Title: 1980

Author: KateKintail

Fandom: Harry Potter

Rating: R

Pairings: Remus/Sirius, Lily/James

Disclaimer: JKR owns the characters and their world. I’m just playing. Please don’t sue me.

Summary/Notes: Written for the SBRL Yahoo Group Valentine’s Day/Lupercalia Challenge. Prompt: 1980-Lily tells Remus and Sirius that she is pregnant.

Additional Author’s Notes: Thank you to my betas Lady Korana and Symphonyflute!

1980

            I took a step back from the table and surveyed the plate I’d put together. There were chocolate chip bagels smeared with cream cheese, cranberry scones, oranges, and- the coup de grace- donuts with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. My own mother always said that the best way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. It had certainly worked that way for my sister and her husband, and James had never said no to anything I made for him in the kitchen. I just hoped the saying applied to gay male friends as well as lovers.

            It was ten ‘til ten, but I was impatient and it was not unlike me to arrive at a function just a smidgen early. I picked up the plate of carefully-chosen breakfast foods and headed over to our fireplace. There were spells on it that had to be removed before I could even light a fire in the hearth, and then there were spells I needed to perform to hook it momentarily to the floo network. Keeping fireplaces connected constantly was a way to invite unwanted guests. It was quite a hassle though, with all the connecting and disconnecting, and you had to feel sorry for all the witches and wizards who manned the switchboards.

            So when I finally tossed in a good amount of powder, stepped into my fireplace, and reappeared somewhere else, I had spent so long with the spells that I was only a few minutes early. Apparently, however, I should have taken my time and opted for fashionably late.

            I stood in the living room of the snug flat, flames lapping at my ankles, watching the scene before me of two men lapping at each other. I swear I looked for only one second, then brought my free hand up to my eyes and tightly closed my eyes for extra protection. I had still received an eyeful.

            The snapshot image now burned permanently upon my brain was of Remus on his back, clenching a shiny, black leather leash between his teeth. Sirius was straddling him, cock up his lover’s arse. The leash connected to a black leather collar around Sirius’ neck, which was not studded with spikes but little red hearts. Otherwise, they were both gloriously naked. All technicalities aside, they had looked just as passionately in love as I felt when I was around James. With such an awful war going on, it was nice to know there was still some love out there worth fighting for.

            Apparently, my presence was not enough to calm their urges, because they did not separate. In fact, a few moments later, I heard some loud, shallow breaths. They grew louder, faster, culminating in a groan that sounded like Sirius’, and then Remus joined in with a crying sort of moan, stifled I suppose by the leash still in his mouth. “I’m so sorry,” I apologized, my face hot in the cheeks. “I came too early.”

            “That makes three of us,” laughed Sirius, sounding like an adolescent.

            “It’s our fault entirely,” said Remus. “We’re used to you and James being late to everything. Forgot he wasn’t visiting this time.”

            “Having him here would defeat the purpose of this breakfast,” I told them. But they definitely had a point. James always seemed to be running late. There was always just one more thing to do before leaving the house, always just one more spell of protection to perform. Of course, being late was at the heart of the reason I was paying a visit on two of the Marauders this morning.

            “We’re decent now,” Remus announced about a minute later. I cautioned a peek between the fingers of my hands and saw them both wearing socks, trousers and shirts. But the two wore them differently. Apart from brown hair, which flopped in his face, Remus looked well-put-together, without a wrinkle to him. Sirius, on the other hand, had socks slumped below his ankles, a belt that skipped one loop and hung undone in the front, and a powder blue shirt which still needed the top three buttons done up. He left himself like that as he went over to the fire to block it off from the network. “Sorry about that. Just getting into the spirit and celebrating the holiday a little early. Can I get you anything to drink, Lily? Tea, juice, water?”

            “Juice would be lovely, thank you, Remus.” Most of their living room was for sitting around, but there was a small table and chair set in one corner. I walked over there and set the plate down on the table, before taking a seat, my back to the wall. James wasn’t the only one allowed to be a little more than cautious these days. We all even slept with our wands under our pillows.

            Sirius walked across the room, looking just as disheveled as before, and I sighed. “Over here, Padfoot.” I patted my thigh and summoned him to my side. I did up his belt and pulled up his socks as he buttoned his shirt. “Your hair’s getting all raggedy,” I admonished. “You’ll be worse than James if you keep this up.”

            “All right, Mommy,” he replied with a laugh. That sent a shiver down my spine. “I just thought I’d grow it out… and Remus likes it. Don’t you Remus?” the last bit he called out loudly in the direction of the kitchen.

            Remus muttered something I couldn’t make out, though he did not sound overwhelmingly overjoyed by the subject, and Sirius grinned with amusement. Then Sirius sat down at the table and reached for the plate I’d brought. He pulled off the cellophane and had just touched one of the donuts when he was interrupted by Remus, his words clear as anything this time. “Don’t you dare eat a chocolate donut. Those are mine!”

            Sirius scowled and tore off a small bit. He popped it in his mouth, grabbed a scone, and sat back in his chair.

            “So,” Remus joined us at the table, placing juice in front of me and coffee in front of Sirius. He had tea for himself, and settled down in a spot across from me and beside Sirius. He claimed a donut and took a bite before continuing. “Why are we here exactly?”

            I had expected this blunt question, though I’d thought Sirius would be the one to toss it out there. Nonetheless, I didn’t have a very clear answer prepared. “With Valentine’s Day coming up, I wanted to pick your brains about what I should get James.”

            There were some looks and some staring was done before both men began to laugh. I had been expecting that, as well. Sirius nearly choked on his breakfast and Remus reached over, patting him on the back. Sirius chuckled through coughs. “Forgive us for being surprised. Lils, you’ve never needed help before in gift-giving. In fact we’re the ones who always ask you for help. What’s changed?”

            I shrugged, though I knew quite well. “I want this Valentine’s Day to be extra special.” I took a deep breath and ran my fingertips across my belly, hidden below the table. “Because this will be the last one he and I will spend alone for a very, very long time.”

            They stared again, and I studied their eyes closely. Sirius had confusion in his for a good while. The look in Remus’ slowly changed to recognition and understanding. The eyes went wide, staring straight at me, and his mouth twitched up into a smile. “A baby?” he whispered.

            Sirius gave a start. “You and Jamie are planning to have a baby?”

            I smiled and shook my head. “Not exactly… we already have one.”

            The best description of Sirius’ reaction I can think of was to say he nearly fell out of his chair with surprise. Remus’ wasn’t far from that. “You’re pregnant?” Remus exclaimed, all smiles and excitement.

            I nodded.

            “A little Prongsy?” Sirius asked, leaning over a little to look at me under the table as though I’d been secretly holding a baby there this whole time.

            There wasn’t much to see, as far as my belly went. My stomach wasn’t exactly flat, but with the loose-fitting robes, the bulge did not show. “I’m about three and a half months along now.”

            “Three and a half…” Remus seemed to be doing the math in his head, and I smiled knowingly. “Some time around Halloween?”

            I nodded. “Got it in one.” James had looked irresistible in his Zorro costume; the black was slimming and sexy. We did it once before leaving the house and once in the coatroom at the party. I can’t be sure which was the magic moment, because both had seemed pretty wonderful, but it had happened that night without a doubt. That time had been a busy one for both of us and we hadn’t made love the week before or the week after. “Would you like to feel the baby?”

            Remus jumped up immediately and took advantage of my offer. I moved back from the table and presented my middle for inspection. Again, it wasn’t visible, but a baby could be felt. In fact, it had only recently begun to move around a little inside of me and luckily around this time of day the baby was a little restless. I reached up and took Remus’ hand, pressing it to my belly. It was a few moments before the baby stirred and Remus jumped when it did. “Incredible!”

            Sirius wanted to feel as well, and all three of us had our hands on me for several minutes with ‘oooh’s and ‘ahhh’s and exclamations to announce each and every movement they felt.

            “I’m sure that was an elbow.” That was Remus.

            “Did you feel that kick? He’s a fighter.” And Sirius, astutely.

            “He?” I asked. “Jumping the gun a little, aren’t we?”

            “He or she… is definitely a Marauder in the making,” Remus said.

            “And he or she will be well-loved,” said Sirius, beaming. They both went to sit back down at the table. I took a few sips of juice.         

            “James knows, right?” Remus looked concerned, the sweetheart.

            “Yes, he does. I want Valentine’s Day to be special and something for him to remember, but I don’t want to shock him by dropping something like that on him all of a sudden. I told him the second time it was my time of the month and nothing happened.”

            “Man,” said Sirius, elbowing Remus. “Maybe we should get you pregnant, Remus. Might be nice to have you skip your furry little problem for a few months.”

            Remus laughed. “And when our baby’s born with a tail? Or when you realize we won’t be having sex as often?”

            “Really?” Sirius looked disappointed. He turned to me. “Is that true?”

            “Well… I don’t think sex hurts a baby, but I can’t imagine the mommy will be in the mood as often.”

            “Forget it, then,” Sirius said. He scooted his chair closer to Remus and placed a kiss on Remus’ lips while wrapping an arm around his waist. Remus kissed him back then nuzzled his face into Sirius’ neck with multiple, tiny kisses.

            I cleared my throat. And they turned their attention back to me. Sirius was grinning and Remus wore a sheepish smile as he rested his cheek on Sirius’ shoulder. “You boys were supposed to be helping me think up a present for James, remember?”

            “Do you want to borrow the collar and leash?” Sirius suggested.

            “No thank you.” I laughed and slid the plate of food all the way to them. This was definitely going to take more chocolate.