Aimee
Harry, on his father's command, had gone to get a bit of breakfast for Severus, Remus, and himself, leaving the two grown men alone in Lily's company.
"Red hair, blue eyes… Your hair and Remus' eyes." Severus was still shaking his head, "Black hair and green eyes… My hair, your eyes."
"I'm sorry." Remus said quietly; they were some of the first words to come out of his mouth since Lily's revival.
"Is there anyone in your family with black hair?" Severus asked stiffly, as if he was afraid of the answer.
Remus nodded mutely. "My mother. I got my brown hair from my father and grandfather before him, but my mother's side… All raven."
"My mother and father had blue eyes." Lily said softly. "And Papa."
"My mother had blonde hair and blue eyes." Severus said, not feeling any better.
"So, as you said when we first found out… they're yours until proven otherwise." Remus said quietly. "I can live with that."
"Are you?" Lily said so softly Severus had to strain to hear her. "You sure don't look it."
She was right; he hadn't counted on holding one of the babies. In that short time, he had gazed down at the baby's blue eyes and a the possibility of the baby he was holding being his suddenly came to life.
"It's ok if you want to see them." Lily said quietly, looking at Severus for support. He squeezed her hand gently, neither of them having to read the other's thoughts to know what they were thinking.
"Would you like to be a Godfather to one?" Severus asked. "Sirius Black staked his claim on one quite a few months ago."
Remus thought for a moment, then nodded. "If not a father one way, then the other is just fine."
Lily smiled and looked at Severus, noticing his downcast gaze and stiff stance.
You're mad.
Of course not, why would I be?
There's no guarantee.
There's never a guarantee.
Then why are you so mad about this? They're still your sons – nothing's ever going to change that.
I've just got a bad feeling, that's all.
I know – I can feel it.
I'm sure you can, Lily.
Have I really offended you that much?
Pardon?
You called me Lily.
Sorry, love.
Don't say it like that… Makes it sound a bit forced.
I can't help it right now, Lil.
I'm sorry, Sev… You know I am.
You're been apologizing for the past nine months, Lily. Give it up.
I can't.
And why is that?
You're still hurting.
I'm going to be hurt for quite a while… Nothing's going to change that.
I know, and once again, I'm sorry.
Yes, I'm quite aware of that.
If it makes you feel any better… It's very common
for babies to be born with blue eyes and then have the color change later
in life.
That still doesn't guarantee anything.
Nothing will, Sev. You know that. Even for the other children, the only way we can be sure is that you were my only partner –
Until Remus came along, which makes thing completely different.
Yes, I suppose it does.
I've never slept with another woman, Lil. Never.
You haven't?
Of course not. I had few girlfriends before you… I didn't care enough about them to even conceive of sleeping with them.
You… James… and Remus. That's all.
Remus wasn't necessary.
I forced Remus… James forced me. I wanted to – needed to – with you.
Even the first time?
Especially the first time.
It just seemed like a step more than anything, at first.
We were sixteen… But I knew it was real.
You were sixteen, Lil. I was seventeen.
Ok, so you were older than me by a few months – big deal.
Half a year.
Meanie.
Your boyfriend's starting to look at us strangely.
Don't call him that!
Why not? It's funny. You're turning red.
Am not.
Are too.
Am not.
Are too.
"Am not!" Lily said, her face blushing a deep scarlet.
"Are too." Severus smirked, then looked over and Remus. "Isn't she blushing?"
Remus looked wide eyed from Lily to Severus, then
back to Lily once more. "What ever it was you two were talking about, I'm
sure I don't want to know."
"Normal stuff." Severus waved his hand as to dismiss
the topic. Lily, however, grinned.
"Yeah, like twins and colours and sex."
Remus laughed in spite of himself. "Put the three together and you've got yourself a rather interesting horror movie."
"Horror?" Lily questioned, shaking her head in disagreement. "I thought it was more like a James Bond movie myself."
"James Bond?" Severus asked, "Movies?"
Lily turned towards her husband, her tired eyes twinkling slightly. "Muggle stuff, dear. Don't worry your pretty little head about any of it."
"When was the last time you touched anything Muggle?" Severus grinned, "Twenty years, perhaps?"
"Seventeen." Lily glared, "I am not thirty seven yet."
"Nor am I." Severus agreed.
"Or I, for that matter." Remus interjected. "Although, I do believe I'm a bit younger than you two, so I'll just step out of this conversation."
"Your birthday's in February, Remus." Lily scoffed, "I was born in June."
"And I in December." Severus nodded, "The twenty-seventh."
Remus thought about this for a moment, then winced involuntarily. "Sorry."
"It wasn't your fault." Severus sighed slightly, "Although, I must admit – finding you two together was one of the most shocking things that's ever happened to me on my birthday."
"In ten years, we might be able to laugh at the whole situation." Lily shrugged, "You never know… It could happen."
"The only reason I'm so… ok with it is the fact I know exactly how uncomfortable you are right now, Remus, and how much Lily hates saying the word 'sex' around you."
Remus looked up, surprised. "And how do you know that?"
"Well, it's easy – sensing emotions. And Lily did say sex, and she immediately thought 'oh shit, why did I say that?'" Severus smiled rather innocently.
"Bastard." Lily murmured playfully, squeezing his hand. "You're quite evil."
"I know, love." Severus grinned, his eyes meeting Remus'.
They're so happy… Thank God that didn't screw up their relationship any.
Lily beckoned the man to her other side, holding out her hand. Remus winced as he felt how cold it was and briefly wondered if it was an after effect of –
"No, it's not an after effect of dying." Lily smiled up at him. "I'm just cold."
"Do you want another blanket?" Both Remus and Severus asked at the same time. A tense moment passed between the two before Severus chuckled, making Remus crack a smile.
"You two are such… idiots!" Lily exclaimed, grinning. "No, I'm fine. Thank you very much though."
"Are you sure?" Severus asked.
Lily nodded, "Quite sure. All I need right now are my two favorite people in the world and my babies… speaking of. Sev, choose a name, Remus, choose a name."
The two looked surprised for a moment, and then thought for a moment.
"Castor Denial." Severus said. "For the one with the green eyes."
"And Pollux Apollo, for the one with the red hair." Remus said quietly.
"Castor Denial and Pollux Apollo?" Lily said faintly, her eyes slightly glazed over. "Quite the mouthful… I like."
A moment later, Harry came back carrying two trays piled high with food. Remus immediately reached over to help the boy set them on a small, circular table pushed into the corner of a room.
"Now why on Earth would they put a circular table in a corner?" Remus asked, slightly bemused. Severus just shook his head and chuckled as Lily smiled and closed her eyes once more.
"I'm going to sleep… Keep it down."
"Good night, Mum." Harry said quietly as the two
men started to rip through the food he had carried up six floors ever-so-carefully,
never dropping them once.