Chapter 3 Rowen

"The baby's early." Cassius started chewing his fingers.

"Only a couple weeks, the healer said it was fine." Remus said calmly, watching Cassius pace back and forth in front of him. "Everything is progressing normally. Clara's almost completely dilated."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Cassius muttered, sitting back down next to Remus.

"I knew you shouldn't have read what happens when babies are born." Remus answered as he patted Cassius's knee and pulled his hand away from his mouth.

"Did you wait in the hallway when I was born, Papa?" Harry asked, eyes shining with excitement. He was going to have a new…what would the baby be to him, a cousin? His Dad and Stevens were like brothers, yes, it would be a cousin. He'd never been around a baby before. He couldn't wait.

"I did. And back then, the fathers weren't allowed in the room with the mothers so James waited with us." Remus's face lit up with a smile as he remembered.

"Really? Sirius was there too?" Harry asked.

"Yes, he was. We were all so excited. Although James was calmer than Dad here." Remus smiled, Harry looked at his Dad who looked slightly green and was chewing his fingers again. "And Clara's not yelling her head off like your mother did. But they have a silencing charm on the room, I'm sure."

"What?" Cassius shot to his feet and stared down at Remus.

"Clara wanted potions, she's not in any pain." Remus grinned. "Sit back down. I'm sorry for teasing."

"Remus! It's good to see you. I thought I might find you here when Mum told me Clara Stevens was in labor. You look well for only a few days after the moon. You're taking naps every day?" A short brown-haired wizard in healer robes stopped in front of Remus.

"Yes, Sam." Remus smiled. "I might have missed a day here and there, but…"

"Good. We're still on for our appointment Thursday next, aren't we?"

"Yes, Cass will be there too. Oh, this is Cassius, my mate." Remus introduced Cassius to his healer. "Cass, this is Sam Godwin."

"Hi." Cassius said curtly.

"Well – must be on my way." Sam gestured to the chart he was holding. "See you then."

"Bye, Sam." Remus smiled.

"What appointment am I going to?"

"Sam's been doing some research about werewolves and their mates. He thinks he can make me healthier if he can just run some tests on you."

"When did I say I'd go with you?" Cassius scowled.

"Last week when Sam fire-called me." Remus sighed. "You said you'd go."

"I hate St. Mungo's." Cassius muttered, standing and starting to pace again.

"I know. But Sam thinks it will help me. You did say you'd go."

"All right."

"We got you tea." Draco said, handing a cup to Remus. "Here, Papa." He, Tabby and Moody had gone to get tea and scones from the hospital cafeteria.

"Thanks, Draco." Remus smiled, wrapping his cold hands around the cup.

"Thanks, Draco." Harry said as Draco handed him a cup too.

"No baby yet?" Moody asked.

"No, not yet." Remus answered. Tabby sat down next to him. Harry and Draco thumb wrestled while Remus and Tabby talked about the new floor that was going to be built in the hospital.

"He's here!" Stevens came rushing down the hall, grinning.


Clara handed the small bundle to Remus. He sat down in the chair next to the bed in the hospital room, cradling the newborn. Harry sat down on the arm of the chair and leaned over his shoulder.

"Hello, Rowen." Remus said softly.

"Rowen Anthony Lewis Stevens." Clara said proudly.

"How'd you pick the names?" Harry asked.

"Rowen is a combination of Remus and Owen. Anthony because that's my father's name and Lewis because it's Stevens's father's name."

"We'll name our daughter after Cassie." Stevens said, brushing a damp lock of hair back from Clara's forehead. "Cassia or Cassandra…as a middle name."

"Do you want to hold Rowen?" Remus looked over at Cassius.

"No. I'll just drop him or something." Cassius looked vaguely panicked and kept glancing at Clara with concern.

"Can I?" Harry asked Clara.

"Certainly, just mind you support his head." Clara answered as Remus handed Rowen to Harry carefully.

"He's so small." Harry looked down at the small bald baby with blue eyes. Rowen grabbed one of Harry's fingers in his fist and shrieked happily. Draco looked over Harry's shoulder at the baby.

"He's really small. Look at his little fingers!"

"Well, he didn't feel small." Clara laughed and Cassius turned green.

"Can we babysit?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Of course. When he gets a bit older. But no teaching him naughty words." Clara glared over at Cassius and Stevens. "I heard all about babysitting Draco, so don't let these two give you any ideas."

"That was Corbin." Cassius said immediately, deflecting the blame, although not the glare.

"Corbin taught bad words to Draco?" Remus asked.

"Tried to, but he was only a year old."

"I knew he was familiar!" Draco said suddenly.

"You couldn't remember him." Remus said.

"No, but there are some pictures I found, of Uncle and me and another boy and I didn't know who he was." Draco looked back down at Rowen.

"Well, congratulations Clara and Stevens. Rowen's a beautiful baby." Tabby said with a warm smile. Moody nodded his agreement.

"We'll let you rest." Remus stood and handed Rowen back to Clara. "Congratulations." He leaned down and kissed Clara.

"Thanks, Remus, " she smiled, "Thank you for being here, all of you."


"She said what!?" Cassius shouted angrily, causing everyone at the table to jump.

"She asked Clara, in an oh so polite stage whisper, if there hadn't been someone more suitable to be Rowen's godfather than me." Remus repeated. "And she's not too happy about us both being male."

"I'll kill her."

"You'll have to get in line behind Clara. I've never seen her so angry."

"We'll just show her how wonderful you are." Harry said quickly. Draco nodded in agreement, his mouth full of food.

"Thank you, Harry."

"We'll…we'll Malfoy her." Harry said. Moody chuckled.

"Does that involve dark magic? Because I don't think that's quite what I'm going for." Remus ran a hand through his hair.

"No, just, we'll be all cool and smooth." Harry said. "You said she's from an old pureblood family. We'll just out pureblood them."

"And the fact that you and Papa are both mixed bloods is no never mind." said Draco.

"We can do the cool robe flow-y thing for starters." Harry grinned.

"You just want an excuse to learn how to do that." Draco scowled.

"Yeah, so?"

"Fine. We'll see how long it takes you." Draco said huffily, it had taken him over a month to master it.

"How long did it take you, Dad?" Harry asked.

"About three be-days." Cassius answered smoothly. "It's all about finding the right pace and stride. I'm sure Draco will be a better teacher than my father. I have to get to work."

"I love you." Remus tilted his face up for a kiss.

"I love you." Cassius flooed to work after a chorus of goodbyes.

"So, care to place a bet, Potter?" Draco looked at his cousin with a smirk.

"How long did it take you, Malfoy?"

"Over a month."

"Well…I only have a week before the christening." Harry looked worried.

"I'm sure you'll be able to do it in time." Tabby said encouragingly.

"What's the wager?" Moody clapped Draco on his shoulder and Draco smiled.

"One galleon that he can't do it."

"I'll take it." Moody grinned. "Best work hard, Harry."


"Papa, where are my shoes?" Harry asked as he walked into his parents' bathroom where Remus was showering.

"Aren't they in your closet?" Remus asked as he washed his hair quickly.

"No, I already looked there. It was the obvious place to start."

"Mm.. Well.. Oh! Gramps is polishing them all, he has them." Remus rinsed the shampoo out. "Where's Dad?"

"He's finally eating breakfast."

"Good. You ate?"

"Yes." Harry looked at his reflection critically. "I think I need to start shaving."

"Harry, please, start tomorrow. I can't deal with that this morning." Remus shut off the water and grabbed his towel, stepping out of the shower as he wrapped it around his waist.

Harry laughed. "Well, if Clara tells me I look scruffy in the photos, I'll tell her it's your fault."

"Do that, scamp." Remus reached to smooth Harry's hair and froze. "Did Draco help you with your hair?"

"Yeah, why?" Harry looked back at his reflection. "He said it looked fine."

"It does, it's just…it's not sticking up all over."

"He said it was amazing what a little hair product will do."

"It is." Remus started shaving as Harry sat on the counter watching. "So you're all set then."

"Yup, once I have my shoes, I just need to put the dress robes on but Grams won't let me do that until we get to the church."

"Good. Presents are in the car?"

"Yes." Draco answered as he appeared at the bathroom door looking very handsome and polished. He handed Harry his shoes as a loud thump sounded from downstairs.

"Good job on Harry's hair, Draco." Remus set the razor down and picked up his toothbrush and started brushing his teeth.

"Thanks. It took all of my considerable skill to get it to lie flat." Draco smirked. "Uncle will be dressed shortly. Grams is manhandling him right now. He's whinging on about dress robes again."

"Time?" Remus rinsed his toothbrush out and put it on the counter.

"T minus 12 minutes." Harry answered looking at his pocket watch, one of his birthday presents.

"Great. I'll get dressed and then we'll go." Remus crossed the hallway into his bedroom, Harry and Draco trailing behind him. "You ate, Draco?"

"Yes." Draco answered, fiddling with a lock of Harry's hair so it laid just right.

Remus pulled on boxers under his towel and then dropped the towel. "Now, you'll both be very polite to Clara's mother."

"Yes, Papa." Draco and Harry chorused, sitting on the bed, as Remus started to dress in a white button down shirt and black dress slacks.

Harry continued, "We will be such angels, she can't possibly think you won't be a brilliant godfather to Rowen."

"Yes, I've got a speech all prepared about how you taught me Death Eater ways were wrong." Draco nodded solemnly.

"And how my marks at school went way up once I started living with you."

"And how I started being nice to kittens and bunnies because of your influence."

"And how you saved me from an early life of crime and prostitution."

Remus picked up his wand and brandished it warningly at both boys. Harry and Draco blinked up at him innocently. Remus did a drying charm on his hair.

"I think I have more gray hair now than just a few moments ago." He muttered.

"It's hard to tell." Harry said cheekily.

"Hard to tell? Watch it Mr. Potter or I will mess that hair up."

"No, not that!" Harry yelled as he covered his head protectively.

"Maybe, just to be safe, we should get all of our swearing out now." Draco turned to Harry.

"Yes, let's." Harry grinned gleefully as Remus sat down to put his socks and shoes on. "Damn."

"Shit." Draco drawled.

"Bugger." Harry chirped happily.

"Bloody Hell." Draco smiled.

"Crap. Crap. Crap." Harry started laughing.

"Fuck." Remus swore as he stood up.

"I thought you said no swearing today." Cassius appeared in the doorway, looking resplendent, albeit very uncomfortable, in his black dress robes.

"I did." Remus sighed. "We're all going to be on our best behavior. I know I'm being weird about Clara's mother, but please just humor me."

"We will" Gray and green eyes gleamed at him.

"Even if she is a bitch." Cassius added, causing Harry and Draco to laugh.


"Which one is Clara's mother?" Cassius asked in a low voice, his breath tickling Remus's ear.

"The one in the blue dress robes standing next to Clara." Remus answered, breathing in his mate's scent and trying to calm himself. He felt like he had thestrals in his stomach.

"She'll want to shag me senseless before I'm done with her." Green eyes narrowed calculatingly as Cassius straightened to his full height and gave a nod at Draco.

"I'd settle for her liking you on a platonic level." Remus said weakly as he watched Cassius and Draco stalk gracefully down the aisle, their robes flowing behind them.

"Come on, Papa." Harry linked his arm with Remus and started down the aisle. Remus glanced down, noticing that Harry's robe and his own were flowing behind them. He looked back at Harry who winked. Remus smiled, he was very proud of his family. Mrs. Endicott could go to hell…but Remus still wanted to impress her.


"Wow." Clara sat down next to Remus at the reception which was held at Mrs. Endicott's country house. She handed him a cup of tea.

"What?" Remus asked. The ceremony had gone smoothly and Remus and Cassius were now officially Rowen's godparents.

"Mother is completely charmed by Cassie. He's told her all about the great job he has, how he's in line for promotion, how you stay at home when 'the children' aren't in school, not to mention she knows he's a Malfoy so he's got money. I almost think she might bump Stevens and me off just so Rowen can go live with you."

"Oh, go on." Remus laughed. "He was just aiming for her to want to have sex with him."

Clara giggled. "Well, I think that might happen as well. Poor Father."

"Poor Cass – he's never had sex with a woman, he won't know what to do." Remus started to laugh harder.

"Well, Stevens and I think you two are the best choices for godparents there are, so you shouldn't take any notice of my mother."

"I know, " he said quickly.

"I know you know, but you're still upset about her opinion."

"I know." Remus sighed.

"And?" Clara asked sharply.

"Your opinion is the only one that matters."

"Damn right it is." Clara grinned, throwing an arm around Remus's shoulders and kissing his cheek, "And you didn't even need to flirt with me for me to think that."


The next chapter will be up in one week. I start a long term substitute teaching job Monday so I will be busier than I've been (I haven't been working regularly since early September).