Fluid Reality

A New Life

Peter was the first one to wake up, to the growl of something near his ear. He opened bleary eyes to look at the little dragonet that was perched on the hearth in the library, looking around the room with a distinctly aggrieved expression on its features. He groaned, recognizing Sebastian Mioneau's - Remus's brother-in-law - messenger, and reached out to remove the scroll that was bound to its leg. He had to read the note twice for the facts to penetrate his drink-fogged brain, but once they did, he nearly cursed, making the pounding in his head worse, before he reached out to wake Joan, who was nearest him on the floor.

"You better have a good reason to wake me, Peter, or I'm going to make you the test subject to the curse I was reading about yesterday." Joan's voice was a soft growl that spoke of a vicious hangover as bad as his... or possibly worse, he was in no position to compare.

"Lizzie is in labor. Or has given birth - depends on how long it took for Darius to wake me up." Peter's voice was as quiet as hers, not wanting to make the headache any worse. "I'm going to wake Remus up... I've already risked death once this morning, what's twice?"

His dry humour got a chuckle, followed closely by a groan, from Joan. She rolled over, reaching out to shake the shoulder of her brother, the blond reaching up to swipe at her hand. "Get up, you big oaf. It's Elizabeth..." That earned them a muffled oath, and Joan socked her brother in the shoulder.

Peter smiled slightly, then crawled over to where Remus had passed out, sprawled out by himself, and shook his shoulder gently, ready to jump back if he needed to. "Remmy. You have to wake up."

"Go 'way." The werewolf's eyes stayed firmly shut, and his voice was a plaintive whine. "Hangover."

"Remmy, you're going to get hurt if Lizzie finds out you didn't come when you were told to." Peter stayed tense, waiting for the reaction he was sure would come. He heard Joan moving around behind him, and a cool goblet was pressed to his lips. He gulped down the hangover remedy, feeling it start working instantly.

"What about my sister?" Remus opened one brown eye to glare at Peter, still refusing to get up. He switched his glare to Joan when she tried to hand him a goblet of hangover potion, and she merely smiled toothily - not a good sign.

"Sebastian sent a message that Elizabeth is in labor." Joan and Peter both jumped out of the way as Remus scrambled to his feet, reaching out to grab the goblet, and gulped down its contents.

"Well? Let's go!" Remus headed for the door at a near run, and the other three just looked at each other, and rolled their eyes before following at a more leisurely pace. Peter blinked as they stepped out into the bright sunlight, wincing as a hint of his headache announced it was there for the long haul. He had to remember not to get drunk... the hangover remedies never did work quite the way they were supposed to.

Remus was bouncing on his toes when they got out, and Joan rolled her eyes, pulling out her wand. "Amovere." She repeated the spell twice more, sending Joshua and Peter after their former house mate before she used it on herself, appearing outside the grand chateau that the Mioneaus called home.

Peter had waited for her, and she raised an eyebrow. He shrugged in response, and offered his arm to escort her inside. "You're being the gentleman, Peter. Remus getting to you?"

He shrugged again. "He's far too energetic for someone who had a hangover less than five minutes ago..." he trailed off, grimacing.

"And the hangover potion doesn't work on you as well." Joan smiled. "I've given up using the standard one myself, but I wouldn't want to hand you what I use... it's rather dangerous to combine Muggle drugs with potions. I won't risk my friends like I am willing to risk myself.

"If it works, it works. At the moment, that is all that matters."

"All too true." Joan's voice was quiet, and Peter looked over at her with concern. She noticed his expression out of the corner of her eye, and smiled, a bit too brightly. "Oh, it's nothing to worry about, Peter. Just a little thought."

"If you say so, Joan." They stopped at the top of the stairs, the two giving each other identical looks of amusement at Remus and Sebastian both pacing, with worried expressions on their faces. Peter wasn't sure what sent Joan off into peals of laughter, but it was infectious, and he was soon leaning against the banister, unable to stop chortling to save his life.

Only when Remus commented that he'd look very good as a rug did he get himself under control, careful not to look at Joan for fear of setting himself off again. It wasn't long before the door to the room opened, and the midwife stuck her head out. "You can come in now. Monsieur Mioneau, you have a lovely daughter." She smiled, stepping out of the way of the two men who hurried into the room, shaking her head in amusement.

Peter stopped at the doorway, Joshua leaning against the wall just inside as they watched the scene at the bed. Remus was peering down at the bundle in Elizabeth's arms from one side, and Sebastian from the other, while Joan stood talking to the other midwife at the foot of the bed - probably about something practical.

~~~ ~~~

Joan looked over at the little girl Elizabeth was holding, then turned her attention back to the midwife. "So their daughter will be their only child?"

The woman nodded. "We had to remove her womb to stop the bleeding, madam. The normal spells just wouldn't work." Her eyes were troubled as they rested on the happy family huddled around the baby. "And I know how much the comtessa wanted more than one child."

Joan nodded. "Yes. But now there is little hope for that, unless she adopts a child - and they certainly wouldn't adopt a Muggle child. Which leaves little room for hopes of a larger family."

"Unless that war in your England causes a great number of orphans without any relatives or godparents." The midwife's eyes were shrewd, and Joan raised an eyebrow. "I keep up on the news - I have a sister in England, and she has been trying to convince her husband to return with her to France, where it is safer."

"For however long that may be." Joan shrugged. "I wish her luck. But for now, you can go. I will break the news to Sebastian and Elizabeth."

The midwife nodded, leaving the room with only one sad backward glance at the small family. She would be back later.

Joan watched them cooing over the new baby for a bit longer, than glided over to Sebastian, tapping his shoulder. The beaming French wizard looked at her, and his smile faded at her expression. "What is it, Joan?"

"Sebastian, I need to speak with you and Elizabeth." She glanced at Remus. "Alone."

Remus left reluctantly, drawing Peter and Joshua out of the room. She kept her brother closed off, not wanting to share this news with him until, or unless, Sebastian or Elizabeth chose to share it.

"What is wrong, Joan?" Elizabeth was watching her with worried eyes, hugging her daughter close as if to protect her from anything the other woman might say.

Joan closed her eyes a moment before speaking. "The midwife had to remove your womb to stop the bleeding, Elizabeth. Your daughter will be the only child you have."

"No. No, that can't be right, please, Joan, tell me that is merely a sick joke." Elizabeth's brown eyes pleaded with Joan for it to be nothing more than a lie, and Joan could do nothing to reassure her. The soft sobs felt like a hammer blow to Joan, and she left the room, Sebastian doing what he could to comfort his wife.

"Joan?" Joshua was looking at her with concern as she slipped into the room where the other three men had gathered. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, tears threatening to fall as she curled into one of the wing back chairs near the hearth of the parlor. Joshua looked at Remus and Peter before coming over, the two friends remaining at a distance. "Joan, tell me what's wrong," he whispered, crouching down in front of her. ~Tell me.~

She again shook her head. ~I can't.~

~Elizabeth?~ Her eyes gave away the answer to his question without her intending to, and he gathered his sister into his arms, rocking her like a small child as she wept for her friends.