The Werewolf's Child

Presents

Sev woke at mid morning on Christmas day, naked, with Remus, also naked, asleep in his arms. It was, he thought a satisfactory state of affairs. The bed was a warm cocoon in the cold room. Remus' long eyelashes lay against his cheek, which had a faint spray of freckles. His hair was starting to grow out, a soft brown, laced with silver. Sev put his hand to Remus' belly but the baby was quiet now. He remembered that ghost-like watery movement from last night and he felt a strange shiver in his gut.

The baby wasn't his, he reminded himself sternly, as Remus shifted and sighed and, eyes still closed, turned to kiss him. It had nothing to do with him, not really.

They kissed lazily, luxuriating in the warmth and the feel of each other's skin, until the crinkle of paper caught Remus' attention. There at the foot of the bed were several wrapped parcels, which Sev had summoned after Remus had gone to sleep.

"Presents?" said Remus in surprise and delight, and he suddenly seemed very young.

And then Sev found he could not look Remus in the eye. What if he didn't like the gifts? He hadn't bought presents for anyone, except Aunt Pepper and Aunt Spider in years. He scowled and looked at the ground.

It wasn't much really. A book of baby names (Name That Baby! The Moste Authoritative, Moste Complete Guide to Naming Your Child in the Wizarding World - And You'd Best Buy This Booke Or Your Kid Could End Up With a Really Stupid Name In Which Case Don't Blame Us). Some dragonhide gloves and a bottle of Madame Marigold's Magical Plant Food for the greenhouse. A foam green sweater in a soft velour that was loose fitting enough to hide the bump, and brought out the green flecks in Remus' eyes. Remus was immensely pleased. He put on the sweater and the gloves and then Sev found himself pushed over onto his back with Remus on top of him, kissing the scowl away.

"But I haven't got anything for you," said Remus sadly after a few minutes of kissing.

"There's the baby," thought Sev, instantly, to himself, but it seemed presumptive to say that. Remus had never indicated to Sev that sharing the baby was part of his plans. "You turned my sad, lonely house into a home," he thought, but that sounded too corny, and too close to his own turbulent, untrustworthy emotions.

"You made us a tree," he said, instead. "You made us fruitcakes and a Christmas dinner."

"Were you pleased by all that?" asked Remus. "I was hoping you would be."

"I was," said Sev, and held him close.

"There's one thing I could give you," said Remus, looking thoughtful.

"You don't need to give me anything, Lupin," said Sev.

"It's something you've been asking for," said Remus, a smile playing on his lips. He snaked his hand around to stroke Sev's bum, lightly, teasingly, seductively.

"Oh," said Sev, understanding dawning. "I....yes....I......okay," he felt flustered suddenly, and nervous. He felt the heat in his cheeks. "My Aunts, though....Christmas breakfast....I'm all ready late."

"Tonight then," said Remus. "If you ask nicely."

                                                                                          ********

Aunt Pepper and Aunt Spider lived on an island off the Cornish coast. To get there, Sev had to apparate to the shore, where there was a small rowboat hidden in a cave below a cliff. Sev usually enjoyed the boat trip across the water, though the sea was rough today and the salt spray was very cold. About halfway to the island it started to snow. By the time he saw the house, tall and spindly, clinging to a cliff at an improbable angle over the sea, it's warm lights glowing through the gloom of the day, his hands on the oars were numb and he was more than ready to get into the warm.