Chapter 27

The middle of the night had come to the Marauders Den. As April continued the nights seemed to get warmer not that that was of much relevance to the wild life in the woods that night. A great stag wondered down one of the paths in to a clearing where he found a werewolf relaxed, sitting in the middle as he watched a little red fox try to bate the grim like creature by her side in to chasing her about.

As soon as she saw the stag though, she stopped, scurried over to him and brushed up against his legs.

It was with affection that the stag bent down and nuzzled in to the smaller animal. It was uncanny as they looked in to one another's eyes, which were hard to tell the difference between if you could not see their bodies.

Only maybe Lily would be able to do it.

The father was thrilled to have the night with his daughter. So rare was it that he got a little time off that he was thrilled to spend it with her. Affectionately he nuzzled in to her close, willing just to be near to his daughter as he relaxed but the energetic little being was in no mood to relax.

As soon as she got the point that he wanted her to rest with him she was up and jumping about again. Returning to the grim, she bashed in to his body causing no real affect.

Finally, the werewolf got up and proceeded to tease the little one, chasing her playfully whilst being careful never to being harm to her. It was good to have her home indeed.

Elle awoke the next day exhausted. She had had a wonderful last time and her fatigue was well worth it. She stretched in bed, turned over and decided maybe to go back to bed. There were no classes at home and she was glad of it.

She had been just about to fall back in to dreams when her door opened. She turned to see Beth, a huge smile on her face.

"You are never going to guess what?" she asked.

"What?"

"I am going to be big sister!"

She was beaming. Elle smiled back. It was odd she had always thought if Mel got pregnant then Beth would take it badly.

She had hardly been the easiest person to live with when they had been arguing and she had been positively against the thought of her mum marrying Sirius to begin with. She wondered what had brought her about.

Then again it didn't really matter did it?

"That is so wonderful!" she said as she got up and rushed round too hug her. "Excuse the morning breath."

"You excuse mine. As soon as I heard the news I came right down here, I am not sure you were even meant to know but I had to tell some one or I was sure I was going to go mad." She said to her.

Elle beamed. Beth had had to tell someone and she had come straight to her. It was funny to think they had drifted so far apart the year before. Now they were like sisters in so many ways.

"I thought you would have hated a baby." She said to her.

"What because I don't talk about boys twenty four hours a day or because I don't wear pink like you or Emily. I am not a complete monster."

"I know your not!" laughed Ellouise.

"I just don't believe it." she declared going back to the subject of her expected sibling. "I always thought it was just going to be more and mum and now I find I am going to be a big sister and have – well." She said as she dropped off.

"Go on." Pleaded Elle.

"Me and mum have found a man who loves us, both of us. Sirius - well I know you have not seen it but I have spent a fair bit of timed with him and he is like you know, the dad I never really – I dunno. Its corny." She shook her head.

Elle knew what she wanted to say. The dad she never had.

"I know. You don't have to explain to me. Beth I am so happy for you." she declared as they embraced.

"Good. Elle this is a good sign I know it. This is a good omen." She said to her as she run off to the next room no doubt to spread the happy news or to return to her mother and step father to celebrate with them.

Ellouise whole heartedly agreed with her. What else could a new life bring but a good omen. New blood to the Marauders Den. Possibly an heir for Padfoot. Part of her wondered if they thought it was important to him to have a son to carry on his name. They lived here in a some what stately home, she thought to herself. And ever since she arrived it had always reminded her of one of two things. A Fairy tale castle or a palace where a king of old might bring his court.

And the marauders were legend Hogwarts. She imaged they'd want their lines to continue, their name carried forward.

But she was sure Sirius was going to be thrilled with his baby what ever the sex. When he had been imprisoned he had lost all hope of his own family.

Now look at him, Elle thought to herself. No, Sirius would love the child no matter what it was. His parent's cared about sex and blood lines. He did not.

Fred watched Elle as she poured over her books. He didn't see the point in school any more. Not now they had the gold and the means to set up the shop.

That was his and George's dream and it was going to come true. And then when Elle finished her schooling she was going to come and be with him he told himself silently. They wouldn't live in the flat, they would be able to get a house together, the three of them and who ever George was with by then. No, the shop was for both their futures her mused to himself. He would make a fortune by the time she had finished Hogwarts and he was going to be able to keep her in manner she was accustom too.

"What are you thinking?" she asked finally

"What happens next? Elle this is my last term." He said to her. They had not yet spoken about it.

She sighed. She had known it was going to have to come up. There was no way around it. After all they were – serious about each other. They had to figure it all out. What happened now he was going to be leaving school.

"I can't imagine Hogwarts with out you." she admitted shamefully to him. Even when they had not been together he had always been there to look out for her when she had been down. It had been him last Christmas who had remembered her grand father's anniversary.

"No. it is going to be strange…Elle I don't want us to end. I know it is going to be hard to see each other but I love you. I am going to be loyal and we are going to get through this," he said.

"I know that. We have weathered worst storms than this my darling. It is going to be hard not seeing your ugly mug every day. But we are going to be fine." She teased. "I am dreading you know. Waking up and not seeing you." she said more tenderly.

"It's like you say it is going to be ok. I just think we need to be ready for it, because it is going to happen." He said to her. He didn't want to get to the end of summer and it be launched on them.

"Let's enjoy the term we do have and summer. And then we can think about missing one another." She advised him.

"Yeah…and then when you finch school we can get our own place." He suggested.

"Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about that?" she laughed even though thought that idea delighted her.

"Who's says? " he questioned.

That was undoubtedly one of the wonderful things about Fred, with him any thing was possible.

"Ok. So say we do get this house. What's it going to be like?" she asked, indulging in their little dream.

"Erm –" he said thinking for a moment. If this was going to be there home it needed thought. "It isn't going to be as big as this place." He offered as a starting point. "But it isn't going to be as small as mine is. There be four bed rooms, and a huge garden." He said.

"For the kids?"

"Eventually," he mused, but it really was too early to think of that. "But more just so – well don't know it'd just be nice, and we are going to gave a huge living room."

"And it's going to be white. White houses are so pretty!" she gushed in a mock girly fashion. "And roses are climb up it." more solemnly.

"And this is what you want for our house?"

"Yes, when I move in to it I will be mistress of the house, so you better obey me!" she reminded him.

"But I will be the master of the house. I will rule over it all. I will rule over you, be your master…"

"Now you really are dreaming."

From out side they heard some one walked down the corridor. Fred moved to look who it was, but by the time he got there, they were gone.

"Who was it?" asked Elle from the table.

"I have no idea."

He tossed and he turned. He tried to get comfortable. What he had heard that day had unnerved him. He was about to turn again he felt his wife's cool hand took his in her own, looking up at him with her emerald eyes.

"What is wrong James? You've not slept a wink darling."

"I was listening to a conversation today that I don't think I should have heard."

"Then it has some thing to with the one of two things. The order or the kids." She guessed.

"The latter."

"Then it is our eldest daughter or son on your mind. Nothing has happened to Harry has it?" she said quickly.

"No he is fine I spoke to him on the mirror tonight, he is doing good." he beamed with pride at the thought of his first born, "no this is Ellouise." He said before recounting to his wife all he had heard when he had been walking down the corridor and heard it all. He had stopped so maybe he had brought it on himself to hear her talking about it all.

"Oh come James don't worry about that." she said to him.

"So your telling me you think it is appropriate for our fourteen year old daughter to talk to her boy friend about there own place."

"That's all it is James, talk, she is a child and so is he deep down still. It'll never work, this is just them dreaming." Lily tried to explain her thoughts on the subject. "And who are we to stop her doing that?" she questioned. "She has had to many dreams for one of her aged squashed. So let her get on with it, and then when they break up which I bet they do it will be forgotten. And if they don't…then there meant to be."

"But lily…she is our little girl. How much of a child hood since she came to us has she actually had between worrying about her brother, breaking down and us joining the order? I want her to be a child before she grows up any more, is that so wrong?" he shook his head.

"No of course it isn't. And that is what I want for her too. And its what's she having. She thinks she has found her prince. She might have granted, but if not then at least she had had some fun on the road that will in the end lead her to heart brake. I hope she isn't on that road because she has suffered enough. Let her have fun, dream of big houses. For now she is our child and will remain so till she is of age. Go to sleep James. She's fine. She is doing what any other girl going through puberty is." She reassured him.

"Oh Lily." he said repulsed.

"James you are going to have deal with this. Besides she has always been interested in boys it is just part of who she is. May be she dinguses it well in front of you but she is a little flirt. She doesn't think I know it but I do. And she might get hurt. She wears her heart on her sleeve there is always a chance of her getting stung, that's the girl she is. But she is doing nothing abnormal for a girl of her age who has been through what she has. She's emotionally mature for her age; lord knows we all knew that. She had to build her life back up from scratch last year and Fred was always a part of the world she created for herself."

"But is that just it? A fantasy. Well the way I remember it they end awful quick. Lily I do not want our baby hurt again."

"But she is a teenage girl. She is going to be. And if we interfere we are just going to make things worse. Now get some sleep." She said to him playfully as she cuddle up to him.

It wasn't long till he heard crying from the cribs in the next room. One of their twins was awake.

"I am going to go to see to them…" he said, sliding out letting her sleep. It wasn't his turn but he was wide awake. He'd rather do it tonight.

Going in he saw it was Summer, her eyes wide awake, but she wasn't crying, their were no tears. She just wanted her bottle.

"Come on then my baby." He said to her gently, lifting her out the crib. It was hard to think she and her brother were nearly one, he thought as he checked on Mark, who was sleeping soundly. They grew so fast, just like Ellouise and Harry.

"Shall we go get your bottle?" he asked her. "Yeah, come on then, lets go," he said gently, murmuring to her soothingly. "You have to make me a promise Summer. That you are not going to get bigger, you are going to stay my lovely, happy little girl forever because daddy doesn't know how much more he can take of you and your brothers and sister growing up." He said, kissing her forehead as they walked down the corridor.