oooOOOoooOOOooo Chapter 2
Harry froze. The blanket fell back over the basket. Were those real live babies in the basket? He was almost afraid to look. He lifted the blanket and looked inside. One of the babies twitched and sighed in its sleep. Harry squeaked in fear. He let the blanket fall back over the basket again. That's when he saw the letter.
A rather thick letter was set in the basket with the babies. Harry slowly and carefully pulled the letter out, like he was afraid a bomb would go off if he made a wrong move. He gingerly opened the letter and plopped down on the opposite bench while he read.
"Dear Harry,
Thank you for the wonderful night we had together. It meant more to me than you'll ever imagine. I communed with the Goddess Selene. She instructed me to lie with you and let the bounty of my body provide for you in your hour of need. Selene promises these babies will save your life. I had them for you and you alone. Thank you for signing the surrogacy contract when we spent our evening of passion with one another. The funds will be transferred to my account now that I have delivered the twins to you. They are your sons, Charlus Jameson Potter IV and Julius Sirius Black…"
The letter went on for several pages talking about what the boys like, what their birth was like, what her pregnancy was like, and what her own family was like. Harry read the rambling document with growing horror in his heart. Harry Potter was a father.
"No," Harry shouted, standing suddenly. This was a mistake. He ran out of the compartment and checked every other compartment on the train. He couldn't find Luna anywhere. It suddenly hit him that he'd left two defenseless babies, his sons, alone in a train compartment. He ran full stop back down the train. He sighed in relief to see that Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Neville were all standing uncomfortably in the small room looking at the babies.
"What are those, mate?" Ron asked with disgust, staring at the babies. Harry just stared at him, open mouthed.
"Do they belong to a professor? Maybe we should sit somewhere else?" Hermione asked, looking uncomfortable with the unaccompanied minors. Harry still couldn't speak. He handed her the letter.
"I don't really like babies," Ginny said, wrinkling her nose at the baby smell.
"I think we need to find out who their parents are," said Neville, looking serious. Neville started to exit the compartment, supposedly to look for the parents, when Harry stopped him. Harry pointed at himself and wheezed. He still couldn't speak.
"Oh no, Harry! You didn't!" Hermione said, speed reading the letter for a second time.
"I did," Harry squeaked out.
"What will you do now?" Hermione wailed, reading the letter a third time. Ginny grabbed it from her and read it.
"Harry!" Ginny shouted. "How could you? With my best friend, too?" She started crying. Harry was even more bewildered.
Ron started to put two and two together and became ill. "No, mate. These aren't, are they? Yours with Loony? That's disgusting."
Harry was starting to get angry at the look of revulsion Ron was giving the twins.
"I'm not ready to be a mother. I thought we'd have children in our 40's. I wanted a nice long quidditch career first. I can't give up everything for a cheater like you. I won't," Ginny shouted and ran from the room.
"You cheated on my sister with that skank. My sister is worth 10 of you and your ugly babies," Ron said, his fists curled up and his face red. Harry smacked him one right in the jaw. It wasn't a hard hit but it was still enough to put Ron Weasley down on his bottom.
Ron sat there, looking shocked for a moment, before he stood up angrier than a hornet.
"Fine! Keep your sprogs and keep away from my sister!" Ron stormed out of the compartment, following behind Ginny and her dramatic exit.
Hermione looked at Harry sympathetically. Neville looked at Harry a little green around the gills.
They heard some snuffling under the blankets and a short cry. Now Harry was really screwed.
oooOOOoooOOOooo
Five minutes of two children who were less than a week old screaming had Harry at his wits end. Hermione was bouncing one of the twins while Harry held the other. Neville sat in the corner of the compartment with his hands over his ears, looking panicked.
"I don't know what to do!" Harry wailed, ready to cry himself.
"Change them or feed them, Harry. It isn't a wide variety at this age," Hermione said, becoming annoyed with Harry's panic.
"I need help!" Harry cried. That made him think of someone who might be able to help. Two someone's, one for each baby.
"Dobby! Winky!" Harry said, seriously frightened. Surely the house elves knew how to take care of babies.
With a slightly discordant pop pop, the elves were in the train compartment.
"Master Harry Potter, sir, be calling?" Dobby asked, looking around at the bedlam in the train compartment.
Winky just hiccuped and walked over to the babies. She took the baby from Harry, changed it quick as a flash without any unfortunate fountain moments. She took the other baby and did the same, fast as can be. She rooted around in the basket for a few more minutes and found two bottles she handed one to Harry and one to Hermione. Just like that, there was silence.
Winky hiccuped again, and stood at her best, drunken attention.
"What does you be needing?" Winky slurred.
Harry just stared at the miracle worker in front of him. "Bond with me Winky, please? I'll do anything. You'll have to stop drinking but I need help with these babies, please!"
Harry had his puppy dog eyes set to kill. He needed the elves' help.
Winky stared at Harry for a few seconds, blankly. Then, she squeed and jumped forward, hugging Harry's legs.
"Really? Please say you is being serious?" Winky said, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"Harry! You can't!" A scandalized Hermione said quietly, hoping not to wake the sleeping baby.
"I can and I will! Winky wants it. She should be free to choose for herself! What do you want, Winky?" Harry asked.
"Winky wants a family! To help with babies. Please!" Winky said, begging Hermione, crying now that her dream was being ripped away.
Hermione gave Harry annoyed-look number 4 but didn't say anything else. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and waved Winky forward. In just a few short moments, it was done and Winky was bonded to Harry.
"What do you say, Dobby? Do you want to be bonded?" Harry asked, feeling immensely better now that he had Winky's help.
"No, Harry Potter, sir," the elf said, looking wounded. "Dobby is a free elf. Dobby thought Harry Potter, sir, understood. You be wanting to bind Dobby?"
"No! I mean, only if you want me to. I don't want to do anything you don't want, Dobby. I just wanted to offer. If you want to work for me instead, I'd be glad to pay you. I just need help with the twins," Harry said, apologetically. Dobby's ears perked back up.
"You would be hiring Dobby? For pay?" Dobby asked.
"Yes, whatever you want as long as I can afford it," Harry said, earnestly.
"One galleon per month and one day off per month," Dobby said.
"Ten galleons per week and one day off per week," Harry said, stubbornly.
"That is being too much," Dobby said.
"That's what Winky will be getting, too, so take it or leave it," Harry said.
Dobby looked unsure but agreed. If that's what it would take, that's what it would take.