Marlene

36- The Joys Of Pregnancy

"Oh, your babies are going to be so cute!" Grinned Erica. Marlene had just informed her family about the pregnancy, "am I having a niece or a nephew? What are you calling him or her?"

"Steady on Eric, I'm only five months pregnant. We haven't got a name or anything yet-"

"-but you know the gender?" Demanded Sarah.

"Yes, I know the Gender, it's a girl."

"Hold up," said David, "you have been pregnant for five months, and you're only telling us now?" He demanded.

"It's been..." Marlene struggled to find, "hectic."

She wasn't lying. As a member of the Order of the Phoenix, even a pregnant one, she had been insanely busy for the past few months.

********

It was fairly often that either Sirius or Marlene was out on Order Business. Sirius was unwilling to let Marlene continue doing work for the Order. But she promised him that when she hit six months she would stop doing work. She was reluctant to do so. But eventually, she did.

On one of the rare occasions that they were both present in the flat, they lay awake in bed. Sirius had his arm around Marlene's shoulder and Marlene had her hands resting on her belly.

"Should we start considering names?" Marlene asked.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, "I think we should call her Marlene."

"We are not giving our daughter the same name as me," Marlene rolled her eyes, "that would just get confusing, you'd say Marlene and we'd both respond."

"Well, I think we should call her Marlene," Sirius grinned.

"Okay, how about we compromise, that can be her middle name!"

"I can accept that."

"Well, any ideas for a first name?" Marlene asked, "because I literally have none."

Sirius seemed deep in thought and said nothing.

"Hey," Marlene had been casting around for names, "what was your Grandma's name? You know, the one who left you all of that money?"

"Oh, Grandma Venus," Sirius grinned, "she was always a laugh, my mother hated her."

"Well, how about Venus then." Marlene suggested, "I mean, it sticks with your family tradition of space names-"

"The only tradition that I ever liked." Sirius nodded.

"And Venus is the goddess of love and beauty," Marlene cast back to her little knowledge of Roman myths, and how their Astronomy teacher had described the reasons behind the naming of the planets.

"And any child of ours is obviously going to be incredibly beautiful," Sirius said.

"You're so cocky, Sirius Black."

"And that's why you love me, Marlene Black."

********

Sirius entered the flat one evening, after a visit to the Potters to check up on them. Lily was due to give birth any day and was getting crankier by the second. When he walked into his flat, he was met with a surprise.

The moment he opened the door, he was met with a loud string of curse words.

"What in Merlin's name-?" Sirius asked, but he quickly stopped when he saw Marlene sat amongst some powder pink knitting yarn. "What are you doing?"

"My father made me and Erica blankets when we were little," Marlene said, "and I am going to make our kid a blanket, or so help me!"

"Need I remind you that you're a witch?" Sirius made his way over and began picking up some of the yarn that was scattered everywhere.

"Good point," she nodded, "oh well, I guess I'll finish the bloody thing tomorrow."

"You have such a wonderful way of phrasing things," laughed Sirius.

"Well I'm sorry, I'm just a little bit testy, I mean I've hardly slept for six months, and little Venus here is using my bladder like a squeaky toy, so I need to pee again!" She struggled to her feet and made her way over to the bathroom.

"Ah, the joys of pregnancy," muttered Sirius.

"I heard that!"