Fixing Old Traditions | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚-𝑶𝒏𝒆

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winter 1978,
you are my family!
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After much persuasion, Jacob managed to convince Aimee and Sirius to babysit Ethan and baby Laura, while he took Laura to the hospital she hadn't been feeling too well. Though he couldn't take her to St. Mungos he had to take her to a muggle hospital.

Aimee always enjoyed having her nephew, she never looked after his sister. She was glad that he was being very helpful with his sister, he brought her diapers for the babies when she asked. He wanted to help feed one of the twins, while she fed Phoebe, Ethan sat carefully on the sofa holding a bottle for Rhea.

Sirius was sitting on the floor feeding Laura, she was eating solid foods, he fed her mashed potatoes and chicken. She held a wooden spoon in her hand banging it on the floor when she wanted some more. Aimee smiled at him, their home was filled with small children, Ethan was almost 3-years-old and growing up too fast.

"Uh oh," he said, as some of Rhea's milk spilt on him, "yuck," wiping his hand on his stomach.

"It's only milk, I'll get you cleaned up,"

"I can do it myself now," he said proudly

"Really, go show me," she said, he bounced off the sofa, hurrying into the kitchen to get a towel.

"Look, uncle Siri, I clean myself," Ethan said, wiping his face and his hands.

"Wow, big boy now-" he stopped mid-sentence when Laura banged her spoon too close to the plate, which splattered mashed potatoes all over his face, Aimee brought her hand up to her mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing. Ethan and Laura laughed loudly, as Sirius wiped his face

"Don't you dare," he warned Aimee

"I can't help it, that was funny," she said, taking Rhea from the sofa.

Aimee laid Rhea and Phoebe on the floor, while she took Ethan into the kitchen to clean him up properly. Sirius heard a knock at the door, he stood up with Laura in his arms, walking backwards towards the door so he could still see Rhea and Phoebe, he opened the door still watching Rhea and Phoebe.

"Yeah?" Sirius said

"Why do you have a different baby?" James asked

"Her name is Laura, she's Aimee's niece,"

"She's got hair as red as Lily's why aren't you turning around,"

"I'm trying to keep an eye on Rhea and Phoebe, what do you want?" Sirius asked, not taking his eyes off them,

"Dumbledore wants to see us,"

"What now?" he questioned

"Yes,"

"Alright, I'll be there in a bit," Sirius closed the door,

He sat Laura on the floor with Rhea and Phoebe, he was trying to think of a way he could tell Aimee what he had been up to. The timing was never right, if it weren't too late and they were tired, or someone would be here. Then, James, Remus or Peter would show up. There was just never a good time to tell her.

The last thing he wanted to do was lie to her, she had never questioned where he and James went, he hadn't lied to her yet, because she never asked. He wiped Laura's chin, Rhea and Phoebe rolled onto their stomach smiling up at their dad, as he lay on his stomach facing them.

Phoebe reach her hands forward to pinch his nose, Sirius repeatedly kissed her cheek, she laughed, attempting to grab his ears. Rhea waved her fist around, he did the same with her, as Laura crawled on his back, Ethan ran back into the room, with just his pants on.

"Hey Aimee, James wants me to meet him for a few hours, it sounded important,"

"You're going to leave me, with four children, while three of them are under a year old," Aimee said,

"I don't want to but it is important-

"What could possibly be so important?" she argued

"I can't tell you, while the children are here," he said, she kneeled down to Ethan

"Will you be big boy, and watch the babies for a minute?" she asked him, he nodded sitting on the floor with them. Aimee took Sirius into the kitchen, standing by the door frame so she could still see the children. "You can tell me now," he took a deep breath.

"Dumbledore wants to see us," she sighed

"So it's true you joined the Order,"

"I - How did you know?"

"Does it matter how I know, I'm more upset that you didn't tell me," she said, he sighed

"I didn't know how to tell you," he said, "your brother died-

"Don't you dare, use Charlie as your reason for not telling me,"

"You didn't join because it was the reason for Charlie's death, I couldn't tell you because I knew you would react badly,"

"You still should have said something," Aimee said, shaking her head at him, "just go, Ethan will help me,"

"I'm not leaving now, because you're mad at me,"

"We're a family, I want you to be honest with me, even if you don't think I'll agree on it,"

"I swear to you, I will answer any question you have?"

"That's not my point, I want to know that the girls come first,"

"Of course, they do, you are my family, you, Riri, and Pheebs,"

"Auntie Aimee, Laura is stood up!" Ethan shouted to her, she looked around the corner, rushing over to Laura as she almost toppled over.

"Don't stay too late," she said, he nodded

As he left she took a deep breath, it was her verse four children. She considered calling her grandmother, then she realised, that Ethan and Laura were her godchildren. She had to be able to take care of them all, she was glad that Ethan was a helpful little boy, she didn't know how she would have coped without him.