Chapter Two

Approaching Dawn

To celebrate Harry's first week of life, the earlier-planned dinner took place at the Potters' house. Remus still made most of the food, at his own insistence, as he knew that a newborn should not be carted across the country. So, he and Sirius arrived in Godric's Hollow with a (magically enlarged) hamper of food.

"Good to see you, mates!" said James, when he met them at the door. "I was afraid something might have come up with you two, seeing as Wormtail couldn't make it."

"I haven't see Peter lately, come to think of it," said Remus. He set the hamper on the dining table. "He was supposed to have lunch with me a few weeks ago, but he canceled. Do you know what he's up to, James?"

The dark-haired man shook his head. "I've no idea. Maybe some Order business…?"

"I suppose," said Sirius, then he smiled. "But we're not here to see Wormtail, Prongsy, we're here to see Harry!"

"Of course you are," said Lily, laughing. She carried a sleeper-clad baby in her arms. "Look, Harry, it's your idiot Godfather."

"Oi!" said Sirius, crossly. "Don't you listen to her, Harry." In a stage whisper, he added, "And don't worry, I'll tell you all the things your mum won't want you to know."

Remus hit his arm lightly. "Let the boy at least start talking before you try to corrupt him, Padfoot. How are you feeling, Lily?"

The redhead smiled. "Honestly? Exhausted. But I love Harry with all my heart."

Remus and Sirius both looked at the tiny, wriggling Harry with identical expressions. Lily watched them for a moment, then shifted the baby to take Remus's hand. "Come and sit down, both of you. There's something James and I want to talk to you about."

"Is something wrong, Lily?" the werewolf asked, sitting in an armchair. Sirius sat on the chair's arm, mostly leaning against him.

Lily and James both smiled. "Not at all, Padfoot," said James. "Lily can explain it better."

"There's an experimental spell," she said, "only recently discovered. I've done as much research as I could, but it isn't a sure thing. What the spell does, is allow any two people," she paused dramatically, "to have a child."

There was a moment of silence, until Sirius said, "Er, Lils, they can already do that without magic. I believe it's called sex. Really, you and James have already proved that."

James gave his best friend an incredulous look. "You really are thick, Padfoot. Two people," he repeated. "Any two people of any gender."

Sirius's eyes grew wide. "Oh," he said faintly.

"Oh, indeed," echoed Remus. "But, Lily, how would…?"

His question trailed off, but the redhead beamed. "In your case, you'd need someone to carry the baby, of course. James became an Animagus for you, Remus. I'd like to do this, if you both agree."

"Lily…" breathed Remus.

"You don't have to decide now, certainly," said James.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Lily?" asked Sirius earnestly. "I mean, Harry's only a week old…"

"I know what it means, Sirius," she told him firmly. "But you two are our dearest friends. How could I be a good mother to Harry if I didn't help you have the same joy?"

"We'll need to think about this," said Remus. "Thank you, both of you."

"Hey, we're the Marauders," said James, trying to lighten the mood. "If you decide to have a kid, Harry'll have a cousin to help with his pranks- I mean, his schoolwork," he added hastily, as Lily speared him with a look.

Remus and Sirius laughed. "Thank you, Lily," said the werewolf again. "Now, we should probably eat before the preservation charm wears off…"

"Remus, will you stop pacing?" Sirius stood at one end of a long corridor, in the halls of St. Mungo's, looking sternly at his partner.

The werewolf stopped abruptly and turned on his heel. "Sorry," he said. "I'm just a bit…well, nervous."

Sirius closed the distance between them and hugged him tightly. "It'll be fine, Moony."

"Werewolves don't normally reproduce," Remus was rambling into Sirius's shoulder. "There's no proof that lycanthropy isn't hereditary, what if-"

Sirius silenced him with a kiss. "There will be none of that. Our baby will be healthy and brilliant and perfect, just like you."

Remus smiled faintly.

"Sirius Black?" asked a voice, with a soft Scottish accent. A man in Healer's robes stood in the doorway beside them, smiling broadly. "And Remus Lupin. Merlin, you both look old."

Both gaped at him. Finally, Remus said, "Henry?"

Henry McGudrin grinned at them. In school, he had been the Marauders' roommate, although he tended to spend more time with their sixth dorm member, Frank Longbottom. Henry was also one of the few people who knew Remus was a werewolf, but the good-natured Healer would no more hold it against him than Sirius or James. "Long time, no see."

"Same for you, mate," said Sirius. "Look at you, a Healer. Always knew you'd make it. Say, are you still dating that slip of a thing you took a fancy to in sixth year?"

"You mean Ophelia?" Henry asked. He beamed. "We're engaged, actually. She's starting Auror training in the fall, Sirius."

"That's wonderful," said Remus. "Congratulations, and to her. But I'm sure you'd rather have Frank looking after her. You do you still talk to Frank, don't you?"

Henry nodded. "All the time. In fact, he and Alice are having dinner with us next week. Their son, Neville, is around the same age as the Potters' lad. But, anyway, we've come for a reason. Come on. James and Lily are already here."

"Y-yes, of course," said Remus.

Henry ushered them into a small ward, where James and Lily sat. The redhead leaped up at once to pull both Sirius and Remus into a hug. "You'll both make wonderful fathers," she said breathlessly.

James, holding Harry, smiled at them. "So, how do we do this?"

"Wands out, everyone," said Henry. "Except you, James. Remus, Sirius, you face Lily, please. Yes, that's wonderful. Boys, put your wands to your hearts- no, a little higher, Sirius. Yes, good. The spell is 'excardia'."

"Excardia," said Remus and Sirius together. The tips of their wands glowed a pure gold.

"So far so good," said Henry. "Now, Lily, you'll do this bit, too. All three of you put your wands to her stomach. A bit closer together. Right, yes, that's perfect, and then you say, 'adcordia'."

Three soft voices whispered, "Adcordia." The gold lights at the tips of Remus's and Sirius's wands flared, then went out.

Henry tapped his wand against Lily's shoulder. Streams of different colours flowed beside her head, then vanished. The Healer smiled. "Well, Mrs. Potter," he said, "you're pregnant."

"Are you sure I can't do anything, Lily?" Remus asked.

The redhead shot him a look, one hand over her stomach. She was very round, now, nearly eight months along. Harry was nearly a year old, and Lily had begun planning his first birthday. Remus, with his latest deadline still far away, had taken it upon himself to make sure she didn't work too hard.

"Remus John Lupin!" Lily cried. "I am pregnant, not crippled. Honestly, you're worse than James was when I was pregnant with Harry."

The werewolf managed to look contrite. "Sorry, really I am. But you've already got Harry, and with ours on the way…"

He looked so worried that Lily laughed. "Really, Remus, you're fussing. Why don't you make tea? There's a lad."

"Lily?" James and Sirius both came through to the kitchen, still in their Auror robes. "Remus?"

"How was work?" the redhead asked, kissing James in greeting.

"Dead boring," said Sirius, giving Remus a kiss as well. "Nothing but meetings, meetings and more meetings. I think Moody's trying to kill us."

"He is not," laughed Remus. "It can't possibly be as bad as you and James make it out to be."

"Maybe not, Moony," James conceded. "But it is a load of boring meetings. And what were you up to all day?"

"Fussing," said Lily, before Remus could answer. "Although it's been lovely to have help, of course, Remus."

The werewolf smiled. "I'm learning all sorts of things for when our little one is born."

"You're definitely being the caregiver, Remus?" asked James. He helped Lily move food to the table, glancing up at his friend.

Remus nodded. "It makes the most sense. I'll still be able to write."

"And I'll be taking a few more desk assignments," Sirius added. "So, more boring meetings for me."

"Poor thing," said Lily, sarcastically.

He stuck his tongue out at her, then said more seriously, "We've improved the wards on our Shrieking Shed, too." The Shed was a small outbuilding behind their cottage, which was impossible for the wolf to escape. "I'll just be a single parent once a month."

Whoosh!

With a gentle sweeping of wings, a brilliant red-and-gold phoenix flew through the open window to perch on Remus's shoulder.

"Hello, Fawkes," he said, recognizing Dumbledore's bird at once.

An instant later, the aged wizard himself had Apparated into the next room. "Good evening," he said.

"Hello, professor," said Lily. She started to rise, but Dumbledore gestured for them all to remain seated.

He conjured a fifth chair and sat at the table. "I'm pleased you're all here," he said, somberly. "It will be much easier to explain only once."

"Explain what, sir?" asked James. For all the Marauders' trouble-making at Hogwarts, they had always respected Dumbledore.

The headmaster sighed. "Voldemort is gaining strength," he said bluntly. "We believe he may be after the Potters."

"Us?" asked James. "Why?"

"I cannot be entirely certain," said Dumbledore. "However, you and Lily have both made no secret about opposing Voldemort. James, and Sirius as well, are quickly rising within the ranks of Aurors."

"What should we do?" asked Lily softly. Unconsciously, she moved one hand over her rounded stomach.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Again, I am not certain. These are dark and dangerous times, my friends. But I do have a suggestion. The Fidelius Charm."

James and Sirius looked confused, but the other two nodded. "Yes, of course," said Remus.

"The what?" asked James.

"The Fidelius Charm conceals a secret," Lily explained. "Usually, the location of a place or a person. Only the person the charm is cast on, the Secret-Keeper, would be able to tell anyone."

"Then you want us to go into hiding?" said James.

"There is still time to discuss it," said Dumbledore. "But it would be the safest option…"

The tiny office that James and Sirius shared in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had only a tiny fire. It was really too small to travel as a full-grown adult, but it was more than large enough for fireplace Floo messages.

The two Aurors had just returned to the office when Remus's head appeared in the flames. "Sirius!" he called calmly, "James, good, there you are."

"What's going on, Moony?" James asked, but Sirius was already throwing a cloak over his best friend's head.

"The baby, idiot!" he cried. "Right, Moony?"

Remus nodded. "Henry was here, doing a last-minute check. Turns out it was the last minute. He's taken Lily to St. Mungo's, and we're supposed to meet her there."

Both Aurors nodded and Remus's head vanished. In unison, James and Sirius Disapparated.

All three men were met by a young Healer's assistant, who asked politely, "Which of you gentlemen is the father?"

"I am," said James, Sirius and Remus together.

The assistant frowned. "Er…"

"It's complicated," said Remus kindly. "But Healer McGudrin was taking our case."

"Let them in, Susan," said Henry, appearing in the doorway. "But I'm afraid you're too late, boys."

"What!?" cried Sirius.

"It was surprisingly quick," the Healer told them. He smiled. "Remus, Sirius, congratulations. It's a girl."

Lily lay amid white hospital sheets, looking flushed but smiling broadly. In her arms, she held a bundle wrapped in soft pink blankets. "Look," she said softly to the baby, "your daddies are here."

Remus and Sirius moved to one side of the bed; James crossed to the other and gave his wife a kiss. "What are you going to call her?" he asked his friends.

Both men looked down at the tiny girl. She had curls of hair, exactly the honey colour of Remus's, but her twinkling gray eyes were all Sirius.

Remus smiled. "Aurora Lily Black," he said proudly.