A/N: Sorry for the wait guys. I've been trying to figure out what in hell I'm going to do after I graduate and it's been distracting me from important things like Harry Potter fanfiction. Well here it is.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, get used to it, I have.

"Whoever said parenting comes naturally never lived with the Potter/Weasley clan." – Me

Chapter Twenty Nine

Now I'm Certain

For the past three hours James had been sitting in the waiting room outside Victoire's private room where she was working very hard to get her baby the hell out of her body. James, for his part, was trying to find a comfortable position but found it utterly impossible. The whole day had been miserable for him starting at midnight when his alarm clock had begun screaming profanities because Uncle George had snuck into his and Kira's room the night before and changed when the alarm went off and charmed it so that neither of them could turn it off. They had had to destroy it completely thus making them late for work. Of course Uncle George refused to take any responsibility for their tardiness or apologize for the death of their alarm clock.

He also refused to get them a new one, claiming that they should have known better than to let him alone in their flat.

And then Victoire had gone into labor right before lunch and right after Kira had offered him a sexy nap after they ate. So for the first half hour of sitting around with his family in the waiting room, he'd been uncomfortably aroused. Annoyance made quick work of that.

Initially James had insisted that Kira and he didn't need to be there but his father had shown up and dragged them to St. Mungo's. Honestly, the whole bloody family was there! He didn't see why he had to be there too. Even Albus, Lily, Rose and Hugo were there though they were technically supposed to be at school. His Uncle Ron had gone to the Headmistress and she'd agreed to let them Floo to the hospital for the birth of the next generation of the family. Lily had been thrilled when they arrived because McGonagall had let Scorpius come with her when she insisted he was as much a part of their family as Kira. Uncle Ron had agreed and he'd been excused for the day as well.

Al wasn't as lucky with Head Girl Anora Thomas. Even if they'd been dating longer than a few weeks she wouldn't have been able to go to the hospital because with the Head Boy gone someone needed to keep order over the student body. Scorpius had jokingly told James that with Albus gone she would finally do her job. Apparently she had taken to shagging Albus in broom closets during patrols and Scorpius had gotten an eyeful over the past few weeks not only in broom closets but in the Head Dorms as well. Now Scorpius refused to look into her room for any reason.

While Scorpius had been taking the mickey on Al Lily had sat next to him, her face scrunched up unhappily. James couldn't blame her. Hearing your boyfriend talk about walking in on his mate shagging his girlfriend who was probably nude at the time had to leave a bad taste in her mouth. James would have told him to shut it if his mate didn't look so happy. It was the first time in a long time that Scorpius seemed entirely unburdened by any angst. Albus had written him a few days before telling him (among other things) about their buddy Malfoy. According to Albus Malfoy was sleeping with their sister. James decided to ignore that. It was better for his friendship with Scorpius if Malfoy and Lily just didn't do that. (When they got married, they still wouldn't do that. When they had children, it would be a miracle.)

James glanced over to his sister. It seemed that… taking her relationship… to the next level hadn't done as much for her as it had for Scorpius. Damn it she didn't look happy at all anymore. James was about to suggest he and Scorpius take a walk to talk about how aware he was of Lily's emotional state (you know trying to be a good brother by sticking his nose where it didn't belong) when the door to the ward opened and in walked Astoria Malfoy. The older woman stopped short at the crowd of redheads, but quickly recovered looking through the bodies for her son, James was sure, because when she spotted him laughing with Albus her eyes were glued to him and brimming with tears. James tugged on Kira's hand and nodded in Astoria's direction.

"Elbow, Scorpius," she whispered. James did, when the other boy looked at him, he tilted his chin in Mrs. Malfoy's direction.

The waiting room was silent for a moment. James could see his whole family gearing up to protect Scorpius if necessary. He wasn't sure if the young Auror wanna-bee was aware of it or not but it struck James that his family should react so strongly to the potential threat of Astoria, a woman Scorpius claimed to love dearly. But really it wasn't all that odd that they would want to rally around him. As soon as his father had welcomed him into their house Scorpius had been considered by most to be part of the family. Just as had been done for Kira and Teddy. There wasn't a doubt in any of their minds, James realized, that Lily would one day marry the pureblood. James glanced at Grand Molly and Grandpa Arthur, they both look ready to pull out their wands if Astoria so much as made Scorpius grimace.

James blinked. When he'd befriended Scorpius all those years ago he'd done so mostly to spite his Uncle Ron who stupidly told Rose to stay away from him. Being told to stay away from somthing ensured James' desire to get as close to it as possible. Albus had followed suit with Scorpius. For him it was mostly because he had so many classes with Scorpius it made more sense to study and learn with him. Lily got close when she fell in love him. But the family refused to break faith with their own. When James and Albus made friends so did just about everyone else. No one questioned it. Not even after they found out everything that had happened during the Second War. It was as if they all understood that Scorpius had nothing to do with that.

"Scorpius," Astoria took a few steps towards her son but found her way blocked by a wall of redheads. "Please let me see my son," she begged.

Scorpius stood up and pushed his way through the Weasleys, Lily right behind him. He came face to face with her, but didn't speak. Astoria reached up to cup her boy's cheek, before her hand was half way up there were at least ten wands pointed at her. "Oh for the love of Merlin!" Lily snapped. "You're all so hex-happy. She's his mother. Let them alone a moment."

Very reluctantly the family pulled back, but all stayed close enough to come to Scorpius' aid if need be. Lily kissed his cheek, whispered in his ear and took the empty seat next to her oldest brother. Though James knew Lily wasn't particularly happy she kept her eyes trained on Scorpius as his mother stroked his cheeks and whispered to him. All at once James understood something he hadn't before. Not just about Lily's relationship with Scorpius but Astoria's relationship her son and all relationships between parents and children. Even though Scorpius had hurt his mother and was probably the reason Lily wasn't all that happy, both women loved him anyway. James likened it to how his parents always forgave him when he caused mischief at school and at home. He didn't make their lives easier, every once and awhile he made them harder but they still loved him.

It was a true love. An unconditional love. A love that forgave even those things it could not overlook.

James looked at Kira. They shared that kind of love. They would get mad at each other. Row like you wouldn't believe but they would forgive each other and fall even deeper in love. Their love would evolve taking on new hardships and bending around the things that challenged them.

"Could we go somewhere more private?" Astoria asked, well aware of how many ears were listening in on their conversation.

"They'll all find out whatever you have to say to me eventually anyway," Scorpius said, his voice a bit detached. "We don't keep secrets…" in this family, remained unsaid but understood. "Last I heard you were pregnant."

Astoria opened and closed her mouth a few times. "I-I thought I was- or I was for a little while- but I-"

"I understand," Scorpius said, gently. "What are you doing now?"

"I'm taking fertility potions. They're at the experimental stage right now so I have to come into the hospital once a week to take it."

"You're taking experimental potions to get pregnant. Replacing me is that important to you?"

"No! No one is replacing you!"

"Dad and Grandfather are!"

"They just want what's best for you," Astoria insisted.

"They want me to fall in line with them. They want me to become them. My dreams, desires and wishes don't mean anything to them."

"That is not true, Scorpius."

"If I moved back into Malfoy Manor would I be allowed to date Lily? Pursue my dreams of becoming an Auror? Stay friends with James and Albus or any of the Weasleys? If I asked Lily to marry me would I be disowned again?"

Astoria's eyes began to water. James looked away. His eyes landed on his father. The Potter patriarch was attempting to give Scorpius and his mother privacy but wasn't doing any better of a job than anyone else listening in. Unlike everyone else though, he just looked sad. James wasn't sure what about. It's not like Scorpius had made any accusations that weren't true. They would lose him forever if he moved back into Malfoy Manor.

"Astoria Malfoy." The staring contest between mother and son ended with the receptionist calling Mrs. Malfoy over to take her potion. No one approached Scorpius for a while after his mother left the waiting room. Eventually he hung his head and Lily came up behind, wrapping her arms around his middle.

"I should be enough," he whispered.

"You are enough," Lily assured him.

"Did you notice that she didn't even attempt to deny that I would be disowned if I married you?"

"On the bright side you've already been disowned," Kira said, uncertain. "So, you kinda already know what it's like."

"Plus you'll always have a place to stay," James offered. "Kira and I have an extra room and I'm pretty sure my mum and dad won't kick you out until you get your own place."

"I know it sucks right now, mate," Albus said. "But things are bound to get better."

"Can't get much worse," James said.

"You guys are so fucking insensitive!" Lily shouted.

"Language, young lady!" Ginny snapped.

"Well they are, Mum."

"And they always have been you ought to be used to it by now," Harry said, grimly. "Don't be too hard on the woman," he was speaking to the whole family now, "this is difficult situation for all involved."

"Harry's right." Ginny walked over to Scorpius and took his hand. "We'll support you. No matter what."

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter," he said. "But I have to doubt how happy you would be if I dropped your daughter to marry a pureblood my family approved of."

Ginny shook her head and smiled. "I didn't welcome you into my home on the condition that you marry my daughter."

"Thanks, Mum," Lily mumbled.

"James is right about one thing, though," she said, ignoring her daughter. "You are more than welcome to stay with us for as long as you'd like. We love having you around."

Scorpius sighed and looked at Harry. "Do you think I should talk to my Dad?"

"It couldn't hurt to try," but he seemed unconvinced.

"Yeah," Kira whispered to James, "but it could hurt to get drugged and Unforgivibled into doing whatever his family wants him to."

"Unforgivibled, Kira?"

"Oh, you know what I mean!"

"I dunno, Kira. It seems unlikely. If anything he'd of done that to begin with."

"I was talking about Lucius."

James clenched his jaw and looked over at his mate, but he was gone and so was Lily.

"You're Dad took them back to school," Kira said.

James sighed. "This sucks."

"You betcha, baby."

"Do you think if I hadn't…?"

"For what Lily's told me he knew he'd have to butt heads with his family at one point or another if he wanted to follow his dreams. Don't you think its best that it happened while he had friends to rally around him?"

"Way to alleviate the guilt, Kiki," James said, bumping his shoulder against his.

"No prob."

James' face scrunched up in irritation. He was about to deliver a witty reply when Teddy cut him off. The Metamorphmagus burst through the door to the waiting room with a giant grin on his face and pronounced, "I'm a father!" The family bombarded him like a tidal wave, Grand Molly the first to squeeze the life out of him. James and Kira stayed put, content to learn everything they needed to about the new addition via the shouts and happy yells ringing through the waiting room. "A girl! It's a girl! Little Nymphadora Lupin. For my Mum, you know?" James heard over the roar of overly excited family members. "Let me go get her. The Healer wanted them to bond for a while but she said something about letting Victoire sleep while she still can! I wanna put my baby girl in the arms of her godparents!" Teddy swept back into Victoire's room.

"I wonder who they picked as godparents," Kira mused.

James shrugged. "Would he be allowed to make my Dad godfather when my Dad is his own godfather?"

"Can't see why not. You think he'll make your parents godfather?"

"Dunno who else he'd pick. Whole family is nutters. What other option had he got?"

And this dear reader is called foreshadowing because a moment after James wondering who, in a family of nutters, would be made baby Nymphadora Lupin's godparents, Teddy elbowed his way through the crowd to James and Kira and laid his daughter in the arms of the latter. The waiting room was quiet. "Don't look so surprised, Kira. And James if you vomit on your goddaughter she'll never forgive you," Teddy said all of this with a self satisfied smile on his face.

"He wants us?"

"Us? As in me and you?"

"Why would he want us?"

"What's Victoire on that she'd agree to that?"

"What's Teddy on that he'd suggest it?"

"Us?"

"You know we can all hear you?"

"Shut up, Albus," James suggested. "Teddy, have you lost your mind?"

He laughed. "Trust me, James. This is meant to be. You and Kira can babysit. You know practice. Plus you'll be married in a hot second so it's perfect."

"Looks like Lupin proposed for you, Potter," Kira said. "You'll have to make up the lack of romance with a giant ass diamond."

"Kira!" Grand Molly screeched. "Watch your mouth around the baby! You're in charge of her moral upbringing!"

James pretended to ignore the horrified look gracing the faces of many of his family members. "Look at that, Teddy!" he exclaimed. "We're screwing up already. Hell the last time we had an argument Kira threatened to castrate me. We might not even have kids at this rate. Which means we don't need practice."

"Most people would be flattered," Teddy harrumphed.

"When have we been most people?" Kira cooed at the baby in her arms.

"Kira!" James yelled. "Don't get chummy with the baby!"

"Sorry, my inner Mummy took over. She's just so cute." Kira grinned down at Nymphadora before covering her chubby cheeks with kisses. She looked mischievously up at James and whispered, "Think about it, babe. An innocent mind and soul who it is in our care. Her moral upbringing is our responsibility. Think about it."

James perked up and stared at his girlfriend. Her beautiful red hair a curtain around the tiny baby who's hair just mimicked hers exactly, her eyes the same brown as his own. James felt his heart seize in his chest. For a moment he could see it. Kira grinning evilly over their own child, planning all the naughty things they would teach their baby, all the mischief their little one would wreak on Hogwarts and for once the thought of a tiny version of himself wasn't all that scary. As long as he had Kira by his side he could handle anything.

Even a son asking him about sex.

"We'll do this on a few conditions," James said, certain.

Teddy snorted and rolled his eyes. "And those are?"

"We're not changing nappies, so teach her to use the toilet. Also just because you brought her to us clean doesn't mean you'll be getting her back in the same state. If you ask what she's covered in we are contractually obligated to refuse to answer and before you freak out about us testing products for the store out on her, relax. It'll only be products designed to make babies more interesting. Agreed?"

"I would be the world's worst father if I agreed to any of that."

"Your parental acuity is already questionable considering the fact you picked those two in the first place," Albus mumbled.

"Those are our conditions!"

"What if we agreed to clean her up if whatever she's covered in was likely to stain the furniture?" Kira offered.

"Whatever you two are cooking up, I'm very interested," Uncle George said.

"Duly noted, boss," Kira said.

"You two are impossible," Teddy sighed.

"You're the one who asked us to be godparents," James said, laying blame where blame was due, firmly at Teddy's feet.

"The only reason I'm agreeing to this is because I don't actually believe you would put my child in danger."

James and Kira high fived and for the most part kept that promise. I say 'for the most part' because the Second Nymphadora to grace the halls of Hogwarts did her godparents, and let's be honest her grandfather, proud by taking up the mantle of troublemaker and successfully dumping a tub of flooberworms on Headmaster Longbottom, an infraction she only accomplished by balancing on a broom in the Entrance Hall, something her parents considered very dangerous and an idea she got from her godparents thus making it their fault.