War is Over

27.

"Where is she?! Where's my niece?!" James yelled running into the hospital room. I shushed him while Lily covered his mouth.

"So help me Merlin, James Fleamont Potter if you wake that baby I'll be as bad as Walburga Black!" Mum scolded. I chuckled as I cooed at the baby on my chest, who'd finally gone back to sleep. James wasn't listening to mum, he was just staring at me with tears in his eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that." I told him.

"You're beautiful, Vix."

"I'll kill you."

"I love you."

"Yeah, love you too." I stared at him for a second. "Wanna hold her?" He rushed to my side and took her gently from my arms.

"Hi El," He cooed. "I'm uncle Jamie."

"Oh, she's gorgeous!" Lily cooed over his shoulder. I look at the two of them. James gave me a look I knew too well.

"Tell them." I whispered.

"Lily's pregnant!" James blurted out. I laughed as Lily buried her head in her hands.

"James Potter you're so lucky you're holding my first grand daughter or I'd hit you for not telling me sooner." Mum scolded. I laughed from the bed. Lily sat down beside me.

"How are you doing Nova, dear?" She asked while she stroked my hair.

"I'm alright." She looked over to Regulus who watched James like a hawk.

"Y'know, he never dropped Harry once." She joked. Reg smiled at her.

"She's just so little." He said softly. Lily grinned.

"She is, it'll pass. Before you know it she'll be Harry's age."

"Where is Harry?" I asked. She chuckled.

"Probably buying out the whole gift shop with Uncle Sirius." As if on cue, they walked through the door with bouquets of flowers and balloons.

"Aunt Nova! You had your baby!" Harry exclaimed as he threw himself into Lily's arms. She caught him while he stared at me.

"I did! You have a baby cousin now. You'll have to protect her when you two go to school."

"I'll protect her like dad protected you!"

"He told you that did he?" Harry nodded. I smiled.

"I think you should check his facts little one. I protected him." James laughed.

"We protected each other." I shrugged and messed up Harry's hair.

"Yeah, I guess we did."

🗡️🗡️🗡️

"Mum, I promise I will be okay." I told her before I kissed her cheek.

"I'll stay the night, love. Take care of the baby, let you get some rest!"

"Mum you're coming over tomorrow to spend the night and watch her. We will be fine tonight!" She hugged me tight.

"I just worry." She said into my shoulder. I chuckled.

"I'll be okay, mummy. There's four of us in this house anyhow. I'll make Barty watch the baby if me and Reg hit our wits end." She pulled out of the hug and gave me a look. I laughed. "I'll ring you."

"I love you Nova Euphemia Minerva."

"I love you too." Reg popped out of the kitchen with Elenora as she left. I smiled at them.

"There's my Minnie girl!" I cooed as I took her back.

"Hate the nickname." Reg sang.

"Didn't ask for your opinion." I sang back. He smiled.

"You never have." I kissed his cheek. He wrapped his arm around me and looked down at me and Elenora. I looked between the two of them.

"We made her. She's ours." I smiled again.

She was ours. Our beautiful baby girl. Elenora Minerva Euphemia Potter. Somehow, despite all odds, we'd created beauty in this scary world. She was good. She was what made it all worth it. I'd fight the dark lord a million times over again if it meant I got to hold her at the end. I'd go through all the fear, all the pain, all the turmoil just for her.

I thought Reg was my greatest blessing. I thought he was the prize I got at the end of the war, and he was. He was the love of my life who'd given me the greatest gift. We got to raise this baby girl together, so different from how he was raised. We got to show her parents who loved each other, kindness, honesty, and love. She'd never wonder if she was loved. Our house was full of love.

"Can I hold her?" Barty asked, I smiled at him. He was the only one who hadn't held her yet.

"Yeah." I said softly as I walked over to him on the couch. I sat beside him and rested her in his arms. He stared down at her.

"She's beautiful, Nova." I smiled.

"She is." I saw him tear up.

"Alright mate?" Reg asked as he sat on the arm of the couch.

"She's just the first one I've been around to meet this little. I missed Luna, she's the only wee one I've gotten to see." I wrapped an arm around him.

"She won't be the last, love." He looked up at me.

"You two want another? Already?" I laughed and shook my head.

"Just El for now. Lily's got another on the way, Sirius, Remus and Marls have one, you'll get to be the best babysitter slash uncle Barty ever."