It took us a few hours to fill out all the required paperwork, to adopt both Henry and Sam. As we did so, it gave the boys a chance to talk and play a little, while Zander and I took turns holding Samuel. Harry had insisted before we'd left the house on bringing a couple little toy cars, so now he and Henry sat on the ground, each holding a car as they pretended to have them race and crash.

By the time we left the orphanage and went on our way, stopping at a large grocery store as we went, Harry, Henry and Sam were all asleep, each in a different adults arms. "Harry, sweetie, it's time to wake up, it's lunch time." I whispered, gently prodding him awake as Sirius offered to make said meal, seeing as his hands were free except for the bags of groceries he held in his arms.

"Annie Wosie," Harry said, his eyes fluttering open. "Unchie?" I confirmed to my nephew that it was time to eat and thanked Sirius, Zander conforming to him that he could, indeed make our food. Everyone, who'd been whispering as the boys slept, now spoke up, each talking excitedly about the new little ones and whst they hoped and expected from the adoption.

Henry was then woken as Zander took Sam upstairs to lay him down. We would feed him after we ate to allow the infant to get some extra rest. Once everyone was seated and plates were filled, we all had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch. It was absolutely delicious and as I expressed this to my friend, I heard a cry sound from upstairs. Looking at my husband, I had him use magic to transfigure a sippycup into a bottle and prepare some formula so in a moment, I could go get and feed my new baby.

Going upstairs as Zander made the bottle, I gathered up baby Sam and brought him back downstairs, where it was utter chaos. The boys were now playing more than eating, while Zander, testing the bottle's warmth told them several times to calm down. Sirius and Xayla also seemed rather excited for the new little ones and eager to help, they never missed an opportunity to give Zander and I a break.

They were always right there to take over and help out and really, as I watched them, I noticed that the pair of them worked really well together and made one heck of a unit. If one of them missed something, the other remembered; they communicated similarly to how my own husband and I communicated and I loved seeing the way the6 all worked together.

Hours later, as we all sat to watch an evening movie after Sam had been put to sleep, I looked around me and felt very fortunate for all of them and that none of these kids would ever go without having the attention from one of us that they not only needed but deserved.


As the next few weeks and then months rushed by, Henry and Sam were becoming more and more like biological children to me. At first Henry was so quiet and Sam always cried. But now, Henry wasn't afraid to tell you what he thought and Sam's first word to me was "mama." By mid July Henry and Sam were calling me "mama" and Zander "papa." I'd loved them from the moment I'd seen them, but as we bonded more and more, I often found myself forgetting that we'd even adopted them. It was as if I'd always known them they'd always been mine and I'd always been theirs.

"So, what are you going to get the boys for their birthday?" asked Xayla, on the morning of July 20th. The guys had gone camping in the backyard with Harry and Henry last night, so it was just us girls, and Sam this morning, which the now ten month old didn't seem to mind at all. He loved the attention we gave him.

I looked at her over my breakfast. "Well, I'm getting Harry and Henry some muggle toys." I grinned, having made a whole list of ideas before Zander had taken the list, claiming that I was going to bankrupt us at the store- which I mean, I wasn't going to deny it. I just loved those boys so much.

"If you could, you would just buy them an entire shop, eh?" My reply was a guilty smile and she laughed. "What're the guys getting them? Do you know?" She added.

"Well, I know Zander is buying them a television, along with a VCR and some movies to put in a play room we're setting up for them in the basement and I think Sirius wants to get them each a pet of some kind." I sighed, "I'm not thrilled about the pet thing though, as Sirius won't tell me what it or rather they are, but he seemed so excited when he was telling me about it, so I couldn't say no."

Her laughter was infectious as it rang through the dining room, causing me to giggle and Sam to coo with her. "That's just like Padfoot." She said, and I gave her a look. "It's a nickname Sirius is rather fond of." She explained.

"Is it because his animagus is a dog?" I asked and her eyebrows shot up, "Yes, I know that James called him Padfoot." I said. "I'm surprised he likes it when you call him that." I shrugged as I decided to continue with our earlier conversation, because talking about Lily and James still hurt way too much. "So, what are you going to get them for their birthday?"

"I'm getting them each a toy broomstick." she grinned, that expression lighting up the room..

"Ooooooh, They'll love tha— But wait," I began, but Xayla held up a hand, silencing me.

"Henry is a half blood." At my look of utter bewilderment, Xayla stood asking me to give her a moment, she walked out of the room and came back a moment later with a small stack of papers. "I went back to the orphanage and got the name of their parents. As we know, Henry and Sam have different fathers." Age riffled through the papers and slid a few over to me. "So, the story is that supposedly, Henry's father left his mother before he was born and Sam's father met their mother one week after Henry was born." I nodded, curious to see where this was going.

"Okay, but how do you know Henry's father is a wizard?" I asked genuinely confused but leaning over with curiosity to look at the papers.

"DNA tests and Ministry of Magic records proved that the boys mother was a witch." Xayla said, leaning back for dramatic affect. This shocked me to my core, but then, it almost seemed obvious to me. In some weird, magical way, the boys must've been first attracted to us because they could sense that we could nurture their magical abilities. "Really though, I felt it was important to know more so incase something happens and we need a genetic history for them."

I grinned, "So they're both halfbloods? That is so wicked, girl. You really do your research don't you? Thank you." I laughed and she nodded. "This is wonderful, this means that Harry and Henry can go to Hogwarts together and then Sam will go the next year."

"Um what..? You're still sending Harry to Hogwarts?" Xayla asked surprised.

I smiled, "Yes, but I'm not going to send him looking like himself, I'm going to change his looks and his name is known as James Zander Darken."

How will you be changing his looks?" she asked.

"Well," I began, "I haven't figured that out until now. I'm going to have Harry take Polyjuice potion.. I plan to pass Harry and Henry off as identical twins."

"It's brilliant," began Xayla but then said, "But you'd have to give him the polyjuice potion every hour, on the hour. How'll you manage that?"

I grinned, "Nah, just once a week... I had That brilliantly beautiful brother of yours look into the matter and he discovered that with a few added ingredients, the timespan of the potion can be lengthened. He also informed me that he is going to be applying to work at Hogwarts so he can keep an eye on Harry."

"You have his whole life planned out, don't you?" she grinned.

"Of course," I said and we both laughed. "If I couldn't do something so simple, what kind of aunt would I be?" I said and we laughed again. I knew very well that Henry and Harry's time would come, where they would grow up and wanna be independent, but until them, I'll enjoy their childhood with them.


The next eleven days passed quickly, Harry and Henry woke me up just as the sun began to shine through the Windows on July 31st. "ANNIE WOSIE!" Harry screamed running into the room, Henry right behind him. "UNLE ZANER!" Harry continued his screaming, as he jumped onto the bed.

Henry hesitated at the foot of the bed, but then jumped on the bed as well and started screaming, "MAMA, PAPA!"

"WATE UP IS OUR BIRFDAY!" They screamed in unison.

I groaned and rolled over, my back in absolute agony this morning. "Zander, your kids want you."

"Yeah? I guess you don't want peanut butter and strawberry waffles." He teased, knowing those were my biggest craving right now and I'd had them every morning now for weeks. I huffed and rolling onto my back, I smacked him on his thigh, causing him to laugh as he leaned over and gave me a kiss before taking the boys into his arms. "Boys, why don't you let Mama Rose and I get dressed and we will meet you downstairs for breakfast, okay?"

Cheering, the boys wiggled from his arms and ran out, screaming like little madmen as they went. I meanwhile, rolled onto my side, breathing deeply. "Oh man, I do not feel good."

"Are you okay?" I looked up at my husband and nodded but I wasn't sure how true it was as I looked into his concern filled face. "Here, let me help you." Like the beautiful, perfect, angel saint he was, my husband helped me sit up and though it took us a moment, he eventually helped me stand and after that, I seemed okay to go, though I was still feeling really off.

After Zander and I were dressed, we first went to grab Sam, then, with the older boys joining us, we all went to wake up Sirius, intending to wake up Xayla last since she was a heavy sleeper. As soon as we walked into Sirius' room however, I grabbed Harrys and Henrys arms and pulled them right back out of the room, before bursting into fits of uncontrollable laughter.

With my sister-in-law and friend sitting on the bed, entangled in each others arms, we had just walked in on Sirius and Xayla snogging! Oh my goodness, they were together! I knew it! I called it! They were so cute together!

"It's not funny." whined Xayla as she followed a laughing Zander out of the room. He seemed in shock with what he'd just seen and couldn't believe his eyes.

"Awh Xayxay, it's not funny- it's hysterical." I teased, still giggling.

Zander turned and gave her a serious look now, his brain seeming to catch up with his eyes "You're lucky I don't beat the living crap out of him." Then he started laughing at the look she was giving him. Maybe he wasn't as mad as I'd first thought, which was very comforting.

"How long have you two been together?" I asked as we walked down the stairs, Zander bouncing a giggling Sam in his arms as we went.

Xayla flushed, her face going a dark shade of pink as she said quietly, "About four months."

"Really? Ohmygoodness! Why didn't you tell us?" I was surprised that she hadn't told at least me- we were so close and practically told one another everything.

"Because, Zander is so overprotective and I know you could never keep something like this from him." I nodded in understanding, when suddenly she grabbed my arm.

I stared at her in alarm, "What is it?" I asked in a worried voice.

She looked at me and stuttered, "Look-" her eyes went to my husband and she took several deep breaths. "Can... Can we talk in private?" Her voice was so quiet, that even I could barely hear her, but all the same, I nodded, my eyebrows creasing. It wasn't like Xayla to take anything so seriously, and when she was like this, it usually wasn't for a good reason.

"Of course."

With that, she dragged me into the bathroom, right around the corner from the stairs and biting her lip, she shifted from one foot to the other. "Rose, we... that is to say, I- Sirius and I haven't just been snogging." She whispered and I raised an eyebrow. "We've been together." At my continued confusion, she said, "Oh Rose, Sirius and I are intimate."

My heart seemed to stop for a moment and I let out a breath, "What?! Xayla! How long?! If Zander finds out! Wait..? Why'd you tell me, just a few minutes ago, you said I couldn't keep anything from Zander."

Suddenly her eyes were wet and turning to look into the mirror, she just stared at herself for a long moment. "Our relationship started four months ago when he and I spent a night in the woods. He was so sad, Rose. He needed some fresh air and I was there an... and we talked for hours. Maybe six or seven, I don't really remember. I just know that we went out the next night and the next, and then, one night he kissed me." I listened, though I continued to stare at her confused shock as she went on. I'd never seen her like this before, so upset, so... vulnerable. "Within the next week, we were intimate- it was @ whirlwind, really, but we found our footing. I love him so much, Rose. I love him..."

"Xayxay." I turned her around and put her face in my hands, concern and fear surging through my heart. "What is going on with you? You're saying happy things but you sound so sad."

"Because I am sad, Rose, I can't do this. I can't tell him. We've been intimate for almost four months and we should've been careful but we weren't. We didn't think about it- ohmygosh, I'm so stupid! "

"Xayla Darken." I gripped my sister-in-law's shoulders. "What is wrong with you?"

"I-I'm- I need- need you to tell him. I need you to tell him, because B- because.., oh Rose, I wasn't careful enough."

"Xayla, you're scaring me." As I spoke now, my voice was shaking, but nowhere near as much as Xayla, herself was shaking, her body vibrating in front of me. "What? Do you have an STD or something? Are you okay?"

"No." Her voice was so quiet as she added, "I'm pregnant." My sister-in-law let out a quiet sob and my jaw fell open in nothing short of pure shock.

I stared at her, barely comprehending the words as she spoke them. "Oh Xayla, why didn't you tell anyone?" Was all I could say, but in reality I understood her fear. For me, someone who'd been married for nearly nine years now, a pregnancy was something to be celebrated, an exciting moment between a happily married couple. For Xayla on the other hand, she was so young, barely twenty-one and she and Sirius, a boy she'd only barely known well and before that had only barely seen in school we're not married and with the way she was acting, it was obvious she had no idea how he would react.

She looked at me with a small watery smile, always trying to lighten tension, even in her state of panic. "Because, now I fear for Sirius' life." She said and I hugged her awkwardly. The thought of Xayla being pregnant was so- bizarre. She'd always been such a free spirit, always dating then dumping and occasionally getting hurt in the process. A lot of the time Zander scared boys away like the overprotective brother he was, but this was so... Strange. Sirius would certainly hear it from him at some point.

"Two more things, Does Sirius know and how far along are you?"

Her nod let me know that Sirius indeed did know- then the "he" she wanted me to tell, must be Zander. Oh, this was not going to be a great conversation. I sighed deeply, my back aching as she said quietly that she was only a couple weeks into the pregnancy and that she'd been testing every time they were intimate so she was making sure. I nodded as we then pulled apart and went back into the kitchen, I couldn't help but feel as if my brain was running a marathon.

Once we found the others in the kitchen, I took Zander by the hand and informed him that we needed to talk alone. Nodding, he followed me out to the porch where, slowly, I took a deep breath and told him what Xayla had told me. "No way!?" Zander exclaimed, completely at a loss for words. "Woah... My baby sister..? She and Sirius!? Rose, they haven't even known each other a year- I swear when I get my hands on him- I'll freaking kill him!" Zander growled and I grabbed his hand.

"You will do no such thing, Zander Darken. You hear me? Xayla is stressed enough as it is, now, I know you're upset but just at least try and be happy for her." I said and sighing reluctantly, Zander closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Alright..." He whispered quietly and nodded as I then led him back inside. Zander and Xayla hadn't grown up in a perfect home with a perfect family and so Zander for so long had been the one to protect his sister, care for her, feed her, love her, help pay for her schooling. He'd been there for her when no one else had, so I could understand his upset, but what she needed now was his support. "Remember, Zan, right now, she needs you to be her friend, not her parent." My husband agreed after a long moment of silence.

In honor of their birthday, we prepared Harry and Henry a special breakfast, then opened their presents. I took what felt like a million pictures, glad they loved all their presents and each got their own little cookie cake, which I made specially small just for them, so they could eat it. They also ate lots of chocolate ice cream, so by six, I had two very hyper toddlers and a very bouncy baby who kept giggling on my hands.

By bedtime however everyone was exhausted. After giving all the children baths, It took no more than five minutes to get each of them to sleep. Zander and I went to bed at about ten, both feeling just as exhausted as the boys. "So, are you ever going to speak to Sirius ever again?" I asked Zander as we climbed into bed.

My husband huffed, "Maybe..." He said bluntly and smiling, I leaned against him, and he set an arm gently over my stomach as we fell fast asleep. I knew he didn't really hate Sirius, as all day, he'd hung out and spent time with him, acting just as he had before he'd found out.

What I'd failed to realize with how distracted I was throughout the day, was the tightening in my stomach and the increasing pain I'd felt while going about everything. So, when I'd finally drifted away, It felt like only seconds had passed when I woke suddenly as a sharp pain shot through my waist and I sat up fast, my head spinning. Was it time?