Even

Sirius watched his ex-girlfriend walked past him. His only regret was dating her. She was almost three years younger than him.

"Kim, I don't know what to do," she told a friend of hers. "But I'm not going back to Hogwarts in September."

"What? It's our sixth year! You can't drop out this close to the end!"

"Keep your voice down," she said, nodding toward him. "I'm..." She leaned in and whispered something.

"No! Is it?" Her friend didn't finish the question.

"Yes." She began to cry, silently.

"Oh, Christen. Why didn't you tell me sooner? How did your parents take it?"

"They've been dead for years. I'm living with Uncle Chris." She pulled something out of her back pocket. "Take good care of it."

"No, Chris. Tell me you're joking," her friend pleaded. "I can understand dropping out, but handing over your wand like a common criminal? Why?"

"I'll be putting Uncle Chris and Auntie Jane in danger if I don't."

Sirius blinked. She was dropping out? What was the big secret? No, he reminded himself. I've got more important things to worry about.

Kim placed the wand back in her hand. "You have to go tell him the truth. If you don't jinx him I will."

"Kim, I can't," she said, and shook her head.

"Go!" She pushed Chris toward him. "Hey, Sirius!" she called.

"Kimberly Sue Hanford!" she said, horrified. "Please! No!"

Sirius walked over. "Hey, ladies."

"Don't play handsome lady's man with us, Black," Kim said. "Not after what you did to Chris."

He was suddenly confused. "I thought you said there was no hard feelings," he told the crying Christen.

"Look, Sirius, I'm sorry," Chris said. She was still crying and the cries were getting some volume.

"You have absolutely no reason to be sorry. He ought to be the sorry one."

"What the hell are you talking about? People are starting to stare."

"That's just like you!" Kim practically screamed. "The only thing you worry about is your image!"

"What's going on, Chrissy?" he asked.

"Sirius, I can't even say how sorry I am. But..."

"Spit it out, girl," Kim said.

"Shut up, Hanford!" Christen yelled.

Kim opened and closed her mouth like a fish. "Christen, please, calm down."

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I DON'T WANT TO TELL HIM!" Heads turned toward them. "I guess I have to now." Her voice lowered. "I'm pregnant."

Sirius blinked and stepped backwards. "What? How? It's not mine. We only, you know, once."

"It is. Our 'once' was my first."

"Well, can't you abort it?"

"Too late now. I'll being showing any day now."

"Look, Christen," Kim said. "He doesn't care. He's done with school."

"School," she replied. "Has nothing to do with it. What matters is if he's willing to sign the papers for adoption."

"Adoption? As in Muggles?"

"My aunt and uncle can't have children, Black. Since I know you are the father, you have to sign the paperwork, too."

"No. The poor thing will think it's a Muggle-born!"

"What's wrong with being a Muggle-born?" the girls screamed in unison.

"Nothing, nothing at all," he said, quickly. "It's just that I think we ought to work this out. For the baby's sake."

"If you want the babies you can have them!"

"Them?" Both Kim and Sirius said, bewildered.

"Twins," Chris said. "Two." She held up two fingers. "One. Two."

Kim laughed. "Yeah, right."

Sirius nearly passed out. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"No," she giggled. "You're Sirius."

Sirius laughed too. "Well, at least you aren't screaming."

"Now," she said, her smile fading. "We have to tell my uncle. See you later, Kim?"

Kim nodded as Christen pulled Sirius away.

"Where are we going?"

"Taking the Underground." Christen paid for their tickets. "It's like a train."

After some time, she pulled him off the Underground, and up the street.

It was a fancy neighborhood. "These Muggles have it well off."

"Yes." She pressed the call button. "Uncle?"

"Hey, kido."

"I found him!"

"That's good news! Come on up!"

Several minutes later, they stood on the landing at the very top of the apartment complex.

"Uncle, this is Sirius Black."

"Serious? That's an interesting name."

"Thank you," Sirius said. "It's nice to meet you, Mr.--"

"Nelson. Christopher Nelson. Come in. The paperwork is on the coffee table."

"I'm not," Sirius tried to say.

"Uncle," Christen said sharply. "He's not going to sign."

"WHAT?" Mr. Nelson screamed. "You, young man, do you understand what you are doing?"

"Actually, yes," Sirius said, thinking it over. "I was wondering if we could talk alone, Mr. Nelson."

Mr. Nelson blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Sir, please, it's important."

Within hours, the maid was fitting Christen into her aunt's old wedding dress.

"Auntie," she said, addressing the fat short woman. "It's too big and too short."

"Be glad that boy agreed to marry you now, or it would be too small in a few months."

The maid laughed. "Sorry, Miss Chris. I almost can't imagine you with child."

"It's okay, Mary Lynn. I can't either."

"It looks fine," Mr. Nelson assured her. "Look, lad, when is that friend of yours showing up? The tux appointment is in half an hour."

The call box beeped. "HELLO? THIS IS JAMES POTTER! KIM HANFORD IS HERE TOO!"

"James," Sirius said, talking into the box. "You don't have to talk that loud. Mr. Nelson and I will be down in a minute. Tell Kim it's the apartment on the top floor."

"Well, lad, we best be going." Mr. Nelson led him out the door.

"See you later, lovely," Sirius said. He kissed her on the cheek.

She made a sound that sounded remotely like, "Lovely, my ass."

They passed an excited Kim, carrying a purple dress.

James was laughing when they got to the tux store. "Wow, Sirius. Christen must really want a nice wedding."

"She doesn't want a wedding. He does." He pointed at his soon-to-be uncle-in-law. "All right, Mr. Nelson. Why are you paying for this?"

"It's the bride's parents' job. Can we get these gentlemen tuxes?"

"You aren't her parents," Sirius said, bluntly. "She's an orphan."

The fitting lady came out from the back room. "Of course! Which one is the groom?"

Sirius raised his hand. "Look, Mr. Nelson, this isn't necessary."

"It is. Now, which sort of engagement ring to think your fiancée will like? I'll go pick one out. Heck, I'll even pay for it!"

"She born in March," James said. "Right, Padfoot?"

"Yes," Sirius replied, surprised he knew. "Wait!" he said after a moment. "She doesn't want an engagement ring! We're getting married in three days!"

Mr. Nelson left the store and walked away, as if had not heard Sirius.

"Don't be silly," the fitting lady said. "Every girl wants a ring. What's her name?"

"Christen Patience Nelson," Sirius said.

"Mr. Nelson's niece? Well, I'll be. She's eighteen already? How along have the two of you been engaged?"

"She's sixteen," Sirius said.

"They've been engaged about three hours," James said, looking at his watch. "They broke up two months ago, in April. And only met the month before that."

"Ah, a shot-gun wedding?"

"What?" both boys asked.

"An American term. What's the due date?"

"I'm guessing in another six months," James said.

"Prongs, how'd you even figure out she was pregnant?" Sirius asked. "I didn't tell you that!"

"Moony figured it out. I mean, why would you marry her anyway? You said yourself she was bloody idiot. Her uncle made you, didn't he?"

"I'm eighteen. I thought the child deserved both real parents."

The lady hit him with the tape measurer. "You're eighteen? That's practically a crime!"

Several silent hours later, they were finished. Mr. Nelson had entered the hour before, with three small ring boxes.

"Well, lad, take a look."

Sirius opened the smallest one. Three small emeralds made a clover in the top of silver ring. The others were both just simple silver bands. He said nothing.

They got back to the house, Sirius decided to give the engagement ring to Christen. When he walked into her room, he saw her in the bathroom, puking. He dropped the ring box on the bed, and ran to her.

"Mooing sickness," she said, before placing her head back in the toilet.

"Morning sickness," he said, correcting her gently. He lifted her hair away from the bowl. "Nelson?"

"Yeah, Black?" she said, lifting her head.

"Sorry."

"What for?"

"Being a jerk."

Suddenly angry, she punched him. "Too right! I didn't even want to date you!"

"What?"

"It was a dare! Okay? Just one, single, stupid dare! Kim thought you seemed nice. I said I bet you were a jerk. When you broke up with me, I got thirty Knuts."

"Is that all I'm worth? A Sickle?"

"A Sickle, a Knut, and two children," she said. "Not worth it at all. I'm only marring you get Chris and Jane off my back. I hate you!"

"Then why did you cry when you broke up with you? You though I was prefect for you, didn't you?"

"You conceited jack ass! It was the anniversary of my parents' deaths! You had nothing to do with it!" She pushed him away. "I'll see you at the rehearsal!" She slammed the bathroom door.

Sirius found a piece of paper on the dresser, and wrote, in big letters, 'Sorry.' He placed it next to the open ring box. He closed her bedroom door.

"Do you need a place to stay, Serious?" Mrs. Nelson asked.

"That would be nice, Mrs. Nelson, but Christen and I just had a fight." He shrugged. "Merlin knows what's wrong."

"It's a woman thing, lad. Hormones, you know," Mr. Nelson said. "She'll forgive you. Mary Lynn, show Mr. Black to the guest room."

Sirius woke up that morning, blinking.

"Get up, sleepy head," Christen called from the kitchen. "It's almost time for rehearsal. Comb your hair." She turned away. "Oh, Potter and Lupin have been here for an hour."

Sirius quickly dressed, and slicked his long hair into a pony-tail.

Christen was sitting at the breakfast table, talking to two girls. One he recognized as her friend Kim, and the other, to his surprise, was Lily Evans.

"Evans?"

"She tutored me last year. She's the second bridesmaid. We picked up another tux for Lupin earlier," Christen said.

Remus and James were sitting at the bar. He walked up to them and sat down.

Christen stood. "Excuse me, Kim, Lily." She walked over to Sirius and looked at his black eye. She wiped a tear away.

"Good morning, Chris," he said. "How are you?"

Christen ran to her bedroom, and closed the door.

Sirius knocked on the door. "Christen?" He expected to hear the sound of puking. Instead, he heard sobs. "Christen, are you okay?" He opened the door then closed it behind him.

She was shaking, and sobbing. "Hey," she said, trying to sound casual.

"Oh, Chris, I'm sorry." He sat next to her on the bed. "But I don't a clue what I've done wrong."

"It's not you, it's me. I didn't mean to hit you."

"Your uncle," Sirius said. "Said it was hormones. What ever they are."

"They're chemicals. They control everything. My are being weird, that's all."

"So," he said. "We're even?"

"Even." She shook his hand.