The Potter-Black Alliance
18th of September
His heart couldn't take it. The longer he waited the more he felt like he wouldn't live to see it happening. Feeling like he was going to pass out, he decided to sit down before he fainted. Just a few more hours, just a few more hours and everything would be fine, he kept telling himself.
The people around him were calmly talking to each other, which just served to make Charlus believe he was losing his mind. How can they be so calm and quiet?, he thought to himself. I'm gonna have a baby today!
Putting a hand on his forehead dramatically, he left a frustrated huff. Arcturus and Hedwyn stopped their conversation about school reform and looked at him, both of them unimpressed.
“Charlus, why in Merlin's name are you behaving like an anxious teenager? You're way past that phase,” Hedwyn sneered but the playfulness was clear in his tone.
“I'm going to die, Hedwyn! My heart is too old for this,” On the other side of the room, Fleamont rolled his eyes at his brother's dramatic behaviour. “Merlin! Why can't Dorea just push the boy out already? We've been here for a whole day.”
Sighing and putting down the magazine she was reading, Euphemia felt obligated to intervene before Charlus gave her a headache. “Charlus Potter!” She chastised him with a raised tone of voice. “You will stop using this ridiculous language while talking about your wife and son. Have you forgotten we are not the only ones here?”
When turning to look at the other people in the room, Charles saw that everyone was judging him with their eyes. The Blacks, specifically Lady Melania, were narrowing their eyes at him.
After being called out, he gave a nervous laugh and pretended to observe the things outside the widow to his left. He couldn't see him, but Charlus was sure Hedwyn was smirking, ravishing in Charlus' public embarrassment. I'll put fobblerworms on your food.Just wait, he threatened Harry on his head.
“Do you already know where you and Dorea will be staying after the delivery?” Regulus asked, bringing Charlus' attention to him.
He rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly, before speaking. “We will be at the Pottery. Dorea said it would be best, to not wake everyone else when the baby cries at night. Thankfully Fleamont gave us one of the elves that used to take care of James when he was a baby.”
“You know you can visit us at any time, brother. We'll always be a floo away,” Fleamont said reassuringly. He knew that having a baby at a later age was going to be difficult, so he wanted to make sure his brother knew he had people to help Dorea and him.
Charlus smiled at his older brother, thankful for the support he was being given. “We know, Mont. Dorea and I will come to you if we need something.”
“Pilly is a great elf. She helped me so much when we had James. You'll be in good hands, Charlus.”
Charlus nodded and smiled at Euphemia. Dorea and Charlus were happy to have help with little Castor. If this baby was anything like the other Potter children they'd need all the help. He shuddered just remembering Fleamont talking about baby James. The boy was a little gremlin.
“Has Dorea talked about the Hogwarts fee, Charles?” Lord Arcturus Black asked.
“Yes! We are very thankful for the generosity, Arcturus.”
Lord Black only waved his hand, dismissively. “It's nothing. The Blacks always pay the tuition before the baby is born. We are more than happy to give him this, as well as the trust vault.”
Hedwyn snorted beside Arcturus. ”Two trust vaults? You're not raising a Malfoy are you, Charles?”
The expression on Charlus' face made many people in the room laugh. “He'll only use one, of course. Merlin forbid I raise a Lucius Malfoy.”
James and Sirius snickered, remembering the fancy robes Lucius would wear to every occasion. Though it made him respected in Slytherin for his looks and expensive clothes, the rest of Hogwarts made fun of him for years — even if only when he couldn't hear them.
“Oh, to think we don't have any Black babies on the horizon. Never there was a generation in this country without any Blacks,” Lady Melania said in a dramatic tone, putting a hand to her heart.
Sirius and Regulus winced. Both men knew this tactic their grandmother used, but they still felt for it anyway. Denying their grandmother something was impossible for the two.
“Will have children, grandmother. They'll just come at a later date,” Sirius said while rubbing his hands together. By the look Lady Black sent his way, she was not convinced.
“I can't speak for Sirius, grandmother. But I can assure you that you'll have your grandchildren,” Regulus straightened his shoulders while speaking. The younger one was always trying to be five steps ahead of his brother when his grandparents were concerned.
Hedwyn blushed but said nothing. Just thinking about having children with Regulus made his belly feel weird and his hands started to sweat. Merlin, how I love this man, he said to himself. He couldn't wait for their marriage, which they decided to have in December. They were definitely rushing things now, but neither could care about it.
“Oh, you don't say,” Charlus' grinned at Hedwyn. At that point, Harry knew he was screwed. Potter would never let him forget this. “I can't believe you're already planning for babies, Harry.”
Hedwyn sneered at him, and he could hear James and Sirius laughing a few chairs to his right. “Some of us have titles to pass on, Potter. Not that you would understand it.”
Fleamont snickered and Charlus narrowed his eyes at his brother. At that point, Harry knew he had won. If Charlus didn't have him a retort immediately it meant that he had no good to give.
“Well, yes I don't. But what about it?” Fleamont was laughing openly now. He knew his brother had lost. And how easy Hedwyn had won.
“Men,” Lily rolled his eyes as she said.
“Tell about, dear. Sometimes I wonder if they are five years old still,” Euphemia said to her.
“Oh, they most certainly are. Even if Arcturus likes to pretend he isn't, there is no denying it,” Melania said while looking at the men who continued to bicker.
Lily looked at Lady Black for a second. She still felt uncomfortable being around Lord and Lady Black. Even after Hedwyn had performed an inheritance test with her, which showed she was related to the Gaunts — therefore making her a half-blood —, Lily was a little colder with them. The Black family's past with Pureblood Ideology was very much alive, after all, and, even if she was not muggle-born, the pureblood supremacist rhetoric continued to bother her.
“My mother always said that men only age physically, but their minds stop at thirteen,” She rubbed her growing belly as she spoke. Her pregnancy was starting to show its effects on her, with the nausea and the tiredness, but she was loving it. The thought of bringing a life to this world was a beacon of light in her life. With the war happening around her and the fear she had of it, her baby was her and James' scapegoat.
“A wise woman,” Melania said as she sneered at Arcturus, who was now bickering with Sirius. “Sometimes I think we should run things and put them in daycare.”
Euphemia laughed softly and Lily smirked. “But you'd still need women to care for them there,” Euphemia said with a smile.
“Merlin, you're right. I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy,” Melania said while trying not to laugh too loud.
“I'll give you to the Thestrals, Charles!” Fleamont said to his brother, getting the three ladies' attention.
“Fleamont Henry Potter!” Euphemia called him in a harsh tone, making Fleamont blush and turn his head down. She then sat down again, acting as if nothing happened.
Another day with the Potters, Lilly thought. God, help me when my baby is born. Please don't let him be like his uncle.
“This union of families will be the death of us,” The fear in Melania's eyes when she spoke made Euphemia and Lily laugh.
“If I remember correctly, the Blacks are known for having many male children. Prepare your poor heart, Melania,” Euphemia said with hidden amusement in her voice.
Lady Black's facial expression at the thought of dealing with more men was hilarious to the other women. Lily and Euphemia were suddenly thankful for the low number of Potters.
-------------------------------------------------------
She looked at the baby in her arms fondly. Feeling warm and calm like she hadn't felt in years, she kept rocking her body side to side, enjoying this calm moment with her baby Castor.
“You look so much like your father, dear,” she whispered to her son.
The resemblance to Charles was obvious for anyone to see. The light brown mop hair, the slightly round face — more than most babies — and even the little Potter's smile reminded Dorea of her husband's childish-looking smile.
The only difference was the grey eyes. Those were hers, and hers only. She wanted to cry the moment her son opened his eyes to show the pools of silver, the most prominent characteristic of her family line.
In this sweet moment, she didn't care about anything else. Her world was now her son and she would do anything to keep that smile on his face. Dorea felt rejuvenated in this new moment of her life. She closed her eyes and brought her baby close to her, listening to the small sounds Castor made and her breathing.
Nothing else mattered.