The Truth Behind the Veil ✔️

Harry James Potter

"Lily and I are at St. Mungo's, the baby's coming."

The stag pranced through the flat, delivering the important message to each occupant. Its appearance was ghostly in the darkness, only illuminated by the waning moonlight.

Fawn wanted to jump up with excitement and witness the birth of her best friend. She wanted to wear a large, proud smile at the miracle that was birth. She wanted to but she couldn't.

Remus and Sirius' footsteps thudded through the flat, their voices growing louder and more urgent.

Fawn stayed in bed. The blankets felt like weights, trapping her to the mattress. Over the last few months since Regulus had died, Fawn found herself drained of energy, unable to do even the simplest of tasks. So, as much as she wanted to see the sweet boy born of whom wore his mother's eyes, she couldn't.

Sirius poked his head in through the door. He saw that Fawn's eyes were open, reflecting the moonlight from the open window.

"Are you coming, Fawnie?"

His voice was a mere whisper. Sirius had subdued significantly since the death—since all three deaths. The fight that raged inside of him had been extinguished. His hair was no longer gelled and perfected, instead hanging in loose waves around his shoulders. The confidence he sparkled with had faded into empathy and uncertainty. Nothing was sure anymore. Nothing was promised.

Fawn shook her head and offered the smallest of soft smiles. "Tell me all about it," she murmured. Sirius nodded and assured her that he would. The door clicked softly and soon the flat was shrouded in silence once again.

A single crow flew through the open window. It landed on Fawn's floorboard and stared at her. The bird was unafraid to be inside.

Fawn sat up keeping her eye on it, wondering what this was supposed to mean.

Slowly she extended her arm. The bird flapped its ebony wings and flew the short distance. Its talons hooked into Fawn's arm but it was not painful.

The crow leaned into her gentle touch as Fawn petted it.

Crows were never known to be so docile.

A flash of grey distracted Fawn. That particular shade was so familiar, so unique. Sirius' eyes were light, hints of blue peeking through so that one who didn't know him would describe his eyes as icy.

Regulus on the other hand, had eyes so dark they were assumed to be brown but they weren't. They were dark and stormy, like a rain-cloud before a thunderstorm. Flecks of lighter silver hid in their depths.

Fawn hadn't seen those shades since March. Now it was all she could focus on.

The crow continued to stare back at her, unaffected as she studied it.

Tears welled. This crow was Regulus. She didn't know how, it could all definitely be a coincidence, but somehow he felt close through this simple bird.

"Reg?" she asked with a cracked whisper. The bird's head bobbed and it snipped at her finger.

Fawn choked on a sob. "I've missed you so much."

The crow obviously couldn't respond, it probably couldn't understand a word of what Fawn was saying, but it stayed and it watched and that was enough.

It was not until an hour later that the crow parted ways, leaving in the way it had come. Somehow Fawn felt at peace. She slept soundly for the rest of the night, knowing that Regulus was okay in whatever afterlife he was in.

*****

Harry James Potter was a truly adorable infant. Fawn couldn't help but smile as she held the swaddled bundle in her arms a couple days later. His short black hair was already a shooting in all directions. He was perfect.

"Wanna bet he'll be a Chaser?"

Lily rolled her eyes a tsked, a hand placed sassily on her hip. "We are not betting on our newborns' quidditch abilities."

"I bet Beater!" called Sirius.

Fawn grinned, knowing both of them would lose that one.

Lily had taken her son back and was rocking him softly as he fussed. Overall Harry was a relatively quiet baby but sometimes he got overwhelmed which was natural for an infant.

Remus sighed. "Fine, I'll put my bets on the Commentator."

Dorcas and Frank had claimed Keeper, Alice said he wouldn't play, Marlene joined Sirius with the Beater claim, Peter also thought Harry would be the Commentator and Lily finally gave in and said he'd be a Seeker.

"Well I bet—"

  "Don't you fucking dare!"

"Language Potter!" snapped Lily, covering her child's ears. This caused Fawn to laugh, the first in months. Alice too, held little Neville close and sent a scalding glare in James' direction.

"Well you can tell me," said Sirius, "I can keep a secret."

Fawn snorted at the irony of that statement. Sirius took much offense to this but luckily Remus brought him back to earth.

The new children seemed to bring out the best in everyone. Everything that had been suppressed in the wake of the reality of the war was surfacing again. Who knew a child could allow people to feel so free?

"Well if you don't want to know..." Fawn sang, waltzing arrogantly out of the room. Sometimes it was so fun to lord her knowledge over all of them.

Lily shook her head as James shouted "We don't!" to her back. The young man was met with a finger and a shutting of the spare bedroom door.

"She's so rude," James muttered.

  Lily patted him consolingly on the arm. "You poor thing."

"I think he'll be great with whatever he does," Peter spoke up.

Well, the group of Gryffindor's could certainly agree with that. Harry Potter was destined for greatness (but if they could win the quidditch bet that'd be cool too).

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AN:

Hey besties. This is my second-to-last day of high school. I have one final on Monday and then graduate on the 28th! Things are moving fast. I think I'm in shock tbh.

Anyway, I won't be able to update for a few days. (AP Microeconomics really sucks but I have a B so I need to take the final...) idk when I'll update again but stay tuned.

Thank you for all the reads!

— Riley