Itty-Itty (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Itty-Itty

"I figured luck was in our favor, that we'd have our heir," purred the matriarch of the Black family, her chin held high in the air. Orion rolled his eyes, letting his wife spin the narrative the way she wanted it to go. "The healers after all were quite clear when we had Sirius that there was a fifty-fifty chance it would be a boy, a baby boy. And given Cygnus and Druella have already had three beautiful girls, I knew it must be a boy."

Orion swirled his drink around in his wine glass, completely disinterested in socializing, wishing he might be at home in his office by the fire reading a good book rather than socializing, yet proper decorum was expected—that they 'd return to the usual gala life expected of a proper Pureblood. "I'd strangle that horrid spawn of my sister's," her heard Cygnus mutter from nearby, making his head dart up looking at Cygnus in horror. "But unfortunately he's also yours."

Alphard glanced back and forth between the two before clearing his throat. "Well...."

"Let's be honest. You don't understand why Orion ever married her in the first place either. That bitch."

Orion let the corner of his mouth twist up. "She has her moments."

Which of course brought a rather horrified look from Cygnus, his eyes wide. And then he said. "Are we sure she's not used Amortentia on him?"

"I'm sure she hasn't," Alphard said. "And our sister does have her moments, dear Cygnus."

"And you know she's lying," Orion said, speaking low so only his brothers-in-law could hear him speak, glancing about the room for anyone who might be listening, who might us what he was going to say against Walburga and her stubborn pride. "About luck being in our favor. But after ten years and Lu's misfortune I think everyone, nobody was expecting us to ever successfully produce a child, let alone an heir."

"Let our sister crow," Alphard said, "now that they no longer have that worry hanging over their heads. They've nothing to worry about now."

As if on cue Walburga screamed.

And chaos ensued.

Orion remembered handing his drink off to Alphard, of hurrying over as Lucrettia ' and Lucrettia's mother-in-law attempted to hold Walburga up as everyone stared. He watched the other women folk usher her into another room, out of sight of prying eyes.

Her screams, while Orion normally found himself able to calm his wife 's temper, being one of the few capable of doing so, yet the screams this time weren't related to her losing her temper, but Walburga being in pain, much like—

And in the chaos, his father who was a healer was called in, and he said, "You know, we might have avoided the entire embarrassing situation had the two of you let us know you were expecting again."

Orion 's mind drew a blank. And Walburga finally screamed out of anger, at his father. "You daft old codger! I'm not expecting!"

"How can you be in such denial?"

"And I'm telling you, you daft old codger, that I absolutely not pregnant!" To which she turned to look at Orion, her temper reflected in her eyes. "Tell them! Tell them you would have noticed. You know how fat I got when I was pregnant with our Sirius!"

Orion opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"Orion, you bastard!" for once sending her anger his way.

"But you weren't fat!" Orion protested. "Though I get what you're saying, trying to say."

And then there were more screams. And there was obvious concern on the faces of those attending to Walburga. And when he tried leaving, understanding now what was going on and that it wasn 't his place to be there, Walburga wouldn't let him leave. And the women scrambled, fetching hot water. Cygnus popped his head in, only to be snapped at by Arcturus.

And then—

Orion remembered how Sirius had screamed like his mother when he was born, but—

He found the lack of sound unsettling.

"Get that abomination away from me!" Walburga screamed. "Get it away from me!"

To which he found the small thing—she 'd let go of him by now—handed off to him, and he found himself looking down at the tiniest little thing ever, a fragile tyke that barely moved.

And he felt something.

And Walburga screamed, "I want nothing to do with it! Get it away from me!"

To which he glanced up, and then was out of there, rapping the hem of his robe securely around the small thing, carrying the newborn in his two hands, still looking at the tiny thing. "What's going on with Walburga?"

And Orion stared now at his brother-in-law, his cousin Alphard.

Alphard had a curious look as he tilted forward to see what Orion had bundled in his arms, while Cygnus—Cygnus let his face twist slightly. "Well. Lucky you. You've also now got your spare."

"Excuse me," Orion muttered, hurrying off to his father's study, not caring that the other Pureblood's attending his father's gala were now gossiping about the scene they'd just seen beyond the fact he didn't care that the Black family was their current amusement—that they'd taken amusement at Walburga causing a public scene.

And he sat there, in one of the chairs, gently holding the small thing in his hands, before lowering the fragile-looking tyke into his lap. A finger brushed gently against a soft cheek.

And then he saw movement, tiny fingers moving and head-turning slightly away from the touch as the tiny babe 's mouth opened and closed. He heard the door of his father's study open, then the sound of long skirts across the floor. "Can I see it?"

Orion didn 't look. As Cygnus felt jilted for not having a male heir despite loving his girls, spoiling them a bit to much at times even, Lucrettia struggled with not being able to have children of her own, let alone her own little one to spoil. He frowned. "He isn't an it."

"So I've another nephew?" Lucrettia asked, followed by, "Can I see him?"

Orion glanced up then, frowning, not saying anything.

She came over, leaning over his shoulder. "Isn't he darling?"

"You say that as if," Orion shook his head. "I couldn't hold Sirius like this.."

"You sound as if...."

"As if what?"

"Orion, you do understand that little one was born earlier than he should have been. Growing attached."

"I can't help it," Orion said. "I honestly think I fell in love with him the moment I saw him, but I want to protect him."

"You may not be able to," Lucrettia said.