Abandoned Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, all credit goes to JK Rowling. I do not make a profit.

{Warning: this story contains Mpreg and Slash of the non-graphic kind, if that offends you in any way then please do not read. Thank you}

Chapter 2: Snape Manor

The front door of Black manor creaked shut and the hall was filled with the sudden sound of footsteps upon the soft carpet. Sirius was home. Remus rose from his position on the floor, his hand was still holding tightly to his stomach as if afraid that everything would become much more real if he was to release the flat surface. "Remus? I'm home!" Sirius' voice carried happily up the stairs, it was light and airy-unaffected by the horrible things he had no doubt witnessed as an auror just moments earlier. The bedroom door opened and there he stood, his long black hair tied back loosely and his grey eyes sparkling with happiness. He dropped his outer robe and stood there angelically as it pooled at his feet. "Merlin, Remus. I've missed you today. Work's been so stressful. C'mere" he beckoned with his index finger but Remus did not move. "Remus? Don't you want to talk to me?" there was hurt in that beautiful voice now, how disturbing it felt to Remus to know that he was only one with the power to put it there.

"Sirius" he managed through the knot in his throat "we need to talk" slate grey eyes widened in alarm as Sirius took a few hesitant steps forwards.

"Remus, what're you saying. You're scaring me. What's going on?"

He took a deep breath, steeled his resolve and said it. "Sirius, I'm pregnant"

Silence, an awful silence that seemed to hang. And then Remus wasn't alone, a warm chest was pressed up against his back and he could feel Sirius' nose nuzzling into the back of his neck. The animagus hesitantly reached around his love until his

Large hands were splayed out on Remus' belly. "Pregnant?" Remus didn't know whether to laugh or cry, what would happen now? Would Sirius leave him to raise a baby alone? What if the baby was a werewolf? Sirius would never forgive him. "Remus? Are we having a baby?" he couldn't stand the silence any more, he had to say something, anything.

"Y-yes, Sirius. We're having a baby. If you want to, that is. I can't force you." He didn't dare to look and it was with a heavy heart that he felt Sirius pull away.

Then Sirius was back, no longer behind but in front, on his knees, with his face nestled on Remus' stomach. "A baby, Remus" he whispered "our own baby, I can't believe it." Amber eyes snapped open and Remus looked down in shock.

"You're happy about this?" he enquired softly and Sirius looked up to meet him with a warm smile set firmly in place.

"Remus! Of course I am! I love you." He then turned to face the smooth stomach in front of him and placed a small kiss upon it "and I love you too" Remus couldn't help the bubble of laughter that had welled up inside him.

"Sirius it's barely anything at the minute" the animagus rose to his feet and placed a tender kiss upon Remus' lips.

"No, Remus. You're wrong. It is something. It's a little bit of you and a little bit of me and it's perfect."

Lily Evans Potter looked over at her husband with a small smile. "They seem so happy, Jamie" she whispered gently and James was quick to pull her into his arms.

"Don't worry Lil's, it'll be our turn soon. I promise." They were the perfect couple, living in the perfect house with perfect jobs. But their lives could never be perfect, not without the distinctive sound of tiny footsteps on the stairs or the beautiful melody of a baby's laughter as it plays in the sitting room. They had each other but they could never have what they wanted most and that was the saddest thing about it all.

Months moved by quickly in the Black-Lupin household until it had been seven months since the day that Remus got the news. He was big now, his stomach perfectly rounded with the life it carried. He sighed softly as he trundled about the house in search of something to do, he was finding time exceedingly boring now that he could no longer do anything strenuous. That was when he heard the call "Remus? Hun, I've got a letter here. S'from Dumbledore" his brain jumped into action and he was quick to hurry down the stairs, right into a frowning Sirius. "What do you think you're doing?" he snapped "you'll hurt yourself, Remus and the baby" he reached forwards and placed both hands on Remus' stomach. The lycanthrope winced a little as the baby dealt him a slightly nasty kick; much to Sirius' amusement.

"Sorry, Siri. What was the letter about?" He held his hand out and Sirius dropped a small piece of folded parchment into it.

Sirius,

It would be much appreciated if yourself and Remus could attend a small meeting up at Snape Manor this evening around six o'clock. It is a matter of upmost importance. Congratulations on the baby, on behalf of the Hogwarts staff, you must be so proud.

Best regards, Albus Dumbledore.

"It's almost six o'clock now" Sirius chimed in, breaking Remus' train of thought. "We should probably set off now. Is that ok with you?" Remus nodded, he wasn't looking forwards to it though and Sirius knew why; apperation was never much fun but it was apparently worse if you were pregnant.

Severus Snape was sitting quietly in the sitting room of his manor with Narcissa by his side and Dumbledore in the chair opposite. She was holding their child happily in her arms, little Draco with his mother's blonde hair and his father's dark eyes. There was a loud pop at the opposite corner of the room and, before anyone could register what had happened, Remus Lupin had vomited all over the expensive woollen carpet. Severus rose and cleaned the mess with a lazy flick of his wand. "Come now, Remus" he said gently "you know I'd have opened the floo if I'd known you were coming along." Sirius led his lover across the room into one of the comfy chairs before settling in beside him and rubbing his back soothingly.

"Thankyou's Severus, I've assured him many times that you would but he's just too darn stubborn to listen." Remus looked up weakly at Sirius' words and smiled a little.

"Sorry about the mess Severus, Thank you for having us. I apologise, it feels as if we haven't seen you in a long while."

It was Narcissa who spoke now, she handed Draco to his father before wandering over to greet their friends. "Nonsense, Remus. You've been very busy, we understand." She smiled warmly before wandering back to the sofa and taking a seat with her family. Dumbledore coughed and the other inhabitants turned to see him watching them intently.

"It's wonderful to see you all" he began "however, I fear that I have news of grave importance" the atmosphere went from welcoming to apprehensive so suddenly that it would've been dizzying to an outsider. However, the room's inhabitants were all members of the order, all ready to fight at a moment's notice and prepared to accept whatever it was that their fearless leader had to say. "A band of rogue death eaters have said to spread their way to china in the hopes that they will be able to gain control of the ministry there. We have reason to believe that the Chinese ministry is corrupt. However, we cannot act until we are certain what is going on. That's where you all come in" he paused and Remus was certain that it was more than just his pregnancy hormones making him want to strangle the old coot. "We have a group of undercover members keeping an eye out over in china. However, we will need a group to go over there once the Deatheaters have been discovered. I have a team together but they need leaders and, as talented order members, I believe that Sirius and Severus would be perfect for the job." The room fell back into a tense silence, it ticked on for mere seconds and then it was as if a small volcano had erupted inside Remus' chest.

"Perfect for the job? PERFECT FOR THE JOB?! ARE YOU MENTAL?! PERFECT TO GET THEMSELVES KILLED! LOOK AT DRACO, LOOK AT MY STOMACH FOR GODS SAKE, WOULD YOU REALLY BE WILLING TO DENY THESE CHILDREN OF THEIR FATHERS?!" Sirius was on his feet, his arms around Remus in a soothing way as he cooed gently into the man's ear.

"Sit down love, s'not good for the baby. Don't get stressed, come on. Think about the baby. There you go" they had just managed to settle Remus when Narcissa decided that it was her turn. She snatched Severus' arm and held it close as Draco nestled between them.

"If you think that I am willing to let my husband go through that, to put my son through that, then you are sorely mistaken headmaster. I refuse to sacrifice my family for anything. As Remus so adequately put, would you really be willing to deny both Draco and Sirius' child of their fathers?"

Albus took a deep breath before sighing gently and nodding his head ever-so-slightly. "If it was to benefit the greater good, then yes."

Sirius was not strong enough, Remus leapt up, his feet collided heavily with the carpet and his right hand was resting protectively on his stomach as he shouted angrily at the old man. "Damn you, headmaster. Damn you and the greater good. Damn it all to hell" and then Remus Lupin was gone and the door was left to wobble on its hinges in his wake.

thoughts please