Saturday 9th August 1980
Marauder Flat, 12:00
He should do it now. No, maybe later. No, now. Later? No, he was a Gryffindor. But he wasn't really, was he? But je could be one again. Yeah! Or maybe not.
Peter knew he had to tell Dumbledore what he had done. Everything that he had done. He knew that. Kt was important. And it made him feel bad. He didn't like feeling bad. He wanted to feel good and confidant again. Like he had been doing before he had opened his big, stupid mouth. Who couldn't he have stayed with intimidating people? Or even better yet, staying with that group his friends from work were in. The one that pushed for pureblood values. That had been harmless. Not like this.
Well, he didn't know that what he said had been harmful. Not really. Maybe it wasn't and it meant nothing. Yeah, it probably meant nothing and he had nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. Not even a little bit.
Oh, right. Fine. Yes, he was still worried. It was the Dark Lord! Of course, he was worried! It wasn't normal to just come across him! So why had he come across him? Well, more like he was dragged to him but still! That wasn't normal either?
Peter didn't understand how he had ended up in this situation, he really didn't.
But he did. Even if it wasn't his fault. It wasn't like he just walked up to the man and gave away secrets. In fact, he hadn't given away secrets at all. Yeah. Peter felt himself perk up a bit. He hadn't really done anything wrong. And he was going to tell Dumbledore about it anyway and it was going to end up being nothing and everything would be fine again. He was even going to go back to that club with his work friends and avoid that other one where they actually did things. Doing things was bad. Very bad. Talking and complaining about things was much better. Safer. Yeah.
Everything was going to be fine. Really.
With a much clearer conscience, Peter nodded and went to go find Remus. He hadn't spent time with Remus in a while. Remus was good for talking.
Monday 11th August 1980
Godric's Hollow, 19:30
Frank watched as James lifted Harry up, gave his bottom a sniff and pulled a funny face.
"You need changing before that bottle, little man," James chuckled.
He couldn't help but watch in amazement as, instead of calling for Lily or a House Elf, James lifted Harry over to a little table off to the side of the room that was padded. A changing table, Frank realised, noticing the nappies that were stored underneath. Well, he thought they were nappies. They made a weird crinkling noise when moved.
What are you doing?" He asked in a bewildered voice.
"Changing his nappy," James said very matter-of-factly. "Hold your nose for this next bit, it always pongs."
Frank had no clue what he was talking about so, unfortunately, didn't do as he was instructed. He regretted that pretty quickly.
James chuckled at the disgusted look on his face.
"I warned you."
He supposed he did but Frank hadn't thought that such a foul smell could come out of something so small and innocent looking.
"Now I just need to put cream on him, powder him and get the new nappy on," James listed absentmindedly, like he was trying to keep an order in his head. Was that all that had to be done for a baby? Wow, that was a lot more steps than Frank thought there would be.
"You can do all that?"
James looked at him in confusion and then looked down at Harry and smiled.
"This?" He said, holding up the clean nappy.
"Yeah," Frank said awkwardly. "And, you know, the burping and the bottle..."
And everything else, Frank couldn't help but think. He had watched James do all those things in the short time he'd been here. Actually, bed been feeding Harry from a bottle when he arrived and the down that weird thing where he put Harry to his shoulder and patted his back to get him to burp. Frank didn't understand how that even worked. Surely burps came from your stomach or something? Why would patting a baby's back help that.
"Yeah, I can do all those things," James said, not seeing the big deal of this. "I kind of have to. If Lily can't do it, someone has to. Can't just ignore a baby, you know."
"You don't have a nanny Elf do them for you?" Frank asked in surprise.
He thought all the big families had them.
James snorted. "Lily didn't want one. Said it was weird and creepy having someone else look after your child when it had perfectly good parents in the house. Which is fair enough. Mum and dad didn't really use one for me either, if I remember right. Maybe for some events I couldn't attend when I was a baby and really young..."
That didn't really surprise Frank. James' parents had had him quite late. And they had really wanted a baby for so long so when James came along je could imagine them wanting to do everything themselves. It was a bit of a weird thought but Frank thought he understood. Busily and James both had jobs. How were they meant to do those and raise Harry without a nanny Elf? There was no way that was possible. Especially with James being the Head of the Potter Family now. Didn't they think of things like that?
"I can't tell you how easy these disposable nappies are compared to the cloth ones," James said, putting the packet away.
"There's no washing and drying for us to do. Just throw it away once it's used and that's it."
Frank's eyebrows shot up. He'd never heard of such a thing. Not that he had heard of much baby stuff in particular but still. Disposable nappies? Really?
"Wouldn't they be more uncomfortable?" He asked, looking at Harry's covered bottom.
It looked to be made of that weird plastic stuff that muggles used. All shiny looking. Surely that couldn't be comfortable?
"Harry doesn't seem to mind. It's soft on the inside. It's just the outside that's like this."
Frank shook his head. "I just don't understand how you know all of this."
"Oh, I didn't know how to do all this before," James said with a chuckle. "Rosemary showed me and Lily some, Lily's mother," he asked at Frank's confusion. "And then some of the Potter Elves gave me such a scolding over how I did his nappy and made me do it five times before they were happy with how I did it."
Frank couldn't help but laugh at that. The Potter Elves really were something else sometimes. They had always been like that, particularly when they weren't busy which they probably weren't now that Fleamont and Euphemia were... gone. Frank tried to shrug off the pang of sadness that went throw him. He hadn't meant to remind himself of that little fact. He didn't like thinking about how he would never see them again. So, he just pushed that feeling away down deep inside of him. There were people who were alive who needed him right now.
"You, you don't mind?" Frank asked hesitantly.
James shrugged. "Not really. He's my kid too, you know? And this way, Lily actually gets to feel somewhat human."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you know?" James said, suddenly looking uncomfortable.
Frank shook his head. "I really don't."
Why would Lily feel human? She was one, wasn't she? And she had just produced another one.
"Well, she did just push a whole baby out of her," James tried to explain. "So, she's still healing from that and she's sore and she can't take many pain potions because she's breastfeeding and apparently Harry didn't know how to latch right for a while and that was sore and she's still sore, you know up there because apparently feeding a baby makes them crack..."
He was babbling which Frank would have found quite amusing if the subject was so embarrassing. This was someone's nipples they were talking about. A woman's nipples. A woman who wasn't his wife. He didn't even like the word nipple, never mind think about them!
"Right," he said hurriedly, wanting the subject to change. "Did you hear about the latest case Moody caught?"
Thursday 14th August 1980
Godric's Hollow, 17:30
"He's so precious," Rosemary cooed.
Lily smiled as she watched her mum hold Harry and fawn over him. There was just something so sweet and warm about watching her parents and her child interacting. Then she felt a pang as she looked guiltily at James. His parents wouldn't get to do that. Which was so unfair. Tears started to well up in her eyes but she stubbornly blinked them away. This was a happy time. She was supposed to be happy
James was happy, she noticed. He was giving Rosemary and Harry's interaction a fond look, laughing as Rosemary rubbed noses with Harry which earned her an adorably confused look from her grandson.
"He doesn't look as big as Dudley," her dad observed. "But we've only seen pictures of Dudley."
"He looks like he has the chubbiest of cheeks but Petunia hasn't come for a visit yet," Rosemary said dolefully and then cheered up when Harry shifted in her arms. "Oh, aren't you adorable?"
Lily gave a tight smile, just like she always did when Petunia was brought up. It didn't seem like the bond between them would ever be mended. She and James had sent her a card and presents for her and her baby boy - Dudley, what a strange name - when she was told of his birth but both had been sent back unopened. She didn't know what else she had been expecting. This was Petunia, after all.
"You're going to grow up to be so big and strong," Rosemary was informing Harry now. "Aren't you? Aren't you?"
Lily shook her head and banished all thoughts about Petunia away from it. She didn't want to even think anything negative. Not when there were so many adorable things happening right in front of her that could keep a smile on her face.
Like the spit bubble Harry had just produced, dripping it all over her dad who had chosen that moment to s Atcham him out of her mother's arms.
Monday 18th August 1980
Order Meeting, 21:00
Kingsley looked down at the four tiny babies in awe. How could people ever be so tiny? It was so strange. And the way they looked, that was strange too, with their tiny mouth, big eyes and bald heads. That was just a weird look. Not cute or adorable like everyone else thought. Not that he'd say that out loud. He wasn't that stupid. Seriously.
It was odd, all of his friends having babies. He still didn't really think of himself as a proper adult sometimes. He was only twenty-two. And that was older than the Marauders and their significant others. Tonks was just nineteen! A teenager! Yet they were the ones that had babies!
He didn't feel the urge to have a baby yet. Not that he had anyone to have a baby with. But even if he did, he didn't think he'd want a baby. Not yet anyway. Maybe not ever. Babies... babies were weird. Really weird. And Kingsley didn't know what to do with them.
Yet these brand-new parents did. And he didn't think anyone had taught them. Was it really all just instinct? Was it buried down deep inside everyone?
Kingsley didn't even know why he was asking himself these questions. Kt wasn't like he was going to have a baby anytime soon.
Neville chose this moment to break out into a wail and Kingsley flinched. He wasn't going to have one at all of that's what they were like.
Tuesday 19th August 1980
Severus' Flat, 18:30
Chryssie flung herself down on his bed. That seemed to be far too normal a thing these days but Severus didn't really want her to stop. Well, maybe he wanted her to check what j3 was doing first before she did it because she had just caused him to drip ink all over his parchment.
"Hey!" He said reproachfully.
She was lucky that that wasn't a report for his apprenticeship or something equally as important. It was just a letter, something that could be rewritten but still.
"Sorry," she said, not sounding very sorry at all.
He huffed at her and rolled his eyes as he moved his parchment onto his desk for safety.
"Give me some conversation that doesn't involve babies," she ordered. "That's all I hear these days. Babies. Babies. Babies. Babies. Did you know that mum was even hinting for babies from me now? Like, come on! I'm not even married yet!"
Severus suddenly felt his mouth go very dry.
"Neither are Sirius and Marlene or Remus and Tonks," he pointed out, trying to sound normal.
"Well, Sirius and Marlene don't want to," she informed him, sitting up with a glare. "And Remus and Tonks... well, I don't know what those two idiots are doing but marriage isn't it right now. Two completely different situations."
He raised an eyebrow. "Idiots? Really?"
"You don't know the half of it," she grumbled.
That just made his eyebrows go up even further, if that was possible.
"Dora rants to me," Chryssie explained. "She inky makes sense some of the time and she changes her mind a lot but she rants to me."
"Because Remus doesn't know what he's doing?" Severus guessed.
Hey, Remus was the one out of all of them who was famous for bottling things up. You rarely knew what he was mulling over.
Chryssie snorted. "Neither of them know what they're doing. Or what they want."
"But," he said swallowing heavily. "You want to get married, have children? The whole thing?"
She gave him a weird look. "Well, yeah," she said with a shrug. "I want to have a family. Someday. Not now but someday. Don't you?"
He opened his mouth only to close it again. Did he want a family? A wife? Children? He'd, well, he'd never really given it much thought. Never thought that it was a real possibility. He looked at Chryssie with those green eyes of hers giving him that adorably curious look and her curly hair going in every which direction because of flopping onto his bed and his heart softened. Would it be a possibility with her? Could it be? He wanted it to be... je thought. Maybe? Someday... yeah, someday. Someday sounded nice.
He linked his fingers with hers and gave her a shy smile.
"Yeah, I do."
Thursday 21st August 1980
Tonks Home, 12:30
Remus sighed in relief along with Dora as Teddy was put down for his nap and didn't immediately wake back up again. He'd been doing that a lot recently, wanting to be literally on top of them while he slept. Which was cute for the first few times, their son was cute, after all. But it meant they couldn't do anything. Not even breath too heavily in case he woke up. They spent a lot of their time being still in silence.
"There you are," Andromeda said, appearing in the nursery.
Dora and Remus immediately made shushing noises. Please don't let him wake up again. Oh, please don't let him wale up again.
"Is he asleep?" She checked. They both nodded. "Good. That means you two can leave for an hour or so."
He and Dora exchanged confused looks. What on earth was she saying? They couldn't just leave. Andromeda made an impatient noise.
"Go," she shooed them out of the room in a low voice. "Go and go outside be adults for a few hours."
"But-" Remus began, not sure that this was a good idea.
It was all so sudden and unexpected. Maybe they should plan this better for some other day...
"Are you sure?" Dora checked anxiously, looking longingly at the door but also giving Teddy a worried look.
"Of course, we are," Ted assured them, joining them. "Let us spend some quality time with our grandson."
Remus and Dora looked at each other nervously, unsure what to make of it. Sure, it sounded tempting and all but it meant that they were leaving Teddy behind...
"Oh, go on," Andromeda said in exasperation. "We know how to look after a child. Funny enough, we did raise one."
"And look where that got you," Dora began jokingly but was silenced by a sharp look from her mother. "Okay, we're going, we're going. Just remember-"
"He likes to be swaddled when he sleeps," Andromeda finished for her. "We know."
Ted actually pushed them out the door before wonder of them could say anything else. Remus didn't even get a chance to remind them that Teddy did not like being rocked to sleep. The door was even shut behind them before they even left the front steps.
'Click' went the lock and the locking charms. He and Dora looked at each other, somewhat in shock.
"Did they really just do that?" Dora asked in amazement.
"I think they did," Remus said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Well," Dora said hesitantly. "I suppose we better enjoy our day then."
"Yes. I suppose we should." Remus agreed.
"What do you want to do?"
He frowned, not having thought of that. "I don't know."
Dora sighed and looked longingly back at her house. "Neither do I."
"Why don't we go for a walk and see if inspiration hits us?" Remus suggested, offering her his arm which she took.
"Sounds like a plan. That way we'll still be close. Just in case," she agreed.
That's what Remus had been thinking. So that's what they did. They went for a walk. Kt was oddly peaceful and relaxing and, well, enjoyable. Who would have thought? Remus couldn't remember the time he'd just gone on a walk for the hell of it. Kt was kind of nice.
"What were you going to say to your mum anyway?" He asked curiously once Dora's house had disappeared from view.
"Oh, it was nothing," Dora said airily. "I was just going to say that from the child she raised she got a daughter who's a teenaged mother to a child born out of wedlock."
Remus' hot chocolate came out his nose at that rather blasé statement.
"Excuse me?"