CHASING PAVEMENTS ⇒ wolfstar

SIX

James and Peter return days later, with them came Lily, Marlene and Dorcas in tow. Lily, weighed down by luggage and extra baggage, her signature, charming smile bestowed on her face.

Sirius and Remus greeted them with smiles. "Hope you all behaved yourselves!" Sirius hollars as James races into his arms, the two sharing a hug. Nearby, Lily rolls her eyes.

Dorcas and Marlene share a glance, one Remus can't quite make out before he almost gasps aloud in horror as Marlene envelopes Sirius into a hug, but not before applying a quick peck to his cheek. Sirius grins.

"Missed me then?" He laughs, twirling her around slightly. Remus stares. He knew they'd snogged but this was beyond a snog, unlike Sirius had said it would be.

Lily smiles, pulling Remus close for a second, away from wandering ears. "I've brought you some stuff that James' mother sent. She overheard James and I, we'd been talking about your checkup with Pomfrey. She's very happy for you, worried, but happy," Lily smiles.

Remus gives her a weary grin. Lily doesn't give him a chance to reply before she's speaking once more, "She's worried about you because she cares, Remus. James' mum loves you, you're her son just as much as James is. She sent you some of Jamie's old baby stuff if you're interested, look, see?" Lily discretely opens one of the bags she had been carrying.

Inside are bundles upon bundles of knitted babywear and tiny booties and even tinier hats. Undoubtedly worn by a much smaller James Potter.

"Oh Merlin," Remus whispers softly. "They're so little,"

"Well your baby is little, Remus," Lily says, as if it were obvious. "I just want to make sure you're looked after, this is scary stuff, y'know? Teen pregnancy definitely can't be easy,"

Remus was well aware of how scary it all was.

"Thank you, Lils. I'll write to Mrs. Potter as soon as I can to thank her," Remus is touched, ever so heartwarmed, by Euphemia's love for him.

Lily just grins. "You can always lean on me when you need to," She promises and Remus grins right back at her, brushing his messy hair from his eyes slightly.

Once the joys and delight of Christmas wears off and the quartet of boys are sitting back in Potions class with bored expressions plastered on their faces, everything seems a lot less sparkley.

In his third month, half way through, and almost the end of his first trimester, Remus feels awful. He's queasy and having the most horrendous case of hot flushes, his face painted a pinkish tone as he continues to heat up.

He thought by his third month, perhaps his baby would go easy on him; stop making him so sickly. But alas, he couldn't win it all. Remus was still waiting on his belly to actually 'pop' outwards. It was still just growing softer, rather than firmer and more rounded. He just looked like he had enjoyed simply too much butter beer over Christmas term.

Remus listens to Slughorn drawl before finally, the class ends. The students are dismissed and Remus has never been happier to be finished with classes for the day.

Remus' mood, however, dulls when he sees Marlene approaching.

He loves Marlene, or at least he tries to, but to see her ready to paw at Sirius pains Remus somehow. Sirius, for lack of a better word, is his 'baby daddy', he's sure that's what Lily would dub it anyways.

In recent weeks, Marlene and Sirius had been spending a ridiculous amount of time together. He'd even smuggled her into their dormitory room once or twice in the weeks that had past.