I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Side Dishes
20th Course – A Decision Made, Finally
Takes place a few years after the 175th course of Taste, after Harry and Lavender got married.
"Thanks Cashew," Padma smiled, taking her mirror from her trickster fox. The little fox yipped happily and settled on Padma's lap as she answered the mirror. "Hi Lav!"
"Hi Pads!" Lavender smiled from the mirror but she had a certain hint of something behind the smile. "I'm sorry to bother you on your day off, but do you have a moment?"
"Sure, of course. Is something wrong?" Padma asked, immediately concerned and even Cashew picked up on the tone and Padma's expression, her ears flattening a little and she looked at the mirror with concern too.
"I don't think so, but I need your help. Healer wise."
"Where are you, home? On my way." Cashew leapt off her lap and rushed to the door as Padma summoned her bag and the two rushed out of the house. Despite being a very short distance away, Padma apparated to the Potter home while holding Cashew, and they walked in without knocking. The doors were enchanted to allow certain people easier access and she took full advantage of it. "I'm here!"
"Oh hi." Lavender blinked. "That was fast."
"I'm worried so I rushed over."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," Lavender said apologetically. "Hi Cashew," she said when Cashew nuzzled her worriedly, after greeting her sisters Shoyu and Goma. Lavender looked up at Padma. "I need a diagnostic charm, the best you can do."
Padma nodded and cast it silently, waving her wand around Lavender. She cast her best ones with fast results in rapid succession, reading the results as they came out of her wand. "Okay let's see. Heart is good. Breathing and lungs are good. Brain is in perfect working order." She continued to read the results. "You've gained a smidge of weight and…" She cast the charm again and then a specialized one.
"Well?" Lavender asked, holding her breath.
Padma blinked a few times and then she looked at her friend directly. "You're pregnant."
"Are you sure?" Lavender asked breathlessly.
Padma cast the spell once more. "I'm sure." She smiled. "You're pregnant!"
"I'M PREGNANT!" Lavender shouted. She hugged Padma tight and the two women laughed loudly together. The three foxes ran circles around them, yipping and howling with delight while the women danced around in a circle.
Lavender broke the embrace, eyes shining and face flushed. "I've been feeling a touch funny and then I thought that might be the case so I took a potions test but I wanted to double check!" She rubbed her abdomen. "I'm pregnant!"
"I'm so happy!" Padma shouted. "Wait, did you only just take the potion test?"
Lavender nodded. "Like, the results came up right before I called you."
"So not even Parv knows? Can I rub it into her face later?" Padma asked when Lavender shook her head.
"You never need permission from me," Lavender laughed.
"Wait, Harry doesn't know either?" Padma asked.
Lavender shook her head.
"How are you going to tell him?" Padma asked.
"Tell me what?" Harry smiled at them when the two women turned to look at him. He was standing at the door holding a bag and Hedwig was sitting on his head. "I heard you were taking it easy today so I brought some lunch over." He looked at the two women, his smile faltering. "Is everything okay?"
"Oh, sorry," Padma said sheepishly.
"No it's okay," Lavender said. "I wasn't sure how to but might as well just do it." She walked to him and put the food aside, taking his hands into hers. "Uhm. Well. I've been feeling a little funny lately and-"
"Is everything okay? Are you okay?!" Harry looked at her with open alarm. "Is she okay?!" he asked Padma, starting to panic.
"She's better than okay," Padma said, trying to hide a smile.
"I'm really okay!" Lavender reassured him. "Really! Just, uhm, well, I'm…pregnant."
Harry stopped and looked at her with wide opened eyes. He said nothing, the silence building.
"Harry?" Lavender asked, turning nervous. "Did you hear me?"
"I think so," he said slowly. "You said you were pregnant."
She nodded.
"Like…with a baby."
She nodded again.
"So…we're going to have a child together."
She nodded a third time, looking more nervous. The nervousness melted away when Harry shouted with joy, picking her up and whirling her around in the air. Hedwig latched onto his head, talons in his hair, and she beat her wings and screeched happily as Harry shouted and laughed. Lavender laughed with him and soon Padma and the foxes joined in.
"We're going to have a baby!" Harry shouted. "I mean, you're going to because you're pregnant not me and oh my gosh did I already hurt you or the baby by doing this I'm so sorry what do I do Padma help-" He yelped when Hedwig pecked him on the head, calming down.
"I'm fine!" Lavender laughed, her emotions released. She kissed him on the cheeks and the nose, saving a long one for his lips.
"I'm not a pediatric healer but I think that was okay," Padma smiled.
"We're going to have a baby," Harry repeated, looking awed. "A little you."
"And a little you," Lavender said lovingly.
"That's…wow," Harry said, sounding slightly stunned.
"Sorry Padma knew before you, I asked her to check me out," Lavender said apologetically.
"Oh no problem at all. She's the health expert," Harry said easily. He hugged her too. He was then bowled over by the foxes who jumped on him and licked his face happily before looking up at Lavender and nuzzling her warmly. He laughed as they herded her to the couch and made her sit.
"Wait, did you already know?" Lavender gasped when Hedwig fluttered over and sat on her abdomen, fluffing up.
"Wait, what?" Padma asked, astounded.
"I just realized she's been sitting on my front for the last few days when we're at home," Lavender said, gasping when Hedwig nodded. "Awww, you've been helping me? I love you so much." She kissed Hedwig's forehead who nuzzled her back sweetly.
"That's my girl," Harry said, kissing Hedwig too who bonked her head against his, hooting warmly.
"This is so exciting!" Padma said, clapping her hands. "Our first baby!"
"We're going to have to tell everyone," Harry smiled. "Oh shoot, I have to get back to work."
"Go on," Lavender laughed. "We'll start calling people on our end."
"Bring everyone over to the Hearth after to celebrate!" Harry smiled. "I think we have a light day so we'll close early."
"Sounds good! And yes, you can tell the Brigade and everyone there," Lavender laughed.
"Oh good because I don't know if I could keep this in me. We're having a baby!" Harry kissed her again and ran out of the house with the foxes chasing after him, yipping happily. Hedwig remained sitting on Lavender, shaking her head lovingly.
"I knew he'd act like that," Padma smiled.
"Me too," Lavender said, sighing softly. "We weren't exactly planning for a baby right now, but I'm not sad about it either." She looked down at herself. "This baby is going to be really loved and taken care of."
"Absolutely," Padma said firmly and Hedwig nodded with utter surety.
-0-
"Chef, is everything okay?" Chloe asked. Harry's energy had mellowed somewhat and he wandered through the back door into the kitchen, looking dazed.
"Hmm? Oh yeah, everything's okay, good even. Great really," Harry said, looking at her and appearing slightly punch drunk.
"Did something hit you or something?" Mirra pulled him down slightly and held a hand to his forehead.
"No I just got some amazing news," Harry said, not bothered by being pulled down.
"Well go on then," Chloe said, waving her hands at him. "Before you cause us to panic due to your strange state."
"Lavender's pregnant," Harry said plainly.
"She's what?!" Eddie gasped, dropping the trays he was holding, sending them crashing down onto the table in a cacophony of falling metal.
"She's pregnant," Harry repeated, a smile growing from ear to ear.
"CONGRATULATIONS!" Chloe shrieked, pulling him up and hugging him. The rest of the kitchen exploded as the others cheered loudly.
"What's going on?" Julia and Henri and the elves came running in. "What happened?!" Henri asked.
"Chef's having a baby!" Mirra shouted, causing the others to join in with the cheering and noise making.
"She just had it confirmed with Padma," Harry said, his eyes bright.
"That's great!" Felicity smiled.
"Congratulations Chef," Guy said, shaking Harry's hand and smiling.
"We must celebrate!" Chloe said. "We will close early. There are light reservations as it is. Oh this is so wonderful and I will call and tell Fleur and Tante and Oncle and the others and this is wonderful!"
"Inky already left," Felicity smiled. "Hogwarts is going to know in seconds."
Harry could barely describe the warmth that was in his chest at that moment. While he had been working with the Brigade and the staff for years now, and considered them to be close friends as well as fellow co-workers, seeing them be this happy with him, for him, was incredibly heartening and touching.
And he knew it would only become even more as the others found out.
-0-
The door to the Potter home flew open. "YOU'RE PREGNANT?!" Parvati shouted and Peanut yipped loudly with shared shock and excitement.
"And I knew it before you!" Padma crowed. "Suck it!"
"My vengeance will be delayed and terrible!" Parvati shouted back. "You're pregnant!" Parvati squealed and hugged Lavender and the two danced around. "Our first baby!"
"I can't believe it," Lavender said, smile from ear to ear.
"That's great! Does Harry know?"
"He did. He rushed back to the Hearth and we're all having a party there later," Lavender said.
"Perfect! Who else have you told?"
"He's telling the people at the Hearth and we've been calling the others, you were first this time," Padma said smugly.
"Why did you tell her before me?!" Parvati complained, kicking her sister.
"I asked her to check me out medically!" Lavender laughed as Padma kicked her back.
"Oh so only because of her profession and not because you like her more, I can accept that," Parvati sniffed.
"Oh shut up and make yourself useful," Padma snorted. "Here's the list of people and we've been checking them off as we call them."
"Gosh, look at all the names," Parvati smiled.
"Right? I was surprised when we wrote it out and we were sure we didn't miss anyone," Lavender smiled, looking at the very long list.
"Just shows how many people love you and Harry," Parvati said.
"We're really lucky," Lavender sighed softly, rubbing her belly.
"We really are," Padma and Parvati said together.
The door flew open again and Pansy came stumbling in. "You're pregnant!" she shouted, running to Lavender.
"I am!" Lavender laughed, hugging her.
"A thousand congratulations!" Pansy said, eyes bright and smile wide. "How wonderful!"
Another loud crack rang out and more forms appeared in the garden. "Maybe we should charm the door to stay open," Padma laughed.
"At least for a little while," Parvati laughed.
-0-
"Bonjour Madame Auclair. You wished to speak to me?" Chloe asked, approaching the table.
The Hearth was comfortably busy though like she had known, the amount of reservations that day had been fortuitously light. She had also called the later ones and asked if any could arrive sooner or would be willing to reschedule. All had been able to come in earlier with no difficulty and the Hogsmeade residents had seen the sign to return later for an explanation as to why the Hearth was closing a little earlier than usual.
Melanie had been one of the later ones and while curious as to why her time got changed, came over readily enough without trouble. She was a known regular at the Hearth at this point, dining there several times a month. She had noticed a strange but pleasant energy in the Hearth and the food had a curious feeling to it as well.
"Yes, I wanted to see what was going on," she said frankly and in French. "Not that I minded terribly arriving early, but I noticed a certain feeling in the air today. All of you are typically pleasant but you are borderline bubbly this night. And the food."
"Is there a problem with the food?" Chloe asked worriedly.
"Not at all. There is a certain difference to it however. It tastes different, brighter. And not from any noticeable ingredient. So I wished to enquire." She blinked at Chloe's expression.
"One moment," Chloe said and walked into the kitchen. After a moment, she returned with Harry.
"Bonjour Madame," Harry greeted.
"Bonjour Chef," Melanie said warmly. She had become closer acquaintances with Harry, friends even, and had seen Harry in a large range of emotion, especially back to the Rising Stars. Yet this Harry was somehow even more ebullient and happy than when she saw him for the opening of Hedwig's Hearth. "Is everything well?"
"You can say that," Harry said, smiling from ear to ear and from the bottom of his heart.
Heads turned and jaws fell open when people heard Melanie Auclair, famed food critic and food author who's very serious nature was legendary, shriek. The older woman was positively jumping up and down with genuine delight and was hugging a laughing Harry.
"I wonder what that's about," a guest mused.
"Maybe he's opening a second restaurant," another suggested.
"Oh that'd be nice," a third said. "It's always nice when things expand like that."
-0-
Harry whooped with surprise when he was lifted into the air from behind.
"CONGRATULATIONS!" Dora shouted, shaking him excitedly and hugging him tightly, her hair long and black and messy, her eyes turning bright green. "AHHHHHHH YOU'RE PREGNANT!"
"She knows where babies come from, right?" Sirius joked, laughing merrily with the others.
"I'm pretty sure we tried to give her the talk once at what we thought was a reasonable age," Ted smiled.
"And was duly horrified by the extent of her already known knowledge," Andromeda laughed.
The Hearth was closed for business but the doors were still open. The friends and family members of Harry and Lavender had converged as soon as they could with them all arriving as soon as they were done with their own responsibilities. As the night wore on, the regulars at both the Needy Thread and Hedwig's Hearth learned of the celebration and they came by to offer their congratulations and well-wishes too, joyfully celebrating with the happy couple. But the beginning of the night was all of their closest and dearest.
The house elves from Hogwarts had popped over and swarmed Harry, beyond happy for him and Lavender. They were already excited to meet the little one when they arrived and were already talking about their time at the school. Fawkes had appeared in the Potter home early on and came over with Lavender, singing happily all the while.
The Delacours came over from France with Sophie, Colette, and Aimee, bursting with joy and eager to celebrate with them all. Drake, who had luckily been in Paris at the time and was working with Sebastian, rushed over with them, full of cheer. Nicolas dropped what he was doing in America as soon as he received the message via vase and came over swiftly and Perenelle did the same from Italy. The professors from the school came over as soon as classes were done and things were settled.
"It's too early to know boy or girl, right?" Ron asked.
"Still a bit," Padma nodded.
"Don't tell me you all are betting on that too?" Lavender asked, eyes narrowing.
"We won't tell you," Luna smiled, hugging her.
"Have you thought of names yet?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"We played around with some a bit ago," Harry said. "Nothing set in stone of course." He smiled when the Floo roared and the flames turned from green to gold. "Oh speaking of."
"Congratulations!" Dee came stomping out of the fire and came and picked up Harry and hugged him with typical Dee stone-crushing strength. "We're so happy!" She hugged Lavender with much more softness and care that did not lack any genuine emotion or love.
"I'm going to have a little sib!" Emmie cried, hugging Harry and Lavender.
"You have little sibs," Rubi snorted with good humor.
"Ones I actually like," Emmie clarified, making her parents snort and laugh.
"You haven't even met the baby yet," Minla laughed.
"And I know I'm going to love them!" Emmie declared.
"Congratulations," Diglin said, eyes warm. "The Clan grows!"
"It doesn't feel quite real yet," Harry said, expression soft and wondering.
"And it won't until you hold the little baby in your arms and you'll know," Diglin said kindly. "Then it'll be very real. And wonderful. And terrifying."
"At least we have plenty of amazing parents to look up for help and advice," Harry said, smiling at the older witches and wizards and mothers and fathers.
"You're going to do wonderfully," Leena smiled, hugging him warmly.
"And we're going to be with you all the way," Daniel smiled, dabbing at happy tears.
"Are you freaking out yet?" Parvati asked.
Lavender shook her head. "I'm sure I will soon but not right now. Having everyone here and be so happy for and with us, seeing everyone supporting us, it's amazing. I don't have any desire or even ability to freak out right now."
"That's good," Pansy smiled.
"Oh man, you two will have to finally make a decision," Millicent said.
"About what?" Harry asked.
"About these two," Millicent said, pointing at Pansy and Parvati.
"Oh right!" they said together and then looked at each other with surprise and confusion while the others laughed.
"We actually made a decision about that a while ago," Lavender smiled.
"You did?!" they cried together before staring at each other flatly once more to more hilarity.
Harry grinned. "We did. We decided that both of you will be godmother."
"How does that work?" they said together a third time.
"Stop that!" Parvati said.
"You stop it!" Pansy retorted.
"Instead of godmother and godfather, the baby will have two godmothers," Harry smiled.
"Oh, well that works," Pansy said.
"Yeah, I can live with that," Parvati nodded.
"Who's the primus godmother, however?" Daphne asked, smiling slyly.
"They can discuss that on their own," Harry said, shaking his head at Daphne who giggled.
-0-
Late into the night, it was finally quiet. Lavender and Harry lay beside each other in bed, listening to Hedwig snore slightly in her bed beside theirs.
"It was really something seeing everyone there and so happy for us," Harry said softly.
"It really was," she smiled. She cuddled into him, resting her head on his chest. "You're happy, right?"
He kissed her sweetly and solidly. "I am. I want nothing more than to have a family with you."
She kissed him back. "Me too." She sighed a little. "Just that with the other plans and all, might make things kinda hectic."
"I wonder what that's like," he deadpanned, smiling at her laughter. "We'll make it work. We always do. And we have so many people who want to help us."
"Yeah we do," Lavender sighed lovingly.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you more," she whispered back.
They fell asleep holding each other, dreaming of the life to come and the life that will be joining theirs.
-0-0-0-
Shroudyy9 - It's possible they went out to visit them when they were during the stagiaire period.
Wentley - Harry has a way with people and Ariana adores him. I love breakfast foods, can have it whenever honestly.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - Treats for good behavior, not cheating. Thanks for reading.
odonnellzoo99 - The Dumbledores do have a good family dynamic and Harry fits in surprisingly well. I was also surprised how well a full breakfast can become a multi-course fancier meal.
alix33 - I saw the marrow bones in a show once and thought they looked decadent and tasty.
Home of the Brave - The story started with Dumbledore being referred to as such. When Aberforth and Ariana come in, they couldn't be referred to as Dumbledore too and at that point, it would break consistency to refer to Dumbledore as Albus.
poka - Coerce, convince, entice, what you. That might happen one day.
HoneyBear84 - Simple problems have simple solutions.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Snape is less sympathetic in this setting, so I'm not as fussed by it. Really? That boggles my mind. I'm still surprised to see it recommended it on Reddit.
TheSphynx - That might happen one day.