FicWad

Remus


We are a bit sad to leave our love-nest. It's been two very intensive weeks, we've really concentrated on our relationship and it's done us a load of good. I can hardly look at Sirius without pouncing on him. But I think he feels the same. Let's just say - empty balls...

We share the driving back to the Sunnegg again. It's long and hot, but we get there in the end and take everything inside. All is in order, Dobby and Winky turn up immediately and are happy to have us back to spoil us. We have shopped for groceries on the way home and fill the fridge. Then Sirius sighs, because it's so hot outside and declares that since we're all alone here now we might as well shed what clothes we wear. I do throw a glance to where Dobby and Winky have vanished again. We've quartered them into the Stöckli now, because I think it's really a shame to keep them in the cellar. Since no one lives over in the small house we decided it would suit the two house-elves.

So I agree and the clothes are gone and mostly stay gone until it starts to rain three days later. It has been a good feeling to leave clothes behind on that naturist's beach, the people were all naked after all, but it's even more liberating to drop one's clothes in everyday life. I mean I'm really not used to sit at my desk doing preparation work for the next school year in my birthday suit. Sirius thinks it's sexy. That's probably where my problem is, because it's less my own nudity, it's HIS. He sits at his own desk, opposite me and it becomes damn distracting. He's tanned to almost dark brown. His skin feels like velvet. His body looks more attractive than ever, because he's rebuilt that muscle tone nicely over the past two years.

I study the list of spells to teach in seventh year. It's quite an amount of them and we'll have to work quite hard to learn them all. But they're all good examples for different techniques. Then one part of the schooling is going to teach them using spells without instruction. Working out simply from a spell-book how to actually use the spell. And these aren't easy spells which are taken out of a spell compendium in the library. I go up to the library and look for the book, which I find after a while. Leafing through it I return to the living room, where Sirius ambushes me.

Now how am I supposed to prepare when there's a sexy Animagus jumping on me from the sofa? Especially a completely naked sexy Animagus. The book lands on the floor, Siri and I land on the carpet and we're busy for the next one or two hours, wouldn't remember so exactly.

That's how we spend the next days. We get a couple of owls from the kids, telling us that they're well and that they miss us.

Then we decide on a rainy day that we need to get our books for the next school year and other stuff, such as Harry's birthday gift. So we get dressed in more solid clothing and apparate directly behind the Leaky Cauldron and first look for Harry's birthday gift. He's been ogling an astronomical model for a long time and we decided to give him one. We have it sent directly to the Burrow on the morning of Harry's birthday as we will stay at home this time. We think they need these few weeks away from us for once.

Hermione has sent us a long letter about the development of her proposition to the Ministry. This is hopefully going to work out for her. She's so young and brilliant. I do hope we can manage that she's not cheated out of the profits that invention could bring. She's done well to place pressure on the Ministry idiots. I'm sure they think they can take this thing and shove her aside.

Sirius pulls me past the apothecary to Flourish & Blotts. He doesn't even cross the alley to pass at Quality Quidditch Supplies. We get the books we need and then he looks over to the Quidditch shop and says:

"Well, not this year, but next... might look for some tickets for the Holyhead Harpies now and then..."

"Still holding up the ladies' flag? You've always liked them..."

"Well, now that Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet have made reserve chasers there I'll be a fan again! I've seen them play and they're superb!"

We slowly walk back to the Leaky Cauldron, discussing everyday things. On the way we get stopped here and there by people who know us. It's very strange to meet people casually on the street and just exchange a few friendly words before moving on. That would have been normal seventeen years ago, but for fifteen years people have feared the name Sirius Black almost as much as the name Voldemort. Sirius is still wary of the change in other people's attitudes against him.

Sirius decides he needs some new robes. We have mostly worn Muggle clothes in the past two years and both of us can do with some new robes.

"Come on, Moony, it's time we get some decent wizard's clothes..."

I smile. Sometimes he just loves to spend money. He's bought me a wardrobe full of stuff over the past two years, but everything is standard Muggle wear. So we enter Madam Malkin's. She's there herself today. I must have been in here the last time when we got fitted for James and Lily's wedding. Sirius smiles at her.

"Hello... Mr. Black?" she asks.

"Very right," he confirms.

"What can I do for you, gentlemen?"

"Some new robes? I'd like three sets of everyday robes and a cloak for the both of us... for fall and winter."

"Very well. Do you have any special colours in mind?"

"Earth tones, maybe olives or mustard yellow, burnt orange for my lover..."

She looks me up and down and nods. I'm blushing and glare at Sirius, but he casually leans against the counter while he waits for the lady to return with fabric swatches and colour books.

"These are some we can make..."

Sirius lets me choose, so I pick an olive, a slightly dusty Bordeaux red and there's indeed a darkish mustard yellow which would probably look good on me. Then it's about the style and she hands me several different ones. Sirius holds them in front of me, while I look into a mirror. There's one form that looks very comfortable and I pick it to try it on. It has cuffs on the sleeves and a straight standing collar. It has buttons only about halfway down the chest and is flowing to the floor.

"Lovely, works for the Bordeaux, but doesn't work on the olive and the yellow. Those two colours ask for something less severe, love. How about you try this with the shawl collar?"

It's another style that looks comfortable. Sirius looks around and turns up with a very nice belt, like on those medieval paintings, it is a bit like a chain, quite heavy, comes over the hips and lets a longish tail hang down below the hips. Madam Malkin waits until I have tried the first robe, then measures and drapes the chain around me, pulls the fabric up a bit and looks quite content.

"Well spotted, Mr. Black, he's going to look sensationally in Bordeaux. I would suggest a few embroidered lines on the cuffs and the collar for this one. Gold, like the chain."

The colour of the robe I'm wearing to try is black. Madam Malkin waves her wand and I can see what it will look like in Bordeaux. I am not unhappy, because I look about ten years younger. Then she adds the embroidery on the cuffs and the stiff collar. Sirius whistles.

"Wow, Moony! You look simply amazing!"

"You really like it?"

"And how much I like it. Don't you?"

I just nod. Then I throw another glance into the mirror. It's really quite a change. I'm still tanned and I hardly recognise myself.

"You're beautiful, love! On to the other one then..." Sirius commands and I change the robe for the other one.

It's a much more casual style, very comfortable and I love the soft flannel immediately. The shawl collar looks nice. It opens up just above the collar bone and falls in a wave over my shoulder and a bit down the back, but not enough to be used as a hood. The sleeves are very wide, but they, too, are taken together in a soft cuff. If the other set is flowing, this one's even wider. But the soft fabric takes care of the folds, they don't disturb and the belt looks just as good on this style. I look up at Sirius and smile. He just puts his arms around me and kisses me.

"It's perfect, Madam Malkin. The first style in Bordeaux with the embroidery, the second style for the olive and yellow," he tells her casually, "And the belt."

She gives the order to her co-workers, then Sirius pulls me to the cloaks. He picks one with a glance sideways at me. It's also black, but I'm sure it's to be had in a dark brown. He drapes it around me and pushes me in front of the mirror.

"How about that?"

"You're a genius, Siri..." I mumble.

He's done it in one swift grip. Found the perfect cloak for me. It's finest wool and feels so soft and so light that it doesn't seem like I'm wearing a cloak at all.

"Dark brown?" Madam Malkin asks.

Sirius nods.

"I've got the perfect colour, sir. Here. Same fabric as this one, a lovely chestnut. It's quite dark, but very elegant."

"That's good. This one then."

"Now you, Padfoot..."

"Yes, yes... I think one marine blue, not too dark. One black. One Bordeaux, too."

"Good choice, Mr. Black. Here's some examples."

He looks through the swatches, picks a blue one, then the same Bordeaux as I have and finally looks at the styles.

"I'd say that the more severe one would fit you well, too, sir," Madam Malkin suggests.

Sirius gets draped in the robe, looks at his reflection in the mirror and I stare. Gosh, Sirius in Muggle clothes is usually sexy, but this is Sirius in an elegant robe, fitted with a silver belt and he looks the old noble family he represents. Looking at him I'm in awe. He's not only beautiful, but now that he's reaching the end of his thirties he looks the mature wizard at the first prime of his power. Walking in a robe like that and a black cloak over it, wizard's hat on his head he would be able to scare a lot of people. Tiny Madam Malkin looks him up and down and I imagine she's thinking the same thing.

"The black one. Silver embroidery..." she says in a low voice and waves her wand.

Sirius looks smashing! I tell him in German that he'd better be prepared for an assault, as soon as we feel the floor under our feet in Switzerland. He laughs, throws his long hair on his back and all I can do is stare.

"It's perfect, Sirius. I'd take this for the black one, too..."

"The black one then."

He tries something with a more casual upper part which almost looks like the button line on a polo shirt and even the collar is similar. The sleeves have no cuffs and are fitting. It's a bit less loose than mine and would look best with a regular belt. Madam Malkin produces one in the same material as the chosen fabric. It definitely looks more casual, but would still be more than okay for teaching. Finally for the Bordeaux coloured fabric he finds another style, also with wider sleeves and again with a more flowing robe. It has an elegant collar, folded back in a cardigan style but starting high up on the chest. It looks a bit like a sailor's shirt with a square end on his back for the collar. I smile again, when I look into the mirror. Yes, he's pleased with himself.

My robes have been done in the meantime, the cloak follows suit and everything gets neatly stacked into a bag. Then we wait for Siri's robes while he picks a black cloak. He finds one that doesn't only fit him it looks so bloody good I want to tear it off his body. I give him a slightly predatory glance, which he clearly understands. It's the full moon in just two more days, so I'm even a bit more keen than usual to get him laid.

"Can you hold what you just promised?" he whispers in my ear.

"You bet."



Sirius


Should have known. He always holds his promises. We get back home and he just banishes all our purchases into the living room and undresses me right in the front room! We stay there until we feel the need of having something more comfortable under our arses, so we apparate up into our bed. And by Merlin! He's hard again!

He's simply incredible. We're at it for the next three hours and when we finally fall asleep we're totally spent. Both of us. When was HE totally spent the last time? Wow.



Remus


Sirius has gone for a trip alone. I'm still so tired from our lovemaking last night I don't mind to just get a little more sleep, but I move outside to the garden. I wake up from a very extended nap on my large blanket under the apple tree to find Sirius reading next to me. When I open my eyes he looks up and bends down to kiss me. He has a couple of books next to him and I ask:

"What's that you read?"

"'Bout what we could do to have kids of our own, Remy..."

I'm awake in an instant.

"You want children? Of our own?" I ask.

"If it's possible without having to actually sleep with a woman," he says, his eyes dancing with mirth.

I grin. He'd really abhor that. Then I get serious. I pick up two of the books. Both are about parenting in general and the one he holds in his hands is titled: "So You're a Gay Wizard and Want to Be a Parent?"

There's a book about how gay wizards can go about becoming parents? I stare at Sirius and he hands me another book: "Gay Parents".

"What do the books say?"

"I've not read much yet, but this one says there's an easy way if we find a woman who plays along. We can inseminate her with a spell, we don't need to touch her, she doesn't need to touch us. That's one method. There are more adventurous ones. Even ones that shorten the gestation period, but personally I think that doesn't sound very trustworthy."

"With a spell? Hm. We'd need to find someone..."

"I'm thinking of an ad in the local wizarding newspaper, not the Daily Prophet."

"Worth a try."

"It says here we can inseminate her with the sperm of one partner and repeat the process a few days later with the sperm of the other partner. Results in twins. And the spell would be to get her to ovulate within three hours. Then the insemination has to take place within at the latest 24 hours. There's an additional spell to emphasise the fathers' traits in the baby, overruling the mother's dominant ones."

"Sounds not altogether too adventurous. It's all about finding the right person. - Are you sure it's a good idea, Siri?"

"I've just been thinking. It's getting more and more peaceful now, we'll return to Hogwarts and we'll possibly grow old there just like Filius or Edith, but I'm feeling like this can't be all. I'd like to do now what James and Lily did so long ago, I'd like to have something to carry on what we started. To see the life cycle repeat itself. To see children growing up and to see them leave and have families of their own. Maybe the Noble and Most Ancient House of the Blacks will take a better turn if I pass it on. And then I'd also love to have a child from you! A little one with those freckles on its nose and that wonderful smile you have. And finally I admit that I'm longing for a chance to experience what I missed with Harry while we were all suffering in our own personal hell. And who knows, I might give Harry and Hermione a good idea..."

"They're too young to go about being parents, Sirius!" I say.

"Yes, now. But not in a year or two."

I don't think about it for a long time. I know it's the one thing I'm really longing for and the chance is too good to pass up. Unbeknownst to me Sirius must have mulled the same thoughts in his head and now that he's had them thought out he goes about doing something to get what he wishes. And pulls me along. I happily accept being pulled along for the ride. One for each of us, it would be perfect. We'd be busy for the next twenty years.

We go about that letter and two hours later Anana is out of the house with an ad to the local wizarding newspaper stating that two wizards are looking for a witch to carry out a long term task for them. Owl your interest to Sunnegg.

The ad is in the next issue. Now we have to wait for offers. We get seven witches who seem interested and in the end there's one who would accept to actually do it. She's a 35 years old witch from the eastern part of Switzerland. When we talk with her we both get the impression that she has more than half a brain. We ask her why she would do it and she admits that she needs money to support her studies. It's clear that we don't expect anyone to do this for free, so we tell her that we would indeed give her money, one half when the insemination has taken place, the other half when the babies would be born. Sirius makes her a fairly gracious offer and we give her two days to consider it.

Two days later she's back. We have asked a wizarding solicitor to assist the contract and it's written out and signed by the next day. I have a fairly hard time to get used to the thought we would become parents once we get through this! The message sinks in when she turns up for the actual performance of the insemination, which we have asked Poppy to execute.

Poppy reacts to my owl post and apparates to Sunnegg a day later. I'm all alone again, as Sirius has gone out for the shopping. So I'm sitting outside, busying myself with some preparation work for the next term when she turns up.

"Good morning, Remus!"

"Hello, Poppy! It's good to see you again!"

I get up and hug her. She looks up to me and smiles.

"You're looking splendid, Remus! I've never seen you looking so healthy like these past two years!"

"I've never felt better, Poppy."

"So, for what do you need me then?" she asks.

"It's a bit delicate. Siri and I found a young woman who is willing to carry a child of ours to term for us. We need a healer for the insemination."

I have yet to find something to shock Poppy Pomfrey! What a wonderful woman she is. She just smiles at me and says:

"Wow. That's very nice of that young woman. When would it take place?"

"Immediately. We have done some reading and found out that it can be done with a spell, which activates her ovulation and another spell to inseminate her. Both spells together, within the right timeframe, should result in a pregnancy. The procedure is to be repeated within three days with the second partner if twins are desired. We do want two of them and she agreed."

"Did you put this down somewhere, Remus?"

"We did. She's signed a contract."

"And you're paying her?"

"She says she needs money for her studies. So Sirius has made her a fairly well-sized offer. She accepted. This way she'll be able to concentrate fully on her specialized studies instead of doing it next to working. She'll be done in a quarter of the time if she doesn't have to worry about money."

"Good. Where is Sirius now?"

"Out shopping for groceries. He'll be back soon and we can do it tomorrow if you like."

"Okay, no problem, I gladly help you there. This really should be done by a healer. Would you give me the book with the spell? So I can study it overnight..."

"Yes, of course."

I summon the book and hand it to her. The place is marked, she opens the book and quickly reads over the part. Then she nods and says:

"Yes, this is clear - no big deal. Have you thought this over well, Remus? You'll have twins! That's a bit of work, you know!"

"I think, we did. We have nine months of time to get ready for them. Then they will be born just before the break and we can settle in with them before we start the new term at Hogwarts. Shouldn't be too difficult to get used to them. During the day, when we teach, Dobby and Winky can watch them. Winky is very good with small children."

"Should work out. Albus will be pleased when he hears about that! May I tell him?" Poppy asks with a cheeky grin.

"Yes, Poppy, you may."

The next day we introduce her to the young witch, whose name is Miranda Mahler. At first Poppy puts her through a thorough examination, then she casts the spell to activate the ovulation. After several hours we're asked to produce the necessary semen. As it had been recommended we have been abstinent for several days, so now I get Sirius to make the start and hand the vial containing his sperm to Poppy who properly inserts it where it's supposed to go. Miranda is asked to remain lying on the bed for another while, then Poppy casts the spell which will transfer Siri's traits to the baby. We then arrange the second meeting, when it will be my turn.

Both of them are back three days later. Poppy first checks that the first insemination has been successful. She smiles and tells us that this has been the case, then she casts the spell again for a second ovulation to take place. I find it a bit embarrassing to go out and masturbate for the necessary amount of semen, but Sirius does the same thing for me as I've done for him a few days before and it's not as bad as I've expected it to be. The ritual takes place for a second time and the trait spell is cast as well. Then Poppy casts an additional spell and tells us that this will be a temporary binding of the birth mother to the fathers.

Once Miranda is up again we arrange for the money to be transferred to her account. She's asked to remain in contact with Poppy for the pre-natal checks. The first one is to find out if the second insemination has worked out, which seems to be the case. I can feel my heart beat like mad. We'll become parents. We've actually done it and there are two tiny lives growing in that young woman's womb who are our making and who will be our children. Sirius pulls me close that night and we sigh our hopes and our joy into each other's mouths.

Molly will certainly chide us for another 'rash decision', but I know this will work out well. We will do well as parents and it will be good for us. Important, too, because it's a basic need that's in us to reproduce. We'll only be happier for having done it this way than using any dangerous methods that would have involved only the two of us.

Two days after that the kids announce their return to the Sunnegg. The first ones to come home are the six who are currently at the Burrow. Then another week later Draco, Blaise, Padma and Parvati join us as well. Miranda has agreed to stay in contact and so we see ourselves forced to inform the students of the babies to be right away. When all are back and we have our first dinner together, Sirius asks for their attention.

"Err... there's something Remus and I have to tell you all..." he starts.

"You sound so guilty, what have you done?" Ron asks with a cheeky grin.

"Well, we decided we wanted to become parents. So now there's a young lady who is carrying our twins who should be born some time in late April," Sirius says without stopping for breath, just to have it out.

Everyone around the table goes silent. And then they start to grin, one by one, until finally all of them are hooting and laughing.

"Really? You did that? No joke?" Draco asks.

"No joke. We really did that. It was easier than we thought."

"Wow," Hermione whispers.

"So that means our NEWTS revision sessions will be interrupted by feeding and bathing newly born babies! How nice!" Ginny remarks.

"It's still a long time until then and we wanted to have it under way, so we'll still be there for you guys, after all it would have been worse if the due date would have been just when you have to leave for Hogwarts. We'll just take the little ones with us," I tell them.

"Now there's some fun... Remus and Sirius becoming Daddies," Blaise says.

"I think, it's brilliant," Hermione says.

"You do?" Sirius asks her.

"Yes, I do! You need it. And you'll do great as parents. Not to mention that I know a certain headmaster we all know will be very pleased," she insists

"Poppy was pleased. So I guess, Albus Dumbledore should already know about the fact that there's a mini-version of each of us is on the way as I've given her permission to tell him. Haven't heard anything from him yet though," I say.

"Now, since Harry and Hermione are using Hermione's room we thought we might change Harry's room to a nursery, if that would be alright with you, Harry."

"That's perfectly alright with me. Which one will be my godchild, Remus' or yours, Siri?" Harry asks nonchalantly, and I gasp.

We haven't even thought of something like that yet, and now Harry casually asks which one would be his godchild! Sirius is quite astonished, too.

"Whichever you choose, mate," Sirius says.

It's quite clear that Ron, Hermione and Ginny will be the other godparents. But it all seems to be so far in the future yet. It all went very fast, too. It's barely two weeks since the decision had been made. We've gone about the execution of the plan immediately and now it's done. I'm still a bit in awe about it all.

"We'll have to draw for it," Harry says with a smirk.

"But before you can even think of changing nappies and feeding bottles you have a whole school year to get through," I remark, "are you ready for that?"

"We are!" they all assure me.

Hermione has news about her Commumirrors. The Ministry is now evaluating them in earnest, because the people have realised the potential in the invention. Hermione's solicitor has agreed to lead the negotiations in her best interest. If all goes well, the new means of communication for the wizarding world can be introduced by the end of the year. Until then, the Ministry would look for people to register and help test the system. Several manufacturers have already been contacted for a mass-production of hand-held, pre-charmed mirrors for the purpose. At first, the Weasley-twins' Diagon Alley shop would be the first place to sell the mirrors to the public.

"This is going to be big business, Hermione! You don't have to work a day in your life, you'll see," Draco predicts.

"Well, we'll see. I'll certainly profit from it once there are enough subscribers. Because for the next one hundred years I'll keep the percentage from the Ministry profits. People can call as much, often and long as they like, they are just going to pay a yearly fee. Which will be in the range of about ten galleons, and maybe twenty or so sickles for the mirror, I will get 25% of the overall proceeds," Hermione explains.

"You'll be filthy rich before you're twenty, then," Draco comments with a smirk.

"And all my own doing!" She beams proudly.



Sirius


It's probably the craziest thing I've ever done. I have thought over my motivations over and over again since we've gone through with it. Just some whim? Or the stirring of the Black family pride to reproduce? After all there's no one else left in my family now to carry on the name. And I can start a Black family of the Light Side. I don't even care what gender my child will be, I welcome a girl or a boy, there's just that incredible need to have a family of my own. I am perfectly happy with my lover. The children will be the completion of what we are to each other. He'll have mine, I'll have his and we'll love them both to bits.

That I would like to have what I would have had with Harry if not for all the shit in our lives has certainly a large part in the decision. But while this might have been one of my infamous rash decisions - Molly Weasley will surely tell me that it was - I'm sure I'm going to do well. And I know that Remus has been thinking about it, he didn't have to tell me. I know how much he loves children, so he'll do even better than I. Easily. Our children will be raised with love. All I hope is that everything will be okay with Miranda. She's not made an unstable impression or anything, but we have to see that she remains in contact until the babies are born. They'll be slightly uneven twins. But that will just make them more individual. I can hardly wait to look a tiny version of Remus in the eyes.

The first fun part of the whole thing will be the decision on the names. I have no idea so far. Only one: it will NOT be a star of any kind! Since I intend to break with the family tradition of raising dark wizards or witches I will start right with the name. And Tonks doesn't have to be afraid that a child of ours will be tortured with a name like hers either. I think we'll have to get another few books to ponder about the names.

Once the teens know about the future family members they start coming in with name suggestions. It becomes like a game and we take it in good fun. Remus and I look at each other and smile enigmatically and tell them that we'll see.

They're all set now for the new school year and once the first excitement about the babies is over we can concentrate on what is important for them.

"Would the usual schedule still be okay with you or do you want us to change something?" I ask before the start of term.

"It's okay with me. For me you don't have to change anything," Hermione says and shrugs her shoulders.

"Fine with me as well..." Justin adds, "it's so known by now we don't even have to think about what subject the next lesson will be."

Seems they're all okay with it, so we maintain the schedule the way we've had it in the past two years. We add an extra period to Potions to have more time for the more complex potions we will be making. Arabella has chosen some very complex ones for the seventh years and it's going to be demanding. But there are a few less over all, so we should actually be through a bit faster than the Hogwarts seventh years, because we do one period more on Thursday.

There's not much new in Transfiguration anymore, so we will work over all forms of transfigurations they know and practice them intensively. I'd like to see them transfiguring things without losing much thought about the how. Give them something and tell them to turn it into so and so and see them do it flawlessly. Should be fun...

And I've got to intensify my own study of potions. I will be teaching it at Hogwarts after this and that will be too demanding that I can still take off time to do it then. So this year I'll have work through the week. I need to do more in the study of the theory and the preparation of some of the standard lectures. Actually I start looking forward to teaching at Hogwarts. It will be a lot more work than here, that's for sure. We'll still spend weekends here and of course all vacations and I really hope to see many of the kids back now and then.

"You're far away, Padfoot," Remus says.

I'm startled out of my reflections. He looks at me with a smile and I admit:

"Been thinking."

"'Bout what?" he asks.

"Lots actually. Preparation work I need to do for Hogwarts next year. I'll take the opportunity when we bring the kids to Hogwarts for the NEWTS to look for a suitable classroom. I'm not going to teach in the dungeons, as I said."

"And we can share an office, if you like..."

"I'd love that."

He beams. We've worked together so well here, I'd really miss having him close. Wouldn't want to be alone in an office.

"That means we'll have to talk Dumbledore into giving us a larger room, because the Defence office I had last time was definitely rather small. But I suppose he'll be pliant in this matter... after all we want to be content to do good work."

"Yes, but there are X abandoned classrooms. They're nicely big enough for an office for two. We'll make it nice and cosy like this here."

I sigh. So much we'll have to organise. That's going to be fun with two newly born children. But we'll share the work, so it should work out well.



Justin


Two weeks before the term starts we plan to go to the Diagon Alley to shop for the school materials. I have already talked to Jenny through my parents' Commumirror and fixed the date with them and her. I'll pick her up and apparate her to the Diagon Alley. It IS amazing, how much simpler things get once we're allowed to apparate!

I leave a bit earlier than the others to fetch my sister. We'll meet them at the Leaky Cauldron. I apparate directly to my parents' house.

"Hey everyone! Are you ready to leave, Jenny?" I ask.

"Oh, you've given me a fright, Justin!" Mum calls.

"Sorry, Mum!"

"This is really scary, the way you just turn up here, Justin!"

"But it's so comfortable. Two minutes ago I left the others and now we'll meet them at the Leaky Cauldron..."

"Still frightening, Justin, but I'll get used to it, I guess. Anyway, here's a purse with the money you need to get Jenny equipped. And this is yours. I hope, it's enough to get you through the term."

"Thanks, Mum. I'm sure it is. I've still got a bit left over from last term. I'll bring Jenny back as soon as we're through everything, okay?"

"Fine! Have a very nice day, you two!"

"I can't wait anymore, Justin, come on, let's go!" Jenny squeals.

I take her by the hand and apparate both of us to the Leaky Cauldron. I'm quite relieved that it works. We have done it a bit with Remus and Sirius, but I haven't done it over such a long stretch yet. Now I know that I can do it. We meet the others and first proceed to the bookshop, where we get all our new books and then the supply shop to have a refill of everything from parchment over ink and quills to Jenny's telescope and her dragonhide gloves.. When we move on to get her cauldron and the potions kit, the others go their merry ways. Ron stays with me though and we get all of the supplies. The last thing to do is to first get her robes and then her wand. We tackle the robes shop first. She's very pleased with the school robes. A cloak and a wizard's hat are added to the pile and we pay for everything.

She's very excited by now, because she'll get her wand now. We enter Ollivanders' and the old man comes out to greet us. He starts to measure Jenny, always commenting on this or that and telling her that the wand chooses the witch. It takes a while until she finds one that reacts to her, but he's delighted and packs it up. She has one with a unicorn's hair as a core. She's most happy with it.

After that Ron and I accompany Jenny home.

"Jenny, as soon as you're settled in at Hogwarts I want to know all about your sorting, do you hear me?"

"As if I could keep that to myself, Justin. I wonder what house I'll be in..."

"Usually no Muggle-born children get sorted to Slytherin, Jenny, and all other houses are just fine," Ron says.

"Good. Then I don't mind."

"Have a great trip there, don't worry, that you know no one on the train, you'll soon make friends at Hogwarts! There will be quite a lot of others who have less of an idea about it than you!" I tell her.

"I'll be fine, Justin! It's a bit of a shame that you can't be there..."

"I'm sorry about that, too. But you'll enjoy it anyway. It's not said, that you will land in the same house as I did."

We return home to the Sunnegg, where the others have already put their new stuff away and go about their fun. We do the same and meet some of them in the common room.



Harry


I don't think they could have surprised us more. They're going to have children. That should be quite fun actually. I've overcome my initial shock and now I am almost impatient. It's still very new and it's going to take a long time until the two little ones arrive. I wonder what they'll have. Two boys, two girls or one each? I think, one of each would be the nicest thing. And I'll be a godfather, too! Actually that's only natural after Siri's been my godfather. I think, I'd like to be the godfather of the girl, if there is one. If there are two girls, I don't mind which one. We'll probably all want to baby-sit them! It's funny that no one in the group has done more than a bit of teasing.

Hermione's received word from the technical department of the Department of Magical Transportation. Her Commumirrors are going on sale by mid-October and will start working on the 1st December. We original users get our names pre-registered of course and upon Hermione's wish we get it for free. The advertising campaign starts by mid-September and will go on for several months. There will be ads on Quidditch matches, in the Daily Prophet, the Quibbler and every other wizarding publication, posters on the advertising walls along the Diagon Alley and spots on the WWN. I think, Draco is right, she'll be rich before she's twenty. Especially once the system gets extended to other countries.

It's going to be madness once it's coming out. She'll be drowning in the press interest. We'll have to start to protect our privacy all over again. But I know that Remus won't hesitate to re-instate the anti-apparition wards the minute he feels there will be reporters swarming in.



Remus


We have to think about warding our grounds again. This time not against Death Eaters but against a wave of journalists once Hermione's invention becomes known. I will certainly not allow anyone to disturb her privacy and her schooling. George and Helen have already asked me to keep her out of the press as well as I can and I've promised them that I'm not keen on having that kind of riffraff on my grounds.

Of course she'll need a bit of exposure, but that will be done through regular press conferences. Maybe one or two exclusive interviews. She is quite happy to hide behind Sirius' and my back.

Term starts with our customary dinner on 1st September and classes start right the next day. Justin receives an owl from Hogwarts in the evening and he grins quite happily, because it's from his little sister.

"Jenny's been sorted into Gryffindor! She's all happy and loves the Gryffindor tower and her first lessons have passed well, too. That's great. I'll have to send her a letter back. She'll love the owl deliveries in the mornings."

"That's great, Justin," I say.

"She'll be happy to have you two as her teachers next year!"

We get back into the routine of classes very quickly, though we're all missing Neville, Mandy and Morag. We're getting letters from them on a fairly regular basis though. The first one comes from Morag, on the weekend after the start of term. It's addressed to Siri and I, but I read it for everyone:

"Hello there, my Swiss gang!

I've returned to Hogwarts and when I arrived, Professor Dumbledore asked me to his office to clear where I would be staying. He's offered to re-sort me, which was a very strange thing and so I decided I'd give it a try. I entered the Great Hall and was taken first to be sorted. The hat wanted to put me back to Slytherin at first, but I thought that would be stupid, not only would I be all alone there, I don't really see myself as a Slytherin anymore. So it bluntly asked me what I wanted and I thought anything but the dungeons. I didn't know the Sorting Hat could laugh. Suggested a tower and said I wasn't quite fit for Ravenclaw, so it put me into Gryffindor. It was quite funny actually.

So I walked to the Gryffindor table. And noticed how very few students my old house has left. Most of them were completely unknown to me. Some fifth and sixth years looked at me angrily, but I couldn't care less. It's strange that there are no seventh years left. It was not a nice view. Lavender called me over to her side. As you know, she and Dean are the Gryffindor prefects. Neville was already sitting next to her and opposite of Seamus. I was actually quite glad to be able to sit down next to them.

So I'm not only a guest in Lavender's dorm, I'm a new Gryffindor. It's quite okay and that year will pass quickly, I'm sure. Classes have started well. Already had the first Potions class, together with the Ravenclaws, so I paired up with Mandy. Professor Figg is doing a great job. She's quite indulgent and you should see the classroom! It has changed considerably. Much brighter now. Lots of frilly tablemats and things around! Well, as bright as it can get in the dungeons.

I hope to hear from you guys soon!

Love

Morag."

It sounds like she's quite happy to be back. I'm glad that she has taken this path, it will really give her more opportunities.

Our students get more work loaded on their shoulders than they have ever had before. It is their seventh year and they have to sit NEWTS at the end of it. So they toil in the library on many a long evening. Sirius and I are quite glad it's them and not us.

As soon as the first information about the Commumirrors is out over the WWN, the reporters try to raid our house. The wards have been set up though and anyone who tries to come in is sent back with the information that interviews are only available by appointments through Hermione's solicitor, Mrs June Winter. After a week of people running against our wards it dies a bit down. Mrs Winter pays us regular visits and sends all possible information through owl post. And of course she's already fitted with a working Commumirror.

We keep everything away from Hermione. There are official Ministry statements and there is a press conference she will attend at the Ministry on 3rd October. We all apparate to the Ministry on Friday for a big reception, then there will be the press conference on Saturday.



Hermione


I'm in a rather grumpy mood because of this press conference, but I have to pull myself together, because of course this will serve to get the Commumirrors known. We get to the Ministry on Friday after classes. All of us have been invited to a reception, so all of us are donned in dress robes. Harry and I have bought ours on our last trip to the Diagon Alley. First we're being introduced to the Minister. As if we didn't already know Fudge. Then we get introduced to all the other big shots at the Ministry and some of the British wizarding high society. Then there is a speech and a dinner and after that there is a ball.

I hate it, but it's clear to me, that I'll have to accept to dance with many people. I do manage a few dances with Harry though and of course that's food for the press. Harry isn't the "Boy Who Lived" and the "Vanquisher of You-Know-Who" for no reason. He's been left alone after he vanquished Voldemort, mostly because Dumbledore has kept the press out of our Swiss home and because at that time the location of our safe house was really kept a secret. But that protection is gone now. We know we'll have to fend for ourselves to be left alone. It's probably part of growing up. But that doesn't mean I like it any more.

The evening is quite nice though and we spend the night at a hotel in Diagon Alley. The next morning we're back at the Ministry, where we are led to a big, but stuffy room. There is a dais where I will sit with the Minister and my solicitor. At first they bombard Fudge with questions, then it's my turn. I strictly answer only the ones which actually concern themselves with the Commumirrors. If anyone asks about Harry's and my relationship I have the standard reply: no comment. It seems like I'm in that room for hours. It seems I'm explaining the system twenty times and I think by now it should be fairly clear. I demonstrate it by calling some of my friends and even Mandy, who's at Hogwarts, just to show that it works everywhere. Finally I get really sick and tired of the whole thing and I ask Mrs Winter to end it.

She gets up promptly and announces that this is the end of the conference. We leave the room and I can return home with the others. Two weeks after the interview the twins start selling the mirrors and register the first clients.



Fred


It's a madhouse! We have set up a part of our store to sell the mirrors and register the users. There is a huge queue outside of our shop when we open it in the morning and while George tends to the joke shop, which runs a bit more quiet than through the summer vacation, I take position for the registration of Hermione's Commumirrors. We have ordered about five thousand mirrors. We have already received written pre-orders for about three thousand of them from several parts of the world and Britain mostly for business people. The shop is being run over by interested clients and of course we're totally swamped. I call Tonks and cry for help and she turns up with some of her friends in the afternoon to guard the door and let the people in and out one by one. I have already sold over two hundred mirrors and registered an equal amount of users. They pay the first year cash, so they can get to use the mirrors soonest.

By the evening I'm totally run down. I get home and Angelina, quite tired herself from a harsh training session with the Harpies orders me to get an employee immediately. George and I send an ad to the Daily Prophet the same evening. By Monday we have a few people interested and George interviews them while I tend to the shop again. I didn't know there were THAT many wizards in Britain! But by the end of the first week we get visitors to buy the Commumirrors from all over Europe and the news has already been spread to the States as well. We get swamped with owl post from interested sellers in the States, Australia and New Zealand.

I can't believe it. It's not that I'm really surprised, because I've always known that Hermione has created something really ingenious. She's filled one of the really big holes in the wizarding world and seemingly she's the only one who so far thought of this. I suppose that many will slap themselves for not having had the idea.

By the time the system actually allows the start-up - all the Commumirrors had been barred until December 1st - we have already sold the second batch of five thousand Commumirrors. Once the people start using them we get even more interest. Especially once it gets clear that the system works quite flawlessly and that whatever little problems turn up can usually be fixed quickly. We have now two regular shop assistants who are only tending to the Commumirrors business. Soon it gets to be as normal to see people in the Diagon Alley talking into their Commumirrors as it is to see Muggles on the street talking into their mobile phones.

We keep both businesses strictly separated. The Ministry has granted us 20% of the proceeds, but we have all of our expenses. One subscription costs 15 galleons a year and we usually get the first year paid in cash. Out of each subscription sold we get three galleons. Hermione earns three galleons and twelve sickles. The way we start to sell them that will make for a pretty good profit, even though we have to pay for two employees. At least right now, since we're the only representatives for the Ministry.

So by the end of the year we have a turn-around of almost 150'000 galleons. I'm glad that our two assistants are working quite well, so I can return to tending to our own business. The joke shop has become a great success. We'll surely be able to open a branch at Hogsmeade sooner or later, since our main clients, school kids, are up there at Hogwarts. Of course, Lee has become a partner and he's probably going to take care of the Hogsmeade branch.



Ron


Hermione gets an owl every second day with figures and figures of the Commumirrors sold. Fred and George are meticulous in telling her exactly what she earns. She just reads over them and grins. By the end of the year she's already earned roughly 35'000 Galleons. It's all been shoved into her new Gringotts vault and she says she's not in a hurry to touch more than she needs.

"But I know on what I intend to spend a lot of this gold - our wedding! I want this to be a really great party next summer!" she promises.

Harry grins, too. He looks at me and then says:

"You know, from now on I'm just going to watch Hermione earning a fortune and becoming the next Minister of Magic. I'll sit back, wait for the brood to arrive and tend to the family."

"You don't want her to become Minister, you fool! That means attending tons of society events, giving interviews and take over charity things!" I warn him.

"Darn it! Haven't thought of that! I think I just watch her earn money then. And still look after the family."

I grin. Harry is so notoriously shy of being the centre of attention he'll probably do anything to keep the public away.

We spend our already traditional Christmas skiing vacation in the same hotel in Belalp where we've been the year before. This time we don't need any instructor of course and the rooms are shared by the couples. We all enjoy the good weather and the ski slopes and have a lot of fun. There are two days of snow and two days with some grey weather, but the rest is superb. Remus takes us to the Leukerbad once. It's a bath fed by hot springs, so the huge outdoors pool is heated to about 35° C. We can swim in our swimming trunks while it's just about 0° outside and we even run barefoot through the snow without really feeling it. It's a lot of fun and we really like it.

But all too soon we have to get back to our workload of studying. This last year really does us in, I think. Remus and Sirius have to work us so hard, as there's so much which gets stuffed into this year's syllabus.



Ginny


Finally up in the mountains! I take the opportunity for a few flying practices. First I choose the early mornings, when the sun is just coming up, but unfortunately the thermals aren't the best at that time, so I tend to go and transform very surreptitiously somewhere and fly at noon. I use concealment charms to look like a mountain daw. I concentrate on gaining height first and then I can feel it. The up wind is giving me a shiver through my whole body. I stop flapping my wings and start trusting the thermals. I learn to make the right sized circles that will keep me losing height only very slowly. I know Sirius stands somewhere and watches me.

In the following days I extend the length of my flights. Sirius is worried a bit, but he says nothing. I can apparate, so if I land somewhere too tired to fly back I can still apparate back. Then I follow the Aletsch glacier and see where it ends and how it looks up there. It's called the Concordia square according to Remus and it's all blinding white and absolutely stunning. I quietly fly over this area and find myself almost crossing the Alps if I don't take care so I return back to the hotel. I land on the railing of the small terrace. Then I quickly check the surrounding and fly behind the small shack behind the hotel. I can transform there and return to the house in my ski dress.

I really love skiing, but this has been the best day yet. The quiet majesty of these mountains in the sun was really something impressive. I'm still under the impact of the view when I enter the restaurant, where the others sit. Sirius sighs in relief when he sees me.

"I'm really glad you've come back, Ginny! I've been worried sick, because you were out so long," he whispers.

"Sorry, Sirius. But what I've seen today was so awesome, I just couldn't leave it sooner. I've been flying almost up to the Jungfrau! That upper part of the glacier in the sunlight was just amazing! I just wish any of you could have seen it with my eyes."

"We would probably be equally impressed. I'm just glad it all went well."

"I know how it feels now."

Ernie holds me tight that night. He tells me he's been worried, too. I can only hold him and kiss him and then make love to him.

"I envy you! I really wish I could come up there with you. But I'd probably better not try on my broom."

"No, I don't think it's wise. I've been on at least 4000 metres, Ernie, and the air gets really thin up there. The flying is going better every day. And what is best is that I'm now really feeling the up winds. It's a sensational feeling to slowly glide through the air in large circles. I've concealed myself as a mountain daw, so that was not the most typical behaviour of them but I don't think anyone noticed."



Harry


We get back to the Sunnegg in time to start the new term.

A few mornings after the new term has started I groan as there is an owl from Mrs Winter, in which she asks Hermione and I to be ready to give an interview to a reporter from Witch Weekly. At least Mrs Winter sees to it that there are no Quick Quote Quills, only a recording spell is allowed and before the interview is published it has to be shown to Hermione and I for approval. And we've demanded it to be question/answer form, they are not allowed to plant our answers into a text the reporter writes.

Oh, how I still hate this. And Hermione doesn't like it any better, because choosing Witch Weekly means that Mrs Winter has finally decided that one magazine has to have the chance to ask Hermione some more personal questions. At least it won't be Rita Skeeter who will do the interview. Remus and Sirius have given their okay for the interview, but they want to be present. We take the reporter to the kitchen, where we all sit down with some tea and cakes, then the questions come. Of course one of the first questions is whether the new business queen of Britain's wizarding world and the Boy Who Lived will get married. Our rings have been a dead give-away of course, so we just say yes, but that no date has been set yet.

There are also several questions regarding our current location and our schooling here in Switzerland and of course some are about our teachers as well, since Sirius is still an illustrious name and it's quite well known that he lives with a werewolf. Both of them don't like the questions but Hermione and I reply to them with the necessary reservation, which they both seem to appreciate. We're quite glad that we get the last word on the article and hold the thing in our hands the very next day. All of us read it and make our comments, then, with our own corrections we pass it back to the reporter.

It gets published in the next issue of Witch Weekly and after that we're swamped with letters for a while. Luckily no howlers and no hate mail for once.

It's really hard to concentrate on our work. But we have to and so we concentrate and study. The Animagus training is a bit on the backburner, but I think, Hermione and I have it pretty much down. I notice that Ginny sometimes takes off from her outside perch if she feels the need to recuperate. Since we know about her concealment charm, we can always see her as the golden eagle she is and she's absolutely amazing! She's got these really strong wings and just a few flaps with them brings her up very high. Ron has taken several pictures of her during the break and she sends them home for her Mum to see.

About once or twice a week Miranda turns up at the Sunnegg. Her belly starts to show the pregnancy quite prominently. Siri and Remus are all smiles every time she comes in and she allows them to caress the babies through her belly.



Remus


It's just simply amazing when Miranda turns up. She's doing well, with the pregnancy and her studies. She wants to be a potions mistress and is well on the way there. She apparates to Hogwarts to see Poppy once a month and says everything is okay with the babies. We don't want to know their gender before the children are born. It's more than half the term now and she's feeling well. Siri and I have read a few books about pregnancy and giving birth, so we'll be prepared. Miranda has turned out to be a very nice woman. She's quite shy though and doesn't go out often. We are both very thankful for her to do what she does for us.

Sirius works hard through his theory. He profits from Miranda, as she has most of what he needs to memorise again down well and she actually agrees to work with him. He is glad for that because while he's very good at brewing potions and has been able to teach quite well, he's still insecure about doing the work with many classes. Miranda follows several of his lessons and tells him that he's doing just fine in her opinion.

I think she likes visiting us. She also likes to see the kids transform. When she sees Ginny for the first time and sees her in the air her mouth hangs open.

"Wow, she's amazing! How does one do that?" she asks.

"It's a bit of work until you get there, but once you've done it for the first time it gets quite easy," Sirius tells her.

"You've taught them to do this? This is incredible!"

"Sirius is incredible," I confirm, "He's taught fourteen people to become Animagi at once. I don't think that anyone has ever done something like that. Or else he could be crazy..."



Sirius


I punch Remus in the arm! How can he say something like that? I'm not crazy!

Every time I see Miranda these days I get more aware of what she carries in her belly. She's really kind and very nice. She allows us to feel the babies' movements and tells us about their growing. Poppy usually calls us on the Commumirror after she's been to an examination. The babies are well. Poppy already knows what their gender is, but we have told her that we don't want to know before they're born. We'd still not know which one is whose, so we can just as well wait. But we count the days!

Classes are still a lot of fun. I think I'll really miss the diversity and the different classes I teach here. It will be a bit more difficult to concentrate on one subject only. I'll just have to see that I don't do the same potions year in year out, but that I'll change them around so it will be more interesting for myself.

I'm using Morag's system to compile questionnaires for tests. I get a lot more than I really need this way, but I'm combing the results and just pick the really good questions. I've at least prepared something already. I try to get as much as possible done before we'll be swamped with the baby stuff.

We prepare the nursery. First we have to take out the furniture we've put in for Harry. He clears the last of his things out and then I make a passage to our room. I leave the door away, if we want to have fun with each other we'll use one-way silencing charms. I do add a curtain instead of the door. Then we change the colour of the walls to a soft light green. The floor gets a thick carpet. We set up two cradles and two changing tables, which we put on two dressers. There will be a cupboard and a small bookcase. Then we add two rocking chairs. The cradles are fitted with a light green fabric on which I magic little black dogs and grey wolves, who run around and play with each other. Remus smiles when he sees this and Miranda shakes her head when she sees it.

"Wolves and dogs???" she asks.

She only knows about the kids, but has no idea about Remus and I. So we quickly transform.

"Ah! I get the picture. You mean you want to let them know early on!"

"Well, I take it that it will be fun for them to watch the little canines play around," I say.

"They'll be used to it right from the start at least."

Week for week we get closer to the date and we both get very nervous. Miranda stops apparating. She comes to stay for the last four weeks and we'll Portkey her to Hogwarts when the birth starts.



Parvati


At the end of March Miranda comes to stay at the Sunnegg until the babies will be born. Sirius and Remus will bring her to Hogwarts when it starts. We're all getting to experience the last month of her pregnancy first hand and it's not always fun. She's restless though she's well. She feels tired at the same time and to ease her mind she sometimes helps Sirius with his Potions lessons. She really knows a lot already and is able to convey her knowledge to us just fine even though it takes us a while to get used to her funny dialect.

We've gone through most of the spells we were supposed to learn and now Remus starts bringing the practice tests back. That reminds us to start revising for the NEWTS. We really have a lot of work and it's getting harder to concentrate because of the sheer amount of it. We're back outside on the long table where we brood over our tests. They're more difficult than the OWLS, that much is clear. But we notice that the system is practically the same, so we know how to study for them best. We're also back to correcting those practice tests together. And we learn from our mistakes there quite quickly. It's a good way to study for the tests, as many of the most important questions turn up again and again and after the third time even I have them figured out.

But there are a lot of subjects. We're tested in everything we've had in these seven years. So we work in the library most of the time and get little time for anything else but schoolwork. We have to do a session to brew the next batch of contraception potion though, so we meet up on a weekend to do that. We've owl ordered the ingredients for it and when we sort them out, Miranda grins and knows exactly what we're up to. We take the stuff over to the classroom and pin the recipe on the whiteboard to see it easier. The four of us work together well and Miranda watches us from afar.

"You don't seem to need any help for that, I see," she says.

"No, it's the third time we're making it," Hermione explains.

"Better safe than sorry, eh?"

"Exactly."

Once the potion is done we let it cool down and return to our revising. Hermione is quite the slave driver again and we advance well. Every night, Draco and I usually just sink into our bed and both of us are much too tired to do anything else but actually sleep. Of course occasionally we also make love, but mostly we really just sleep.



Justin


We're all getting tired. Hermione is relentless and pulls us on with her revision schedules. Remus and Sirius are adding to the mix with all their practice tests. We do them day in and day out right now. The only new bit left is Remus' small course in wandless magic. He tests those of us who are able to actually achieve anything without our wands.

Jenny has been steadily writing me letters about her progress at Hogwarts. She seems to enjoy it there and has made a couple of friends. I'm happy for her. She'll do just fine. And her marks seem to be good.

In the meantime the due date for the babies gets close. According to Madam Pomfrey it's on the 26th April. But she has warned Miranda that it can be any time between ten days before or ten days after that. It turns out that the babies are kind - they want to come out two days before, which is a Friday.