to really work on breeding in earnest."

His voice was just a touch crass, but I knew that they were going to have to make a consideration for the Dark Lord's wishes, in spite of my discomfort with having him decide my life for me.

They said their goodnights and Jack came out into the corridor a moment later to find me looking up at him from the floor. He rolled his eyes.

"If you had any sense of subtlety, Vanessa, you would have been in bed and pretending to be asleep by the time I arrived."

I stood, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Perhaps," I said slowly. "But I don't see the point in wasting energy pretending when it's just us. Wouldn't you agree?"

He just looked at me, closing the door of his study.

We stared at each other for a long moment before he said, "I don't know why he wants them."

"I figured as much. It doesn't matter. He wants them. That's all we need to concern ourselves with." I paused. "You know, I think that it's possible that he won't get them. Especially Lily and James. There's not a chance there. But Sirius…. I suppose in the right way it's possible, but threatening Amy will not do anything but make him angry. You'd have to literally be holding a wand to her throat for that to work, Jack. And I don't think I would let you do it."

"It wouldn't be me," Jack said simply. "It would be Bellatrix. Let's go to bed."