❁ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀᴄᴜᴘ - ʀ.ᴊ.ʟ❁

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 157

Here, he knows he's safe with Willow. Safe from older witches and wizard's bringing up the little details that Monty and Mia had mentioned over the years about their second son. Him. Their son. And how they were so proud of him.

"Sirius"

He hummed, only raising his head slightly to press his hot forehead against her temple when she whispers his name, his shaking hand caressing Maple's head delicately as Willow murmurs,

"I'm not her, i'm not your mum. But I am this cub's mum, will you allow me to give you my first piece of advice as a mum to another?"

This time he laughed hoarsely, nodding his head pleadingly, desperately against mine, tear dropping down the side of my face with a sniff as he begs, "Yes. Yes, please"

Swallowing down the lump enlarging in my own throat, I managed to lock eyes on clouded hazel ones nearby at the same time so he could make out the words of my passed on advice, "Try and hold on to the love, not the loss"

James nodded his head a few times with a gulp, exhaling a deep breath, then tucking Harry up against his chest with a kiss to his head when Regulus was called by Scarlette in the kitchen. My head was turned towards Sirius with his hold on my chin, resting his forehead against mine as he wept, Mary sweeping in to take Maple for a little while so I could focus on him.

Hands resting on his cheeks, tugging him impossibly closer until we were pressed together, I hummed a soft tune for the devastated boy. Devastated because whilst he's not a Potter by blood, they'd named him their son with his own childhood trauma behind him, loved him when he needed loving, gave him shelter when he'd ran away.

He doesn't think he was worthy of their affection, of being their son, we all know he is.

"You can cry, you can let it out, it's just us. You're worth the world, Sirius" 

Letting himself loose, he sobbed into her, tears streaming down his stinging storm ridden eyes, indisputably landing on Willow's lips too from their close proximity. He didn't have the strength of mind to think of what Remus was thinking watching from wherever he was watching him practically touching faces with his wife, fuck, he was tired. So tired. Willow was keeping the boulder from crushing him completely, holding it back with her radiant light.

Brokenly, he held onto her soul-saving being, whispering repeatedly, "Je t'aime. Je t'aime. Tu es la grâce salvatrice, mon soleil"

Breathing shallowly, I continued to hum gently, knowing that my charm wouldn't affect him in the ways it does with other men, but could soothe him, help him until he'd let out his bottled emotions. Scarlette had been worried, she'd told me he'd been blank and emotionless, angry too when he'd smashed a bathroom mirror a few nights ago. He needed to cry, i'd let him until dusk had broke.

Remus allowed his lips to upturn slightly from the sight of his Willow comforting his best friend the way he needed, the veela knowing how to interpret Sirius' lost language. How to help him. He's stirred from his trance when Mary lifts Maple into the air only to bring her back into her chest with a face wrought of baby fever.

"She's good like that"

Remus turns, inwardly wishing he hadn't instantly stared into the plain hazel eyes of James Potter, the usual sparkle misplaced. The bespectacled boy nodded over towards Willow and Sirius, rubbing Harry's back simultaneously, Remus nodding his head once, offering hesitantly,

"I can book you a slot?"

Immediately, he's terrified he'a said the wrong things, that jokes are far too soon. Just as he's about to blurt randomly about foot fetishes, he's surprised to hear James' laugh ringing in his ears. Mary quickly shares a mirrored glance with him, the bespectacled boy shaking his head, eyes fixated on the pair in the corner, mumbling,

"I've already cried to Reggie, Padfoot's been holding back. I'm glad Willow-tree's cracked him open, he needs this"

Appearing at his side as though he was called, Regulus rubs his forehead, sweeping some of his tousled curls out of his solemn face, Scarlette manoeuvring to stand in front of Remus, grabbing his arms to fold them around her shoulders from behind. He did so gladly, resting his chin on top of her head with a quick kiss.

Peter chomps on one of the sausage rolls Newt had placed out in the kitchen with Lyall's help, voice muffled around his food when he pipes up, "Good food"

James smiles feebly, changing position of his son to hold him under one arm, surveying his childhood living full of memories with his parents, some of his favourites being his mum teaching him to knit, his mum scolding both him and his dad when they came in soaked of rain and mud from playing quidditch for hours, and snuggling between them under a blanket in thunderstorms. There's plenty. Plenty of memories he wants to keep forever.

"Sunday roasts are going ahead, here. Every week" He decides on the spot, not sure yet as to how he was going to manage to cook a roast the same as his mum did, but something tells him she's left instructions somewhere. The same something that tells him Willow has them safe with her. 

He glances back to where the pair are now hugging tightly, easing the pain. Their foreheads are no longer connected, but his head is buried in her neck, comically hunched to fit, just like Remus always is.

"Shall we let Bambi fumble around the kitchen on Sunday, or shall I give him the instructions Mia left knowingly? You choose" I opted towards Sirius quietly, eyelids fluttering when he chuckled raspy into my neck, squeezing me with a gruff mumble,

"You already know my answer, Lolo"

Sirius stands to his height, grateful for this being when she sweeps her thumbs under his eyes to wipe his tears, a lopsided smile earning itself onto her face when she reaches to hold his hand. Touch. Merlin, she knows he needs touch. And that alone nearly made him melt into a puddle at her feet.

"We'll let him fumble for a little while. We don't want it totally burnt or messed up" I theorised, his head nodding, slowly tearing his burning eyes away to study the room, landing on our forming young group, my voice soft as I asked, "Do you want to go over, or stay here?"

Rolling his shoulders and exhaling a deep breath, he allowed that calming peaceful wave to engulf him, murmuring a small, "Let's go over"

"Okay" I nodded, following his head in the little steps he took, gripping my hand tightly as we approached the chatting group, managing to slip between, James and Remus holding Scarlette.

Similarly, Sirius tugged me to stand in front of him, Scarlette sending me a sincere appreciative look I nodded back to, then meeting Remus who gestured towards Marlene holding our baby up, listing off lipglosses and lipsticks she has for her.

"She'd look incredibly adorable with like a coral colour"

Remus grunted irritably, not at all enjoying the thought of putting makeup on his one month old baby. She's too pure, too innocent, and he's rather glad that James had suggested that her and Harry didn't wear black baby clothes. Instead, they wore neutral white sleep suits for peace, purity and innocence. Innocent of what this dark world can take from people with no remorse.

"Willow-tree" James whispered quietly, a gentle hum sounding from me, looking towards the man a spitting image of his father when he fixes his glasses with his free hand, continuing, "Please tell me you have some instructions on how to cook a roast dinner for us all"

Biting back both a laugh and a grin from his pleas, Sirius squeezed my hip with a small, hidden snort by his quick cough, James wrinkling his nose through his glassy eyes, managing a small smile through his emotional tears when my shoulders shrugged with a breezy response back,

"I'm not sure, Jamesie-deer. We'll have to wait and see"

If not, James thinks, perhaps they'll all end up with another memory to add to the collection. One ending in a disastrous meal of his that sends them all into fits of laughter.

Laughter of love.

And that's what they were all holding on for.

•2006 words•

I know you'll not like me for this, but blame JK Rowling, this is canon.
Anyway, Treefoot has my heart and soul here <33