Black Hole

"I Saw a Werewolf with a Chinese Menu in his Hand"

"No one else can watch her, Remus. I have to be at St. Mungos all day, and Mia and Monty are away on Order business."

"What about Lily and James?"

"James is out on Order business, and Lily is out with her mum shopping."

"Sirius?"

"With James out on Order business."

"Marlene? Dorcas?"

"The McKinnons are in hiding as of yesterday. And Dorcas is staying with them."

"Okay, Mary?"

"I don't know Mary well enough."

"Pete?"

"You really, truly trust Peter with watching her? Wormtail, who accidentally set fire to the entire Transfiguration class room in fifth year?"

"Well, no. Andy?"

"Working." She ran her hands through her hair with an exasperated look. "Re, come on. She's your kid, you can watch her."

"But what if she starts to cry?"

"Then pick her up and hold her! Feed her the bottle, you know how to make one. My milk's in the kitchen."

"But what if I drop her while I'm holding her?"

"Fuck's sake, Remus. You won't drop her."

"But, what if-"

She took his arms and halted his pacing. "Remus Lupin, light of my life, father of my child. We have been doing this for almost five months, and-"

"Yeah, but someone is always here! I'm never alone with her!"

"Re, I'm not just going to be an intern forever, alright? And, with everything going on with the war, I'm going to need you to look after her. Alone. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Sound a little less confident, will you?"

"Sorry."

She pecked his lips. "She'll be up in about thirty minutes, I reckon. If she's fussy, check her nappy." She grabbed her cloak and threw it over her shoulder. "I'm just a Patronus away." 

"What are we supposed to do all day?"

"Take her out to London or something, I don't know. Bye now!"

And then she was in the fireplace and saying "St. Mungos Women and Children's Ward."

***

"Alright, Thia." He said, strapping the squirming little black haired girl into the stroller. "Ready?"

In response, she stuffed her hand into her mouth and giggled.

He had dressed her for the day, which was usually Lyra-Jade's or Mia's job. He put her into a yellow, frilly dress Andromeda had given them and some little white Mary Janes that were three times smaller than his hand.

"Alright, then." Lyra-Jade had forbidden anyone from trying to apparate with the baby, so he had driven them into town in Mia's Volkswagen. Now, on the streets of London, he didn't quite know what do do. What did babies like to do, anyways? Forsythia couldn't walk, obviously, couldn't talk, or eat real food, or play with other kids. What was he to do? Take her to a museum?

He did, in fact, take her to a museum. He strolled her through the large, beautiful building with walls lined with centuries old paintings. He swore she looked intrigued, and she would laugh when he would pose next to the statues. He got few dirty looks from fellow museum goers, but shrugged them all off. He liked when she laughed.

After the museum, he realized he was starving, and the baby started crying, so she was too.

"Now, now, Forsythia, no need for tears." He found a cheap Chinese restaurant and propped her on his hip and fed her her bottle while he ordered.

They spent the rest of the day doing idle tasks, going to the farmers market, stopping by the bookshop he used to work at. They stopped by a park and sat on the bench, her in his lap, babbling her baby talk, him talking back and pretending to understand her rambles.

It was a good day.

She fell asleep on the drive home, and he carried her in with a giddy smile on his face, excited to tell Lyra-Jade that he did it! He and the baby spent the whole day alone and they both came back in one piece!

"Mumma, we're hooomeee!" He sang in a shouted whisper, entering the Potter's manor. His smile dropped as soon as he walked into he kitchen.

Sirius was holding a sobbing Lyra-Jade. Lily looked like she had seen a ghost, sitting at the kitchen table with a cold cup of tea in front of her. James was behind her, one hand on her shoulder, the other on his face, wiping back tears. Mia and Monty were talking in a low voice to Alastsor Moody. They all looked up when he entered the large kitchen, the small little girl in his arms and confusion in his eyes.

"Whats-whats happened?"

Lyra-Jade swept over to him and took Forsythia from his arms, cradling her to her body as she whimpered. She looked up at him with light grey eyes that held so much pain and sadness he thought he might collapse to the ground right there and then.

"D-D-De-Death eaters." She muttered, "Killed-Killed the McKinnons. Killed Dorcas."

"And my mum." Came a low voice from the kitchen table. His friend, his sister, looked at him with the same sad eyes. "They killed my mum."

***

"Well begun is half done."