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Chapter Forty-Six: July 31, 1980

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J U L Y 1980

"How have you been feeling lately?"

Romina allowed herself to settle into the loveseat in Remus' cottage. She had popped in to check on the man after he had missed the last five Order meetings. Sirius told her not to bother - something that she didn't fight him on for the first few weeks until now. She had kept her mouth shut - an attempt to keep the peace amongst the group of friends but there was only so much more of this she could take.

People were dying. The rate climbing at a steady pace and it was all happening at the hands of Romina's brothers, and the rest of the Dark Lord's followers. Her heart lurched in her chest as she remembered the time when Rabastan visited her while she was working. The baby hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention as she envisioned the look of pure hatred on his face. The darkness behind his eyes and the slithering ink on his forearm.

"I'm fine, Mina. You do not need to fuss over me." Remus coughed, his face twinging with discomfort. The cough was light but in his state, just the week before the full moon, it rattled every single bone in his body. His eyes were sunken in, dark half circles taking control of the thin skin beneath them. It took a lot of willpower on Romina's behalf to not let out a startled gasp when he opened the door to greet her.

"I can't help it. You know that..." she frowned as Remus brushed off her concern.

"I'm sure Sirius' knickers are in a bind knowing you're here with me."

Well, that was certainly subtle.

"Remus, please."

Romina shifted to turn her body in his direction. His back was arched forward as his elbows pressed down against the table. The circular table shifted beneath the pressure of his weight, the base of the table legs uneven against the floor which caused him to lurch forward some more.

She hated being thrust into the middle of the squabble between her best friend and boyfriend. They were supposed to be brothers - they were all fighting on the same side but both Sirius and Remus were in denial about the other. Nobody talked about it but the glances she engaged Lily and Marlene with told a silent tale. One that everybody knew, but nobody discussed.

"I don't know when it happened, but I don't trust him anymore. He is not the same Sirius you knew..." Remus spoke with anger, nostrils flaring as he looked up and met Romina's gaze. "He's going to hurt you and I don't want to see that happening."

"He's not going to hurt me. He would never hurt me." She bounced her defense back quickly. She didn't believe it, she wouldn't - how could she? The man she was so desperately in love with, turning back to the darkness? It just did not make sense.

Remus looked like he wanted to keep going but the fatigue overpowered him. The two finished their tea and parted ways with a careful hug and a kiss to each cheek.

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"It's a boy!"

James stood in the waiting room entryway, beaming like a bright beacon in the dark of the night. His glasses were slightly askew upon the bridge of his nose, and his hair was rather unkempt, but nobody said a word. He had just become a father!

Romina wiped the tears away, stepping up to hug the man who had become like a brother to her over the last few years. Sirius was quick to follow, wrapping his arms around both of them, sandwiching Romina between him and James. While she loved the affection, being so pressed close to James was making her extremely uncomfortable. She quickly slipped out from between them, allowing them to hug it out without her.

"I came as soon as I heard!" Remus stepped out from an entryway, having just been vetted by the hospital staff before being allowed entrance. Romina was the first to greet him, her arms wrapping around him tenderly as the full moon had just been a week prior, meaning she hadn't seen him in two weeks. She knew he had taken a beating but was putting on a brave face in order to celebrate with his friends.

Things were strained between Remus and Sirius and Romina hated it. She wasn't the only one who felt this way, but she was the only one who had nothing else to think about - whereas James and Lily had to think of their unborn child. As she continued in the embrace with Remus, Sirius stared at the back of her head, one eye twitching slightly from the anger rising within him.

"You alright?" Her voice was soft, like her words were meant just for Remus to hear, nobody else. He gave her a nod, hands gently resting on her back before sliding away as the embrace ended. "I'm alright." He told her, allowing his gaze to travel up and cross paths with Sirius'.

He cleared his throat and gave James a hug, "Congratulations, James. I am thrilled for you and Lily."

"He's getting a start on his very own quidditch team now!" Romina teased, ignoring the stare she could feel coming from Sirius. She'd have to speak with him later. They haven't the time in recent weeks but she could sense things were getting rather close to their boiling point. She certainly did not want to ruin the happiness of today and hoped Sirius felt the same.

James was beaming. The brand new father was doing well with avoiding - rather the ignoring - of the drama surrounding his best mates. Nothing could bring him down right now - he was a bloody father! He had quickly gone back to check with Lily before inviting the three back to visit.

Romina had been the first one through the doorway, tears streaming down her cheeks as she rushed to be at Lily's side. The bundle of joy wrapped in her arms was as still as the willow on the night of a full moon. He was wiggling around, feet sticking out from the loosely swaddled blanket and hands swinging around as he grabbed onto his mum's hair - accidentally, of course. The tuft of dark hair atop his head was curly, as was many a newborn babes.

"He's noisy already, just like his father!" The raven-haired girl teased, shifting her weight on the edge of the bed as she sat beside Lily.

"Oi!" James squeaked, giving Romina his best impression of being offended. But he knew she was teasing - and she was also right.

"How are you feeling?" Romina focused her attention on Lily now, James hovering nearby surely ready to snag the babe up from her arms. Lily's lips turned up into a tired smile as she shifted back against the pillows that kept her propped up. She handed the baby over to Romina, brushing her hair back behind her shoulders in an attempt to tame it.

"Tired. And a bit sore, but very...very happy." Lily smiled over at Romina, allowing her eyes to drift down to the bundle of joy in her friends arms.

"Oh, Godric, I haven't even asked his name yet!" Romina looked over her shoulder in an attempt to look at James, instead meeting the dark eyes belonging to Sirius. There was something behind his gaze, something distant and sad, as he watched Romina with the baby. Romina could feel her heart clench tightly beneath her chest, though not in a good way.

James smiled, taking the baby from Romina and ignoring her pout at the loss of baby cuddles. The new father shifted over to the other side of the hospital bed, his eyes shining with emotion as he looked down at his newborn son. Lily shifted forward, her lithe hand reaching for her husbands elbow to bring him down on the edge of the bed - closer to her.

"Harry James Potter."