A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
Chapter Five
Later that afternoon, Remus was woken up by the sound of distant voices, voices that sounded oddly familiar. However, before he had time to wonder who it was, Remus realized that although he was still in his bed in the Hospital Wing, he was now being cradled against someone's chest, that someone's arms wrapped protectively around him. Turning slowing in the warm embrace, Remus was grinned as he saw that it was Sirius who was next to him in bed. Not that he'd expected anyone else, really, but it was still difficult for him to accept that this wasn't a dream.
"Morning, love," Sirius murmured. Remus started, not having noticed that the other man was awake. He smiled happily.
"Sirius," Remus said with a chuckle, "It's afternoon, you twit."
"Mmm, so it is," Sirius said, ignoring the last part as he pulled his lover closer to him and gave him a light kiss on the lips before sitting up. "Who's that talking?"
"Dumbledore and a couple of other people, I think. Can't tell who, though." Before they had time to ponder the question any further, Madame Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore stepped out of the nurse's office, and seeing that they were awake, approached Remus' bed. Pomfrey looked as though she throwing Sirius out of her ward for disturbing her patient but refrained at a look from Professor Dumbledore. "Hello, Albus, Poppy. Is something wrong?" Remus asked, noticing the odd look on the nurse's face.
"Not precisely, Remus. Madame Pomfrey is finished with her tests, and is glad to say that there is nothing wrong with you," Dumbledore said with an amused twinkle in his eye. However, Sirius could tell that there was more to it than that.
"However," the nurse said, seeing Remus about to get out of the bed. "There is one last test that I would like to perform. I have my suspicions about why you fainted earlier, and I just want to confirm them."
Remus glanced at Sirius, before nodding. "Okay. Do whatever you need to do," he told her.
Pomfrey stepped up to the bedside, her wand pointed directly at Remus' abdomen. She muttered a spell that Remus couldn't understand, and a jet of white light shot out of her wand towards him. Sirius wrapped his arms back around his mate, as Remus' abdomen began to glow, first white, then changing to blue, then pink, and once more flashing to blue before finally fading away. Both men looked up at her curiously and neither missed the looks of open amusement she and Professor Dumbledore now wore.
"Um, what was that?" Remus asked, a bit nervously.
"Oh, nothing dear." Madame Pomfrey said, her voice practically ringing with laughter. "Just a little pregnancy test."
Sirius' eyes bulged, and he knew that Remus was wearing the same shocked expression as him. "Pregnancy test? But why would Remus need a – a pregnancy test? He's a guy! Men can't get pregnant! Right?" He said, looking at Remus a bit uncertainly. He looked just as flabbergasted as Sirius was.
Madame Pomfrey smiled in amusement, still trying to hold in her laughter. "Well, for most men that is the truth. However, male werewolves can in fact become pregnant, Mr. Black. It is incredibly rare, so I'm not really surprised you didn't know, but believe me, it is very much true."
"So, am I pregnant?" Remus asked faintly.
The nurse's smile widened, as did Professor Dumbledore's. "Yes, you are Mr. Lupin. You are currently two months along, with triplets, in fact. I can even tell you the genders, if you want to know," She said, looking between the two men on the bed.
Remus turned to look at Sirius, the question evident in his eyes. Sirius thought for a moment, still trying to accept the fact that his mate was pregnant. "Well, we've never exactly talked about having kids before, but it doesn't sound like such a bad idea. I mean, it isn't as if we don't have a large enough place to live, already. And I'm sure Molly would be more than glad to give us any help. Besides," he said with a slight grin, "it isn't as if we've never taken care of infants before. We certainly had plenty of experience with Harry."
"You're right, I suppose," Remus said, smiling slightly. "But what about Voldemort? He's not exactly going to go away any time soon, you know. And we can't forget about the fact that the Ministry is still after you, love," he said in concern.
"Remus, didn't you listen to what Dumbledore told you earlier?" Sirius asked, glancing at the venerable Headmaster before turning his attention back to the man in his arms. "He found away to defeat Voldemort years ago. He's already said that he would be willing to give us the method, so that our Dumbledore can perform it as well. And with Voldemort gone, it won't be too difficult to catch Wormtail. Then the Ministry will have to pardon me." He looked closer at Remus. "Do you want to have kids, love?"
Remus paused for a moment, taking in everything Sirius had told him. Then he slowly began to smile. "Yes," he said with a small nod. "I suppose I do want to. So what are their genders?" He asked, turning back to face Madame Pomfrey.
"Two boys and a girl," She said, smiling happily. "And they're all very healthy. Now, if you've got any questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them."
"Thank you," Sirius said. "I was wondering. What happens on the full moon?"
"Well, obviously, Mr. Lupin has already experienced one full moon without any adverse effects on the embryos. For the moment, the babies are not developed enough to be endangered by the transformation. However, as he gets farther along in the pregnancy, the wolf will become more dormant. Which means that once he enters his fifth month, he will not transform until the second full moon after the babies are born," Madame Pomfrey said with a smile.
"Why the second?" Sirius asked, and he smiled when he saw the look of wonder on Remus' beautiful face. He would be able to experience a full moon without transforming for the first time since he could remember.
"Because the wolf will still be weak for a while after the births." She said. "Anything else?"
"Yes," Remus said, blushing slightly. "How exactly am I supposed to actually give birth?"
"It's quite simple, really," Madame Pomfrey said, as Professor Dumbledore took a seat to the right of his bed. "About two weeks before the babies are born, you will begin to grow the necessary body parts for childbirth. You already have a womb, obviously."
"Obviously," Remus muttered wryly, as Sirius gave him a light kiss on the neck. "Is there a chance that they will be werewolves?"
Remus and Sirius were both very much relieved when Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "No, there isn't. However, they will have a bit of werewolf in them. That means that although they won't transform, and certainly won't be a danger to anyone else, they will have certain physical characteristics common to werewolves who are in their human forms."
Remus nodded in understanding. "You mean they'll have look like werewolves do in our human forms?"
"Precisely. Not only that, but they may also have some of the improved strength, hearing, eyesight, and sense of smell that you have. Most importantly, because your wolf form will see them as his 'cubs' you won't be a danger to them, even without any Wolfsbane Potion."
"That's great!" Sirius said with a smile. Remus nodded. "I don't think we have any more questions, do you, love?"
"No, I can't think of anything else," Remus said.
Madame Pomfrey nodded and said, "Well if you do, don't hesitate to ask." Then she turned and walked back to her office.
As she left, Professor Dumbledore stood up and said, "Well, congratulations you two. I believe you will make wonderful parents."
"Thank you sir," Remus said, and both men beamed happily.
Dumbledore nodded in acknowledgement. "However, before we begin celebrating, I believe there are a few people you might want to meet. It will be a while yet before I'll be ready to send you back to your own universe, so I thought you might enjoy the chance to converse with a few friends in this world," he said, before walking back towards the end of the ward, presumable to get whoever it was he was talking about.
Remus turned to Sirius in confusion. "Sirius? Do you have any idea what he's talking about?"
"I think so," Sirius said with a smirk. "If I'm not mistaken, he's gone to get our counterparts from this world, whom I've already met, along with a few others."
"Like who?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sirius didn't say anything, choosing instead to simply nod in the direction of the entrance to the Hospital Wing, where four figures were now approaching them. Remus looked, and went pale with shock. Not only did he see himself and Sirius coming towards them, but also two other adults who were undoubtedly James and Lily Potter.