The Hidden War

Prologue

Lily and James Potter are awaiting the birth of their baby boy. Sirius, Severus, and Remus are waiting outside in a claustrophobic white waiting room down the corridor from Lily's room. All three wizards sit in a thick, overbearingly nervous silence, the only sound, the muffled screams of the soon to be a mother and the small ticks of the silver-obsidian clock above the hallways door, echoing across the room.

Shifting, Sirius hides his face in his lover's neck when Lily lets out a loud piercing scream, while the taller man's ears ring. Remus wraps his arm tightly around Sirius's torso after a particularly loud curse and some death threats, the echoing, soft sound of a baby's cry joins her screams.

Remus feels Sirius's stiffen against him and Severus stands quickly and begins pacing, wringing his hands. Lily's screaming persists. A single thought springs in the minds of the three men, 'Her pained screams should've stopped, she shouldn't be feeling any more pain.'

Remus sighs knowingly and gently begins to rock Sirius while muttering a quiet, "Told you". Remus had told them the scan was wrong but they had refused to listen; it had caused many arguments among the small group. The scans had never shown a second child and no matter what Remus swore on they wouldn't listen to his reasoning.

Severus stops his hurried pacing and turns to brush his hair from his face; he looks over at Remus apologetically.

Onyx eyes meet amber, Remus sends Severus a quick nod before the man begins his pacing again. His polished shoes click annoyingly in Remus's ear.

Remus, ignoring the click in his ears and choosing to leave the somber man to his thoughts, looks down at his shaking lover instead. Sirius who was, with his face still pressed to Remus's neck, trying to stem the flow of tears that threatened to gush out. Remus, smelling the fear coming from Sirius, gently changes his tactic and begins to rub the black-haired man's back trying to calm him. He knows from past experience that it probably won't do much but he keeps going anyway.

They'd all told Sirius not to come and he knew this would happen. Of course he hadn't listened, the stupid, stubborn man that he was. Now here he is, a shaking mess at the mere sound of his best friend giving birth. Merlin, Prongs must be terrified or super excited; You never could tell with Prongs.

After what seems like a heart-wrenching hour, the screams of Lily and worryingly confused shouts from the doctors calm down. A second baby's cry has joined the first this one much softer, quieter, calmer. Remus suspects he's the only one who can actually hear the cries from so far, with how quiet they are and everything. About an hour later, a nurse comes out followed by three doctors all looking like they ran a marathon but they're all smiling.

"You may go in now." She says and as soon as those words leave her mouth, she nearly falls from the three wizards charging past her.

They race down the hall, their footfalls echoing slightly as they near the end. They stop at the door catching their breaths. One they've all finished gulping air Remus and Sirius both freeze unsure of what to do, Severus rolls his dark eyes and opens the door shoving them crisp into the sterile-looking room. The sight that greets them is beautiful, James sitting next to a very tired and bedridden Lily both holding bundles of baby blue. James holds the bundle close and Lily laughs softly at the small bundle in her tight hold. He is very small, not too small, just quite small, Severus can tell from the other side of the room which one was the surprise. Neither of them notices the new arrivals; they both just whisper joyful words to the babies in their arms.

Slowly the three wizards walk towards the couple, their feet tapping the polished floor quietly, trying not to break the tiny, new family's bubble. As they get closer, tears grow in Sirius's eyes while Severus and Remus smile brightly, two baby boys.