yellow (remus lupin.)

forty two.

FORTY TWO.

"Is that an arm?"

"It's their neck! Are you blind?"

"Is the head meant to be that big?"

The sound of her friends bickering over the ultrasound images was giving Cara a blinding headache. As much as she adored Stassie and Tonks, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and cry.

"My kid is absolutely perfect so leave them alone." She sighed, rubbing her forehead wearily.

"Of course they're perfect!" Stass cried and handed her back the images. "I've just never seen one before."

"Have you told him yet?" Tonks lay back on the sofa, landing on Stass's chest.

"Today." Cara picked at the grey polish on her thumbnail. "I was going to tell him the day I got the scan but it was a full moon. I didn't want to burden him with anymore than he needed."

"Shit." Stass commented under her breath. "How do you think he'll take it?"

"I'll probably come back here a single mother." Cara scoffed cynically, already preparing herself for being alone.

"Single mothers are pretty badass, I definitely couldn't do it." Tonks smiled. "Even if he does take it badly, you've got the world's worst godmothers here."

"This child has you two for aunts, Sirius for a grandad, me for a mum and Remus for a dad. The poor thing will be traumatised by age three." She laughed at the situation at hand.

"I think the word you're looking for is legend." Stass added with a giggle. "They'll be a legend by age three."

Sitting in a comfortable silence, the young couple stared in sympathy as Cara lost her train of thought again. She spent a lot of time staring into the distance, and Stass wished she could burden some of her stresses for her, knowing that there was plenty going on upstairs in Cara's head. Wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket, she looked more vulnerable and frightened than ever.

"Come on then love, it's now or never." Tonks and Stassie sent her reassuring smiles from their entangled embrace. "If it all goes tits up, we'll be downstairs ready to rescue you."

Throwing on jackets, the girls began the short walk to headquarters. Tonks was holding one of her hands whilst Stassie held the other, giving them the appearance of a dolly chain through the streets of Islington. To outsiders they looked insane, but Cara was eternally grateful for the unconditional support she had been given by everyone.

Reaching the grandiose building, they appreciated the warmth of multiple fires lit in the house. Sirius happened to be wandering the corridors like a lost puppy — as he did most days, now bored out of his head after months of isolating away from going back to prison — and Stassie quickly distracted him.

"Go on, you'll be okay." Tonks whispered, sending Cara a wink as they waited at the bottom of the stairs.

Each stair creaked louder than before as she headed up to Remus's room. In the back pocket of her jeans was the chain of three photos of the baby, and she could feel it burning against her skin. Knocking gently on his door, she could hear him tidying inside.

"Come in." He sighed frustratedly, which soon faded when she entered his room. "Morning darling. Just so I know I'm not insane, you can't see my wand anywhere can you?"

"Windowsill." She nodded to where it was innocently laying.

"Fuck's sake." He rolled his eyes and snatched it away, shoving it in his back pocket. "You angel. Come on then, I'm starving."