'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour back in business. Try our Spooktastic flavours today!' read the sign.
The sky was overcast with clouds threatening to pour, a chill hung in the air and almost all the shops in Diagon Alley had their Halloween decorations up. It was October. And yet, despite the nip in the air, the street was bustling with a new life of its own as witches and wizards walked about rediscovering the renovated stores.
Emma looked at the black and orange themed sign as their group passed by it. The dropping October temperatures were no match for her cravings. Not when they were Spooktastic flavoured. Whatever that meant. As if in agreement, the baby kicked making her stop right outside the store.
Was it worth risking a cold? She thought about it. Her due date was at the end of the month and she knew that once the baby was here there would be little room for whims like these. Given her constant discomfort now she also felt like she deserved the treat.
Remus and Sirius who were squabbling over why the baby should or shouldn't be named Moony Jr. kept on walking. Ginny noticing Emma's absence stopped and turned back. Emma gave her a sheepish smile.
"Fine! But it's the last detour of the day. I won't be dragged into Flourish and Blotts again because your hormones want you huffing newly bound books again," Ginny warned as she stormed over to her friend. This drew the men's attention.
Emma beamed at Ginny as the young witch came over and linked their arms. The baby gave another kick and Ginny grinned at the movement. The little devil was already taking over their hearts.
"Rem," Emma said drawing his attention. He turned to look between his eager fiancée and the sign she was staring at. She looked at him like bashful, hoping he'd get the hint. He shook in only slight disbelief.
"You go on. I can get the rest and we'll join you at Cupid's Children when we're done. It's just a few stores down," Remus said leaning his head to look forward and spot the pastel-coloured shop front.
Without hesitation, Emma and Ginny entered Florean's while Sirius and Remus made their way to the new baby store in town—the purpose of their visit today.
"Smart of them innit? Taking advantage of all the post-war baby booming that's just waiting to happen in some months. Look at all these expecting mums. Ooh, I think that one by the register doesn't have a wedding band or ring," Sirius said once the duo had entered the store.
The recently opened baby store seemed to hold almost all kinds of magical baby items they needed now that Emma had finally moved in and they were decorating the nursery. It was mostly occupied by witches, some accompanied by their spouses and significant others.
Everyone was browsing through the latest ranges of products. Most of the dads-to-be could be seen huddled near the toy Firebolts. For '12 months and over' it read under the sign.
"Fucking hell!" Sirius exclaimed as he too joined the crowd. "They have these in Firebolts now. That's what I'm getting the kid for the first birthday," he said but Remus wasn't paying attention. He was busy going through the neatly written list Emma had handed him in the morning and scanning the store for ones he could spot.
Remus was nervous. He really wanted to prove to Emma that he could do this right which is why he had been insistent on checking out the store himself.
Item 1. Change-Me-Now Nappies, Remus looked around for the diaper section and walked over. Spotting the product, he lifted a box. Apparently, these changed colour when soiled.
The list didn't say how many to buy. How many could they need? It was just a baby, right?
Sirius looked at his friend standing in the diaper section, surrounded by expecting mothers, with a grim expression on his face. One would think he was pondering the next answer to a NEWT level question. But the man looked only slightly ridiculous as he held the diaper box and scanned the shelf. Deciding to help out as the excellent Godfather he was, he walked over.
"Excuse me, sir, can I help? Is there anything you're looking for in particular?" a small woman interrupted Remus' thoughts before Sirius could interject. She wore an apron around her that carried the store logo.
"Yes- err. I can't figure out how many we'd need," he admitted. Remus showed her the list and the assistant looked it over.
"Oh, tha's easy. I suggest you buy these two packs with 48 each for now. St. Mungos usually send new parents home with a few supplies and these ones should cover two weeks. Might give an idea by then for future purchases," she said sweetly grabbing a few and handing them to him.
"That's it?" Sirius wondered out loud seeing the number of boxes she held. Remus' eyes bulged at the information as he took in how much messier babies actually are. 96 diapers just for two weeks?
Feeling some pity for the couple (she assumed), she charmed over a shopping basket and walked Remus through the rest of the list, pointing out instructions and details about them for when the baby arrived. Remus stared at her intently the whole time, soaking in and memorising the information verbatim while she rattled on. Once they were done being rung up at the cashier's she offered.
"If you have the time to wait for another ten minutes, we're actually starting a diaper wrapping contest for couples. Prizes include a pamper basket for new parents from our exclusive line, but the trick is-" she was cut off by Sirius.
"That's easy. I can charm that in my sleep. Did it with Harry all the time!"
She huffed and continued. "As I was saying, the trick is to do it by hand- the muggle way, ye know? It's fine that it's you two you know..Our store welcomes parents of all kind," she trailed off looking shiftily between the two men.
Considering how Emma had spent the last week snapping at him over not being able to see her feet anymore, Remus thought it would be a nice way to show his appreciation to her.
"We're in!" he said before Sirius could protest.
"Great then. You will be assigned to yer own diaper changing stations. We shall have those conjured up shortly."
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"Moony- You're doing it wrong! Moony Jr. no!" Sirius held the plastic doll up with both its legs that somehow seemed to have been put through the same leg hole.
"STOP CALLING IT THAT!" Agitated Remus yelled at the man as he tried to push Sirius away and fix their mistake.
"Ahh fuck it," Sirius said and grabbed an arm and tried to tug the doll out of the diaper but it was wedged too tightly. A few couples around them shot him dirty looks while most were too preoccupied with their own quarrels.
With another hard tug, the doll came off flying. The arm detached and sent the rest of the body flying over their heads hitting another exasperated father on the changing booth next to theirs, in the face.
"For the love of Merlin, Sirius you're embarrassing yourself!"
"Hey what's taking you two so long?" Emma entered the store with Ginny on her heels, but she froze at the fiasco in front of her.
Couples next to Sirius and Remus seemed to be too engrossed in their own arguments over the right way to do it to actually stop and look at them. Two men who seemed like they had given up sat on the changing booth with their hands in their heads, while the women with them seemed to be angrily muttering while shoving the dolls into the diapers. Only one other couple seemed to be doing fine the muggle way, and the last one kept muttering about how the muggle way was obsolete.
"Times up," another shop assistant meekly announced, no doubt scared of the wrath of the frustrated parents.
"This is the first and last time we're doing it the muggle way, Erin. So much for marketing," an old man, probably the shop owner scolded the young woman who had helped out Remus.
"What the fu-" Emma was cut off by a string of complaints from the couples, the loudest being Sirius who was defending their right to more time.
Ginny cleared her throat loudly, making Remus and Sirius look at them. Emma took in their state of dishevelment before bursting out in laughter followed by Ginny.
A diaper topped Sirius' head like a crown. His dark aristocratic curls popping out from the leg holes.
Remus stood looking at his best mate with a look of panic as the reality of his unpreparedness dawned on him while furtively looking at Emma hoping she wouldn't dump him again.
Slowly the everyone cleaned up their booths and cleared out of the store. Sirius glared at the two women who had won the hamper gushing in love. Never had there been a sore loser like him.
"Let's go," Ginny nudged them. She still had to pack to leave for tryouts this week.
Emma walked over to her fiancé who was thanking Erin for her help. "Get everything?" she asked looking at the shopping bags brimming with items.
"Yeah. Bit confusing. But I managed," he said.
"I'm sure you did," Emma winked at Erin who chuckled. Remus ran a hand through his hair tousling it. "How'd you even end up in that contest?" she went to grab a couple of bags, while her fiancé took the rest.
Erin noticed the shining ring on her hand. "I thought for sure you were with that gentleman there—maybe you had a surrogate or somethin'. Sorry 'bout the misunderstandin'," she admitted to Remus while sending a quick look at Sirius. Emma bit back more laughter.
"It was good practice," Remus said trying to sound nonchalant. It had been him who had forced his friend into this, knowing full well what Erin had meant. When it came to Emma, both he and his wolf didn't hold back.
"Don't worry about it. You'd be surprised at how often people make that mistake. It's like I'm marrying them both and not just him," Emma said with a roll of her eyes.
"And to think I've almost had my arse handed to me several times in the last year by the wolf because he thought I was pulling moves on his woman. Should be grateful. I'm a catch," Sirius muttered under his breath and stomped out of the store.
Remus didn't tell her about the hamper basket they had missed out on. But he planned to ask Molly's help to make one now that he saw Emma wince when she thought he wasn't looking.
"Remind me to never let him change our child's diaper. Or to let him name one," Remus said instead. He clasped her hand in his and they walked out to see Sirius chatting up one of the single moms he had seen in the store.
"Speaking of..I think it's time we decided names, no?" Emma asked.
With that they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron, Remus' arms around Emma as she started by outright vetoing any names suggested by the Godfather.
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A/N: Votes/Comments appreciated!
So I did a basic google search for how long diapers last and 96 for two weeks was one of the things that showed up.
I don't own the GIF, found it on Pinterest.