***
Malcolm did try, very hard, to look even vaguely interested
in the baby.
"What’d you name him?"
"What did you name him, Malcolm," stressed him
father, softly, with an amused expression.
Malcolm rolled his eyes at his father and looked back
at Sirius. "What DID you name him, Sirius?"
Sirius laughed. I love this boy.
"Griffin. What do you think?" He ignored Remus’ expression
of delight and amusement.
"That’s a good name, at least…." Remus and Sirius grinned
at each other, and Remus shook his head. Sirius handed the baby to Remus,
then picked up Malcolm and held him closely.
"We’d thought you might choose ‘James’, you know," said
Remus, looking at Griffin.
"No, same reason as you not choosing it. James is Harry’s
name to use, if and when he ever bothers to get married and have
a few kids."
Remus laughed. "He’s 22 Padfoot; he’s got a little time.
Malcolm wasn’t born until I was 37. And here you are at…."
"Yes, yes. Let’s not say it out loud, shall we, Moony?"
Sirius turned his attention to Malcolm. "I’m glad you like the name. It’s
very important to me that you think that. You need to help me with him,
you know. Make sure he grows up as wonderful as you."
Malcolm suddenly looked very sad. "Then…then you should
bring him back home. So we can all be together…." He started to cry softly
and buried his head on Sirius’ shoulder. Don’t, please Malcolm. It
broke my heart to leave that house. You didn’t understand that I wasn’t
leaving you.
"Malcolm, please. I love you so much and I hate to see
you cry," Sirius told him quietly, patting the boy on the back. He looked
at Remus, who looked concerned, but Remus quickly turned his attention
to Griffin, who was now waking up.
Malcolm had been miserable after Sirius had moved out
of the Lupin’s home a little over a year ago. He said little, but had
climbed onto his father’s lap and cried quietly almost everyday for a
week. Remus and Katie had tried to cheer him up, but Malcolm was far too
young to understand everything that had happened, and that Sirius’ departure
was a good thing.
Sirius had also been somewhat miserable himself, knowing
how hard Malcolm was taking the turn of events. He was just the most
wonderful thing in my life for so long. Katie said I was spoiling him,
but Malcolm’s far too much like Remus to ever be spoiled. Cares too much
about everyone else to be so selfish.
"Malcolm?"
Malcolm stopped crying and looked at Sirius. The brave
face. This will become the defiant face pretty soon, I guarantee it.
That thought made Sirius grin. "Listen you, I’m still here when you need
me; you know that. Always."
Malcolm nodded, and looked at Remus, who smiled at him.
Malcolm smiled back at his father, and then looked back at Sirius, and
sighed. "I know. Sorry to blub." Sirius and Remus both laughed at this.
"Blub away, boy. Lord knows we blubed enough over you."
Malcolm patted Sirius on the cheek, as he was want to
do with the people he loved the most, and Sirius turned him so he sat
on his knee, facing Remus and the baby. "Now, I know Griffin there is
not much fun at the moment, but I promise he’ll improve with age. Honestly."
Malcolm looked at the baby thoughtfully for a few moments.
Then he smiled up at his father again.
"Was I that small?"
"Indeed."
"Can he do magic yet?" Sirius smiled at Remus, who grinned
back at him, obviously thinking the same thought.
"Not for a while, Malcolm. You only just started yourself,
you know. And you’re almost six; Griffin’s only four days old, so I guess
there’s not much to be expected of him." Sirius gave Malcolm a wink. "You
know what? I think I’ll have to agree with you about babies. They are
a bit useless, aren’t they?"
Malcolm raised his eyebrows and glanced at Remus with
a very surprised expression on his face.
"Sirius Black," said Remus, pretending to sound stern
and formal, "we are not to say such things. Even if we do think them.
Right, son?"
But Malcolm was now wearing a rather wicked looking grin
that bode no good. "Well, I didn’t say it."
"But you did think it, my little marauder, didn’t
you?" said his mother, walking up and picking him up off of Sirius. She
raised an eyebrow at Sirius, but he just gave Katie an equally dangerous
smile. "Thanks for setting our parenting skills back another two months.
Careful with all this Liz," she said over her shoulder, as Liz appeared
behind her. "Never turn your back on him. Or the other one, for that matter."
She smiled Remus, who was still pretending to look stern. Malcolm wasn’t
buying it though, and wriggled free of his mother to go stand next to
Remus and give the baby a closer look. He leaned into his father’s shoulder
and looked at Griffin, now fussing quietly in Remus’ arms.
The adults watched without speaking, all looking a little
amused, and finally Malcolm looked up again and spoke.
"I guess he is special, isn’t he?"
Sirius felt tears come into his eyes at that, and his
smile shook at bit. "Oh, very special, Malcolm. Just like you." You
were the first miracle we’d had in a long, long time. And you made us
all so happy, despite everything that was going on. He caught Liz’
eye, and gave his wife a wink. Well, it wasn’t all that terrible, I
guess.
