"Oh!" Dora said, putting a hand to her stomach.

He looked up at her, tilting his head to one side.

"The baby?" He asked enviously.

He hadn't really been able to catch much movement from their baby in the past few weeks. Sure, faint little nudges but nothing big. And it wasn't because their baby wasn't making big movements, it very much was if Dora's complaining was anything to go by but it seemed that every time, he put his hand on Dora's stomach that the baby just stopped. Dora had joked that she should strap his hands to her stomach during the night so she actually had a peaceful night's sleep. It wasn't fair that she got to feel it and he didn't. He should be able to feel it by now but their baby didn't want him to feel it, he was sure of it. Was that ridiculous? Yes, he was well aware of that but dammit je just wanted to feel those little kicks. He remembered the few times Lily hadn't someone other than her or James to feel Harry kicking in her stomach and it had been such an amazing feeling. James said that it was so much more amazing when it was your child but his child wasn't cooperating!

"The baby," she confirmed and pushed her stomach out to him. "Very active during the day for a change, want to feel?"

He reached his hand out and hesitated. Did he really want to be disappointed again? Though, his want to actually feel a decent amount of movement was stronger. His mind made up; he placed his hand on his stomach.

And, sure enough, just like usual, he got the faintest of kicks and then nothing. It was like the baby knew what he was doing and was trying to pull a prank on him.

"A Marauder already and not even born," Remus said with a fond roll of his eyes.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She tried to sound all indignant but she just laughed instead.

"He's pranking me!" He accused poking her stomach which Dora swatted away. "Or she. But still!"

Dora shook her head. "An unborn baby can't prank you."

"This one is! It knows when I'm about to feel its kicks and either slows down or stops!"

"Yes, because our unborn baby can tell when you're trying to feel it kick."

"It can! I'm telling you!"

Wasn't the fact that he hadn't really caught a kick enough proof for her! Their baby was playing him!

"Uh huh. Sure."

Remus huffed. He couldn't believe that she didn't believe Jim. Was it that narrow to believe that their baby could be a prankster, even in the womb? He had Black and Lupin blood running through him!

"Just under three months until we meet the little one," Remus said almost absentmindedly.

As if it wasn't something that had been almost constantly on his mind like a little countdown.

"Ten weeks," Dora said softly.

See? She had been keeping track too! Though, that might be down to the fact that she felt uncomfortable with all this extra weight on her small frame. Her back had started to ache something awful these days. So, she was probably counting down her says for relief. Not that ne blamed her. And it was inky going to get worse the next ten weeks as their baby did an awful lot of growing.

"How are we going to do this, Remus?" She asked.

"Do what? Be parents?"

Because he wasn't sure how ne was supposed to do that. He still didn't feel ready to be entrusted the life of a tiny human. He was now sure that they could make it work but that didn't make the thought angels daunting.

"No! Well, yes. But that wasn't what I meant."

"What did you mean?"

She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I mean... how are we going to have this baby? I always assumed I'd be going to St Mungo's but..."

"Is that really safe right now?" Remus finished for her. "And I don't know," he answered truthfully.

He didn't know whether or not Death Eaters were keeping a watch on the hospital for any injured Order members. They were currently operating under that assumption, just in case. There was no point in giving the other side an opening when they were vulnerable. And going there to give birth would certainly make you vulnerable.

"So, I started thinking about homebirths but I don't even know where to start with those or what to do and what if I mess something up?"

"You should ask Molly about these things," he urged her softly. "She would know what to do. She went through the exact same thing when she was pregnant with most of her children."

She'd also had several homeopaths if he remembered correctly. Maybe even for all six of her pregnancies. She was certainly experienced in this.

Dora shook her head. "I don't want to bother her with something like this. She has enough on her plate. We can figure this out ourselves."

"She would know what to do."

"And we can figure it out ourselves," she said firmly.

Knowing that je wasn't going to get any further if he kept on pushing, Remus sighed but gave in.

"Okay, fine," he said, pressing a kiss to her lips. "But think about it? Please?"

"Okay," she agreed softly but Remus didn't know if she was being truthful or not.

[xxxxxx]

Dora was biting her lip again. It wasn't good, her lips had got all chapped because of the weather and biting them wasn't going to help matters. But she could help it. She was anxious. Nervous. Worried. And she didn't even know if she was going to try and fix that right now.

"What's wrong, dear?" Molly asked gently, sitting next to her and offering her a cup of tea. "Remus," she nodded at him.

"Molly," he said with a small smile and giving Dora's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm fine, Molly," she tried to reassure the older woman.

Which she knew was a fruitless endeavour. This was Molly Weasley, after all. Worrying is what she did.

"Of course, you aren't," she said briskly. "None of us are. But you especially. Worried about your baby?" She asked knowingly.

"Something like that," Dora admitted, biting her lip again.

"War is no place for a child," Molly said without judgement. "I should know that better than anyone. But it's also a light... hope..."

"It's just..." Dora began, fidgeting. "Oh, it's nothing. It really is."

"It obviously isn't if you're worrying about it."

She shook her head. "No, it's okay."

"Tonks," Molly said sternly which really made her shift awkwardly next to him like she felt like she was an unruly teenager and had gotten into some sort of trouble with Charlie.

He certainly felt like that and he wasn't the one that look was being directed at!

"I don't know how my baby is doing and I can't even go to St Mungo's and I don't k ow how I'm going to give birth!" Dora suddenly burst out, surprisingly him because he honestly thought he was going to have to force the matter. Apparently not.

Thankfully, Molly went into full mother hen mode and promptly began to put Dora's fears (and his) to rest. Saying that she knew some spells that would give them a basic idea of how the baby was doing and that if push came to shove, her Aunt Muriel was a trained midwife and had been there for all of her children's births. St Mungo's may operate under a similar system to the NHS, with everything covered under taxes, but Molly had never liked giving birth in a hospital - too sterile and unforgiving. So, she'd had mostly home births with a very well-trained midwife. One that Molly said was sure would love to help.

Remus couldn't exactly imagine Muriel as an enthusiastic midwife but people were always full of surprises. He knew Molly didn't always get on with the woman but she was suggesting her so she must be good. Dora was looking more at ease now too, which was the main thing here.

"And the birth?" She asked hopefully.

"Can be done perfectly safely at home," Molly assured her.

Both he and Dora breathed a sigh of relief. They could do this. They really could.