black coffee | remus lupin [2]

78. family night

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"SO, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE what a godmother does," Claudia whispered to the little baby she was looking down at.

She was sitting alone in the living room with baby Harry resting in her arms, whispering to him about everything that came to mind.

Harry was not yet asleep, although he looked a bit tired, but he couldn't shut his eyes for curiosity took over as he looked up at the girl he had never seen before.

"I don't even know who my godmother is," Claudia said. "Or maybe actually it was Fayola. But mum thought she was dead, so maybe not. But that doesn't matter, because I bet you don't know why I'm talking about."

Harry blinked at her.

"Actually, I know for a fact you don't understand a single thing that I'm saying," Claudia chuckled. "But...anyhow, I just wanted to say that...well, since I'm your godmother, and since your James and Lily's baby, it's only natural for me to tell you that you are a very loved little baby, Harry. And I...I promise I will be a good godmother to you. And that if anything bad ever happens, I will be there to help you. I promise."

Harry blinked once more, looking even more sleepy now than before.

"I have been through a lot, Harry," she whispered. "And I've always been kind of ashamed of it for some reason. It's like...I don't know, it's like people have to be careful around me because of it, or whatever. But now...if anything ever happens to you, and you need someone to listen...you can come to me, Harry. I promise to be the person who'll listen to you, always. I bet Sirius will say the same. And I know you might call him your favourite because he's going to spoil your arse, but I can assure you that I am the better godparent. And me just saying the word 'arse' in front of you does not change that."

Harry made a strange sound, almost sounding as if it was a little laugh, and even though he was too young to properaly understand humour of any kind, Claudia liked to pretend to herself that she was the first person Harry had ever been truly amused by.

"What I'm trying to say, Harry," Claudia said with a gentle smile. "Is that I will always be there to protect you. And I'll always be there to listen to you and help you. Always."

In that little moment, something changed for Claudia. She wasn't afraid anymore, not of much at all. The only that scared her was that if no one did anything, the little boy in her arms and all his future friends could end up in a world they were to good to live in. And she didn't want that.

"How are you guys doing?" Remus, who was standing in the doorway, whispered.

Claudia looked up with a gentle little smile, "Good. I think he's falling asleep."

"Yeah?" Remus said as he neared them in a few quiet steps so that he could take a peek at the sleepy boy. He smiled. "Oh, you must've bored the hell out of him for him to look that tired."