"THIS IS ALL YOU FAULT JAMES POTTER! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"
James wasn't looking... in fact he'd taken off his glasses and was trying to calmly drink a cup of tea while his wife crushed his other hand into powder with her own. Key word here of course being 'trying.'
The others could hear them all the way in the waiting room...
"And here was me thinking it was consensual." Rebecca rolled her eyes. Remus sat nervously next to Rebecca tapping his foot as he looked around, silently wondering what the whole experience would be like with Rebecca in a few months. Peter looked extremely high-strung, this whole little person popping out of another person thing was making his head hurt. Rebecca read a magazine trying to relax, not wanting to think about her own event which would be happening within a few months and Sirius was pacing back and forth being ridiculously paranoid.
"What happens if we're attacked? What if they all come in on us and Lily's still giving birth? What if she gives birth and they come rushing in and kill us all? What if-"
"They rush in, slip on the placenta and break their necks?" Rebecca suggested casually and he glared at her.
"That was NOT funny! Why are we in a Muggle hospital anyway?"
"Shhh Padfoot! Keep it down!" Peter hissed.
"Because everywhere else is too dangerous. A muggle hospital is much safer." Remus said and looked at Rebecca who was looking down at the magazine.
"This is MORE dangerous!" Sirius said as he continued to pace again.
"Exactly, they wouldn't expect it." Remus sighed as he looked at Sirius pacing. "Merlin Padfoot, calm down man!" Remus tried to make him sit down, "You're worse than Prongs!"
"Speaking of Prongs! What's he doing? Reading the newspaper and having a cup of tea! What if they come in and he's got his hands full with that? He's trading us for a nice cuppa and a bit of Muggle gossip!"
"Imagine what it's going to be like when I'm in there." Rebecca said and there was a silence as all three guys looked at her.
"I'm sort of trying not to think about that right now." Remus said quietly as he leaned over.
"Oh come on how bad could it be?" She said with a laugh.
Suddenly Lily stopped screaming and throwing swears left right and centre and the lights flickered a little from the magic in the air. Sirius who had just sat down, shot back up again and started his pacing once more, "Oh God, what if that's it? What if they've broken in and..."
The doctor came out, "You may go in if you wish."
Sirius was first through the door to make sure no one was dead. Rebecca was next but only because Remus and Peter were behind her pushing.
"Harry, meet Sirius" James said,
"Look! He has Lily's eyes!" Sirius laughed.
"Geeze look at that head of hair." Rebecca smiled from the foot of the bed. She smiled as she watched James place Harry in to Sirius' arms who looked hesitant at first but smiled broadly as Harry gripped on to Sirius' finger with his tiny hand and made a little noise.
"I feel like cake!" James declared with a broad smile. "You all have to have a piece of cake!"
"Does anyone remember the last time he said that?" Lily asked as she looked at everyone.
"Which one? The time he was trying to play cards with a lobster and insisted it was cheating for the prize which was cake, or the time he got the whole Defense Against the Dark Arts class to show up a few minutes early, and threw a surprise party for our Professor?" Remus asked as he wrapped his arm around Rebecca's waist lightly.
"That one" Lily laughed, "And he was insisting that we couldn't start class until the Professor had had a piece of cake..."
"And Padfoot keep asking people when the strippers were going to arrive..." James added.
"SHHH! Don't say that around Harry!" Lily glared at James.
"What? Strippers?" Rebecca said with a smile.
"SHHH!"
"Oh come on, let me corrupt him a little bit." She said looking at Harry.
"No." Lily said firmly.
"What about me? Can I?" Sirius asked grinning.
"Especially not you." Lily said and reached out and took Harry from Sirius with a glare.
Rebecca could smell something burning. Her nose wrinkled as she felt the bed next to her and realized Remus was gone. She opened her eyes and looked around the room wondering what was burning.
"Remus?" She said looked around and grabbed the robe hanging on the chair by the bed and wrapped it around herself. She summoned her slippers and peered out of the bedroom down the hall and saw some smoke emitting from the kitchen. She hurried down the hall to the kitchen to see what was burning.
"Remus?" She asked as she reached the doorway and felt a cold breeze from the open window where Remus was trying to blow the smoke out of. He stopped when he saw her and looked around the kitchen sheepishly. She saw burnt pancakes sitting on the stove and what looked like burnt toast as well sticking out of the toaster.
"What's going on?" She asked waving her hand in front of her face.
"I well…I was going to make you breakfast since you always make it…Happy Christmas." He said and she smiled widely.
"You made me breakfast?"
"Well…tried." He said and she walked up to him and hugged him.
"You're too sweet, you didn't need to make me breakfast." She said and kissed him.
"Well I wanted to, you're always making it and I thought perhaps you might like breakfast in bed this morning."
"Hey I am sure we can…eat…never mind." She said as she looked at the crispy toast and the charcoaled pancakes. "You know, it's the thought that counts." She smiled and looked down at her apron that he was wearing. "This might be a little small for you."
"I was trying to get in the thinking process of a cook."
"Well you know what?"
"What?"
"There is something I would much rather have than breakfast." She whispered as she nibbled on his ear, wrapping her arms around him.
"Hmmm? And what is that?" He smiled.
"You." She laughed and kissed him.
Rebecca looked across the coffee table at Lily holding Harry and looked down at her forming belly wondering what it would feel like to hold her child.
"Would you like to hold him?" Lily asked with a smile. Rebecca had declined holding him at the hospital claiming she would drop him and wished she would have.
"What if I drop him?"
"I promise you wont." Lily said with a laugh as she looked at Alice holding Neville who had been born not three days after Harry.
"What if I do?"
"Becky stop thinking what if, just hold him, I know you wont drop him." Lily said as she walked around and carefully handed Harry to Rebecca. Harry slowly woke from his nap and a smile tugged on Rebecca's lips as he opened his eyes and looked up at her. There was a moment of serenity as Rebecca looked in to his tired green eyes, everything seemed to disappear from around her and she wondered if this was anything like what she would feel when she held her child for the first time.
"See you're a natural." Lily smiled.
"Wow…he's so tiny." She said as Harry grasped on to one of her fingers. He sucked on her finger as he looked around, his eyes traveling wildly and he looked in the direction of Lily and Alice talking before looking back up at Rebecca. Suddenly his face contorted in to a scrunch and a wail escaped his lips. Rebecca looked up in horror at Lily not knowing what to do.
"I didn't do anything I swear, he just started crying, I didn't mean to-."
"Becky its fine." Lily chuckled as she got up and walked over. "He is probably just hungry." Lily said as she got up and walked out.
"Where did you- Lily! Don't leave me here- I don't know what to do." Rebecca said trying to comfort Harry but he continued crying. Lily returned with a bottle and handed it to Rebecca.
"Go ahead, like this." Lily said as she helped the bottle nipple to Harry's mouth and he instantly went quiet as he suckled on the bottle. Lily stepped back as Rebecca held the bottle carefully.
"So Becky when are you going to find out the sex of the baby?" Alice asked.
"Tomorrow."
"Are you hoping for anything?"
"Not particularly, we're kind of just happy it's healthy."
"I can imagine. Have you guys talked about names yet?"
"Not really, oh my gosh he is already done." Rebecca said as she looked at the empty bottle.
"Do you know how to burp him?" Lily asked and Rebecca shook her head and held him out to Lily.
"I can't wait to see how you do all this with your own baby." Lily chuckled as she got up and took Harry from Rebecca.
"Remus is a little better with babies than I am." Rebecca sighed.
"Don't worry you'll get the hang of it, believe me, it's a natural thing when its your child." Lily said as she pat Harry's back lightly.
Rebecca looked at the clock and sighed as she stood up.
"Time for work, I'll see you guys later."
"Oh did you want me to make anything for the New Years party?" Alice asked.
"I think Lily and I have most everything covered, we do need dessert and drinks however."
"Alright I'll come up with something." Alice smiled.
"Oh and rolls." Lily added.
"I'll bring those as well then, anything else?"
"No, I think we're good, thank you." Rebecca said and picked up her jacket. "See you guys later."
"A girl." Remus sighed with a smile as they walked in to the headquarters.
"Yes Remus, it's a girl." Rebecca sighed as she shook her head to herself. Remus had been going on about the baby being a girl for the last hour.
"Becky, come here now!" A voice called down the hall in alarm and Rebecca shrugged off her coat and handed it to Remus as she looked at him oddly before heading down the hall. Fabian's head stuck out of the room Gideon held a towel to Caradoc's head while Caradoc wheezed, holding his arms around his chest.
"What happened?" Rebecca asked as she rushed over to Caradoc, carefully pulling back the towel that Gideon was holding to his head revealing a rather large head wound.
"Death Eaters…attacked me…" Caradoc said slowly, wincing at a pain in his ribs.
"In broad daylight?" She asked surprised and he nodded.
"Alright one of you get me some more towels and a bowl of hot water please." She said as she rolled up her sleeves and Fabian disappeared in a flash and soon returned with requested items and Rebecca got to cleaning the head wound.
"I can't believe they would attack in broad daylight, how many were there?"
"4."
"4? You're lucky to have gotten away. I just can't believe it." She sighed and started to stitch up the wound. "Take off your shirt." She said as she discarded the towels and turned back to his badly bruised ribs. She knelt down next to him, lightly pressing her fingers to his side and he winced with a grimace.
"Sorry, you have two broken and another sprained, this is going to hurt." She said as she pointed her wand to the ribs. There was a snap as the bones moved back in to place underneath the skin and he let out a small yell.
"Sorry about that. Just try and stay put for a few days." She said as bandages wrapped around his middle.
"Thank you."
"Your welcome, try and stay out of trouble." She said and pat his back lightly as she got up. "I can owl you something for the pain if you want."
"That would be much appreciated." He said as he staggered to stand up, gripping the bedside table as he did so.
"I'll owl that to your house when I get home." She said and he nodded as he pulled on his shirt and she walked down the hall to the living room and saw Remus talking with the twins.
"So a little Becky? I don't know if we could do with another one of you." Gideon teased.
"Oh shut up." She said and came up next to Remus who wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Is Caradoc alright?"
"Yeah he will be fine, I just can't believe they are attacking in broad daylight now."
"They are getting a little braver." Fabian sighed as he leaned against the fireplace.
"So have you guys thought of any names?" Gideon asked on a cheerful note.
"No, not yet." Rebecca said as she looked at Remus with a smile. "But we have time."
"Fuck I am not ready." Rebecca cursed as the doorbell rang and Remus poked his head in to the kitchen.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah just get the door." She said as she opened the oven and pulled out the ham.
"Do you need-."
"Get the door before Sirius busts it down." She said, as there was a pounding on the door. "Impatient turd." She muttered as Remus walked to the front door. She cringed as she heard Olivia's voice from the front door. Of course Sirius would bring her.
"We brought some wine, where do you want this?" Sirius asked as he poked his head inside the kitchen.
"On the counter." She muttered as she stuck the ham back in to the oven and turned around and looked at him.
"Beers in here?" He asked as he walked over to the fridge pointing to it.
"Help yourself." She muttered as she walked over to the stove and stirred the mashed potatoes.
"You know it's a lot easier with magic." Sirius said as he leaned against the counter sipping on the beer.
"Well you wouldn't know hat would you?"
"Actually-."
"I could so use a drink." Olivia said as she walked in and opened the fridge.
"Yes help yourself." Rebecca sighed sarcastically.
"Is there anything I can-." Remus said as he poked his head in and suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"Thank goodness." Rebecca sighed to herself and motioned towards the door to Remus and he disappeared and soon Lily and James walked in to the kitchen.
"Thank you." Rebecca sighed as Lily came over with the food and set it on the counter and looked at James holding Harry.
"Did you want something to drink dear?"
"No but I believe he would." James said as Harry started to fuss. Lily pulled out a bottle and handed it over to James who smiled at her before disappearing with Sirius and Remus.
"You know…magic works wonders." Olivia said from the fridge as she pulled out a beer, opening it with her wand.
"Excuse me?" Rebecca asked raising an eyebrow.
"With cooking." Olivia said simply. "However I have a house elf…but you probably cant afford a house elf…pity." Olivia said as she looked around the kitchen and walked out.
"I despise that- that-."
"Come on Becky be nice." Lily interrupted.
"I think I preferred the stupid ones, at least they weren't complete and utter bitches they were just stupid."
"Well…" Lily said and paused.
"Come on you don't have something nice to say about her?" Rebecca said cheekily.
"I- well…" Lily sad and bit her lip. "Alice and Frank should be here with Neville soon. I put a heating charm on the food I made so it will be fresh by the time we eat." Lily said as she opened up a bag and pulled out a few containers and set them on the counter.
"That's what I thought." Rebecca muttered to herself with a smile.
"I remember last New Years." Rebecca sighed to herself. "Seems like only yesterday."
"I know the feeling." James said as he looked down at Harry in his arms. "But I like this New Year."
"Yeah I suppose." Rebecca said under her breath as she glanced across the room where Sirius and Olivia had perched themselves by the window in a make out session.
"Alright here is the countdown." Alice said excitedly as she turned the radio up a little not wanting to wake the sleeping children each in their father's arms.
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year."
Rebecca smiled at Remus as she cupped his face and kissed him.
"Happy New Year Becky."
"Happy New Year to you Remus." She smiled as he laid a hand on her stomach.
After everyone had left Rebecca sat down on the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table. Remus stood in the doorway and watched her for a moment until she cracked open an eye and looked at him.
"Sit." She said patting next to him.
"Would you like for me to clean up? I know you must be tired." He said as he sat down next to her.
"No…fuck the mess, just sit here with me." She said as she put her legs over his lap and leaned her head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head as he took her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it.
"Abby." Rebecca said softly.
"Hmmm?" Remus asked lazily.
"Abby…what do you think?"
"For the baby?" He asked and she nodded as she laid a hand on her stomach.
"Abigail Caroline Lupin." She said softly.
"Caroline?" He asked as he looked at her.
"Yeah…your mother was very important to you and I…well…"
"I love it." He smiled widely. "Abigail Caroline Lupin." He said and his smile got wider. "I absolutely love it. Abigail Caroline Lupin it is." He said placing a hand on top of her own.
I know this took a little longer than planned, a spur of the moment i went to Big Bear for a mini vacation for Thanksgiving so that kind of screwed up my writing plans but i am glad to just get this out. I hate giving you guys days and posting up late, classes are killing me right now and i can not wait until school lets out in hopes of more writing. SO here is chapter 63, hope you enjoy it. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
And thank you HotaruKitsune for telling me i posted the chapter twice, i had a little problem with the posting last night