A New Addition
A/N: Albus finally becomes a father in every sense of the word.
A little girl sat curled up on the large couch in the family room, brown hair pulled into two long braids, deep blue eyes focused on the storybook in her lap. The illusion that she was reading industriously would have been better served if the book had been right side up and if she turned a page once in awhile. A little boy was sprawled on his stomach in the middle of the floor. His arms were folded in front of him and he rested his chin upon them, gray eyes focused, not on the open book in front of him, but on the open door. He had a mop of unruly black hair that refused to be tamed, no matter how much he tried.
In the upstairs hall, a tall thin man with long auburn hair and a matching beard paced back and forth, bright blue eyes worried behind the half-moon spectacles perched on the bridge of his long, crooked nose. Midnight blue robes embroidered with silver moons and stars swished with each pass. The man's name was Albus Dumbledore. He was the professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was also the Deputy Headmaster of the school to Armando Dippet and Head of Gryffindor House. He had become famous about a year before when he'd defeated the Dark Wizard, Grindelwald in a duel that nearly killed him as well.
The reason it hadn't was the object of his anxiety now. Minerva McGonagall was a powerful young witch with an extensive knowledge of healing spells. Thanks in part to her first husband, Samuel Potter. Samuel had abused Minerva for the last two years of their marriage, until he'd hit his son, Daniel, when the boy (only four at the time) had tried to protect his mother. Minerva had promptly Stunned her husband, packed up herself and the two children, and run to Albus because she'd had nowhere else to go.
After the children had been put to bed, she spilled the whole story to him. The divorce had been accomplished quickly with little fuss. Her self- confidence shattered, Minerva had traveled to the continent to help in the war effort, leaving Daniel and Erica with their aunt and uncle, Arabella and Kevin Figg. Minerva had insisted on going with Albus to face Grindelwald and, as he'd recuperated from the injuries he'd sustained during that duel, they had had many long talks.
They confessed to their love for each other during their first talk and had discussed many things during their subsequent talks. Not the least of which was marriage. They had married the previous year, but chose to keep it a secret because many of Grindelwald's followers were still at large, with grudges against Albus. Some also had grudges against Minerva as well, thanks in part to her own efforts during the war.
However, that wasn't why he was pacing the hallway and casting worried glances at the bedroom door. No, the reason was because of something she'd told him six months earlier, during the winter holidays...
* * *
_"Albus?" Her voice was quiet, with a trace of her accent to soften it.
"Hmm?" he asked, rolling onto his back and bringing her to rest on his shoulder. "What is it, Tabby?"
"I have a special Christmas present for you," she murmured, stretching to kiss his chin.
"You've already given me one," he answered teasingly, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose.
She swatted the arm encircling her waist. "I don't mean *that*, Albus."
"What do you mean, then?" he inquired curiously.
She grabbed his free hand, which had been stroking her side, and placed it on her stomach. He thought he felt a slight swell under his hand. "I'm pregnant, Albus."
He froze, unsure he'd heard her correctly. "Did you just say that you're pregnant, my dear?"
She nodded, a tentive smile on her face. "Yes, I did."
A smile slowly spread across his face and he gathered her to him for a warm, tender kiss. "That's wonderful."
"It certainly is," she agreed with a laugh..._
* * *
"Albus?" He was brought back to the present by the sound of Poppy Pomfrey's voice.
He looked at the mediwitch, his heart hammering in his chest. "Yes, Poppy?"
* * *
The twins had not moved from their spots, although they'd given up all pretense of reading, both books closed and set aside. When the sound of footsteps reached their ears, they both sat up and stared hard at the door. Their stepfather appeared in the doorway, carrying a bundle of blankets. Both children watched as Albus walked over to the couch and sat down. "Come here, Daniel."
The boy abandoned his spot on the floor and scrambled onto the couch to sit beside the older wizard. Erica already occupied the other side. The two children leaned forward to look into the bundle of blankets. A baby nestled there, eyes tightly shut and face still red from crying. "Is it a boy baby or a girl baby, Father?"
"It's a girl, Danny-boy," Albus replied, his gaze focused on the little girl.
"Does that mean you don't love me anymore?" Erica asked, trying hard to keep her lower lip from trembling.
"Oh, no, Rica." He shifted the baby to one arm so he could gather the girl close. "Never. You're my daughter as much as Anna, here, is, and I love just as much as I love her."
"Thanks, Papa," Erica kissed his cheek and snuggled close to him.
"You're welcome, Rica." He kissed the top of her head and looked at his stepson. "Well, Daniel? What do you think of your new sister?"
"She's awfully tiny," Daniel commented, his gaze riveted to the little girl. "How long will it be before I can play with her?"
Albus chuckled softly, careful not to wake the baby. It's going to be several years before it'll be safe to play with her the way you play with Erica."
"Yes, Father." Daniel nodded solemnly, but Albus could tell the wheels were turning in the boy's head.
"Danny, Rica, I want you two to know something very important," Albus told the twins seriously, shifting the baby in his arms. "Anna is very fragile. You're not to be rough with her at all until she's older. You're not to hold her unless your mother or I give you permission. Understood?"
"Yes, Papa." "Yes, Father."
"Good." Albus kissed each of them on the tops of their heads and stood up. "Now, I must take Anna up to your mother."
"When can we see her?" Erica asked. "Ma, I mean."
"She's asleep right now," he told them, "but I'm sure she'll want to see you when she wakes up."
The twins nodded and watched as their stepfather left the room, Anna cradled carefully against his chest.
A/N: Albus finally becomes a father in every sense of the word.
A little girl sat curled up on the large couch in the family room, brown hair pulled into two long braids, deep blue eyes focused on the storybook in her lap. The illusion that she was reading industriously would have been better served if the book had been right side up and if she turned a page once in awhile. A little boy was sprawled on his stomach in the middle of the floor. His arms were folded in front of him and he rested his chin upon them, gray eyes focused, not on the open book in front of him, but on the open door. He had a mop of unruly black hair that refused to be tamed, no matter how much he tried.
In the upstairs hall, a tall thin man with long auburn hair and a matching beard paced back and forth, bright blue eyes worried behind the half-moon spectacles perched on the bridge of his long, crooked nose. Midnight blue robes embroidered with silver moons and stars swished with each pass. The man's name was Albus Dumbledore. He was the professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was also the Deputy Headmaster of the school to Armando Dippet and Head of Gryffindor House. He had become famous about a year before when he'd defeated the Dark Wizard, Grindelwald in a duel that nearly killed him as well.
The reason it hadn't was the object of his anxiety now. Minerva McGonagall was a powerful young witch with an extensive knowledge of healing spells. Thanks in part to her first husband, Samuel Potter. Samuel had abused Minerva for the last two years of their marriage, until he'd hit his son, Daniel, when the boy (only four at the time) had tried to protect his mother. Minerva had promptly Stunned her husband, packed up herself and the two children, and run to Albus because she'd had nowhere else to go.
After the children had been put to bed, she spilled the whole story to him. The divorce had been accomplished quickly with little fuss. Her self- confidence shattered, Minerva had traveled to the continent to help in the war effort, leaving Daniel and Erica with their aunt and uncle, Arabella and Kevin Figg. Minerva had insisted on going with Albus to face Grindelwald and, as he'd recuperated from the injuries he'd sustained during that duel, they had had many long talks.
They confessed to their love for each other during their first talk and had discussed many things during their subsequent talks. Not the least of which was marriage. They had married the previous year, but chose to keep it a secret because many of Grindelwald's followers were still at large, with grudges against Albus. Some also had grudges against Minerva as well, thanks in part to her own efforts during the war.
However, that wasn't why he was pacing the hallway and casting worried glances at the bedroom door. No, the reason was because of something she'd told him six months earlier, during the winter holidays...
* * *
_"Albus?" Her voice was quiet, with a trace of her accent to soften it.
"Hmm?" he asked, rolling onto his back and bringing her to rest on his shoulder. "What is it, Tabby?"
"I have a special Christmas present for you," she murmured, stretching to kiss his chin.
"You've already given me one," he answered teasingly, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose.
She swatted the arm encircling her waist. "I don't mean *that*, Albus."
"What do you mean, then?" he inquired curiously.
She grabbed his free hand, which had been stroking her side, and placed it on her stomach. He thought he felt a slight swell under his hand. "I'm pregnant, Albus."
He froze, unsure he'd heard her correctly. "Did you just say that you're pregnant, my dear?"
She nodded, a tentive smile on her face. "Yes, I did."
A smile slowly spread across his face and he gathered her to him for a warm, tender kiss. "That's wonderful."
"It certainly is," she agreed with a laugh..._
* * *
"Albus?" He was brought back to the present by the sound of Poppy Pomfrey's voice.
He looked at the mediwitch, his heart hammering in his chest. "Yes, Poppy?"
* * *
The twins had not moved from their spots, although they'd given up all pretense of reading, both books closed and set aside. When the sound of footsteps reached their ears, they both sat up and stared hard at the door. Their stepfather appeared in the doorway, carrying a bundle of blankets. Both children watched as Albus walked over to the couch and sat down. "Come here, Daniel."
The boy abandoned his spot on the floor and scrambled onto the couch to sit beside the older wizard. Erica already occupied the other side. The two children leaned forward to look into the bundle of blankets. A baby nestled there, eyes tightly shut and face still red from crying. "Is it a boy baby or a girl baby, Father?"
"It's a girl, Danny-boy," Albus replied, his gaze focused on the little girl.
"Does that mean you don't love me anymore?" Erica asked, trying hard to keep her lower lip from trembling.
"Oh, no, Rica." He shifted the baby to one arm so he could gather the girl close. "Never. You're my daughter as much as Anna, here, is, and I love just as much as I love her."
"Thanks, Papa," Erica kissed his cheek and snuggled close to him.
"You're welcome, Rica." He kissed the top of her head and looked at his stepson. "Well, Daniel? What do you think of your new sister?"
"She's awfully tiny," Daniel commented, his gaze riveted to the little girl. "How long will it be before I can play with her?"
Albus chuckled softly, careful not to wake the baby. It's going to be several years before it'll be safe to play with her the way you play with Erica."
"Yes, Father." Daniel nodded solemnly, but Albus could tell the wheels were turning in the boy's head.
"Danny, Rica, I want you two to know something very important," Albus told the twins seriously, shifting the baby in his arms. "Anna is very fragile. You're not to be rough with her at all until she's older. You're not to hold her unless your mother or I give you permission. Understood?"
"Yes, Papa." "Yes, Father."
"Good." Albus kissed each of them on the tops of their heads and stood up. "Now, I must take Anna up to your mother."
"When can we see her?" Erica asked. "Ma, I mean."
"She's asleep right now," he told them, "but I'm sure she'll want to see you when she wakes up."
The twins nodded and watched as their stepfather left the room, Anna cradled carefully against his chest.