Harry Potter Severus Snape Fan Fiction Dark Mist

Chapter Eight

Aurora's Point of View

I arrived in France earlier than expected, as it turns out they were leaving that weekend via Portkey. Since then I have worked with my fellow Order members, and prepared my house and nursery for the arrival of my little bundle. Sometime in April I briefly went and visited James and Lily, just so I could check in on them and also so I could explain my pregnancy. 

I told them as much of the truth as I dared. I told them when I got to France I met a French muggle and started dating him, found out I was pregnant, and then I found out he was dead. Not exactly the truth but not a lie either. Severus was as good as dead to our unborn child.

When I returned I went about life as normal, receiving updates on everything going on in England almost constantly. I missed my friends, but I liked living in France. It was torture not seeing Severus for this long but I knew it had to be done. If he knew I was pregnant it would be awful. And it's not like James or anyone else is going to let it get back to him anyway. No, I've long since accepted that I need to stay in France for as long as possible.

On July 28th 1980, I was in the middle of knitting a project when I suddenly felt a stinging sensation on my arm. I paused and lifted the long sleeve of my cardigan, expecting to see a bug that stung me perhaps. 

But instead I saw a faint mark on my arm, but it wasn't fully formed or dark enough for me to see it fully. I turned my arm, twisting it to better look at it in the dim light of my cottage. I traced the mark with my fingertips and as I did so, a memory came back to me. When it finally hit me what it was I was speechless. 

It was the faint outline of a Dark Mark. 

By the next morning I planned a trip back to England, intent on figuring out what was going on. Then in the evening on the 30th, I used a portkey to get to London, and from there I took a wizard bus to a small town, where I went for a walk, and when I was sure I wasn't being followed I Apparated to Godric's Hollow, heading for James and Lily's home. 

Luckily for me it was late, and no one noticed me going to the door, knocking softly. James let me in, looking tired. He still managed a smile and whispered that Lily was upstairs taking a nap. As he lead me to the living room he looked at my extended stomach with a raised brow. "You almost look more ready to give birth than Lil."

I softly chuckled stroking my belly. "I think this little one is going to be a little early."

He sighed. "I wish Lily was as certain. She's so uncomfortable and tired but we can't tell if the baby is coming soon or not." I patted his knee as Lily waddled into the room, rubbing her eyes. "I heard voices-" 

Her face brightened instantly and I stood so we could hug. "Oh Aurora! I'm so glad to see you." We both sat down beside each other on the couch and I suspect we both were a little teary eyed due to hormones. James slipped away with the excuse of going to fix some tea for us. "I was going to write and ask you to come for the birth but I was afraid it wouldn't get there in time. You are staying right?"

I laughed and wiped my eyes, grasping her hands in mine. "Of course I am silly. And I would have come even if I had to travel by broom."

Lily smiled and I could tell me coming had been the right decision. It put both of us at ease knowing we were together again. "Tell me everything about France. Have you met any dashing French wizards that have swept you off your feet you haven't told me about in our letters?"

I giggled. "In this state I doubt anyone could sweep me off my feet without magic. I swear we should have been warned on how huge we were going to get. My ankles have even swollen. Have yours?" 

Her eyes widened. "Yes! James thought I was joking but I told him no, I'm sure that my ankles are swollen." She crossed her arms with an eye roll. "He said that I couldn't even see my feet so how did I know my ankles were swollen. But they are."

This was how we spent our first night together, and the next morning as well. We even annoyed James so much with our constant baby chatter he had to retreat to their bedroom and pretend to nap to avoid it. 

We were laughing about that just at about eight when I noticed Lily's face tightening. After a moment it relaxed and I said breathlessly, "Lily? Is it the-" Before I could finish, a wet puddle had formed on the floor between her legs and we both looked at each other in stunned silence. Lily was the first to speak. "Did my water just break?"

"I think so."

It took us another few minutes before we both screamed for James, me sounding more panicked than Lily. When he ran in to the kitchen he actually looked my white horrified face over first. "Are you in labor?" 

I shook my head pointing to Lily who was clutching the counter for support as another contraction hit. "No she is. Her water just broke." 

He turned, horrified, to her and then looked at me. "What do we do?" Instantly the everything I've heard and read came back to me and I directed James to find lots of towels while I led Lily to the downstairs guest bedroom. In all reality it was supposed to be a dining room but they had renovated it to be a guest bedroom when they moved in. 

When I got her settled against the pillows I brushed her hair back off of her forehead. "Don't worry Lily. We've got this. You're going to do just fine."

And we did, after the beginning panic wore off that is, and we settled into a rhythm. After hours of labor sometime around 4 P.M when their son was born, I'm not sure who cried more, the parents or me for them and from the relief of it being finished. 

It was an hour later, when I went to check on mother and son that I first got to hold the little sleepy bundle. "What's his name?" 

"Harry James Potter." 

I beamed at the tiny blue bundle in my arms. "Hi Harry. I'm Auntie Ro, and I'm going to be your favorite out of all of your parents friends yes I am." Lily softly laughed as I handed him back. "I'm serious. Sirius isn't going to out spoil this baby."

She giggled again. "You better go find James. I think me giving birth might have traumatized him. Besides, me and my son have important matters to discuss yes we do darling." So I left the new mother holding her son safely in her arms, going to find the new father.

I found him in the nursery they had fixed up, sitting in a rocking chair looking dazed. When I walked in he shook his head. "I can't believe he's really here. I just came up here to think and all I can think is that I can't believe I'm a dad now." I went and stood beside the chair, giving him a one armed hug. "You're going to be an amazing father James just like you've been amazing at everything else."

He patted my arm, for once in his life humble about the praise I gave him. "Thanks Ro."

"Now come on so we can go coo over that adorable new baby of yours-" As I walked towards to door I suddenly felt a sharp pain and I had to grab the doorframe for support. Instantly James was beside me. "Please tell me this is false labor pains Ro. I can't take another birth today." 

I breathlessly chuckled. "Leave it to you to make my baby about you." Shaking my head I straightened. "I think I'm okay I just need to lie down for a moment." As I waddled down the hallway though I suddenly felt that sharp pain again only this time it was worse and black spots danced in my vision. 

I heard James say something but I waved my hand a burning sensation spreading from my arm to my head. "I just need to... sit..." I slid down the wall as the warm black enveloped me, the faint sound of James's yell the last thing I heard.