Wolfstar one shots

“You have A BABY,” James pretty much yelled. Remus and Sirius both shushed him down and Remus looked over his shoulder in the cafeteria, but no one was looking at them. James went on, “Show me the fucking pictures, like right now. I wanna see. No, Remus I need to see. I love babies, one of my cousins from India had a baby just two months ago and he is so fucking cute. She’s only eighteen, which is a bit young- no wait you’re sixteen. Holy shit was your baby an accident- Oh shit, sorry, I mean it’s cool. I love babies, and it’s cool even if they weren’t an accident- wait. Do you have a girlfriend? Holy shit do you- wait, no show me the baby pictures first”

Remus just stared at him eyes wide, not sure what to say. He glanced at Sirius who was shaking his head. Remus hadn’t expected that. I mean he had expected the ‘you have a baby’ part but everything after that threw him off. Maybe he was looking at the world behind some angry red shaded lens. Which kind of happens when the world slaps you on the face over and over again. But maybe, just maybe he didn’t have to. Maybe he could try and be more open to other people and their thoughts.

That was something he should work on. But not now. 

“Did you forget to take your meds this morning?” Sirius asked. 

“Is it that obvious? I have ADHD,” James said and turned to Remus who just nodded his head. 

“Believe me, James. He for sure knows, even if he didn’t two minutes ago”

“You,” Peter started, who Remus realised had been quiet the whole time. “You did the, the… thing?”

Remus snorted, “Had sex? Yeah, umm, I was a bit of a mess, but I’d rather not talk about it,” he glanced at Sirius who gave him a reassuring smile. It was kind of nice, in a way. To have someone to know the dirtiest parts of you and still not look at you differently. 

After everything that went down Remus feels like he changed as a person. Which is, of course, normal if not even positive. But he hadn’t expected the people around him to change as he did. After getting sober Remus broke things off with his old friends so he didn’t have many people or friends around him in the first place. It kind of made the whole change feel more radical. To go from having friends to having only his dad. Who hadn’t looked at him the same way after Remus told about Teddy. 

It hurts. It hurts to see something in his dad’s gaze everytime he looks at him or Teddy. Like something is broken, like there’s something insurmountably painful about it all. Of course Remus knows he let his dad down, but he is still his son. When Remus had needed his dad the most he hadn’t been there. He had needed something to stay the same and feel safe. Instead he got a shell of a person, if even that. 

His dad hadn’t been the same since his mom’s death. Remus couldn’t blame him for it, he hadn’t been any better. 

But Sirius, he looked at him like nothing about him was fucked up or different. Remus knows he hadn’t known him for long. Sirius hasn’t seen him when he was unable to form words correctly because he has been too out of it. But it almost felt like he had. 

Remus pressed his eyes shut quickly, trying to get his brain to slow down. 

“Like with.. A woman?” Peter still went on. Remus snorted again just as Sirius groaned. Peter flinched and glanced under the table. Sirius had clearly kicked his shin. 

“C’mon wormy you didn’t skip those biology classes. You know how babies are made”

Peter’s cheeks got red as he glanced at Remus. “Sorry, it’s just. I don’t know. To think that I’d have to be a father at sixteen, that’s wow,” then his cheeks got even redder. “I mean, sorry. Nothing against you, I’m sure you’re great”

Remus struggled. He got Peter’s reaction and couldn’t blame him for it. He wasn’t judging him, just shocked. “I mean, I just try my best and hope that’s enough” 

“Sure you’re better than any of us, I don’t even know how to hold one,” James said as a joke but Remus still made a mental note to not let him hold Teddy. He was being overprotective and he wasn’t even ashamed of it. 

 “The pictures, now. Pretty please,” James said and looked like he was ready to climb over the table any second if Remus didn’t show him. 

“He’s cute as fuck,” Sirius said smugly and something in Remus’ chest warmed. He tried not to think about it. He scrolled through his photos and smiled as he came across a photo of Teddy with a baby spoon in his mouth, eyes wide as he looks past the phone at Remus. 

“Okay,” he said and put his phone on the table, turning it towards James who snatched it to his hand immediately. “He’s almost seven months old, so he’s starting to eat something other than formula. That’s his first time tasting baby food”

James looked like he was about to start crying with his mouth hanging open and then he turned the phone towards Peter who looked at the photo too, not giving away as much reaction. 

“Wait, I wanna see too,” Sirius said and took the phone to himself. 

“You literally said copy and paste with him,” James said leaning closer to Sirius to see too. James chuckled, “The mom was left with nothing, how rude of you”

Remus bit the inside of his cheek and rubbed the back of his neck, “Well the mom is not in the picture, so I don’t think she really cares”

James turned to look at him with a panicked look which then switched to something more sympathetic, “Oh sorry, man”

Remus just shook his head, not wanting to start a scene or anything else either, “Don’t be”

Sirius started swiping the phone screen and Remus yelped, taking the phone back to himself. Even though it wasn’t like his camera roll was much more than pictures of Teddy. 

“Okay, that’s enough,” he announced and chuckled at the disappointment on James’ face. But then quickly his face formed into a smile and he leaned on to the table with his elbows. 

“So, Remus,” he started and Remus was already scared of what he was going to suggest. “What are you doing today after school?”

Remus wasn’t sure when he was supposed to have his detention from last week. But he hadn’t heard anything from Ms Ellis so he was sure he wouldn’t have it today. He still didn’t know what he was going to do about it with Teddy needing to be picked up from the daycare. He also didn’t want to talk to Ms Ellis about it and try to get her to cancel the detention.

“Nothing much. I have to pick up Teddy and well, look after him,” he chuckled, but James let out a gasp. Remus furrowed his brows. 

“His name is Teddy? Oh my fucking god, you made a cute baby and then gave him the cutest name ever. I’m going to die,” James said and slapped his hand to Sirius’ chest who let out a ‘uff’ sound. “Hold my hand, Sirius, hold my hand”

“I’m so confused,” Peter murmured and Remus couldn’t help but agree. Though Remus couldn’t help but feel kind of smug to see James’ reaction. 

“So my point was, before you tried to kill me again, that you should definitely come to our house today and bring Teddy too,” James explained. “My mom could make dinner and we could just hang out”

Remus struggled. He guessed he could, but also knew that James and his other friends didn’t know what it actually was to take care of a baby. It's not just having a cute baby with you, but it’s taking care of everything they need. Stopping what you’re doing if the baby needs that. But at the same time home cooked food sounded way too good for him to pass on. His dad did make food, sometimes even Remus did it himself. But it wasn’t anything he would actually call good. Just something to stay alive with. 

“I mean, I could. But I wouldn’t be too much fun to be around,” Remus tried to explain. “Like Teddy won’t most definitely just be quiet and happy in the corner and believe when I say it will get annoying when you’re not used to it” 

James turned to look at Sirius who just struggled his shoulders. “I mean, I don’t mind”

“Yeah me neither,” James said shaking his head and turned to look at Peter who looked at Remus carefully. 

“Ah- I. I don’t know, babies are kind of intimidating. Like I don’t know what to do with myself around babies”

It is in fact scary. Remus remembers the first weeks with Teddy. He was absolutely terrified of everything. He was afraid he would somehow hurt Teddy or that he was doing something wrong that would eventually mess Teddy up. Because Teddy is a whole human being, obviously. It still feels crazy to Remus that he is supposed to raise him and teach him how to be a proper citizen. And if that isn’t a huge responsibility then Remus doesn’t know what is. 

“You don’t have to do anything other than just be yourself,” Remus reassured before chuckling. “It’s not like I’m going to force you guys to hold him, like those crazy aunts do with their babies and act as it’s some kind of holiday for me to spend time with you”

Peter seemed to think about it, but Sirius and James weren’t very helpful with the situation. The two of them were staring at Peter with wide eyes. “Well, okay. I mean he really is pretty cute, so guess I’ll manage” Peter said, smiling a little. James nodded his head 

“So that’s settled. You and Teddy at my place tonight,” he pointed his finger at Remus who nodded. 

“Yes, sir”

-

Remus checked his bag again, for the third time. He hadn’t realised how stressful going somewhere for more than half an hour with a baby was. Because what if Teddy gets hungry, what if Teddy’s clothes get dirty, what if anything. Packing made Remus also realise that this is the first time since Teddy’s birth that Remus really is spending time with someone his age. 

His thoughts were also completely somewhere else which didn’t help at all. He had been about to leaveschool when Ms Ellis had come up to him only to inform that his detention would be held tomorrow after school. Remus hadn’t had the time to figure out what he was going to do with Teddy then. He knows he could just ask Alice to watch Teddy for an hour longer, but he couldn’t get himself to do it. She was already doing more than enough for the two of them. Remus would survive on his own for ones. 

How? He has no idea and no time on the other hand either. 

“I am stressing too much, aren’t I?” Remus asked Teddy, who was already strapped to Remus’ chest with the carrier he had finally been able to get last week. Teddy’s eyes were half closed. Being in the carrier seemed to calm Teddy down, which Remus counted as a win. 

“Okay, I have everything,” Remus said now more to himself and then heard steps get closer to the hall. Lyall came to stand on the doorway, scanning Remus with his eyes. 

“Where are you going?”

Remus bit his lip, “To a friend’s house”

Lyall raised his eyebrows and pointed to Teddy, “With him?”

Remus felt defensive as he raised his chin more up and reached down to the floor with a hand on Teddy’s back to get his bag. The only real negative thing Lyall had ever said aloud to Remus was on the day Remus told him about Teddy. 

“Remus, you’re ruining your life! You’ll have no future! No one will want to have anything to do with a child that has a child. People will shame you, look down on you. If you keep the baby you’ll always be in a bad light to others!”

Remus still thinks about his words sometimes. They don’t hurt any less. 

“Yes. Believe it or not, my friends want to meet him. They are actually interested to know me and my child,” Remus snapped. Of course he knew he wasn’t being fair. But neither has his dad been. Still weren’t with slick comments he got from time to time. With that Remus turned and walked out. He could hear his dad call his name before the door closed after him. 

Remus huffed out a breath, trying to make his anger to go away. He should be happy he was on his way to his friend's house. Instead he was all worked up about some nasty comments he should be used to at this point. Remus has a thick skin, but Teddy is his weak spot. And his dad surely knows that. 

Remus shook his head and got his phone out of his pocket. James had texted him his address that Remus had put to the map. It wasn’t too far away, like a fifteen minute walk. Remus could make it ten if he tried. 

-

Remus looked at the house in front of him. It was huge, or Remus’ house was just small. It could be any of those two. Still the house in front of him looked massive and Remus made sure he was in the right place. Which he for sure was and made his way to the front door and carefully knocked on the dark wood. 

Not even ten seconds later the door flew open and Remus was thankful he had realised to take a step back before the door opened. 

Sirius stood on the other side at first smiling widely. Then he took in Remus' presence and he quickly looked away, before looking back with a faint blush in his cheeks. 

Remus tried to brush it away. 

“Hi,” Sirius breathed, his eyes glued to Remus, not even looking at Teddy. Remus’ stomach did some kind of flip. Remus was used to being stared at, but not in a way Sirius was staring at him. Sirius looked at him like he was actually something worth looking at. Like he was a painting in a gallery. Remus once again tried not to think about it. 

“Hi,” Remus said, his voice just as breathy as Sirius’ had been. Sirius shook his head before stepping to the side. 

“Oh sorry, come in”

Remus stepped in and immediately smelled something heavenly inside the house. James’ mom was clearly already preparing the dinner. It smelled better than anything he had smelled in years. 

Remus put his bag to the floor before carefully starting to open the carrier. Sirius was looking at him again, but this time his eyes were fixated to Remus’ hands as he loosened the straps. He eased Teddy up from the carrier but then came in to stop and looked at Sirius. 

“I’m sorry, but would you mind holding him for a second so I can get this off?” Remus didn’t want to seem like he was pushing Sirius to do anything, but the dark haired boy immediately nodded his head, hands already stretched out. 

“Please,” Sirius said with a smile as he took Teddy from his armpits before bringing Teddy to his side. Sirius looked very natural with it, but his expression was like someone had hung the moon just for him. Remus almost forgot what he was supposed to be doing. 

“I’m totally not freaking out at all,” Sirius said and smiled sweetly at Teddy, who was still a bit out of it. Not even reacting anyway to being held by a stranger. 

“He took a small nap as I walked, so he is still a bit sleepy,” Remus explained as he put his jacket to the coat rack that had other jackets too.  

“Hi, Teddy. I’m Sirius,” Sirius whispered and Teddy turned to look at him with wide eyes. Remus was a bit tense as he watched the two of them. But Teddy just looked at Sirius back, not giving any signs of discomfort. Remus let out a breath. 

“I feel like I’m melting a bit, like soon I’ll be on the floor as a buddle,” Sirius explained, not looking away from Teddy once. Remus chuckled. 

“Please hand my son back before he's on the floor too then,” Remus joked, but Sirius immediately shook his head and brough Teddy closer to his chest. 

“No way. I’m keeping him,” Sirius said and then quickly looked at Remus. “Sorry, am I being weird. You can have him”

Remus found himself shaking his head. He did not mind at all. He felt oddly hot. He hadn’t ever thought seeing another person holding his baby would be attractive. But here he was watching Sirius stand in front of him with Teddy in his arms and he was fucked. 

Utterly fucked. 

“James will have to fight for him,” Sirius informed, but then Teddy let out a protesting noise and Sirius looked at him worriedly. Remus shook his head and this time reached for Teddy. 

“Don’t worry, he’s probably just starting to get hot,” and as Remus had thought Teddy calmed down as Remus took his overalls off. “Better, pup?” he asked and ran his fingers through Teddy’s hair that was flat against his head from being under the beanie. 

“Sirius!” James screamed from somewhere around the house. Teddy in Remus’ arms flinched hard and turned to look at Remus before his face formed into a frown. Not even two seconds later Teddy let out a cry. 

“Oh no, you’re okay, Teddy. It was just a loud noise,” Remus tried to say as Teddy let out an even bigger scream. Remus shushed him and swung from side to side. Sirius looked startled just as James got to the hall too, a panicked look on his face. 

“What happened?” he asked as he looked at Teddy whose face was already red from crying. Remus turned to look at James with an apologising look. This was exactly what he had meant earlier. His friends shouldn’t have to deal with all this. 

“You scared him, you wanker!” Sirius said and slapped James’ arm. James’ mouth dropped open as he took a step closer. 

“Shit, I’m so sorry. I was just trying to asks Sirius if it was you or Peter that arrived”

Remus muttered quietly to Teddy as he shook his head, “No it’s okay. It happens, believe me,” he said over Teddy’s crying that was starting to quiet down. “One time I sneezed too loudly which startled him too,” Remus said, trying to ease the tension in the room. James nodded his head slowly, quilt still drawn all over his face. 

Teddy let out a little whine and Remus turned to look at him with a smile. “See, it’s all okay. It was just James, nothing worse,” Remus explained to him and turned to point at James for Teddy. James’ eyes widened and he waved his hand to Teddy. Sirius let out a laugh, which he really smoothly tried to cover with a cough. 

“Hi, Teddy,” James said and took a step closer to the two of them. Teddy looked at James with his, still, tearful eyes. Remus wiped his wet cheek with the back of his hand. 

“I’m sorry I scared you, I’m just a bit too loud from time to time,” James said and cracked a smile. He looked at Remus questioningly and Remus nodded his head. James smiled and slowly offered his hand to Teddy who first looked at it, but then took a hold of James’ index finger with his whole hand. James let out a noise in the back of his throat. 

“I promise I usually know how to behave normally,” he said as Teddy brought his finger to his mouth. Before Remus stopped him, gently taking a hold of Teddy’s small wrist. 

“No, Teddy. We don’t bite other people, remember we had this conversation earlier,” he said and eased Teddy’s grip from James’ finger. Teddy let out a huff and pulled his hand back the same time he turned his head to the side, away from Remus. 

Remus chuckled and turned to Sirius and James who were both looking at him like he had grown another head. But like in a good way? 

“He’s a bit dramatic, don’t know where he got it,” he joked and struggled his own shoes off just as an elderly woman walked to the hallway. 

“James, did your friend arrive?” she just asked as she settled her eyes on Remus. She smiled sweetly and brushed her hands on the apron she was wearing as she walked closer. 

“Hello, you must be Remus,” she said and offered her hand to Remus. He shook her warm hand. 

“Um, yeah that’s me. Nice to meet you”

“You too dear, I’m Effie. James’ mom,” she said in a calm voice before turning to look at Teddy. If possible Effie’s smile got even wider and her eyes wrinkled. 

“And this little cutie must be Teddy,” Effie almost whispered as she looked at Teddy who was already smiling at her. A sharp bang hit Remus' chest as he looked at how Effie talked to Teddy quietly. It made him miss his mom. His mom, who would have been the best grandma to Teddy. If only she was here. 

“Can I touch him?” Effie asked and every cell in Remus' body was screaming yes. There was something about the sweet woman that made Remus feel like he could trust his life with her. So he nodded his head and offered Effie to take him. Who was more than happy to take Teddy to her arms. 

“I have to go and check on the food,” she said as she ran her hand up and down Teddy’s back. Teddy looked like he was enchanted, looking at Effie in a way Remus hadn’t seen him look at anyone else than him. “Please come to the kitchen, the food is ready soon”

So that’s what the three boys did, following Effie further into the house. Remus looked around himself as they walked past rooms. The house felt warm and welcoming the same way Effie did. Remus would stay there forever if he could.  

And for the next four hours he did. Remus had forgotten the last time he had enjoyed himself as much as he did when the four of them, when Peter eventually got to the Potter’s too, spent time in James’ room and ate the delicious food Effie had made for all of them. 

As the time arrived closer to nine and Teddy had been snoozing on and off for an hour Remus decided it was their time to leave. Or maybe it was an excuse to get away from Sirius. Sirius who had been holding Teddy for the past half an hour, looking at him like he hung the moon. 

Remus didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it or with himself. 

“Do you want me to walk you?” Sirius asked as Remus was putting his shoes back on. He glanced up from the floor to Sirius who was holding sleeping Teddy in his arms. Teddy’s head was resting on Sirius’ shoulder as his arms were securely wrapped around the small boy, hugging him to his chest. Remus felt a tug on his chest and looked back to his shoes. 

“I mean, you can if you want to but..” Remus got up from the floor and started rambling with the carrier, finally looking back at Sirius. “But you don’t have to”

Sirius smiled and glanced at Teddy to make sure he was still sleeping and nodded his head, “I’ll come”

So that’s how they found themselves walking on the dark street. Remus didn’t dare to look at Sirius so he settled on staring to the ground. They were both quiet, but the silence wasn’t awkward or unpleasant. 

“Do you always go get Teddy straight after school?” Sirius suddenly asked. Which brought the detention back to Remus' mind along with the small amount of panic. Seeing as he still didn’t know what he was going to do about it. 

Would he really have to tell Ms Ellis his situation and beg her to let it slide this one’s. Promise to never do as he did again. But it wasn’t like he could promise it. He couldn’t promise that he wouldn’t have to leave in the middle of the school because of Teddy. Maybe Ms Ellis could find just a little bit of sympathy in her to let it slide another time. 

Remus was fucked, utterly fucked. 

“Remus?” Sirius asked again and Remus turned to look at him. Sirius' brows were furrowed as his eyes roamed over Remus’ face. “Are you okay?”

Remus sighed and hung his head back, “Yeah it’s just,” he closed his eyes just for a second before looking back to the ground. “I have detention tomorrow. The one I get from leaving Ms Ellis class last week”

Sirius nodded his head, he had been there. 

“Yeah well, I really don’t have time to go to the detention because of him,” Remus gestured to sleeping Teddy strapped to his chest. “I have to get Teddy from the daycare straight from school. To answer your question. So I don’t know what I’m going to do”

Sirius stayed quiet for a while, chewing on his lower lip. Remus looked at him and watched as he opened his mouth to speak. Just to close it again until he turned to look at Remus too. 

“You can say no, I won’t mind, but I could watch him for you,” Sirius said quietly. “Get him from daycare and watch after him until you’re done with the detention.”

Remus probably should have thought about it more. He should have thought if the boy next to him was capable of taking care of his kid, but something in him already trusted Sirius with Teddy. The way he had been holding him the night, making silly faces to make the small boy laugh. Remus had watched how Sirius' own face had broken into a grin as Teddy had let out a laugh as he tickled his belly. 

Hell, Sirius had been holding Teddy more during the whole time they were at Potter’s than Remus did. Almost refusing to pass him to James who pretty much begged Remus to let him hold Teddy.

So way too quickly with way too little consideration Remus nodded his head. 

“Yeah, okay”

Sirius looked surprised and stopped walking to turn to look at him. 

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean I trust you. An hour isn’t that long, right?”

Sirius smiled, “Right. And I’ve watched after kids before. My cousin has a kid, so I would pretty much know what I’m doing.”

Remus nodded his head again, “Okay. I’ll just have to inform the daycare and give a list of thing that could go wrong and then pray none of them go wrong”

Sirius let out a nervous laugh, “I don’t have to I was just-”

“No, no I was just joking,” then Remus made a face. “Well half joking, but really it would be great, thank you”

Sirius nodded his head and they kept walking in the peaceful silence. As they got closer to Remus home he stopped and turned to look at Sirius. 

“Thank you for walking with me”

Remus swore he could see Sirius’ cheeks get redder under the dim street light. 

“Yeah, for sure,” then he took a step back, but hesitated. “It was nice that you came with us today and brought Teddy too”

“Yeah it was funny, it’s been awhile since I really left the house to do something for myself, so, yeah”

Sirius took a step closer, “I’m glad you did”

There was this odd tension between them as Remus looked at Sirius who didn’t meet his eyes. Then Sirius breathed in sharply and took a step back.

“I’ll see you tomorrow”

Remus smiled and tried to place a right emotion to whatever he was feeling as he watched Sirius walk backwards away from him. 

“Good night, Sirius”

“Night, Remus”

With that Remus went in, still that same feeling in his chest. He tried to swallow it down, get it to go away. It stayed as he laid down on his bed and wrapped the cool covers over himself.