Till Life Do Us Part

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Chapter 3

A month later...

"Who's there?"

If Angela's voice had sounded too harsh, well, no one could really blame her. Unexpected visitors had become quite uncommon these days and usually meant only one thing - trouble.

"It's me, Angela. It's Sylvie."

Angela had recognized the voice by herself, but did not open the door and made no movement to lower her wand. "What did Remus do the first time we met you?"

Such questions had become something common for wizards and witches - everyone had to be careful about whether they were facing their friends or some Death Eaters in disguise.

"He took my certificate of marriage and tried to detect the spell that he thought I had placed on it because he did not believe that his brother had actually married me," came the reply, and Angela grinned broadly while she was opening the door.

"Sylvie!" she squealed and hugged her old friend tightly, careful not to smash the little bundle in her arms. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in ages! Is this Anath?" she asked, looking curiously at the baby who had slept through the whole welcome embrace. "She's gorgeous. Oh, look at that red fluff! You're going to have another red-haired lady in the family."

"Yes." Sylvie smiled proudly. "Can we come in? I'm really tired. She kept me awake the whole night and I've been at the Ministry for hours today."

"Oh, yes, of course."

They entered the living room, where Caine was playing with his cars.

"Come on, Caine, come and say hello to Sylvie. You remember her?"

Caine shook his head and Sylvie laughed, sitting on the sofa and stretching with relief. "It's been a year since I last saw you, Angela. I'd have been surprised if he remembered me. Tell me, Caine, do you want to be an Auror, like your Daddy, when you grow up?"

Again, Caine shook his head. "No. I'll be a TV tower when I grow up. Because they're the highest."

Angela laughed. "That's his newest idea about his future," she explained. "He's been at it for more than a week."

"I see," Sylvie nodded. "Well, it's a big ambition, really. I've brought you something, Caine."

Curious, he went to her and looked at her with anticipation. Smiling, Sylvie pretended that she had forgotten the present, and when Caine was already bouncing with nervousness, she 'found' it.

"A flying car!" Caine squealed with delight and started chasing after his newest treasure.

"Caine," his mother said in a warning voice, and he seemed to remember what he was supposed to do now.

"Thank you, Sylvie!" he yelled over his shoulder, and his mother winced and looked at the newborn, but Anath Lupin was still demonstrating her ability to sleep under whatever circumstances dawned on her.

"What are you doing here?" Angela asked. "I thought you were still in France."

"I was." Sylvie sighed. "Unfortunately, the big bosses decided that I was the best one to be detached here when your Ministry asked ours for more Aurors. They remembered that I was trained here by Moody himself, that I have worked here for years, and that I have friends among your Aurors. That's all they needed. So now Raymond is working day and night in St. Lazarre's, since the last attack left us without one third of the staff there. Raymond is working there about fifteen hours a day, I am staying here at Remus' place - I arrived only yesterday - and the children are with my parents in Provence. Driving them mad, I suppose."

The two young women looked at each other and burst out laughing at the absurdity of the whole situation. Without waking up, Anath clapped her tiny hands excitedly, making them laugh harder.

"Tell me, Sylvie, is it true?" Angela finally asked. "Did you really give birth to her in Poland and the same day you went off fighting Death Eaters?"

"No," Sylvie answered, "it's not true. Not - exactly true." Then, she laughed again. "You know, I've been telling the baby this as her bedtime story. Something like what happened the day that I was born." She narrowed her eyes and began in a honeyed voice, as if she were telling a story to a very young child, "And then Mummy said, 'But I can't travel now. I am pregnant.' And then the pompous old king said, 'But we need your help, my Lady. You'll be traveling there by air carriage and it will be arranged in a way that would let your husband accompany you. We are not sending you to fight the villains, we just want you to establish contact with their Captain of the King's Guards and exchange our methods for theirs. All in peace.' Mummy realized that she had no choice in the matter, so she said yes. And so, Mummy and Daddy went to Poland, and everything was fine until the sixth day of their stay. The King's court was informed about an upcoming attack of Muggles in less than three days. They needed every man and woman they could find, who could successfully fight the bad people. Mummy and Daddy did not want to endanger the baby, though, so the childbirth was induced a week earlier than it should have been, and baby Anath was born. When Anath was two days old, Mummy and Daddy had to leave her in the King's court and go to find the evil-doers. Mummy and Daddy won, but one of the bad men without faces hurt Mummy, so she became a little ill and could not nurse baby Anath for a while. Since they had to leave early the next day and there was no time to find another woman who could breastfeed Anath, or find adapted milk for her, the king gave them a suckling she-ass and they left in their air carriage - Mummy, Daddy, Anath and the she-ass."

"And then the she-ass probably started braying and did not stop until they reached firm ground," Angela finished and grinned. "Is it really how it was?"

"Oh, yes!" Sylvie nodded, and grinned sheepishly. "Exactly. The stupid animal did not leave us alone."

Angela looked at Anath and smiled: the baby was smiling in her sleep; maybe she recognized her bedtime story.

"But you are well now, aren't you?"

"Yes." Sylvie gave her a long look. "But you aren't, are you? You look like hell, Angela."

Angela shrugged. "It's a war," she said, and then stood up. "Caine! Time for bed!"

"No, Mummy!" he said. "I want to play with the new car!"

"Later."

"But I want to play now!"

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave it for later."

"I don't want - "

Caine was very much like Arion. Sylvie smiled, put her feet high and closed her eyes, waiting for Angela to take her reluctant son to the nursery.

"Well, I finally managed."

Sylvie opened her eyes and looked at Angela, who was busy arranging the flowers in a vase next to the window. The young Frenchwoman held her breath. Her friend looked even worse under the bright sunlight than Sylvie had thought at first, tired and wrecked. Her long curly hair was hanging limply over her back, there were huge purple bags under her eyes, and she looked thinner than Sylvie had ever seen her.

"Do you want coffee?" she asked.

"No, thank you," Sylvie said. "Well, as a matter of fact I do want coffee, but it goes into my milk, so - " She shrugged. "Come here and sit down."

Angela did so. The other woman looked at her closely. "Do you know what?" she asked.

"What?"

"If you want to keep your Sirius alive, don't let Raymond see you. He has enough anger against him as it is now because of Remus, and if he sees you like this - " She paused. "Let's just say that I don't want my husband going into prison for killing someone the Muggle way."

"So, Remus told you?" Angela asked.

"Yes, he did. We've seen him a lot lately. He doesn't talk much about it, but it's clear for someone who has some idea about the whole situation and who knows Remus as well as we do." She looked at Angela closely. "Do they really think that he is the traitor?"

Angela nodded. "They do."

"Merlin!" Sylvie sighed. "No wonder he's sad and depressed all the time. The only people who didn't care about his condition, and now this!"

Anath must have felt her mother's tension because she opened her eyes and stirred. Sylvie soon lulled her to sleep and gave Angela another glance. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. "Are you ill?"

Angela shook her head.

"What is it, then? Are you still worried about Caine after the kidnapping? Are there any problems?"

"No, he's gotten over it."

"Problems with Sirius?" Sylvie asked again. "Where is he, by the way?"

"He's with the people he really cares about," Angela stated bitterly.

Sylvie and Angela had been neighbors since the time Sylvie had married Raymond Lupin and had come to live at his parents' place. Angela was best friends with Remus and that meant she spent a lot of time in the Lupins' house, which meant she saw Sylvie almost every day. They had formed a friendship despite the gap in their age, and that friendship had become even stronger after Angela's parents had thrown her out because of her pregnancy. Sylvie had always been ready to help her in every possible way; she had even babysat Caine a couple of times. She had not missed a single one of Angela's birthdays and always gave her cards and presents.

Sylvie was the only one who knew how deep Angela's feeling of insecurity ran - insecurity born of the fact that she had gotten pregnant before the wedding. No one else even suspected that the fact that Sirius had felt forced to marry her still troubled her so much. It was not that she doubted his love for her, because she did not doubt it, it was just that she could never be sure that he would have married her without the baby. During their years together, Sirius had erased to great extent this awful feeling of uncertainty, but it never really disappeared, and now, when he neglected Caine and her, it seemed to be overwhelming. While Sylvie was listening to Angela's story about what had happened the last months, she felt like slapping Sirius Black if he came. But of course, he was too busy to make an appearance in his own home - he preferred James Potter's place. That idiotic boy, Sylvie thought, he's going to lose his family even before he knows what's happening, and I can't say he doesn't deserve it.

"What are you going to do about it?" Sylvie asked. "You can't go on like this; it will be the death of you."

"I know," Angela sighed, "but I'm not sure how I should act. One thing is for sure - I will not have this kind of attitude any longer. I won't raise my kid between these walls just because his father is too busy for us, and I won't feel like second best. It's not like Sirius is my only option after all!"

"Angela!" Sylvie gasped, and Angela slapped her hand over her mouth. "Is there someone else?"

Angela looked like she wished she had kept her last words to herself, but then she shrugged. She knew she could trust Sylvie. "I am not sure. Maybe."

"Who is he? Do I know him?"

"I don't know. His name is Alain Montresorre."

"He is a Frenchman?" Angela nodded. "I think I've heard of his family. Tell me, what's going on between the two of you?"

"I kissed him, that's what."

"You kissed him?"

"Oh, yes, and I've felt guilty ever since."

Sylvie listened in silence until Angela finished with the story. When the younger woman finally stopped talking, she took her by the hand and said in a firm voice, "Now, listen to me, girl, there is no reason for you to feel guilty. From what I heard, Sirius pretty much deserved it. Just be careful of what you do from now on."

"But I am not feeling guilty because of Sirius. At least, that feeling is fading every day because of the way he keeps treating me - us! Even after Caine was kidnapped, he still spends all his time with James and Lily! Am I supposed to feel guilty because of him? No, I feel guilty because of Alain. He didn't deserve to be used like that. The worst thing is that I keep doing this - when Sirius disappoints me, I go to Alain, because he makes me feel better - loved and safe. He does not deserve such treatment, no more than Caine and I deserve Sirius' attitude."

Have things already gotten so out of hand, Sylvie thought, appalled. "Are you sure you don't feel anything for him?" she asked. Angela blushed and averted her gaze. "Dear Morgaine."

"Yes," Angela agreed.

The fire in the fireplace lit up and Sirius' face appeared in the green flames. "Angela?" he cried. "Are you there?"

Angela stood up, because the back of sofa blocked her from view. "Yes, I am here, Sirius."

"Are you okay? How is Caine?"

"He's sleeping. We are both okay. Where are you?"

He hesitated and Angela knew what the answer would be. Sighing, she said, "Sylvie is here."

"Really?"

"Yes, she brought the baby, Anath, with her."

Sylvie also stood up and moved, so Sirius could see her. "Hello, Sirius."

"Sylvie," he said. "Well," he continued, "I suppose you have lots of things to tell each other. I won't bother you. See you tomorrow evening, Angela."

"I won't bother you!" she cried after his head had disappeared. "He doesn't give a damn about bothering or not bothering me; he just uses it as an excuse to stay with his precious endangered James and Lily. Damn you, Sirius Black!" she whispered angrily.

"And Alain uses every sort of excuse to stay longer with you, I suppose?" Sylvie asked. Angela nodded, this time without blushing.

You are my, my wife, said Alain's voice in her head. I love you, Angela. You are meant for me. Her pulse quickened at the thought of their kiss, his eyes full of adoration, and the tenderness in his voice while telling her what she had already known. He loved her, she did not doubt that. Did she love him? And if she did, how would this affect their lives? Yes, their lives. Whatever decision she would make, Caine's feelings were as important as her own - more important to her than to his father. If it was not for Caine, Angela knew who she would have chosen without a hint of hesitation.

Suddenly, the fire lit up again. Sirius. She looked at him, alarmed, but he did not give her the time to say anything.

"I forgot to say I love you."

The next moment, he was gone. Angela stood there, looking at the empty fireplace. Do I really know who I would have chosen? Do I?

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The next day...

"Anath, stay still," Angela said desperately. The baby girl had started crying the moment Sylvie had left her in Angela's arms, as if feeling that Mummy was not in the room anymore. "Please, Anath, please stay still!"

No reaction. Angela stood in the corridor of Dr. Marshall's clinic, waited for Sylvie to come out of the powder room and prayed to any deity she could think about that the baby would calm down.

"What's the matter with you?"

Angela looked around. A young doctor was looking straight at her, a kind smile on her lips. "She doesn't look like you at all," she said. "Is her daddy a red-head?

"She's not mine," Angela replied. "We're waiting for her Mummy to come out of the powder room - she was here to visit Dr. Marshall."

"I see," the blond woman said, looking at Angela's pale face and big eyes. "And what's the problem with you?"

"Me?" Angela shook her head. "Right now, I don't have any problems. Basically, it's that I cannot have children."

The doctor laughed out loud. "Talk nonsense to someone else - you're pregnant right now."

"What?!" Angela was so shocked that she almost dropped the baby and that led to the effect she had hoped to achieve - Anath was so surprised that she actually stopped crying. "That's impossible!"

"Why would you think so?"

"Because...because...because after giving birth to my son, I was told that I could never conceive again! It's been four years since then and there was no sign of a second pregnancy!"

The doctor gave her a long look. "Listen," she said, "come with me and let me examine you. If I am wrong, the examination will be free, if not, you're going to pay for it."

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The next evening...

He woke up to the sound of someone thumping on his door. He was so tired from the twenty-six hours that he had spent working on investigation files that the thought of checking on his visitor did not even cross his mind. When he opened the door, he noticed the final sunrays going down on the horizon, so it wasn't too late in the evening. "Who's there?" he asked, looking around.

There was no answer.

"Who is there?" he repeated, louder this time.

A dark form emerged from the staircase. "It's me - Angela."

"Mon Dieu, Angela, what are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?"

He moved aside to let her enter the flat. She went straight to the living room and started unbuttoning her coat.

"What are you doing here, Angela?" he asked again. "I thought it was Caine's birthday today - "

"It is," she said. Her voice was hoarse, as if she'd been crying. "He had his party. He's at the park now with my friend Sylvie - I asked her to take him there."

He nodded. "Wait for a minute," he said, heading for his bedroom. When he returned, he saw that she had taken her coat off and was now standing in the middle of the room in a tight red blouse and black jeans. Her hair was falling in heavy waves over her back; the scent of her perfume filled the room. Alain felt his head lightening. What was she playing at?

"Here," he said, placing a small wrapped box in her hand. "This is for Caine. For his birthday - I wanted - I thought that - "

He fell silent when he saw the tears that were filling her eyes. "What's going on, Angela? What's wrong?"

"He forgot," she said in a trembling voice. "You bought Caine a present, but his father forgot that it was his birthday today - all he thought about was James and Lily, James and Lily, James and Lily!" she suddenly shouted. "He didn't even come to the party!"

"Mon Dieu!" Alain whispered.

"Exactly," Angela agreed. "Our son was not important enough for him to remember that he had a birthday," she said hoarsely. "Merlin, he doesn't deserve Caine."

"He doesn't," Alain said. "He does not deserve any of you."

"Merlin, how I hate him right now! If he comes to me, I'm going to kill him for the disappointment he put Caine through!"

Alain said nothing. Angela took a deep breath, went to him, stood on tiptoe and kissed him, just as he knew that she would. He held her tight and felt her arms encircling him.

"Yes," she said hoarsely, "yes - " He covered her face with kisses, then her neck, her arms....

"I love you," he whispered. "I do. I've always believed that one day you'd come to me on your own."

"And so I did," she answered softly, returning his kisses. "I want this, I need - "

He took her blouse off and she started kicking her jeans off, pulling his head down to hers, and then suddenly stopped as if paralyzed.

"What's going on?" he asked worriedly, but she did not answer.

After a long minute, she pushed him aside, buttoned her jeans up and bent to collect her blouse. "It's not going to work," she said in a suddenly tired, flat voice. "Merlin, I wish it would, I really do. But it just won't. The bloody truth is that I still love Sirius. Merlin knows why, but I love him. I belong to him, no matter how much I wished I didn't."

She was not looking Alain in the eye and he did not force her to meet his gaze. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

Angela shrugged. "I have no idea," she said. "You know, I've been waiting for him the whole day. I wanted to tell him that I was pregnant."

He looked like she had just slapped him. "You are?"

She nodded. "I can hardly believe it myself. I thought it would never happen again. We both wanted a second child so much and now I don't even get the chance to tell him - he's never home long enough for me to."

"But you are going to tell him sooner or later?"

Angela laughed bitterly. "I suppose I will. When my stomach starts growing, even Sirius Black will be unable to miss it."

Alain sighed. "I can't say that I'm happy with your decision," he said," but it's your choice."

"Oh yes, it is," Angela agreed. "My choice and my stupidity."

"I don't think you're stupid."

"I didn't think I was, either, but what would you call this, then?" She had composed herself by now. "I'll never leave him because I'm stupid enough to love him to madness. I am happy with the slightest signs of his affections, I rave and yell when I face the new proves of his uncaring. What is it, if not madness?"

"Love, I suppose," Alain said in a soft voice, and she nodded.

"I am sorry, Alain."

"Don't be. Now go!"

She left the flat and Alain smiled again - a smile that was sad and hopeful at the same time. And yet, you came to me. You love him, you want him, but you still came to me. Love is a gradual thing, Angela. I believe it will be this way - for you and me. I know it. You will come again, and you'll stay - one day. I can wait. I am patient.

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