Chapter 16
November 1st, 1991
Remus POV
A breeze drifted across the room, passing through a gap in the curtains drawn around my bed, and shifted the dark curls strewn across my bare chest. The girl in my arms, the dark haired love of my life, burrowed closer to me, groaning slightly.
" 'hat time s'it?" she mutter, sighing slightly as I brought the covers up to cover her exposed shoulder. Her brilliant grey eyes flickered open to look up at me for a moment before they fluttered shut again.
"Early love." I whisper back, smiling as the words prompt yet another groan. "Happy Birthday Val." I pressed a kiss to her forehead, bringing her even closer, and enjoying the sharp gasp that escaped her as my fingers brushed against her side. Her eyes popped open with a slight glare.
"Don't. You know I'm ticklish, and it's against the law to bully the birthday girl." She smirked, stretching in my grip before relaxing back into me.
"Oh? I don't think I've heard about that particular rule." I muttered, smiling. "then again, I should refer to you, what with you being my elder and all."
She groaned, slapping at my chest. "Stop saying that, I already feel like a cradle robber. God forbid Sirius hear you, you'll be getting baby shoes for years."
"Hey, maybe one year they'll come in handy." The words escape me before I can stop them, and I freeze, feeling Valkyrie tense up in my arms, a strange look crossing her face.
She looked pensive, and, after several moments, glanced up at me from under furrowed eyebrows. "Have you, you know, thought about it? I mean, us? Having kids?"
Cautiously, I shifted up to lean against my head board, keeping Val close. She shifted into my lap, the blanket sitting around her shoulders, her eyes searching mine for something I couldn't name.
"Yeah, I have. Have you?" I question, watching her carefully.
She hesitated for a moment before whispering in a voice so quiet that even I strained to hear her. "I don't think I'd be a good mum."
"What? What are you talking about Val?" I asked, truly baffled. "You are the kindest, most loving person I've even met, you'd make a fantastic mum."
"Remus," she muttered, tears pooling in her gaze. "the only mother I've ever had tortured and scarred me, and would have forced me into a marriage with a man who would have ended up killing me." I growled softly at the thought, my hands tightening on her hips, and her hands came up to cup my cheeks. "Who's to say I'll be any better?"
"But you would never hurt a child like your mother has."
"No, maybe not, but she thought she was doing the right thing. Her madness is fed by the same stubbornness that runs through me, just like it runs through Sirius, and Reg, and everyone else in our Merlin-forsaken family." Her troubled eyes drifted down to gaze blankly towards my chin. "I could hurt our child without meaning to, just like her."
"Hey." I murmured, ducking my head to meet her eyes. "That would never happen. Ok? I know you, you're too loving to do anything like that."
"But-" she tried.
"And if you seemed close to doing something like it, you know I'll be there to pull you back. Let me be your moral compass when you feel lost. Alright?" I ask, gazing down at her.
A small grin touched her lips. "Alright." She leaned in, and, only a breath away from my lips, the mass of dark curls and sarcasm that we knew as Sirius Black came crashing through my curtains.
"HAPPY BIRTHD- DEAR MERLIN WOMAN WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!" Sirius' excited yells turned into horrified screams at seeing Valkyrie pressed to my chest, and she yelped as he landed on her leg at a strange angle.
"YOU BASTARD GET OUT!" She screeched, kicking out at him as she scrambled off me and snatched at the blanket to cover herself more. Sirius fell to the floor in a heap and a crack echoed through the room, followed swiftly by Sirius' howls of pain, which finally woke Peter and James from the drunken sleep that they had fallen into at some point last night.
Valkyrie's POV
Breakfast was a strained affair, with both Sirius and Remus avoiding my gaze, and James looking far too amused for the early hour. Peter sat next to me, his own gaze darting between the silent members of our party with mirth filled eyes. James shifted slightly in his chair.
"Val..." he drawled slowly, casually reaching for a plate of bacon. "I never knew how many freckles you had on your back." Peter snorted and then, under the heavy glare from both my brother and boyfriend, choked back his laugher by gulping down a glass of pumpkin juice, drops of it splashing down his sweater. I rolled my eyes at the trio, before aiming an innocent grin at James.
"You should see Remus. The poor man is practically dripping in freckles! In fact, he has a few almost in the shape of Orion's Belt, funnily enough its right above his-"
"Juice anyone!" Sirius nearly yelled, slamming a metal pitcher down in front of us and cutting the rest of my sentence off. A beet red Remus looked thankful, and he seized at the chance to change the subject. He poured himself an overflowing cup, and drank it down just as fast, nearly choking in the process.
James opened his mouth to say something, when Remus finally came up for air, focused on something behind me.
"Severus! Thank Merlin you're here, how are you on this fine morning?" Remus sputtered out. I turned to face my bemused friend with a grin.
"Morning Sev." I said, smiling innocently. I ignored the glares that were being shot back and forth between Sev, James, and Sirius in favor of focusing on the package in Severus' hands. "What have you got there?"
He stopped glaring at James long enough to push the package into my hands with a miniscule smile, mutter "Happy Birthday Val.", and promptly turned to stride back to his table. I watched him go for a moment before refocusing on the package. It was hard and square, and, sure enough, when I unwrapped it, I found myself holding a book. Nilrem's Guide to Wandless Magic was splayed across the front in swirling gold lettering, and I suppressed a smile as Sirius leaned in to look at it over my shoulder.
"Nilrem?" he questioned, looking puzzled. "Who on earth is that?" I nudged him away, opening the book to skim quickly over the pages.
"It's just Merlin spelt backwards you dolt." I replied, already semi absorbed in the material. "It's just the author trying to be witty." I dodged away from Sirius as he tried to grab the book, rising to my feet. "I'm going to find Lils," I sniffed in a faux haughty voice. "at least she has an appreciation for literature, unlike you miscreants." I stalked off, laughing internally at the mock outrage erupting behind me, and slipping out into the corridor.
I let my feet carry me towards Gryffindor tower, head still stuck in the book Sev had gifted me, when I was brought to a sudden halt by the appearance of my youngest brother. I glanced up at him, surprised to see him alone for once, and not surrounded by his usual gaggle of future Death Eaters. My eyebrows raised involuntarily as Regulus pushed a lumpy package into my hands.
"Thought you'd might like it back." He muttered, turning swiftly and marching back down the hall almost before he could get the words out. I glanced down at the package, noticing a card sticking out of it. Seventh floor, left corridor. Entrance opposite the tapestry with Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls ballet. Walk past it three times thinking about what you need. Happy Birthday. Was printed across the white of the paper, and I frowned in confusion at what exactly Regulus had given me.
Nevertheless, I made my way to the seventh floor, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of a trap or an ambush, but finding none. I found myself staring up at the ridiculous tapestry mentioned in the note, and at a loss for what to do.
Taking my cues from the note, I walked back and forth in front of it, thoughts drifting towards the horrid motto that now scarred the back of my hand. Out of the corner, something shifted, and I whipped towards it, only to be met with a newly formed wall. Glancing around, I made my way over, cautiously, before placing my hand on the doorknob and turning.
Sometime later, I found myself marching back into the Gryffindor common room. My twin had spread himself across an overstuffed chair and he was listening intently to a story that Peter was telling, James and Remus both half listening as they quietly worked on the map. Sirius' eyes darted to mine as I sped over to the group.
"Sirius, ya lazy git, get up we're getting tattoos."