Okay so I was supposed to work on NOM but I couldn't get this story out of my head so I am going to give it it's go till my fickle muses step in!
This chapter is mainly a filler to show Lisa in her home and how Harry's arrival will and can impact it. She's new to the whole baby thing lol.
Lisa's sight flecked with darkness for a split second, when she apparated in the center of living room. Taking a deep and shuddering breath to steady her body, her arms tightened experimentally on the bundled babe at her chest, just to make sure he was still fine.
To her relief, the child grumbled at her too tight hold, fat fists waving to get out of the blankets now that some degree of warmth had been garnered. Lisa dare not put him down however; she knew what she had done.
She had just brought in the boy responsible for the destruction of the most evil villain in her time; news had travelled like wildfire and there was no telling when some death eater might want to get even. The child wasn't safe anywhere, wouldn't be if she had deduced from her visions and truth be told, Lisa herself wasn't the most reliable of protectors.
But she'd do her best, which she was sure of.
She carefully shifted the baby around to unravel him from the blankets, dropping them on the wooden floor at her feet, and took him to the sofa, placing him carefully with his head on a cushion.
Baby Harry took a moment to open big green eyes, looking about his new surroundings and Lisa took a moment to take a few deep breaths. She raised her eyes to take a good look around her house.
The Wizarding town of Falmouth had been kind to her in the ravaged time of war. She had stumbled in this town with barely anything to her name but had been taken by the kind town Healer and his wife, childless and pining for family as they were. She had been as much a substitute of a daughter for them as they had been parents to her for the past five years, working, eating, with Mr. and Mrs. Blishen.
The small cottage house that she lived in was now full of what she had been able to afford with your job as a librarian, assistant and mainly receptionist for Mr. Blishen's healing facility, full of mismatched furniture and just the basics of what a witch would need to live comfortably alone.
However, it was the first breath of independence she had and she couldn't be more grateful for the second chance she'd been given.
Now – she glanced back at the small chubby baby – she was no longer alone, she had someone who would be dependent on her in turn and she wanted her humble adobe to be suitable for her charge. Her eyes shifted to the door in the corner of the living room, leading to a second room that she had never used. It would serve as a nice nursery, she thought tiredly, eyelids drooping, and it was also big enough to become a bedroom for a growing boy…with a closet and all…
Lisa was shaken awake by a sharp kick to her knee. Jolting and sitting up, she looked around hurriedly in a panic, eyes falling to the boy she'd carelessly left in front of her on the sofa. She stared at the baby, his eyes fluttering open and close.
Well done, she scolded herself; you already left him defenseless first thing. Sighing in annoyance, she rubbed at her eyes, tired and bloodshot from all the magic she'd used today.
She didn't want to pick up the baby first thing; worried it might be get annoyed at being held so much and getting hot. One year olds needed space to flail about, didn't they? They needed to walk, crawl, move about…
Lisa sighed again; maybe she should ask Mr. Blishen about the baby.
The thought sent a bolt of realization through her.
She hadn't said a word to either of the Blishen couple about what she had set out to do. They were no doubt going to be joining the celebrations of You-Know-Who`s death. The Medic House would be closed for as long as he wished, giving Lisa plenty of time to watch over the young celebrity, but what about after that?
The world would move on, and she could hardly keep the fact that she had a baby in her house, Harry Potter no less, someone who would need constant watching over, a secret.
No, she would have to let the Blishens know. But not now…
Lisa got to her feet, turning to look out the window. A pale sunlight was already streaming in, strengthening with every passing minute.
A whole night gone and no sleep…she yawned, bending down to sit up baby Potter.
Harry leaned back against the sofa, those piercing green eyes that must have seen too much already, and would see so much more meeting hers in puzzled curiosity. His head tilted when she smiled – still unable to place her in his tiny memory.
"You don't know me, Harry. I hope you won't mind knowing me though. I did something very impulsive very fast so I am very sorry. I couldn't have let you go through what I saw though. Merlin," She dropped her head on the heel of her palm. "I hope to all the powers that be that I'm not wrong, because if I am then I put you in a lot of danger." She looked up again. "But I will care for you and I will protect you and I will love you as much as anyone can love their child."
Harry blinked two times before breaking out in chortles, tiny teeth glistening in his mouth. Lisa knew he hadn't understood a damn word she'd just said but the chuckles were a breaking point. She reached out to tickle his stomach with her index finger, smiling when he reached over to grab at it.
"I hope that's enough." She muttered.
Lisa may have not known everything that was needed to take care of a baby but she knew the basics; she knew enough from watching Mr. Blishen work with the wizard babies that were brought in for care and healing.
The first thing she did was clean Harry up. Shedding off the clothes he had to wear which had his traumatic night latched on to him, she threw them into the washing tub, the washboard and water immediately setting to work. She bathed him in the kitchen in a huge tin tub. Rubbing him dry, she dressed him in a small muggle shirt she had shrunk to his size, propping him back in the large armchair in front of the fireplace.
She had never had to use it in years, not being in the house for too long and that no one ever visited her but the Blishens who simply apparated.
"You'll need milk." She talked to herself, making notes as to what the baby would need. She had already put clothes and nappies on the list. She reached into the muggle refrigerator she had purchased, finding its ability to chill food so much better than having to wave her wand all the time.
Muggle contraptions and advancements saved her from having to use too much energy on magic, and also gave her the comfort of appearing normal. The bills that came were easily sorted; she didn't spend any money on herself.
Keeping an eye on the boy who was now sidling off the chair, using its arms to half lift and half crawl himself around, she decided to use magic instead of the heater. Her wand waved over the bottle, bare wisps of heat warming the milk enough for a baby's mouth and she poured it into a chipped mug, noting to get baby equipment as well.
"I know what I'm doing." She said out loud, just to comfort herself. She could have easily conjured up whatever she needed but it would've sucked up the last bout of strength that she was stubbornly holding on to. She didn't think it would be very well to pass out with the baby roaming about.
After feeding and washing Harry, she sat in her armchair, watching as Harry – now crawling too fast – made his way from the small office to the kitchen and back, getting used to the space. Lisa's eyes went back to the door of the second room.
She got up, blinking to clear the haze of exhaustion from her eyes and picked up Harry, scooping him into her arms to carry him inside the room.
The door stuck a little from disuse but she managed to push it open, examining the room critically.
It wasn't too big, but not very small either. There was a nice closet, big windows…the walls were bare but she was sure she could use enough magic to decorate it. She'd have to take it slow for renovation magic but she was capable enough for it.
"This is going to be your room, Harry." Lisa put him down, Harry immediately crawling to the windows to where the light poured in.
This was better than the mice and spiders he'd have to live with under the crumbling stairs, Lisa thought bitterly.
The day passed too slowly for Lisa, coming to an end almost as if it wanted to see how far she could stretch. It was still too early to take him anywhere out, she thought, checking her baby sustaining goods sadly. Asking someone to babysit, even Mrs. Blishen was out of the question and she didn't want to take Harry to the muggle supermarket just yet.
Lisa had spent the better part of the evening swinging Harry on the small swing set on her porch, the baby tiring from crawling about and no doubt finally feeling the events of last night. He curled up against Lisa's neck, his warmth providing some small comfort to Lisa.
Day one and he's still breathing, she thought to herself pensively, walking inside the house and sealing the door behind her. The spell burned its way up her arm, momentarily turning it to lead.
Her mouth pinched at the numbness, her hand loosing grip on her wand before she brought out the blanket Harry had been wrapped in from the living room closet. Swaddling him in again, she placed him in her bed, tucking in pillows on either side of him just in case he decided to roll over.
There was nothing else to do, she thought backing away while watching the child. She couldn't last more days like this. she would have to go out, get food, earn money to take care of both herself and Harry. She'd have to tell someone.
But how could she do that without word getting out?
There was also no way she'd be able to protect Harry singlehandedly if they came. She was absolutely not a dueler – especially not when her magic refused to come into use properly. Her powers had failed her long ago.
The cogs of her brain rolled; similar to when she'd wake up from dreams of the boy and his fate, staring at the ceiling and planning ways to steer the future clear.
Moving to her desk, she rummaged for parchment and a crushed quill, the small bottle of ink smudging her fingers as she dipped the tip in, placing it hesitatingly at start of the paper.
Professor Dumbledore,
She stopped, bottom lip tugging into her teeth, thinking about how to frame the letter. There was so much she knew, that she was sure he knew as well, but he had his reasons and she was only hindering him.
How well would he take this letter?
You don't know me. My name is Lisa Westfield and the Boy Who Lived; is with me right now. Please listen to what I have to say…
She wrote out what she had done and was able to do as clearly as she could, requesting a face to face meeting as she couldn't put everything about the current situation into a letter.
She would have to get an owl, she thought, to send letters. One quick glance at the sleeping baby, she walked to the pantry, opening the door and peering at the numerous jars on the shelves. She found floo powder at the very top of the shelf, dusty and cobwebbed. Undoing the lid, she carried it to the unused fireplace, sprinkling the glittering ash like powder onto the grate.
In seconds, roaring green fire filled the fireplace, but there was no heat, no smoke from the flames, simply waiting for a passenger.
"Um, could you send this letter? Headmaster Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts," she dropped the parchment into the fire. Instead of burning the sheet into a crisp, the fireplace burned brighter, absorbing the letter completely before dying out, leaving behind a cold, empty grate again.
Lisa exhaled from her mouth.
There, now she'd have to wait.
Bum Bum Bum! Like I said, filler chapter...and way too early. Sorry for that.
At least the next chapter is going to be more plot filled.
Next up: Dumbledore comes in to pay a visit, Lisa's backstory is discussed more, oh and yes, there will be an obstruction to wrongful imprisonment. I've said too much lol.
Please let me know if you liked it!