"Halfway there!" Dora nearly shouted, collapsing onto the sofa beside Remus, already finding it hard to walk with the extra weight, "Why have I got to wait another four and a half months? Its not fair! I won't be able to walk!"
"I'm sorry." Remus smiled down at her, slipping his arms around her waist and gently rubbing the bump, "You'll be fine."
"I dunno." She said bitterly, "Double the weight, size and trouble if they're anything like you. There had better not be a Marauder gene or I think I will actually die. I physically might not be able to manage it. Your fault."
"You love me really." He smirked, stroking her soft cheek with a finger as he gently kissed the top of her head, "I know you do."
"Oh alright." Dora sighed, leaning back into him with a beaten look in her eyes, "I love you. What names do you think, before I forget?"
"For a boy I think Ali, short for Alastair I mean. Alastair Sirius Lupin." He said slowly, though it was something that he had already given a lot of thought when alone, "Girl, I'm not sure what do you think?"
"Hope." She said softly, turning so that she could face him, "After your mum. Hope Lily Lupin." Remus felt the tears before he noticed them, rolling down his cheeks the same as Dora's. She gently kissed the droplets away, a hand in his untidy hair as she continued speaking, forehead pressed to his, "Or Meghan. Meghan Orion Lupin."
"I love it." He whispered, kissing her scrunched up nose, "Amazing. I wish James, Sirius and Lily were here. She would've loved this, and you would have gotten on so well."
"As you keep saying." She smiled weakly, turning away and burying her face into his shoulder, "You miss them don't you?"
"Of course." He nodded sadly, pressing his lips into her pale pink hair, "But I've got you now, and soon we'll have two more."
She had just tipped her head back to kiss him on the lips when a blinding light flashed into the room. A second or two later, a large bear patronus appeared from the mist that had announced its arrival. Dora recognised it straight away as her mums and sat up straighter, though keeping a tight grip on her husband. As it began to talk they instantly knew something was up. Andromeda's normally calm and collected voice shook, mixed with sobs and hiccoughs.
"Dora." The voice echoing from the bear said quietly, "I'm so sorry. Your dad...Ted..." it trailed off briefly, replaced by sobs before starting once more, "They found him this morning. Dead. I..." it disappeared again, dissolving into tears before the patronus slowly began to fade. Instantly Dora rolled over and curled up into Remus's warm chest, crying more than he had ever seen her before. He wrapped his arms around her, quite hard because of the bump but he managed. Gently kissing the top of her head and letting her sweet smell take control of him, he just held her; rocking her back and forth as she let out her grief.
"I just wanted a chance to say goodbye." She whispered after a couple seconds of silence, "To tell him I loved him one last time."
"I know." Remus said back softly, once more pressing his lips to her temple, "But you've got me. And I'm never letting you feel alone again. Got that?" Dora had just opened her mouth to speak when a soft, tickling sensation in her stomach stopped her. She was silent for a few seconds, making Remus look sideways at her before she began to move again. Slowly, she reached across and took his hand in hers, thumb moving in gentle circles around his palm.
As his hand fell lightly onto her swollen belly, the fluttering started up again, stronger than before. And then, a soft tap hit lightly against their joined hands. Remus gasped in surprise, looking up at Dora with soft tears in his eyes. Through blurred vision he watched as she let out a small laugh, biting her lip in the habit she didn't know she had.
"Wow." She whispered, locking gazes with Remus as her sight slowly cleared, showing that she was in fact closer to him than she had first thought. On impulse, Dora reached up and ran a hand through his ruffled hair, the soft pressure of a foot against the inside of her stomach still there. With a long breath, Remus leant in and kissed her, one hand at the back of her neck and the other around the impressive curve of her bump. She kissed back with an unrivalled passion and longing, stopping only occasionally when a sharp kick was felt against her skin. Body pressed up against hers, Remus felt each one of them, laughing slightly as it happened but still not pulling back from her.
"Do you not like it little one?" She looked down as she asked with a forced laugh, tears still leaking from her eyes and her usually colourful hair a crisp brown, "Do you want us to stop?" After a couple more seconds, there came another sharp kick, making Remus laugh softly, which in turn his wife joined in with, running a hand over where the pressure against her skin was. As she looked up to meet Remus's warm eyes, a false smile still on her lips, he let out a short sigh, cupping her pale, tear streaked cheeks in between his palms.
"I'm sorry." He murmured, continuing as she looked sideways at him, "About your dad I mean. I know how hard it is to... well, what I mean is... I'm here for you, you're not alone in this Dora."
"I know." She replied, looking down at her twisting hands, "Its just... he's never going to get to meet his grandchildren. And he was so, so excited. I just want him to have another chance. Like the rest of us."
A.N-
Hey! I am still here *faints*!! Writing that hit me straight in in the feels, yep... right in there, where it hurts the most. I don't really have an excuse for taking ages other than: I actually sleep instead of writing. Yay, I think.
Rhea
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