"Are you mad at me?"

Belinda was sitting in the sofa, like so often, but now everything was different. Neville was standing behind the chairs on the other side. He wasn't looking at her. Rose and the boys where sitting on the far side of the table. Not saying a word.

"Mad? I'm furious."

Thou his voice was calm knew Belinda that he was telling the truth. He turned and looked at her.

"Was this why you left Hogwarts?"

"No."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was scared."

Belinda felt her eyes well up and angrily dried them away. She cursed her hormones.

"I was scared that you would look at me different. That you would be ashamed of me."

She looked at the three teenagers and met the look of the only one willing to give it to her. Rose.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Of course not. I'm mad at Malfoy. I wish I could go to Azkaban and…"

Rose went over to her side and sat next to her, grabbing both her hands.

"You must be scared."

"You mean soon to be a single teenage mother, giving birth to the child of the one man I hate on this entire planet?"

Belinda grinned.

"I was, but I'm not anymore."

She looked at Neville again, and smiled as he looked back at her.

"You believed in me, and you cared for me in a way I didn't think anyone else could care for me."

She looked at Albus, but he just looked away, so her eyes fell back to Neville.

"And when I found friendship and love from other people, you made me strong enough to take it. You have made me strong enough to handle this."

Belinda looked at Rose's worried face and squeezed her hands.

"It's not such a surprise I got pregnant. My mother got pregnant when she lost her virginity, so did her mother, and at least two of my great-grandmother."

Belinda looked at Neville, then James, before landing at Albus, still not looking at her.

"A child should be the symbol of the love between two people, and after thinking about it, that doesn't mean that the child has to be created by the two people involved."

She looked down and placed a hand on her stomach, finally Albus looked at her.

"This child is a proof of my love for you Albus. It was my love for you that created him or her, and it has nothing to do with Scorpius."

Suddenly she saw a hand placed over hers on the stomach and she looked up and into a pair of green eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For yelling at you. For not trusting you. For being a bastard."

Albus face fell down,

"For pushing you away, for what ever reason that made you break up with me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Gently Belinda lifted it again.

"It's okay. Albus it's okay."

Belinda laughed and kissed him, her faces wet with hormonal tears.

--

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Belinda. Happy Birthday to you."

Belinda smiled and blew out the eighteen candles. Clapping, cheering and a few whistles as Hermione started to hand out pieces of cake. Belinda turned to Neville and quickly walked over to him.

"How is she?"

Glowing with pride as only a grandfather can, he looked down at the tiny girl almost vanishing in his arms.

"Sleeping. I put a silence spell over her. She can't hear a thing."

Belinda smiled and kissed his cheek before looking down at the tiny girl.

A pointy face, pale, short dark hair, and closed blue eyes.

"Justine Alice Linx."

"Potter."

Belinda smiled at the man placing his arms around her, peeping at the girl over her shoulder. She laughed.

"Only since you finally asked me."

"You were the one who insisted on me finishing school first, even thou you didn't."

"Excuse me for having a baby. What did you want me to do, waddle from classroom to classroom?"

"At least I would have been able to be with you every day."

Belinda turned her face and kissed his cheek. He moved her so she was leaning on his arm before kissing her more passionately on the lips.

"And now that you have graduated, you can. Thou I wouldn't recommend it, I can be cranky in the mornings."

"It's true."

"I concur."

Belinda looked over Albus shoulder at Neville and Lexnog, who had just joined them. She put on an overreacted hurt look.

"I thought you guys were on my side."

"Hey we're agreeing with you."

"What more do you want?"

Belinda stuck out her tongue as Albus lifted her to her feet.

"Hey birthday girls should behave."

"My birthday was technically a few weeks ago Albus."

"Yeah, but we are celebrating it today."

"After you and every one else ambushed me."

She laughed, and when Albus looked hurt at her she laughed just louder. She cupped his face with one hand and kissed it gently.

"And I love it."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

She smiled when she saw James slither outside out of corner of her eye.

"Excuse me a moment."

Then she quickly followed him. He was standing a few feet away from the house, looking up at the stars.

"Hiding?"

He turned around and for a moment he looked surprised before he smiled and turned his face upwards.

"They are my family, and I love them but when they are all together…"

"I understand."

Belinda looked up at the stars as a gentile quietness came over them. Finally Belinda looked at him.

"So how is work? Hermione still though on you."

"Yeah, it's none stop. It's not easy I tell you that."

Belinda crossed her arms and he looked at her as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, who would have thought law was hard."

"Don't make fun of me."

"Make fun of you, I would never do that."

She put on her most angelic face, and he laughed with her. The laughter stopped, and the same quietness consumed them. Suddenly a faint music could be heard through the window. James smiled and reached out his hand for her.

"Dance with me."

"James, I can't be who you want me to be."

"I'm just asking for a dance Belinda."

His eyes caught hers, and finally her hands grabbed his. Slowly they started to move to the music.

"I love Al."

"I love him too. He's my brother, and I've got only one so you take good care of him okay."

She smiled.

"I will."

They continued to dance.

"Justine is really beautiful."

"Thanks."

"She has your eyes."

He stopped dancing and his eyes wouldn't let hers go. He finally broke it as he kissed her forehead.

"I thought you threw them away."

He looked down at his cuffs and smiled.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"You know before, I left, I didn't think you liked me."

A door opened and James and Belinda looked at Rose.

"Al is looking for you James, he wants you to settle a bet between him and Lily."

"Talk to you later Belinda?"

"Always."

Then he left the two women alone.

Belinda pulled her fingers through her hair.

"Am I evil?"

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I do."

Belinda looked up at the stars for a moment, before looking back at Rose.

"The way I love you, as one of my best friends. That's why it hurts that… To see him… To know he is hurting and that there is nothing I can do."

"You can't kick yourself for things out of your control. People don't control whom they fall in love with. If not neither of them would have fallen for a…"

"Slytherin?"

Rose smiled but her eyes were dead serious.

"For one of the kindest people I know. For my, now, best friend."

"Because I am Slytherin."

Rose nodded faintly.

"You know being a Slytherin doesn't make you so bad. Actually you have some intelligence, you are determined and you don't give up."

Belinda looked at Rose and was surprised to find her smiling.

"What?"

"And does it make you evil?"

"Of course not."

Belinda turned her face upwards to the sky as she suddenly remembered her question that started the whole adventure.

"I'm not evil."

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll find your real friends

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends