Chapter 54

"You won't believe what showed up in Grimmauld Place today." Sirius announced as he stepped back into the main living room.

"What is it?" Lily peered in from the hallway. She had just made yet another trip to the bathroom. Her swollen belly showed that she was nearing her nine month end.

Lily clutched at the base of her back as she made her way to the couch. Harry gently helped her there, appearing in the doorway. Hermione and Ron entering shortly after them. Sirius laid out a long package on the coffee table and unrolled it. Among the paper folds was a shiny hilt and when he pulled it free they saw that it was the Sword of Gryffindor.

"I thought that was in Bellatrix's vault?" Lily asked uncertainly.

"It's supposed to be, I've no idea how it ended up in my house." Sirius told her.

"Is there someone on our side?" Hermione asked nervously reaching for the hilt.

"I wouldn't think anyone who could get into the Lestrange vault would be on our side." Sirius leaned against the mantle of the fireplace.

Lily gasped suddenly, her hand on her belly.

"Are you okay mum?" Harry asked, darting to the couch.

"I think my water just broke," she looked up at Sirius.

"Hermione, Ron, hide the sword. I'm going to get Molly. Harry you stay with your mum."

Sirius used the fireplace to go to Grimmauld Place. He stepped out of the house and hurried down the street, before apparating from a nearby alley. He appeared in the Tonks' back garden, quickly running to the door. Tonks was sitting at the kitchen table and she stood to let him in, she was seven months along in her pregnancy as well.

"Sirius, what is it?" She asked, Remus rounded the corner upon hearing his friend's name.

"Lily's gone into labor, I was coming to get Molly."

"I'll bring her here," Remus ducked into the fireplace, quickly flooing to the Burrow.

Remus appeared again a moment later with Molly behind him. Sirius and her quickly walked out to the garden and directly apparated into the Potter Manor. Molly took over, having Harry, Sirius, and Ron move Lily to one of the unused rooms upstairs. Remus showed up a few minutes after them, offering assistance in any way possible. He avoided Harry, still feeling awful after suggesting that he leave his wife. Harry had torn into him and neither Lily or Sirius stood up for Remus—he had needed it.

It was five hours before they heard the three teenagers heard the cry of a baby from their station in the hallway. Harry immediately shoved open the door and saw Molly holding a rather ugly, wrinkled, pink baby still covered in some fluids that Harry didn't want to think too hard about. Molly gently wrapped the baby in a disposable blanket and handed her to her mother. Lily was crying, holding the baby to her chest.

"She's so beautiful," Lily told them decidedly. Harry didn't think it had looked like much, but seeing his little sister wrapped up in a yellow blanket, he thought perhaps he had judged her too quickly.

"What are you going to name her?" Sirius asked leaning over the bed so he could see the small human.

"Dawn Lily," Lily told them, Dawn had been the name Harry suggested and he smiled.

"What's her last name?"

"I don't know, I think she'll go without a last name for a while." She admitted. One of Dawn's arms came free of the blanket and Lily caught the small hand in hers. She gently played with her fingers, admiring the perfect amount of fingers on her hand. Lily looked up at Harry. "Do you want to hold her?"

He nodded, gently reaching down to take the baby.

"Remember to support her head, she has no neck muscles." Lily helped him situate the baby in his arms and Harry pulled her close.

"Hi Dawn, I'm your big brother, Harry." He informed her.

"You should give Dawn a bath," Molly offered. "Your mother can nap and Sirius will help you bathe her. Don't use too hot of water."

"I'll take you back home Molly," Remus said. As he passed Harry he gently touched the small baby's head, which had wisps of black hair sweeping up in a tiny Mohawk.

"Thank you Remus," Molly smiled. "We'll let you get some rest Lily, I'll be back in a few hours to help clean you up."

Lily nodded, slowly drifting to sleep after the exhausting process of child birth. Sirius and Harry stepped into the small connected bathroom and Sirius helped Harry find the right temperature to bathe Dawn in. She cried through the entire process and Harry felt bad, thinking it was him. Sirius had laughed when Harry confessed this, babies just didn't like things they weren't used to—and they weren't used to anything outside the womb.

"You're going to be a really wonderful big brother." Lily told him when they stepped back into the bedroom. Harry smiled, gently passing Dawn over to his mother. She pressed a soft kiss to the baby's forehead, watching as she fell to sleep slowly. "I love her so much already."

"Me too," Harry admitted. She was still wrinkly, but he figured that's just how a baby had to be for a while.