Bound By Magic

They woke to the jarring sound of a door slamming open, followed by an exuberant shout that echoed through the flat. “Good morning, daddies!” Sirius Black burst in like a whirlwind, his energy palpable as he flaunted a shirt emblazoned with “Bestest Hottest Uncle!” The oversized sunglasses perched on his nose and the tight black leather pants he wore only added to his dramatic flair. He carried a massive bag stuffed to the brim with colorful gifts, clearly eager to show off.

Trailing behind him was Remus, his demeanor the complete opposite of his fiancé’s. He wore a long-sleeved version of Sirius’s shirt that looked slightly more comfortable but still awkwardly cheerful, paired with soft trousers that screamed “I didn’t have a choice in this outfit.” A “#2 Uncle” hat was askew on his head, and he carried a stack of parenting books in one hand along with breakfast takeout in the other.

“Sirius! Not so loud!” Remus scolded, shooting a wary glance at the crib as Harry let out a startled wail, clearly roused from his peaceful slumber. “You’re going to wake the baby!”

But Sirius, undeterred by Remus's protests, rushed over to the crib with an exaggerated flourish, his voice rising with excitement. “But look at him! He’s so adorable! Just wait until he sees what Uncle Sirius brought him!” He leaned over, practically bouncing on his feet, his exuberance radiating as he pulled out a brightly colored plush toy.

“Meet your favorite uncle!” Sirius declared dramatically, gesturing grandly towards himself.

James groggily pushed himself up from the floor, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and trying to take in the sight of his chaotic friends. “Morning, Pads,” he mumbled, a smile breaking through the remnants of sleep as he shuffled toward the crib. He leaned in closer to coo at the baby nestled inside, his heart swelling with affection. “This is Harry, by the way.”

“Harry?!” Sirius exclaimed, his eyes widening in mock horror. “That’s a bit basic, don’t you think? How about we call him Sirius Jr? It has a nice ring to it, right?” He struck a pose, holding the plush toy up as if it were a trophy.

“Not a chance and Harry’s doesn't have a favorite yet, you know,” James said with a grin, kneeling down beside Sirius to fond over the baby. “You have to earn that title.”

Meanwhile, Remus sidled up to Regulus, handing him a sandwich and a steaming cup of coffee. “Sorry about him,” Remus said, glancing pointedly at Sirius. “He just wanted to stake his claim on harry before anyone else. He told everyone that since he's blood that he's automatically number 1"

"I'm assuming you're number 2 because you're to be related through marriage?" asks Regulus earning a humorous nod from Remus.

Regulus sighed, accepting the food. “Wish I could say this was surprising” he replied, shaking his head with a small smile. “Thanks for the breakfast—and the parenting books.” He held up the titles, glancing over the covers. “And just to clarify, his name is NOT Harry.”

“Glad to help,” Remus replied warmly. “You two are going to need it.”

As Sirius continued to fuss over Harry, he threw out suggestions for names, clearly convinced he had a hand in the naming process. “What about Bambi Sirius Potter? It has a nice ring to it!” he exclaimed, wiggling his fingers in front of the baby’s face.

James blinked, incredulous. “No! What kind of name is that?” He laughed, looking at Regulus for support.

“Yeah, no thanks,” Regulus added, shaking his head vehemently. “I’m not naming our son after a deer.”

Sirius pouted dramatically. “But it’s cute! Bambi could be a great name for a little prince!”

“Prongslet is already pushing it, Sirius,” Remus chimed in, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably. “Let the parents decide the name.”

“No Prongslet is just his nickname!” Sirius said, turning back to Harry with a bright grin. “We’ll get this figured out, little one. Just know your Uncle Sirius has your back!”

As they settled in for breakfast, James took a seat at the table, cradling Harry gently against his chest. The inviting aroma of freshly made sandwiches and coffee filled the flat, creating a cozy, homey atmosphere. The warmth of the morning contrasted nicely with the whirlwind of personalities buzzing around the room.

Sirius, in particular, was impossible to ignore, his hyperactive energy filling every corner of the space. He unwrapped one gift after another, showcasing plush toys, baby-sized accessories, and colorful items, each more extravagant than the last.

“Look at this one!” Sirius exclaimed, holding up a shimmering toy dragon that looked straight out of a wizarding fairytale. “He’ll be the coolest kid on the block with this!”

James chuckled, shaking his head as Harry’s wide eyes followed the glittering toy. “Alright, Padfoot, but let’s not spoil him too much yet. He’s only a few days old.”

Sirius scoffed dramatically, his grin never faltering. “Nonsense! The sooner we start, the better. He needs to know what it means to be a Black-Potter right from the start!”

Suddenly, Sirius dug into his bag again, this time pulling out an outfit made of the finest, softest fabrics. It was undeniably Gucci, complete with tiny designer logos. “Look at these! We’re going to match. Gucci gang!” He flashed his phone at Harry as if the infant could see the future matching outfits Sirius had saved. There were already several photos of Sirius in his own Gucci ensembles, side-by-side with the miniature versions he’d bought for Harry.

James stared, half amused, half exasperated. “You’re going to make him look like a mini-you?”

“Obviously. I mean, look at him. He’s already got the hair to pull it off.” Sirius gave Harry an affectionate poke on the nose, causing the baby to gurgle in response.

Meanwhile, Remus, who had been much quieter, settled comfortably next to Regulus. His demeanor was a perfect foil to Sirius’s boundless enthusiasm. While Sirius continued showing off the ridiculous amount of baby gear he’d acquired, Remus leaned toward Regulus, offering him a soft smile.

“Just so you know,” Remus began, nudging Regulus gently, “Sirius might be a complete handful, but he’s already completely in love with this baby. We all are.”

Regulus nodded, his nervousness slowly melting away in the presence of these familiar faces. “I can see that,” he said with a smile, glancing at James holding Harry with such tenderness. “And I think we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

Remus chuckled knowingly. “That’s why we’re here.”

At that moment, Sirius, now cradling the baby in his arms, was showing Harry a slideshow on his phone of future matching Gucci outfits, completely absorbed in his vision for their fashion-forward lives. “See this? This is you and me, little Prongslet. Coolest duo out there.”

Suddenly, the door creaked open again, and the trio at the table turned to see Peter Pettigrew entering, looking frazzled. Behind him were Barty Crouch Jr. and Evan Rosier, who seemed to be in the middle of some playful argument.

“Let me in, you traitor!” Barty shouted, attempting to shove Peter aside as they tumbled into the living room, the door swinging shut behind them.

“James, they ambushed me! They forced me to give them the code and let them into the building!” Peter protested, gesturing wildly at his friends, who looked triumphant as they finally broke free.

“Reg!” Barty exclaimed, eyes locking onto Harry in Regulus’s arms. “How did this happen?! and why did we have to find out from Dorcus!!” He pointed dramatically at the baby, clearly confused but intrigued.

“Yesterday,” Regulus answered “I didn’t exactly have time to make announcements.”

Evan quirked an eyebrow. “But you had time to get them merch?” He gestured to Sirius and Remus, both decked out in their themed uncle shirts.

“Hey, I’m a promoted uncle!” Peter added, proudly showing off his “Promoted Uncle” shirt to Sirius and Remus, which had clearly been a last-minute addition.

The room exploded into chaos as the “uncles” began bickering over who had brought the best gifts for baby Harry. Sirius waved the Gucci outfits proudly, while Remus calmly pointed out that he had brought food and books for the new parents. Peter chimed in with his pastries, which were being mostly ignored, and Evan displayed an intricately wrapped trust fund gift, which he insisted would be the most useful in the long run.

But it was Barty who stole the show when he pulled out a sharp, ornately designed knife. “And this!” he declared proudly. “For the baby. It’s a pureblood tradition, you know.”

A moment of silence fell as everyone stared at the knife, its blade shimmering in the light.

James stared at the blade, wide-eyed, as he instinctively stepped closer to protect Harry. “Get that the fuck away from my kid,” he said firmly.

Regulus and Sirius, however, seemed more sentimental. “Aww,” Regulus mused, “That’s a beautiful one. Really high quality.”

“Right?” Barty grinned, pleased with the attention.

“Still not happening,” James retorted, shaking his head as the argument over who brought the best gift began once more.

“It’s obviously me!” Sirius declared loudly, puffing out his chest with pride. “I’m James’ brother in every way that counts, and Reg is literally my blood brother.” He crossed his arms, feeling confident in his argument.

But then, as if struck by a sudden realization, Sirius went pale, his bravado faltering. He blinked a few times, staring at Harry, who was snugly held in James' arms. “Wait... Harry’s a child of incest.” His voice was barely a whisper, and without waiting for anyone to respond, he stumbled back and plopped into the corner of the room, staring off into space as if he’d just been hit by a Bludger.

Regulus rolled his eyes while James snorted, clearly fighting back laughter. “Harry is not an incest baby, Sirius!” Regulus exclaimed, slightly exasperated but mostly amused. “James and I are not related.”

“Yeah, I don’t think Regulus and I share any bloodlines. Sorry to disappoint your wild imagination, Pads,” James added, unable to hold back a grin as he turned to Regulus with a cheeky look.  "did I hear you call him Harry?”

Regulus shot him a narrowed glance, slightly defensive. “I did no such thing.”

James chuckled softly. “Oh, you did, Reg. Seems like you’re coming around to the idea.”

Before Regulus could respond, the argument over godparent status resumed with even more vigor.

Barty raised his hand dramatically, as if casting a vote. “Look, it should clearly be me and Evan! We’ve known Reg since forever—since before Harry was even a glimmer in James’ eye.”

Evan nodded enthusiastically, throwing his arm over Barty’s shoulder. “Exactly! Besides, we’d make the coolest godfathers. Imagine all the trust fund parties we’d take Harry to!”

Peter, not to be outdone, interjected, waving his half-eaten pastry around like a wand. “I’ve known James since birth! I’ve got more history with him than any of you, so I should obviously be the godfather. It’s practically my birthright.”

“Birthright?!” Sirius finally snapped out of his trance, eyes wild as he looked at Peter. “I’m the birthright! I was there before any of you! Plus, I’m practically Harry’s uncle twice over!”

“Twice over?” Evan raised an eyebrow. “How does that even—?”

“I don’t know!” Sirius threw his hands in the air, looking frazzled. “I just know I’m supposed to be his godfather!”

Meanwhile, Remus, sitting at the edge of the couch with a cup of coffee in hand, simply shook his head, watching the spectacle unfold. Unlike the rest, he wasn’t fighting for the title, content to let the chaos resolve itself.

Barty, however, wasn’t letting it go. He leaned over the table, looking at James and Regulus with a serious expression. “Fine. You know what? You two need to get busy and make another baby. If I can’t be Harry’s godfather, then I demand a new kid to be my godchild.”

James, who had been sipping his coffee, nearly spit it out as he laughed, caught off guard by Barty’s audacity. “What? You think we can just whip up another kid because you didn’t win the godparent lottery?”

“Exactly,” Barty said with a straight face, completely unfazed.

Regulus, on the other hand, was trying his best not to laugh. “Oh, is that how it works now? We’re just supposed to mass-produce children to meet your godparent quota?”

“Obviously.” Barty leaned back, looking smug.

Evan chimed in, more casually. “Actually, I’ll forfeit this whole godparent contest if Reg doesn’t get involved in the godfather contest for Pandora’s kid.”

Regulus blinked. “Pandora’s having a kid?”

“She will,” Evan shrugged. “Soon enough. And when that happens, I don’t need you swooping in, stealing the spot.”

James shook his head, looking around the room, utterly bemused. “So, wait. The plan here is that if we don’t pick you as godparents for Harry, we need to make more babies just to satisfy your weird competitive streaks?”

“Exactly,” Barty and Evan said in unison, both of them smirking at their own logic.

Peter, still holding his pastry, looked exasperated. “Look, I’m fine with being godfather to just one kid, okay? Let’s not complicate this more than it already is.”

Sirius, finally back to his usual self, stood up and crossed his arms defiantly. “You’re all missing the point. I’m Harry’s godfather. Case closed.”

Regulus sighed, rubbing his temple.

James just laughed, holding Harry close as he turned to his son. “Well, kiddo, looks like we’re not short on people who want to spoil you rotten.”

Harry gurgled in response, clearly unfazed by the madness around him.