Title: Full Moon Rising
Author: daemonwolf
Rating: PG-13
Distribution: ask, and ye shall receive
Notes: Wow... seriously, I didn't think it was that evil of a cliffy, but then again, I am the author... aheh... ::ducks rotten tomatoes:: oo Sorry 'bout that. And sorry for the sorta-long-kinda wait. As I mentioned in my bio (if any of y'all bother to read those things...) there were... extenuating circumstances (as well as a work-related injury... mrf.). So again, I apologize for the long wait. ::ducks rotten cabbages:: jeeze, y'all are a hard lot to please.
Speaking of hard to please.. I really didn't think too much about the reactions of James and Sirius to Remus' biting of Lily. After all, this is supposed to be a Harry-centric fic (yeah, I know... I'm gettin' there, alright?) so my main concern at the moment is actually getting to the good stuff. However, before you start the throwing of the rotten vegetables once more, there is good news for those who want Remus to get his (and all those Remus/Lily 'shippers out there... [cough cough hack hack]). As of now, I've a fic in the works that will deal with that very issue. I make no promises, but the first chapter of His Lycan Lily (or something cooler if I can think of it) should be out after Voldemort makes his grand entrance.
One other thing; a (not-so) tiny disclaimer. I completely claim ownership of the midwife Kat and James' new middle name. Since I really don't feel like searching my sister's room and reading through all five books JUST to find out if James has a middle name, his new middle name is.... Farfignewton. James Farfignewton Potter. Muahahahahaha! Fear the author with odd name-giving abilities.... yeah. The rest of the characters contained herein are property of one J.K. Rowling, the awesomest author around. The plotline and situations, however... ::grins demonically:: are mine. Hehehehe.
::whistles:: Holy flaming shit on a stick, batman, I didn't think this intro would be that long... wow. Erm, you'll forgive me if I don't individually thank each and every one of you for reviewing, won't you? I'm getting just as anxious to get on with the fic as y'all must be. So... thanks guys! Reviews are what makes the world go roundy-round!
Now I shut up, and you get to enjoy!
Full Moon Rising
Chapter Four: The Birth of a Monster
Both men stared at Lily as she struggled to speak. "James... the shock... the baby... I'm... having... JAMES!!!!" She screamed as another wave of pain hit her, this time located not around her injuries, but from deep within her belly.
Her scream of agony shook both men from their respective trances, forcing them into action. "Oh, shit," breathed Sirius.
James, still in shock over the entire episode, could only nod and respond, "yup. I think this definitely qualifies as an 'oh shit' moment. Or maybe an 'aw, fuck' moment. But I could be wrong. It could be—"
Lily chose that moment to interject her two cents. "James F. Potter, I'm gonna KILL you!" Her glare could've killed a lesser man. In James' case, he cringed in fear of his birthing wife. The aforementioned wife took a deep breath after the contraction was past, and continued her tirade. "You and that, that THING of yours DID this to me! Once this baby comes out I'm NEVER letting you near me AGAIN! JAAAAMMMEEESS!!!!" Her last was turned into a shriek of pain as another contraction hit her. James looked toward his best friend for help.
"Um," Sirius was stuck for ideas. Where was Remus when you needed him? Oh yeah. He took a breath, and searched his mind for someone who could help. An ex-girlfriend maybe? That's it! "James, there's this girl I used to go out with. She's a medi-witch and part-time midwife. She—"
James stopped his best friend. "Bring her here, dammit! We need all the help we can get!" With a sharp crack, Sirius disappeared leaving James to deal with his very pissed off wife.
Unheeding of her injuries (since she was far beyond any external pain), James dragged Lily over to the sofa in the next room, so she could lean against something other than the wall in the hallway. After making certain she was as comfortable as someone in her position could be, James pulled what he could from his small store of knowledge of Muggle birthing rituals and rushed into the kitchen to boil a pot of water before bring it and some clean towels from the linen closet to her side.
The nearby towels gave him an idea, and acting on it, he plunged one into the bowl of water and began cleaning off Lily's wounds. "Ouch," she hissed during one of the short moments of mental clarity between contractions and threats to his manhood. James could only nod between the tears that were threatening to spill from his frustrated eyes. He had known her wounds were going to be bad, but—to this extent? Her left arm had been completely chewed up—not even magic would be able to salvage what was left. As for her right arm... that, at least, had escaped most of the injury Remus had inflicted. Remus, James thought bitterly, you had better escape tonight, 'cause if you're still around in the morning, I'm gonna kill you, you bastard.
After cleaning what he could, James kissed his wife's forehead, and surreptitiously scrubbed a couple of tears from his face so Lily wouldn't see. He was about to move her head to his lap when two sharp cracks shook the house's foundations. "James? Meet Kat, the mid-wife. Katie? James and Lily." Sirius made the quick introductions as Kat brought her medi-witch bag to bear.
"Nice to meet you both, James. Lily. Now both of you, to the next room, please." She held up a hand to forestall any objections. "I've handled births many times before, boys. Believe me, I know what I'm doing. And I see you do too, James," she nodded toward the bowl of water and the towels. "Thank you for that. Now get out of the way." With that said, she shoved both disgruntled men out of the room and slammed the door shut.
For the next four and a half hours, both James and Sirius would wince whenever Lily would scream. Neither man could stand the suspense, but Sirius broke first and jumped up to pace the room. He stopped short after a moment, and tried his luck at glaring a hole through the carpeting. "Damn his hide. I'll kill him. I swear, tomorrow morning..." He punched his fist against the wall.
James, however, had regressed back into a state of shock where he could ignore everything around him and work things out in his own mind, which was currently trying to wrap itself around the fact that his wife was now a—a werewolf. Thus, Sirius' declaration went unheard, and after letting out a tired sigh, James slid down the wall he was leaning against to think. His mind went through all the usual avenues of denial and anger as he finally came to realize what was happening—what would happen to their eclectic family. She... she can't be. This is all a dream. Just one horrible nightmare that I'll wake up from in a minute... C'mon Jimbo, wake the fuck up! He pinched himself harshly, hoping against hope that this was just a dream. Ow. Aw, fuckbutt. This is no dream. It's my worst effing nightmare. Lily and my son may be werewolves, all because I wasn't there to stop—he paused for a moment, realizing just on whom the blame did belong. –Remus. He did this. He'll pay for that. By Merlin, I swear he'll pay.
On the other side of the room, Sirius was experiencing similar mental turmoil as he, too, coped with the events of the day. I swear, tomorrow the wolf dies. The bastard, how could he do this? To Lily, of all people? He's betrayed us all, Sirius thought furiously, once again punching the wall next to him, only to come away sucking his slightly bruised knuckles. Ow, dammit! That hurt! Standing there, knuckles red from repeated contact with the wall, Sirius' Auror training kicked in as he finally realized the futility of his anger.
What the hell am I doing? He asked himself, Remus is one of my best friends, and here I stand condemning him to death for something beyond his control. We know he's not in control when the beast comes to the surface. He shook his head, chuckling self-depreciatingly. You've hit a new low, Padfoot ol' boy. That 'wolf is about the best you've got at understanding what'll happen to Lily and her son, and all you can think of is revenge for a slight not caused to you personally! If anything, it should be Lily thinking these thoughts, not you, you stupid mutt, he went on, berating himself for his stupidity while James plotted revenge in the other corner. That was how Kat found them when she entered to announce the birth of a brand-new Potter.
"James? Sirius?" Kat's exhausted voice shook both men from their respective reveries. As James stood and Sirius walked over to place a supporting hand on Kat's shoulder, she glanced at the sometime-mutt gratefully before breaking the news to James. "James Potter," she began professionally. "Congratulations. It is now midnight on July thirty-first. You're a father," she smiled at the new father tiredly as she opened the door to Lily's room. "Go on, you can go in," she assured the suddenly struck-dumb father. Gulping, James nodded his thanks to the exhausted mid-wife before heading into the makeshift birthing room and closing the door softly behind him.
It was all he could to do to breathe when he saw his wife for the first time since the attack. She was reclining peacefully against the side of a nearby sofa, watching her son suckle at a breast. To James, she didn't seem to be in any pain whatsoever, and when he moved to get a closer look, he could see that every single wound she suffered during Remus' attack had healed, leaving her arms pearly smooth, without a single scar to tell what she had been through. He had to look again, just to be certain. But that arm was mangled beyond repair, he exclaimed to himself as he sat down next to his wife. Aloud he said, "how are you feeling?"
Lily turned her head from its position watching the baby and looked at her husband sideways. "You know I didn't mean what I said back there, right?"
James had to think for a moment. Finally, he just said, "what?"
Lily sighed, and settled the baby in her embrace. "Never mind, my love. I'm fine. How are you doing?"
James' brain was confused, trying to follow his wife's train of thought. "Wait a moment. What was it that you could've regretted saying?"
Lily shook her head, dismissing the topic. "Forget it. You obviously weren't paying attention, and I was in the throes of labor. Don't worry yourself." She turned her head back to the child, who was now fast asleep. "We need a name, you know," she murmured softly.
James smiled, finally feeling as though he had a foothold in the conversation. "What, can't we just call him James Junior?"
Lily laughed softly, shaking her head in the negative. "No, silly. I know you're egotistical, but I didn't know you were that bad."
James sat up on his haunches, feigning offence. "What, me? Egotistical? Honey, who did you think you married?"
With a snort, Lily replied, "obviously someone who's far too certain of himself, that's for sure. Hmm... I know! We can name him after my grandfather. He wasn't at all like you," she grinned at her husband, mischief in her eyes.
"Oh, that hurts. All right then, which one? Harold or Jebediah?"
Lily winced at the mention of her mother's grandfather. "I don't know what great-Grandmama was thinking when she named her son Jebediah. Seriously. Let's name him Harold. I always liked Grandpa Harry."
James nodded his assent. "Very well then, Harry it is. But since he is being named after his mother's grandfather, can he take his father's name as his middle?"
Lily sighed, knowing there was no way she could win. "All right. Harold James Potter it is."
James grinned broadly and kissed both wife and son on their respective foreheads, then moved back to his wife to kiss her again on the lips, as if sealing the agreement. "I'll go tell Sirius. Get some rest, alright love?"
Lily nodded sleepily, and shifted baby Harry again in her arms. "Good night, darling," she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.
"Good night," James whispered as silently, he left her sleeping form and shut the door softly behind him.
There, that looks like a good place to finish for now. Next time, enter Voldemort and prepare for the first chapter of His Lycan Lily, immediately following the posting of Voldemort... (I hope...) Toodles, y'all!