AN: Okay the title kind of gives it away huh. Doing my research as I go along here I am forced to admit defeat. I can't keep this story completely to canon. Tonks is born in 73' in canon so I'll just have to try harder next time around. this is going to be a touchy feely mushy chapter, when I started the fic I have to admit that i didnt consider the domestic aspect, and planned to just have a BAMF Harry, but a Pregnant Andromeda nixed that Idea so I am trying to balance the action with the day to day life of a couple raising a child and all that entails
AN2: The time jumps are a coming soon. Harry's established himself and aquired a decent amount of wealth and he will probably take on more Merc. Work in the future. thanks for reading.
DISCLAIMER: See Chapter 2
Evans Farm, Durham County England, 12/25/1970, 10:00
Christmas morning had arrived, Harry spent the days after his trip to Germany decking the halls, There weren't many trees in the area around his farm so he had to go retrieve one from the mountains around Hogsmeade. He did spend the day after leaving Gringotts buying gifts for Andy and her soon to be born Baby.
Waking up alone was unpleasant, he was still on Andromeda's shit list for as she put it "going off and nearly getting himself killed"
When he arrived home after coming back from Germany she was livid when she seen his back. She had used some pretty complex spell work to reopen the wound, clean it out properly and reseal it. (It hurt worse than the original cuuting spell). But on the bright side there was no scar there anymore, (not that he minded having another scar) and after that incident he kept mum about his shoulder, though nothing showed up on her scans so he must have done okay at healing it.
Groaning Harry crawled out of bed and went about his morning routine. He walked down the hall past the vacant fourth bed room door which had a green and red ribbon draped across it with a name card dangling from the ribbon. He had set up Andy's present last night after he was sure she was asleep.
Putting the coffee on he started mixing up batter for pancakes and got some sausage links sizzling on the stove top. he was getting ready to start the pancakes when he heard a high pitched shriek. Dashing down the hall he found Andy standing in the doorway of the one with the ribbon on the door smiling with tears running sown her cheeks, when she caught sight of him, she cleared the distance to him and engulfed him in a tight hug babbling "thank you" over and over.
Smiling he glanced in the room. the hardwood floor was now covered in thick fluffy pink carpet, the walls now had magical pale pink wallpaper with frolicking unicorns moving all over the wall. a sturdy crib painted acne lce white with pink bedding rested under the window off to the far side of the room, there was a changing table the same color white as the crib against the wall to the right of the crib and a cushioned rocking chair same pattern as the crib in the middle of the room. In short he built his metamorphic friend from the future a Nursery.
Andy finally calmed down and looked up at Harry smiling "thank you Harry this looks amazing, but why pink I don't even know for sure if the baby will be a girl" Harry just smirked at and headed toward the kitchen "call it a hunch I am almost certain it will be a girl, now come on breakfast won't eat itself" he called the last part from the Hallway.
All in all Christmas turned out great, Harry got a bunch of clothes from Andy and he got her a magical bubble bath set and a few more of those trashy romance novels she was always reading. The night took a strange turn about 8:00 just after dinner when they were both cleaning up after the meal. Harry was just sliding the left overs in the icebox when he heard a large amount of liquid hit the floor, turning around thinking Andy spilled something he was shocked to see a large puddle underneath her. "Andromeda is that what I think it is?" Harry asked in a forced calm. She nodded "my water just broke" springing into action Harry helped Andromeda to the fireplace and traveled tandem with her to St. Mungos.
/C.o.t.R\
St. Mungos, London, 12/25/1970, 20:38
Stepping out of the floo in the lobby of St. Mungos he guided Andy to the reception desk. A woman in her late lthirties was sat behind the reception desk, he didnt notice much about her except her nametag which read 'O. Nott, receptionist' which was pinned to her limegreen uniform, Seeing the standing before her she asked "What can I help you with this evening?" Harry spoke for her since Andromeda looked to be in a lot of pain "I'm escorting Andromeda Black, her water just broke" the woman's eyes widened and stared at Andromeda for a minute longer than necessary then shook her head "take her to the fifth floor I'll send word up to expect you" Harry nodded and started leading Andy away with a hurried "thank you" to the receptionist. "Are you okay Harry asked her as he guided her up the steps "I'm having contractions it hurts a lot" she told him in a pained voice, nodding they walked up the stairs (St. Mungos really needed a fucking Elevator!) as fast as she could manage before finally they climbed up the last flight of stairs and opened the door to the pediatrics ward.
They were swarmed by healers and and Andromeda was taken immediately to a room, Harry following in their wake. They then had her Chang into a flimsy hospital gowns and was made to lay down on the bed. Harry started to head back to the waiting area but was stopped when Andy grabbed his arm "Stay please I don't want be alone" Harry could hear the fear in her voice and took a seat in the chair beside her bed "If your sure you want me to, of course I'll stay" he took her hand giving it a reassuring squeeze. She smiled at him "Thank you for being there for me through all of this" "dont mention it, your the only friend I have, of course I'll look out for you" Andy beamed at him and they both tried to get their nerves under control as they sat in silence. Until Andromeda had another contraction and Healers started poring into the room 'they must have monitoring spells on the bed or something" Harry thought to himself as the healers were prepping her for delivery.
The next few hours were a blur to Harry he remembered holding her hand, hearing the healer say 'the baby has started breaching, okay start pushing" he remembered having to remind Andy to breathe and her very painful vice like grip on his hand when she pushed the muscles in her abdomen, but it was all very sureal, he had taken too many lives to count but this was the first time he had seen a life being born.
Nymphadora Druella Black was born at 22;35 on Christmas Day. Andromeda had fallen asleep from the exhaustion and Harry was sat on the side of the bed holding the newborn while she slept in his arms, When a tall Blonde woman probably in her early to mid forties and a blonde teenager probobaly early teens who looked familiar to Harry but he just couldn't place her name or why he had a hunch he had met her in the future, came in through the open door into Andromeda's room. "can I help you asked Harry quietly so as not to wake they baby (which was a moot point as the baby woke up and started crying loud enough to wake Andy up" Harry ignored the visitors for the moment and passed Nymmie (as he already caught himself calling her in his head) to her mother "what's a matter with her?"Andy asked groggily "I think she's hungry" Harry said with a smirk. Andy nodded and place the baby to her breast barely having to adjust the gown to do so, a throat clearing caught his attention and Andy's to. "Mother what are you doing here?" Andy asked "I heard from a Opheila you were having your baby tonight and I wanted to meet my grand daughter" her mother replied uncertainly then turned to Harry "Are you the father?" she asked quite bluntly. "No, me and Andy are just friends" Harry replied "are you a mudblood?" she asked without any hesitancy "Half blood" Harry replied easily the word mudblood not bothering him all that much anymore he turned to Andy "I'll give you ladies some privacy, maybe get a coffee do you want anything?" " no thanks my stomach is still in knots" nodding Harry turned to Mrs. Black it was a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Black" "like wise" she primary replied, and with that Harry bowed his head and left the room.
/C.o.t.R\
"So I was that the man that protected you in Diagonal Alley this summer, that sent your father and sister to Mungos?" her mother asked Andy as soon as Harry Left. with a guarded expression Andy nodded "yes he's been taking care of me and helping me through my pregnancy ever since" Andromeda replied. The youngest female in the room had quietly moved to the chair Harry had been seated in. "It's good to see you again Cissy, how have you been?" Andromeda asked her younger sister. " I have been well, schools been the same as always. Father arranged a betrothal contract with the Malloy heir for me in October" She Scowled and continued on "and Bella's marrying Rudolphus Lestrange in the spring" Narcisse recited not sounding thrilled for herself or their other sister.
. "You should know" her mother cut in before Andy could reply "That your Grandfather has strictly forbidden any member of the Black family from attacking you, the incident this summer was not received favorably by him. Also he doesn't want your Harry's Ire directed at the Blacks" Druella finished with a small smile "now let's see my Granddaughter, what's her name" Andy felt a warm feeling in her chest her mother and younger sister were the ones she got along with the best in her family, having them here even though she was thrown out of the family meant so much to her.
"Her name is Nymphadora Druella Black" Andy replied Druella gasped and gave Andromeda a watery smile.
For the next hour the newborn was passed around between the three women, and lots of cooing and "Aws" took place. For that hour Andromeda felt like she had her family back. Her mother who always cared for her when she was younger, dried her tears and held her when she was sick or sad and Always had advice on things that she couldn't go to anyone else for.
Then there was Her younger sister who she was very close with until last year. Narcissa always looked up to her and when she was little followed her everywhere.
When they had to leave to return home so their husband/father wouldn't notice their absence Andy felt very sad to see them go, knowing it would be hard to see each other again anytime soon.
/C.o.t.R\
Evans Farm, Durham County, England, 3/5/1971 07:00
Finally a full nights sleep Harry sighed contentedly, this was absolutely incredible! This was the first night Nymmie had slept through the night since they had brought her home she hadn't woke them at two in the morning for a feeding and a diaper change. Aw life is goo...
Harry's thoughts were interrupted by wailing cry from down the hall. chuckling to in his head he gently extricated himself out from under a still sleeping Andromeda. Harry made his way to the nursery and little Nymmie was letting her displeasure be know. Her hair was pitch black which could only mean one thing she needed a diaper change. " good morning Nymmie Harry cooed as he scooped her from the crib and eased her onto the changing table and silently cast "Evanesco" twice one to vanish the soiled diaper and once to clean her bum. He then powdered her and had her in a fresh diaper in under thirty seconds. Scooping her back in his arms he carried her to the kitchen and found a bottle full of breast milk in the icebox. Heatng the bottle to get it warm with his wand, he offered a now much more calm Nymphadora the bottle with she eagerly latched on too. "Harry chuckled at the her, her hair having gone back to a bubble gum pink as she drank her breakfast. while Harry sat at the table holding her bottle to her mouth.
He heard the floorboards creak and Andy came in the kitchen a few seconds later. She smiled at Harry feeding her daughter " Good morning you two, has she been up long?" Andy asked as she put the coffee on and started making breakfast (Porridge by the looks of it) "No she slept through the night!" Harry exclaimed happily a little louder than he meant to, as Nymphadora stopped drinking for a second looked at him then went back to feeding. "Yes I know I haven't slept so long in months" she smiled levitating their breakfast, coffee and utensils to the table. She took Nymmie who had emptied her bottle and carried her to the Basinet in the sitting room and placed her in it. She then levitated the basinet with baby inside into the kitchen setting it down by the table so they could eat their Breakfast. "So are you doing anything important today?" she asked taking another spoonful of porridge. Harry sighed knowing she would not be happy with what he had to tell her " The Goblins sent a missive, I have a new target "Antonin Dolohov" he's been ravaging secluded muggle villages in the Eastern block Countries, they also want me to kill his partner some guy named "Igor Karkoroff" who has been taking liberties with the women in the villages brutally raping and murdering them, the job pays fifty thousand Galleons. Apparently The two attacked a Veela family that was living in a small village in Bulgaria, the family was a first cousin of the wife of the man who place the bounty, Sabastian Delacour"
Andromeda's Nostrils flared, eyes narrowing as she rose spoon clattering into her half fished bowl of porridge standing over him with her hands on her hips. "You mean to tell me after last time coming back here with your back sliced to ribbons you went and excepted a contract to kill the "Balkan Butchers" she asked dangerously.
After news of The Grey back pack being found brutally killed in The Black Forest in mid January by "Witches or Wizards Unknown" made the front page of every paper in Europe. The attacks in the Balkans started making headlines in the papers and they were named the "Balkan Butchers" by journalist across the continent and recently in the Daily Prophet. They hadn't identified who the butchers were and he wasn't counting on Andy picking up on who he was really contracted to kill.
Taking Harry's silence as a yes, she scooped Nymmie up and stormed from the room.
'Well that could have went better Harry sighed, still he was looking forward to killing two more Death Eaters. Though Antonion was a very deadly enemy (Ranking third most powerful in Voldemorts ranks) he had no doubt he was going to enjoy ending the man who hurt so many, who ruined lives, destroyed families and killed for pleasure '
Yes I'm really going to enjoy this' he thought to himself.
Now for a more daunting task appeasing Andromeda, Now that was going to be a challenge.
Harry rose and started preparations for his trip to Bulgaria where according to his map was were the most recent attack occurred three days ago.
'What can I do to ease her ire? Sigh. Bribery didn't work last time, maybe a trip to the alley and some icecream. Nymmie was getting a little big for her onesie's, maybe shopping for clothes for her and the baby will calm her, my treat of course' decision mad he sought out Andy praying she would be receptive to the idea.
Otherwise his bed was going to seem very empty.