Disclaimer: You should know by now what is not mine.
Thank yous: Eleonora1, Sesshomaru-is-my-master, yoblossom, Seduction, Marblez, Sarahamanda, ShiTiger, Malefacent Black, ThouandI, XxVampire EmpressxX, Goddess of Gorgeousness, Nemi Jade, Orlin, im no muggle, Nercomi, Sezza Rikda, and Isabella Rossellini, Remusgrl01, Lliira, nercomi, Darka-Chan.
Eleonora1: Yes, I suddenly adore Lucius/Sirius again. You are a good guesser but I am also not very subtle. Don't worry, Severus/Remus will be along very soon.
Seduction: I was being serious about the two or so chapters left, sorry!
As Goddess of Gorgeousness pointed out, I said Lucius was seven months pregnant at the beginning of last chapter, and six months pregnant near the end. He was seven months pregnant throughout the entire chapter, so just ignore my 'six months' mistake.
Saying that, Lucius is eight months pregnant this chapter.
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Chapter 6: Secrets Told
Sirius sat on the bed that he now shared with one Lucius Malfoy, leaning against the headboard, with a very pregnant blond between his legs, using his own body as a backrest. He was gently running his hands up and down Lucius's arms and occasionally playing with the silky blond hair. "You need to relax."
Lucius shifted slightly against his fellow ex-convict's body and grumbled out a reply, "Easy for you to say, you are not the one who is eight months pregnant. You are also not fat and ugly."
Sirius sighed and pressed a kiss to the back of Lucius's neck, "Neither are you, Blondie, now don't start running yourself down again," he watched as the blond head turned and silver eyes gave him a nasty Malfoy glare. "There's no point in glaring at me, you know I'm right."
"You are not."
"Yes, I am," the dark haired man wrapped his arms around Lucius's upper body and nuzzled the pregnant man's neck. "You are gorgeous, Luce, you always have been, and you know full well that that's the truth. Cheer up a little; you're going to have your own little princess in about month's time."
Lucius smirked slightly, "I thought I had my own little prince, but that turned out to be wishful thinking."
Sirius ran his fingers through the long, thick hair of his new partner, "Well, you can start anew with this little tyke, can't you? Forget about the mistakes you made with raising your son, and focus on raising your daughter," Lucius rested his head back on Sirius's shoulder so that he could just see the dark haired man's face. "And anyway, Draco is half Black, no wonder he's a little shit."
Lucius smiled slightly but then he took on an almost sad look, "This child is the creation of two Death Eaters and rape, what does that say for her?"
"Maybe so," replied Sirius quietly. "But she will be raised by the better half, won't she? I'll help as well if you want to keep me around…"
"You have had next to no experience with raising a child, it is not easy, Sirius," Lucius took one of Sirius's hands in his and placed it on his stomach just as his baby kicked.
Sirius smiled, "Yes, well…I've had a little, I mean, I helped look after Harry for a bit before…well, you know what… Teenagers aren't easy to look after, I've realised…"
"Exactly," Lucius rubbed his forehead. "…I wouldn't exactly say I have ever been Father of the Year, but I would like another go at being a father…if I am given the chance of course."
Sirius frowned a little, "What do you mean 'if you're given the chance'?"
Lucius gently rubbed his stomach as he spoke again, this time quietly; "A condition of my house arrest was that I stay under Dumbledore's guard while I am pregnant. When I was taken out of my holding cell at the Ministry, I heard the guards talking about it, they said that when I've had this child she will be taken away from me and I will be sent straight to Azkaban 'where I belong'."
"The Ministry don't know where you are though," said Sirius thoughtfully. "And if Dumbledore doesn't turn up for you after you've had this baby then I think you'd be safe, I mean, they can't separate a baby from its only parent, its wrong."
"They have plausible grounds to do so, Sirius," the tone of Lucius's voice was getting sadder as he spoke now that the hard reality of what could happen to himself and his baby was forming in his mind. "If the Ministry found out that I have been here with you of all people, it would give them even more of a stronghold on taking my baby from me. We are both wanted criminals, they would not deem that suitable for a baby to grow up around."
"Dumbledore won't let tha-"
"Dumbledore hates me," Lucius cut the dark haired man off mid-speech. "He always has done, and rightly so, really. He has no reason for wanting to help me keep my child and keep my sorry arse out of Azkaban. Frankly, I am still reeling from the surprise of him keeping me out of that hell hole in the first place."
Sirius pressed a kiss to Lucius's jaw and sighed, "Well, he does have plenty of reason to dislike you, I understand that, but Dumbledore isn't so heartless as to let those idiots at the Ministry take a defenceless baby away from its father… Even if that defenceless baby is your flesh and blood, granted, he would probably throw your son to the giant squid at the first chance he got, but not a baby."
"…I hope you're right…"
……
"You look tired, Sirius," commented Remus after he had sat down at the kitchen table in Twelve Grimmauld Place a few days later.
Sirius rubbed his eyes and yawned, "I am tired, had a long chat with Luce last night…tried to console him…"
"Did it work?" asked the werewolf curiously. If he had to be completely honest, he was still a little uncertain about Lucius Malfoy but it seemed that the ex-Death Eater had changed for the better while being stuck in the Order Headquarters with Sirius. Also, he had not seen Sirius this happy in, literally, many years, and he knew Lucius played a big part in the happiness of his best friend.
Sirius gave a shrug, "I think so…" he gazed at his mug of coffee for a few moments. "Hey Rem?"
"Yeah?"
Sirius stayed silent for a moment before forming his question, "Do you think Dumbledore will have Lucius sent back to Azkaban once he's had the baby?"
Remus frowned slightly, leaning back in his chair as he thought Sirius's question over, "Honestly?" Sirius gave a nod. "I still don't think Dumbledore is all that fond of him, but I doubt he has the heart to split a newborn baby up from its parent. I couldn't be certain, and I certainly heard that that was the plan from Tonks, but… No, I really don't think it will happen, at least not right away…"
"I don't want it to happen," grumbled Sirius mournfully. "He only remained a Death Eater because he was scared."
"I don't blame him," Remus sighed. "Look, Sirius, I think there is every possibility that he will be allowed to raise that child; though I can easily see him being under house arrest for the rest of his life."
"As long as he isn't Azkaban…"
Remus tilted his head to the side and smiled slightly, "You really care about him, don't you?"
"Yes," replied Sirius hopelessly. "I mean, once you peel away the bastard exterior and the aristocratic aloofness, he's actually a really nice guy… 'Course that could just be because he's pregnant. I've always fancied him anyway; I just never liked the personality I saw."
Remus hesitated a moment before speaking again, "…So, has Lucius's presence extinguished the torch you've been carrying for James all these years?"
Sirius choked on his coffee, "You knew?"
"Of course I knew, Si. James may have been oblivious to it, but those around you two could see it," continued Remus truthfully. "Just in the way you looked at him it was obvious."
"Do you think Lily knew?"
Remus gave a nod of affirmation, "She did know; she and I had a chat about it once," Sirius looked affronted. "I don't think she ever said anything to James about it."
Sirius was fiddling with his hands on the table, as though he was nervous about something, "…I do still love James, and I probably always will…but I have Luce now. Anyway, I could hardly let on to Harry that I wanted to shag his father."
Remus snorted, "No, I don't think he would take it too well."
Sirius nodded in agreement, "Are you seeing anyone?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering," replied Sirius; he hadn't had a proper talk with Remus since Christmas. "You just seem much happier than usual, and at Christmas I'm sure I heard noises coming from your room."
Remus laughed, "Sorry."
"So you are seeing someone?"
"Yes, I am."
"Who is she? He?"
"He," Remus scratched his head. "I'm not sure I want to tell you who he is though, because I know you'll throw a fit."
"Oh, ye have little faith, Lupin," Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Tell me, please? I've been sharing a bed with Lucius Malfoy for the last couple of months; do you really think I'm liable to throw a fit?"
"I do, actually," the thing Remus said was mumbled so quietly that Sirius didn't quite catch it.
"Excuse me?"
Remus sighed, "I said, it's Severus."
Sirius blinked, had he heard correctly? Remus was in a relationship with Snape? Snape? "Snape?"
"Yes, see," said Remus. "You're getting uppity about it already, and you better not start whining about it, because you are with the man that talked Severus into becoming a Death Eater in the first place."
Sirius, who had his mouth open ready to speak, quickly closed it again; why did Remus always have to be right? But Severus Snape? He was a complete and utter bastard. Wasn't he? "Why him?"
"Why not?"
Sirius sighed, "Are you happy? Is he treating you right?"
Remus smiled, Sirius's concern was quite sweet really; in fact he had always found Sirius to be rather protective of him, especially at school. At least, every other time at school apart from the Willow Incident. "Yes, I am happy, and yes, he is treating me right. You have nothing to worry about," he saw Sirius's mouth start to open again. "I won't try and force you two to be civil to each other; I know it would be losing battle."
"Good, so long as you realise that."
……
After his long talk and catch up with Remus, Sirius headed back upstairs to check on the heavily pregnant, anti-social blond. "What are you doing?" he asked upon entering the bedroom to find Lucius jotting things down on a piece of parchment.
Lucius ran a hand through his long hair, "I'm writing down all the names I like that I'm considering for the baby."
Sirius crawled onto the bed beside the blond and pressed a kiss to his neck, "Got any on high priority?"
"Yes," Lucius finished scribbling another name on to his list and handed it to Sirius.
Sirius took the list and scanned down it, noting that the first four names were circled and highlighted more than the others on the list. "Isabelle. That's a nice name," Lucius smiled. "So you're tossing up between Isabelle, Maria, Karliya, and Elizabeth?"
Lucius rested his hands on his swelled abdomen, "Mmhmm. I suppose I could just give her all four of those names, but it's a bit of a mouthful."
"Yeah, a bit," Sirius gave the pregnant wizard a hug. "I was talking to Remus downstairs about your predicament," Lucius raised an eyebrow. "He seems fairly confident that you won't be sent back to Azkaban."
"Is he usually right?"
"About ninety nine point nine percent of the time, yes."
Lucius gave a grim smile, "I still think I'm going to prepare myself for the worst…" he let Sirius hold him close as he thought. "Can I ask you a favour?"
"Of course."
Lucius sighed and sniffed, "If I am sent back to Azkaban, will you look after my daughter for me?"
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Author's Note: Finally! Another update! Been a while, hasn't it?
Next Chapter: Final Chapter. Baby Girl Malfoy arrives. Sirius has a talk with Severus. Dumbledore makes a final appearance.