A Godfather's Duty

I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters.

Warnings:

Contains male pregnancy and chapters involving a pregnant man; though no slash or rape is involved.

Some language that might be considered strong by some and extremely strong bromance.

If you cannot handle two grown men hugging, cuddling, having strong none sexual emotions or holding hands, then you should not read any story of mine.

Contains mentioning's of an abusive past now and then and a detailed birth in chapter 9.

Special thanks to Kitty for beta-ing this. I can never thank you enough for your endless patience with me.

Xxxxx

"I'm pregnant."

If any sound had been made at that moment, she knew he might have missed the whispered words; but he had already flushed the toilet once she was done throwing up and was currently letting her lean against his side on the cold bathroom floor.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke as he progressed the words and her heart clenched painfully as fear gripped her.

"Does James know?" He shifted her to lean with her back against the bathtub so that he could hand her a wet cloth and a glass of water.

"I haven't dared to tell him yet," she softly admitted, rinsing her mouth gratefully before rubbing the washing cloth over her face.

Leaning back against the bathtub once more, she tried to find better words to try and explain her reasoning, but his simple nod told her he was perfectly aware.

"Well, we'll just have to face this together like we do with everything else."

"We will?" She glanced up to him curiously.

"Of course. We are family, it is what we do," the simplicity behind his words made her smile and lean against him again.

"You're having a baby," he whispered and despite her own fear, she couldn't help but smile as she could sense the excitement in his words and just knew he was smiling.

"Yeah," looking up into his grey eyes, they simply stared at each other for a long moment before he pulled her into a hug.

"Congratulations Lil, when are you going to tell James?"

"I wanted to tell him the moment I found out, but I just kept clambering shut because...well..."

"You are both active in the Order and it doesn't look like this war will be won anytime soon. So you have the feeling that you are violating the unspoken agreement the two of you made to wait with children until you could offer them a safe life."

"How did you know?" she asked curiously.

"I know both of you well enough, I should hope. And even if it is rather unexpected, he will be more than welcome."

"He?"

"The old and noble houses always have first-born sons; I don't know why, but it's been like that for many generations and I doubt it will change with you guys."

"If you say so, what do you think he will look like?"

"I hope he will take after you, I don't think I would be able to stop feeling sorry for the poor kid if he inherited James' bird nest hair."

"Don't be mean, James' hair is cute," chuckled at the sceptical look he shot her way, she consented. "Okay, it's a disaster, but it is a true Potter trademark."

"That's certainly true," pulling her back against his side in a half hug, he smiled.

"Do you think James will be happy with the news?"

"He will squeal, spin you around and snog the breath out of you before dancing around while screaming for the world to hear that he's going to be a daddy."

She didn't doubt he would be right as he knew James best, but she still couldn't help but tease. "You sound rather sure of yourself."

"Want to bet?"

"The usual?"

"Deal," he scrambled to his feet elegantly and helped her up as well. "You shouldn't sit on the cold floor and no more coffee or red meat for you, but lots of rest and pampering."

"Are you going to be one of those overbearing people who won't let pregnant people do anything?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Most definitely."

Laughing at his beaming face, she accepted the hug he pulled her into again.

"Congrats Lil, you are going to be a fantastic mother."

Squeezing him tightly in gratitude for the vote of confidence, she eventually pulled back to be able to look into his eyes. "Do you truly believe that?"

"I know so," placing a hand over her clothed belly, he beamed at her and she couldn't help but smile in response, squealing when he lifted her up carefully in a moment of sheer joy before hugging her once more. "There's going to be a baby!"

Laughing she returned his embrace happily before touching his arm. "You will be there?"

"Are you kidding me? You will have to fight me off with a broomstick to get me to leave! I will have to look after the both of you while James is at work, teach the baby all the things his parents don't want him to know; spoil him rotten and smother him in cuddles!"

"What if it somehow turns out to be a girl?" she couldn't help but laugh at his laid out plans.

"Then I will teach her all the things you don't want her to know, spoil her rotten, smother her in hugs and become a very overprotective uncle; biting anyone who so much as dares to look at her and threaten any potential suitors that you told James to leave alone," he paused momentarily.

"You have it all thought out already, huh?" smiling she kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Siri."

And her smile didn't falter; not even when she was still half deaf and slightly dizzy from James' spinning and utter delight and collected Sirius his cookie as the guy was lifted off his own feet by an overjoyed James as well.

The next two and a half months were spent in utter bliss as Lily removed herself from all Order business while the two doted on her and although she knew that at any other time she would have gotten annoyed by their fierce over-protectiveness she wasn't so much now.

Not when the sheer enthusiasm and excitement dripped off of them in radiant waves, so she held her tongue and simply rolled her eyes when they made her feel like a princess.

For James, everyone expected it; but it saddened her that everyone seemed utterly surprised by Sirius' actions.

People never seemed to see his caring and devoted side; the one that was truly him and that she herself hadn't realised existed until after she had become serious with James.

She had thought him arrogant, spoiled and immature; but she couldn't have been more wrong and more than once she smiled fondly at the memory of him cornering her after she'd agreed to go on a date with James.

He had taken her aside and piercing grey eyes stared at her in threat. "Break his heart, hurt him or play any games with him and I will make the remainder of your life a living hell."

The hard promise in both his eyes and voice should have scared her, but instead it had made her realise just how protective of his friends he was, how far he would go to keep them safe.

It had made Lily discover a side of the prank loving boy, she hadn't thought he was capable of possessing and once she'd proven to him that she wasn't going to play around with his brother's heart, she had gotten the true depth of their personalities.

It had moved her to tears when she learned about Remus' well guarded secret and just how far the other three had gone to help him and although she liked to joke that by dating one Marauder, she had gotten all of them, she wouldn't want it any other way.

Upon being convinced of her honourable intentions; Sirius had let her in and had become an overbearing, protective and adorable brother; giving her a taste of what a true sibling was meant to be like.

Occasionally they bickered about stuff and he would attack her in tickling wars; being everything she had ever wanted a younger sibling to be like, but at the same time she had gained his protection like an older brother would.

He was always going out of his way to help her with little things if he could and now that she was pregnant, he wouldn't let her do a thing any more.

He took over most of the house chores and happily ran to satisfy all her weird cravings without argument while James worked, since outside of the Order, it was close to impossible for him to find a job as a disinherited Black.

Occasionally, when Lily had too much time to think, she couldn't help but be terrified at the mere thought of what might have become of him if the Potters hadn't taken him in.

With his striking good looks and innocent charm; combined with having been raised so unloving, Lily had many fearful thought of just where he'd have ended up and every time the thought crossed her mind it frightened her enough that she felt the irresistible need to hold him close.

And although it never ceased to confuse him when she'd hug him out of the blue, he never shied from it as she learned very quickly that he was an amazingly tactile person with people he trusted completely; often pressing a kiss into her hair and ruffling it up when she got into one of those moods.

All in all, Lily felt like one of the most loved people in the world with those two around her, so when the conversation turned to the war and their expected baby; it was she who immediately suggested Sirius as their baby's godfather.

And while her husband had been overjoyed and readily agreed; it had been Sirius who had been shocked and repeatedly asked if they were truly sure, unsure of their sanity even after they decided he had no say in the matter and just named him so.

James loved to tease him for being a silly idiot, but Sirius' concern just made Lily even surer of her choice, the decision and determination unexpectedly changing the odds as disaster struck once she reached her three month mark.