As in most times of extreme anxiety, Sirius's pacing got on his own nerves and thus he had decided upon sitting outside of Snape's door as the great black dog, his ears perked to any behavior and his coal black eyes darting at attention.
Phineas Nigellus had explained in place of Dumbledore, who had obviously been far to busy with the case of Arthur Weasley and the careful control of the ministry to make an appearance. Sirius had rushed to Phineas's frame as the ex-headmaster drawled in his condescending and typically bored voice, that to avoid detection, Snape would be staying in Grimmauld Place at least for the time being. That Dumbledore would be contacting Order-sympathetic Healers at St. Mungo's should an emergency arise and that Sirius was to stay out of Snape's way until he was alert and ready to see him.
The last instruction had Sirius so mad that he had slammed the door behind Phineas's portrait so hard that part of the old wooden door frame came dislodged from the wall and he had to repair it with his wand.
He was tired and anxious enough, having sat up all night with the Weasley's and Harry waiting for Molly to give some word that Arthur was alright and had just been planning to go to bed before Phineas had appeared and Snape had arrived via portkey with the instruction from Dumbledore.
Lupin had been the mediator, organizing with Dumbledore to arrange for the portkey and bringing Snape to Grimmauld place while Sirius sat up all night, enraged at it his inability to do anything helpful, worried for Mr. Weasley and feeling a slight tinge of annoyance that he couldn't at least tell his godson about Snape's situation so he might share his feelings with someone other then Lupin for once.
The baby was alright, Lupin had assured him after practically forcing him down from barging into Snape's room to at least take a look at the man. Madame Pomfrey had apparently done a quick check on his vitals and monitored the baby enough to confirm that both of them were alright.
"But why did he collapse?" Sirius whispered harshly just as Lupin drew a finger to his lips to signal he must be quiet. "If he's alright, why did he faint?"
"They said something about an iron deficiency." Lupin mouthed, his ragged appearance made more flustered and gray by his lack of decent sleep. "He's asleep now, just resting. Please don't bother him."
So Sirius did not, much to his own displeasure. At first he tried to be grateful for the Weasley's as Ms. Weasley came by in the early morning, assuring them their father was stable. He watched the lot of them go to St. Mungos from his window then sat in the half made nursery, sitting cross legged in the middle of the room his thoughts racing.
He had thought that after getting Snape the gifts that everything would go much smoother. He had given Lupin a great amount of gold with a list of things he had seen in catalogs that he thought might make good ideas. Lupin suggested many of the purchases however, reminding Sirius that it might be best to solely focus on Snape so he might be able to find a middle ground. Sirius agreed wholeheartedly and after putting a few enchantments on the gifts so as not to incriminate Snape if they were found, he watched the post owls leave with a soaring feeling in his chest. Knowing that Snape would at least have to write back or maybe speak to professor Dumbledore about arranging a meeting.
But not this, he thought, his head in his hands on the nursery floor. Now he was afraid for his godson and the mysterious visions, as well as Snape's health, which he had never anticipated as a problem.
He knew Harry would be alright. He understood he must have been terrified witnessing the attack on Mr. Weasley, but the boy had seen plenty of other horrible things and he had indeed saved the man before the snake's venom could take hold. The whole ordeal would be over as soon as Arthur was discharged from St. Mungo's.
But in the case of Snape, Sirius had no idea what to expect and he could only assume that he would be angry that he had been placed in Sirius's care. There was the off chance that he would even refuse to see him, refuse to even talk to him and would either return to Hogwarts or his own home once he was fit enough to leave.
As the nursery began to make him more anxious, he went to his own room and fed Buckbeak, patting his large head, unable to keep the thoughts from flooding.
What would happen if Snape collapsed again? Or worse, the baby was in trouble and only Sirius was at home? What could he, as an escaped convict do to help Snape in his most dire moment? The only thing he could do would be to go to Phineas Nigellus in the off chance he might be in his frame at Grimmauld Place. How would he even know Snape needed help if he wasn't allowed to see him?
Sirius tried to clear his head, trying to slow down his hysterical hypotheticals so he could think clearly. When he couldn't, he decided upon transforming into his dog form, and took up guard at Snape's door prepared for anything.
His only real solace came when Hermione's belonging's were brought to Grimmauld Place and Crookshanks bounded up the stairs, his smashed face fixing on Sirius who rose expectantly.
'You don't seem well.' Crookshanks purred softly, making his way to Sirius and embracing him familiarly with a nudge of his great orange head. 'I can smell him here, did he speak with you?'
'No' Sirius shook his head down cast. 'The others don't want me talking to him yet, think it might end badly.'
'Really,' Crookshanks nestled close to him, folding his large paws under his frame and curling his tail tight to his body. 'You humans always have such long complex words and yet you're always struggling to get your point across.'
'It's just him being difficult.' Sirius motioned to the room 'Never much did like me, now he's going to hold this against me.'
'I wouldn't be so sure.' Crookshanks purred louder, his eyes twinkling. Sirius shook with interest.
'Tell me everything.' He whined, thumping his tail on the floor. 'Did he know you were watching him? What did you find out?'
'Oh he knows alright.' Crookshanks nodded wisely. 'Knows it was you that put some interest in my head as well. He was angry for a little while but I don't think he cares much anymore.'
Sirius's heart skipped a beat, scared he might have gone to far, but what did it mean? Snape didn't care if Black had a cat spying on him?
'Please,' Sirius whined now, more pathetically. 'Tell me everything, from the beginning.'
'Well don't expect me to remember all of it.' Crookshank's tail swished back and forth, 'My memory isn't reserved just for your wanderings, but I did my best to keep up with him, I'll tell you that. I could tell immediately it was him of course, the only male in the castle smelling like that you know. There were a few times I would follow the scent and run into females, but once I found out were he lived it wasn't much trouble.'
'You can smell him?' Sirius stared at the cat, Unsure if he actually believed him.
'Well of course you can, everyone has a smell. I suppose since you're human you don't notice it as much as a real dog could, but when you're pregnant your scent will change.'
'Change to what?'
'I don't know.' Crookshanks turned his head, wrinkling his nose a bit. 'It's really strong and obvious, sort of earthy, he smells like you actually.'
Sirius shivered slightly, feeling humbled that even an animal could recognize Snape's pregnancy to be of his own doing. He pressed further however.
'But you never got caught?'
'Well I never got in trouble I'd suppose.' Crookshanks scratched his ear with his back paw, sitting up a little straighter 'There were a few close calls but I almost always made myself known when it was convenient to the both of us, when there was no one around that was.'
'And he just let you near him?' Sirius was taken aback. He had never considered Snape to be much of an animal lover. 'He never questioned what you were doing?'
'Well I grew on him I suppose.' Crookshanks tilted his head again. 'Before he knew I was looking out for you he didn't mind much letting me in to see him, letting me walk with him when he was out for a walk. I even got close to the baby once or twice, just to see how it was doing.'
'The baby?' Sirius leapt up and paced frantically before sitting back down on all fours. 'He actually let you get close?'
'Sort of.' Crookshanks sounded disinterested. 'When it was big enough to start moving I could sense it and it seemed healthy each time. For awhile he was very distressed by it, very ill for a long time, but as he began to feel better, he came to like the child more.'
'Moving?' Sirius pawed the ground anxiously, resisting the urge to break through the door Lupin had carefully locked before leaving.
'Oh yes, it's big and strong.' Crookshanks assured him, his eyes glowing maliciously, as though he enjoyed watching Sirius so flustered. 'It is good that human litters only bear one child as he's been very heavy with child lately.'
'Why is he ill?' Sirius threw back his head exasperated. 'Were you there when he fainted? Was he alright?'
'Just tired and a little undernourished.' Crookshanks purred, stretching his long bandy legs with his tail high in the air. 'Too much excitement for him in one night, I watched him when he was out of bed and he was starting to feel very ill, he fainted but he is alright.'
There was a distant banging noise of the front door, the Weasley's had returned. Crookshanks walked to the top of the steps, looking down to see the entryway.
'I'm rather tired from traveling if you don't mind.' Crookshanks yawned widely and began to walk back down the stairs. 'I expect you'll get to see him soon enough so you won't have to badger me much for details.'
Sirius felt exhausted himself, laying back down on the floor his paws folded in front of him as he watched the bushy tail of Crookshanks bob out out of sight.
He was not at all excited to see the Weasley's or talk to Harry anymore. While Crookshanks words had made him perhaps more hopeful he was still too worried and tired to imagine any reconciliation between Snape and himself to be anything less then uncomfortable. Lupin had helped him so far to give him subtle advice on getting into Snape's good graces, helping him pick out gifts and curbing his over enthusiastic ideas about writing to Snape when he got too anxious.
Now it would just be him and Snape, one on one trying to sort things out and it would be much harder to have to look at the man and bite down any pride he had to get what he wanted.
It was all for the baby, he reminded himself for perhaps the thousandth time. Even in his animagus form he was worried, perhaps it felt more primal, more instinctual and focused, but the worry never left him.
Without much though, he transformed and pulled from his wand from his pocket, prepared to be as quiet as possible, he unlocked the door behind him with a click and pushed it open. He didn't care about disobeying Dumbledore or angering Lupin, he had been following Orders ever since the beginning of the summer and getting a peak couldn't really hurt, could it?
Regulus's room had been quickly readied for Snape's arrival, the linens and quilts from the spare bedroom's taken to accommodate the man, the room enchanted to be comfortably warm.
Sirius froze for a moment, his heart beating a hole in his chest as his eyes raked the outline of the man lying in bed on his side, facing away from the doorframe, his sweep of black hair strangely untidy.
Seeing Snape asleep was strange enough as the demure and upright manner he usually carried had completely evaporated upon hitting the sheets. While Snape would never admit it, he was a slightly messy, slightly unabashed sleeper. His legs splayed in a strange sort of jogging position while one arm was thrown behind him, he slept noiselessly, the rise and fall of his chest very slow and deliberate.
Sirius closed the door behind him very slowly, keeping his eye on Snape for any sign of movement or arousal. He felt instantly better now as seeing him put a very different picture in his mind. Any previous misconceptions about how Snape could be in possible mortal peril or danger were simply exaggerated, seeing him now, he had simply pushed 'tuckered out' to a new extreme.
Sirius walked carefully, remembering exactly which floorboards would creak and avoided them as he rounded the bedside, turning on baited breath as he looked to Snape's blank and sleeping visage which yielded no signs of awakening. His eyes instantly flashed to his middle, however covered and cradled by quilts and the curve of Snape's back, Sirius could finally see it plainly before his eyes. The wholesome swell that could only be one thing.
Instantly he was holding back tears, his eyes burned as he tried to steady himself and he hastened to wipe them on his sleeve. It was so amazing and beautiful and without a doubt everything he had expected that he could not bear the thought of parting with it. It was there now, not even born and pulling on his heart so viciously that it hurt to hold his hands steady and keep them to his sides.
He stood for several minutes simply watching Snape, wishing beyond hope that when he awoke there might be some chance he would like to see him. Sirius couldn't bring himself to leave, not knowing when he might be able to see him again, yet he knew that if he stayed too long the Weasley's and Harry would begin to wonder where Sirius has gone.
Far too tired and heartsick he changed again into his animagus form, and put his large furry head to the side of the mattress, looking up at Snape, who continued sleeping unfettered.
Perhaps when Snape awoke and saw him eagerly waiting he may feel flattered, Sirius thought, withdrawing to lay on the floor, right beside the bed frame. Or, he thought miserably, he could be entirely annoyed that Sirius had seen him sleeping and would order him out.
Regardless, Sirius thought, now fighting back sleep and blinking his eyes open even as they became heavier and heavier, at least he could be near the baby for longer like this. At least he could be assured to have spent some time near it and been able to see it before Snape could very possibly leave.
Lupin was infuriated to find the door unlocked as he made his way up to the room they has used to accommodate Snape, infuriated at least until he found Sirius laying curled on the floor by Snape's side, breathing heavily and contentedly in rhythm with Snape's own sleepy exhales.
His heart melted at the sight in spite of it all, knowing that Sirius had only wanted to see the baby and didn't intend to bother the man but was stupid and overeager just the same.
Lupin set the tea tray bearing food for Snape on the end table and sat very lightly on the mattress, Molly had made an early dinner for all of them and made up a bowl of soup and french bread to take to Snape. Lupin had made the excuse that Sirius had been sleeping all day since the night's activities to make up for his absence, but had expected to find him in his own room or perhaps next to the portrait of Phineas Nigellus awaiting news. Regardless he knew that there wasn't any force on the planet that would stop Sirius when he put his mind to something and for the moment just sleeping near Snape seemed innocent enough, so Lupin did not wake the dog for fear of alarming or enraging the man.
He simply put a hand to Snape's shoulder to wake him, Snape gave a short shuddering exhale before moving carefully, drawing the hand out from under his pillow and yawning widely before he turned to see Lupin with the tea tray. He stared, his eyes narrowed before he decided against his company and merely stared at the opposite wall.
"It's going on three right now," Lupin said calmly, not expecting any warm or cheery greetings from the man who had loathed him all his childhood. "I thought you might want to eat something."
"Is the prophecy safe?" Snape asked quietly, as though he didn't hear Lupin's mention of food. Lupin blinked, folding his hands together.
"Yes, the prophecy and Arthur are both alright." Lupin said, "Mrs. Weasley came by in the early morning when he was stable at St. Mungo's. He's expected to make a full recovery."
As disinterested as Snape was in the affairs of the Weasley's he steadied himself by sitting up against the bed frame, finding his extremities and head to be very weak. He felt overly light, the feeling of faintness coming over him again as he parted his hair away from his eyes and heaved a sigh. Lupin set the tea tray on his thighs, the sight of Snape with his stomach thick with child made his heart drop as he had not seen the Professor since before he had conceived but he thought it best not to comment as Snape began to eat in silence. Bringing up the baby meant bringing up other things and Lupin didn't believe it was his place to discuss such things. He looked to his fingernails with forced interest, examining a nail he had recently cracked during his last transformation.
"I miss being able to drink your wolfsbane potion." Lupin said offhandedly rubbing the nail carefully where it had cracked. "The one's I buy don't have a very consistent quality to them and I tend to be a little more reckless if I don't get a good enough brew." He looked to Snape a little expectantly. Snape ate in silence, almost determined to ignore Lupin until he picked up the hint and left him. He had broken the bread and dipped it in the soup broth, his dark eyes looked tired despite his day long nap.
"Are you feeling alright now?" Lupin asked carefully. "Dumbledore didn't say too much but-"
"I'm fine." Snape stated sharply wiping his mouth with his thumb and still not meeting Lupin's eyes. Lupin did not falter but instead bit his lip and tarried on.
"Madame Pomfrey wanted you to know that the baby is perfectly fine as well." Lupin said, holding his hands a little more tightly then he intended, feeling his quick pulse through his fingertips. It felt odd for him, confessing concern and sympathy for someone he had simply tried not to annoy since graduating from high school. He regretted not putting more of an argument into stopping his friends from bullying Snape but knew whatever regrets he had paled in comparison to Sirius's guilt.
Snape finally looked him in the eye, the general dislike and discomfort still etched into his features but an uncommon flush filled his typically pale face, one that Lupin had not seen before.
"I know." He said. "I'm the one carrying it after all, you'd think I'd know how it's doing."
Lupin couldn't help but smile, Snape merely continued eating, the flush creeping up his cheeks as he ate, one hand decidedly protective of his stomach. Deciding he was on safe ground, he continued.
"So how is the little one faring?" Lupin asked, watching the behavior of Snape's right hand as it cupped the side of his belly.
"And why is it that you should care?" Snape snapped, bringing the rim of the bowl to his lips so he could finish off the soup broth. Lupin was reminded of James for a moment, watching the uncanny stubborn man try his hardest to ignore his existence and fitting unnatural venom into every word he spoke. When James was annoyed or made ashamed of himself he had moments were he might unexpectedly lash out, followed by a sulky mismanaged apology.
"I care because of your health." Lupin said, uncrossing his legs. Snape raised an eyebrow. "And it's my best friend's baby of course."
"His baby?" Snape snarled, setting the bowl down.
"Well yours and his baby, yes." Lupin corrected. "Unless that is to say that you don't want Sirius to play a role in this child's life at all. Then it would be your baby."
Snape scowled at him, his tired eyes glaring at the man sharing his bed. He didn't know what to say but simply wanted Lupin out, to leave him alone until he was well enough to go back to Hogwarts or Spinner's end where he could spend christmas alone.
"I think you'd be surprised at how badly Sirius would like to be a father." Lupin said a little sadly, offering to take the tea tray back from Snape who had finished his meal. Snape lay back, both of his hands now resting protectively over the baby who seemed to rouse and move sleepily from within.
"Gotten bored of Potter has he?" Snape asked, not entirely sure why he was acting so impulsively defensive but it seemed deserved all the same as Lupin frowned slightly.
"I don't think Sirius has ever had a close relative he's enjoyed and was able to call family." Lupin explained carefully. "His family was all heavily immersed in the dark arts and the quality of blood and he never really agreed with that. I expect when he was sorted into Gryffindor, they felt it was a huge blow for the family."
"What a tragic loss," Snape muttered sarcastically.
"Well it would explain why he was so reliant on the opinion's of his friends." Lupin pressed on, picking absentmindedly at the fray of his jacket sleeve. "He's always wanted a family he could call his own but never dreamed that he might be able to have children, what with his life the way it is now. Women aren't really knocking on his door the same way they were in high school."
"Well you'll forgive me if I don't understand his pain." Snape snorted.
"What was your family life like Severus?" Lupin changed tactics quickly, "You weren't muggle born were you?"
"That's none of your concern." Snape growled, his nostrils flaring a bit. Lupin merely shrugged. His eyes wandering to the edge of the bed were Sirius's tail poked out. He was still fast asleep.
"Perhaps it's not," Lupin sighed, picking a lose thread from his jacket. "Perhaps you are right and that Sirius is an unfit father and you should just go it alone. Maybe it would be better for you, perhaps."
"I never said that." Snape snarled, his face turning red again. "For all that can be said for Gryffindor's, intelligence really isn't your greatest quality is it?"
"Excuse me?" Lupin said more intrigued then insulted as Snape rubbed his eyes with exasperation.
"It's always all or nothing with you people isn't it?" Snape hissed "There never is compromise because you all get exactly what you want, you don't even understand what real sacrifice is."
Lily flashed to the forefront of his mind for a moment before disappearing again. The baby shifted carefully.
"Dumbledore and all you order people- badgering me like I'm supposed to make up my mind in a moment's notice about something as complicated as a newborn human life. Like I'm supposed to give up everything I have to be some mothering cow of a man because of something so trite and trying as love! Like you people have any idea what I'm going through on a daily basis."
Lupin was stunned by the sudden cathartic outburst, so much that he couldn't disguise his look of sheer horror as Snape drew his hands away and fresh tears were pouring from his eyes. Lupin hoped beyond hope Sirius would not awaken as he was sure it would be the worst possible time. Snape sniffed, wiping his eyes. Lupin quickly drew a tissue for him to use and he took it begrudgingly.
"Well I think it's a little presumptuous to think that we might understand anything if you won't tell us." Lupin said quietly, putting what he hoped was an endearing hand on Snape's knee as he blew his nose.
"After all, none of us have ever gotten pregnant, so none of us know what it's like to be alone and on our own like that."
"Well you've all got your friends haven't you?" Snape snapped back through tissue and Lupin knew instantly why Snape was mad. This wasn't about the baby or the Order of the Pheonix at all, it all came down to the marauders and how Snape had few if any friends.
"You don't have any idea why I'm like this, do you?" Snape shuddered, looking at Lupin with bloodshot eyes. "You and your horrible friends running around at night? You don't think that I tried at all?"
Lupin's eyes widened, remembering back to his school days with a jolt. All the extra transfiguration books Snape had carried around in their later years, the times Lupin would spend watching James and Sirius bully him from afar, making his book bag chase him across the grounds or hanging him upside down after class, he always had all those strange notes. The same books they had checked out from the library when they were becoming animagi. Then those visits to the hospital wing...
Snape snorted as comprehension dawned across Lupin's face. He had always thought it was just some dark arts fantasy's that Snape had been into as he poured over those transfiguration books, but now...
"So you'll forgive me if I don't want to kiss and make up." Snape snarled angrily, blowing his nose again as hot tears ran down his face. Lupin merely goggled at him, a fresh feeling of guilt sinking in his stomach, the same kind he had felt after James had pulled him from the Whomping Willow that night Snape had almost reached the shrieking shack.
"Severus... I-"
"Save your apologies." Snape snapped, looking at the man with renewed disgust. Lupin looked down at his feet, feeling sick at the thought of Snape practicing to become an animagus only to find himself bleeding between the legs. It was their fault, partially at least for putting the idea in his head. For sneaking out at night for a good laugh and nearly getting Snape killed.
The door creaked open slightly and Crookshanks entered meowing, sniffing the air carefully as he entered. Snape did not seem to notice until he had leapt onto the bed and was playfully headbutting his stomach.
Snape stared at the cat, neither happiness nor fury in his face as he let the animal rub it's large head over the small mound of Snape's belly. It purred and sat down, it's eyes twinkling.
"Well," Lupin began weakly, looking from the cat to Snape slightly mystified as he tried to make the words untangle themselves in his throat. "I won't blame you if you don't want to have anything to do with Sirius, I mean." Lupin said "It's your baby, you have all the right in the world not to-"
"Of course it's my baby." Snape snapped. He drew a tentative hand out to pet Crookshanks large head, his eyes looked glazed, almost thoughtful. "But for the time being at least I'm going to need help."
Lupin stared at him, Snape continued to simply pat the cat's large head and it meowed a long garbled call as if incredibly pleased with himself, he flicked his tail back and forth. There was a shuffling from the far side of the bed and Sirius poked his head out, his ears perked, his eyes wide and reflective.
"Thought you'd show yourself at last?" Snape hissed, disguising the mild anxiety only so well as his voice shook.
"You knew he was there the whole time?" Lupin asked incredulously, staring from the cat, to Snape and to Sirius, feeling as though he had clearly missed something. Snape looked at him condescendingly, his eyes narrowed.
"I'm not an invalid, I can hear what's going on around me."
"I know! I mean-"
Crookshanks meowed again, Lupin flushed and clenched and unclenched his hands anxiously, looking at the great bear like dog.
"I'll leave you two alone then," he muttered, rising from Snape's bedside and striding out of the room with one last reserved glance at Crookshanks resting on Snape's belly to Sirius who was staring at Snape unblinkingly before shutting the door.
At once Sirius transformed, resting his elbows on Snape's bed and looking just as attentive and serious as he did as the black dog.
"I heard everything," he blurted, "About the baby and me and the whole animagus thing and I'm really sorry, I mean really really sorry, I didn't want to think it was me or James or any of that that made you do it or made you want to do and I'm sorry you wanted to do it and-" He stopped at a look from Snape who stared coldly at him, his dark eyes gathering very little light. The sun was now setting.
"Are you truly sorry?" Snape said carefully, silencing Sirius again with a look before he could interrupt. "Are you truly sorry for everything you have done to me?"
"Of course." Sirius said, his eyes wide and intense. Crookshanks purred on, his tail flicking against Snape's quilted thighs.
"Do you admit you were wrong, the both of you, you and James for what you did to me?" Snape asked, his cold glare unyielding. Sirius nodded his head very carefully, not looking away from Snape's eyes. Snape knew instantly that he was telling the truth, that his remorse was true and seeing Black now, he knew his intent was not malicious, but honest.
"Do you swear that if you ever give me so much as a feeling that you are acting with an intent to shame me, I will see to it that you never see this child again?"
"I swear." Sirius said without hesitation. Snape sat back against the headboard, drawing his gaze now away from Black to close his eyes. A hot calming relief washed over him, a relief he had not been granted since discovering the child's true parentage. He felt alright, safe in fact in Black's care. He could hear the Weasley's talking downstairs and gazed down at Crookshanks carefully.
"So we can work something out?" Sirius asked carefully, looking finally to Snape's stomach were Crookshanks looked to him, highly amused by the two of them.
"Of course," Snape muttered, sinking against his pillow. "We'll figure something out."
There was a long silence in which Sirius, filled with happiness and relief slumped back into his own lap, rubbing his eyes with the overwhelming joy that was exploding in him like fireworks, Snape merely lay positively exhausted by the emotions flowing through the room, ready to sleep again. Regulus's bed was very comfortable.
The silence was broken when Crookshanks leapt off of Snape and into Sirius's lap were Sirius began to stroke his fur, sniffing and rubbing back the tears that he could not keep inside. He laughed in spite of it all as Crookshanks rubbed his enormous head over Sirius's chest and Snape looked to them lazily.
"I'm sorry if you didn't like him spying on you too," Sirius added as he patted the cat with a smile. "I just trusted him a lot and I figured it wouldn't do any harm to have another set of eyes on you."
"He's... alright." Snape admitted, putting a hand over the side of the bed to pet Crookshanks as well. The cat meowed again, clearly glad of the attention.
"Still," Black said. "I guess it wasn't really right of me to have done it, your privacy and all."
"It doesn't matter now." Snape said calmly, scratching the cat's ears. Sirius continued to wipe his eyes, clearly a little ashamed of how emotional he was. Snape found he really didn't care much, he drew his hand back up to his stomach and shut his eyes, almost prepared to go back to sleep.
"You're feeling better now then?" Sirius asked quietly, keeping the purring cat at bay as he looked to Snape carefully. Watching the rise and fall of his chest and his skin, which looked paler then usual.
"Something of that sort." Snape murmured. The baby gave a flutter just under his skin and he smoothed over the spot with his thumb, an almost automatic response now that he could feel the baby on the outside of his stomach.
"Sn-Severus..." Sirius stuttered, looking from his face to his wandering hand carefully as he could clearly tell the baby had moved. "Would it be alright, I mean, If I could... Feel the baby?"
Snape bit his lip, drawing in his breath carefully as he looked to Black's expression of terror mixed with unbridled excitement. His mouth twitched and he slowly sat up, moving back to rest against the headboard and throwing back the quilt to reveal the day clothes he had slept in since he had arrived by portkey. Sirius stared even more excited, the swell of his stomach no longer hidden, looked much more apparent. Snape held out a hand and Sirius took it, letting himself be guided to a spot just below his navel were the baby was now shuffling and jockeying for a more comfortable position.
"Can you feel it?" Snape asked after a moment, Sirius was blushing furiously and he strained against the fabric of Snape's front but shook his head. He readjusted, coming to sit next to Snape and feeling carefully for a kick.
"I can't feel it." Sirius said quietly, withdrawing his hand. Snape paused for a moment, seeing the look of disappointment starting to cross Sirius's face. He sat up a little straighter, unbuttoning his front. He was not sure why he was doing it but knew that for the sake of the baby, it should feel the touch of it's other father. He had read that the baby could start recognizing and picking up voices so it made sense.
Sirius looked positively stunned and flushed deeper as Snape finished unbuttoning his first layer, leaving only his white undershirt, which he pulled over his head, revealing himself completely.
It was the first time someone other then Madame Pomfrey had touched him and he felt very uncomfortable, sitting in the half light as Black looked down his pale skinny frame, his gaze finally pooling over Snape's stomach, distended and slightly over stretched as it was, Sirius gazed at it with pure longing in his eyes. Resting his hand now on the same spot, his hand warm to the touch but Snape still shivered.
The baby paused suddenly within him and Snape looked down a little haplessly to his stomach, wondering if the baby was just being shy. Sirius blinked as well, running his cool palm down the lowest part of his stomach up toward his puckered bellybutton. Then with a sudden unexpected kick that made both Sirius and Snape gasp, Sirius gave a great bark like laugh feeling over the area, now putting both his hands to the spot where the baby rolled excitedly with vigor.
Snape was stunned, the baby clearly provoked was now intent to kick and roll on command and Sirius broke into tears again, stroking the spot where the baby seemed excited to impress and show off for it's other father. It was not extremely uncomfortable as the baby was not landing on any of his internal organs, but he almost felt embarrassed by how the presence of Black seemed to bring out the baby's enthusiasm.
Crookshanks meowed again, now nestling between the two unlikely fathers as the sun went down.
Your reviews worked! I had a very good christmas with my family and with my day off I pushed this out as fast as I could. I felt bad leaving you with a cliffhanger so I hope this makes up for it. Didn't quite get to the baby's sex but that will come in the next chapter and I feel that this more then makes up for not saying it right away. Sorry if the talking between Sirius and Crookshanks seems a little awkward but I wanted there to be some sort of trade off between them.
This was probably one of the only chapters I sat down and wrote all in one go so I hope it feels ok when you read it. Overall just review review review for more words and I'll start as soon as I can. Thanks so much guys!
