Chapter 2- The godparent dilemma

Lily apparated into Potter manors living room thinking quickly. She would be able to raise her child until she was about 2 and a half, then one of the Blacks she had known would have to take or at least help raise her baby girl depending on how strong her baby's magic was.

She looked down at the newborn child in her arms. She and James would have to organise a naming ceremony. She had gotten James to agree with a more traditional wizarding name. James wasn't pleased, but he wasn't angry anymore either. She would give their child a name, James would give their child a name, and the godparent or godparents would also give her baby a name.

She could make one of the Blacks godparent, the thought struck her. James wouldn't object he never objected when it came to her. It was as if he was worried she'd run away. She thought through her options.

Bellatrix was almost instantly out of the question. She wasn't fit to be any sort of godparent as she was too busy taping together her own life after she had eloped with Rabastan Lestrange instead of marrying Rudolphus. She had left a heap of chaos in her wake. Lily supposed it was especially scandalous because the Lestrange's were near-identical. Rita Skeeter, a Ravenclaw in her year was having a field day. The only reason Bella hadn't been disowned was that she had still married a respectable pure-blood, which brought her to Andromeda.

Andie was probably the best option if she was just picking a regular godparent, but she had been disowned from the Black family and having Andie as godmother would cause the other blacks to look down on her daughter. Andie had also been disowned before she could finish learning how to wield Black magic correctly and so she didn't know everything needed to teach her daughter to use the magic to her fullest potential, then there was Sirius.

The problem with Sirius was that she wasn't even sure Sirius had inherited Black magic. If he hadn't the animosity between him and his family would make more sense, so he was out, for now, then there was Narcissa and Regulus both were good options but both had their downsides.

Regulus had long since been coerced into getting the dark mark but would undoubtedly care for any child coming his way. James didn't actually know about Reggie's dark mark he just suspected it. Lily didn't have much against it, as she agreed with some of the dark lord's ideals anyway.

Narcissa's problem was that she was married to the pretentious and bratty Lucius Malfoy, always speaking about how his father had seer abilities and would 'know' things. Narcissa insisted she genuinely loved the git and Lily didn't believe Malfoy was smart enough to brew a proper love potion. Under all the arrogance she knew that Lucius would love the opportunity to give his wife another child as he was unable.

Perhaps she could give both a role as a godparent. They would both get to give the child a name and have a say in her life. The idea also gave backups in case anything happened to one of them. Powers her child was going to have a long extravagant name.

Noisey footsteps stumbled down the hallway outside the room and James appeared in the door frame speaking gibberish or pig Latin or something. She carefully unwound the sounds that James was making, something about how she had gone missing from Sir Octavian Malfoire hospital, he stopped when he saw her, Sirius running into him from behind.

"Oh thank Merlin you're alive" Lily rolled her eyes at James worry,

"don't believe everything you hear, no matter, come we have things to discuss and don't bring your dogs" she added the comment directed at Sirius and Remus who had just rushed into the room.

Seeing James wasn't moving, still out of breath from his earlier panic. She took his hand and dragged him upstairs to her office, still carrying her baby in one arm, and sat behind the desk.

She had found that it made James feel like he was being told off by a very strict teacher. It gave her the position of power.

"So…" James started awkwardly,

"so," Lily said, "we need to discuss some itsy bitsy details".

She had always made sure James never forgot she was Slytherin. She loved him but that didn't mean she couldn't or wouldn't hurt him. She had made sure he knew how to counter some of her more Slytherin plays for fear that otherwise, she would ruin their relationship.

"What details?" James asked somewhat cautiously,

"the godparents of our daughter," Lily replied calmly,

"well that's easy," said James he rolled his eyes, amateur, "we'll just have Sirius as the godfather and Alice Fawley no Longbottom as godmother,"

"I'm afraid it isn't going to be that simple".

James looked confused before his face twisted into one of slight understanding,

"Is this why you ran away from Malfoire's,"

"yes, James," Lily sighed tiredly before launching into an explanation, "it seems as though our child has inherited Black family magic rather than the Potter's magic,"

James' mouth fell open. James may not know things sometimes but most people knew about Black magic.

"What are we supposed to do Sirius never inherited Black family magic," Lily almost grinned, she had been right,

"Here's what we're going to do. We will raise our daughter till the age of three, by then her magic will be growing in spades. After that, a Black with full training in family magic will either teach her or raise her as their own, depending on how powerful she is," she waited patiently for James to respond.

The whole situation was mildly comical. Lily wondered if she was losing it, everything felt kind of numb or blocked off, no wait, that was just her occlumency shields. Oh well, she could break down later right now she needed to be calm, for James.

"I was thinking," she said tentatively, "we could ask Narcissa Malfoy to be godmother and Regulus Black, godfather they both inherited Black magic and they are good people just in bad situations,"

"Yes, yes," James muttered angrily, "why don't we just go give her to Bellatrix Lestrange and be done with it slimy slyth…"

"James," she growled out, James went quiet, "Bella is in no position to raise a child at the moment. It would be unfair to place the burden of a goddaughter on her shoulders",

"yes she'd likely drop it," growled James, "or maybe she'd just go and throw it," Lily glared,

"Narcissa and Regulus will be perfect godparents for our little girl. I am not asking or suggesting anymore James, I'm telling you. I will be asking them to be godparents, whether you like it, or not," James sighed,

"fine but I suggest we keep our choices of godparent secret. Their afflictions with the dark," Lily rolled her eyes, "could cause chaos and suspicion in The Order ranks".

Lily smiled at him conceding she had gotten her choice of godparents he had gotten something in return,

"that's fine," she said, "but please remember James, Narcissa isn't a death eater and Regulus was coerced into the position he's in, by his mother,"

she hadn't outright stated he was a death eater, just implied it. It couldn't be used as memory evidence. James nodded acceptingly,

"Well, I suppose you'd better ask them".

posted- 13/03/2020

*In this fic Lily encouraged Bellatrix to break free of her parents grasps so now we have Bella and Rabastan

*Sirius never inherited Black magic this is one of the reasons for the family animosity

*Lily doesn't have much of an opinion on the dark lord as she agrees with some of his aims

*Lucius Malfoy's father is not a seer this is a reference to the line "my father will hear about this" changed to "my father will know about this"

*I figured that there would be more than one hospital in the wizarding world St. Mungo's is a public hospital whereas Malfoire's is a private hospital

*The sir at the start of Sir Octavian Malfoire's hospital is like sir as in knight rather than a mark of respect

*The Marauders aren't nearly as close to Lily in this fanfic, as Lily was in Slytherin they only just started to get to know each other

*James was never as defiant to teachers as he didn't have hormones to back up arrogance