FIC: The Newest Marauder
Rating: G
Character: Remus/Sirius, James/Lily, Harry.
Summary: In the midst of war, a baby is born, a godfather is made, and the world slows down to share a smile with the new family.
Notes: Contains a series of images to illustrate the piece. Originally posted here.
Words: 1339
His palms were sweaty when the day had finally come. He wasn't allowed inside, so he'd resorted to pacing back and forth - as if through the sheer accomplishment of being James's best mate, by extension, he was the one having this baby - and consuming outrageous amounts of coffee. His skin was tingling with anticipation; nerves were slowly fraying apart at the root; his vision had gradually tunnelled out to near blindness, focused solely on the door to the room where, hopefully with some luck and a lot of effort, the newest Potter was being born.
And then, like she was summoned by his anxiety, a mediwitch stepped through that bloody door with a nonchalant look on her face. As though, at this very moment, Sirius wasn't the most nerve-wracked expecting godfather in the world.
'Are you here for Potter?' she asked, her head bowing over a sheaf of parchment.
Sirius couldn't find his voice for a moment, Adam's apple bobbing around empty air, until he cleared his throat forcefully. 'Yes,' he grated out. A hand clenched and unclenched at his side, his feet stopped pacing, and he stared at her with such force that he was convinced it made her look up.
The mediwitch's carrot orange brows crinkled for a moment when her gaze settled on his face. Then she looked down again, dragging her fingers slowly over the topmost sheet of parchment, until they landed somewhere in the middle and she nodded.
'Ah yes, she's just delivered ten minutes ago. A mediwizard will be out to escort you in a moment.' Her false smile lacked conviction, but Sirius took what he could get, offering his own somewhat watery smile back.
Oh Godric and Merlin and every fucking deity ever in existence, she delivered, she delivered, oh my god in Muggle heaven, she delivered, went the monologue in his head.
An abrupt whoosh forced him out of his thoughts and his head all but whipped to the side. Remus stepped out of a fireplace, gingerly brushing soot from his shoulder before he looked up. His eyes seemed to light up at the sight of Sirius.
'What's the verdict?' he said as he approached. He looked well-rested on the whole. It was a nice change of pace.
Sirius cleared his throat before trying to speak, but he still felt the scratch of gravel dragging along his larynx.
'Someone's about to come out to take me to see…' He couldn't finish the sentence, his stomach clenched in squirming knots. 'She's - she gave -' The words mocked him as he tried to tell Remus the news. Perspiration gathered at his brow and he shut his eyes, sucking up a steadying breath. When a hand settled on his shoulder, he felt the wave of heat enter him and travel throughout his entire body, and he finally just smiled.
Remus was giving him an equally heartfelt smile when his eyes opened and he could finally focus on something other than the door.
'Well then, we'll get to see her and the baby soon, I'd imagine. I'm sure she's doing just fine,' he said by way of reassurance. The soft yet very sure tone of his voice helped to ground Sirius, who just nodded and unclenched his hand.
He let himself be led towards the waiting room seats, where they sat in silence that was more comfortable now that he wasn't alone. His mind was still a mess, but after a few minutes, he was able to steady his voice enough to ask:
'Do you think it's a boy or a girl?'
Remus took a moment to think about it, swivelling sideways to look at Sirius thoughtfully before he spoke. 'If my mum were here, she'd swear it was a girl because of how high Lily carried the baby. Between you and me, however,' he leaned in close to Sirius's ear, 'I think it's a boy.' He straightened up and his lips quirked at the corners like he was about to grin, but he managed to look serious enough.
Sirius did grin and pulled Remus back by the shoulder, squeezing just a little. 'Y'know what, I think you're probably right, Messr Moony. Another little Marauder to add to the pack.' Remus stifled a laugh at that. Instead, he put on a worried look and whispered back, 'Careful, Peter's got that lovely witch on the brink of matrimony. He might be contributing to our ranks next. Poor McGonagall, she won't know what to do with another generation of Marauders.'
There was a beat of silence and then Sirius burst out in laughter. His nerves slowly ebbed away throughout the conversation and his mind cleared out all of the jittery thoughts. Now all he could think about was a new breed of Marauders pulling pranks that could give the four of them a run for their galleons.
By the time a mediwizard came out to lead them to Lily's maternal suite, Sirius was all smiles and Remus walked right beside him, a warm hand on Sirius's back; at once comforting and quietly intimate.
***
The stark white of the room was broken only by the occasional animated baby animal or splashes of colour cycling across the walls.
Lily sat on a high bed, the head of the mattress raised and pillows practically swallowing her up. She looked impossibly beautiful with her hair pulled back into a loose bun at her neck, a few wisps framing her face, and the look of contentment surrounding her like a down comforter. A tiny hand lifted up from its pure white blanket, reaching for its mother. Lily's hand stroked the newborn's fingers and they immediately clamped around her index finger.
Remus took the seat beside Sirius, who'd pushed his right up to the bed, opposite where James sat with a permanent smile. The new father was completely speechless when they first walked in. His hand never once left Lily's back, stroking in large, slow circles as she nursed their child.
Now that they were settled, Sirius asked the question on both their minds. 'So what's my godsprog's name?'
Lily looked up at Sirius and laughed, the sound light and airy.
'Sirius, meet your new godson, Harry James Potter.' The baby's hand flexed over her finger at the sound of his mother's voice and he suckled harder, his eyes shut in contentment. James levelled Sirius with a ridiculous grin.
'It's a boy, Padfoot,' he affirmed and sounded breathless with giddy delight. 'We've got the best bloody baby the world's ever seen.'
'Harry…' Sirius repeated reverently. His eyes looked suspiciously bright before he blinked a few times, but he couldn't hide the emotion in his voice. 'I've got a godson… Evans, oh gods, Evans, you're sodding amazing.' His hand hovered over Harry's downy head carefully, a little unsure at first.
Lily's settled atop Sirius's and together, their fingers ran the smooth expanse of forehead and over fuzzy hair. The dark, thick strands were already sticking up at all angles. Sirius felt a tingling in his toes before it rushed to his head, making him dizzy. He felt the first prickling of excitement in his fingers, which tangled with Lily's before James added his, and last but definitely the most steady, Remus's brought them all together.
Little Harry made a sound and his fingers let go of Lily's, finding the joined group of hands and adding his own tiny, grasping fingers to the mix.
Lily laughed tearfully and James dropped his head to her shoulder, gazing adoringly at his child while whispering words of love and awe. Sirius let go of his pride and gave in to the infectious joy, tears spilling from his eyes and a quiet laugh adding to the beatific harmony. Remus circled his free arm around Sirius's waist, pulling them closer together in the finishing touch that completed their family.
No one would notice the last piece to their puzzle that day, because whether they knew it or not, the war was granting them the smallest reprieve in the midst of chaos.
Character: Remus/Sirius, James/Lily, Harry.
Summary: In the midst of war, a baby is born, a godfather is made, and the world slows down to share a smile with the new family.
Notes: Contains a series of images to illustrate the piece. Originally posted here.
Words: 1339
His palms were sweaty when the day had finally come. He wasn't allowed inside, so he'd resorted to pacing back and forth - as if through the sheer accomplishment of being James's best mate, by extension, he was the one having this baby - and consuming outrageous amounts of coffee. His skin was tingling with anticipation; nerves were slowly fraying apart at the root; his vision had gradually tunnelled out to near blindness, focused solely on the door to the room where, hopefully with some luck and a lot of effort, the newest Potter was being born.
And then, like she was summoned by his anxiety, a mediwitch stepped through that bloody door with a nonchalant look on her face. As though, at this very moment, Sirius wasn't the most nerve-wracked expecting godfather in the world.
'Are you here for Potter?' she asked, her head bowing over a sheaf of parchment.
Sirius couldn't find his voice for a moment, Adam's apple bobbing around empty air, until he cleared his throat forcefully. 'Yes,' he grated out. A hand clenched and unclenched at his side, his feet stopped pacing, and he stared at her with such force that he was convinced it made her look up.
The mediwitch's carrot orange brows crinkled for a moment when her gaze settled on his face. Then she looked down again, dragging her fingers slowly over the topmost sheet of parchment, until they landed somewhere in the middle and she nodded.
'Ah yes, she's just delivered ten minutes ago. A mediwizard will be out to escort you in a moment.' Her false smile lacked conviction, but Sirius took what he could get, offering his own somewhat watery smile back.
Oh Godric and Merlin and every fucking deity ever in existence, she delivered, she delivered, oh my god in Muggle heaven, she delivered, went the monologue in his head.
An abrupt whoosh forced him out of his thoughts and his head all but whipped to the side. Remus stepped out of a fireplace, gingerly brushing soot from his shoulder before he looked up. His eyes seemed to light up at the sight of Sirius.
'What's the verdict?' he said as he approached. He looked well-rested on the whole. It was a nice change of pace.
Sirius cleared his throat before trying to speak, but he still felt the scratch of gravel dragging along his larynx.
'Someone's about to come out to take me to see…' He couldn't finish the sentence, his stomach clenched in squirming knots. 'She's - she gave -' The words mocked him as he tried to tell Remus the news. Perspiration gathered at his brow and he shut his eyes, sucking up a steadying breath. When a hand settled on his shoulder, he felt the wave of heat enter him and travel throughout his entire body, and he finally just smiled.
Remus was giving him an equally heartfelt smile when his eyes opened and he could finally focus on something other than the door.
'Well then, we'll get to see her and the baby soon, I'd imagine. I'm sure she's doing just fine,' he said by way of reassurance. The soft yet very sure tone of his voice helped to ground Sirius, who just nodded and unclenched his hand.
He let himself be led towards the waiting room seats, where they sat in silence that was more comfortable now that he wasn't alone. His mind was still a mess, but after a few minutes, he was able to steady his voice enough to ask:
'Do you think it's a boy or a girl?'
Remus took a moment to think about it, swivelling sideways to look at Sirius thoughtfully before he spoke. 'If my mum were here, she'd swear it was a girl because of how high Lily carried the baby. Between you and me, however,' he leaned in close to Sirius's ear, 'I think it's a boy.' He straightened up and his lips quirked at the corners like he was about to grin, but he managed to look serious enough.
Sirius did grin and pulled Remus back by the shoulder, squeezing just a little. 'Y'know what, I think you're probably right, Messr Moony. Another little Marauder to add to the pack.' Remus stifled a laugh at that. Instead, he put on a worried look and whispered back, 'Careful, Peter's got that lovely witch on the brink of matrimony. He might be contributing to our ranks next. Poor McGonagall, she won't know what to do with another generation of Marauders.'
There was a beat of silence and then Sirius burst out in laughter. His nerves slowly ebbed away throughout the conversation and his mind cleared out all of the jittery thoughts. Now all he could think about was a new breed of Marauders pulling pranks that could give the four of them a run for their galleons.
By the time a mediwizard came out to lead them to Lily's maternal suite, Sirius was all smiles and Remus walked right beside him, a warm hand on Sirius's back; at once comforting and quietly intimate.
***
The stark white of the room was broken only by the occasional animated baby animal or splashes of colour cycling across the walls.
Lily sat on a high bed, the head of the mattress raised and pillows practically swallowing her up. She looked impossibly beautiful with her hair pulled back into a loose bun at her neck, a few wisps framing her face, and the look of contentment surrounding her like a down comforter. A tiny hand lifted up from its pure white blanket, reaching for its mother. Lily's hand stroked the newborn's fingers and they immediately clamped around her index finger.
Remus took the seat beside Sirius, who'd pushed his right up to the bed, opposite where James sat with a permanent smile. The new father was completely speechless when they first walked in. His hand never once left Lily's back, stroking in large, slow circles as she nursed their child.
Now that they were settled, Sirius asked the question on both their minds. 'So what's my godsprog's name?'
Lily looked up at Sirius and laughed, the sound light and airy.
'Sirius, meet your new godson, Harry James Potter.' The baby's hand flexed over her finger at the sound of his mother's voice and he suckled harder, his eyes shut in contentment. James levelled Sirius with a ridiculous grin.
'It's a boy, Padfoot,' he affirmed and sounded breathless with giddy delight. 'We've got the best bloody baby the world's ever seen.'
'Harry…' Sirius repeated reverently. His eyes looked suspiciously bright before he blinked a few times, but he couldn't hide the emotion in his voice. 'I've got a godson… Evans, oh gods, Evans, you're sodding amazing.' His hand hovered over Harry's downy head carefully, a little unsure at first.
Lily's settled atop Sirius's and together, their fingers ran the smooth expanse of forehead and over fuzzy hair. The dark, thick strands were already sticking up at all angles. Sirius felt a tingling in his toes before it rushed to his head, making him dizzy. He felt the first prickling of excitement in his fingers, which tangled with Lily's before James added his, and last but definitely the most steady, Remus's brought them all together.
Little Harry made a sound and his fingers let go of Lily's, finding the joined group of hands and adding his own tiny, grasping fingers to the mix.
Lily laughed tearfully and James dropped his head to her shoulder, gazing adoringly at his child while whispering words of love and awe. Sirius let go of his pride and gave in to the infectious joy, tears spilling from his eyes and a quiet laugh adding to the beatific harmony. Remus circled his free arm around Sirius's waist, pulling them closer together in the finishing touch that completed their family.
No one would notice the last piece to their puzzle that day, because whether they knew it or not, the war was granting them the smallest reprieve in the midst of chaos.