Hello there! I first want to thank everyone who reviewed my other fic!! Thanks!! And now I must admit that I had a lot of trouble to categorize this new one, I didn't know how to choose who the main characters were. I finally chose Remus and Tonks, but you'll find out while you read there is a lot of Sirius, really a lot, because, after all, everything is told from his point of view. Anyway, this fic has not been revised, I don't have a beta (I accept ideas on that topic) and my friend who usually reads my stories is really busy and I didn't want to bother her. So please, forgive me if you find any mistakes or stuff like that. And thanks for reading!
He knocked the door and started to pace anxiously while he waited. Why were they taking so long? The patronus had just arrived at his home and he had rushed to see them. They should have been expecting him to come. It was obvious he would go immediately without hesitation, so what on Merlin's name were they doing that they couldn't open the bloody door?
"Who is there?" said a voice from inside.
Finally, Sirius thought. "It's me Andy, Sirius. Remus sent me a patronus. I came as soon as I heard…"
"How do I know it is really you?" she broke in.
Sirius sighted loudly.
"Come on, ask me anything" he answered tiredly.
After a minute of thinking Andromeda said: "Which was your mother's favourite dessert?"
"What?! What did you say? Are you seriously asking me that? Hold on, don't answer that. I mean, I got here as fast as I could and left everything a mess in my house, the stuff I was doing half finished, to see my best friend and my little cousin who just happen to become parents, PARENTS! And all you come up to question me is which that old damn hag's favourite desert was? Her favourite dessert! You had like a thousand, no, a million things to ask me about and you ask about that bitch?! Knowing how much I hated her and detested her! I've been waiting outside I don't know how long in this freezing cold and instead of being nice, letting me in and get myself warm, you are mean and make me remember of…"
Suddenly, in the middle of his outburst, Sirius heard the door open and saw his cousin Andromeda looking quite amused standing there in the doorway. He stopped shouting at once and stared at her with anger.
"Why did you open? I hadn't told you that that heartless bat's favourite dessert was lemon pie yet."
"You didn't have to."
"Oh, I see, you did that on purpose, right?"
He kept walking inside without loosing eye contact, indignant as he noticed she was suppressing a laugh.
"Well, yes, kind of. It was the easiest way to check it was you Sirius. Besides, I wouldn't put my new grandson at risk , would I?" she said smiling.
"No, of course…" he replied bitterly without even thinking. It was a few minutes afterwards that her words sank in. He turned to her, his eyes wide open.
"Grandson? So, it is a boy? Remus didn't say…, you made me forget about the baby!"
"Well then, apparently it's time to remind you" said a voice from behind. Sirius recognized his best friend and at the drop of a hat he overlooked everything he was talking to Andromeda about and everything that had happened before and gazed at the man that had just entered the living-room.
For a moment, he thought he was looking at someone else; Remus was definitely another person from the one he had known for so long. He was happier than any other moment Sirius could recall; he was beaming from ear to ear, and seemed to be ten years younger. In his arms he carried a little bundle.
"We believed we heard uncle Sirius' beautiful voice and we came to see."
Sirius, slowly and making the least noise he could, drew closer to Remus to see the tiny baby he was holding.
He was so small and fragile. His eyes were closed making his uncle think he was sleeping but then he waved his chubby arms weakly showing everyone he was awake. Sirius let his hand go closer to the child so that he could take hold of his finger. It felt giant compared to the tiny fingers that were now around it. It was such an amassing sight, breathtaking and moving. When the baby finally opened his eyes Sirius saw a great pair of blue eyes, Remus' eyes, staring back at him. It was one of the weirdest feelings, as if the baby already knew him and was looking at him directly to his eyes.
Sirius then looked back at Remus and he noticed the same expression he had seen on James eighteen years ago: a mixture of pride and love. He smiled at him, Remus could hardly take his eyes away from his boy, and Sirius knew that no one deserved more than Remus to have the family he always dreamt but never considered for himself. How much would he have regretted what he'd done if he hadn't given in to Dora, if he hadn't given himself the chance to love her and be loved in return, the chance to actually live. Standing there in front of him, Sirius understood the greatness of life, that a child could be born in the middle of a war, that a teenager having only his mother's love as protection could defeat one of the most powerful and evil wizards who ever lived, and that a man who was denied the simplest things of life and spent most of it in misery and solitude could now live happily surrounded by love and care.
For a moment he asked himself if he would go through that same experience both his best friends had, if he would too one day have that same expression on his face, not for his godson or nephew but for his own child. As soon as the question crossed his mind he pushed it away. The idea of him being a parent was laughable, besides, he would have to find a mother for the child before, and settle down with her. That was even more laughable.
"So, what's his name?"
"Teddy," Remus answered.
Sirius glanced at Andromeda al his left. She had tears in her eyes. "Good name."
At that point Teddy began to whimper and his father tried to soothe him rocking him. Sirius saw for the first time a small cap on his head. Maybe that was what was bothering Teddy since he kept rubbing it with his little hands.
"I don't think he likes that cap, mate."
"No, it's not that, he probably needs to be fed. We should wake Dora."
"Try taking that off first, perhaps is just it. Why did you put it to him in the first place? It's not cold inside here."
Remus grinned. "Err.., well, he will have to get used to it, at least for a while."
Remus and Andromeda shared a knowing look but Sirius was puzzled. He smirked at them, but they didn't seem to notice.
"What's that about?"
"I'll show you, but you have to promise you won't laugh at him."
"Why would I laugh at your son?" he asked even more confused.
Softly caressing his baby's head Remus took the cap away from it. What he saw made Sirius gasp. He goggled at the tiny baby and blinked several times.
Was that green?
Sirius burst off laughing and couldn't control himself. Now it was Andromeda's time to glare at him.
"You said you wouldn't laugh!"
"Andy…," he uttered trying to breath. "Andy, he has green hair. He is only a few hours old and he has green hair. And, apart from that, I didn't say anything about laughing, Remus did." He pointed at his friend, but he wasn't listening.
"He is hungry; we should take him to Dora. Come Padfoot, do you want to see her?"
"Sure," he exclaimed once he had calmed down, especially to please his cousin.
As they started going up the stairs Remus talked again.
"We named Harry his godfather"
"Really? That's great!"
Remus stopped when he gripped the door handle.
"Are you ok with it?" he asked doubtfully.
"Of course I am. It's an excellent choice, he will be better than me, trust me. Besides, I'm already his uncle..., or cousin..., whatever. The point is that he is family. You do realize your son is in part Black, don't you?"
"Don't remind me."
"Well, he will be one of the good Blacks. Just like me!" Sirius exclaimed brightly.
He laughed at Remus' alarmed face, but he noticed he was more relaxed when he opened the door. They were surprised to see that Dora was already awaken and sitting in her bed.
"Hey!"
"Hi Sirius," she greeted quietly. Oh Merlin, she seemed so tired, but you could feel her joy radiating from her though, even if you were miles away.
Remus sat down next to her and placed the baby on her arms.
"I knew you were about to come to me," she said to her son. "So, have you already met your new nephew?" she asked Sirius still looking at her child.
"Of course, I've seen the new little metamorphmagus. He is a beautiful baby, looks like both of you. Although, I must say that the green hair is kind of unusual."
"Well, it is because he is unique."
Sirius chuckled. "Yeah, that's true. He will be a fine marauder when he grows up too. He will surely morph into Filch in his first week at school."
Dora was astonished by Sirius words but Remus laughed with him right away.
"You are not going to corrupt my grandson Sirius, I won't let you."
"Oh Andy, do you have any idea of who your daughter got married to? The kid doesn't need more corrupting having such a father. It's genetic, look at Harry!"
"Actually, when Teddy changed his hair for the first time and we figured out he was a metamorphmagus Remus said the exact same thing you just did. I really couldn't believe it when I heard you repeating it."
Andromeda appeared to be scowling at her cousin and son-in-law as they grinned at each other, but Dora was smiling at them still slightly amused. They were marauders after all, they couldn't help it.