┏━━━━━━⊰ꕤ⊱━━━━━━┓
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟖𝟖:
𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐍𝐔𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐓
❝ 𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐, 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚. ❞
┗━━━━━━⊰ꕤ⊱━━━━━━┛
❛ 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗌 𝗁𝗂𝗆 "𝗈𝗈𝗁, 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾.
𝗇𝗈 𝗈𝗇𝖾'𝗌 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗀𝗈𝗇𝗇𝖺
𝗁𝗎𝗋𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎, 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾." ❜
━ rockabye, clean bandit
━"They're what?!" shrieked Stella Potter after hearing the most shocking news. She shouldn't have reacted surprised since Harry moved around her belly again, kicking James' cheeks which he very much didn't mind.
"Pregnant." said Remus as he gave the pregnant woman chocolate. "Like you."
She sat there in disbelief, taking in the information of Molly, Alice, and Belle being pregnant at the same time as hers in the past few months.
The only difference now is that Molly already gave birth yesterday, to Ronald Bilius Weasley.
As well as Belle, giving birth in Italy to a healthy baby boy named Blaise Zabini.
"How come I didn't know about it?!" she shrieked, making Harry kick his dad's face again.
So, Remus and Sirius told the reason why they were all oblivious to the others' lives. The reason why Molly didn't announce her pregnancy until Ronald was born is that they were already traumatized enough after her brothers' death. If not for it, they wouldn't have joined the order.
For Belle however, she was just tad humiliated that she got pregnant by a man he did not like after sleeping with him once. She thought that maybe people will judge her for who she really is so she hid the truth from everyone and as much as she would like to inform her best friend, Stella — she couldn't.
Not that Belle thought that Stella might judge her, but because she knew her baby would be at risk as well with all the war going on.
After hearing the story, Stella respected each of their decisions. It was absolutely reasonable and if she were given a chance, she wouldn't allow the world to know that she was pregnant either.
Remus also told her about Eloise and Portia's condition. For Eloise, she was doing well — she still kept in touch with Stella through letters and was doing well on the outskirts of England, still moving on from Peter. For Portia however, Remus oy had little to tell Stella since they don't see the former Hufflepuff that often.
"Can we stop talking about pregnancy now?" mumbled Sirius as if he was tired from the topic. Stella sensed something different from his emotions — as if Sirius was afraid of that topic.
"How can we stop talking about it when there's a pregnant woman beside us?" chuckled Remus, looking at his boyfriend who seemed rather uncomfortable.
"You okay, Pads?" asked James, finding it curious and somewhat funny that he was afraid of what they were talking about. "or are you just afraid that when this pregnant woman pops Elvendork out, we won't make you his godfather?" he teased.
"For the millionth time." mumbled Stella,. "James! we are not naming our kid 'Elvendork'!" she said, hitting her husband lightly.
But the bespectacled boy didn't budge. "It's either 'Elvendork' or 'Nugget', take it or leave it." he said in a more serious tone earning a laugh from Remus. "Right, pads?" he checked on him again.
Sirius covered all his anxiousness and guilt up with his charming smile. He then turned to Remus to hold his hand, reminding himself that what he did was a stupid one-time mistake, nothing more. "Yeah." he breathed out, continuing to smile at them.
Stella's slight irritation with her husband was now long forgotten. Her mind focuses on the peculiar emotions of Sirius instead.
Because even if she was pregnant and Harry was making her empath abilities difficult to use, Stella knew her best friend was lying. She just needed to find out why.
Rolling on James' side to face him, Stella was surprised to see her husband awake and was already reading a few pregnancy books at midnight.
"Is Harry playing Quidditch again?" he asked, putting the book down to face his wife.
Stella shook her head, smiling when James asked the question. It was James' turn when Harry would always move around, making Stella uncomfortable and unable to sleep because it really felt like Harry was indeed playing Quidditch inside her belly.
Stella sat up and leaned her head on James' shoulder, reading what he was reading. She placed a kiss on his cheek before hugging him. "Happy Birthday."
James melted at her gesture. No matter how many times Stella would show him affection, he always goes love-sick from it, he felt like he was a teen again, when in reality he was about to become a father in August. "I love you so much." he mumbled, kissing her forehead. "Thank you, love."
His wife hurried to get out of bed which worried him, but she immediately came back with a small box. "Open it." she excitedly said as she plopped next to him.
The birthday boy nodded and opened the small box. He thought it'd be a jewelry since she likes shiny things, but it was a small book instead.
If it were others that gave him that small book, he would've forced out a smile and lied to them that he likes it — but this was from Stella. She could give him a kiss for his birthday and he'd swoon over the moon.
"What's this?" he asked, fiddling with the box, with her urge to open it, he obliged and opened the small book.
Stella swore she could see stars lit up in his eyes as he flashed through years of memories — why? Stella's gift was a small album that contained all of James' little notes that he passed to Stella over the years.
" 'Your eyes are like the ocean, I could swim in them all day.' - James Potter or your Prongsie (the love of your life)
'You don't know how to swim, tamprongs.' - hate, Stella."
" 'Do you play Quidditch? cause you're an absolute keeper :)' - James (your future husband.... in case you didn't know.)
'... I'm a seeker, you toe-rag. I think you're meant to send that to Padfoot.' - Stella (your murderer once we're done with History of Magic a.k.a. this class since you're not listening!"
" 'I like you (straw) berry much! go on a date with me?
YES or YES?'
p. s. 3rd times the charm ♡
- James Potter :)"
" 'No.' "
"You kept all these? I thought you threw it all away?" he asked, his breath shaky as he tried to sniffle his tears away. He simply couldn't believe that partly, his entire journey of getting her was in a small album.
"I couldn't just throw it away, love." she finally admitted. If her younger self knew that she'd be doing this, she knew she'd go mental and not believe it. But fate really was something. "You know that."
James wiped the tear under his glasses and pulled his wife to him, making her sit on his lap. "I thought you hated me back then." he whispered, moving Stella's hair away.
"Did I really?" she said kissing him on the lips. He tasted like lemons and mint, the latter being that he just brushed his teeth and the former being her favorite thing right now — in conclusion, she loved the taste of James Potter. "Merlin— I love you." she mumbled.
James let out a throaty chuckle as Stella kept kissing him, he didn't budge, he just let her take his lips. She frowned when James wasn't kissing her back so she pulled away. "Do you not like your gift? I could always buy another one—"
"It's perfect, love." he responded, swiftly kissing her. "You don't have to buy me anything else because you already are carrying the best gift I'll ever get." he said, rubbing her baby bump delicately.
James and Stella had been going through a lot these past few months — not only for them but for others as well. The was still raging and they were saddened to say that Voldemort's side was still tyrannising everyone that was against his way.
It just so happens that James and the others were part of that very group that Voldemort was seeking to haunt and kill, meaning all of their lives were in danger now.
Even if Stella wasn't part of the order, Voldemort and his death-eaters wanted Stella so desperately. Voldemort needed a seer, especially at this time around — when a Prophecy about the dark lord's fall was becoming a threat to him.
Deep down, all of them, especially James and Stella, knew that they didn't know if it was their last time together with their loved ones — they wake up everyday thinking that this may be their last chance of living.
And none of them liked to admit that.
They just wanted to avoid the inevitable.
But for Stella and James, even if they already knew what was on their way, they somehow had faith that maybe, just maybe, they'll get out of this war unharmed, safe, and alive.
"and I love you too, Stella. So damn much." he finally said, placing the small album away and taking her face in his, and finally kissing her.
They've been through hell and high water together and still, none of them pulled apart — Voldemort and his followers were just this one last thing that they have to go through.
They just hoped they do get out of this alive... and if they don't? they'll gladly welcome death... together.
Once 3rd trimester — the final stage of pregnancy had came for Stella, everything started being too difficult for her. Luckily, she had 3 or sometimes 4 when Peter was around, to help her.
They also avoided visiting St. Mungo's for unnecessary pregnancy contractions, James couldn't afford to lose Stella again for he had just only come home from a mission where he heard death-eaters were on their high search for Stella.
In solution for that, Healer Anniston visits the Potter Manor instead every once in a few months — thankfully, for being pregnant at 19, everything was going well for her, all except for Harry turning and rolling on her belly.
"He kicked me again!" shouted Remus, his mood got light after the moon transformation last week. He placed his head on Stella's belly again and smiled at his boyfriend. "That! did you see that?!" he gleefully asked the three of them.
"Yes." chuckled Stella while eating lemon bars. She ruffled Remus' hair as he let Harry kick his face repeatedly. She sometimes wondered how lucky she was with these boys that she grew up with.
"He's training for Quidditch as a chaser, mon coeur." smiled James.
The pregnant woman squinted her eyes dangerously at her husband. Sirius and Remus backed away, not wanting to be shouted by the pregnant woman. "You speak French?" she quizzed.
"Wh—what?!" he coughed nervously, playing it off with a laugh. "Of course not!" he stammered. Godric— Stella's pregnant version was scarier than her actual self.
"Liar." she gritted out, sensing his emotions that he was indeed lying. He nervously pushed back his glasses and avoided eye contact. "So, out of all these years... you understood everything that I said. huh." she muttered to herself. "and Padfoot, Wormy, and Moony knew."
Stella let out a scoff. Out of all these years that she spoke French behind James' back — her curses for him, her compliments for him that she was too shy to admit, and oh, her dearest drunk confession. Now, Stella only realized how much of a fool she must've looked.
"You knew?" she pointed at a gulping Sirius. "Yes." he answered slowly.
"Okay then, you just lost your job as a godfather." she said so occasionally to which Sirius Black dramatically gasps at.
Then, she turned to look at James who seemed to be like a whimpering lost fawn in the woods. Pregnancy really was difficult, due to her lack of sleep to Harry's movement, it gave Stella the worst mood swings.
Earlier, she wanted to rip out his body in half but with that hazel puppy eyes, she wanted to hug him and pepper him with kisses. Still, she refused to feel the latter and acted tough instead. "You're sleeping on the floor tonight, Potter."
"What?!" shrieked James, he glared at the couple who seemed to be laughing at his demise. "But the bed is too big for the both of us!"
"Harry, Bambi, and I are sleeping in my bed. Too crowded. Sleep on the floor." she said before going upstairs in a wobbly pregnant walk. "My son needs all the space and comfort he can get before and after he's born."
James watched in disbelief as his wife had left him.
"Wow, Prongs." laughed Sirius. "Harry's not even born yet and you're being replaced." he teased, Remus just slapped his forehead at this.
"And with that statement, Padfoot, I hereby confirm that you are not going to be Elvendork's godfather."
Stella Potter did not know whether to be grateful or regret that her pregnancy has come to an end. For the former, it meant that she'll no longer have mood swings, having to pee every minute, back pain, and contractions — for the latter however, she was regretting that Harry came one week early than his due date because she was not prepared for it at all.
Instead of August 7th, Harry decided to be born at the end of July instead. July 31st, 1980.
"Deep breaths, Mrs. Potter." the healer said, poking at certain points on her belly.
After her water broke in the middle of their dinner, James spat out some of his food on Sirius' face from the shock and immediately floo-ed them to St. Mungo's.
Stella has been in labour for tons of hours now and had the worst contractions she has ever experienced. The look on her face was obvious at how she was in excruciating pain — the healers have warned her and James as well that if things could go wrong since she was only 19 and her body was not that ready for a baby yet, Stella and Harry's life might be at risk.
James kept caressing Stella's hair, she was wincing and all, he didn't know what he would do, so the best he could was try to comfort her while in the state of panic. "You're doing great, love! I've read that pregnancy doesn't hurt that much wh—"
Goodness— why won't he shut up, thought Stella.
"You did this!" angrily shouted Stella as she kept pushing. She felt like crying from how painful it was and— nevermind, she was already crying. "It's all your fault, James Potter! and I'm not having another baby with y—" she was cut right off when she screamed louder than before.
Her companions, Remus, Sirius, Peter (who were only allowed in the room because they mischievously insisted to), and James awkwardly chuckled when things in the room started moving. "Uh... wand less magic?" they awkwardly said to the healers.
"You're doing great! you're doing well! you're doing absolutely incredible!" said James frantically, giving his wife a thumbs up. "That's it, love! great job! you're doing very well—"
"For the love of Merlin's boobies— SHUT UP!" shouted Stella, glaring daggers at her own husband. "Shut him up or I will get out of this bed and shut him up myself!" she added, the boys eagerly nodded.
If Stella's mary janes were here, she would've smacked James in the face with it.
"Just a little more push." said the healer, she wouldn't want to cheer her up and tell that this doesn't hurt as much because it fucking does. She wouldn't want to get shouted by the pregnant woman. "There we go!"
That's when they heard the baby cry loudly. James being the excited father that he was, joined in the group of healers, but then he saw the blood. "Oh— oh bloody hell." he muttered and gasped.
"Didn't I tell you to grab him?" sighed Remus to the two, they only shook their heads apologetically. "Oh no..." they all mumbled and widened their eyes when James started going pale.
Stella pushed once more before pointing at her husband. "No, no, no! Don't you dare faint, James Potter! I swear if you—"
And then James fainted, with a loud thud.
"Idiot." the pregnant woman muttered before giving one last push.
"There!" shouted the healer, taking the crying baby in her arms before her fellow healers took Harry in and wiped all the blood away.
Peter, Sirius, and Remus rushed onto the healers' side and were in pure awe as soon as they saw the baby with bright blue eyes like his mum. "Hello, Harry." they all chorused.
Stella could feel the pain she had just experienced go away as she watched her best friends — her family, welcome her son... or maybe it was just the mediwitches healing her, putting her body back to normal as if she hadn't given birth at all — sometimes magic really was fascinating.
But Stella knew that even with magic, her back and her lower body would be painful for a while in a few hours. "Thank you." she breathed out, smiling as the mediwitches cooed at Harry.
"Here he is." one of them said, passing Harry to Stella.
As if on cue, James finally woke up. "Right on time Papa Prongs." teases Sirius, pointing at Harry and Stella.
Stella didn't waste her time to scold James — she immediately shed tears as soon as she carried Harry who seemed to stop crying as soon as he was cradled in his mother's arms. "Hello, Harry." sniffled Stella, smiling as she did so.
Even if he was tad dizzy, James couldn't help but smile and cry by just watching his wife and his son. Elvendo— Harry.
When James started to cry, Sirius and Remus started to cry in happiness as well. For Peter however, he cried but for two reasons. He was just contented to be spending this precious time with them.
"Mumma loves you, Harry." whispered Stella as Harry tried his hardest to focus on the melodic sound of his mother. "Dada loves you." she added.
For a split second, just for a bit — Stella felt like she had heard that phrase before.
"Uncle Moony and Wormy love you." she whispered again, letting Harry hold her finger. "Padfoot loves you — we all love you, my little cub."
"Want to hold him?" asked Stella, giving Harry to James who nodded after wiping a tear from his face.
"Hello, Harry." mumbled James, poking Harry's soft cheeks as if they were marshmallows. The first thing that James noticed about his son was his eyes. They looked exactly how Stella's were.
Harry and Stella's eyes reminded James of the ocean — with how calm and alluring they were.
Other than Stella's eyes and ears, the rest of Harry's face features are from James. Merlin— Harry looked exactly like the baby version of James.
He smiled at the thought. If Mia and Monty were here to see Harry, they sure would've leaped in joy after wanting a grandson for so long.
But wherever they were, James knew his parents were watching.
With one look at each other, Stella and James knew that from that day on, they'd protect Harry with all their lives — they also knew that Sirius, Remus, and Peter would do the same thing as well.
ੈ♡˳˚⸙͎۪۫⋆˙‧̍̊༄ ↳ 𝒃𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒂 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!
█.ೃ˚⸙͎۪۫⋆˙ i'm going to miss everyone in this book. <3
█.ೃ˚⸙͎۪۫⋆˙ 2 chapters left...
𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐅 ━━ 𝑱𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑷𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓
( 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝟖𝟖 𝗂𝗇 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐢𝐢 ━ mischief )
© 𝖺𝖼𝖼𝗂𝗈𝗒𝗎𝖾 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟤
07. 06. 22. ✓