The first sounds penetrating through the fog in her mind as she slowly came to were faint voices in the distance and she could feel she was lying on a bed with blankets loosely covering her.
"Left…other left," an incredibly familiar voice Lily couldn't place right that instant, put her at ease as she knew it was a safe one and told her she wasn't in any danger.
Waking up with no idea what had happened wasn't something completely new as it had happened more than once in this way; but she usually woke in pain where there was none now.
"I can sense her heart beat increasing, I think she's coming around," another, even more familiar voice spoke and her mind kindly provided her with a name this time.
Sirius...the baby!
Gasping she sat up, the events of the ritual and their decision rushing back to her with the identity of the speaker.
"Easy love," her father-in-law, Charlus, placed a gentle hand on her back as she began to cough with the sudden movement. "You are all right."
"James, she's awake," Sirius' voice ran out but as she turned to look at him, her vision was blocked by the hurried approach of her husband.
Discover moreApp store marketingMobile app developmentWriting workshopsFan fiction communityFiction writing guides"Thank Merlin, you are awake. I was so worried," relieved he pulled her into a hug and she blinked.
"How long was I out?"D-did it work?" she attempted to see past him.
"You were both out for a full day and although I am very alarmed that the three of you would perform such dangerous and dark magic; I think you will be happy to learn it indeed worked."
Dorea spoke from beyond where she could see, so Lily gently pulled back from James' embrace and slung her legs over the bed edge, relieved as there was no nausea or pain.
"It truly worked? He is safe?" her breathing stocked as she caught sight of Sirius; who like her, was sitting sideward on another bed. He looked extremely pale and was trembling slightly, but otherwise looked all right as Dorea was fussing over him.
"Yeah," he gave her a small smile even as Dorea frowned.
"It indeed worked perfectly. Although this one here hasn't exactly been made to carry life so he's been experiencing some strong pains during the night as his body has been adjusting to this dark magic's spell."
"It is worth it, Mum," Sirius murmured, closing his eyes as Dorea caressed his cheek before hurriedly wrapping an arm around his shoulders to keep him steady as he swayed a little.
Concerned, Lily tensed, but Dorea didn't seem worried and her gaze was drawn to her belly. The very slight bulge that had started to develop was completely gone, making her swallow painfully and rise to her feet; needing Sirius to be the one to reassure her.
"Is he truly safe?" she repeated her question once more, trying to hold back her tears as she knew she was no longer carrying a small life and readily stepped into his embrace as he opened his arms, aware from the slight swaying before that he wasn't able to get up.
"He's fine," he whispered in her ear as he pulled her close and she choked on a sob at the confirmation; making him tighten his hold as tears began to flow down as delayed emotions made themselves known.
She had been so focused on trying to save him that she had pushed everything else back, not wanting to think about the fact that she'd never experience the growth in her belly.
After a few moments, she became aware that James had wrapped his arms around her from behind; effectively cocooning her between them protectively and taking a deep breath, he squeezed his arm softly.
"How can you be sure?" not caring that her eyes were red trimmed, she looked up into his tired grey ones.
"I just do...I think its part of Padfoot that allows me to be aware of his well-being as I can sense his heartbeat. But I asked Mum to wait with a magical ultrasound until you had regained consciousness."
Discover moreBook recommendationsComicsCartoonscookiesFan fiction books"Why wait? Didn't you want confirmation that he's truly all right?"
"I already do, but at any rate, don't you think him Mummy should be present when we see him for the first time?"
A slow smile spread over her lips as his words registered.
"I didn't lose him."
"No, he is just slightly further away than he should be," Sirius calmly rested her hand onto his clothed abdomen; allowing her to feel the slight swelling in his stomach that she was very positive hadn't been there the last time she'd seen him. And while she hadn't been able to see anything while standing, she could definitely feel the difference now.
"We succeeded...we truly did," she whispered and must have thanked him multiple times as she threw her arms around him once more, but he only kissed her cheek and rubbed her back softly.
"We did. What do you say, ready to see your baby for the first time?"
"Lie down and pull your shirt up," Dorea ordered and not letting go of Lily's hand, Sirius did as he was told. "We are not happy that the three of you did this without informing us beforehand; James explained your reasoning and we do understand and will help you pull this off. We will monitor them both and hold your secret."
"Thank you," Lily smiled and made to move off the bed but Sirius' grip tightened.
"Where are you going?"
"Giving Dorea room to work?" confused she turned to him but he only snorted and pulled her back onto the bed beside him, forcing her to lay down.
She had to swallow a lump in her throat as although she had not for a moment feared he would shun her and would involve her in every aspect; she had expected him to want a bit of privacy in distance during moments like these.
To know he wasn't uncomfortable with her proximity warmed her heart and his insistence that they wait for her until she was able to actually see the baby, too, told her more than anything that for him, nothing had changed.
So she couldn't help herself but to reach up and kiss his cheek before resting her cheek on his shoulder in gratitude, laughing at the confusion on his face.
Lily's gaze fell onto his bared torso, but didn't comment on the scars littered there as she had known of their existence. But as he had never volunteered information on them and they clearly made him uncomfortable, she had never asked as it wasn't her place.
She instinctively reached out now, though, to touch the light bulge clearly visible on his normally very flat stomach, stopping herself just before she actually touched him.
Because although he was very tactile and had never shied away from her touch before, it somehow felt more intimately to do so on bare skin and she wasn't quite sure he would be comfortable with that despite his earlier actions.
"You're an idiot," he chuckled and taking her hand, rested it on his abdomen calmly. "I think we've passed the normal boundaries of intimacy between siblings quite a few hours ago, Lil."
Chuckling as she realised he was right, she spread out her hand on his stomach and although it was much too early to be able to feel anything, the contact make her feel connected to her child much more.
"How does a magical ultrasound work?" she asked as James calmly sprawled out on the bed on Sirius' other side, his hand joining hers without hesitation now that she was settled.
"I cast a spell that will show us an image of what is going on in there," Dorea explained, also having stayed back to give her a moment. "If we are lucky, we might be able to see him move a bit; though I am not sure if he will be very active after that ritual as he's still settling in so don't worry if he's still."
"It might be hard to conjure a proper image as the ritual you used is what formed the womb and protects the baby from everything, including magic," Charlus added as Dorea moved her wand over Sirius' abdomen.
Discover moreApp download campaignsRegular storiesWriter communityCrossover storiesFan fiction platform"So the womb acts like a protective barrier?" James asked.
"Yes."
Suddenly a blurry image rose and Lily breathed out in awe as her baby was revealed to her for the first time and she could easily detect his small head and what looked like thin arms as the baby seemed to simply float around in the womb.
"Merlin..." Lily could only nod in agreement to James' exclamation, unable to tear her eyes away from the image of her son.
"What is that sound?" she realised there was a quick thumping sound that filled the room.
"His heartbeat, it's what I can sense through Padfoot," Sirius' voice was just as emotional as Lily herself felt and he squeezed her hand on his stomach. "We truly did it."
Understanding what he'd meant with knowing the baby was all right now as it was a magnificent sound; Lily was finally able to tear her eyes from the image to look up into shining grey eyes with a brilliant smile. "We did."
Laying there with the three of them, they stared at the image in silence for several long moments, just drinking in the sight of him before James swallowed.
"It's so quick."
"That is very normal, honey. He looks completely healthy and comfortable where he is. Can you see the light movements of his forming arms and legs?" Dorea pointed out what she meant. "That is him moving in the amniotic fluids. You can also see the womb around him is strong and thick as no fluid is leaking out at any point. It is your combined magic that is keeping him perfectly safe inside of Sirius."
"Our magic truly created that?" Lily looked at it perplex.
"That is what the potion was for," Charlus explained. "Because Sirius doesn't have a natural womb the baby could be moved into, you had to create one. If he had been female, just the blood ritual would have been enough."
He pointed to the light discolorations they could see weaving through the fluids around the baby. "That is Sirius' own magic, boosting the womb's magical defences even more."
Lily smiled as Charlus and Dorea stared at the image of their grandson with shimmering eyes as well before it vanished again all of a sudden.
"Next time we might be able to look a little longer, but it is unwise to try and penetrate the womb like this any longer so shortly after it was formed," Dorea smiled at their alarm.
"Will there be any danger for either of them?" James helped Sirius push his shirt down again as he looked utterly tired and smiled as he helped him sit up again.
"As long as he takes it easy and listens to his body, they should both be fine," Dorea sighed as Sirius yawned. "He will experience fatigue a lot more than most pregnant women would because most of his magic is working to keep the baby safe. This is why I will advice you against using magic as much as you can."
"I won't. I will also take the vitamins and other pills Lily had to take as instructed," pulling his wand out of his sleeve, Sirius handed it over to James for safe keeping as he shifted into a sidewards position again.
"Why does he have to take those vitamins?" Lily asked. "He eats a lot healthier than I do, doesn't he?"
"While his life style holds plenty of variation, it is never harmful to add some necessary vitamins when there is a life growing inside of you. You already know what you can and cannot eat, what you should pay attention to and to be careful," Dorea smiled as Sirius nodded in confirmation.
"There is nothing else I can think of to warn you for right now. I will come over once a week to check you both," Dorea turned to Lily. "You should take it easy for the next few days, too. You have already been administered the antidote while you were sleeping; to prevent you from experiencing the side effects in full force so you are as healthy as you can be. I will look you over to be certain when I come over as well. However, if you feel like anything is wrong before that, I want you to Floo call me immediately."
Turning back to Sirius, she placed a hand on his cheek. "That especially goes for you, too. I am grateful you are doing this, but I expect you to pay very close attention to your own health. If there is anything, anything at all, then you contact us no matter what time it is, understood?"
"Yes Mum," Sirius promised, leaning into her touch unconsciously.
"Any instructions for me?" James tried to school his expression so it didn't give away his brilliant smile but Lily thought he rather failed at it, even if Sirius didn't seem to notice.
"Look after these two. Make sure Sirius is comfortable and listens to his own body. Also, I want you to make sure he doesn't become overly emotional as his control over his magic might waver with strong emotions. And..."
"If anything happens I am to immediately alert you," James interrupted her with a warm smile.
"Don't get smart with me, young man," she tapped his nose with her index finger, making him pout.
"Sorry Mum," laughing, James pulled her into a hug.
"If only you meant that," she patted his back lovingly before turning to give both Lily and Sirius one as well. "You might want to keep an eye on him as well, just to make sure he behaves."
"We will. If he is very annoying, I will just tell him Sirius wants all sorts of crazy things so that he has to run around," Lily confided to her as Charlus stepped forward to give each of them a hug as well and James pouted.
"Be careful. I will spread some more knowledge about Sirius' failing health and complain that between our rascals and your stubbornness you are giving us a full head of grey hair," he teasingly ran a hand through his very grey hair, making them laugh.
"Thanks Dad, that will make my job of trying to convince the Order and keeping them safe and hidden a lot easier," James nodded.
"How will you handle Dumbledore?" Dorea asked. "Because I really would prefer for him to not know about this, but he will want to see them both eventually."
"Tough luck for him. If Remus and Peter cannot visit then my old Headmaster certainly isn't welcome," James' expression hardened. "I am under firm instructions to keep Sirius quarantined and Lily completely stress-free."
"And if he tries to change your mind regardless?" Lily asked.
"Then I am hexing him. I will not allow any risk to come to my family; they come very far before any Order business."
"And he will have to deal with me as well. I don't care who he is, but he will not disturb our family without having to answer to me," Charlus added as he sat down between Lily and Sirius, wrapping an arm around Sirius' waist as the other leaned against him automatically, resting his head against his shoulder.
"You would go against Dumbledore for us?"
"I will do anything to protect my children," Charlus pulled her against his side as well. "And you should know by now that that includes you, love."
"And now that the three of you are doing this to give us a grandchild, we will both fight heaven and hell to keep you safe if we have to," Dorea added, a warm smile forming on her lips. "Although we might want to do that quietly as someone was clearly exhausted."
Glancing past Charlus, Lily was surprised to Sirius had indeed fallen asleep despite the ongoing conversation. "Is he all right?"
"He is just very tired. His body has gone through quite the chance in a short period and it will need time to adjust properly. He will probably remain tired for several days so just keep him comfortable and warm as he sleeps when its needed," Charlus pressed a kiss into his hair before expertly manoeuvring him into the bed properly without waking him.
"Gosh, I can't even remember how often you've done that since he came to live with us," James' eyes twinkled as he looked down at his little brother warmly.
"I seem to remember bringing you to bed often enough as well," Charlus shot back, ruffling his son's hair.
"We should go home and let you all get some rest. You know how to reach us should you need us, else we will return at the end of the week," Dorea smiled as James led his parents to the fireplace so they could travel back home before returning to her side.
"Are you all right?" he softly asked, clearly not wanting to wake Sirius, so Lily simply nodded as she pulled her husband into an embrace for a long moment.
"Why don't we stay in the room with him until he wakes again?" she softly asked, aware James would worry over him even more than usual now and wouldn't want to leave his side so soon, even if Sirius had curled up on his side and was sleeping soundly.
"Would you mind? I'd feel more comfortable if I can keep an eye on him for now," he admitted.
"I would have objected if you hadn't wanted to do so," Lily smiled as she stepped out of his embrace. "I'll grab a book for us to read to pass the time."
"Let me do that, you should take it easy as well," James hurried out of the room so Lily made herself comfortable on the other bed again, wondering vaguely when the two spare beds had been shoved into what she'd began to think of Sirius' room before she realised they wouldn't have wanted them in separate rooms while they were unconscious.
As James returned, he handed her a book and sat down on the chair between the beds, glancing at Sirius for a long moment.
"Don't worry, we'll take care of him," she reassured him. "He's not alone and I'm not leaving his side during this."
"I know," James didn't look convinced, though so Lily took his hand.
"I was terrified when I first realised I was pregnant, but he was there for me and calmed my nerves. He didn't sugar-coat things for me to lie and say everything would be fine, but just told me that whatever might happen, we'd get through it together. And that still stands for me."
Finally a smile crossed James' lips as he nodded. "Have I ever thanked you for being an amazing wife?"
"I should thank you for giving me such a wonderful and loving family," she leaned forward to kiss him softly, happy she was able to lay some of his lingering fears to rest.
"We'll do this together. You, me and Sirius, just like we should," she repeated, believing that more thoroughly now than ever before.
Accepting the affirmative rumbling noise from James as agreement, she settled back into her own bed, letting James return to keeping an eye on Sirius and she couldn't help but smile as although she opened her book, she never actually read a single word of it as her gaze remained on Sirius as well.