Author's Note: It's extra long, and the first part is sad. If you've had a traumatic delivery, you might want to skip until the five ITWAU for the second half.

MNF

Chapter 5:

Little, Lonely Star

April 3, 1980

"Narcissa, please hear me. You must hold on. The baby is almost here. You'll have your son in a minute. Please hold on," Anwen begged as she and Eva were delivering Narcissa Black's infant. Narcissa was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Three weeks ago, the trial for Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange was held. At the trial some horrible truths about Narcissa's life had come out, including a spell her own father had placed on her womb. She could only get pregnant if she was taken by force; her submission or enjoyment of the act would shield her uterus so she could not be impregnated. Pollux did not like Malfoy or his family, but Cissy had been besotted by the man. While daddy had arranged the marriage, he did not want Malfoy blood intermingling with Black blood. The Malfoy's were upstarts, in his opinion. They'd only been in the UK for one hundred and four years, barely a drop in the bucket and the only land they held was gifted to them through marriages. Pollux Black wanted none of that in his family tree. Bellatrix, who was there when their father cast the spell while Cissy slept, had made the revelation about her sister to hurt her. It had devastated Cissy. Even with Sirius and Arcturus there to bolster her, it was obvious something had broken within the woman. Since then, Cissy was even more withdrawn. She stopped eating and had taken to spending long hours in with her Auntie Walburga, although no words were even spoken. She paced Arcturus's manor throughout the night, barely resting at all.

Weight had been falling off her, the growing baby stealing what it needed from Narcissa's increasingly weakened body. It was how they were here, nearly six weeks early, delivering the baby not at St MungosMungo's with a trained Obstetrics Healer, but with a Paediatric Healer and a Mind Healer assisting.

"Narcissa, I can see the head," Eva said gently while holding her hand. "Come on, one big push and your baby will be here."

"Tired," Narcissa whispered.

"I know you are," Anwen said, trying to sound supportive but the tension and fear were evident in her tone. "But I think with one more big push it will all be over. Eva, please cast the mother and baby monitoring charms." There had been charms already present, but only visible to Eva as not to alarm Cissy. Anwen needed to see them now. She and Eva had read copious journals and textbooks on infant delivery, but this was different than the simulations they'd talked through. This was a live, slippery infant who was just on the edge of gestational completion and a mother in near critical physical condition. There was nothing textbook about this situation.

The next contraction came, and with as big of a push as Cissy could provide and some gentle tugging on Anwen's part, the head and shoulders came out. Once they were born, the rest sort of spilled out. Anwen cleared the small boy's airway, and he began to cry. She changed places with Eva, who would deliver the afterbirth, and Anwen would do the first exam on the baby and monitor Narcissa's health.

Anwen flicked her hand, sending a message to Lily that she needed the potions that she'd brewed for post birth. Anwen did a Muggle Apgar test on the baby, and he scored an eight – a wonderful score for a premature baby. The little lad weighed in a just over four-and-a-half pounds but was breathing well. Lily came in and began uncorking phials and helping Cissy take them.

"So, you've kept the name a secret all these months, what are you naming your little boy?" Anwen asked as she cleaned the baby up. Narcissa had yet to look at the child orn hold him, even though he was on her chest, and she was in a semi-reclined position.

"Alphard Draco," Cissy whispered. "But I want him called Alfie. I know you and Sirius will raise him well."

"Narcissa, what are you talking about? You are going to raise your little Alfie. We will all be here to help, but you are his mother," Anwen said, trying to hide the panic in her voice.

"No. I can't. I'm not like Siri or Andi." Narcissa then drifted into unconsciousness and the charm monitoring her heart began to blare.

"Lily, get him out of here. He's small, but healthy. Give him this," she said, handing her a glass full of colostrum that Anwen had moved from mother to child. "Keep him warm too."

"Right, anything else?" Lily numbly asked while picking up the still messy baby and wrapping him in a nearby towel.

"No. Eva and I will handle this." Lily left and Anwen looked at Narcissa becoming paler. "Come on, Cissy, wake up." Anwen said while gently slapping at her cheek.

"Anwen, she's bleeding, and I can't figure out from where," Eva said in a panicked voice.

Anwen moved to stand next to Eva. She waved her hand over the afterbirth and realized only part of it was there. "Damn it, the placenta ripped. She's bleeding internally." Anwen began to move her hands over Narcissa Black's abdomen, but every time she'd stop the bleeding in one place, it would start in another. Anwen finally removed Narcissa's womb, but it was too late. Even with Blood-Replenishing Potions, too much had been lost. Whether by fate or will, Cissy Black had died giving her life to bring her son, Alfie, into the world.

With tears streaming down her face, Anwen moved her arms in wide arcs to clean the body and the room up as best as she could.

"Win, are you alright?" Eva asked gently.

"No. I'm not alright," Anwen answered, close to collapse herself. "Can you bring me an armchair, Arcturus and Sirius, please?"

"Sure, honey," Eva said before leaving. Anwen leaned heavily against the headboard and realized for the first time that it must have been a Colour Changing Charm that gave Cissy blonde hair, as it had reverted to her naturally dark brown hair. She looked so much like her eldest sister now, it was uncanny.

Sirius brought in the chair, followed by his grandfather holding little Alfie. Anwen sat down and began explaining what had happened. While deeply saddened, Arcturus commented that it might be for the best that Narcissa had passed on. The embarrassment of the curse placed on her, and the knowledge of Lucius's preying upon young girls had been too much for her psyche. She was now reunited with her grandmother, whom she loved dearly, and Melania, who had been a role model for her. Her will was found in the library, laying on the table in the centre of the room. It had been witnessed by Andi, who left her own note saying she was happy Sirius would be raising the baby with Anwen.

Narcissa was buried in a small service on the grounds of Stargazer's Summit without the press finding out. The last thing little Alfie needed was his father attempting to see him or gain custody.

A&S A&S A&S A&S A&S

It was late evening before Anwen and Sirius finally had time to be alone. They were sitting on their bed, little Alfie between them and tightly wrapped in his blankets with an infant strength Warming Charm helping him regulate his temperature, since he struggled to do so. He looked so like a Black, Sirius couldn't help wondering if there was any Malfoy in the boy or if Cissy had wished it away. His hair was dark, full, and already waving nicely like Sirius's. His eyes were blue, but not a bright blue like most Caucasian babies, no his eyes were already leaning grey. He was small, but perfectly formed and Anwen couldn't help loving him, even though the circumstances of his birth clung to her like a damp shawl.

"So, Cissy just gave up?" Sirius asked Anwen. He knew the facts of what had happened, he didn't understand the causation.

"I could see it before today," Anwen answered. "The not eating, the downtrodden attitude she had. Andi and I had spoken about it and …" she paused. "I know how horrible growing up was for you and Reggie, but after conversing with Andi, I now think it was worse for them."

"They weren't cursed."

"No, they weren't, but…Mum and Dad always treated Jimmy and me the same. We had the same education; we were told we could be anything we wanted, and they would make sure we had the best start in whatever course we wanted life to take. Heck, there was a point in first year at Hogwarts I considered leaving and studying magical ballet instead and they were supportive of me making that decision. Andi and Cissy, to a lesser extent Bella because she was crazy and evil even as a little girl; but I digress. Andi and Cissy were told their role was to marry well and give birth to pureblood children. That's it. It didn't matter that Andi was Prefect and had the highest scores in her year for Potions and Herbology. No, being a Potions Mistress for St Mungo's was not in the plan. They were raised to be breeding machines and would not have the joy of raising their own children. Elves would be hired to do the rearing, like any good pureblood family!"

Anwen's exclamation awoke Alfie, and she picked him up, although holding him was a bit difficult due to her expanding waistline. She rocked him from side to side, whispering soft sounds into Alfie's ear until he settled back into his dreamland.

"You're remarkable," Sirius commented. "You're such a good mum."

"Well, it's easy now," she said in a quieter tone. "In three and a half months, we're going to have another little one of our own, and James and Lily's baby here. That will be a handful, although the three will be more like siblings than cousins. Plus, Frank and Alice's baby will be here once Alice goes back to work, so, we're going to have a quartet of infants come fall."

"Please tell me you're getting help?"

"Lily and I have hired a nanny elf, I'll owl her in the morning to see if she can start early, he's easy enough to carry now, but once he's up near ten pounds I won't be able to." Anwen handed Alfie to Sirius, who was a bit surprised, but with her coaching was able to hold the child close to his chest.

"Oh, he's so…" Sirius muttered.

"I know." Anwen then made a startled noise and put her hand against her belly. "This one is going to give those boys a run for their money."

"What do you mean?"

"Lily and Alice know they're having boys, you're holding Alfie. Those three are going to be a menace, much like you, Reg and Jimmy were. This sweet one, I think is going to be like me, keeping up with the boys."

"Did you find out for sure at your last healer appointment?"

"No, it's just a feeling and old myths about how to tell if you're carrying a boy or a girl. I'm craving sweets, while Alice and Lily are craving salty things. My bump is higher than either of theirs, which are quite low. My nails aren't growing well, I'm hiccupping bubbles rather than shooting sparks out of my fingers."

"Those predict whether you're having a girl or a boy?"

"They did, long ago, before we had the potion that would make your belly glow. With my luck I wouldn't get pink or blue but green or yellow. The strength of my magic would overpower the potion. I can see the baby's magic now. It's a strong violet."

"Are you still thinking that's what you want to use if it's a girl's name?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, Violet Calista for a girl, Arcturus Sirius if it's a boy, although we might want to reconsider that since we have an Alfie already, adding an Artie might be confusing."

"We don't have to do the star name thing, Win. Really, it's not like I enjoy being part of my family," Sirius countered.

"Your family is your grandfather, cousin and her family, Charlus and Dorea, and your Mummum. Your family is also James, Lily, Remus, Eva, Frank, and Alice. So, if we needed to, we could use a different name for his first name, but I still don't think we'll need one. I really do believe this is a girl."

"What about calling the baby Fleamont?"

"I think James wants to use that as their son's middle name, and grandpa Henry's name as the first. Why he's not using James is beyond me. Dad hated his name and we've all asked grandmum and granddad what he was thinking, but Fleamont was a mate of his in the first war and he died so Henry Potter moved away from solid names like Charlus, Franklin, James and Patrick and named his son Fleamont. Then again, he married a woman with the name Euphemia. Her brother's name is Jeffrey. I hesitate to wonder what they would have named me. Glad I came with my name in place."

The pair were quiet for a long moment. Sirius holding Alfie, Anwen leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Sirius, are you frightened about bringing children into this world? We're at war,." Anwen whispered into their blissful moment. It felt like tipped ink spreading over new parchment.

"Yes and no," he answered. "Yes, our children won't be as safe as they would if we were having them in a peaceful time. That said, the walls on this manor are sound and date back centuries. I know, Voldemort breached the outer one before, but with what Dad and Alastor Moody put up together; we're safe here. I think James is right, though, we need to turn the bunkroom into a panic room with supplies for the kids in there."

"And the, no?"

"Our children are the sign to the world that we are hopeful. If Tthe Potter, Black, Parker and Longbottom heirs, well, Lady in your case, are willing to bear children in this shitty time, then they must believe You-Know-Who isn't going to win."

"We didn't get pregnant on purpose," Anwen answered with a tinge of annoyance. "Lily still doesn't know exactly what happened."

"Lily will figure it out. Just remember, whether we want it or not, we are some of the folk people will look to."

"Yeah," Anwen said unenthusiastically.

"Are you ready to go to sleep?" he asked when she yawned.

"Just about, but I am going to wake him and feed him so we might get a few hours of good sleep," she explained as she rose from the bed to remove the stasis charm from the small bottle and then warm it to body temperature. "I expressed what I could from Cissy, but it won't last much past tomorrow. Lily ran into the village and bought baby formula. The nice thing about bottle feeding him, is we can share the duty."

"You mean me share?" Sirius asked, abashed.

"You, Eva, James, the nanny elf, Elba and even Peng. When our baby comes, I'll be feeding her exclusively for the first few months, so others will need to help with Alfie." Anwen returned to the bed and reached for the child. "Oh, I see Daddy woke you up already," she cooed at the baby. "I have something yummy for you." The nipple slipped into his mouth and Alfie began to drink greedily.

"You said daddy. You called me, Daddy."

"What were you planning on calling yourself? Uncle Sirius, Padfoot? Narcissa legally gave all parental rights to us, Ted filed the paperwork with the Ministry. The only person who could challenge it would be Malfoy and he's in prison for a felony and he's not even listed as the child's father. Narcissa demanded it be left blank. When Alfie is seventeen he can go to the bank, have his paternity tested and take control of whatever is left of the Malfoy accounts and land."

"He will have a Black inheritance as well. Cissy died rather rich herself."

"I don't doubt it, but no children we have are ever going to want for anything. Our bigger problem will be not spoiling them; when they're older. Right now, we can't spoil this little man. He needs love and lots of care. No child can be spoiled by that. I will, however, be getting him on a schedule. It is the only way we will survive having two children only four months apart in age."

"You're a brilliant Mmum, Anwen. Alfie will never know how lucky he is. How he escaped having a Death Eater for a father and a broken woman for a mother. My heart hurts for my cousin. As haughty and biting as she could be, she didn't deserve the life she ended up with. When we were children, she was so pretty and would sneak Reg and me art supplies from her stores. Girls could draw and colour, not boys. She'd play games too – Exploding Snap, Gobstones. It's horrible she fell in love with a monster."

"It was, but you can let her memory be of the good childhood she shared with you, and the person who cared for Walburga so gently. Alfie will know she was a lovely lady, who cared for him. Oh, you're a quick drinker, aren't you. You need a burp." Anwen took the bottle away and set it on the nightstandbedside table. She then grabbed the dishtowel tea-towel Peng had liberated from the linen closet and threw it over her shoulder. Alfie did his thing and burped loudly. Unfortunately, it was a tad productive and left a mess on the burp cloth.

"Aw, that's rank!" Sirius bemoaned.

"That's life with an infant, dear. Now, let's see how much more he needs, I'll just Vanish the waste from his pants, and we'll get him settled down to sleep."

"Where are we going to put him?"

"I think after the day he's had; he should sleep right her with us." And that is exactly what happened.