#blackmeadowes

Back in the kitchen, she pulled two cold beers from the fridge, thinking that Sirius would be home any moment and she wouldn't have to drink along. She popped the cap off and raised the bottle to her lips, nearly sighing as the cold glass touched her lips and the cold liquid nearly sent shivers down her body. She moved to the record player, flipping through a few of the older records that hadn't been touched recently, settling finally on Diamond Dogs. With a smirk at the tiny act of rebellion, she turned on the B side first, keeping the volume just low enough so that the music seemed to hang in the heavy air throughout the room.

  She moved back, the sway of her hips beginning to come out with the music as she took another gulp of beer. Another step and she bumped her bare calf into the coffee table. She opened her eyes, not knowing when she had closed them and found the room was completely dark.

  "Yes," she whispered, downing the rest of the bottle and making a beeline to the nearest window. She pulled the blinds up and opened the window, then another and another, until a breeze began to drift through the flat and Doe let out a sigh of relief. Of course Sirius wasn't home yet, and it would be a damn shame to let that beer get warm. She moved back to the kitchen and popped the top off the second bottle before walking back to the record player and flipping the album over.

  It had been too hot to eat since that morning, and the empty stomach was already affecting Doe as she turned the music up a bit louder and danced a bit more wildly. She alternated sips of the now lukewarm beer with badly belting out the lyrics along with David Bowie. She danced on, swaying her hips and moving her arms above her head with eyes closed tightly, not hearing the door open behind her, or the soft chuckle and foot steps moving behind her. She did, however, feel the hand on her waist and she spun around quickly, raising the now empty beer bottle as a weapon to break over the head of the intruder.

  Sirius caught her wrist in his hand with a smirk across his face. "Honey, I'm home."

  Doe rolled her eyes at him and lightly shoved him away. "You're lucky I didn't curse you."

  "Mmm, yeah I'm lucky you're wearing nothing but your knickers and my t-shirt. Where exactly would you even keep your wand, Dork?"

  "Oh, shut it. You're late. I drank your beer."

  "Noticed that too." He leaned in and kissed her cheek lightly before slapping her arse with a laugh. "I'll get another."

  "Prat," she shouted over her shoulder, but smiled to herself as she spun around again, continuing her little dance across the living room floor. The steady beat of Rebel, Rebel began echoing across the flat.

Hey babe, your hair's alright

She spun back around just as Sirius entered the room, smirking at him and ruffling her hair out of it's loose ponytail.

Hey babe, let's go out tonight

She strutted back across the room, locking eyes with him as she moved.

You like me, and I like it all

She pointed at him, her face splitting into a grin as she stepped in front of him. She grabbed the beer from his hand, taking a swig and moving backwards slowly.

We like dancing and we look divine

She grabbed his hand and pulled him with her.

You love bands when they're playing hard

She shimmied her shoulders towards him.

You want more and you want it fast

She raised a challenging brow at him.

They put you down, they say I'm wrong

You tacky thing, you put them on

He spun her around and pulled her close, his arm tight around her waist as she pressed against him.

Rebel Rebel, you've torn your dress

Rebel Rebel, your face is a mess

Rebel Rebel, how could they know?

They moved to the music, no longer in time with the beat but rocking to their own rhythm as he swayed with her.

He leaned close to her face and whispered,

Hot tramp, I love you so!

Doe waddled over to the kitchen table and slid into one of the open chairs, resting her hand on her belly. She let out a deep breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and finally relaxed enough to enjoy her mates’ company. It wasn’t long before the three of them were laughing just like the days they’d spent in the Gryffindor common room at school. Hearing the timer go off on the stove, Doe stood up as Sirius told some absurd joke that she would never actually be able to remember from that point forward, because at the exact moment that she began to laugh, her water also broke.

“Did you just pee yourself, Dorcas?” Sirius asked, laughing in disgust as he lifted his feet from the floor.

“No!” Doe let out a loud wail. “Megan!”

“Her water broke, you idiot. Owl Matt right now. We have to get her to St. Mungo’s.” Megan rushed forward and wrapped an arm around her best mate to help support her as they made their way slowly into the living room and out the front door. Sirius merely stood there in complete shock until Doe’s voice echoing from the yard woke him.

“Get the muffins out of the oven!” And then he heard a loud pop followed by silence. His best mate was having a baby and he couldn’t move. He shook his head, pointed his wand at the oven to turn it off, leaving the muffins inside as he ran to the fireplace, flooing immediately to the auror office at the Ministry.

By the time Doe arrived at St. Mungo’s, Megan had flown into action, bossing around a few Healers until they found themselves in a private room with Doe already laying in the bed. “Where’s Matt?!” she cried, a bit more loudly than she intended to as another wave of contractions passed over her. “I need him. Where is he?”

“Doe, don’t worry. Sirius is getting him. He’ll be here soon, I promise.” She stood beside the bed, holding Doe’s hand tightly in one hand and brushing the hair back from her face. If Matt didn’t get here soon, Megan would kill him. She sat quietly and patiently with her mate as more time and contractions passed, each time getting a bit closer together.

“Megan, I can’t do this without him,” cried Doe after a particularly painful one.

“I know, Doey. He’ll be here any minute.”

And for the first time all afternoon, she was telling the truth because the door swung open just a moment later and in came Matt, his hair a mess and clothes slightly disheveled. His eyes fell on his wife immediately and he was across the room in two seconds, leaning over her to press his lips against hers as he cupped her cheek with his hand. With a smile, Megan slipped out of the room, leaving the two parents-to-be alone together.

“Hi,” he whispered as he held her gaze, his fingers tracing her cheeks and pushing her hair out of the way.

“You’re late,” she said with a tiny smile, her eyes already tired as she sought his hand with hers. Another contraction and Doe was letting out a loud cry of pain, squeezing Matt’s hand tightly in hers. He held her gaze, doing all he could to guide her through the pain. “That’s it, love. You can do this.” She nodded her head and repeating his words in her mind every time another contraction wracked through her body.

For hours the two of them sat waiting for the healers to come back and tell them it was time, and Doe was growing tired and frustrated with each passing minute. Healers finally descended upon them but the only thing Doe could focus on was Matt beside her. With each push came a loud cry, her hair damp with perspiration and her fingers white from clutching at her husband’s hand. She fell back against the bed, shaking her head up at Matt as the healers moved around her doing Merlin knows what. “I can’t do it. I can’t, Matt.”

Nodding his head at her with a small smile, he leaned down to her so that his face was level with hers. “Yes you can. You can do this, Doe, just like you’ve done everything else in your life.” He kissed her temple and helped pull her back up, sitting on the edge of the bed with his arm wrapped around her shoulder. “One more, Doe. One more and we meet our baby.”

She nodded her head and on the command of the healer, gave one final push and heard the loud cry of a baby mixing with her own. She let out a loud gasp as she looked up at Matt who was smiling widely at her, his eyes flickering to the healer who was bundling up their newborn. “Would you like to meet your son?”

“A boy?” Doe asked softly.

“A boy,” replied the healer as she walked around the bed and placed the little bundle in her arms. “Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis, I’d like to introduce you to your son.”

Doe looked down into his face, his chubby little cheeks and eyes closed in a peaceful slumber. “He’s so tiny,” she whispered, lifting one hand to hold in her own. She couldn’t believe it, this little boy that she’d just brought into the world. Matt leaned down to gently kiss her temple, whispering against her ear, “you did amazing, Doe.”

She lifted her head to smile at him, her face revealing her complete happiness. “You want to hold him?” She could see in his face how happy he was as she passed their child into his arms. He was a natural, gingerly cradling his son in his hands. The smile spread across her face, mirroring that of her husband’s. “He looks just like you,” she whispered. “Just like his daddy.” Matt’s face broke into a beautiful smile and Doe tugged on the sleeve of his shirt to pull him down for a kiss.

Matt passed their baby back to Doe, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he settled back against the pillows with her. “Almost as beautiful as his mum.”

Doe only had eyes for her son as she lifted up one of his tiny hands in her own. “What should we name him?” She didn’t even look up; she couldn’t manage to break her gaze from his face.

“Steven,” Matt said without a moment’s pause. “After your dad. There’s no better name.”

Doe looked up quickly, her eyes wide and her lips trembled as she fought back tears. There was only one thing that could taint this memory and it was the fact that Doe’s father would never meet his grandson. Which is why Matt’s suggestion touched her so much and she felt one small tear fall down her cheek as she nodded her head. “Steven.”

Matt smiled down at his wife and son, sinking back on to the pillows and urging Doe to relax; she deserved it. “I love you.”