Written for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments) Term 14 and Quidditch League: Wigtown Wanderers as Seeker

Quidditch League: Wigtown Wanderers, Seeker - Round Six: Marlene McKinnon/Sirius Black

Hogwarts Assignment 9: Childcare Task #1: write about a character trying to cheer someone up. Whether it works or not is up to you.

Challenges listed below

Marlene paced back and forth in the badly lit room. They wouldn't let her go to the hospital, because there were already way too many people there, and they would certainly get yelled at by the Mediwizards.

Lily didn't really want to have the baby at a magical hospital, but she didn't have much choice in the matter, since she had no idea what the baby could do or what she could cause once the contractions started to get too painful. Pain was usually a trigger for accidental magic, and she couldn't have that happening in front of a bunch of Muggles.

Sirius groaned on the couch next to her, and she sighed. It was bad enough that she was stuck at home while Lily and James' baby was being born, but she was stuck in a room with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

"You okay there, Marlene?" Remus asked, watching her nearly open up a hole in the floor.

Marlene really considered telling him to shut up or something, but she felt bad for the guy. Everybody knew how much they all wanted to be there, but couldn't.

"Bit anxious, that's all," she said, sitting down at last.

Sirius wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and laid his head on top of hers.

"They'll be here soon enough," he told her.

"It's been three hours. How big is that baby, even?" asked Peter, fidgeting with his wand.

Marlene couldn't help but laugh. Peter had absolutely no idea how long labor could last, and, to be fair, neither did the rest of the Marauders, but poor Peter was the only one who voiced it for everyone to hear.

"I bet he's huge," offered Sirius. "James is as tall as the Astronomy Tower, and Lily's not petite either. So I bet he'll be at least two feet tall, already."

Marlene stared at him. "You're not serious, are you?"

Sirius looked at her, and raised his eyebrow. Before he could even open his mouth to retort, she interrupted him.

"Yes, I know you are Sirius. Don't start with me today."

"Fine! Fine. I was just trying to light up the mood. Everybody seems to be so tense here. Lily's already done more dangerous things than delivering a baby, she'll be fine."

"We all know that, don't we?" Marlene asked, looking at no one in specific.

"We do," Remus reassured her.

The baby was the least of their concerns. They all knew that any baby that came from Lily and James Potter would be destined for greatness, and they would make sure of that. What they worried about was the crowded hospital, full of friends and family, recovering from the attacks they had suffered while fighting Voldemort.

James and Lily had pissed off a lot of people from the other side, and it would not be hard for one of them to get into the hospital and do the unthinkable, especially when they were their most vulnerable.

"Don't," Sirius whispered in her ear, running a hand up and down her arm.

She knew he was thinking the exact same thing she was, but Sirius Black had the annoying tendency of becoming a very positive person when it came to his friends.

"I'll go make some tea, anybody want some?" Remus offered, already standing up.

He could barely hide the trembling legs, but Marlene feared for the poor china cups if he held them with those hands.

"I'll help you," she offered. Sitting down on that couch just waiting for news would be the death of her.

As she helped Remus in the kitchen, she saw more than heard Sirius and Peter whispering to each other. Her Ravenclaw curiosity got the better of her, and she tried to listen to what they were saying. The kettle whistled before she was able to catch a word or two, and Marlene relented, pouring the tea into the cups, and making sure she was the one to carry the tray back to the room where the boys had not yet finished their hushed conversation.

"Chamomile? Really?" asked Sirius, rolling his eyes at Remus.

"I thought we could use something to calm our nerves."

"I'm not nervous. You all are, and I don't get why," Sirius lied.

It didn't take an expert to know when Sirius was lying. He couldn't maintain eye contact when he did so, and he was very intent on staring at the rug.

"I know you're not," Marlene said, handing him a cup of tea. "Still, you should have some tea."

"Chamomile tea in the dead of summer. You all must be going mental with worry," he complained as he sipped from his cup.

Marlene decided to sit on the floor this time, right between Sirius' legs. Playfully, he rested the cup on her head, and she went very still. If that hot drink spilled on her head, she would have a fit like nothing anyone had ever seen before.

"Sirius," she hissed. "Get that off."

Sirius didn't have time to retort, because he heard James' voice call to him from his pocket. He took out the two-way mirror in a hurry, and the other three hurried to his side to look at the boy who was about to be a father.

"It's almost time," James said from the other side. "I think I'm going to lose my mind."

"Prongs, you're fine. Harry will be here before you know it," Sirius told him calmly, as he squeezed Marlene's hand.

"Yeah, yeah. You're right. I just wanted to let you know that. I'll go into the room now. Wish me luck."

Under a chorus of "good luck!" James disappeared, leaving his friends both excited and worried.

"You know," Sirius turned to Marlene. "I was telling Peter how maybe one day that could be us."

Marlene laughed. "You're kidding, right? Us two? Parents?"

Sirius looked offended. "Why not?"

"Sirius, have you met us? We have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever. What makes you think that we would be responsible enough to raise a child?"

"I'll have you know that I'm very responsible." He crossed his arms and pouted.

"Right, sure. I'm not even going to argue with you on that one. I'm sure you'll come to your senses eventually."

Marlene never wanted to be a mother, and she didn't think that Sirius wanted to be a father either. It was not like either of them had the best example of what a happy household looked like.

"What if I can prove to you that I'm responsible enough?" Sirius asked after a period of silence.

"Sirius, if you can prove to me that for once you can think with the head you have on your shoulders instead of the one you have below your hips, I'll consider it."

Marlene had never seen Sirius smiling so brightly, and she didn't know if she regretted giving him hope, and for the rest of the night not one, but two babies occupied her mind.