A/N: HERE WE GO. FINALLY. SHIT IS GOING TO START COMING HARD. THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID.

misslak: Ah, your deductions are always very close. I'm really excited about Amrit and Lescos and Rowan's adventures with them. Thanks for the great review, as always!

Maddie Rose: Thank you! I'm glad that Rowan's drive resonates with you. And I think they deserve a happy ending too ;]

nessafly: Thanks for all the suggestions! I was actually considering a Fred or George story next, so it's interesting that you think the wandmaker storyline would fit there chronologically. I'm hesitant to write about quieter characters because it's so hard to make the story really engaging when the protagonist is more reserved, but I'll keep thinking it over.

Also, I'm sad you don't ship Sirius and Mina, but their relationship is definitely pretty turbulent and I didn't spend as much time developing them as I would've liked. I'll focus a bit more on Sirius in the next installment, so I hope you like where that goes! Thanks again!

SMFG1: Thank you! Hope you like this one too!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 55: Of the Birth as the Seventh Month Dies

A long, shrill scream echoed down the halls of St. Mungo's obstetrics ward. Rowan flinched slightly at the grating sound. It stabbed its way down her spine and into her stomach. She couldn't believe Lily still had any voice left in her.

It was July 31st, and the Marauders and company were gathered in the waiting room of St. Mungo's. They had been taking turns, coming and going from the hospital as they waited for news of James and Lily's baby. Rowan tiredly looked up at the clock that hung over the door. It was quite late already - 11 p.m. Lily had gone into labor nearly twelve hours prior, and it still sounded like they had some more time to go. She took a glance at Mina, who looked strangely upset in the seat next to her. Her eyebrows were furrowed heavily, mouth twisted with discomfort. Rowan grimaced again as another shriek rang out from behind the closed doors of the operating room.

A slight creak was heard, and both women looked up to see Sirius and Remus peeking their heads apprehensively into the waiting room. They looked slightly green in the face. Rowan smirked at the sight.

"You going to come in or just stand there?" she asked cheekily. Sirius attempted a glare but couldn't muster enough bite, instead looking slightly constipated.

"Please don't make us come back in," he whimpered.

"Oh quit. It's your turn. We already took a double shift for you nancies," she said glaringly. They both cringed but crept back into the room anyway, shoulders stiff.

Rowan looked to Mina. "Care for a walk?" she asked. Mina nodded eagerly, thumb and finger pinching her nose bridge.

"Yes, please," she said tiredly. The two women stood. Rowan looked back at the men.

"Julia and my mum should be back soon. Try to look a little presentable, okay?" she teased. Sirius groaned and flopped over a couple of seats melodramatically, burying his face in his hands. Remus' face turned a strange shade of puce. Rowan grinned slightly.

"How can you be enjoying this?" Remus asked incredulously.

Rowan reached forward and pinched his face. He groaned and swatted her hands away, pulling a laugh from her.

"We'll be back in an hour. Let us know if anything happens. Try to perk up a bit while we're gone," she said lightly. And with that, the two women trudged off for the exit.

Rowan and Mina sat outside on the warm sidewalk outside of the hospital, both clutching cups of cheap coffee from the hospital vending machines. They drank quietly, relishing the heat after sitting in the cold, sterile, white waiting room. Rowan's lungs seemed to expand tenfold now that she was outside. It had been nearly two years since her injury, and yet the very sight of the hospital still made her stomach tight with anxiety. She leaned back onto her hands and breathed the warm night air in deeply, shoulders slackening.

She turned to look at Mina, who was hunched over and staring into her cup of coffee with that strange hard look again. Rowan frowned slightly.

"Everything okay?" she asked with light concern.

Mina's head jerked up with surprise. Rowan smiled ruefully. Mina's lips twitched into a strained half-smile, though Rowan could see some blossoming annoyance there.

"I'm fine," she said shortly, before turning back to stare at nothing. Rowan eyed her warily.

The two sat in silence, allowing the sounds of London at night to fall and trickle over them passively. People came and went, walking past and throwing cursory glances their way, but despite the noise, Rowan felt a comforting sense of emptiness. Could emptiness have substance? She certainly felt so.

The past couple of months had been fulfilling, but stressful. It felt like she'd been sprinting for about seven weeks, and the momentary silence was like stumbling across an oasis in an infinite desert. Two weeks after the initial meeting with her new colleagues, they'd begun to really test her findings. There had been two lunar cycles so far, and the next was coming up again within the coming week.

The first cycle had been one of the most terrifying experiences of Rowan's life. After a long week of injections, she and the team had gathered on the night of the full moon in the protective enclosure that Fabian had prepared at the I.C.E. Isaac had stood unabashedly naked before them, pale with gangling limbs and blue veins. Rowan had always imagined Remus' preparation ritual - he must have one, after all, surely. It had almost been like a ceremony, with quiet, rehearsed movements and a tone of solemnity usually reserved only for moments of deep reverence. Rowan had been reminded of the old Japanese Muggle films she'd watched with James years ago from the 1950s. Samurai, those men had been called.

She'd seen countless illustrations and even Marie Acina's werewolf transformation from Belby's memories, but nothing could have prepared her for the horrifying experience of witnessing it firsthand. What had begun as an almost elegant, dignified ritual quickly devolved into the most primal, guttural sounds and convulsions. Isaac's body had twisted and contorted, bones jutting and crunching and twisting beneath his skin. His face and eyes and teeth had stretched and screamed. His flesh had pulled and torn against bone and muscle. Rowan had never been squeamish, but she had nearly vomited on the spot.

And then the test had failed.

Isaac's werewolf had thrashed and flailed against the enchanted cage that they'd erected. His movements had been a drunken stupor, long legs tripping and stumbling over themselves, but the confusion and delirium had only made him more aggressive out of sheer panic. Rowan's stomach had seized with fear and heat. The potion had perhaps hindered him, but in a cruel turn, it had only made him even more dangerous. Eventually, Isaac finally collapsed from the exhaustion of his delirious hysteria, but only after hours and hours of the same drunken shrieking. It had seemed like a short eternity. Rowan had nearly passed out as well.

The next cycle had been slightly more successful, but that magical look of sentience that her mice took on during the full moon was still lacking. The dosages were still too weak. She needed more aconite. It was infuriating! Why hadn't she started testing sooner? If this continued, she wouldn't be able to publish for at least another year.

If she wasn't brewing, she was doing research, and if she wasn't doing that, she was either working with the Order. There had been a sudden surge in Death Eater activity - just at the most inconvenient time, it seemed. She and Remus couldn't seem to find a break to catch their breath, and with the Weasleys, the Potters, and the Longbottoms out of commission for maternity reasons, the rest of the Order was feeling the strain.

Lily had been beside herself. It wasn't like her or James to sit aside while their friends were fighting. It had taken a large amount of arguing on the part of the Marauders to convince them that they needed to stay out of battle while expecting. Rowan and company had been doing their best to keep their increased missions from the Potters, but it was growing difficult, especially with the dark circles growing steadily beneath their eyes. There was a raid upon Dolohov Manor being planned very soon as well. Rowan could only hope that she could keep James' nose out of Order business until then.

Peter's participation had increased, however, much to his friends' delight. He had informed them a month before that his mother's condition seemed to be improving, though his nerves hadn't. He was looking more gaunt with everyday that passed. Rowan had brought it up quietly with Sirius, expressing her deep concern for their small friend. But Sirius' explanation had seemed to make sense - Wormy was naturally the most afraid of them all. Of course he was showing worse for wear with the sudden onslaught of Death Eater activity. She couldn't really argue with that.

Rowan looked back over at Mina, who was still quiet. The brunette had also been looking haggard recently. Her usually glossy hair was looking duller. Her smiles came less readily. Her comments during Order meetings were harsher. She'd even made Emmeline Vance cry the other day with the severity of her tone. Rowan couldn't really blame her - as Mad-Eye's protege of sorts, it only made sense that she was feeling the strain. The old Auror's fire seemed to only increase with the danger, and he expected everyone around him to react the same way. Although Mina was certainly a fantastic Auror, there was only so much energy one could expend in a day. Rowan was afraid she'd burn herself out and slip up on a mission. She could end up getting hurt... or worse. She cringed at the thought.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked carefully, breaking the silence again.

Mina's face jerked to look at Rowan with eyes blazing angrily. Rowan recoiled slightly at the sight of her friend's expression.

"I said I'm fine!" she snapped.

Rowan flinched at her tone. Mina's face immediately fell into an apologetic grimace.

"I'm sorry, Row. I didn't mean to snap. I just-"

Rowan smiled consolingly. "It's okay. I know," she said softly. "Sorry for pushing you. You just don't seem like yourself recently."

Mina's lips trembled momentarily. Rowan could see the thoughts flitting behind her eyes. She looked around them discreetly, but the street was filled with fast-paced, passing people. No one seemed to even realized the two women sitting on the curb. Finally, her resolution seemed to break.

"Can you keep a secret?" she whispered.

Rowan nodded hesitantly. Mina took a deep breath.

"I walked in on Dumbledore and Moody talking about something... something terrible," she said quietly. Her voice was barely a whisper, but Rowan heard it clearer than any other conversation on the street. "Dumbledore received a prophecy at the beginning of the year... a prophecy about You-Know-Who... It involves James and Lily."

Rowan's stomach clenched painfully. Her mouth hung open, breath shallow and abrupt. Every other voice on the street fell away.

"I'm not supposed to know. Dumbledore made me swear not to tell anyone, but it's killing me - being the only one to know," Mina whispered frantically. "I didn't catch all of their conversation so I don't know the details of what's going to happen, but it's clear that You-Know-Who will be coming after James and Lily soon."

"What?" Rowan breathed. Her lungs seemed to collapse on themselves. "You're sure? You're sure they were talking about-"

"Yes, I'm sure!" Mina hissed. Rowan flinched again at her tone slightly but was taken aback by the twinge of something else there - it was fear.

"I'm completely, utterly sure," she breathed. Her breath was short, eyes glistening angrily. "I wouldn't be so fucking terrified if I weren't sure. But what the fuck am I supposed to do?"

Rowan blanched. She could feel all of the blood drain from her face. "We have to tell them!" she gasped. "We have to get them into hiding. How can-"

"Dumbledore is going to get them into hiding soon," Mina said. Rowan felt her stomach loosen slightly at this, but the searing heat in her face remained.

"When?" she asked.

Mina shook her head. "I don't know. Soon. He needed to wait for Lily to give birth, but I imagine it'll happen as soon as they're able to move," she explained. Her hands gripped Rowan's tightly. "You can't tell them. They can't know, or Dumbledore will know that I broke my promise to him, and I don't know what I'll do if Moody finds out. Promise me you won't say anything."

Mina's eyes burned into Rowan's. She felt as if she might implode - how could she promise that? James - she needed to tell James! She needed to protect him and Lily and their baby... Her godchild! She needed to protect her godchild!

"Promise me!" Mina hissed. She squeezed Rowan's fingers painfully tight.

Rowan stared hard at her friend, lips trembling. She then nodded slowly.

"I promise."

Mina's grip loosened until her fingers fell away. Air seemed to seep from her veins, deflating her. Her mouth still remained tight, but the relief of confiding in someone seemed to pull the weight of the burden from her. Unfortunately, Rowan now felt the brunt of it fully.

"I'm sorry," Mina whispered. Her voice rumbled and shook. "I just had to tell someone. I don't know what else to do. I want to tell them so badly, but I can't. I can't tell them, Winnie."

Rowan nodded dumbly but didn't quite know how else to respond. She wanted to believe. Dumbledore must have his reasons. She wanted desperately to trust the great wizard, but the thought of her best friends in danger was enough to make all else fall silent for Rowan.

But there was no time to brood. A silver mass flew over head and landed in front of the two women, pulling a surprised shriek from both. It was a dog - Sirius.

"Hurry back now! It's a boy! A boy!"

Sirius' ecstatic voice echoed happily through the silence. The silvery dog threw its head back and released a silent howl into the glowing streets of London. Just as the glowing hound whispered away into the night, a distant echoing chime was heard, ringing through the dark streets. It was midnight. Rowan felt the last remnants of July fade away into the darkness.

Harry James Potter was born July 31, 1980 at 11:53 p.m.

Out of all of the Quidditch Cup Championships won, House Cups celebrated, and legendary pranks pulled over the years, Rowan had never seen her best friend look so consumed with joy. James hadn't put little Harry down once since they'd come running back to the delivery room, and Rowan was slightly afraid that he'd pass out while standing up.

"James, either sit or put down my son before you trip and take him down with you," Lily scolded tiredly. James simply blew a raspberry and continued dancing around the room with his newborn son. Rowan couldn't help but laugh with delight as she watched the two turn about the room.

Whatever apprehension she'd felt outside with Mina seemed to fall away as she felt the glow of her godson's presence. This was true happiness, the embodiment of love - no Dark Lord or Death Eaters could reach them here in this moment. She gazed around the room and saw her closest loved ones all gathered, all happy. Tomorrow might bring darker things, but at that moment, there was no war, no battles. This was peace.

"Prongs, let us see him, damn it!" Sirius barked happily from beside Rowan on the couch.

James clutched Harry to his chest and eyed Rowan and Sirius suspiciously. Rowan glared at him until the new father relented sullenly, handing over the baby to her with the gentlest hands she'd ever seen on him.

Harry slipped into Rowan's arms effortlessly. His warm weight fell upon her softly, like a faint whisper, and as she set her eyes upon his tiny face, the entire earth and sky seemed to open up. She felt that overwhelming comfort of emptiness surge through her as she gazed into his sleeping face. All notions of fatigue or fear fell away into the void. His black hair was a soft wisp, his tiny fingers splayed delicately across his chest. He was real - her godson, her ward. This was what she was fighting for - for a future in which he'd never know all of the ways they'd suffered.

"He looks just like you, Jamie," Rowan whispered. This baby, this tiny vision of James - she could already see him grow up in her mind's eye. Every memory of her childhood with James flashed behind her eyes.

"Better looking though. Probably from Lily," Mina grinned.

"Damn right," Lily retorted from her bed. James chuckled and kissed her hair affectionately. They seemed to glow in an otherworldly light.

"Good genes, he has. Can't wait till he's old enough to walk. He'll be able to fly as soon as he can stand if I have anything to say about it," Sirius declared proudly. He ran his fingers gently over the black tuft of hair on Harry's tiny head. Harry's face scrunched up in his sleep. He released the smallest of sounds. Rowan was sure her face might break if she smiled any more broadly.

And then his eyes opened.

"Oh," Rowan breathed. Remus smiled.

"Just like Lil's," he said.

Harry stared up at his parents' friends, round eyes calm and dazed. And green.

"Lily's eyes," James said, chest swelling with pride. "He couldn't have come out more perfect even if we'd planned it."

"You're just saying that because he looks exactly like you," Mina jabbed.

"Well, duh," James huffed. "Who wouldn't want to look like me? I am the pinnacle of human evolution, after all." One could nearly hear the shared eye-roll around the room.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! Is the baby here? I can't believe I missed it!" Peter cried, stumbling into the room in a puff of wheezes.

Harry whimpered slightly and twisted in discomfort in Rowan's arms at the sudden onslaught of noise. Sirius shushed Peter loudly. The smaller man grimaced apologetically. Luckily, Harry's face melted calmly again and then fell back asleep. A sigh of relief echoed around the room.

"Hey, Wormy. It's okay, mate. Come meet him," Sirius said happily, gesturing Peter over to the baby. Rowan stood carefully - making sure not to wake Harry back up - and cradled him next to Peter.

The round man's eyes widened with awe as he laid eyes on the baby. Rowan smiled at the light in Peter's face. All the stress and fatigue in his face seemed to fall away. She marveled at the wonders this tiny being was able to achieve with just his presence.

"Wow," Peter breathed.

James nodded proudly. "His name is Harry James Potter; born at 11:53," he declared.

Peter nodded but never took his gaze off of Harry. His mouth trembled slightly, lips twisting with emotion as he looked at the baby. Rowan was deeply moved as she saw Peter's eyes well up and glisten with unshed tears.

"He's perfect, James," he whispered. James nodded fiercely. Lily smiled and leaned into her husband.

"He is," she agreed.

The Marauders all took turns holding little baby Harry, each cooing and giggling uncharacteristically at the sight of the newborn. Rowan sat on the bed next to Lily as she watched the four men conspire excitedly about the plans they had for their group's newest member. Mina sat in the armchair next to the bed tiredly.

"You did good today, Lil," Rowan said affectionately, squeezing her dear friend's hand. She cherished the warmth shared between them and tried to commit it to memory. She pushed away the dark premonition that Mina had whispered to her earlier.

Lily beamed, eyes drooping somewhat with exhaustion. "Mm, he's my greatest accomplishment," she murmured. She squeezed Rowan's hand. "I don't think it's possible to be any happier. James, Harry, all of you... He's so lucky to have everyone, you especially. We couldn't have chosen a better godmother," she said warmly.

Rowan's lips trembled and she felt her eyes burn slightly with gratitude. "It's the greatest honor I could imagine... being his godmother," she said humbly. "I promise you won't regret it."

Lily smiled, and her eyes drifted shut. Her head lolled against Rowan's shoulder. "Never... You'll always be there for us," she mumbled. She yawned quietly. Rowan grinned.

"Tired?" she asked teasingly.

Lily gave a sort of half-glare, but her eyes continued to droop. Rowan could see her mouth twist in efforts to stay awake.

"You should sleep," Rowan said softly.

Lily shook her head but leaned against Rowan. "No... I want to see him..." she mumbled.

Rowan smiled. "He'll be here in the morning, Lil. You really need to get some rest."

But Lily didn't respond. Her friend's breath deepened and evened out quietly. She felt Lily's weight sag against her with exhaustion.

"She asleep?" Mina asked quietly from beside her.

Rowan nodded. "Yeah, we should probably head out. She must be exhausted," she whispered.

She carefully pried her fingers from Lily's and cradled her head gently, setting her back into her pillows with the utmost care. Even after the painful exertions of childbirth, Lily still looked near-angelic in her sleep. Rowan admired her fiery hair and the slight upturn of her nose. She tried to sketch every curve and line of her face into her memory.

"Hey, you ready?"

Rowan jerked up with surprise to see Remus looking down at her with a confused smile. Rowan shook herself mentally and then smiled back.

"One second."

She then turned back to see James walking the room with Harry again, eyes fixated on his son's face. Rowan walked back up to him quietly.

"Jamie."

James looked up and beamed. Rowan's throat tightened at the sight of her oldest friend and this tiny carbon copy of him. It was overwhelming how bright they were.

"Congratulations," she whispered. "I really can't tell you how happy I am for you."

James' gaze melted warmly. Rowan was struck by how very familiar that expression was. She'd seen it on Richard's face, on Lyall's. She remembered seeing John Potter gaze at them both that way so many years ago. James suddenly seemed so mature, so much older than she. He had completely grown up.

"Thank you, Winnie," he whispered.

Rowan's lips twitched upward. She felt the heat sear at the back of her throat again, but she swallowed it down. She pushed a smile to her face and regarded her best friend one more time - his messy black hair, his crooked glasses. But his usual boyish smirk was gone - replaced with something fuller, deeper, more genuine. James Potter was a father now.

Rowan looked down once more at Harry, mouth slack and slightly parted. He hummed in his sleep, safe in his father's arms. She brushed her fingers gently through his downy hair once more and said a silent prayer. She would protect this boy - this precious child.

Before she lost her will to leave, she turned to see Remus standing in the doorway. His eyes were so gentle, mouth and back relaxed. She knew something in her had changed - something very important - though she couldn't be sure what. As she took his hand, she felt a charge inside of her, deep at the pit of her stomach. Something had certainly changed. She squeezed Remus' hand. He squeezed back. She focused on that spark and held it tight. She burned the image and name of her godson into it. It resonated deep in her heart - Harry James Potter.