Wednesday 30th July 1980
Tonks Home, 10:00
Was it weird that he was oddly fascinated and enjoyed watching Dora nurse Teddy? Because he was and he was trying really, really hard not to be a creep about it. Excuse he felt like it was kind of creepy.
"Enjoying the view?" Dora teased as she held Teddy close.
"I wasn't- I mean, I didn't mean to - I'm not looking!" He spluttered out.
Dora was full on laughing now, something Teddy didn't appreciate as he unlatched and gave a grumpy wail.
"Sorry, Teddy bear," she cooed before looking up to smirk at Remus. "You're allowed to look, you know. You normally do a lot more than just look at them anyway."
He blushed properly at that. No matter how true that comment was, it was still embarrassing. Did she have to say that out loud? What if Teddy heard? Or her parents who were just downstairs?
"It's a perfectly natural thing," she continued.
Of course, it was. It was the most natural thing someone could do. And Dora had always wanted to do it, if only briefly, since she knew she was pregnant. That much Remus knew, not that it was his decision or anything but she had discussed it with him. She had wanted to breastfeed for at least six weeks and then look into going back to work after that, which meant that Teddy would be bottle fed. Though, that time had now been extended due to his prematurity and resulting complications (that had all nearly cleared up, they were down to two potions). The Healers told them that it would be best for Teddy to be exclusively breastfed for another four to six weeks if possible. And Dora had agreed, saying that she could push back even thinking about starting Auror Training until then. Teddy what was important here.
Remus was just in awe of her strength. She was so unselfish and warm and... and... amazing. Even that was too weak a word to describe Nymphadora Tonks but it would have to do.
"I put his name down as Edward Remus Tonks-Lupin." Dora said suddenly. "In the hospital."
Remus blinked at her, not knowing how to react to that. He hadn't actually seen Teddy's birth certificate, you see. Hadn't needed to. It had been filled out when he had been forced gone by the Healers to clean up and get some sleep after the chaos of Teddy's birth and subsequent observation of both him and Dora. He had given his consent to have his name put down as the father so his presence hadn't been needed for the actual writing of it and he hadn't thought to ask.
Was it bad that he just automatically assumed that Teddy would have his name? Actually, scratch that, he hadn't even given it any thought. Hadn't thought about it at all because there was just an expectation that a baby would have his father's surname. Merlin, that sounded bad, even in his head. It was the eighties, for Merlin's sake. People weren't so old-fashioned.
"Why do you want him to have both?" He asked quietly.
Remus wasn't sure what he should be feeling here? Angry? No, why should he be angry? It was a name. And it was technically the right ones, weren't they? Though, she hadn't discussed it with him. But did he really get an opinion there after everything? Should he be worried? Upset? Happy? Accepting? He really wasn't sure. Well, he didn't feel upset, which had to mean something. But it did also make him feel a bit anxious though he didn't know why.
"I just... I just wanted," she began softly but steadily and then she swallowed and looked much more sure of herself. "I wanted him to have something to tie him to me."
"Tie him to you," Remus repeated.
"Yeah," she shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I mean, we aren't married or anything. I just didn't want the two of us to be too different."
Remus opened his mouth, intending to give a solution to this but Dora cut him off.
"No, we aren't getting married. Not just for the sake of Teddy," she said firmly.
"But we're working," Remus argued. "And we love each other."
Sure, he didn't have a ring or anything, not yet anyway. But he knew that Dora was the one he wanted to be with. He loved her. Which meant he wanted to marry her, he realised. Like, he really did. Not that he had ever though that that would have been a possibility right now until she had brought up the whole surname thing. He had given marriage some thought, like 'it would happen in the future' sort of thought. But was there really anything wrong in bringing that forward a little?
Yes, we do," Dora agreed. "Love each other. And we're working on it, not working."
"Aren't they the same thing?"
He was pretty sure they were the same thing when they hadn't had any problems with each other since they got back together, so to speak. Sure, they hadn't exactly been acting like a normal couple but Dora had been pregnant and then the birth hadn't exactly gone to plan. It wasn't like they were the most normal couple to begin with.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "It isn't. And I don't want you to propose just because you feel like you have to. It shouldn't be like that."
I don't feel like I have to," he argued.
She gave him a look. "Yet you haven't proposed before now."
"Because, like you said, we're still working on things."
And just because he thought he knew what he wanted dint mean that Dora knew what she wanted. He didn't want to propose before he was sure where they were going. Which, yes, he was aware that that completely conflicted with his actions but he did love her. He really did.
"We are. Which means we aren't ready," she said firmly and then added on in almost an afterthought. "Yet."
"Yet?" He asked hopefully.
"Yet," she repeated in a tone that brooked no further discussion.
Remus nodded and chewed on his lip, trying to hide the massive smile that was breaking through - he didn't want to scare her off or anything. But she said 'yet'! To marriage! With him! Which meant that she was going to be ready eventually. At some point. Which was amazing!
"But, you're okay with it?" She checked with him, bringing the conversation back around to the original point. "His surname?"
Remus thought for a moment and found that he didn't have a problem with it. His mother was a Tonks and he was a Lupin. Both surnames together just made sense.
"I'm good with it," he said, smiling in what he hoped was reassurance.
She bit her lip. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." He said firmly.
She seemed to trust him more when he was firm like that. She had told him because it was he had actually made up his mind and was confident as opposed to being indecisive.
Dora let out a sigh of relief and gave him a smile, pulling Teddy in for a hug.
"Teddy Remus Tonks-Lupin," she said happily. "It's a good name."
"A strong one," Remus added, also happy.
Friday 1st of August 1980
Longbottom Manor, 14:30
Alice smiled down at her son. Neville. Neville Frank Longbottom. Hers and Frank's little, baby boy. Their precious baby boy. Who was sleeping on so peacefully in his crib, looking like the angel he was.
She loved these little moments she had with him, when it was just her and Neville. No House Elves. No mothers or mother-in-laws. No one. Just her and her baby. Who she wanted to cuddle so very much but she now knew better than to disturb him while he was sleeping. Oh, the scolding she had been given by the nanny elf of all things when she had done that earlier. So, she would just dote on him without touching. She could watch him all day, after all. It felt like that's all she had done the past forty-eight hours. Not that that was a bad thing, in fact, she was of the opinion that it was the best way to spend her time.
Not that she could do much else. She was only two days postpartum, after all. Barely, at that. She wasn't on strict bed rest, perse, but she was highly discouraged from doing, well, anything if she could help it. That was what House Elves were for, Frank had reminded her.
Well, she wanted to state adoring at her baby boy. That was hardly strenuous, was it? Especially now that his crib was right next to her bed.
Who would have thought that she and Lily would have their babies only a day apart? And both having boys, too. Neville and Harry. Alice couldn't help but smile at the thought. She hoped that the two boys would grow up and be as good friends as Frank and James were. Maybe even better, continuing the Longbottom and Potter tradition.
Then, of course, there was little Cassiopeia as well. Only a week older than them. And Teddy, of course, you couldn't forget Teddy. They were all going to grow up together and be the best of friends.
"Hey," Frank greeted quietly as he slowly entered the bedroom.
He had already learned not to make any sudden movements or any movement that could possibly wake a sleeping baby.
"Uh, um, how is he?" Frank asked, gesturing kind of awkwardly at a peacefully sleeping Neville.
It was kind of cute, the way Frank was around Neville. It was very obvious that je was in awe and in love with their little boy but he was also very, very awkward.
He still didn't know quite how to hold him and as a result, didn't want to hold him for very long. Neville' cries freaked him put, je got this cute, wide-eyed look of panic on his face when the cries came. He just didn't seem to know what to do with babies.
But it was okay, he was allowed to be awkward. It wasn't like je was going to be involved much in the care of him when Neville was this small. That was definitely woman's work. And yes, Alice may have pushed her boundaries by going and getting a job for herself but she couldn't imagine a man doing childcare of all things.
She wasn't even going to be doing much of that. They had a nanny Elf, after all. Frank's nanny Elf, in fact. So, she really did know her stuff. Which meant that kt was okay for her not to know everything that Neville needed right away like she had been worried about.
Actually, Alice was still worried about never being able to remember all that Neville was going to need from her but right now she could just enjoy him.
Monday 4th August 1980
Marauder Flat, 11:00
She was crying, why was she crying so much? Sirius was frantic as he bounced his daughter up and down rather desperately (though still gently!). He had done everything, everything in an attempt to calm her down. Fed her - she hadn't wanted her bottle, changed her - and boy had she needed changed, rocked her - but she wasn't sleepy. Merlin, he had even sang to her but that had made her cry even harder. Which was something je could take offense to later but whatever.
The point was that nothing was working and she was still crying. Sirius hadn't thought that babies could cry for thinking! Weren't they supposed to mainly sleep? Apparently, nobody told Cassie that! He was trying to give Marlene a break here. She had literally just given birth to a baby and she was still sore and she was the one who could somehow always know in the middle of the night that Cassie had woken up. Sirius was at work every day - paternity leave wasn't exactly a thing except for a day or two to help your significant other be conscious for more than an hour at a time! And even then, it was for your wife, the fact that Moody and Scrimgeour let him have those two days was really decent of them.
Cassie let out another loud wail.
"Can you please tell me why you are crying?" Sirius begged her.
Tuesday 5th August 1980
Ministry Offices, 19:00
What had he done? What had he done? What had he done? Something awful, that's what. Truly and extraordinarily awful. The most awfulest thing that a person could do. Peter didn't know exactly what he had done but he knew it was awful. Telling You-Know-Who something was basically being a traitor! And telling him something about his friends was even worse! Was there an even worse word than awful because if there was, that was him. Him. Him. Him.
Why would You-Know-Who even need to know about babies? What was so important about babies? They didn't do much, from what little he had seen of Teddy, Cassie, Neville and Harry. Though, he had barely seen them. Didn't trust himself around them. Not anymore. He'd been nervous enough about how breakable babies appeared but now that he had talked to the Darkest of Dark Lords about them, he didn't want to be anywhere near them. What if they sensed what he had done? Je didn't even know what he had done but he knew it was bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Peter knew he had already thought that but that's how bad it was.
Why had he got invoked in this sort of thing? He'd never meant for this to happen. Nothing like this at all! He just wanted to belong somewhere. Feel good about himself. And he had. He'd felt really good. And there were people just like him out there.
But for that to spiral into this? That was not the plan! There hadn't even been a plan! He needed a plan!
Dumbledore. He needed Dumbledore. You-Know-Who hated Dumbledore. Was scared of him. Which meant Dumbledore could fix this, right?
Peter was nearly out the door when he stopped. No. Maybe Dumbledore wasn't a good idea. Because Peter had done a bad thing. A very bad thing. And Dumbledore was good. Very good. And Peter was no longer good. What would Dumbledore do to him?
No. Dumbledore was a good man. A very good man. He wouldn't do anything too terrible to him, would he? He would help, right? Even if Peter didn't know what he needed help with.
Peter kicked at his desk and immediately regretted it as pain shot through his foot.
He didn't know what to do. He wanted someone to tell him what to do. He was better a following orders, not making decisions!
Friday 8th August 1980
Godric's Hollow, 17:30
"He's so perfect," James said in awe.
"You must have said that at least ten times today already," Lily said in amusement.
"Because it's true. And I haven't said it nearly enough."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure ten is enough."
"Oh, come on, Lily. You have to agree with me here."
"Of course, I do," she informed him and then cooed over Harry. "I am his mummy, after all. Yes, I am. Yes, I am!"
Harry blew a massive spit bubble, which dripped down his chin and onto his clothes. He was a very drooly baby, they had discovered.
"I swear, I should just keep a bib on him at all times," Lily said in exasperation as she mopped him up.
"At least he's stopped spitting up," James pointed out.
Spit up was kind of gross. James hadn't known it could be so runny. But it was and he had discovered just how runny it could be when Harry decided that the best time to spit up when James was trying to burp him. It had run the whole way down his back nearly to the waistband of his jeans!
Lily chuckled but agreed. She was the one who had stains down all her shirts because of that little issue. It turned out that Harry had quite the sensitive stomach. He should grow out of it, according to Healers, the just had to feed him slowly. Which was okay with them because that meant whoever was feeding him had an excuse to spend even more time with him. And they both adored spending time with him.
They had been so lucky with Harry's birth. It might have been a long labour, sixteen hours all in all - James had thought that their baby and Alice and Frank's were going to be born on the same day but it wasn't to be - but there had been no complications or anything. Something James was going to be eternally grateful for. He didn't know if he'd would have been able to have the strength to deal with that, not like Remus.
It was weird, three, four if you counted Frank and Alice, if their group all having babies in such a short time span. Only Peter and Severus and Chryssie didn't have babies, though Severus and Chryssie came as a package deal these days so, who knew, there might be babies in the future there.
James frowned as he thought of Peter. His smaller friend hadn't been around much at all since Harry was born. Actually, before that too if he thought about it. Granted, James knew that pregnant women and babies kind of freaked him out a bit so he was probably just trying to wrap his head around that.
But still. He would have to drag him over at some point. James looked down at Harry and smiled. Harry would change anyone's mind about babies, he was sure of it.