Brothers and Babies

My sister graduated Hogwarts in June and married Orion Zabini two weeks later. I was her maid of honour and watched her take her wedding vows in front of our entire family and all of her friends. I felt a sharp pain in my chest because of this, but the weight of my rings on a fine golden chain around my neck comforted me. Sirius may not have minded that I couldn't wear his ring, and may not have needed it to let him know we were married, but the little thing did mean a lot to me. It felt as if I had him with me, warm against my skin.

His entire family was present at the wedding. Orion's mother, Carina, was a Black – hence his first name. With a strange feeling in my stomach I realised they were my family as well. I glanced at my brother-in-law, Regulus. How he looked like Sirius.

After the reception my Mark began to burn. I quickly excused myself and Disapparated, not listening to my mother's protests.

"Friends," the Dark Lord welcomed us.

It had been a long time since I had been summoned. The Dark Lord's interest in Sirius and Nicole had been tempered when he became occupied with other things. His immortality. There had been rumours about something called a Horcrux. What had triggered his sudden interest I didn't know. Dumbledore's face when I had told him about this rumour had scared me. He paled, and for a moment the lines in his face were etched into his skin so deeply that they revealed his true age. He knew more.

In any case, I was grateful for whatever it was that had made Voldemort's attention divert.

I chastised myself when I realised I had not heard a word of what the Dark Lord was saying.

"You'll train him well, won't you Bella?"

"Of course, master," Bellatrix purred. She pushed a figure forward into the circle. "Introducing to you, my cousin."

I jolted up straight, Sirius's name shooting through my head for an agonizingly confusing moment.

Then the figure dropped to his knees, glancing up. Regulus.

Sirius would go insane.


"THAT INSUFFERABLE LITTLE PUSH-OVER!" Sirius roared.

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

He didn't hear me. His nostrils flaring, he heaved a deep breath and uttered another string of curses.

I watched him pace around his room at the Potters' like a caged animal. He was in pain and even exploding in anger like he usually did wasn't enough. Regulus was his little brother.

"How could he... why – IDIOT!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "This is my mother's doing, I know it!" he said to me, his eyes black and his face contorted in rage, overcome with the volatile temper that was a family trait. Ironically, he had never looked more like a Black than right now.

"Little arsehole," he muttered viciously. "Stupid, ignorant, brainless idiot. IDIOT!"

I noticed the little muscle in Sirius's jaw was twitching, which only happened when he was beside himself with rage. I had only seen it happen once before; when he had come to confront me with my engagement to Evan.

Sirius moved his shoulders in a strange fashion, as if his skin was too tight around himself. "That – that... bitch couldn't get her hands on me, but now she has him!" he growled. "Fool, damned fool!"

With a cry of rage and a harsh curse he whirled around and slammed his fist into the wall. The wall didn't give, but neither did his hand. After a few more punches that were so forceful I thought I heard his knuckles crack he turned back and leaned against the assaulted wall.

My heart clenched together when I saw the hurt written over his face. "Will it ever stop?" he asked, trying to smile at his own question. He failed.

"Yes," I assured him. "It will stop." It has to stop.

He slid down the wall and looked up to me, resembling a lost puppy. I smiled inwardly at my own analogy. Well over six feet and around 14 stone, you'd think it was impossible, but here he was. I walked through the room and kneeled next to him.

"Was this how you felt when you found out Rowan was a Death Eater?" he asked roughly.

"No," I answered sadly. "I never expected my brother to be like me." I gently stroked Sirius's face. "Like you did."

"I hate him!" he hissed.

"No, you don't. You're hurt that Regulus chose his family's side and not yours."

"Who are you to tell me what I feel?" he snapped angrily at me.

I said nothing, but merely raised an eyebrow.

"Jesus, sorry," he sighed. "I didn't mean that."

"Doesn't matter."

"Why does everything have to be so bloody difficult?"

I took his raw and bruised hand in my own and healed it with a quick charm. "Not everything is difficult," I said, pressing a kiss to the knuckles.

He traced the line of my lips with his finger with a faint smile, calming down just as easily as getting worked up. "You're right. Some things are very simple."


Though Sirius and I were okay, looking back on it, that was the moment when things really began to go downhill.

You could see it in everybody's eyes. We were losing this war. One by one those who opposed the Dark Lord were murdered. Muggleborns, half-bloods, pure-bloods, blood traitors; it didn't matter. Wizards with high positions in the Ministry, or members of the influential Councils and Wizengamot; old, young, families, children. There was no difference.

There was one upside – for me personally at least. I no longer had to make the horrendous choices of who to warn and who to leave in ignorance of their fate, to save me from suspicion. So many people were targeted that it didn't matter anymore. I tipped everyone whose name I had heard from fellow Death Eaters. Some were saved; others hunted down and killed nonetheless.

Edgar Bones and his family had gone into hiding. He was a member of the Order, but also a well-respected member of the wizarding community. He had repudiated Voldemort's offer to join him. Gideon and Fabian were also high on the Dark Lord's list, as well as Dorcas Meadowes. They refused to stop fighting.

I knew from Lily that even the Muggle world was uneasy. How could it not? A heavy and uncomfortable mood had descended on the land, thick with the smell of fear and distrust. It didn't take canine-like senses like Sirius and Remus's to notice it anymore; I could smell it too.

The surrealism we lived in became painfully clear when Lily's father died – of a mere heart-attack.

James and Lily had their first marital crisis because of this. James was reluctant to let his wife go to the funeral. As every Order member they were in danger – and on top of that, Lily was eight months pregnant. If anything happened…

She told him she would go no matter what he said. In the end he went with her, along with Sirius, Remus, Peter, Gideon, and Fabian. They made up shortly after that. Nobody had time to stay angry at each other.

In between the skirmishes, the death, and the complete glumness there was one bright spot, although Lily may not have fully agreed about that with me while she was in labour.

"JAMES ROGER POTTER! YOU DID THIS TO ME! IF YOU EVER COME NEAR ME AGAIN I WILL CASTRATE YOU AND HANG YOUR BALLS FROM THE ASTRONOMY TOWER!"

The door to Lily's bedroom flew open and a wild-eyed James stormed outside, followed by more colourful swearing from Lily.

Sirius caught James by the arm before he could dash downstairs and run. "Hold it, mate. Where are you going?" he inquired friendly.

"She… She was reaching for her wand," James panted. "I ran for my life. Bloody Merlin!"

I chuckled, but quickly clapped my hand in front of my mouth when James sent an impressive glare at me.

"I'm sure she doesn't mean it," Sirius soothed. He glanced sideways at me. "Does she?" he asked for reassurance.

I shrugged. "How should I know? I've never been in labour." I shot a perturbed look at the door. "Thankfully." At that moment I would have been happy to stay childless for the rest of my life.

"Look, James," Sirius said, trying to talk his friend back into the room. "She wants you in that room. Possibly just to kill you, I grant you that, but she needs you. Come on, we've run around with a werewolf, Prongs, how scary can this be?"

The look James gave him said more than enough.

"Pull yourself together, man," Sirius barked authoritatively.

James straightened himself and turned to the door, opening it just enough to let his nose through. "Lily, darling? How are you?"

"Oh, James! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please come back!" Lily exclaimed.

James's shoulders sagged in relief and he stepped back inside. Sirius and I dropped ourselves on the sofa again.

Lily had wanted only James and the midwitch at the birth, but as godparents we had been ordered to stay close. Abby had gone downstairs to get everyone something to eat and Roger was also downstairs, pacing a path into the floor.

"You know," Sirius said thoughtfully. "I knew pregnant women had mood swings, but I didn't actually expect that to last through the birth itself."

"Chauvinistic pig," I muttered.

He wisely chose to ignore that.

We waited… and waited… and waited. Incoherent sounds came from the bedroom and once a loud, pained yelp, which most definitely was not uttered by a woman or a child. Sirius had a slightly disturbed expression on his face after that. And finally, a high-pitched cry rang our ears, immediately followed by the wails of a baby.

Sirius shot almost three feet into the air. "Oh my god, the baby! It's here!" He whirled around, pulled me to my feet and kissed me thoroughly.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"I don't know!"

"Sirius! Breathe, for Merlin's sake!"

"What? You can't curse in front of my godson. I am a man of responsibility now," he said, wagging his finger at me. He looked as if he were ready to bounce around the house – on his head.

I rolled my eyes. "Sit!"

He folded his arms and looked down his nose at me. "Just because my animal form is a dog, Niamh Black, doesn't mean you get to order me around."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"If you don't sit down, I will…"

"What?" Sirius chuckled. "You'll threaten me with celibacy again? You know that doesn't work; I can have you begging for me in less than five minutes."

"Bastard."

"Tsk, tsk, language," Sirius chastised me, clearly enjoying the situation now. "Or I'll threaten you with celibacy."

"You wouldn't last a week."

"Are you challenging me?"

"I suppose I am."

"What the bloody hell are you two doing?"

At the sound of James's voice we jumped back, our noses having been only an inch apart.

"The baby…" Sirius breathed. "Is it…?"

"The baby is fine," James beamed. "It's a boy."

"And Lily?" I asked.

"She's fine too. Where's Mum?"

"I'm here! I'm here!" Abby shouted, bolting up the stairs, Roger right behind her. They really were quite fast for an elderly couple. "Tell me! What…?"

"You have a grandson," James smiled.

"Oh Jamie!" She flung herself around James's neck, sobbing like mad.

I found that my own vision was getting suspiciously blurry. Sirius leaned over to me. "You old softie," he chuckled.

I elbowed him in the side. "Shut up."

Still chuckling he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pressed a kiss to my temple.

The midwitch opened the door. "She's ready."

A moment later I was looking at a tiny creature that was sleeping peacefully in the arms of his mother. A tuft of black hair peeked out from under his blanket.

"He has blue eyes," Lily whispered.

"All babies have blue eyes," Abby smiled. "We'll have to wait a while to see what colour they really are."

"He's beautiful," I murmured. "What's his name?"

Lily looked at her baby. "Harry." She smiled. "Harry James Potter."


A/N: Sorry for the huge delay in updates. My computer broke down and when it was finally repaired I had so much stuff to finish for school I wasn´t able to write at all. But I´m back! I hope you´ve enjoyed the chapter. I´m really beginning to near the end now...

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