The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

In For A Bumpy Ride

"Oh shit!" Remus nearly fell out of the suitcase he climbed so quickly up. He caught himself only just barely from landing face-first in the couch by grabbing onto Sirius's shoulders. Sirius righted him up. "We've got to get her to Mungo's!" He looked at Sirius and then at Lily - both were in a right state, Lily near to catatonic staring at Dorcas and Sirius in a frenzy. "Bloody hell," murmured Remus, and he realized that combined the pair of them would be about as much help as nothing. "Alright, alright," he muttered, thinking. 

Disapparation was out, and he wasn't sure how the Floo would be with a pregnant mum in labor (what if the baby fell out or something? he thought rather illogically), so there was one clear answer and he absolutely hated the thought of it.

But the sound of Dorcas's cries drowned out the worry about their transportation.

"Sirius, you're not going to be able to go with us anyway --"

"Why not!"

"House arrest, Padfoot!"

"FUCK HOUSE ARREST, I --"

"Stop right there. I'm not having this argument with you. Go help Bradley finish feeding the Moon Calves. Tell him what's on and that I'll be back to do the kelpies and the erumpet later. DO NOT let him try to feed them himself, he can't do it. I need you to also send a patronus to Gideon and tell him to get to Mungo's."

Sirius stared at Remus, "But -"

"Sirius. I need you do to listen to me and do that, alright? Thank you," he added without waiting for the agreement. He glanced at his watch as Dorcas's wailing quieted slightly, her face red and eyes wide, noting the time. "Lily, you and I will get her downstairs and -- Lily? LILY!"

She snapped out of her trance. She looked at Dorcas, then at Remus, and back to Dorcas, "I'm sorry, I --"

"Behold your future," cackled Dorcas, sweaty and in tears. 

"Oh - oh my stars," she gasped. 

"Come on, help me, Lily," Remus said, and he reached for Dorcas's elbow. Lily followed suit and between the pair of them, they managed at getting Dorcas up from the chair. She grunted as the weight settled on her feet. "Up you come," Remus said in a reassuring voice. "It's alright," he added when she started crying all the harder. She fell into him and he clapped her palms on her back, hugging her to keep her upright.

Lily ducked under one arm, pulling Dorcas into her, and Remus held onto her elbow as Sirius pranced around them nervously, like a dog doing laps about his owner, as they walked slowly toward the door of the flat. "Seriously. STAY," Remus said when they got to the door and Sirius had opened it up for them. Sirius stared at him with pleading eyes, "I mean it. The last thing we need is you being whipped back off to the Ministry holding cells. I simply can't deal with that and this at the same time, you understand?"

Sirius nodded. "Keep me updated, though, alright? Please?"

"Of course," Remus paused briefly to kiss Sirius on the forehead, then ducked out, clutching Dorcas's elbow as they descended the stairs to the alleyway.

They were nearly to the bottom when Dorcas gasped and let out another wailing cry, nearly doubling over. Lily was nearly knocked off her feet, and caught the railing only just in time. Luckily, Dorcas's main lean was toward Remus, who somehow managed to brace her up. She clung onto Lily's forearm and Lily winced at the vice-grip that Dorcas's fingers set on her, so tight she was forcibly reminded of the time James said that Charlus had fractured a bit of his hand.

"Oh God," Dorcas gasped, tears pouring over her cheeks. "Fuck me. Fuck these stairs, fuck my husband, fuck my life, fuck everything --"

"It's alright," Lily gasped, "You've got to breathe, Dorcas darling," she pleaded, remembering all the films she'd seen of women giving birth and how they'd had to practice breathing through contractions and she imitated the breathing she remembered them doing.