“You may go in now, Mr. Black.”
Sirius cautiously entered Room Ninety-Six of the Maternity Ward at St. Mungo’s. In one hand, which was bronzed from time spent out in the sun, he held a bouquet of white lilies, and in the other, a small package wrapped in blue paper.
He was met at the door by an exhausted James Potter. Sirius grinned broadly at the comical sight of his best friend looking so dishevelled. James’s messy, black hair was even more unkempt than usual, his glasses were crooked, his shirt was inside-out, and he needed a good shave.
Sirius engulfed his friend in a brotherly embrace.
“So Prongs is finally a daddy,” he said, pulling back.
James took off his glasses, rubbed his hazel eyes, and placed the spectacles back on his nose.
“Yes he is. And trust me, it’s a lot harder than it seems,” he said wearily.
“Oh hush up, you. Try going through eight hours of labour and then complain,” a female voice said sharply.
Sirius turned and strode over to where Lily Potter sat in bed, propped up against dozens of pillows and cradling her newborn son in her arms.
“Lilies for a Lily,” he said with a wide grin, holding the flowers out to the glowing redhead.
Lily smiled gratefully.
“Thanks, Sirius. You can just put those on the table next to me.”
“Hey! Nothing for me?” James exclaimed, putting a hand over his heart in mock-hurt.
Sirius rested a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“When you give birth to a child, I’ll make sure to get you something nice,” he promised James, in his best sympathetic voice.
“Thanks a lot, Padfoot.”
Sirius laughed and bent down to take a look at the new little Potter.
“So this is Harry.” The little boy slept peacefully in his mother’s arms; his jet-black hair sticking up in every direction and his tiny hands curled up into fists near his round cheeks.
Sirius glanced up at James and then back down at Harry to compare faces.
“He kind of looks like you, James.”
James beamed proudly down at his son.
“Lucky his dad’s so good-looking.”
Lily rolled her eyes.
“What a pity his dad’s so pig-headed, though.”
“Touché.”
Remembering the package, Sirius presented it to James, bowing dramatically.
“Just a little something for the kid,” he said with a mischievous gleam in his grey eyes.
James gave his friend a suspicious glance and tore away the wrapping paper, only to uncover a small box, which he promptly opened. Laughing heartily as soon as he saw what was inside, James lifted out a white, baby-sized t-shirt that had ‘Marauder-in-Training’ written in black lettering across its front.
James held it up for his wife to see; she just shook her head and smiled.
“This is me restraining myself from throwing a pillow at your head,” she said to Sirius.
Sirius grinned cheekily.
“Ah, but my dear Madam, it’s always best to let our frustration out.”
“Oh, believe me, if I weren’t holding a sleeping baby, I would.”
Harry stirred in his mother’s arms as if on cue.
“Why must you inflict this upon my son at such an early stage in his life, Sirius Black?” Lily said in a quieter voice, her laughing green eyes betraying her frustrated tone.
“Well, Mrs. Potter, considering who his father is, he’s got some pretty big shoes to fill,” Sirius replied with an air of importance. “Might as well start him out early.”
“Well, Mr. Black, then I might just have to retract my decision to make you his godfather.”
Sirius’s face froze in astonishment.
“Don’t look so excited about it,” James said to him with an expression of amusement on his face.
“You want me to be Harry’s godfather?” he asked in disbelief.
James clapped his friend lightly on the back.
“You’re my best mate. Who else would I ask?”
“You could ask Remus. I’m sure he knows more about raising babies than I do. And he’s a great deal more responsible than I am.”
“You don’t have to raise Harry,” Lily assured him. “Just teach him about the things you like to do, like how to drive your motorcycle. When he’s much older, of course,” she added hastily, seeing the playful sparkle in Sirius’s eyes that was all too familiar to her.
Tears were threatening to burst free from Sirius’s eyes, so he quickly blinked them away before they could escape.
Get a grip on yourself, Black, he told “ no, more like ordered “ himself.
He was actually going to cry over a baby? Sirius Black did not cry, no matter how touching or emotional the situation; he simply laughed everything off, and that wasn’t about to change now. He was a godfather now, so he needed to be strong. After all, he had a tiny, black-haired someone looking up to him.
Thoughts raced through Sirius’s mind. He would teach Harry all the best pranks, show him how to use the Marauders’ Map, and tell him stories about the days when he and James attended Hogwarts.
In a few short moments, Sirius had planned out Harry’s entire life in his head. Unfortunately, Harry happened to be only a day old. Oh well, his plans could wait a few more years.
“Would you like to hold your godson?” Lily asked him.
Sirius looked uncertainly at James, who smiled encouragingly as if to say, ‘Go ahead.’
“Sure,” he replied.
Lily carefully placed Harry in Sirius’s arms, telling the apprehensive Marauder to make sure to support the baby’s head. Awkwardly, Sirius held his sleeping godson and spoke softly to him.
“Hey, little guy. I’m Sirius, your dad’s best friend and your godfather. I have to admit, I don’t know how good of a godfather I’ll be, but as far as parents go, you’re in pretty good hands. Your mum and dad are both brilliant, so I can imagine you’ll be rather smart. Your dad and I can teach you all about Quidditch and pranking, and your mum can teach you about Potions. Oh and just wait until you get to go to Hogwarts; you’ll love it there if you’re anything like your parents and me. You’ve got a fairly awesome life ahead of you, Harry Potter. I’m kind of jealous.”
Just then, Harry’s eyes fluttered open and focused on his godfather’s face.
Sirius smiled down on him.
“Hey, Lily, he’s got your eyes.”
Unexpected Responsibility by violet eyes
Chapter Notes: Alas, I do not own any of the characters or places mentioned in this story. All belong to J.K. Rowling (except for the actual story, which is, in fact, mine).
Special thanks go out to Preethi and Lindsey, my wonderful betas. You guys rock!