the_debt_of_time

umm... just... wow... pregnant," he mumbled and then stood up, walking over and
hugging Lily. "Congratulations, Lils."
James turned around, his face alight with happiness. "Did you hear, Pads?" he asked
with a hearty laugh. "I'm going to be a father. What do you think about that?"
Silently, Sirius stared at Lily's abdomen. His emotions spun around inside of him,
and he could not grasp any one at a time. Joy and fear seemed tied together, but it was
devastation that felt most present. Despite knowing better, Sirius felt as though something
else had been taken away from him.
"You want to give our kids my name?"
"Oh, it's our kids now?"
"'Course it's our kids. I'm an agreeable sort of man these days, kitten, but you're not having
Remus's pups."
"As long as it's not a whole litter, I think I'll be fine with birthing your spawn."
"And they'll be Potters."
"They'll be Blacks."
"Pads?"
Pulled from his memories, Sirius looked up at James and blinked, swallowing back
the emotions that were threatening to erupt from within him. Out of habit, he tugged on
the silver chain around his neck. The action was caught immediately by everyone in the
room, and their smiles faded into awkward looks of concern. Automatically, Sirius let go
of the chain.
James leant forward and put a hand on Sirius's shoulder, a look in his eyes said that
he was fighting through the conflicting emotions as well. James had lost too much in too
few years. Both of his parents, too many friends, and now his sister. Then, somehow in the
middle of all of this death and darkness, someone was giving him a light at the end of the
tunnel.
"You'll be godfather, yes?" James asked with a crooked grin.
Sirius said nothing and instead jumped up, pulling James into a tight hug.