The Draught of Peace: potion which relieves anxiety and agitation.

It has come to Regina's attention that after the Great Feast, Emma tried to avoid her humanely possible. When their interaction was inevitable, Emma would be on her best behavior: quiet, and punctual, and so very unlike herself.

Regina had been content with this for a day. Sure, she was glad that Emma was on time for the dinners, but the blonde seemed extremely unhappy. It made Regina want to apologize even though she didn't know what she did wrong.

She thought that the opportunity to talk to Emma was given to her on a silver plate when Professor McGonagall notified her that Emma would be accompanying her and the students, as a chaperone for the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend trip.

But, as it turns out, Emma can avoid Regina at Hogsmeade as well. Emma disappeared as soon as the children scattered into the different magical shops.

Regina wandered from store to store with no other plan than to find Emma. The blonde, however, was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until they were heading back to Hogwarts that she spotted Emma walking ahead of her, talking amicably with a group of third year students. Without trying to look desperate, Regina increased her pace to catch up with them.

"Miss Swan, would you please wait for me? I wanted to talk to you."

Blonde curls stopped bouncing as Emma stopped walking. Then, they swirled and Regina was faced with curious green eyes.

"One condition. Call me by my name," she said, with mirth in her eyes, after telling the students to go ahead. Regina released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Very well, Em-ma. If you tell me why have you been avoiding me?"

They started walking one next to the other towards the main gates.

"I haven't -,"

"Really, Miss Swan?"

Emma sighed and looked as the children disappeared through the gates. She noticed Professors Lucas and Hagrid by the gates, doing a head count as the students returned to the castle.

"Emma?" the confused voice enchanted her eyes back to Regina's face.

"I worry that I'll annoy you. I'm not that person anymore."

That was far from the answer Regina was expecting. She had expected Emma to call her rude or something along those lines. "You didn't annoy me."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure I made your last year a living hell."

"A living hell..." Regina chuckled. "That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think? It was actually endearing, but back then, my focus was on different things and you -," she was cut off by Emma shushing her. "Did you rea -" This time Emma pressed a finger to her lips.

"I'm trying to listen," the blonde whispered.

Confused by this attitude, Regina decided to keep quiet. It took her a couple of seconds to realize what Emma heard: a cry. By the time she had registered the sound, Emma was already walking towards the source of the sound, letting her ears to guide her.

Not feeling comfortable leaving Emma alone outside the school's grounds, Regina decided to follow her into the woods that surrounded the castle.

The cry got louder with every step they took. At first, Regina was impressed by how good Emma's ability to find hidden objects, but then she remembered that Emma was a great seeker during her Quidditch years.

Then, Emma stopped, dead in her tracks. Regina took a few steps and stopped right next to her. She was about to ask what was wrong when she saw what, or rather, who was crying: a baby. He wasn't much older than a few months. They found him wrapped in a blue blanket.

"Emma, you can't take him!" Regina hissed as Emma made her way towards the infant.

"Why not?"

"What if he's a muggle?" Regina pointed out, "He's dressed like one!"

"Regina, muggles can't see Hogwarts unless allowed," the blonde pointed out, her face paling as she said the words.

"Yes. So?"

"So, if he's from a muggle family, they left him here in the middle of nowhere! They left him here to die!"

Guilt ate Regina and she wished that she could take the last five minutes of conversation back. "Should we take him to Child Protective Services?"

"What if we take him to a muggle agency and he starts showing signs or magic? Or what if he's bullied because he's supposedly a squib when in reality he is just a muggle?" Emma started pacing from one side to the other, the baby safely tucked in the blonde's arms.

"So you want to keep him..." Regina questioned, "Emma, are you even capable of taking care of a child? He is not a puppy. Babies need extra attention. And then, he's going to grow up and what if he is a muggle? You'll send him to a boarding school while you teach here? Will you homeschool him?"

"I still have time to figure that out."

"Emma, you are not being rational."

"Yes, Regina! I'm irresponsible and childish and I make decisions on a whim!" Emma argued, rocking the baby in her arms. "But I also know what it's like to grow in the foster system. And if I can do anything to prevent this baby from having to go through what I did, I will. With or without your help," the blonde concluded her speech and turned around, making her way towards the castle.

"Emma!" the potions professor called after her, "Emma!"

Letting an exasperated sigh out, Regina followed Emma into the castle. Of course she would help Emma take care of the child. Not because she didn't think Emma couldn't handle it on her own, but because she wanted to help the blonde. Regardless, taking care of a child was a great responsibility and they needed to make plans.

She wondered if this could get them in trouble. There were no rules against professors having their children on school grounds, but she had never heard of any professor living with their family on campus.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Emma turn towards the kitchens. Her mind was making a list of things they should get: a crib, clothing, baby food, toys, children's books, a sling to carry him.

Regina went over and over her list as she walked alone towards the dungeons, hoping she didn't forget anything.

By the time Regina decided to check up on Emma and the baby, she had already sent the list to Mitty, her house elf, so that she could mail her the important things and magicked a crib by transforming some extra pillows she had in her room.

She was about to put her cape on and go to find Emma when she heard someone knocking. Confused, she walked towards the door, hoping it was something that could be resolved quickly and then head to Emma's quarters. However, when she opened her chamber's door, she was greeted by Emma's red rimmed eyes and a crying baby in her airms. The professor was holding a bottle of milk at his mouth but the infant didn't seem to want to latch onto it.

"He won't eat. He won't sleep. He won't stop crying! I don't know what else to do," the blonde said in a desperate voice, "I know that I said I didn't need your help, but please, please help me."

Regina invited her in. The fireplace was lit and her chambers was toasty warm. She liked autumn but she hated being cold.

"First of all, calm down. Children can feel their caregiver's anxiety," Regina said as she invited Emma to sit in a comfortable couch. "Second, you're holding the bottle incorrectly, which is why he can't suck the milk," she pointed out. "Try this," she changed the angle of the bottle and pulled it a little bit outwards. The baby started drinking the white liquid.

Emma relaxed at the sight of the baby finally ingesting something, and Regina couldn't fight the smile appearing on her face. She felt like an intruder, so she turned around and busied herself with putting a pot on the fire. Now that she didn't have to go to Emma's chambers, she might as well prepare tea for both of them.

"He fell asleep," she heard Emma whisper, and when she turned around, she saw the blonde watching at the slumbering infant with a smile on her face. She had never looked so beautiful. "Did you had a crib all this time?" Emma asked, breaking the spell she had on Regina.

"I made it today after we parted our ways,"

"So, you are going to help me parent this lil kid?" Emma said with wishful eyes. Even though Regina already made a decision on the whole issue, she would have offered her help again, just to keep that look on the blonde's face.

"I would like nothing more than that, Emma," Regina answered, ignoring the way her heartstrings tugged at Emma's smile.

Emma moved gently to the side, careful not to wake the infant but with the purpose of giving Regina enough space so that she could sit next to them. In answer of Emma's unspoken question, Regina sat next to her, rejoicing at the body heat emanating from Emma's lithe body and for the first time in a long time, she was happy.

Notes: thank for your support, it means the world to me!