Five Years Later

Sundays had always been busy at Grimmauld Place since the end of the war ten years ago. It had never been as busy as it was now. There had always been a big crowd for Sunday brunch but there had never been such a large group of children present. Small children that is. There were the Potter children, James and Albus, the Snape children, Sebastian and Allison, the Lupins, Teddy, Samantha and Sarah, and the Black twins, Maia and Dashiel; his wife gave in to his family tradition of naming children after celestial objects.

Remus and Emma had married a few months after Hermione and Severus's wedding. They had a bonding ceremony the day before their wedding and then a traditional muggle ceremony since she had a large family on her mother's side. His bachelor party was in Las Vegas and yes there were strippers, best man Sirius Black making sure of it. Emma's bachelorette, planned by her Maid of Honor Carrie was in New York City where the girls painted the town. After the wedding Remus had whisked her away to the Greek islands for their honeymoon; Samantha was born nine months later.

Sirius and Carrie were married much in the same way as Severus and Hermione. Remus being the best man was put in charge of the bachelor party and Hermione being the Maid of Honor was planning the bachelorette. She made sure she insinuated they were going to another male review, at which point Sirius told a laughing Severus to control his errant wife. The girls didn't go to a male review, they instead went to Barbados. Remus made sure Sirius got a taste of his own medicine when he had his bachelor party in Miami and took him to a well known strip club where they made sure Sirius was brought on stage to dance with the strippers. The animagus drew the line when the men offered to buy him a lap dance; he stated that the only one giving him a lap dance would be Carrie. They honeymooned on the island of Tahiti.

This Sunday was a particular special one, Alex was coming home to visit for a few months. He had not only graduated with honors from Notre Dame, his team also won the National Championship that year and he came in second in the running for the Heisman trophy. He was drafted by an NFL team and did play a bit during the season, it was now March and the season was over. He had to report back in July, but he wanted to spend time with his mother, Sirius and siblings.

Alex was standing in the hall of number twelve Grimmauld Place when he heard little feet running towards him. There stood his three year old twin siblings, Maia had her black hair in pigtails swinging as she ran to her big brother. Dash was grinning from ear to ear. He easily picked up both children and hugged them.

"Hello you two. I missed the both of you."

"We missed you two Alex. Mommy is in the kitchen with daddy. Everyone is coming soon."

By everyone he knew Remus and Emma would be there as well as Hermione and Severus and the Potters. He walked holding the children to the kitchen to see his mother and Sirius kissing by the sink.

"Ewww mommy, daddy stop! Alex is here." Maia said as Dashiel rolled his eyes.

Alex laughed, "That's what mommy's and daddy's do when they love each other."

"Alex!" Carrie yelled when she saw her son. She looked at her twenty two year old son and couldn't get over how handsome he was. He had grown an inch or two more and was about six feet four and muscular. He put the kids down and opened his arms for a hug from his mom. Sirius came over and gave his stepson a hug and shook his hand. The two had built a good relationship through the years.

"Welcome home Alex. The others will be here soon."

"I heard." He said glancing over at his brother and sister. "They grew in the few months since I last saw them."

"Not only have they grown but they are far too smart, and they are manifesting early."

Alex laughed; he knew that meant their magic was showing. He also knew how mischievous his little brother and sister could get. It looked like the marauder would have his hands full.

They heard the front door open and more little feet running in. Alex looked over to the doorway at three and a half year old year old Sebastian running in and Hermione and Severus follow. Ally was in Severus's arms, she was a little over a year.

"Alex!" Hermione went over to her cousin and gave him a hug. "My goodness aren't you gorgeous!"

Alex then shook Severus's hand and was about to say something when they heard more little feet and the Lupin girls came running in.

Samantha was the same age as Sebastian and Sarah was born a few months before Allison. They joked that none of their children would start Hogwarts alone. Everyone was there when the Potters finally arrived. What an interesting place this was with eight kids under five thought Alex.

"This place is like a preschool." He said.

He laughed when Severus said, "That it is but thank God for house elves." And watched as Kreacher and Winky shuffled the children off to the playroom Sirius had designated for the younger generation.

"So what have you been up to Alex?" Harry asked.

"The season has ended; we made the playoffs but lost. So here I am for a few months."

"Any love interests?" Sirius asked.

"Sirius Black!" Carrie said.

"What? The man is twenty two, by the time I was twenty two…."

Carrie held up her hand, "I don't want to know about the many conquests you had in your youth. I can only imagine."

"But none a special as you love." He said pulling his wife into a hug.

"Better watch out little Miss Maia was not pleased to see you kissing before. I believe her words were 'ewww'." Alex said and everyone laughed.

"The word that comes out of Sebastian is 'yuk'." Severus said.

"Samantha is partial to 'blah'" Remus added.

"James and Albus just cover their eyes." Laughed Harry.

Hermione blushed when Severus said, "Sebastian wanted to know why there was a fireman's pole in our bedroom."

"Fireman's pole?" Harry scrunched up his face.

Ginny patted her husband on the head, "stripper pole dear." She whispered.

"Severus forgot to remove it the other night. When the kids woke us up Sebastian had questions."

"So I told him I was practicing to be a fireman. I'm not sure he bought it though."

"I know what you mean, we almost forgot to get rid of it once but Emma woke me up in the middle of the night to charm it away."

"You all have stripper poles? Mom?" he asked grinning.

"Never mind, there are things you don't need to know."

Sirius looked at Carrie, "Except?"

"You want to tell them now?"

"It's as good a time as any, all our family are here."

"Tell us what?" Harry asked.

Carrie stood up in profile and held her shirt close to her body. There was a small bump where her stomach was.

"Your pregnant!" laughed Emma.

"Yes, why are you laughing so hard?" she asked Emma.

Emma stood up the same way Carrie did and held her shirt close to her stomach. There was the same type of bump. Hermione looked at Severus and did the same thing. She too had a bump. They looked at Ginny and she shook her head.

"No bump yet, just found out yesterday we're only one month pregnant."

The men in the kitchen all looked at each other one grinning wider than the other. Alex laughed at them all.

"Good lord if you keep putting those stripper poles in your bedrooms you'll need more than two house elves."

Sirius went over to his step son and put his hand on his shoulder, "Alex my boy, Anthony's bachelor party is coming soon and we'll introduce you to the wonders of the stripper pole."

"Introduce me? What makes you think I haven't…?"

"Alex!" Carrie chided her son.

"Blah." Said Emma.

"Yuk" said Hermione.

Ginny covered her eyes and Carrie laughed and said 'ewww'.