Chapter 48: Pregnancy Pains and News from Harry

Bang! Bang! Bang! Tonks pounded on the lavatory door impatiently, waiting for Cassiopeia to come out.

"Cassie! I'm running late!" Tonks cried.

Bang! Bang! Bang! "Cassie, come on! What the bloody hell are you doing in there? I gotta get in there!"

Tonks pressed her ear to the door and all she could hear was retching and gasping before she heard Cassiopeia reply, "I'm having a bloody tea party in here! What do you think I'm doing?"

"Well, hurry up and finish puking! I gotta go to work," Tonks said.

"I'll just tell that to my kid and the rest of my guts," Cassiopeia shouted through the door.

From the other side of the door, Tonks wanted to gag herself as she heard Cassiopeia roar with vomiting before she flushed the toilet. Cassiopeia emerged from the lavatory, her face greener than Slytherin robes and shaking from head to toe.

"All yours," Cassiopeia replied.

Tonks felt compassion for Cassiopeia but yet it was her choice to get pregnant during a war. "I'm so glad I'm not pregnant."

"You're lucky it's not Sirius' kid," Cassiopeia replied weakly. "because I'm only a few weeks in and I wanna be dead. You got lucky."

Tonks chuckled. "I think I did. I gotta get to work. Moody is expecting me. I'll see you later, Cassie."

Thunderous vomiting awoke a groggy Tonks from her sleep. Remus had just put little S.J. down to bed when he heard the commotion from the bathroom. Remus shook a sleeping Tonks awake.

"Tonks, what's going on with Cassie?" he asked.

"Morning sickness," Tonks grumbled. "Your turn to deal with her."

Tonks pulled her blanket closer and rolled over back to sleep. Remus went to the corridor where he cautiously knocked on the lavatory door.

"Cassie? Cassie, are you alright?" he asked.

In reply, Remus heard the thunder of Cassiopeia's vomiting before she screamed, "Do I f***ing sound alright?"

Remus turned away from the door. Terrible question to ask a pregnant woman, he thought.

Cassiopeia emerged from the bathroom shaking and greener than a frog.

"Morning sickness sounds terrible," Remus commented.

"No, it's been a joy," Cassiopeia replied with a dry grin. "It's been sh**! I haven't kept food down for ages. If you wanna trade places with me, you're welcome to, otherwise I'm allowed peace from stupid comments."

Remus winced. He had heard of the fierceness of mothers, but never had he seen this much fury in a pregnant woman.

Cassiopeia sighed. "I'm sorry, Remus. I'm just tired and I can't keep food down. I don't remember it being this bad when I had S.J."

Remus shook his head. "None taken, Cassie. Luckily, I do have some background in Potions. Come with me."

Remus took Cassiopeia into the living room where he pulled out his briefcase. He pulled out a small blue vial and handed it to Cassiopeia.

"This should take care of the morning sickness," Remus said.

Cassiopeia drank the blue liquid and instantly the rosy color came back to her cheeks.

"You always were the smart one of us, Remus," Cassiopeia said gratefully.

"Always glad to help you and the Little Black," Remus replied with a smile.

Cassiopeia licked her lips. "There's only one favor I have to ask you."

"What's that?" Remus asked.

"Do you have any chocolate?" Cassiopeia questioned.

Remus sighed and reached in his pocket. "You're so lucky I was a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, or you would be out of luck."

Cassiopeia took the chocolate from him and devoured it without a second thought.

"You're a lifesaver," Cassiopeia said, licking the chocolate from her fingers.

"Always glad to be of help," Remus said.

"I'm surprised Nymphie didn't put you up to this," Cassiopeia replied.

"Actually, I think she's had enough of pregnant Cassie after S.J. was born," Remus' replied. "So I decided to give her a break."

"How sweet of you," Cassiopeia laughed.

"Don't even think about it," Remus said tensely.

"Alright. Because you helped me, I'll give you a break," Cassiopeia teased. "Just for tonight."

The next morning Sirius and Cassiopeia awoke to find Hedwig squawking with a letter tied to her leg.

The two of them raced to the breakfast table where they read Harry's letter.

Dear Padfoot and Canis,

I hope you and S.J. are alright. As much as I wish I was glad to be back at Hogwarts, things are not all well here. No one believes me about anything that happened last year. There's a new teacher in Defense Against the Dark Arts, she was at my hearing. Umbridge is her name. Hermione says the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts. When I told her the truth about Cedric and Voldemort, she gave me detention. I'm really worried about her. I hope you and the new baby are safe.

-Harry

"Dolores Umbridge?" Cassiopeia asked. "Isn't she the cow who hates half-breeds?"

"The very same," Sirius replied. "She's the reason Remus and people like him can't get jobs."

"If she's teaching my godson, then God have mercy on her," Cassiopeia said fiercely. "because I won't."

"That's my child, making you more fierce," Sirius said proudly. "Let's sneak into the fire tonight."

That night, Sirius and Cassiopeia crept into the fireplace where they whispered an incantation, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared before them.
"Harry!" Sirius called.

"Sirius, Cassie! What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Answering your letter," Sirius asked. "You said you were worried about Umbridge. What's she doing? Training you to kill half-breeds?"

"Has she hurt you?" Cassiopeia asked.

"No, and she's not letting us use magic at all!" Harry replied.

Sirius sighed. "Well, I'm not surprised. Latest intelligence is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."

Ron's brow wrinkled. "Combat? What does he think, we're forming some sort of wizard army?"

"That's exactly what he thinks," Cassiopeia replied.

"He thinks Dumbledore is assembling his own forces to take on the Ministry," Sirius added. "He's becoming more paranoid by the minute. The others wouldn't want me telling you this, Harry, but things aren't going at all well with the Order. Fudge is blocking the truth at every turn and these disappearances are just how it started. Voldemort is on the move."

"What can we do?" Harry asked.

Just then, Sirius and Cassiopeia heard a door open, alerting them that Kreacher the house elf was on the way up.

"Someone's coming," Sirius said. "I'm sorry we can't be of more help, but for now at least, it looks as if your on your own."

Sirius and Cassiopeia left the fireplace and Cassiopeia frowned.

"I don't like leaving my godson with that gargoyle," Cassiopeia said. "If she tries anything, I'll really be a murderer."

"I'm right there with you, my darling," Sirius said.

"Who are we going to murder?" Tonks asked as she came into the room.

"Umbridge. She's teaching at Hogwarts now," Cassiopeia replied before she turned pink. "Nymphie, you wouldn't happen to have any chocolate or sweets on you?"

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Not it! Remus, you got any sweets!"