Proof that Tony Stark has a Heart

Chapter 12

By mid-March, I was so pregnant I couldn't see my feet while standing up, and Luna had entrusted Remus with the task of taking photographs as that belly grew. I was glad she hadn't done anything ridiculous like insist I measure every day or make a plaster cast of it. Photos I could deal with.

With only a month and a half to go at the very most, preparation for the baby was well and truly underway. The nursery had been finished before Hogwarts started back, as his Christmas present from Luna, and it was beautiful. She'd painted forest scenery on the walls, the trees crawling with all sorts of magical creatures, including several that only Luna seemed to know about. I was slightly jealous of my unborn son's new bedroom, and I knew Remus spent the pre-moon days sitting there meditating. Maybe when the baby was older and moving into a proper bedroom, they'd keep the forest room the same for meditation, both for Remus and me. After the Occlumency training debacle, I learned that some meditation every now and then helped me keep my magic and my Occlumency shields in check and cooled my hotheadedness dramatically. Though I liked to think that the last one was just a side-effect of me growing up.

Packages were arriving almost every day for me with various baby paraphernalia; most that I'd bought myself, but a fair few were from friends. Now that I'd had a warding team come and sort out a mail redirecting ward, I felt safe to open anything that made it to me at Grimmauld; everything was from people I trusted. Still, even with the multitude of furniture, toys, and clothes I'd been buying, I had what felt like a thousand more things to buy. Fleur was immeasurably helpful; with Victoire now almost eight months old, she had a wealth of experience that was far more recent than Molly Weasley's. I spent several days with the Frenchwoman pouring over lists of items, checking with her whether they were necessary, and finding out which I wouldn't be able to live without.

Every day my due date drew closer, and I battled a brand new case of nervous excitement every single day. I was both petrified and thrilled that I would soon have my baby boy in my arms instead of in my womb, though I had no idea how I'd react when it became reality. At least I had plenty of people around to help me when I needed it; even if my friends at Hogwarts would be there for a whole two months after my baby was born, I still had Remus and the rest of the Weasleys, as well as the Order. The old saying about taking a village to raise a child was applicable to my situation.

I smiled to myself as Remus and I walked through the quiet park together, my stomach disguised by a baggy jumper and some strategic glamour magic. I couldn't use any of the heavy-duty charms, but light ones to make the weight look a little more spread out were okay. Any muggle passing would think I was overweight, but it was better than the alternative of them seeing a pregnant man. "How are you feeling, cub?" Remus asked, shoulder-bumping with mine as they walked. "Better now you're a bit more prepared?"

"Much," I agreed, smiling slightly. "But there's still so much more to get! I had no idea babies needed so much stuff."

"Harry, you've already bought half the catalog!" Remus pointed out with a chuckle, making me turn red. "Don't worry; Lily did the exact same thing. You're nesting; it's perfectly normal."

"I'm not a bird, Moons," I grumbled, and Remus rolled his eyes.

"No, you're not, but you are an expecting father. You want everything to be perfect and ready for when your son arrives; there's nothing wrong with that." I couldn't help but grin, leaning into Remus' side.

"I can't believe it's only a few more weeks. Everything has gone so fast!" I mused. "Can you imagine? By the end of next month, the baby will be here."

"And the chaos will begin," Remus retorted, grinning. "It's going to be brilliant, cub. Come on, why don't we get back? I'm sure you're starting to get hungry."