Oakwood

August, 18th, 1980, Godric's Hallow. Half past seven in the evening.
Lilly was upstairs in Harry's room, carefully looking from the window while humming her baby to sleep. James kept walking nervously back and forth through the long corridor leading to their bedroom. He seemed to be quite worried.
"They said they'll be back by seven!" he muttered "We should send a Patronus to Dumbledore!"
"Sweetheart you worry too much!" Lilly said, despite looking even more worried herself, "I'm sure Remus and Sirius are more than capable of bringing her here safely, Besides... Its Kingsley we're talking about... Kingsley himself is with them!"
"Moony said 7 p.m" James muttered under his breath while walking back inside Harry's room, "Moony is always precise... it's been half an hour now!"
Lilly tried to hide her worries with a kind smile as she placed a sleeping Harry inside his bed and went to put a gentle palm on her husband's shoulder. "I know James..." she said softly, "It's just that... Death eaters aren't making it easy for us to go anywhere, I'm trying not to overthink what might happen... I'm trying..." quiet tears started falling down her face, "she's my best friend too! and to think that she'd been targeted like this... While neither of us is capable of doing anything about it... I... I"
James quickly enveloped his wife in a reassuring hug, "Hey.. hey.. you were just telling me about how the rest are more than capable of taking care of it.. sorry I shouldn't have been this dramatic. It's just frustrating for me to be placed in a safe house while my friends are out there risking their necks for the order. But I'm glad that... to know that you and Harry are safe, to be here to ensure it remains this way... Don't worry love, I'm sure Marlene and the others will be joining us soon"
before finishing his words a loud thud was heard outside the door. both James and Lilly grabbed their wands and rushed downstairs. A deep man's voice that they both knew very well said,
"Turkish Delight"
and with that, the door was quietly opened to reveal a tall black man in deep blue robes and a hoop earing on his right ear.
"Kingsley!" said James as he relaxed his wand hand and gave the man a quick hug.
"Dumbledore's passwords are something else!" grinned the man smiling at the both of them and placing a reassuring hand on Lilly's shoulder, "They're all safe" he said, "Sirius and Marlene will be here in a minute"
"What about Moony?" James asked
"He went to Fetch Poppy... we couldn't risk taking Marlene anywhere else, not even Hogwarts, and you know no one can apparate there or even here" he said looking at James and Lilly's house.
"Poppy!? You mean Madam Pomfrey?!" Lilly sounded terrified, "what happened to Marlene Kingsley?! is she hurt? what did that disgusting witch do..."
"Relax" Kingsley said with his ever so calming voice, "Bellatrix made a quick run after some resistance... it was the three of us against her after all... Marlene is going to be alright, but we still need Poppy to tend to her, not only for her wounds, but there's something else..."
"what do you mean?" James asked
"You'll know in a bit" Kingsley smiled as he made himself comfortable on the sofa, "You wouldn't mind if i stayed here for supper would you? It's been an awfully long day"
"Of course not Kingsley!" said Lilly, now wiping her tears, still looking confused by what she'd just heard, but relieved nonetheless, "Dinner's ready actually, we were just waiting for the four of you to get back"
a gentle knock on the door was heard, and another familiar voice muttered, "Turkish Delight"
this time it was Lilly who rushed to the door enveloping both Sirius and Marlene in a rib squishing hug, before suddenly realizing something and quickly stepping back to get a better look at her best friend who was being supported by Sirius's arm around her shoulder.
Marlene's face looked pale and skinny, her beautiful blue eyes looked sunken and terrified. her short blonde hair was dirty and puffed, and her face and arms were covered in wounds, her right arm was dripping with fresh blood, falling from a new scar with the itched words "Blood Traitor". Lilly knew it was Bellatrix doing. But what had caught both Lilly and James's eyes the most was not the horrible state in which their friend had arrived in, it was her swollen belly that looked as if it was about to explode.
"Marlene you're..."
"Pregnant, yes" said the young woman interrupting James, "I'm sorry you all had to find out this way" she said before she let out a slight scream of pain.
Lilly and Sirius quickly helped her to lay on the sofa opposite to Kingsley who seemed to be busy reading a letter.
"I... I... I don't understand.. you've been here a couple weeks ago...for Harry's birth... You didn't look pregnant at all... and Caspian never said..."
"Caspian and i thought it was for the best to keep it as a secret" Marlene interrupted, "Not from you guys of course, it's just that,, the day i found out i was pregnant was the day i received a death threat to wipe out my entire family" Lilly's eyes started to become watery again, while both Sirius and James gave Marlene a compassionate look, "My marriage to Caspian wasn't known to anyone but you guys, so he was relatively safer,, and I used a concealment charm to hide my pregnancy, even Bellatrix didn't know while torturing me... not until..." her eyes grew darker, and she started shaking, "I was too weak to keep the charm going, i was biggening to collapse, i thought i was dying, i thought i was definitely dead before Sirius and the others had arrived... I should have kept it for longer... i should have been stronger than this.." she started weeping, "Now she knows,,, now they all know..."
Sirius couldn't take it no longer, he hated to see Marlene like this, more than anyone else, he cared for her... more than anyone else, he loved her... but he couldn't bring himself to tell her this... not when one of his best friends decided to open up to him about liking her as well, not when he could see that Marlene was happier with Caspian, and now... Caspian was gone for weeks, in Order business that nobody except for Dumbledore and Mad-eye knew about... and Marlene was here, scared and alone, and pregnant with a child that he knew will be threatened as well. He found himself sitting on his knees and placing both his hands on Marlene's face, "Look at me" he said, "I swear to you... no one will ever hurt you or this child, not even my deranged cousin or that stinky old snake-face she's always drooling over" this earned him a little laughter from her, before she quickly burst into tears in his arms. "Please!.... i know they're after me and my entire family... i just hoped to be able to keep my child a secret from them... please!.... aaaAAAAAAHhh!" she let out a scream
Lilly knew well what that meant, judging by the size of her belly and the water now running from beneath her dress... "Quickly! She yelled at the three men, "OUT! ALL OF YOU! GET OUT!"
James and Sirius exchanged a stupid, yet a bemused look and raised their hands in surrender, while Kingsley was first taken aback by receiving orders from the firey red headed witch but he found it funny still.
"is it happening now?" asked James looking as terrified as he was the night Harry was born
"Yes... I need to help with what i can before Pomfrey arrives, now make yourself useful and get me some warm water THEN LEAVE!" she said glaring at him and Sirius, Kingsley was already gone upstairs to the guests bedroom.
"You will be alright" Sirius gently Whispered in Marlene's ear, "Both of you" he pressed a gentle kiss on her cheek before heading upstairs to Harry's Bedroom, "NOW WHERE'S MY FAVORITE GODSON!" he mused in a cheerful tone
"He's asleep Pads" James shouted from the kitchen, "Wake him up and Lilly will have your head!" but it was too late for that, Harry had already started crying and a terrified Sirius was trying all sorts of magic tricks to get him to stop.

A few moments later, both Remus and Poppy came to house..

An hour later, Kingsley, James, Sirius, and Remus were having dinner in the kitchen, while Poppy and Lilly were tending to Marlene in the next room. it was awfully quiet since Poppy had probably used a muffling charm in order not to disturb poor Harry who was now back asleep in the couch across the dining table.
"Any news about Wormtail?" asked Remus, his face looked even more exhausted with few extra scars that weren't there the last month.
"Nothing yet," said James, "Dumbledore said that he might be here in a few days though..." he then turned his attention towards Sirius who barely touched his food, "What's eating you Padfoot?"
"It's too quiet... don't you think we should check up on her?"
"You just saved the woman's life and brought her back to safety" James said with a mischievous grin, "Always in a need of an excuse to be with sweet Marlene aren't we?"
"Shove off Prongs" Sirius spat, "Anyways... anyone heard about Caspian so far?"
Kingsley's face fell, and that did not go unnoticed by the three men who now looked at him with questioning eyes,
"No!..." said Remus, almost inaudibly
"Kingsley what happened!" Sirius asked
"It happened yesterday" Kingsley said, "I had just received a letter from Dumbledore ... i thought it would be best not to mention that to Marlene for some time... Caspian was killed on his way to the ministry... he was supposed to meet up with Alastor... to hand him something important. he was ambushed by twelve death eaters... fought like a true hero... but eventually he got to him..."
"who?" James asked, anger filling his face
"Greyback" said Kingsley
Remus's face fell
"It was too late for Caspian when the order arrived" said Kingsley, "he was already dead... but Alastor had been able to retrieve the object that Caspian was carrying... If Caspian didn't hold the fight for longer, perhaps it could've been lost..."
the room was even more silent now, and Sirius felt a deep pain and guilt in his chest... it's true that he always felt a bit jealous from Caspian, but he never hated him, he was his best friend, the one who, alongside with the Potters, had taken him in when his family disowned him, he knew about Moony's condition as well and was always there, making him his monthly wolfsbane potion... Caspian was one of his best friends... and now, he was gone... his wife a widow, and his child an orphan,, even before birth. He slowly rose from his chair, grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey from the shelf, and with a wave of his wand, four glasses flew over to the table. as each glass was now filled with the much needed liquid, Sirius put a hand on Remus's shoulder... he knew he was not only missing their long gone school friend, but also reliving the past with Greyback turning him into a werewolf. "Let's have a drink Moony" he said kindly.
Sirius raised his glass in the air, a small tear escaping his eye, "To Caspian"
"To Caspian", the three men repeated

The door next to them had opened quietly, Lilly's head emerged with a peaceful smile and watery eyes... she looked exhausted yet as beautiful as ever. "It's a girl! ... A girl James! Marlene just had a girl... and Guess who the Godmother is!" the four men all smiled happily at the news, James enveloped his wife in a hug, unable to contain his happiness, he knew Lilly always wanted to be a Godmother... and he was happy for Marlene as well... Sirius eyes became watery, even though he tried to hide it, and they all went to take a look at the newborn girl.
Marlene was holding the baby to her chest, unable to move still, but looked the happiest she ever did in years. Madame Pomfrey was mixing some potion that she placed for her on the night stand, "Make sure you drink from it regularly dear, and if you ever needed anything, " she turned to Remus, "Well you know where to find me"
"Thank you so much!" Marlene said, she was looking at everyone, and not just Madame Pomfrey... "All of you... Thank you so much!"
"She's beautiful..." Sirius said, now looking at the little girl rested on Marlene's chest, she had a silky black hair, and a soft pale skin that was turning a bit pink at the cheeks.
"I thought... Caspian and i were thinking..." She said quietly, Sirius's face fell at the mention of Caspian, he wasn't going to tell her yet... he couldn't...
"Caspian and i were thinking... that if we ever had a boy, we would name him Sirius" Sirius 's heart ached with sadness and honor at the same time... "Marlene... I" his words failed him.
"No need to get all emotional now... she's a girl" Marlene laughed
"And 'Sirius' will be quite an awful name for a girl... not that it's even good enough for a boy" James mused
"It's sage" Marlene said with a smile, "Sage Lilly Oakwood"
Lilly let out an emotional gasp, "Oh Mar! you didn't!"
"I just did" Marlene let out a laugh before being squeezed by Lilly and everyone else in the room
"I know she's not named after you Sirius, but I'd like you to be a part of her life..." Marlene said, "All of you... Remus I could never thank you enough, James, and Kingsley... all of you... oh I can't wait to tell Caspian, he said he'll be the one to choose the Godfather"
"Oh I'm sure i have a couple guesses" Lilly said happily, not noticing how everyone else flinched at the mention of Caspian again.