Prompt - The day Sirius was born.
"For Merlin's sake, boy, would you sit down?"
It wasn't often that Orion felt the need to retort his father's snappy remarks, but he couldn't help but feel that the term "boy" surely wasn't one best used to a man stood on the brink of fatherhood himself.
Nevertheless, even in this most stressful moment, he resisted the urge to respond.
Arcturus Black was not a man who appreciated back-talk from anyone.
Nevertheless, Orion obeyed, ceased his anxious pacing in front of the study fireplace and sinking into the vacant armchair opposite his father.
The sound of the early November drizzle pattering against the window combined with the crackling of the firewood was a calming sound, and one which Orion was accustomed to enjoying whilst in his study of an autumn afternoon.
However, they were sounds which did little to drown out the pained shrieks and moans of his labouring wife on the floor above.
Orion winced as the latest agonising cry to wrench itself from Walburga's throat rang through the walls of the house. It was far from a pleasant sound.
And yet each of his fireside companions, Arcturus, Pollux and Cygnus Black, did not seem phased by it, content to sit in silence broken only by the occasional drag on a cigar, clink of ice in a whiskey glass or the occasional impatient tap of fingers on armrests.
How could they be so still at such a time? It was all Orion could do to keep himself from flinging himself from his chair and resume his pacing, for lack of any other fruitful action to indulge in.
"There's no point in getting yourself into such a state" barked Arcturus to his son, drawing Orion's attention to the fact that his foot had involuntarily begun tapping impatiently against the carpet. He quickly ceased, tensing his muscles rigid.
"Pacing about like a caged beast won't bring the child into the world any faster, you know"
"Merlin knows if it did I'd have been running laps of the house at the birth of each of mine" remarked Cygnus with a chuckle.
Orion glanced across at his brother-in-law, mildly irked at his almost bored expression as he refilled his whiskey glass at wand-point. Was this is third, already? Had they really been sat here that long?
"Yes, well, I suppose when one has kept vigil all night only to be presented with a girl by morning three times over, one must find oneself in rather a hurry to get the process over with" said Pollux Black, fixing his son with a withering glare that left the younger man with a twisted grimace that Orion had no doubt was nothing to do with the taste of the liquor.
It was no secret that Pollux had been disappointed at being presented only with granddaughters by his offspring thus far, and in the lead up to the birth of his first grandson he had become a decidedly more pleasant wizard to be in company with, much to the obvious irritation of his son.
"At least I'm here, aren't I?" replied Cygnus, waving a hand in the air. "I daresay Alphard isn't simply running a little late to the big event, is he?"
"Your brother is abroad and quite un-contactable, as you well know" snapped Pollux, the irritation in his voice growing at the thought of his wayward younger son's absence. "Besides, this was hardly the most planned of occasion, the child wasn't due for another week"
He turned away from his sulking son with an exasperated sigh, leaning back into his chair to stare into the fire.
"But then, Burgie always did like to keep us on our toes"
At his father-in-law's words, Orion found himself reaching for the untouched whiskey glass he had neglected until now, but the reminder of his wife's untimely onset of labour tied his stomach in a knot that could only be loosened by a hit of strong drink.
It was only a cup of tea. Something as small and silly as a cup of tea made not quite to her liking. But on a day when she was already restless with the aches of her child-heavy body and the frustration of confinement, it was enough to send Walburga over the edge into a fit of anger that had sent the house elf ducking for cover as the bone china teacup was hurled at him from across the room.
The sound of the china teacup smashing against the wall mingled with his wife's shouts which were quickly twisted into cries of pain had brought Orion rushing into the room to find Walburga practically bent double, clutching her swollen middle, her face screwed up in agony.
"Don't fret, dear, it's barely a week early" his mother, Melania had reassured him as he watched, wide-eyed in alarm as his wife was led away by her mother and his sister, the three women having arrived alongside the menfolk of the family in a matter of minutes after Orion had sent for them.
"Everything will be fine" said the witch with an encouraging smile before gently but firmly steering her son out of the room to join the menfolk downstairs in the library.
And so, here they were, what felt like endless hours later, sat round the study fireplace with nothing to do but sit and wait for news.
Orion swallowed a mouthful of whiskey, feeling the fire of the liquid quelling the army of butterflies fluttering about inside him. Although he was nervous - by Salazar, was he nervous - there was something else at play, something that buzzed inside him incessantly that would not be stilled by strong drink.
Excitement.
He was going to be a father.
A smile wrenched itself onto his face involuntarily at the thought.
"What's the matter, old, boy? Drink finally kicking in?"
His brother-in-law's teasing brought Orion out of his thoughts and back to reality.
Cygnus was slouched back in his seat, head resting against his palms, legs crossed casually.
"Whatever do you mean?" asked Orion, stiffly.
"Oh come off it" chuckled Cygnus. "Sitting there with a grin like the kneazle that got the cream is hardly your style. Out with it, man, whats the joke?"
Orion dealt his brother-in-law a withering look, his patience for his impertinence fast running low.
"I am awaiting the imminent arrival of my firstborn son and heir. What more reason do I require to smile?"
If his gaze weren't so fixated on Cygnus, Orion might have seen the smirk of amused approval on his father's face.
His second cousin did not reply to the dig at his lack of male offspring. Merely huffed in feigned amusement as he reached inside his robe pocket for his wand, summoning the whiskey carafe over to him for a refill.
The crystal bottle had scarcely left the table before it slammed back down sharply at the command of Pollux's own wand.
"I think you've had enough, boy" snapped the elder wizard, fixing his son with a warning glare.
Defeated, Cygnus slumped back in his seat with a sullen expression and instead dug into the pocket of his robes for his silver cigar case, lighting one with his wand before offering the case across to Orion.
Orion raised a hand in refusal. In other circumstances he might accept one on courtesy, though he rarely enjoyed them. But this was no time to put up with false pretences.
Another sharp, prolonged cry from his labouring sister upstairs set Cygnus's face scrunching into a grimace. He looked for all the world as though there were anywhere in the world he would rather be than awaiting the arrival of his nephew.
The sound of his wife's pain cut Orion deep to the core. It was a painful sound in itself to have to listen to, and yet he did not find himself wishing he were anywhere else in the world than right here.
The night wore on, long and slow, until, at last, in the early hours, the sound of the most almighty scream yet rang through the house, seeming to rattle the walls themselves, until suddenly, all fell deadly silent.
The four Blacks waiting in tense silence, not one of them daring to so much as shuffle in their seat for fear of missing the moment that was sure to follow.
And follow it did.
The silence was broken at last by the wail of an infant, sharp and loud, piercing the silence with it's essence of life.
Orion breathed an enormous sigh of relief, a feeling of immense joy washing over him at the sound of his son's first cry.
"Congratulations, my boy" came the uncharacteristically cheerful voice of Arcturus.
Orion looked up to see his father stood over him with an outstretched hand and possibly the widest smile he had ever seen him offer anyone.
He quickly stood to accept the firm grasp of the handshake.
"Welcome to fatherhood" said Arcturus with a knowing glint in his eye.
Orion could not will himself to stop grinning as he accepted the congratulations of the rest of the men in the room.
He was riding so high on the euphoria of it all that he scarcely noticed his father slip away from the group to send an urgent summons for Burke so that the impending ceremony may commence.
Nor did he notice the door open once more and a female figure half-step into the room with an excited smile on her face.
"Well?" said Lucretia Black, drawing her brother's attention to her with a loud clear of her throat. "Don't you want to come and meet your son?"
"My son..." Orion practically whispered, still in awe of those words, before a teasing quirk of his sister's eyebrow brought him back to reality.
"Yes, of course" he said, smoothing his robes and forcing himself to adopt the outward appearance of a man entirely in control of his emotions - and fooling precisely no one.
"Remember, first impressions are very important" said Lucretia with a mischievous smirk as she led her brother up the staircase of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place to the master bedroom.
Orion gave his sister a mock-chastising knock on the shoulder in reply whilst inwardly forcing himself to gather his wits about him.
After all, one only met one's son and heir once, and first impressions were very important.