You Raise Me Up

Oh my. I love you guys so much. If I could, I would hunt you all down and give you all big sloppy kisses. You guys just make my day.

Monice~ ^_^ It's okay! I suppose if I had read this from your point of view, I'd be upset as well. Now, don't get me wrong, I speak with one of the worst twangs when I open my mouth. But I'm quite adept at hiding it when I tap out words on the keyboard. I never really hated that song...never went to dances...hell...I've eighteen fucking years old (going on nineteen in April) and I'm still a virgin who's never been kissed. Do like my smut, though...(Sad, I know...)

Thank you all for complimenting the birth scene. Having never gone though it myself I had only what I looked up on the internet. It was actually a learning experience for me. I like learning...

You know...if any of you were fond of the Lucius/Narcissa smut, I have two one-shots in my profile that are hot and kinky. Yay! One actually gives Narcissa the whip! Interesting....read it you like that particular sub-category.
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Molly sat at Percy’s bedside, knitting her umpteenth scarf. This one was a fetching shade of blue…maybe she’d give it off as a Christmas present. Never too early to start getting ready for that, is it? She looked over at her sleeping son. He had been out for three months now. That silly little Draco Malfoy had only woken up two days prior, and they had already dismissed him from the hospital. She had heard that Bellatrix Black had had her baby…a little boy. She’d send a card or something later, but right now she just wanted her son to wake. Pity he didn’t have a wife to care for him like the little Malfoy arse. But Percy had never been the romantic type. All books and regulations, he was…not that Molly minded one bit. Sometimes he was the only lifeline she held in the sea of….well mostly Fred and George…they would be her undoing, she supposed. She assumed the last words out of her mouth would be ‘you….did….what?’ and then she would die…but that wasn’t for decades yet.

She absent-mindedly spoke to Percy as she knitted.

“You know, Perce, if you wake up by tomorrow I’m sure they’ll let out in time for your father’s birthday. He would really love for you to be there, you know. It is never the same unless all of our babies are there. Oh! That reminds me…that old badger Bellatrix had her son yesterday! Isn’t that grand? I remember looking into Bill’s face when he was first born…oh…it is a wonderful feeling indeed to hold a newborn baby. I remember when you were just a tiny little thing, still in your nappies. You were never one for idle games. You never even had a binky…pitched a fit when I would try and give it to you….quite unlike Fred and George…if you remember we had to practically drug them to take them…and they were four. Four! Oh well, what’s done is done… You know…the Ministry is in a bad way without you, my dear. That Interim Minister…Heathcliff, I do believe, isn’t half the Minister you are. He’s mucking things up big time…I dare say you’ll have a bit of work once you wake up…” she said. The only other sound in the room was the clicking of her knitting needles, and the soft breathing from Percy.

Molly started when she heard a sharp gasp from the young man. She tossed the knitting aside, and was on her feet in a flash.

“Perce? Can you hear me, my boy? Wake up, son….” She said, and shook him gently. He gasped again, and his eyebrows knitted together as if he were having a nightmare. “It’s mummy, Percy! Wake up!” she cried, and took his face in her hands. He gave a soft whimper, and his lips parted. His breathing increased dramatically, and he puffed as if he’d been running for miles. A few whimpers were peppered into his sharp gasps. Molly left Percy’s side for a moment to stick her head out of the door and call for a healer.

As soon as her hands left him he broke into shrieks of agony. He thrashed about on the bed, hands fisted in the covers, and screaming as if under the Cruciatus Curse. Molly didn’t touch him for fear of having him fight harder. She was mortified when she saw tears leaking from his closed eyes. “Percy! Percy, wake up! Please, son!” she cried, watching hopelessly as two Healers ran into the room. One pressed his hand to Percy’s forehead, and looked at the other.

“No fever? Maybe he’s waking up. One of the others woke up as if from a nightmare. Give him some space.” He said. They all stood aside as Percy shouted and sobbed. After what seemed like an eternity, he seemed to be calming down slightly. His hands loosened their death-grip on the blanket, and the only movement he made was the severe rise and fall of his labored breathing.

Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, Percy sat bolt upright in bed, his eyes open. He blinked a few times, his breathing evening out. He looked at the Healers, and then at his mother.

“What in ruddy blazes is going on?”

~~

Bellatrix fastened the tiny little robes around Orion, and tried vainly to smooth his hair. At two months old, he was growing fast. She had been told that he was a bit of a tiny newborn, but she was pleased that he was gaining weight as he should. She adjusted the minuscule silver fasten on his black robes, the perfect miniature of what Severus was wearing. Little black trousers, a soft black shirt, and shiny little soft-bottomed infant shoes completed the ensemble.

Severus’ outfit varied only in the outer robe. He had chosen his most sever black robes for the occasion. The robes were tight-fitting in the chest, making him appear taller and straighter. The robes buttoned up his neck, enveloping him in black. He had his hair in a straight sheet around his face, perfectly in place. He completed the ensemble with a dark, billowing traveler’s cloak that fastened with a silver serpent clasp.

Bellatrix had her own variation on the outfit. Being of the magical persuasion, her turn-around time for the loss of baby weight had been impeccable. Her stomach was flat and toned, and the only physical evidence of her pregnancy were a few light marks from where her skin had stretched…but the general public didn’t see that! Her dark, curly hair had been tamed by several bottles of god-knows-what that Narcissa had used, and hung in muted ringlets around her face and over her shoulders. She was wearing heavy black robes, not very different from her old Death Eater robes. They lacked the body armor, of course, and the deep hood.

The occasion was momentous today. They would be visiting Azkaban to plead with that gutless Auror to sign over custody of Orion to Severus. She briefly entertained the notion of showing up in her mask and torturing the damned Auror into submission…she thought better of it when Orion cooed gently. She picked him up, and smiled.

“Orion…is my baby ready to go?” she asked, and kissed his little cheek. Another coo seemed to be his answer, and she fetched his thick fleece blanket. She wrapped him in the thick blanket, and the three of them made their goodbyes to the rest of the family, who wished them luck.

~~

Bellatrix shivered visibly as she passed through the doors of the grim wizard prison. The last time she had been here had been under….less than savory circumstances.

Percy awaited them in the grubby-looking lobby, a severe look on his face. He still looked dreadfully hollowed by his Sleep, and his clothes were slightly baggy from the weight lost while on Nutrition Potions.

“Miss Black. Master Snape.” He said, inclining his head. The harsh look on his face softened when Orion gave a fussy squeak, and waved his fist. “And little Orion. Forgive me for omitting you.” He said softly. “Now, if you will follow me, we can try to get this atrocity under our belts.” He said, and began walking.

They followed him up several flights of stairs, having to pause once as the still-unhealthy Minister caught his breath.

“We’ll be meeting Strix in one of the meeting rooms prepared for such an…occasion.” He said, and led them down a long, narrow hallway.

Orion was nestled into Severus’ arms as Bellatrix and Percy went in to try and speak with Strix alone. He was chained to a small table in the center of the floor, looking as if he hadn’t seen a good meal or the light of day in quite a while….which he hadn’t….but Bellatrix couldn’t care less.

“Alasio Strix. Do you know why you’re here?” Percy said.

“’Cause I had the bright idea to stick my private bits near that harpy?” he asked impertinently. There was a soft snort from the corner of the room, and Bellatrix’s eyes darted in the direction. She almost groaned aloud.

Nymphadora Tonks was the on-duty Auror guarding Strix. Bellatrix didn’t think her luck could possibly get worse….she was wrong….dead….fucking….wrong.

“Strix…you are aware of course that you are here under your own admission that you raped Miss Black while she was in your custody?” Percy asked, sounding bored.

“Yes, Minister. ‘Course I know. I was at the trial, remember?”

“No would not be a good time to be curt, Strix.” Percy snapped. He continued, though, although he was now a bit more upset. “Well…you are aware that Miss Black was pregnant by this attack, correct?” he asked.

“Yeah, but Fullwren also had a go at the bint….” He snapped. “I’m not taking responsibility for a brat that isn’t mine…” he said, crossing his chained arms over his chest. Bellatrix growled. “Oh shut it, you crazy bitch…” he snapped. Nymphadora cleared her throat.

“Unless you want to get dragged back to your cell, Strix, you’ll calm your tone down.” She warned, her bubble-gum pink hair tingeing slightly maroon. Bellatrix looked at her, grateful she could at least be good enough at her job not to let her personal feelings get in the way.

“Well, Strix, seeing as the boy’s eyes are as gold as Aztec coinage, I’d take a pretty fair shot and say he’s yours…” Percy said. Strix paled slightly.

“But…Fullwren…” he stuttered.

“Has eyes as blue as the ocean itself.” Piped Nymphadora.

“I’m…a…father?” he said, his voice slightly strangled. Bellatrix’s face darkened.

“That’s why we’re here. I want you to give up your rights as Orion’s father.” She said simply. Nymphadora’s pink eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.

“Orion….give up my…rights? I would assume that means you have a back-up… for the child’s father….?” He inquired.

“None of your business. Just sign the papers, and you won’t have to worry one bit about the child.” She said, brandishing the papers from seemingly out of thin air.

“Hell. Fucking. No.” he hissed. “I want to see him. Is he here?” he asked. Bellatrix opened her mouth to say no when a short wail outside the door gave him away. Nymphadora seemed slightly surprised.

“You brought a baby to Azkaban?” she asked.

“Er…yes…although I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this…” Bellatrix said, frowning as Percy walked over to the door. On any other day she would have laughed at the totally horrified looks on Nymphadora’s and Strix’s faces when Snape walked in with the child, still bundled in his blanket. Strix stood at his table, his chains rattling.

Orion was fussing, and waiving his fists around. He was transferred into Bellatrix’s arms, and his fussing almost immediately stopped when she hooted like an owl. “Whoo? Whoo? Whoo will be my friend? Yoo? Yoo? Yoo will be my friend?” she cooed, causing mortified horror from all in the room but Severus.

Once recovered from the shock of motherly interaction from a slightly deranged Death Eater, Strix spoke. “I want to look into his face.” He said. Bellatrix’s face went from soothing mum to dark witch in a matter of milliseconds. She, begrudgingly, shuffled over to where the Auror stood chained, and tilted down the fleecy bundle for him to see.

Gold met gold as Alasio Strix looked into his son’s face.

“What’s his middle name?” he asked, almost breathless in awe of the tiny baby staring at him.

“Cygnus….” She said.

“Of course!” Nymphadora snorted.

“Stuff it, Tonks.” Strix snapped, and looked back at his child.

“Orion Cygnus….” And much to Bellatrix’s horror… “Strix.”
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Oh...things don't look good for your dark friend.

I love the owl bit. I made that bit up, but I thought since it was an owl I got the idea for his eyes for, he could be calmed by something a bit...owlish.

BTW, if anyone cares both Alasio and Strix have owlish origins. I dunno...look owls up on WIkipedia...it's like a family...genus...something...Fullwren...I made that the fuck up.

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