It's finally here! The new chapter!

My life has been insane and I have had almost no time for writing, but this story has never been far from my mind. Because it is obvious that I won't have as much time as I want to allow the story to progress in a leisurely manner, I have decided to speed things along a bit. Unfortunately, that means that this chapter feels a bit rushed to me. I hope that you don't mind that I'm kind of cutting to the point, but if this story is ever going to reach its conclusion, I have to get things moving!

Let me know what you think!

As always - I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it. I am only playing around!

...

Chapter 16

The house was peaceful and quiet when Erin sought out Sirius in the library. It had become his custom to keep the children entertained while Erin cleaned up after dinner. Tonight was no exception. As always, the sight of her little family warmed her heart.

Sirius was seated in his usual chair by the fire, but instead of having a drink in his hand, he held a sleepy five-year-old. Cassie sat on the floor by his knees, completely enraptured by the story he was telling about a sly witch named Mirabelle and how she used her magic to trick an evil king into giving up his throne.

It hadn't taken long at all for Sirius to fall into a fatherly routine. The first few days after Andy's arrival had been a little difficult. The child had been understandably confused and frightened by her magical journey and although she was thrilled to be with her mother and sister again, there was simply too much about her new surroundings that she found to be upsetting.

It took the combined efforts of Erin, Cassie, and Sirius to finally assure her that nothing in the house would harm her. However, no amount of assurances would convince the child to go anywhere near Buckbeak. This refusal was problematic at first because explaining one child's existence in the house had been deceptively easy, but the sudden arrival of a second would be far too suspicious. Initially, the plan had been to hide Andy in the master bedroom until school was in again, but her fear of the large hippogriff meant that that idea had to be modified. In the end Sirius allowed Erin to utilize his childhood bedroom.

The second problem was Andy's absolute refusal to be left alone for any amount of time. Erin didn't mind at first because she was just as eager to be with her after so many months of separation. But Andy's fear and uncertainty were so bad that she would begin to cry any time Erin was out of her sight. This made things such as lessons and even bathing nearly impossible and Sirius could see how deeply the strain was affecting everyone, so he took it upon himself to win the child's trust; not only to give Erin a much needed break, but also to get to know his new biological daughter.

From the start he was fascinated with the child who looked so much like him (though Erin said that only her eyes and the shape of her mouth had really changed), and the longer he spent with the little girl the more delighted and enraptured he became. He loved how bright and quick thinking she was and whenever she had something on her mind, how serious her little expression became.

He also loved how sweet and affectionate she was; the first time she crawled into his lap and fell asleep cradled in his arms he refused to relinquish her to her mother to be put to bed. He spent that whole night enduring the discomfort of an ancient rocking chair rather than disturb the beautiful, innocent child in his arms.

It delighted him whenever he saw aspects of himself in her. She was stubborn and a bit impatient just as he was, and also like him, when she set her mind to something she needed to see it through. He couldn't help but laugh when she stomped her foot and refused to go to bed one night. He laughed even harder when she tried to charm him in order to negotiate a new, later bed time.

It was very difficult to keep her out of sight until the twelfth of January when all of the older children went back to school. Andy knew there were other people in the house and the confines of the small room made her antsy and aggravated. After only a few days of internment she begged and pleaded to be allowed to explore the rest of the house, and when that didn't work she attempted to sway Sirius and Erin with tears and fits. It broke their hearts a bit to deny her, but they knew it would be safer for everyone if she was kept hidden away until there were fewer non-Order members around. Their refusal didn't set well with her and she was caught more than once trying to sneak down stairs. After that, the adults in the house decided to take turns keeping her amused and distracted. More often than not it was Sirius and Erin who stayed by her side.

When she was finally allowed access to the rest of the house, she was equal parts frightened and fascinated. In the end her curiosity won out, and with the encouragement of the adults she began to feel more and more comfortable living in the strange magical home.

As it had been with Cassie, Andy had taken to Sirius almost immediately. Once he had won her over with his warm, playful manner she had stuck to him like glue. Often she would follow him from room to room just waiting for him to do something silly that would make her laugh. He was like a big toy to her, and he ate up her adoration like candy.

He took to the role of father easily. Every day he sat with the children, playing with them, encouraging them, and watching over them with a loving and protective eye. He was infinitely gentle and patient even when it was obvious that his nerves were getting a bit frayed. No longer did he seem to mind his forced house arrest because the boredom he despised so much was all but gone, though he would occasionally lament the fact that he couldn't take the children out to show them their new world.

Still, he was happy. Anyone could see it, and it warmed Erin's heart and made her love him all the more. She wanted to show him how much in love with him she was, but their time together had been severely limited by the near-constant presence of the little ones. It made Erin feel a bit anxious and more than a little needy that she craved him, but could not have him to herself. However, she reasoned that if this was the trade she had to make - her newfound passion for the man she loved for the quality time with the children she had so desperately missed – she knew it was more than fair. Not that that made her want him any less.

A few stolen moments was all they ever had; long enough for a kiss or even a long embrace, but it was never really enough and when the children inevitably intruded, as they always did, he would groan, and sigh before allowing himself to be dragged away by the giggling little darlings. With each passing day the sexual tension only grew between them until Erin knew something had to be done to ease it before she lost control, threw him down on the nearest flat surface, and mounted him like a horse.

As he finished his story about the witch and the king the children begged for another story but Erin shook her head firmly. "No, no. You've had enough for tonight. It's time for bed. I need to speak with Sirius so you two need to sleep alone for a while."

They whined and cried, pleading for more time and when their efforts didn't work on their mother, they turned their large, cajoling eyes toward Sirius. He wavered, but in the end he held firm. "Come now," he said as firmly as he could manage when faced with such unadulterated cuteness. "No more dawdling. Everyone march upstairs for bed. "

It took nearly half an hour to get the children settled, but when they were finally securely tucked in, Sirius eased the door closed and turned to Erin. "So what did you need to talk to me about?"

She smiled sultrily and threw her arms around his neck before attacking his mouth like a wild woman. His eyes widened in surprise and she could feel him smile beneath her ravenous kisses before he wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her even closer. He could hardly protest. For weeks every night had been sleepless and frustrating as he longed to feel Erin against him as she was right now. He hurt with wanting her and the only thing that had stopped him from dragging her off to bed like a caveman was the children, therefore he was extremely relieved that she had drawn the line.

His kiss was desperate and hungry, and he couldn't keep his hands from roaming; caressing and memorizing every curve and line of her body. He was on fire and if her barely contained moans were any indicator she was burning too.

They fumbled down the hall, bumping into walls and tripping over their own scrambling feet, unable and quite unwilling to pull away from each other. The children had been moved into Erin's old room now that it was empty and until now Erin had stayed with them to assuage their fear. It had been impossibly hard knowing that Sirius was so close by, and being unable to hold him as she slept. So now, as they frantically inched their way toward the master bedroom, all Erin could think about was having him to herself.

They had barely crossed the threshold of the room before he began pulling and ripping at her clothes. He was so eager to have her that he refused to let any obstacle prevent him from feeling her hot flesh against his. His mind was so clouded with lust that he knew that until his body was at least slightly sated, that there could be no successful foreplay. When her clothes were mostly off, he lifted her off her feet and dropped her on the bed. He was on her in the next instant – his mouth fusing to hers as he struggled to contain his all-encompassing desire.

"Hurry!"

It was the only word she said, the only word she could manage to form through her haze of lust and he knew what it meant, what she needed, because he needed it too. He tore at the fly of his jeans, needing to get the too-tight, painful material away from him. Seconds seemed to take an eternity until he was finally freed and pressed snugly against her fiery opening.

"Please say you're ready, because I can't wait any longer."

Erin nodded and then pulled his mouth to hers as he surged into her hot, wet body. Both of them gasped at the amazing sensation and Sirius forced himself to hold still as her body adjusted to his invasion. She was having none of it. Wrapping her legs around his hips she began to move; setting a shaky, eager rhythm that drove him mad. "Oh, God!" he groaned and then he pulled back until he was nearly out of her before thrusting hard once more. She gasped and held him tighter to her as he seemed to go wild above her.

The sensation he created was mind-shattering. Every stray thought fragmented and was replaced with pure feeling. There was nothing left of either of them but the pleasure. Every movement Sirius made sent great shockwaves of agonizing bliss coursing through their bodies. Erin could feel it building faster than it ever had before and all she wanted was to fly off that looming cliff. It took less than a minute more before she felt the pressure begin to build. She grabbed him to her, holding him as tightly as possible as her body erupted. The force of it was amazing. Every muscle contracted, squeezing him like a vice and pulsating with clamp-like force. It was too much. The sound he made was feral– a mixture of a groan and a scream as he began furiously pumping into her and then he was flying too. Nothing else existed but the two of them. Nothing else mattered but the insane pleasure coursing through their bodies. Calling what he felt as he climaxed an explosion was insulting to the actual force of his release. It was more like a tsunami. Wave after wave of intense sensation washed over him until he felt like he was drowning, and when the amazing feeling began to fade, she began to move again and he could do nothing but submit. The sun was near to rising before they finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

…..

After that night, Erin insisted that the children sleep in their own room. She simply couldn't be parted from Sirius again. It took a lot of coaxing, but eventually the children settled in to the new arrangement. It was at that point that Erin considered her life complete. She had her children and Sirius…what more could she want?

Sometimes she thought about Jack and what he must be going through. Andy had told her about how it had been before; how upset she had been when Erin had left her with Jack and how bad it was living with him and 'the mean lady'. She told her how much she'd missed her and how after Cassie had disappeared Jack and Delilah had fought a lot. Jack had apparently begun to suspect that Delilah had something to do with both Cassie and Erin's disappearances. But then, she said it seemed as though Jack and Delilah began to forget about Cassie. After a while whenever Andy mentioned her they thought she was talking about an imaginary friend. It upset Andy even more because she never forgot and she couldn't understand why they didn't remember.

That was a revelation. Albus suspected that once the biological bond was broken, Jack's reality began to shift. He suggested that since the children were no longer his, and no longer part of his world, that whatever magic had transported them all to this reality also erased all knowledge of them from that one. It didn't explain why he hadn't forgotten Erin though.

It angered her more than she cared to admit. She couldn't imagine forgetting her babies, magic or not. She also felt a bit perturbed that he was not going to suffer their loss as she had – at least not for long.

The small vindictive side of her delighted in any discomfort he might feel, after all, if he hadn't cheated on her, left her, and shattered her world; she might never have come here. If he and his horrible fiancé hadn't been so bad and neglectful to the children perhaps they might not have been unhappy either. She might have been able to forgive him if only he had been better to them. As it was, she wanted him to feel their loss as acutely as she had.

The larger part of her was more forgiving and was relieved that he didn't have to suffer for very long. She realized that the only reason she could forgive him as she had was because her life was suddenly so happy… for the time being at least. The future still loomed ahead like a dark storm cloud in the distance, but for now it could wait.

Happiness was pervasive with everyone at Grimmauld place for several weeks, but when the news of the mass breakout at Azkaban was announced, the Order went on high alert. Meetings increased from once a week to every other day. By the beginning of March the Order members were becoming very uneasy that nothing had happened yet.

Dumbledore was also quite concerned about the state of the school. He hated that under Dolores Umbridge's influence the place had become more like a prison than a school. He almost seemed to want the Death Eaters to make a move just so that the Ministry would realize their error and remove that horrible woman from his school. He was also asking everyone to re-double their efforts to recruit new members.

It seemed like a lost cause that anyone else would join until after something major happened to convince them that Dumbledore has been telling the truth all along. Therefore it came as a great surprise when Dumbledore introduced a new member one night.

They had been late to the meeting, arriving just as it was ending. When they walked in, Erin could hardly contain her gasp of delight.

"Melody!" she cried.

Melody seemed equally surprised to see Erin as well because at the sound of her voice she hesitated; her face darkening as she turned to look at her, then at once her expression changed and she shrieked and ran over to hug her.

"What are you doing here!" she grinned. "I thought you had gone home?"

Erin blushed and shrugged. "I decided to stay and join the Order instead."

Melody's eyes narrowed and her smile faded. "You've been here all this time and you never got in touch with me? Why the hell not?!"

"There's kind of been a lot going on," Erin explained feebly. "I've been living here since school ended."

Melody glanced around the room at all of the members of the Order before her eyes settled on Sirius as he was watching her rather suspiciously.

"Oh, hell…" she murmured uneasily. "You're Sirius Black. This is your family's home isn't it?" She turned back to Erin accusingly. "You've been living with an escaped criminal for nearly nine months?"

"He's not a criminal," Erin practically snarled. "He was framed. He didn't do anything wrong."

Melody seemed surprised by the force in her friend's voice and her frown deepened before a small disbelieving smirk took its place. "Wait, is…is there something going on between you two? Are you guys an item?"

Erin glanced at Sirius who sat back and crossed his arms as he waited for her to answer. She smiled softly at him and then walked over to sit on his lap. She took his face in her hands and leaned up to give him a gentle kiss before turning back to Melody.

"Sirius is the most amazing man I have ever met." She spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, and she knew that every eye was on her. "I love him more than I can say. He has made my life complete."

The sound of a chair scraping made her head turn and she watched as Severus slowly got to his feet. He settled Sirius with an icy glare before sweeping indignantly from the room. She felt a pang of guilt watching him go but she refused to deny her feelings to spare him from the truth.

She felt Sirius tighten his arms around her and she turned to give him a sweet smile before facing Melody again. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you but I have been under strict orders to keep a low profile. I've hardly even gone outside since I've been here."

"Well," Melody chuckled. "If that's the case then I'm not surprised then that you two got together. What else was going to happen with you stuck here with such an attractive man as your sole company?"

"It's not like that," Erin scowled. "Besides, Remus lives here, too." She grimaced the moment the words passed her lips and she glanced up to see the amused surprise on Melody's face.

"That's even more fun," she chuckled.

"Oh, stop," Erin groused. "So, what are you doing here? How did you get involved with the Order?"

Melody shrugged lightly. "I'd heard rumors. After everything that happened at school last year I knew that the Ministry was either lying or denying the truth about what's really going on. I couldn't sit by and wait for the axe to drop. It was obvious from the way the Daily Prophet was suddenly bashing Professor Dumbledore that they were trying to discredit him, so I figured that if anyone could tell me how I could help it would be him. I contacted him and he told me about the Order and asked if I wanted to join. I said yes, and he brought me here. By the way, it was really something to see a house just appear between two other houses. I wasn't expecting that."

"Yes, this house is well protected," Sirius told her. "I assume you understand that."

Erin frowned at the suspicion in his voice but Melody seemed unfazed.

"Yeah," she smirked, "I think I caught that."

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad you're here," Erin said honestly. "The Order certainly needs more members. The more people who are prepared for the future, the better it will be for everyone. So, what have you been doing these last months?"

"Nothing as fun as you, apparently," she said mischievously. "Actually, I work in the ads department for the Daily Prophet. You know, I sell advertizing space to businesses or individuals who want to sell things or promote themselves. Nothing big, but it pays the bills."

"Well, I think it's awesome!" Erin smiled. "Do you have your own place now?"

"Yeah…well, Sort of," Melody shrugged. "I couldn't afford an apartment on my own so I have a roommate, but I hardly ever see her – so it's kind of like living alone."

"Cool, so are you seeing anyone?"

Melody blushed and then laughed. "Well, there have been a few guys that have come and gone, but no. There's no one special." She chuckled as she looked Sirius over. "Maybe I ought to try for an older man as well, huh? It seems like you lucked out." She glanced back to where the other order members were engaged in their own conversations and she smirked. "Is Lupin available? He's older AND hot."

Erin glanced over and watched as Tonks frowned in their direction and then suddenly began playing coyly with Remus' hair. She then leaned over and whispered something in his ear that made him choke on the sip of tea he had been attempting to swallow. Whatever she had said must have been completely unexpected because his eyes went wide and he practically gaped at her before gulping comically hard and nodding. The young Auror gave him a quick peck on the lips before sending Melody a look that clearly said, "hands off. He's mine."

Erin giggled and shook her head. "Sorry, he's taken."

"A pity," Melody sighed. "But, that's okay. I like bad boys better anyway,"

"Well there is one other member who is the same age as Sirius and Remus and he is very available."

"Oh?" Melody said, intrigued. "Who is he?"

"Severus Snape."

The other girl flinched visibly. "Gee, thanks…" she groused.

"I am totally serious." Erin insisted. "Severus is a wonderful man."

"Sure he is," Melody scoffed. "That's why he was always so bubbly and cheerful at school."

"He's just very…complicated," Erin explained vaguely, "But he really is a great man and he certainly does have that 'bad boy' quality you're so interested in."

"Yeah, but he's just so…"

"Greasy?" Sirius supplied.

Melody bust out laughing, and when she had caught her breath she nodded. "Exactly!"

"There are better things to judge people by than appearance," Erin scolded. "Severus is kind and generous and brave and wildly intelligent. He's also very courteous, and loyal. Personally, I've found him to be a wonderful person and I am honored to call him friend."

Melody and Sirius looked at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head.

"Do you remember how he treated anyone who wasn't a Slytherin?" Melody demanded. "He was horrible!"

"I went to school with him," Sirius added. "He was always a puffed-up nasty little git. Still is."

Erin scowled at both of them. "Neither of you have taken a chance to get to know him. I have. All you've seen is his defensive outer shell. Once you get to know him he really is a wonderful man."

Sirius chuckled derisively. "You can spend all the time you want getting to know him and looking under his shell, but I've seen enough of him to know that he's a spiteful, mean-spirited, evil wanker. Come to think of it, I don't want you looking under his shell. Who the hell knows what you might see," he shuddered a bit at the thought.

Melody laughed at his dramatized disgust but Erin growled lightly in indignation. "Believe what you want, though I wish you'd try to get to know him better."

"Darling, I promise that if he ever gives me a real reason to trust him, I will try harder to like him. As it is, I'm not wholly convinced that he isn't still just a Death Eater in disguise."

Erin wanted to try again to make them understand the truth about the misunderstood potions master, but Dumbledore called Melody to him to discuss the workings of the Order. The meeting had all but ended by the time they had finished talking and Melody was one of the last to leave, promising Erin that they would catch up more at the next meeting.

As Erin was cleaning up from the meeting Andy shuffled into the room. She told them she'd had nightmare and Sirius offered to tuck her back into bed and stay until she fell back to sleep. Erin went back to her task but only a moment later she was interrupted again.

"I don't need you to defend me," a stern voice demanded abruptly.

Erin gasped and whirled around to see Severus standing in the doorway. "Crap, you scared me!" she blurted, placing a hand over her startled heart. "I thought you'd gone. What are you still doing here?"

"I don't need you to defend me," he said again even more sternly. "And I don't appreciate you trying to set me up."

Erin started. He seemed so angry and it both worried and confused her. "I don't…" she began, but then realization hit her. "Wait, were you eavesdropping on me?"

She watched as he set his jaw and a deep scowl darkened his face. "What makes you think I need your help? I never asked you to interfere with my life."

She sighed and shook her head. "I wasn't interfering. Not really. I just don't like it when people discount you. You deserve the same happiness as anyone else. You are wonderful. I know it and I just wanted them to know it, too."

He stared at her hard for a full minute and she ached to know what he was thinking. He was silent for so long that she wondered if he was even going to say anything. Finally he took two aggressive steps forward and scoffed. "We discussed this once before and I thought you understood, but now you suddenly seem to think that life should be fair. Well, I can tell you for a fact that it isn't and it never will be. The sooner you understand that, the better off you'll be."

Erin chewed on her lip as she contemplated his ire. "You're right. It often isn't fair, but that doesn't mean that you just give up! You've got to keep trying to get the things you want, no matter how hard it is. That is what makes it all worthwhile."

Severus snarled at her words. "And if you never get what you want?" he hissed.

Erin sighed and took a step toward him but he held up a hand to ward her off. "I've learned something since I've been here," she began thoughtfully; "I've learned that sometimes what you want isn't what you need. And sometimes what you need isn't what you want."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that life has a way of surprising you. Sometimes it presents you with gifts that make no sense at the time. They can seem like obstacles or conundrums or even curses at first, but then over time you realize that they are there for a reason; that they are there to help you, or guide you or heal you. You just have to give them a chance."

"And what about when life gives you gifts and then rips them away?" He stared hard at her as he spoke. "Where is the fairness in that?"

"Do you mean Lily?" She asked and she instantly knew saying it was a mistake. His whole body stiffened and anger flooded his features.

"That is none of your business!" he snarled.

"Severus, please…" she implored meekly. "I didn't mean to upset you. "You're my friend. I was only trying to make them see you as I do. And you do deserve happiness. You deserve it just as much as anyone else. I just want your life to be fair, too."

"Happiness?! Fairness?!" He raged at her. "If you want that for me so badly then explain to me why you're with him!"

She jerked as if he slapped her, and she could only stare at him. "I don't…" she hesitated, trying to figure him out. "I don't understand what you're saying. Are you angry with me for being in love with Sirius?"

He said nothing but continued to glare at her and she took that as an affirmation. "Why?" she demanded. "Is it that you don't want to see him happy?"

"I couldn't care a whit about him or his happiness," he growled.

"Then is it me you want unhappy? I don't understand. Please tell me what I've done wrong."

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "That isn't what I meant. I don't want you unhappy. I just don't want you to be with him!"

"Why not?"

"Because he doesn't deserve you!"

"And you do?"

Severus whipped around to see Sirius leaning lazily in the doorway. His expression seemed calm and mocking, but Erin could see the barely contained anger and indignation shining in his eyes.

"Stay out of this Black," Severus snapped. "It has nothing to do with you."

"Oh?" The raven haired man jeered. "Because it seems to me that you are making a not-so-subtle play for my woman."

Erin could actually hear Severus' teeth grinding together, and she knew she needed to stop this before one of them lost it.

"Sirius, that isn't what he meant. Tell him, Severus. Tell him that isn't what this is about."

Severus's expression became pained and he turned slowly to settle his emotion-filled gaze upon her. Shock filled her as she realized the truth.

"Oh," she gasped. Pity, remorse, and guilt washed over her in turn and she raised a trembling hand to her mouth. "Oh, Severus, I am so sorry. I…I didn't know. Why didn't you say something before?"

"Would it have made a difference?" He demanded, his voice cracking dismally. "Would you have chosen me over him?"

Her heart sank. She knew the answer and she knew it would hurt him even more to say it. He was her friend, and she loved him as such, but it was not the passionate, all-encompassing love she felt for Sirius. He saw the truth in her eyes and he sighed deeply before going cold again.

"Do you see now, Erin?" he spat. "My life is not and will never be fair and from now on I want you to stay out of it!" With that he whipped around and knocked past Sirius as he stormed from the house.

Erin tried to call him back, but the sound of the front door slamming made it clear that he had nothing more to say.

"What have I done?" Erin whispered, shakily. Already, fat teardrops were snaking their way down her devastated face. "Oh, lord, what have I done?!"

Sirius' triumphant face softened instantly when he saw her pain and he walked over to wrap his arms around her. "Listen to me, sweetheart," he murmured against her hair as he held her trembling body. "You have done nothing wrong. None of this is your fault."

"I hurt him!" she cried. "Didn't you see how upset he was? I broke his heart! This is all my fault!"

He sighed heavily and lifted her chin so that her watery gaze met his. "Did you have any idea he felt that way about you?" Erin gulped but shook her head slowly. "Then how is it your fault if he never had the courage to say or do anything about it? How were you supposed to know how he felt? Did he just expect you to be lonely and miserable until he found the strength to tell you? No, that is both selfish and unfair, not to mention unreasonable. Then he has the gall to lay it on you like it's your fault that he's a damned coward."

"He's not a coward, Sirius," she sniffled indignantly as she pulled away from his embrace. "He's insecure. He just doesn't know how to expose his true feelings like that and as I recall, you weren't very forthright about your feelings at first either."

"And I was a damned fool for it," he admitted. "But when I thought I was losing you to Remus, I stepped up."

She laughed a little manically. "You got drunk, accused me of sleeping around, and then you tried to seduce me! I don't know how it works with you, but that's a really bad way of telling someone you love them. Oh, and as I recall I told you I loved you first."

He chucked lightly. "I remember. It was just after we'd made love for the first time. But, by that point I'd already fallen head over heels for you."

"So why hadn't you said anything? Why did you wait so long?"

He hesitated, frowning as he thought. "Because I wasn't sure you felt the same way."

"You didn't want to put your heart on the line only to be rejected, you mean. Just like him."

He wanted to retort, but he knew she was right. Still, he couldn't really feel bad for the greasy git. Surely he had seen what was happening. Surely he had known; and even if he hadn't it was unfair of him to heap his disappointment and jealousy onto Erin's shoulders.

Sirius huffed and took her hand in his. "Do you care about him?"

She tilted her head to the side as she looked up at him. Nodding, she said, "He's my friend. He's one of the first friends I made when I came here. If it hadn't been for him, I would never have survived the stress of those terrible first months. Of course I care about him."

"Well, then let's see if he can deserve your friendship. If he really wants you in his life then he'll get over this and move on. He'll welcome your love in whatever form you chose to give it, and if he can't accept it as it is, then he doesn't deserve it. It's that simple."

"But that's so harsh," she moaned.

He shrugged negligently. "It is what it is. He can take it or leave it, but he cannot make you feel bad about his decisions."

Erin thought over his words and even though it broke her heart she knew he was right. No friendship could be one-sided, and if Severus decided it was too painful to be around her anymore then she could not force him. She only prayed that he could accept her as she was.

She let Sirius wipe away her tears and then lead her away to bed where she lay curled up in his arms listening to his slow, rhythmic breaths as he slept. Her mind was racing. There was simply too much to think about. Not only could she not stop worrying about Severus, but it dawned on her that time was growing short for Sirius. If she couldn't find a way to prevent the future from happening, she'd lose him, and that was a heartbreak she knew she'd never be able to survive.

…..

Weeks passed. There had been a few worrisome happenings both within the Order and in the outside world. At the end of March, Dumbledore had been forced to either leave the school or face arrest. He made one last visit to Grimmauld place to inform the Order that for their own safety he was going into hiding, but that he would still communicate with them though less obvious means. He also told them that as the Ministry was now hunting for him, everyone previously known to associate with him would be under suspicion and he cautioned them to meet only when it was necessary. Meetings were fewer and fewer, which meant that Erin never had a chance to talk with Severus as she desperately wanted. He hadn't spoken to her once since their falling out. Even on the rare evening when he would attend a meeting, he flat out refused to acknowledge her and would leave as soon as possible in order to avoid her, or so it seemed.

His cold rejection weighed on her, adding to her already deep feelings of dread about Sirius. There was little time left and still no solutions came to mind for either dilemma. Erin was becoming desperate and she had no one with whom to share her worries. Still abiding by Dumbledore's request, she hadn't yet told Sirius about what awaited him. She knew it didn't matter if she told him or not because if events played out as they should, nothing could stop him from going to Harry's rescue. Still, she knew that as the deadline approached she would do anything to stop him from going, even if it meant destroying the timeline.

She tried not to let her worries show; not only for the children's sake, but also for Sirius. She knew that if he realized how miserable she was that he would most certainly get the information out of her. Still, try as she might to hide her fears, someone did notice.

Melody was a frequent visitor to Grimmauld place regardless of Dumbledore's warning. She figured that as the newest member and as a recent Hogwarts graduate, no one would suspect her of being in cahoots with the Order. Erin asked her to only visit after dinner to try and keep the children's presence a secret, but that plan fell through within two weeks.

It was an impromptu afternoon visit that had spoiled the secret. Melody had stopped by to deliver a message from Kingsley about some suspicious movements within the Ministry and it was during that visit that she had met the children. Erin tried to claim that they were merely relatives come to visit, but once Andy had slipped up and called her 'mom'. After that there was no denying the truth. Melody was more than surprised as she listened to Erin talk, but she seemed to take the information well. When Erin finished with her unbelievable tale all Melody said was, "I thought you were looking older, but I didn't want to hurt your feelings by saying anything."She stopped by nearly every day after that and over the next several visits she became one of the children's favorite people.

One evening in late April Melody stopped by for lunch. After they ate she pulled Erin into the library and confronted her.

"Okay, what's wrong," she demanded.

Surprised by the question, Erin could only blink. "What?" she asked. "What are you talking about? Nothing's wrong."

"Don't play dumb," Melody frowned. "I know something's wrong. You've got the same look on your face that you had before the third task. Something is up and I want to know what it is."

Erin sighed deeply. "Fine," she nodded. "Yes, something is bothering me but it doesn't matter. I can't talk about it."

Melody's eyebrows went up. "Ooh, so it has something to do with the future? It must be something bad for you to look the way you do."

"Yeah, it's bad," Erin confessed. "But I can't see any way to prevent it, so all I can do is wait and worry."

"That's no way to live," Melody groused. "How can they expect you to keep all of this bottled up inside? These people must have seen what happened to you last year. I was really worried about you then. I honestly thought you were dying. All you did was sleep and even when you were awake you were like a zombie. It's not fair that you have to shoulder this burden alone. You shouldn't have to, so spit it out. You know you can trust me."

"No, it's not fair," Erin agreed. "But as someone recently reminded me, life isn't fair. Beside, no one knows what will happen if I reveal the truth. I could throw this whole reality out of whack. It's just too dangerous to consider."

Melody considered her words and though she was clearly disappointed, she seemed to understand. "Okay, then. Well, if you can't share your burden, then how about forgetting it for a while. When was the last time you went anywhere? When was the last time you even set foot outside this house?"

"It has been a while," Erin admitted, "several months at least. But, I can't leave. What about the kids? What about Sirius. I can't just leave them here."

"The kids will be fine," Melody coaxed. "They won't be alone. And Sirius is a grown man. Surely he can handle things for an hour or two."

"I don't know," Erin sighed. "I'd like to get out, but…"

"But nothing!" Melody snapped. "You have more than earned some time away. You're not a prisoner here! Now, I won't take 'no' as an answer. You grab your jacket and I'll meet you outside. Don't keep me waiting!" With that she marched from the room and up the stairs.

Erin stared after her as her thoughts battled in her brain. Maybe Melody had the right idea. She needed to get away just for a little while so she could clear her mind. But then again, what about Sirius? She could only imagine his disappointment if she went out without him. She decided to talk to him and get his opinion, but when she opened the door to the kitchen she stopped in her tracks.

Sirius and Remus were huddled around the fireplace clearly talking to someone. It only took a second to recognize Harry's voice. This must be the day that his worries about his father got the better of him. With Ginny and the Twins' help he snuck into Dolores Umbridge's office and used her fireplace to contact Sirius. This was a conversation all three of them needed and she wasn't about to interrupt. That settled things in her mind. She would go out with Mel, but only for a short walk – just to get some fresh air.

She grabbed her jacket, purse and wand and was almost to the door when a small voice stopped her.

"Mommy, where are you going?" Andy asked.

"I'm just going for a quick walk with Melody, honey."

"Can I come?"

The child's plea tugged at her heart, but she knew she needed this time to herself. "No, baby," she shook her head. "Mommy just needs a few minutes to think. Besides, I need you to watch over Sirius. You know how lonely he gets. Can you be a big girl and do that for me?"

Erin expected a fight, or at least a few crocodile tears, but to her surprise the little girl straightened and patted her hand stoically. "Don't worry, mama. I'll take care of him."

Erin smiled warmly and kissed her daughter's head. "What a big, responsible girl you are! Don't worry, darling. I'll be back soon." Then before anything else could stop her, she bolted for the door.

Melody smiled brightly as Erin met up with her on the sidewalk. "You took so long I thought you'd chickened out! So, where do you want to go?"

Erin glanced around the area and shrugged. "Let's just walk for a bit. It'll be dark soon and I want to be back before anyone begins to worry."

"Just a walk?" Melody pouted. "I was hoping for a bit of shopping, but I guess a walk is better than nothing. Let's go."

The early spring air was brisk but comfortable and the world smelled of new grass and flowers. It had been so long since Erin had been out in the open that she quite reveled in it. Everywhere she looked she saw the beauty of nature and the springtime cycle of rebirth. The sounds of birds and crickets filled the air and gave her a momentary, but much needed sense of peace.

They walked along the busy street for a time before coming along a quaint little park. "Do you want to sit for a while?" Melody asked, motioning toward a bench in the distance.

"Sure," Erin shrugged. She didn't care where they went as long as they could be back before nightfall.

The bench was in the middle if the park, and to Erin's delight it faced a small pond where a family of ducks swam on top of the still water. They sat in silence basking in the peaceful surroundings. Erin was happy that Melody seemed to know not to press her for any information. She appeared equally content just to lose herself in the scenery. Erin had to admit that she'd needed this and it occurred to her that the kids probably needed this as well. She promised herself then that she would return with them the very next day. Maybe Sirius could come as well, if he stayed in dog form.

Finally the sun began to sink in the horizon and Erin made to stand. "Thanks for this Mel, but it's getting late and I should head back now."

To her surprise Melody shook her head. "No, let's stay just a bit longer."

Erin made an impatient face and got to her feet. "I really have to get back to the kids, but you can stay as long as you want."

"No!" Melody shouted, grabbing Erin by the arm and pulling her back down. "You have to stay!"

For the first time Erin felt a shock of uncertainty. She looked at the frantic expression on her friend's face and she realized something wasn't right. Melody's eyes were wide and slightly glazed. Her face seemed strangely strained and yet expectant - as if she were both awaiting and dreading something. "What is wrong with you?" Erin demanded. The uncertainty she'd felt a moment before had morphed into great unease. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew that she was not going to wait around for something bad to happen.

"I'm going," she said firmly, trying to pry herself out of Melody's surprisingly iron-like grip.

"You can't!" Melody smiled; and it was a smile that sent chills racing up Erin's spine."

"Why not?" She asked, trying to control her rising fear.

"Because she's not here yet!" Melody grinned manically.

"Who isn't here yet?" Erin whispered, fear clogging her throat. "Melody? Who are you waiting for?"

"Me!"

Erin jumped and whirled around but she was only able to catch a single glance of the new arrival before pain erupted behind her ear. She hit the ground hard and her vision began to blur from the dual impacts to her head. As her world darkened she tried to focus on the figure standing above her. It took several seconds, but eventually the face became clear and her eyes widened in shock and alarm.

Brittany laughed harshly as she leaned down and slapped Erin's cheek hard, sending another bolt of pain coursing through her head. "I've been waiting forever to do that. I wonder if he'll let me lead your interrogation. Wouldn't that be fantastic?!"

Erin heard the words as if in slow motion, and she had to struggle to make her mouth work.

"W-who?" she whispered.

"Why, Lord Voldemort, of course!" She laughed again, but this time it had an evil, deranged edge. Then she stood, and drew her wand.

Erin thought about her children and Sirius. She knew they were waiting for her and she knew they were going be waiting for a long time. A single tear ran across her face as she silently sent them her love and then she closed her eyes and her world went dark.

...

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