I looked upon his face, taking in every detail.
His forest green eyes held a deep sadness that I could feel as I looked into them.
His usually neat wavy hair was cropped shorter, no longer hanging onto his forehead but parted to the side, with the sides cropped short.
His body seemed broader, and he felt taller as he held me to him, my face still hitting his chest, right above his heart.
Yet I could feel the changes even as I stood there. The lankiness of his body was now leaner and more broadened somehow.
Without giving myself permission to, a content sigh escaped through my lips , the exact moment that I felt my body mold perfectly into his.
The perfect fit. Even now.
I felt the familiar feeling I always felt whenever I was near him. Complete. Like standing by his side was where I truly belonged.
"It is you. You look rather different, but I can still see and feel that it's you." He breathed in relief, as he took in the changes I had took upon myself in order to keep myself hidden.
I sighed before I allowed the disguise fade, and felt as everything changed back to normal.
"You were pregnant when you left. Did you — did you end up have him? Her? it?" He asked, nervously.
It was very out of character for him to be so nervous. He was usually so calm and collected, even under his emotionless façade.
"I did." I confirmed, my eyes briefly flicking towards the person standing at the top of the stairs.
Briefly wondering if I should leave now or not...
"What — what did you have?" He asked, curiosity burning in his forest green eyes.
"A boy..." I said, as I watched a wide, happy smile spread on his face. "...and a girl." I said, taking in his reaction.
"Twins?! You had t-twins?" He whispered, wondering surprised.
"Twins." I confirmed, with a nod of my head.
"Well, where are they now?" He asked curiously, looking at me from head to toe, as if I had hidden them once more somewhere in my body.
I rolled my eyes at him, resisting the urge to whack him over his head.
Just so he snaps out of the idiotic daze he is currently in, though judging from the way he's looking at me, I'd say that it's a permanent condition.
"At a safe house with Andromeda Tonks and Torin Potter." I replied, sighing at the thought of having to go back once more.
"Look, as much as I am loving the sight of you, I regret to say that I'm not here for a casual visit." I informed him.
He nodded, a gleam remaining in his eyes, as he did. "So why are you here?" He asked.
I shook my head, "It doesn't matter why I am here. Nikolai is searching for me. He knows we've had children and now he is trying to kill them as well." I explained.
"What?! You've got to be joking! He survived?! How did he survive?" He shouted, the vein in his forehead protruding and his face growing red.
"Oh for Merlin's sake! He escaped. He's a coward, who threw a cheap shot at you and ran away as you laid on the ground dying. Get your shit together and stop acting like a child who didn't get his way. This bloke actually created a horcrux." I said.
His eyes widened and his face went pale.
He stepped towards me automatically taking a protective stance before me, his eyes flicking all over the place as if we may get ambushed any moment.
"Yes Tom, that means we have to destroy the damn thing before he finds us and tries to kill our children." I said, as I turned back, "I need you to gather everyone, we have to make sure we have a plan for all of this. It's not only our lives at stake now, but our children are here too. So, stop your little tantrum and let's get going. I'm sure you know what to do." I called back, as I made my way back towards the path.
"Wait! Where have you been all this time?" He asked as he followed closely behind me.
I could feel his hand on my lower back as I walked further down the path.
"South Wales." I said as I pushed past the iron gate and stepped onto the road.
"Where- where you told me your parents lived before?" He asked.
I ignored him and turned slowly.
"Make sure to tell Narcissa that she's due the second week of April." I said, closing my eyes in concentration before I opened them once more.
"Not a chance. I'm not allowing you to leave my side that easily." He said as he grabbed my arm just as I apparated back to the safe house.
I appeared before the house, and listened to the heated arguing that was coming from the inside of the otherwise silent home.
Tom landed next to me on the ground before he wrapped his hand around my wrist and pulled me cautiously towards the household.
Nothing could prepare me for what I saw before me as I walked into the kitchen.
Standing around the breakfast bar where Andromeda, Torin, Remus along with Sirius Black, James, Lily and a very heavily pregnant Evangeline.
"What is going on here?!" I asked, loudly.
To my surprise someone threw a stunning spell towards Tom and me, to which Tom quickly stepped before me. Casting a shield before us, and watching as it bounced off the shield and hit an unexpected Sirius in the back.
James quickly unstunned him, and helped him off the ground.
"My mistake. We thought you were someone else." Sirius said apologetically.
"Right...and who might that be?" I asked stepping forward.
"Peter Pettigrew." Sirius growled, slamming his hands roughly onto the breakfast bar.
Tom frowned, looking down before he turned to me, as I nodded in response.
"Explain." Tom said, as we all stood around the bar.
"We weren't sure at first. But James and I along with Remus decided to go to our contacts with the Ministry of Magic to check if our suspicions were true." Sirius replied.
"As it turns out they are. He's been traveling back and forth from England to Russia, until last month where he was traced in Magadan, Russia. He's been there since." Remus informed, his hands were balled into tight fists.
I could see the tendons on the back of his hands straining.
"I told you all not to trust him back in school. You never listened to me, you three always thought that since he was so daft that he'd never do anything to betray your trust. Well, he's a coward, he's always has been. He clearly goes to those who he thinks are powerful enough to protect his wellbeing." I said, unblinkingly staring back at them.
"I do recall her telling us that. Even I told you that and what did you tell me?" Torin asked, outrage prominent on her face.
"I said, 'Don't be a prat, Tor, he's harmless as a mouse.' and laughed in your faces." James said, looking remorseful.
"Yeah more like a rat." Sirius growled, as Evangeline smacked his arm. "Ay-ah...ouch. What now woman?" He asked her, rubbing his wounded arm.
"Alright, calm down, the lot of you." I ordered, slamming my palms onto the table to get their attention.
"We can't change the past. The only-" I said before Andromeda muttered next to. "Well you can." She muttered before flashing me an innocent smile.
I pinched her arm with my forefinger and thumb, and twisted it before releasing her arm causing her to squeal and rub her arm quickly.
"Ouch." She complained rubbing her wounded arm.
"Good to know that I've got your attention." I said smiling at her sweetly, as Tom elbowed me in the ribs.
"Stop it." He whispered, shaking his head at me, amused.
I rolled my eyes before looking at everyone in the room.
"As I was saying before, we can't change the past. Whether I can or can't is beside the point. The only thing we can do is hope for a better future. Now, I don't know about you but I'm not letting my children live in danger." I said, watching as Lily and Evangeline clutch their bulging stomachs.
"Calm down or you'll go into preterm labor ... there is no way we'll be able to bring the midwife here on time." I said.
"Yes, that would be a wonderful idea, you're barely five months into the pregnancy." James said, looking at Lily with an eyebrow raised.
Both women scoffed, simultaneously crossed their arms over their chest before scowling at us all.
I rolled my eyes again, as Ted limped into the kitchen tiredly.
Andromeda rushed to his side and quickly pulling him into a hug.
"Now that I am conscious again, would you two mind explaining to me what I saw before we got to my house back in London?" He asked looking over at Remus and Torin, who managed to look down and blush, looking bashful.
"Well?" He pressed, stepping closer, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Ted...don't." Andromeda cautioned, placing her hand on his arm, trying to get him to shut his mouth.
"Nothing." Remus said, suddenly interested in the decoration around the room than then our questioning.
"So, you're telling me that when I walked in on you two... almost snogging each other's faces off, is to be considered nothing?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at them.
"W-well-- well, you see-" Torin began to say, blushing furiously.
"What happened was..." Remus interrupted.
"Your sleeping with my sister?! Moony! How could you? That's my sister!" James exclaimed, walking up to Remus and getting in his face.
Turning green a second later.
"Moony, you sly dog you!" Sirius gasped, trying to keep a serious face but I could see the amused smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.
"It's not what it looks like!" Torin cried embarrassed, trying to defend herself.
I looked at the both of them rather amused, trying not to laugh when they both began to turn a crimson red, and would acknowledge one another.
I began thinking back to all the times back in South Wales when the both of them would conveniently disappear together.
No one thought anything of it, until now.
Even James, who is her twin brother, realized this was going on right under our noses.
The more I thought about it the more my amusement grew, and as it grew all my seriousness flew out the kitchen window.
I began laughing loudly, causing Lily and Evangeline to jump in surprise.
Then Sirius began laughing with me, before we knew it everyone in the room was laughing with me.
We laughed and laughed until our sides hurt.
When we finally were able to stop laughing, we all turned to look at the two people for an explanation.
"Well?" James asked, waiting for an explanation.
"James, be rational, she didn't utter a single word when you started dating me our sixth year back at school." Lily said.
"That's because you're the sweetest and most caring person that we all know. I want to hear anyone in this room say otherwise." James retorted.
"No, it's because I have no business sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. Just like you. I would think I'd be offered the same courtesy. But since it is you, we're talking about you well, let's just say that I understand..." Torin said, scoffing and rolling her eyes.
"Torin." Remus cautioned her, before sighing and turning to look at all of us.
"Look we didn't plan this, James. It simply happened one night while she was trying to help me clean some wounds after... well you know." He said, looking at the ground.
James shook his head in disbelief at them and then began laughing again.
"It's just completely absurd. You would end up with Remus, Torin." He said laughing.
"Yes, I'm glad your insulting my intelligence amuses you, Jamie." Torin replied coolly.
"Well, I always wanted a brother, I guess having Remus as a brother is better than any other bloke out there." James mused.
"Then again, you were already like a brother to me so seeing the two of you together makes me feel sort of ...disgusted." He said, wrinkling his nose.
"Yes, well I always wanted to be an only child but we can't all have the things we want." Torin retorted. "Knobhead." She muttered.
"Torin," Remus warned, throwing her a look.
"Alright, you two, as much as we're all enjoying your squabble, it's getting rather late." I interrupted, as I felt Tom grabbed my wrist.
"Ugh, very well." Torin said, rolling her eyes.
I watched as everyone slowly dispersed to go to different parts of the home.
Before stopping Torin, and leading her back towards the kitchen.
"When are you planning on telling them?" I asked.
"Soon." She said sighed.
"You know, there is nothing wrong with falling in love, it doesn't matter to whom it is." I told her.
"Trust that James will understand if not you have me, my children, and now Remus to look after you. You do realize that eventually a concealment spell isn't going to hide that, especially when we were only just a few days apart, right?" I whispered, before walking away.
Tom was waiting for me in the sitting room when I walked in, I slowly led him up the stairs and to the room Andi had put the twins in.
"What was all that about?" He asked as I stood over the bassinet, where the twins slept soundly.
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." I replied, as I slipped my cloak and shoes off.
"Right, and my name is Lucius Malfoy." He quipped.
"Now, we both know that if your name was Lucius Malfoy that we both wouldn't be here right now." I retorted, walking out of the closet in my night dress.