CHASING PAVEMENTS ⇒ wolfstar

TWENTY FOUR

Remus watches from the edge of his bed with shaky hands cupping his belly as Sirius thrashes around the common room, liking random and obscure items into what Remus is sure was just James' bag of quidditch gear as if the pile of red and golden striped jumpers on the dormitory floor aren't telling enough. He watches Sirius through teared eyes as he tries to focus on the handsome Gryffindor to distract him.

Remus tries to steady his breathing as a small moan leaves his mouth. Sirius looks to him. "S'alright, it's alright," He tries to soothe from across the room. "Just breath, Remus, in and out," He tried to advise. "We don't know if this is anything bad, right? Just stay calm,"

Remus shakes his head, tears welling in his eyes again. "Elliot's hurt," He whispers repeatedly as the tears slowly roll down his cheeks. "Oh God," His entire face seems to crumble into a sob.

Sirius is by his side instantly, offering a large hand to Remus' cheek. He gently tilts Remus' face up. "Shush, she's going to be just fine, we'll get to Pomfrey and she'll tell us just what we're expecting to hear; that it's fake contractions and then I'll lead you back to bed for a cuddle, yeah?"

Remus nods slowly, wordlessly as he tries to control his breathing while he attempts to keep every single sob at bay so that he doesn't wake James or Peter.

Sirius then continues rampaging through their closests, pulling out the baby grows both James and his mother had given them. This doesn't reassure greatly Remus but he supposes they have to be prepared.

Prepared for what exactly, Remus wonders.

Eventually Peter's soft snoring comes to a halt. He squints in the dim room. "Padfoot? What the fuck? I thought we were being robbed," He chirps, tiredness ringing in his voice. He yawns. "It's almost seven in the morning, and it's Saturday, why are you destroying our room?" Peter does not like to be woken early on his day of rest.

Sirius glances at him while stuffing Remus' baby book into the bag for a reason unknown to Remus. "Remus is having braxton hicks I think and I just want to check with Pomfrey that it isn't anything we should be worried about,"

Peter nods, suddenly more awake than he had been. "Oh fuck," He turns his head to look at a quivering Remus with tears dripping from his brown eyes. "Oh, Moony, no" He says sadly. "C'mere," He opens his arms for Remus and Remus finds himself staggering over and letting the dusty blond wrap him up. "C'mere to me, Moony, it's okay,"

Peter can feel Remus shake within his grasp on him. "Hey, don't get worked up, Moony, it might be false labor, you're going to be alright, Elliot's safe"

Remus shakes his head as he rests it in the nook of Peter's neck. "It's too early for it to be either false or real labor," He whispers.

Peter and Sirius share a glance as Peter feels for Remus' belly, as if to ensure Elliot is still inside. He looks back to Sirius. "Should his stomach be so hard?" He swallows quietly, as if neither want the true answer.

Sirius stares before sitting down next to Peter as he let's his hand fall to Remus' belly. His eyes widen slightly. "Remus, sweetheart, Pomfrey will know what to do," He tries to reassure. Key word, tries. He's too panicked and frantic himself to be reassuring but Merlin, he's trying. For Remus, he's trying for Remus.

Even more tears slide down Remus' cheeks as his looks up to his friends. "It doesn't f-feel right," He bites his lip.

Peter sighs sadly, sympathetically. "You're going to be fine, Moony. I promise, Pomfrey will check you over, she'll let you know that everything's as it should be," He comforts softly. "Padfoot will look after you both, just like he always foes. Don't fret about it."