Soon All the Suns Will Rise

This is Our Last Dance

Chapter title from "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie
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Rhiannon looked up from her book Amazing Animagi as Colleen entered the library, ready to settle down with her copy of A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot. Rhiannon gave her Muggle friend a small smile. Colleen had read that book at least twice already, but she still seemed desperate to memorize every detail about the origins of the magical realm. Rhiannon could tell that as the tension of their greater world escalated, and their inner world focused on the new life growing inside Rhiannon's womb, Colleen agonized more and more about her helplessness as a Muggle. Her magical husband and two lovers did everything in their power to reassure her, but their usual serene, sweet Colleen was noticeably preoccupied.

"Is Sirius awake yet?" Rhiannon asked casually. It was a pleasant late March morning, and the sun was already streaming in brightly through the windows of the old house.

Colleen laughed a little and shook her head. "Severus wore him out last night."

Rhiannon threw her head back and laughed too. The four of them had spent quite a few nights together over the past few weeks, much to the witch's delight. Sex between the four of them had finally lost its awkwardness and flowed naturally. And it was amazing. The two wizards still maintained their irritated banter throughout their every encounter, and Severus made it quite clear he was a top when it came to his dynamic with his Gryffindor sub. Sirius made it equally as clear that he wouldn't just roll over and give in. Not without a challenge at least. Truly wolf-pack style. Sirius was certainly a dom with his wife, and perfectly content to be a switch with Rhiannon. Being Severus's bratty sub was icing on a perfectly delicious cake, and they now indulged regularly.

"What are you reading about?" Colleen asked as she curled up in a leatherback chair. The Muggle was radiant this morning in a lusciously soft pink dress, her strawberry gold curls catching the glimmer of the morning sun.

"The limits placed on Animagi during pregnancy," answered Rhiannon. "Turns out all Animagi can safely transform throughout the first trimester. Those of a certain size are still safe in the second, which is good, since my Thunderbird is so huge. No transforming at all in the third though. It's technically illegal, but I'm unregistered so I doubt they'd know. I wouldn't chance it anyway though, that late in the game."

Colleen frowned. "I should hope not."

Rhiannon paused, not sure what to say next. She didn't like the chasm that seemed to form between them whenever the baby was a topic of conversation. Beedle, the little Westie pup, hopped in Colleen's lap and licked her face as if he too were hoping to cheer her up a bit.

"Colleen, I'm sorry about the baby."

"That's ridiculous, Rhiannon. You've done nothing to be sorry for."

"But you're still hurting over it. I can tell."

Colleen wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "It's just complicated, Rhiannon. My logical mind doesn't even want to think about having children. But there's this other voice in my head that won't shut up about it. It's not even a voice, so much as this drive I can't shake. It makes my body desperate. I just want to be with Sirius, all the time, and have him hold me and comfort me. And I want to have wild sex with him, all day."

"Then what's stopping you?" Rhiannon teased.

"The fact that I know I want this because I want to have his children. It's insane. It's my body drowning out my rational thoughts, and I hate it."

Rhiannon felt her expression suddenly turn somber as her intuition caused a nagging thought. "You've asked for the four of us to be together a lot lately. Is it because you're trying to avoid...that? You and Sirius?" Her mind ran a quick inventory of their more recent encounters, and she realized they were nearly all foursomes, where Sirius and Colleen very often had one of the Snapes between them.