A/N: September the first, 2002, at the birth of Luna's baby…

Harry tried not to grin at Ron's anxiety. He was pacing back and forth across the kitchen area of his flat, as the main living area was crowded with people who'd come straight to Hogsmeade. Even the teachers in the crowd were gathered, as it was a quick walk from the birth to work, and they'd still arrive well before the students.

"He looks like he's going to be sick," Neville whispered, gone a bit pale, himself. He and Hermione had married a few months back, and she was already expecting. No doubt, he was thinking of what it would be like when his daughter would be born in spring.

"It'll be alright, mate," Harry said, clapping Neville's shoulder. "Hermione will have a list of things for you to do while she's in labor that's so long, you won't have time to worry."

Neville laughed weakly, but it was only half a joke.

Most of the people gathered around were waiting for the baby to come so the bets taken on male or female could be settled, once and for all. Especially as Ron had announced the first time Luna screamed from the bedroom they were absolutely not having another child, right before he rushed outside to sick up.

Harry wasn't worried about what Catherine might be like, should they decide they were having children. He figured he was so happy to have her, and would be so happy to have any children they had, it wouldn't be worth worrying. After all, Aunt Cara had three children and came out alright, so a child or two wouldn't kill Catherine.

"I suppose I should make lunch," Molly Weasley said thoughtfully, taking a quick count of the people waiting in the front room. "We may have some time to wait. I'll pop out for supplies, and then I'll need you to vacate the kitchen space, Ronald, unless you're going to help me."

Ron looked as though the very thought of food, for once, was causing him extreme physical pain, and he almost screamed with relief when a sound very clearly the cry of a child came from the bedroom, and everyone went silent among the spectators.

Catherine popped her head out and said, "Ron, your daughter's here."

Ron was pretty boneless with the relief, so Neville and Harry dragged him over to the bedroom to see his child.

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Jimmy petted Cora's hand and they sat forward, watching as the new baby was brought out in her father's arms, Ron suddenly confident and proud again, now that he knew his wife and child were both quite healthy.

"Kelda," Cora said experimentally. "It's not bad. Bit unusual. Kelda Weasley."

"Well, the granddad's a Xenophilius," Harry teased. "I reckon Kelda's not so bad. Can I hold her, Ron?"

Ron nodded, and Jimmy watched Harry's face as he took the tiny little girl in his arms, her little red body so small in a room full of full-grown adults.

"She's beautiful, Ronald," Mrs. Weasley cooed, looking at her granddaughter with excitement. "Oh, how wonderful to have another girl in the family. Such a shame you're not having any more. Perhaps Bill will get to it, have some children."

Professor Black cleared his throat and said, "Right, some of us have work to go do, so let's have the teachers parade by the child and pay their respects, shall we? Kitty-Cat, pass my best to the mother, will you?"

"Yes, Daddy," Catherine said with a laugh and a wink before retreating into the bedroom, where Ginny, Rhea, Catherine, and Madam Potter had assisted in the birth.

"Oh, so lovely," Professor Black said tearfully, almost as soon as his daughter had closed the door. "Take care of her, Ron. All children are precious, but there's something about a baby girl…"

Jimmy wondered whether Professor Black was imagining his own daughters at this size and age, holding them in his arms not long after their first gasps of oxygenated life. Jimmy squeezed Cora's hand. Their own wedding would be at Christmas, and Jimmy had to admit to himself, he wouldn't mind having a kid or two, when he and Cora decided the time was right. Probably not until after he was a full Auror and she had a steady job, or maybe a freelance position where she could work from home instead of taking a maternity leave around the actual birth.

"Mum," Ourania said, sitting toward the back with Aeson Lestrange (her recent fiancé) resting a hand on her, in a way his mother would have certainly deemed scandalous. "How long until I can train her to say my name?"

Madam Prewett laughed and said, "You've got a tough one, dear. You were almost five before you could say it properly yourself. Just…be patient. I know that's hard for you. But be patient."

Aeson whispered something in her ear and smirked, and she flicked at him playfully, smirking back. Jimmy shivered slightly at the thought someday those two were planning to be married. The world might explode.

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Caroline left the celebrations for the baby and went back to Selwyn Manor (which was now known as Prewett Manor), where she and Damon had been living since their hasty marriage almost as soon as their NEWTs arrived. He'd had a head cold all morning, and it was decided he stay home for the safety of the newborn. She wanted to be sure he got the news about his cousin's baby soon.

"Damon!" she cried as she hurried up the steps. "Damon, she had the baby! It's a girl!"

She flung open the door to the master suite, the bedroom she'd loved so much as a child, still smelling vaguely of her parents despite the new occupants. Damon lifted his head slightly and smiled weakly.

"That's nice," he said, stuffy, but not as bad as he'd sounded that morning. "Name?"

"They've named her Kelda," she said with a giggle, sitting beside him, tracing her fingers across his face. "I'll get you some Pepper-Up, shall I?"

He moaned, but he nodded. It wasn't a pleasant potion, but it would help him feel himself for a few hours. She fetched the potion and brought it back, caressing his hair gently.

She had a position with Puddlemere United as a Seeker, but she was the reserve for the moment, so she had a little more time off than the first-team Seeker. Damon, on the other hand, had an internship at the Prophet, which meant far too long of hours.

Caroline dosed Damon with the Pepper-Up and waited for his ears to stop steaming before she curled up on the bed beside him. He rolled over slightly and rested his face on her chest.

"I love you," he muttered. "So much."

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Lily sat with Catherine while Harry and Neville took Ron out for a pint, and Hermione cared for Luna and Kelda. Catherine looked exhausted, and a bit pale as she stared out the window to the streets of Hogsmeade below.

"Harry was really excited about that baby, wasn't he?" Catherine said softly, frowning. "And I know Daddy was, even though he didn't want me to know." Lily said nothing, waiting to see where Catherine's thoughts carried them. "She was a sweet little thing, wasn't she?"

"Yes," Lily whispered. "I think Kelda will be a credit to her parents. And it will be interesting to see what Neville and Hermione's daughter is like. They'll be at Hogwarts together, in about eleven years."

Catherine hummed and smiled, wrapping her arms around her, almost self-consciously, or as if she were suddenly cold.

"It might take a while," she said softly. "Severus said maybe months, but more likely as long as five years. But I think…I think it's time to start trying. Maybe, if we're lucky, it won't take so long."

"Start…?"

Catherine's lips twitched and she turned to look at Lily, her resemblance to her mother startling in that moment.

"The treatments, for my fertility. There's only so many dogs Harry will let me get, and Paddy and Penny will want company. It's a big house for three people and two dogs."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Lily said softly, unable to hold in her smile. "If you're quite certain."

"I am," Catherine said earnestly, her arms dropping in a subconscious show of confidence. "Just…don't tell Harry right away. Between you and me. I…want to be the one to tell him, and he should probably know before I tell Severus, and I want to know the treatment's taking before I tell Daddy."

Lily nodded, and told Catherine it was a wise precaution. Especially with this baby's presence, Sirius was one to get his hopes up.

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Sirius sat in his office with Remus, staring at the framed pictures he kept on his desk, pictures of his children, of his wife, of Catherine and the dogs. She looked so happy, so full of life. Catherine wasn't likely to have a child soon, but he had high hopes, in the next year or so, he'd get an announcement from Caroline and Damon they were expecting. Or perhaps Jason and Laura would hurry up and announce an engagement, as everyone knew they would do soon.

"Kitty knows you want a grandchild, Padfoot," Remus said softly. "Why do you think she keeps looking at more dogs? She told me yesterday she was thinking of getting a third."

"They just got Penny," Sirius said, his lips twitching downward, despite his attempts to stay neutral. He loved the Irish Setter they'd picked up in late June, a sweet-tempered dog who got on well with Paddy, and with Sirius when he was transformed.

"She's thinking of a terrier," Remus said, smirking, "but I think they weren't sure whether they wanted another quite so soon. I'm not certain she'd broached the idea with Harry, yet."

Sirius shook his head, smiling, and he poured more tea for himself and Remus.

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Brontes watched Rose as she prepared the potions for the shop. She worked under his cousin, but he knew she was hoping to take Professor Snape's post, when Professor McGonagall deigned to retire. He waited until he saw her take the potion off the heat and put it in a stasis chamber she'd devised for storage before announcing his presence.

"Oh," she said with a small laugh and a beautiful smile. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to admire how beautiful you are," he said, pulling her close and kissing her, getting that same thrill he had every time she was close. A shiver ran through him as he thought vaguely of their wedding, of the wondrous sensation of touching her skin, of feeling the heat of her body against his for the first time without barriers in the way. At the thought, his body was prepared to relive the experience all over again.

"You're always saying that," she said, although the smile she gave him was glowing with a restrained pleasure.

"I always mean it," Brontes said, wondering how on earth he'd gotten so lucky. "You busy, darling?"

"Not for another hour and a half," she said with a shrug, checking her watch.

"Good," he whispered against her lips. "Fancy going upstairs with me?"

She laughed, but she let him lead her up to their bedroom. They had a wing apart from his parents, which suited them fine, and even his mother had been relatively warm since the wedding. But the two couples gave each other a wide berth, knowing there would be plenty of tension if they saw too much of each other.

As soon as they were in the bedroom, Brontes kissed Rose with all the desire and passion one can put into a kiss, and he carefully slipped his hands under the hem of her dress, lifting the fabric bit by bit in anticipation of exploring his wife – an exploration he never tired of.

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Rabastan knew Catherine had the apothecary closed for the day, mostly because she didn't want to mess with it when they hadn't known how long the birth would be, so there was no point running by the shop to see if she was around. Instead, he went by Grimmauld Place, where Cara was sure to be alone.

Cara greeted him warmly at the door, and they took tea in the sitting room. He admired the way her dress draped her figure, but he kept his expression mild and made a point of telling her that she looked lovely.

"Well, quite an occasion this morning," she said, smiling brightly. "It's so much nicer when someone else is doing all the hard work."

He laughed, nodding. They fell into conversation about the very loose matter of wedding arrangements for his younger son to Fabian and Dorcas's youngest daughter.

"They're very blasé about the whole thing," Rabastan said with a grin. "Delia's beside herself, can't even be fussed with trying to make poor Rose miserable because she's too worried about how often Aeson might be fornicating with his intended. Whatever she thinks about old notions, at least Brontes stuck to the old ways of courtship."

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Luna sat up and kissed Kelda's forehead, wishing away all the troubles of the world. Kelda had a bit of peach fuzz for hair, but Luna suspected she be a ginger, when all was said and done, or possibly strawberry blonde. Her eyes were very light, and they might stay that way. It was a pity Ron took the whole matter of childbirth so poorly, because Luna thought, apart from several hours of pain, it really wasn't so bad. And Kelda was so beautiful. She wouldn't have minded going through it again.

But then, she didn't want to distress her husband, and as both of them expected to continue working their busy lives, perhaps one was enough.

They could always get a few birds to keep. Apart from the owl.

She pressed her lips to her daughter's soft, tender forehead and she whispered, "You are a very precious thing, Kelda. Beautiful, special, and utterly precious. Your father and I love you very, very much. Never forget. You're just starting out, you know. You can do anything you want to do, although I expect you'll have a bit of a tendency for trouble. Seems to run in your fathers' family, and I've no doubt your uncles will encourage you. But I love you, regardless."

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Jason watched Laura as the prepared their statement for the Ministry, requesting research funds to hire personnel. He'd had a thought on his mind for some time, and with both his sisters married, a cousin married and another engaged, he couldn't stop thinking it was time to take the plunge.

"I'm going to ask you something," he said, and she looked up, curious. "I'm, erm, uncharacteristically underprepared, but I assure you the question is utterly serious and sincere."

"I wouldn't expect you to pull my leg," she said, giving him a curious smile.

He took her hand, kissed it, and said, "Marry me."

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Damon managed to get out of bed for lunch, with the help of Pepper-Up and the promise of some quiet time with his wife. Still so lovely and surreal, thinking of Caroline and his wife, but every time it came to his mind, he still grinned like a mad person. He found Caroline sitting at the table, and the grin came to his face again. He didn't kiss her, didn't want to get her ill in case he was contagious, but he touched her hand gently and sat beside her. They ate in the kitchen unless they had guests, as the dining room table was absolutely massive for only two people.

"I just got a note from Jason," Caroline said with a grin. "You'll never guess."

"He finally proposed to Laura," Damon said with a small smirk.

Caroline rolled her eyes, so he knew he'd got it right in one. They were likely to take a bit longer with planning the wedding and preparing everything, being planners and preparers quite in their usual line. Damon expected once they did tie the knot, Jason and Laura would move in to Grimmauld Place, and it was possible Professor Black and his wife would move to the cottage. He wondered how odd it would be for them, living all their lives in big, grand houses, to wind down and live in a cottage for the rest of their years. He wondered what it would be like.

Damon said he was looking forward to the wedding, which he was, and Caroline laughed, saying it would likely coincide when whenever her sister bought another puppy.

"She needs to be careful," Caroline teased, "or those two are going to be running a kennel of sorts out of Potter Manor."

Damon didn't think there was anything so bad about that, and he knew Caroline didn't think so, either, but he didn't say anything. Catherine and Harry did a good job with their dogs, and they were very sweet animals.

"You know," Caroline said, playfully walking her fingers up his arm, "my father looked at the baby today like he was seeing the most beautiful thing in the world. You know he wants grandchildren." Damon bit his lip and nodded. He was quite aware of his father-in-law's desire for grandchildren. "Well, I'm not sure I want kids right away, but I wouldn't be averse to it, and I certainly think we should start practicing, don't you?"

He gulped and nodded, and he asked very softly how many kids she was thinking of, and she said with a wicked sort of grin, "I don't know, darling. We've got an awfully big house to fill. I take that as a bit of a challenge, don't you?"

Challenge bloody accepted.

A/N: So, Kelda Weasley is born, Hermione and Neville are expecting, Caro and Damon are married, and two more engagements besides! And both of Sirius's daughters are thinking of children. Maybe not the tightest closing off, because Lucius is still dying, Rabastan's obsession is hanging over their heads with only Delia knowing, and Catherine still isn't totally sure she'll be able to HAVE children.

I'm posting the first chapter of Part 3 concurrently (shockingly titled Unknowns, Part the Third), so check it out! I'll be posting updates to people's relationships, jobs, and CHILDREN for Part 3 on my profile later today, so be sure to wait to check that out until you've started reading Part 3, or you'll have a big shock when you look at it.

Review Prompt: How many grandchildren do you suppose Sirius will have?

Q&A:

Q: Won't [Harry] feel more possessive of his children when it comes to having Ryana's taking care of them as a nanny? (danceegirl92)

A: At first, awkward, yeah. But the thing about Ryana is that even though she has zero sexual interest in him, she does like him very much as a friend, and they'll reach an understanding pretty quickly. While Padma was inherently possessive and megalomaniacal, Ryana is an inherently warm, giving, and positive person, and the last thing she wants is to hurt either one of the Potters.

Q: What are the ['fruits of propriety' Astoria 'understands']? (Mercy)

A: Yeah, the idea of waiting for marriage not only for sex, but also for sexual thoughts, behaviors, etc. is an old one, and varies in severity by society and personal moral strictness. Astoria and Draco are not as extreme in their understanding as Brontes, who made himself pretty sick with worry in his almost monk-like attitude. Astoria did have sexual fantasies, as did Draco, but neither would put it in writing, and neither would say it out loud, and neither would act on it. The "fruits of propriety" as they understand it is that by waiting, they avoid scandal, they put off possible side effects (like early pregnancy) to when they're set up to deal with them, and they have the anticipation on the first time that many people believe makes the first time better. It's not true for everyone, but plenty of people DO behave this way about sex and sexuality, and not all of them are unhappy for it. It's not my personal favorite way, but it does work for some people, provided they don't carry to extremes.

Q: Despite [Adrasteia's] reputation, isn't Rabastan very wealthy? Why aren't there any suitors for her? (Mercy)

A: Yeah, Rabastan's quite wealthy. And there are suitors, but none she or her mother consider…worthy. And she's very…difficult to live with, so it would take wanting her for the money. Remember, she's from a family with fewer properties than the Blacks, and her family – while extremely wealthy – has less wealth than the Blacks, the Potters, and the Malfoys, as well as less of a name for importance. Unlike the Blacks, who've split things out among their children, property-wise, apart from some living allowance for Adrasteia if she remains unmarried, everything goes to Brontes when Rabastan dies. Call it patriarchy (it sort of is), but the pressure is way more on her to marry well than on someone with less money to marry her. Rabastan would probably give her a sizable dowry, but it wouldn't be anything like what Sirius can easily give both of his daughters, in property and in gold.

Q: What kind of world is it where air travel between Britain and France can be considered 'expensive' by these people of such boundless wealth? (Mercy)

A: You forget, this is Rabastan talking. He knows NOTHING about the Muggle world, and he's going off something he heard from someone who probably knew even less. And he's saying it to Severus, who grew up poor and hasn't really travelled Muggle since, so he hasn't kept up on airfare prices. Even if he knew it wasn't so bad, he wouldn't have argued with the Portkey instead, for convenience, and so he would not have corrected Rabastan. But yes, it's meant to feel slightly incongruous to a careful reader.

Q: Is [Rabastan's] obsession/feelings for Kitty going to take on a more sinister aspect? (danceegirl92)

A: I mean, sinister isn't quite the word I'd use, but yes, it's going to cause some very serious problems. I consider sinister as someone who does something awful for the purpose of doing something awful. Like a Karkaroff. Rabastan more…loses control of himself. But yeah, it's going to get dark.

Q: Can't you just remove Ryana from the story completely? (Asma20)

A: I could. I won't. She won't be in Part 3 long, remember. Just 5 chapters. But her "leaving" is going to be a point in a larger puzzle that one or two of the characters will have to unravel. She's important. I won't apologize for those of you who don't like her, because I don't believe in apologizing for things that aren't mistakes, but I will say that I'm sorry if she distresses your sensibilities in any way.

Q: Will there be any Brontes POV any time soon? (Michand)

A: So, this Brontes POV in this chapter is the LAST Brontes POV in the series. With children coming and old enough for viewpoints, plus dogs' POV (YES you read that right, there will be dogs with POV, especially the Irish Setter, Penny, introduced in this chapter), I had to make some tough choices on who got a POV and who couldn't be added to the list. There are fewer things going on, so you'll see a lot of the same POVs much of the time, like in Part 1. Brontes won't be among them, but Rose will make the occasional appearance in the rota.

Cheers, and see you in Part 3!

C