Female!Remus
This is Our Moment
Remus clutched the pen in her hand as she considered what to write in her letter. She hadn't seen Reggie in six months. She was very concerned about him. Over those six months, her life had quickly tipped upside-down and she found herself with no-one to turn to and no friends to help her.
She was in a small, cold and damp hostel and very much alone.
Sighing, Remus grabbed the sheet of paper with Reggie's name on it and crumpled it up. She licked her dry lips as she reached for the slip of paper with an address—no name—on it. The address she had been planning on sending the letter to.
The address Reggie had given her in case of an emergency.
A crazy thought popped into her head. If she sent a letter, it might not reach Regulus. However, if she turned up, she would know that he'd gotten the message. Even if he sent her away after hearing the news, at least he'd be aware that he was going to be a father.
Remus grabbed her purse, checking the money in it, wondering at the cost of getting a train to London. Without giving herself a second to think about it, she grabbed a jumper and a book from the pile of library books, and slipped it into her bag before leaving.
Maybe she could get a last-minute ticket on the cheap?
...oOo...
The tickets weren't cheap, but Remus was sure she had enough left over when paying, for the necessities. She caught the first train, knowing that if she stopped to think about it, she'd quickly change her mind.
The journey was long and she hadn't thought to check the weather in London, only checking the teletext for North Wales. During the stop-over in Birmingham, Remus considered transfiguring her jumper into a jacket.
She quickly changed her mind. The baby was causing her magic to go haywire, and she didn't want to risk something crazy happening that would potentially cause people to pay attention to her, or to cause her to miss her train.
Remus hated when people paid attention to her. The amount of disapproving looks the old ladies gave her was astonishing.
Finally the train pulled into London and Remus headed out of the station to start looking.
...oOo...
James pushed his hand through his already unruly hair as he headed to the front door, wearing only his pyjama bottoms. He hadn't been expecting anyone who would knock, and he hoped it wasn't someone attempting to lecture him on religion.
Last time, he had been at the door for almost an hour before Sirius walked in, told the people to get lost, and proceeded to sob about the latest relationship-gone-wrong.
The sobbing had scared them off more than anything.
What James hadn't expected was to find a girl at the door, her arms folded protectively in front of her.
"Can I help you?" he asked politely.
"I'm… I'm looking for someone," she began, amber eyes meeting his.
James' eyes travelled down to her stomach. "Sirius'?" he guessed, grimacing. After all the talks Pops had given, and Sirius had to knock a witch up.
"I'm not… familiar with that name," she mumbled. "Reggie? He gave me this as an emergency address. Is he here?"
James hesitated. Sirius would loathe to get involved in Regulus' messes, but James wasn't going to leave a pregnant girl out in the cold. Especially one without a coat. "Yeah, I know Reg. I live with his brother. Do you want to come in?"
The girl walked in greatfully and James shut the door behind her. "Reg doesn't live here," he stated. "He's… well, not on speaking terms with his brother. If he's given you this address, you must be someone important?"
"Not particularly," the girl whispered, looking around, shivering still.
James frowned. "Let me just turn the heating up. Take a seat on the sofa. Would you like some tea?"
"If you don't mind. Two sugars and milk."
James nodded, leaving the room before withdrawing his wand and warming the place up. He headed to the kitchen where a sleepy Sirius was slumped over the table.
"Kettle's on," he mumbled. "Who was at the door?"
"We have a situation. Reg's girlfriend is on our sofa."
"What?" Sirius quickly woke up and was on his feet immediately. He missed the jealousy in James' voice as he rushed past him and to the living room.
"I'm sorry, but Regulus and I aren't on good terms, so I'm not sure why he gave this address, but we can't help you…" Sirius trailed off, his eyes taking in the girl who had jumped up at his abrupt entrance. She was the same height as him with captivating amber eyes and thin lips that somehow drew Sirius' attention. Her hair was short and dark-blonde, falling messily around her ears. She wore leggings and a dress that was slightly too small for her stomach.
"I'm very sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," she replied, tearing her gaze away and rushing towards the front door as she pulled her jumper back over her head. "Just tell Regulus to contact Remus. Tell him it's urgent. I shouldn't have come, I'm so sorry, I'm—"
"Pregnant," Sirius blurted out, rushing forward to grab her arm. "I'm sorry, wait… Remus, did you say? Please stop. You said something is urgent. Is something wrong with… with the baby?"
She halted and Sirius quickly moved around her. "Remus?"
"And you're Sirius? You're Reggie's brother? I didn't mean to cause any problems, I just hoped someone here could help me find him."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I was being rude. Sit down. Would you like anything?"
"I think your boyfriend mentioned a cup of tea?"
"My boyfriend?" Sirius' mouth opened in disgust. "You are joking, right? I mean, I've snogged a few blokes in my time, but Jamie is not my type!"
"Oi, I'm a catch," James huffed, dropping the spoon and moving into the hallway, his arms folded.
"If you could just call Regulus and let him know I'm here. I only have three hours until my train and I was hoping to give him the news. I'd prefer you not tell him about the baby until he comes over."
"Wait, he doesn't know you're pregnant?" Sirius blurted out. "How long has he been gone?"
"Six months. I'm eight months pregnant, though I wasn't sure about it last time I saw him."
"Look, I'll make a couple of calls," Sirius assured her. "Go and sit with James in the kitchen."
She smiled at him gratefully and he felt a fluttering in his stomach. He had told himself he'd never contact his parents again, but there was something about Remus that had him locking the door, heading to the fireplace, and making the first firecall to Grimmauld Place.
...oOo...
"Mother said that Regulus has been missing for five months."
"Fuck. Do you think that…" James asked, leaving Remus wondering what wasn't being said.
"No. Mother and Father said that it looks like he's still around, but he hasn't been home for so long. I didn't tell them about Remus of course."
"Shouldn't they know? It's their grandchild, and—"
"Trust me, you don't want them to know," Sirius replied. "Can you leave an address and… and we'll sort something out? I mean, we can come and see you and check on you and the baby? When are you due?"
"Next month," Remus replied.
Sirius nodded. "The second I hear from my brother, I'll write to you or I'll send him down, I promise. I'll get my friends to start asking around."
She smiled sadly. "Thank you. I'm sorry again for having caused all of this."
She scribbled her address on the paper provided and stood up. "It was nice to meet you both." She smiled at the pair before getting up and heading to the door.
Feeling the blast of cold as the door opened, Sirius grabbed an old jacket hanging behind the door. "Remus, keep warm," he said, handing it to her. "If you need anything at all, let me know. Hold on, let me give you our phone number."
"Thank you."
After taking the slip of paper with the number, Remus left and Sirius could only watch her walk away. The strange sensation filled him once more, coupled with jealousy. Remus was beautiful and was carrying Regulus' baby, and for the first time, he envied his brother. Regulus had never cared for having his own family, yet there was a part of Sirius that couldn't wait to settle down and be a father.
It wasn't until that night did Sirius look at the slip of paper on the table. "James, what's a hostel?"
...oOo...
Remus woke at six the next morning to a pounding on her door. She grabbed a baseball bat she had spent good money on, and shifted closer to the door. Her wand was tucked into the waistband of her pyjamas and hidden by her top.
"It won't unlock," she heard someone mutter. She wished she could use magic to lock the door, but the pregnancy had her magic on the blink. She moved closer, pressing her ear against the door and listening.
"Sirius, what if she didn't get back yet? What if she's sleeping?"
Sirius?
Remus moved over to the door, unlocked it, and opened it carefully, baseball bat at the ready.
On the other side stood Sirius and James.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. Sirius stared at her with wide eyes, so she turned her gaze to James.
"Your address had the name of a hostel on it," James replied. "We couldn't just leave you here."
"Well, you wouldn't be the first," she muttered. "I'm fine here. I have everything I need."
"Do you?" James asked, looking past her. Remus pulled the door closed, not allowing them to see in.
"Yes. Thank you for visiting, but I'm fine."
"How about a cup of tea?" James pushed. "Or the toilet, come to think of it, we've been on the train for hours."
"Did you get the overnight train?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's right," James replied smoothly, even though they had apparated. Though they couldn't tell Remus that. "It's been a long journey and we realised we didn't have your phone number. Can we come in?"
They pushed past her into the room before Remus could even try to stop them.
...oOo...
Remus set down the two cups of tea at the table in front of James and Sirius before pouring a glass of water for herself and taking the other seat. The milk left could only stretch for two cups; she'd have to get some more in the shops.
"You can't stay here," Sirius finally said. "We saw a condom on the floor of the stairwell. It was all used and had… stuff and…" he shivered. "Someone was passed out on the stairs. I could smell sick."
Remus shrugged. "Well, I can't go home. My father gave me the ultimatum. If I wanted to stay, I had to get rid of the baby. I couldn't even consider it. I have this place, and it's not brilliant, but it's somewhere to live and for that I should be grateful."
Sirius frowned. "Pack your stuff, you can't have the baby here. You might get stabbed or… someone might give you drugs or something?! James, tell her! We smelt drugs on the way in! Weeds!"
"He's right," James said, a matching expression on his face. "That's Regulus' baby in there…" he stared at her stomach in wonder, his fingers twitching as though he wanted to touch the bump. "Maybe you feel safe here, but think about the baby too. You're family now, Remus. We look after family."
She looked between the pair, seeing the honesty in their eyes. It had been a long time since anyone showed her kindness and she felt tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry but you can't just offer me a room," she began. "You don't know anything about me. I could be crazy, or a monster…" she bit her lip. "What if I was—"
"Doesn't matter, you've got my niece or nephew in there," Sirius replied softly. "You're coming to stay with us. You're family now, Remus. It's a month before you're having a baby and you've just admitted that you haven't got anyone. Well, now you have us. We have a spare room for you to move into, and we can help!"
Remus swallowed. People rarely went out of their way to help her these days, and Reggie's brother was offering her somewhere to live. Someone actually cared.
"We're not leaving without you," James insisted. "Plus, if Reg doesn't find you here, he'll assume you've come to the house, right?"
"I suppose," she began.
"Great! Now that's sorted, let's get you packed and ready to go. Do we need a van?"
"I don't own much of this stuff," she admitted, accepting defeat as she walked over to the bed in the corner, pulling a suitcase from underneath it.
Sirius stared at the belongings. Two suitcases of things and a large shoulderbag. She clutched a whimsical, musical clock against her chest, looking completely lost.
This was everything Remus owned, and Regulus, heir to the Black family—Reggie—left her like this. He felt angry at his brother—even though he knew that Regulus wasn't aware of the baby—for allowing her to end up in a dirty little hostel, even if her accommodation was clean and tidy.
Remus headed into the bathroom to grab her things from there, and Sirius turned to James.
"Well, this is a nice change of scenery."
"It's a prison cell," James replied, looking around.
"I was being sarcastic," Sirius snapped. "It's awful. I'm glad we decided to let her stay."
Sirius had informed James the previous night that if it wasn't nice, they would bring her home with them.
After all, she was carrying his family, and it appeared as though she was a Muggle girl, therefore would be in danger if someone other than him found her. Remus would be safer with him than without.
Sirius continued to rationalise why he was helping Remus out. It certainly wasn't because of the strange attraction he had, or the fact that he had spent the night thinking about her amber eyes rather than sleeping.
He told himself it was just because she needed help.
That was all.
...oOo...
Sirius dropped into the seat facing James at the dining table. Remus had gone into Peter's old room to unpack and take a nap, claiming to be exhausted. Sirius just nodded, not knowing enough about pregnant women to comment.
"Sirius, if this is going to work, you're going to have to take a step back from this," James began.
"I'm not sure I understand," Sirius replied, frowning at his best friend.
"I just mean that you've gotten very attached to a girl you barely know; a girl that was with your brother. We don't know how serious their relationship was, and you're looking at her like… like—"
"Like you used to look at Regulus," Sirius finished, raising his eyebrows. "I admit that I'm very attached, but it's only because she has my family in her stomach. Remus just seems like a good person, and look at where her life was. She was in a hostel and had no-one. That could have been me if I didn't know you… though without the pregnancy."
"As long as you remember who she is," James replied. "You offered to take time off work to help her settle."
"Just one day, and that was so she could register at the doctor's."
James shook his head. "I just don't want you to get hurt if she's hung up on Regulus, and you start pining away for her."
"I know what I'm doing," Sirius insisted. "I'm doing what my brother should be."
"Maybe we could call Evans or Alice and see if they'll come and keep Remus company whilst we're at work?"
Sirius nodded. "Great idea. How about we get a takeaway or something to celebrate tonight, and I'll show Remus around tomorrow and go back into work the next day?"
James rolled his eyes. "Can you get the time off?"
"I'll explain. I'll pop to St. Mungo's in the morning and tell them the situation. I'm sure they'll give me a day off. I do a lot of extra hours, after all."
...oOo...
Remus pulled her potions from her bag, took her daily dose and tried to stop herself from being sick. They were the most disgusting things she had ever taken, but necessary. The healer had told her that it would be hard to keep the baby safe during the transformations, but the potions would help.
And since she had made it to eight months, the potions were clearly doing their job.
She spent a few minutes sitting on the end of the bed, attempting to find the energy to move; finally the sickness wore away and she rose, heading to one of the suitcases. She began to hang everything in the empty wardrobe before stacking the books onto the desk, not wanting to lean over to put them in the low bookcase.
Finally finished, Remus lay down on the comfortable bed, sighing at the softness of it. It didn't take long to fall asleep.
When she awoke, hours later, Remus noticed it was starting to get dark outside. A knock on her bedroom door made her jump, and she realised that it must have been what woke her up.
She rose from the bed, tucking her wand under the pillow before opening the door, squinting at the bright lights of the hall.
"I'm sorry for waking you, but we were about to order some food and I wanted to see if you liked Chinese or would prefer fish and chips?"
"Oh." She turned around, reaching for her purse on the side, but Sirius shook his head. "Our treat for dragging you from your old life and into ours," he insisted. "Look, you don't have much money, and we're not exactly broke. Let me help you until you have a source of income again, yeah?"
"I do claim benefits," Remus assured him. "Ever since I lost my job at the bookshop. Poor health. I'll let them know tomorrow that I've moved, but I'd like to pay for my own things."
"Just let me sort tonight. What do you want?"
She hesitated. "I'll have what you guys are having."
"Well, I'm having fish and chips, but James wants noodles. So we're going to both. If you'd rather something else, there's a pizza place on the way, and if we walk further down the highstreet, there's a Kentucky Fried Chicken."
"No, don't go out of your way. I'll have fish and chips too," Remus replied with a smile. "Heavy on the vinegar."
...oOo...
Two days later, Remus found herself alone in the flat. She let herself out and decided to run some errands and get them out of the way. She knew the doctors would refer her to St. Thomas' hospital, but she'd have to go to the Ministry herself to find out if there was someone with magic who would be willing to assist in a home birth.
She was given a name: Molly Weasley.
The man in the Werewolf Support Services smiled warmly at her, knowing her because of her father. He informed her that Molly's husband, Arthur, worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office and that she should go and see him.
Remus nodded and headed through the Ministry, into the lift, to find Arthur Weasley.
...oOo...
"Hello, would it be possible to see Arthur Weasley please?"
The older man smiled warmly at her, his eyes on her stomach. "Need pregnancy advice?" he asked, his voice croaky. "Well, no man knows more about pregnant women than Arthur here."
"That's not true," a redheaded man replied meekly as he walked into the room. He turned his attention to Remus and smiled widely. "Lovely to meet you… er, do we have an appointment?"
"Oh, we don't," Remus replied. "I was just sent up here actually. I was hoping to meet with your wife."
"Say no more," Arthur insisted. "Come into my office." He gestured to the room he had walked out of, and Remus stepped inside, her eyes widening at the various objects lining the wall of the tiny room.
"Is that a television?" she asked, looking at the small box on the floor.
"Indeed it is. Muggles were just throwing it out! Can you imagine? It's still good, it has all its wires and screws. I'm sure I'll get it to work one day," Arthur insisted. "Sit down and tell me what you need from Molly. I'll make sure to pass the message on."
"Well," she hesitated. "I have a… condition that prevents me from going to St. Mungo's, and I'm in need of someone with medical knowledge and able to assist in a home birth."
"Ah." He nodded knowingly. "Lycanthropy?" He ignored the panicked look. "She's had a few Lycanthropes asking for assistance, so I know she'll be happy to help out. If I take your address, I can get her to floo over to you?"
"I'm living with Muggles," Remus replied, relieved that Arthur hadn't freaked out at her condition. "The father has gone missing, so I'm staying with his brother and his brother's friend. I've only been there a few days now, and they don't know anything."
Arthur nodded his head slowly. "It's the full moon in three days, so once that's over, I can get Molly to meet with you here. Maybe you could take her into Muggle London for a… latte in a week's time?" He looked delighted at his suggestion.
"That would be wonderful, thank you! I could get here around nine, or is that too early?"
"Perfect! Well, I better get back to work." He gestured to the charmed Muggle items on his desk.
"Thank you Mr Weasley," Remus said, slipping from the office.
...oOo...
"Right, I'm going to turn in. Early start tomorrow," James said. "Goodnight guys."
"Goodnight," the pair replied before turning their attention back to the television. It was only a few minutes before Remus took a deep breath, preparing herself to ask the question. She listened to Sirius sing along with the introduction to a television show, before speaking up.
"James is in love with Regulus, isn't he?"
"What, why would—"
"He's fascinated over the fact that I'm carrying Regulus' baby," Remus interrupted. "He's been like that since the moment he answered the door. James gets this… this look in his eyes at the mention of your brother. If he's trying to hide it, well, he's not doing a very good job."
"James has always worn his heart on his sleeve," Sirius muttered. "But he gets that you and Regulus were… are together and—"
"We're not together." She sat up, turning and propping her knee on the sofa in her attempts to face Sirius. "It wasn't like that for us."
"Oh, so you and Reg aren't…"
She snorted. "We were friends. I can tell you how we met, if it helps?"
"It would."
"Well, it started about a year ago," she began. "I had just started working for a bookshop in town and your brother came in, looking for a book. We just started talking about books and got to know each other that way. It was never romantic for us. We started hanging out, having lunch together when I was on breaks, and he'd tell me little bits about his homelife—how he made mistakes and screwed stuff up—and I'd talk about mine. He was so lonely and I've lived quite an isolated life, he was the first person I remember having as a friend." Remus sighed at the memory. "I think the need to feel loved was what caused us to end up together in bed. We both knew what it was: two friends that cared deeply for each other and needed…. Just needed each other in that way. There was nothing romantic, neither of us were in love. We both knew where we stood."
"But no feelings developed?" Sirius checked.
Remus shook her head. "None at all. We have a bond and a child, but nothing romantic. I came here to tell him he's going to be a father, not to win him over or force him to be with me. I don't want that type of relationship with him."
"Good!" Sirius blurted out. Remus frowned slightly. "Not good that you… I mean, I think you and my brother aren't the best match."
"Oh? Aren't I good enough?" she asked, slightly miffed at his response.
"Of course you are. Too good," Sirius added, reaching for her hand. "Remus, you're amazing, and…"
"And?" she pushed, eyes widening as she looked at their joined hands.
"And I think… I'm going to go to bed now." Sirius quickly dropped her hand and raced from the room. He told himself he couldn't act on his attraction. Remus may not be involved with Regulus, or have feelings for him…
But Remus was still heavily pregnant with his brother's child. There was a time and place for making some sort of move, and this was not it!
...oOo...
"I'm going to head back to Wales tonight," Remus said, the next morning, twisting her hands together.
"What? You're not leaving?" Sirius asked, jumping up and successfully knocking his hot tea over, the liquid spilling off the table and onto James, who shrieked. Sirius ignored him, rushing over to Remus. "Was this because of last night? Did I overstep a line? I stopped myself because you're pregnant and it would be wrong for me to make a move, and—"
"Wait, what?" Remus asked, confused. "You were going to make a move?"
Sirius paused at the hopeful tone of voice. "You wanted me to?"
"I… uh, I don't… I mean, I should go."
"Wait, don't go. We like having you here, don't we?"
James glared at Sirius as he dabbed at his lap with a cloth. "Remus, whatever Sirius pulled last night, I'll make sure he doesn't touch you again!"
"Boy...that escalated quickly," Remus laughed. "No… I was just hoping to see my mum. I called her yesterday and… my gran isn't well, so I…" Remus trailed off, hating that she had to lie to the two men that were kind enough to take her in.
"Oh." Sirius bit his lip in thought. "So this isn't about last night?"
Remus couldn't help but grin as she pushed her hair from her amber eyes. "It's not, but let's revisit this conversation when I'm back?"
"Sure. I'll walk you to the station?"
Remus shook her head. "Don't worry, I know the way." She leaned in, placing a kiss on Sirius' cheek, before heading over to James and giving him a hug. "I'll see you both tomorrow."
...oOo...
Remus woke up in the cell, her body aching. She had to admit that the recent transformations weren't as bad as before. She suspected that the wolf inside her was being careful because of the life her body carried. She pushed herself carefully up from the ground, her legs shaking, as she checked herself. No broken bones, no dislocations and no heavily bleeding wounds.
She smiled.
There was a tap on the door. "Awake?"
"Yes," she replied. A hatch opened and her bundle of clothes and wand were pushed through. She spread her legs, awkwardly scooping the stuff from the floor, before straightening. Her back ached, but she tried to ignore the pain as she pulled the clean clothes on.
It was another fifteen minutes until the locks were all released, and Remus waddled from the room, tiredly thanking the Auror who held the door open for her.
"Is it safe to transform when pregnant?" the man asked, glancing at her stomach in concern.
"Don't you worry, I've potions to help keep the baby stable," Remus replied tiredly.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have a check-up."
Remus snorted. "That's a nice offer, but Werewolves don't usually get check-ups. No-one cares enough to—"
"My fiance checks over any Werewolves that are injured in here, who can't heal themselves," the man replied. "Sit tight and I'll get her to give you a quick checkover before you leave."
Remus searched the man's face for any deceit, but found none. She hesitantly nodded, taking a seat nearby and watching the man walk around the cells, looking in each one. "Just you today," he said, finally turning around. "Are you okay to walk?"
Remus nodded her head. "Thank you, This won't be too much trouble?"
"It won't." He glanced at her stomach again. "You've not been here before?"
"I transformed in my parents' basement before now," Remus said. "But things changed and I'm living somewhere else now. So this was the only place left."
"It's not as bad here as it used to be. I guess it depends on what Aurors end up down here. There are some that aren't all that nice, but the boss usually sends the more sympathetic of us for the full-moons now."
He pushed a door open and Remus spotted a small blonde woman. "Come in, sit down," the woman said. "I'm Alice. You're… wow, you're far along. Hurt? Broken bones?"
Remus could only stare at the enthusiastic witch.
"Wow, that was rude. I wasn't implying that you were large, just that… how can I help you?"
"Well, the Auror suggested I get looked over, just to be on the safe side," Remus replied, walking over to the small bed set up in the corner.
"Of course." Alice said with a grin. "My fiance, Frank. He's so adorable, right?!" Remus wasn't sure if the question was rhetorical, but thankfully Alice didn't leave her long enough to form an answer before talking again. "So… a few details that'll help me when checking you over. Baby's health before the transformation? Boy or girl?"
"The baby was fine before," Remus replied. "And I'm not finding out. I was waiting until the father was with me, but he's… he's gone missing."
Alice clicked her tongue. "What is wrong with men these days," she muttered. "Not taking responsibility for their actions."
"Well, he never found out about the baby. He's actually missing. However, I am now living with his brother…"
Alice''s eyes lit up and the wand halted over Remus' stomach. "Is his brother cute?"
Remus couldn't help but find the witch's enthusiasm infectious. "He is," Remus admitted, blushing slightly.
"Drama," Alice whispered. "I love drama. Tell me the gossip!"
Remus hesitated, usually a very private person, but the thought of having someone—even a stranger— to vent to was tempting.
"Me and the baby's father were just friends, and… no romantic feelings."
"Friends with benefits. Continue!"
"Well, he disappeared and I found out a few days later I was pregnant. He had given me an address in case of emergency, and I went there and it turns out it was his brother's address. The brother and friend invited me to move in with them. Well, they didn't really give me a choice. They turned up at the place I was staying and refused to leave without me."
"And the brother?"
"Utterly gorgeous. The second I laid eyes on him, I swear I fell in love. It could just be hormones though."
"And… have you snogged him yet?"
Remus snorted as she attempted not to laugh. "No, but since he's a Muggle, I had to lie about where I was going and when I said back to Wales, he thought I was actually leaving for good and panicked and it sounded like… like he actually wanted me." Remus knew her confusion was clear in her voice, even though she had tried to hide it.
"Of course he does, you're really pretty," Alice said, leaning back. "Your check-up is done. I'd suggest fixing your diet and getting some more vegetables, but apart from that, you and your baby are both healthy."
Remus grinned.
"So… you packed up your whole life to move to London to live with some Muggle blokes? What do your family think about this?" Alice asked softly.
"They kicked me out when I was pregnant," Remus replied. "I don't have friends because of my condition."
"Well, take my floo details and if you ever want a girl's night, get in touch. I usually work at St. Mungo's, but I'm here after every full moon."
She scribbled her details down onto a bit of paper. "Or owl me or something. I want to hear how it goes with you and your sexy Muggle!"
"I will," Remus promised, clutching the paper and smiling.
Frank led her from the room, leaving her at the empty lockers, bidding her goodbye and wishing her luck, and Remus opened the last closed locker to find her stuff.
She made her way into the nearest toilet, straight to the sink. Opening her bag, she pulled out her toothbrush and toothpaste and began to clean herself up, ready for the day ahead.
...oOo...
"Do you think she's okay?" Sirius asked, hovering by the living room door. "Should I go and check on her?"
"Remus said that the journey took a lot out of her. You saw her, she looked exhausted," James replied. "We've got the order meeting soon, there's no point in waking her."
Sirius hesitated. "Fine," he muttered. "But if she's upset that I'm not here when she wakes up, I'll blame you!"
James shook his head. "Calm down. There's leftover pizza for her, and we'll just leave a note saying we went to the pub or something? I can't think of anything else to explain both of us going out at the same time."
The Order meeting had nothing too important, except the mention of Regulus' disappearance. James did get a chance to talk to Lily Evans about the pregnant Muggle girl they had taken in, though had forgone the name of the father. By the suspicious looks Lily was throwing his way, Sirius got the impression that Lily was convinced that he had gotten a girl pregnant.
He didn't correct her.
After Lily had agreed to coming over, Sirius pulled James aside, as a thought struck him.
"Remus could go into labour at any time and have the baby," he hissed.
"Yeah… I'm sure she's not in labour now, you're just worrying over—"
"No, I mean… the tapestry."
James paled. "Shit. What are you going to do?"
Sirius sighed. "We're going to have to sneak in there and change it, aren't we?"
...oOo...
Of course they'd get caught, Sirius thought as he stared at his stern father and the house-elf.
"Is this to do with the newest line on the tapestry?" Orion asked, looking between them.
Sirius glanced at the tapestry, the line curling and twisting under Regulus' name. "Perhaps."
"And the line isn't the right colour," Orion continued. "This has something to do with your call the other day."
"Father, it's not—"
"A Muggle or someone of a lower blood status," Orion murmured. "Regulus can't—"
"He's not in love with her, he just got her pregnant before disappearing. Father, this will be your grandchild, you can't let mother know. She'll… who knows what she'll do."
Orion watched his son, a mask settling over his face.
"I want to change the tapestry. I need to confuse it so it thinks the child is mine. The line won't appear if it's mine, and mother won't care. I know you worry that this baby will sully Regulus' name, but put that on me instead. Regulus' name would remain intact, and no-one will get hurt. Not the baby, not the mother."
Orion sighed. "Very well. But the only person to change the tapestry is me." With a flick of his wand, Sirius' picture returned, the line shimmering out of existence for a moment, until appearing under Sirius' name. The pictured faded once more behind the scorched mark caused by Walburga.
"We won't speak of this again," Orion stated, his eyes falling on the house-elf who had been watching. "That's an order, Kreacher. You won't tell anyone about this, or even hint or suggest that Regulus has bore a child, or that the tapestry has been amended. You won't tell anyone of any of the events of this evening." He turned back to Sirius and James. "I suggest you leave before your mother finds out you were here."
"Thank you Father," Sirius said softly.
Orion managed a slight smile. "Next time, an owl would suffice."
...oOo...
"So… you said we could talk about our… talk?" Sirius knew he sounded awkward, but he didn't care. It had been over a week and Remus hadn't mentioned it at all.
"Oh?" Remus glanced up from her book. "Of course." She bit her lips as she set it aside, turning to face Sirius. "Do you fancy me?"
He nodded, wanting to tell her that it was more than that. That since he first looked into her eyes, he was lost to her. He held back the words. "I really like you, Remus. I… I'd like to take you out on dates and kiss you and stuff."
Remus blushed. "Well, I feel the same."
"Great." Sirius couldn't help the grin that stretched across his face. "Perfect!"
"Great," Remus repeated, mirroring the smile. "So…"
"Yeah, I'm… I want to… can I kiss you?"
"Are you asking me?" Remus snorted.
"Of course not. I mean, I'm going to kiss you now, if that's okay, because—"
He was cut off by Remus' lips pressing gently against his. Sirius could feel his heart racing as his eyes closed and he savoured the feel of her lips.
Too soon, she pulled away. "There, wasn't so hard, was it?"
Sirius whimpered slightly. The kiss wasn't too hard, but something else was.
"Goodnight Sirius," she murmured, grabbing her book and standing up. She leaned in to kiss him once more before heading to her bedroom.
Sirius watched her leave, unable to even consider denying his feelings. He was head over heels in love with a girl his brother had knocked up.
And any wizarding family tree that contained his name would show that he was the father of the baby.
...oOo...
Albus Dumbledore cleared his throat, drawing attention to everyone for the meeting. Sirius was on edge, paranoid that Remus would choose that evening to go into labour, whilst he wasn't there.
"The raid last night was unsuccessful due to our team being there," Dumbledore began solemnly. "Though Benji Fenwick is hurt and will be spending a bit of time recovering. Also, Werewolves that have integrated into our society are disappearing one by one. I suspect that Death Eaters are rounding them up and convincing them to join the Death Eaters."
He looked around the room once more.
"A friend of mine has been in touch. His daughter is missing, but he's certain she wouldn't have joined the Death Eaters. Right now, we have no reason to suspect their involvement, though the concern is the missing girl."
"But should we be concerned? If she's a Werewolf, she'll most likely join You-Know-Who given the chance," Someone shouted, causing Alice to spin around. "I have a friend who is a werewolf and she's lovely," Alice snapped.
"And our sister is helping a pregnant werewolf," Gideon added.
"Pregnant?" Alice asked, turning to the twins. "Maybe it's the same girl I met at the full-moon? She was staying in the holding cells at the Ministry for the full-moon."
"Unusual name," Fabian added. "Rem… Remmy?"
"Remus," Gideon corrected him.
"That's her!" Alice cried, grinning at them.
"And it seems we've found our missing girl," Albus stated, smiling. "If you could just…"
"Wait, hold on. You're telling me that the pregnant Muggle girl that appeared on my doorstep is a werewolf and a witch?" Sirius demanded loudly.
"You're the brother," Alice squealed. "The plot thickens!"
Albus looked between the small group. "The meeting is over. Can the six of you involved stay behind please?"
...oOo...
"Three weeks ago, she turned up, looking for Regulus. He got her pregnant and then disappeared. He left our address in case of an emergency. Remus told me they met at her work. She kept calling him Reggie."
Albus turned to Molly, who had turned up after being summoned by the twins. "She told me she was living with Muggles and that she was scared of them finding out the truth."
"But she lied to us," James stated.
"If she told you, she'd be breaking the law," Alice said. "If you never told her you were both wizards, how would she know? She's lied just as much as the both of you have."
They looked towards Dumbledore for an answer, and he contemplated for a moment.
"I believe what's happened is Regulus was sent to find the Werewolves and bring them to his Lord," he began. "Instead, he became attached to Remus and formed a bond or friendship with her. He left her your details in case any other Death Eaters turned up, knowing you'd keep her safe. I suspect he knew she was a witch, so didn't outright tell her he was a Wizard. Therefore she thought him to be a Muggle and a friend, whilst he gained her trust."
Sirius sighed and nodded. "So, what do we—" he was cut off by an alarm.
"What's that?" Fabian asked.
"She's going into labour. My baby… uh, Regulus' baby is coming." He rushed from the room, the others all following.
Alice and Frank Disapparated behind James and Sirius, with Molly quickly heading home for her supplies first.
...oOo...
Remus paced the hallway, her body hurting as the contractions hit. She had tried and failed to send a patronus to Molly, her magic on the blink once more.
The sound of the door smashing open relieved her, knowing that she wasn't alone anymore. Arms held her. "Remus, are you alright?"
"I can't get a hold of my… midwife!"
"Don't worry, she'll be here. We've brought Alice along. She'll help until Molly gets here."
Remus clung to Sirius as he led the way to the sitting room. "Do you want something to help the pain?"
"I don't understand. How do you know Alice and Molly?"
"Remus, tonight, I wasn't out drinking with James. I was at an Order meeting. I'm not a Muggle. I found out tonight that you're not a Muggle either. We've both been keeping secrets because of stupid laws."
"Not stupid, imagine if Muggles knew—" she panted loudly, trying to get in control of the pain.
"Right, not stupid. I know you're a witch and you have Lycanthropy. I'm a wizard, so is James. But that won't change anything."
"Can we do this when I'm in the comfortable water?" she begged.
"Oh. Right." Sirius led her over to the birthing pool where Molly and Alice were. Molly started pulling at her clothes, and James and Frank quickly left the room.
"Do you want me to stay?" Sirius whispered.
"Do you want to stay?"
"Do you know what I did last week?" Sirius asked. "I snuck into a house I swore I'd never enter again, because I was scared. The tapestry would show Regulus having a child and it'd put yours and the baby's safety at risk. My father changed it. Anyone who has me on their tapestry is going to see me become a father tonight. That's what I want. I want you and I want this baby and I want to be here when… when it…" he gestured to her lower body as Molly pulled a charmed top over her head, offering her some modesty.
She snorted, amused. "You have such a way with words. I'd like you to stay. If your brother comes back, we'll tell him the truth, but… if you want to raise the baby with me, I can't say no to that, or say no to being with you."
Sirius helped her into the water, before kneeling on the floor next to the birthing pool. He took her hand. "Is this a good time to tell you I love you?"
"Perfect timing," she replied, closing her eyes as the pain returned. "I love you too."
...oOo...
Two hours later, Sirius walked from the room, a small bundle in his arms. Frank and James were sitting around the dining table, and they jumped up at the sight of him.
"Guys, I have a son!"
James slapped him carefully on the back, leaning over to take a look at the baby. "He does look like you at least," he said.
"Of course he does," Sirius replied, snorting. "He's so tiny. I have to get him back to Remus now, she'll probably wonder where I've taken him."
He turned around, heading to the living room where the birthing pool was nowhere to be seen, and Remus was half-conscious on the sofa, sweat-soaked hair stuck to her face. She smiled at the sight of Sirius and held her arms out. Sirius passed the baby over.
"So, we should get married," he blurted out. "You know, our boy should have married parents."
"A poor excuse," Remus replied, trying not to smile.
"Well, marry me because we're in love?"
"Why not?" she replied with a grin. "I suppose I'm not going to get a better offer than that!"
Sirius laughed, leaning up to kiss her cheek, before peering down at the baby. "So, what are you going to call him?"
"I think a star name would be nice, just in keeping tradition. I was thinking Regulus as a middle name…" she looked at Sirius hopefully.
"I like… Eridanus," Sirius offered. "Eridanus Regulus Black?"
Remus nodded, looking at the red-faced baby with a tuft of black hair on his head. "I like it too. Eridanus it is."
...oOo...
James stood in the corner, holding his Godson who was staring up at him curiously, as Remus and Sirius danced their first dance as a married couple. He couldn't help but be happy for them, he had never seen Sirius so taken with someone as Remus.
They were perfect for each other.
He watched as the song came to an end, and the couple froze, before walking form the dance-floor, and James rushed over, clutching the baby in his arms.
He stopped next to them, his eyes widening as he spotted Regulus.
"What are you doing here? Remus asked.
"I'm looking for a place, mine blew up," Regulus replied. "Though I doubt there'll be space for me after all."
"There is space," Sirius replied, much to Regulus' shock. He took a moment to compose himself, before turning his attention to Remus once more.
"Congratulations," Regulus offered, stepping forward and placing a kiss on Remus' cheek. He reached out a hand to Sirius, shaking it. "If I knew you two would hit it off so well, I'd have introduced you long before."
He turned to look at James, his grin fading as his gaze fell on the baby. "Yours?"
Remus grinned. "No, mine."
"But the baby is... " his eyes widened.
"Regulus, the baby is—"
"Yours," Regulus whispered, a hint of sadness to his tone. "But I can be the favourite Uncle."
"Why aren't you—"
"We're still at war, Sirius. I'm not going to make a claim on the baby now, and it won't be fair for me to do it in the future. You can tell him when he's older, if you choose, but I want Remus and… the baby to stay safe."
"Eridanus Regulus Black," James said.
Regulus grinned once more. "But I want to be a part of his life. I don't want to give him up, Even if you're taking on the father role for him, I'm still his favourite Uncle."
"That," James began, "is my job!"
Remus looked between the pair, before reaching for the child in James' arms. "Why don't you both go and dance together?"
James grinned. "Why not? Reg, for old time's sake?"
Regulus only hesitated for a moment before taking James' hand and allowing the man to lead him to the dance-floor.
Remus turned to Sirius. "That went well."
"Yeah, Regulus has his moments." He leaned in, kissing his wife softly. "So, how long before we consummate the marriage?"
"Well, depending on how James' night goes, he might not be able to look after Eridanus…"
"Did someone call for a babysitter?" Alice demanded from behind her. "Well, here I am! All ready for baby duty!"
Sirius grinned, moving closer to Remus. "Looks like the honeymoon is still on after all."
Remus pretended to groan. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Whatever you like," Sirius smoothly replied. "But this right here, it's our moment. The moment we realise we have this whole future together."
Review please :)
Thanks to Emily and Dina!
8,162 words
Written for:
Muggle Studies - Task 1: Write about someone marrying the widow/ex of a family member./ Task 6:Write about someone who becomes a mother, or father figure to their partner's child(ren)
Pokemon Go Word count challenge
Writing Month - August Word count challenge
Cinema Challenge - "Boy...that escalated quickly."
Emotion Challenge - Disheartened
Hogwarts Monopoly - Your Charms Card is: "You're Getting Hitched!" Task: Write a story about character(s) getting married.
Uneven Bars:
Jump with bent hips to handstand, half turn - (object) a music clock
Clear hip circle with full turn - (action) singing
Backward giant - (action) kiss
Piked stalder with half turn to regular grip - (action) using a Muggle device
Straddled Tatchev with half turn [Kononeko] - (word) moon
[Tweddle] - (word) whimsical
Swing backwards to half turning flight to low bar [Ezhova] - (dialogue) "I'm looking for a place, mine blew up."
Toe-on circle with full turn in flight to high bar [Seitz] - (dialogue) "Well, this is a nice change of scenery." / "It's a prison cell." / "I was being sarcastic."
On high bar, salto backwards tucked - (scenario) Making a huge effort in hiding a secret
POKEMON trading cards - (Bronze): Skiddo Task: Write about someone sensing that another character is feeling down or low.
Chocolate Frog card - (Silver) Artemisia Lufkin - Challenge: Write a genderbent story where a traditionally male character is female.
