Chapter Fourteen
There wasn't much planning to be done at that point, so the war council broke up shortly after Narcissa and Draco left. Nic arranged with Alice and Frank to bring Mrs. Longbottom and Neville over early in the morning, and then the Auror couple left to go play with their son. "After all, we don't know when it might be our last day with him," Alice said, somehow still optimistic while being so pragmatic.
"So we want to get as much time with him as we can," Frank finished with his own cheer. But they both hugged me before leaving, and we promised we would have a playdate for the boys, once the Longbottom family wasn't being targeted by deranged psychopaths.
Moody and Madame Bones followed them out, though not without Moody saying goodbye to my boys. Dudley escaped the library, with Harry hot on his heels, and they both squealed happily when they saw the man. He very patiently allowed them to examine his wooden leg, which to an adult looked rather horrifying, or at least represented a horrific injury if magic couldn't fix it, but both boys found it fascinating. They babbled at each other in that way that only the two of them could really understand, poking and prodding at the leg for long enough that I was beginning to get uncomfortable. "Alright, lads, I've got to get back to work," he gruffed at them, then patted their heads with his gnarled hands before extracting his leg from their grasps with far more gentle care than most would realise he was capable of.
We spent that evening in far closer proximity to each other than we normally did. We tried to pretend for normality for the boys, of course, but it was a bit of a struggle. And the little boys picked up on that, being more fussy and clingy than usual. But once they were finally asleep, after five books and more songs than I cared to count, Tina ruthlessly herded us all into the lounge. "We need this," she declared as she levitated one sofa next to another.
It didn't take the rest of us long to figure out what she meant, and soon enough, the sofas were magicked into a cushiony pit large enough for us all. "I've got wine, firewhiskey, and brandy," Lottie announced, "and plenty of chocolate to last us all night."
Danae carefully maneuvered her way onto the sofa pit, with Nic hovering worriedly right behind her. "We'll see about that," she grumbled playfully. "Especially since I can't have any of the alcohol."
I somehow found myself cuddled in between Sirius and Remus, both of whom simply exuded warmth like particularly cuddly furnaces. It was delightful, just to spend time with the people, well, the adults, I loved the most and simply be for just an evening.
Real life intruded again, though slowly, the next morning with Sirius trying to extricate himself from both mine and Remus's grasps. Somehow during sleep, Remus had reached over me to tangle his fist in Sirius's shirt, and I was all but plastered to his side. Tina and Lottie were tangled up with us, as well, so much that I wasn't entirely sure whose foot was digging into my hip. But I still didn't want to leave.
I must have made some sound, since Sirius paused in his efforts to free himself. "Sorry, Petal, but I've got to get up now," he whispered, pushing my hair out my face to look me in the eyes. "There's a lot to be done at work today."
"I know," I mumbled, though the fact that I buried my face into his chest might have given the opposite impression. He simply chuckled and pressed a kiss to my hair.
"Here's a pillow for my replacement," he said softly. He lifted my arm and closed it again around the pillow, which I immediately clutched.
"Not as comfy," I slurred.
I heard him laughing as he climbed out of the cushiony pit. "I'll check on the boys before I leave," he promised.
I was fairly certain I was asleep again before he left the lounge.
The next thing I knew, Sirius was calling me softly. "Petal, the boys are both awake, and I have to leave for work now."
Bleary eyed, I pushed myself up enough to accept the boys from him, dislodging Remus with a snort in the same motion. "Come here, my loves," I said sleepily, trusting Sirius to place the boys with care.
The littles happily clambered in with us and immediately began climbing all over Remus, who simply kept on sleeping soundly. And then I remembered that the full moon was only a few days away. "I've got to make some pain relievers today," I said around a yawn, stretching and almost smacking Sirius in the face.
"Don't forget that Frank's mother is coming today," he reminded.
And it had the effect of dousing me in cold water. I was suddenly, instantly awake, and more worried for him than I'd been in a long time. "You're coming back," I told him, eyes wide and heart pounding in panic, even as I stared at him upside down.
"I'll be fine," he said, clearly trying to play it off.
But I wouldn't let him. "I mean it, Sirius Black. You are coming home, in one piece, or so help me," I began, and he softened.
"I promise," he said softly, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to my cheek. "I'll always come home to you, to you and the boys."
Sirius left then, after a quick kiss for both of the boys, and I stared unseeingly for a long time at the wall. Why did the thought of losing him make my heart pound like that?
But I didn't have too long to contemplate it, since the boys soon began to let me know they were hungry. The three of us headed into the kitchen, where a very cranky Danae sat at the table and a frazzled Nic stood at the hob. "Coffee's on," he told me, then swore as… whatever he was trying to cook bubbled over.
"Take these," I said, shoving both boys at him. I put the pot he'd been using in the sink, since we all knew that Nic was terrible at cooking, even if he was a genius at potions. He somehow couldn't get the knowledge to cross over, and we'd all banned him from trying again. Multiple times.
"I'm sorry," Nic started, though both Danae and I waved him off.
"Whatever you were trying to make smells terrible," she told him, and I had to agree, even if I didn't say anything.
"You said you were hungry!"
"I meant I wanted one of the muffins Pet made yesterday, not for you to cook something! Everyone knows you can't cook!"
With their bickering as my background music, I made breakfast for us all, the scent of food waking the others when even the boys' chatter couldn't. After we ate, Remus whisked the boys upstairs to get dressed, and Tina did the same with Lottie. I quickly dressed myself, hurrying downstairs just in time to see Nic coming back home with our guests.
"Hello, Petunia," Mrs. Longbottom said, brushing past me with her arms full of a large red handbag and a plump toddler. "It's good to see you again, and it's rather good of you to open your home like this for us."
She bustled in, immediately taking charge, just like I'd remembered from the few times I'd seen her previously. "Of course, we're happy to help," I told her, a bit bemusedly.
Thankfully, between the three littles playing and Mrs. Longbottom's aggressive helpfulness, the day passed quickly with enough on my mind to keep me from obsessively worrying over Sirius. And the others, of course. Frank and Alice were doubly in danger, since they were both the targets and working as Aurors. And while I hadn't seen either of them since the funeral, I still counted them as friends, and I didn't want anything to happen to either of them. Little Neville deserved to grow up with his parents, after all.
Sirius finally came home that evening, accompanied by Frank and Alice. "We've got Bella and both LeStranges in custody," he said as he collapsed onto the sofa next to me, dropping his head to my shoulder. "Lucius was killed, as were Thornton and Swan. But we didn't lose anyone who was actually on our side."
"And both elder Malfoys are in custody, as well, without anyone the wiser that Narcissa was the one to inform on them," Alice added. She collected Neville in a big hug, and she and Frank smothered the boy in kisses while he giggled happily.
A sharp pang in my chest distracted me for a moment, and all I could think about was that my boys would never experience that. Harry's dad was gone, both of his parents were gone after sacrificing their own lives to keep him safe, and Dudley's father hadn't even written or telephoned to see how he was doing in all the time since we'd separated. They wouldn't get that fatherly love, and there was nothing I could do to change that.
Dudley broke my musings as he thrust his drawing under Sirius's nose and babbled at him. Sirius, who was clearly exhausted, sat up immediately and took my boy into his arms. "That's a beautiful picture, Scamp," he told him. "Is that Mumma?"
"Mumma lellow," Dudley said emphatically. "Ree back, you back."
"And Dudley is yellow like Mumma," Sirius continued, obviously looking at the drawing. "Is that Danae?"
"An' Ti-tis!" I grinned at the name the boys had come up with for Lottie and Tina, since Auntie Lottie and Auntie Tina were a bit hard to say for littles.
"Where's- oh, and here's Rem and Nic, right?"
As Dudley explained his picture, a warm feeling soothed that sharp ache. After all, my boys might not have fathers anymore, at least not ones who were part of their lives, but we'd gathered our own unconventional family around us.
Frank and Alice left with their family soon after. And as soon as they left, Danae waddled into the room. "Sirius, I'm so glad you're safe and back because I need to steal Pet for a while," she declared.
Sirius, now underneath both boys, grinned tiredly. "Of course, I can get these rascals into bed. Rem will help."
"What do you need, love?" I asked Danae, feeling a bit confused. She hadn't said anything about needing my help all day long.
"I need you to come with me to St. Mungo's. The baby's coming."
I jolted to my feet and all but ran to her. "What- now? But it's still early!"
She just shrugged. "We might have been off on our calculations. My last appointment with the healer said she looked rather big for what we were thinking."
"Did your water break?" I asked her, looking her over critically. For what, I didn't really know, but it seemed like the appropriate thing to do.
"Yes, Nic is cleaning it up and grabbing our bag, and then we can go," she answered, and I could finally see the nerves getting to her.
"Do you want me to send your mother a Patronus? Or Sirius could-"
"I'd be happy to either send a Patronus or telephone her," he agreed instantly, like he'd known exactly what I was going to say.
"No, we'll wait until Laurel is born," she said firmly, though she was also squeezing my hand tightly, too, no doubt from a contraction. "I just want you there, Pet, and Nic, of course. You're the one out of us all who's experienced birth from this side, and I don't want to do this without you."
"I wouldn't be anywhere else," I replied, squeezing her hand back gently. Then I grinned. "Though Sirius was there for both mine and- for both boys' births, so he's experienced as many as I have."
"And it was bloo- It was terrifying both times," he quickly replied.
Danae looked at him, then nodded decisively. "That's it, you're coming, too, Black. Lottie, Danae, you're watching the boys while we go to the hospital!" she shrieked.
Sirius looked alarmed, to say the least. "I don't really-"
"You're coming, and that's final," she snapped, looking ready to murder someone if she didn't get her way.
"Okay," he squeaked.
A thundering herd of elephants would have been more quiet than my friends running down the stairs. "Why does Sirius get to go and not us?" Lottie pouted.
"I never want to see that, so I'm more than happy for you to take my place," Tina rejoined. "This is why I like women, can't get pregnant that way."
"I'll get the boys to bed," Remus told me quietly, pushing his way past the rest of us to join the boys on the sofa. The boys happened to be watching us all like a very entertaining show on telly.
"Thank you, Sirius," Nic said sincerely, "and thank you, Pet. But we've got to get Danae to the hospital."
Somehow, with lots of kisses and only mild complaining from those left behind, the four of us Apparated away. I opened my eyes again to the sound of Danae retching, and everything from my own delivery experience came rushing back.
"Labour and Delivery is-"
Sirius cut the bored welcome witch off with a short "We know where it is."
Danae was serenely determined the whole time she pushed. She simply bore down without much of a sound. Once little Laurel arrived, however, she burst into sobs. And messy swears that didn't really make sense. But she promised, over and over, that she would protect her baby, and that she could grow up into anything she wanted to be. "Even if you want to be a boring housewife," she sobbed, making the rest of us laugh tiredly.
When it was my turn to hold the tiny newcomer, I was overwhelmed with how much littler she was than either of my boys. "Were either of the boys this little?" I asked tearily.
"It doesn't seem like it," Sirius huffed a laugh. "But she's so tiny, and perfect."
Another pang in my chest reminded me that I would never hold another baby of my own. But I ruthlessly shoved it aside to bask in Laurel's absolute perfection. After all, I had my two boys already, and auntie was a brill role to play with this newcomer, and any siblings she might have later.
AN: I promise I will finish this story, but I've got a few other stories that I'm also working on, and life gets a little crazy sometimes, so I don't know when I'll finish. But I will finish it! Thanks for sticking with me, and a big thanks to those of you who take the time to review!