A Sirius Matter...

Not The Only One

It was late February, school had been dull. The gossip was still unaddressed rumours about Tia's pregnancy. As she was seven months pregnant she should have had a sizeable bump. However, Madam had taught her a charm she could just to make her look like normal just for lessons.

"Oi. Mandeville!"

I spun around, James was powering up the hallway, girls surrounding the sides were giggling and tossing their hair causing me to sigh loudly.

"What? You don't want to talk to me?" He said looking playfully hurt.

"No. It's just all these fangirls- following you around like you're famous! It's obvious you've only got eyes for Lily"

I shifted the heavy pile of books in my arms and rearranged my shoulder bag.

"Wha-! No I don't..."

"James. I'm too tired for you to pretend like you don't!"

"Okay. I do. But she'll never go out with me" he frowned a little.

"We'll see about that!" I said, grinning at him.

Suddenly, Remus sprinted up to us, hair messy and skin sheet white.

"Tia-" he gasped, breathing heavily clearly having been rushing around looking for us.

"Tia. Tia. Tia- has. Gone. Labour. Baby. Now" he choked out clutching his side.

"Soph!" Sirius ran up behind me "Tia's really early! She wants you there right now, you too Remus!

We all picked up our slow pace into a full on sprint...

~~~~~•~~~~~

"Push. Push. Push" Madam and I were stood around Tia's bed.

Tia's hand was gripping mine like she would never let go. Her palms were oily with sweat and her hair was plastered to her forehead.

"Remus! Get the hell over here"

Remus was stood uncomfortably away from the bed, moving quickly in a random shape, still pale white and shaking.

"I love you Tia, you're gonna make it, it's going to be okay" he gripped her other hand and picked her sweaty fringe out of her eyes.

Sweat and tears mingled on her face as she continued to push.

"Okay honey, I can see the head. You'll need one more big push and then it'll be here"

Tia cried loudly as she broke the bones in my fingers (not lying, I head a few cracks) and then suddenly she laid back, letting our hands go.

Madam stood from her hunched position with a tiny naked baby in her arms. She beckoned to me to follow and I hurried away with her and the baby.

It was tiny. It was two months early, and it wasn't crying.

Madam was poking it with her wand and mixing potions while I wrapped it in a blanket and flicked it's foot, trying to make it cry.

"Watch out!" Madam grabbed a pipet of a nasty looking purple potion and squirted it into the baby's mouth.

Suddenly, a piercing cry filled the room and the tiny baby kicked it's little feet. I wrapped the towel tighter around its little arms and let Madam grab her and take her away.

I wandered over to the bed where Tia was sat looking relieved but tired and sweaty. Carefully, I took her other hand and squeezed it saying quietly;

"It's a girl"

A small tear trickled down her cheek as she leaned back into the damp pillow.

"Let me change the sheets T" I said. Remus stepped forward and very gently lifted her out of the bed.