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“Hey, um, Lily”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think I’d make an okay dad?”
Lily looked up from the soup she’d been carefully stirring, suddenly much more invested than she had been moments before.
“I think you’d make a great dad.”
Sirius nodded thoughtfully and went back to folding a paper napkin into an origami horse that immediately tried to wrangle itself free of his fingers the moment it had legs. Lily went back to the soup, but her attention was focused solely on Harry’s godfather and her good friend. A dozen scenarios were flying through her head, most of which were not ideal. But it hadn’t been a lie. Sirius Black would make a great dad. If not a bit unconventional.
“Do you reckon Little Prongs gets lonely?” help
“Well, he’s got friends from school that he seems to like, and he’s got you and James to keep him busy.”
“‘Spose you’re right.”
More silence before he sighed deeply and stilled his constantly in motion hands.
“D’you think he might like a sibling or something?”
Lily had to fight back a smile, “Sirius, if you want Harry to have a brother or sister, you’re going to have to talk to James. I think you’re fit and all, but I’m into reformed bad boys.”
Sirius looked up and laughed, “If you ever get tired of those reformed bad boys, you can always try and reform me.”
“Who’s reforming Sirius?” James asked with a glance between the two most important people in his life.
“Try and reform, not even the lovely Lily Evans could turn me from my wicked ways.”
“I’m not sure I know of anyone who could.”
“Don’t say I’m a completely lost cause...”
“Listen here Padfoot, there’s only room in this family for one reformed bad boy and that spot is already taken.”
“James!” Lily protested, thinking back to their earlier conversation, “this house is certainly big enough for at least two reformed bad boys.”
“Lil’s right, what do you say you come and join the side of reform?”
Sirius thought for a moment before responding, “I would do reform much better than you and you’d be so ashamed you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself. You’d be too embarrassed to go out in public and I could never do that to you, Prongs.”
James Potter played his role well until his brother tacked on: “besides one can be a dad and a bad boy at the same time, right?”
***. ***. ***.
“Harry, this is Todd.”
Harry, who had been bursting with excitement the whole day upon hearing he would be meeting a new friend, was doing his best to hide behind his father’s legs. Todd was stealing glances but wouldn’t let go of Sirius’s hand.
“Say hello, Harry,” Lily prompted.
“‘Ello,” Harry whispered into his dad’s pants.
Todd looked up at Sirius with an unsure expression. Sirius squatted down, but kept hold of his hand and leaned in conspiratorially.
“Harry is the same age as you, Todd. You might go to school together.”
Todd nodded seriously, like this was important information.
“Hello Harry.”
***. ***. ***.
“This is Karina and Alexander, they’re fourth years like you.”
“I’ve never seen them before,” Todd said.
Alexander leaned into his twin sister’s side and whispered something in her ear. Karina blinked once before she smiled wickedly.
“You’re Todd Black, you asked me to go to Hogsmeade last year. Harry was in our Transfiguration class in first year.”
“Well, I don’t remember that.”
“Todd, be nice. Alexander and Karina are going to stay with us for the summer.”
“The whole summer? But she’s a girl .”
Karina whispered something to her brother who laughed, which only further infuriated Todd.
“Well, spotted Black. Ten points to Gryffindor.”
“But dad—“
“Todd.”
***. ***. ***.
“Sirius,” Lily said into the dark kitchen.
“Yeah, Lil?”
“I think you need a bigger flat.”
Sirius looked up from the Quidditch catalog to look around the kitchen. Nothing was different, it didn’t seem any smaller than it had when he sat down. His eyes drifted back to a very round Lily.
“What’s wrong with my flat?”
“Sirius Black,” Lily huffed, “Cardan is going to want his own room after Todd moves out.”
“And he will. At least, whenever Jayden isn’t over.”
Lily laughed a little but immediately put a hand to her hip and massaged it absentmindedly. Sirius immediately got up and pulled out a chair.
“It’s been two years since the last one and we all know what that means.”
Sirius sat back down and pulled up Lily’s feet into his lap. She moaned with pleasure the moment his fingers began to rub.
“Why can’t you teach James to do that? Every time he tries I can’t walk for the rest of the afternoon.”
“What happens every two years?”
Lily’s eyes drifted closed, but her night voice was clear as a bell, “You find another to take under your wing and your flock of Black sheep grows.”
Sirius rubbed her feet quietly before he finally found his voice.
“Every two years?”
She nodded, “Like clockwork.”
Sirius thought back and smiled, “I’m getting predictable.”
“Karina and Alexander pointed it out the other day.”
Sirius laughed quietly, “Those two are going to rule the world one day.”
“Not if Hermione beats them to it.”
“She’s a sharp one, I’ll give you that.”
Lily hummed and Sirius started on her other foot.
“It was supposed to be a surprise, but...”
Lily’s eyes flew open. “Another? I can barely keep up with you right now.”
“He’s a muggleborn, but the Ministry knows my track record with those, so I should be able to swing it.”
“Sirius,” Lily said firmly, “You need a bigger home for these kids.”
“Do you know every time I submit an application at the Ministry, there are actual bets to see if this one will be magical?”
“You're 3-0, undefeated. James mentioned he thought the Ministry might sic some Unspeakables on you if it happened again.”
“You know it’s accidental right? I don’t mean to choose kids that end up going to Hogwarts.”
“Not just muggleborns, but powerful ones.”
“Not on purpose,” he protested.
“So, how old’s this one?”
“Four and a half...”
“Four?! Have you ever raised a toddler before? They aren’t exactly easy.”
“I helped with your toddlers, didn’t I?”
Lily scoffed, “It’s different when they're your own.”