The New House Rules

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except for my salary that doesn't come from Harry Potter world.

Thank you, saiyanwizardgurl from fwww.fanfiction.net, for this edited version of the chapter.

Chapter 1

During the last months of Angela's pregnancy, one of the very few things that she and Sirius both found amusing was the dog-related advices. It all started when one of Angela's friends from Hogwarts visited her at the flat. Since Sirius was never too fond of Rachel Grey, he changed into Padfoot so he would not be forced to be in the same room with her and listen to their conversation. And then, seeing him, she asked the question that would soon become a topic of conversation for almost everyone who would enter the Blacks' home. "What are you going to do with the dog? Send him away?"

Those who asked that question were mostly people who did not have a pet and had no idea how it felt to get attached to an animal. Angela and Sirius soon found out that one of the very few times when they did not feel like arguing was when they had guests; Sirius lied curled in a ball next to Angela's legs and hardly kept his merry barking when he heard her asking, "Why? If the dog is kept away from the child and all hairs are magically brushed away, how would the dog bother the child?"

Having no pets, the guests, of course, did not know how to answer. They had heard some theories about allergies, but they could not give Angela a precise answer to her question. Their reply was usually along the lines of, "Well, a dog and a child together - no. The flat will become too dirty for the baby." At this point, Padfoot felt personally insulted and started growling until the guests would remember that they had a very important job right now and leave.

Another sort of advisors were those who tried to persuade Angela that she could not handle a child and a dog at the same time, even for the simplest things like taking them out for a walk. A child and a dog outside at the same time were impossible to keep under control. Here, Angela and Padfoot did not even bother to fight those ridiculous statements because it was clear that the problem was not with them but with the advisors, whose knowledge of dogs was limited to their non-handling of their imbecile and ill-trained spaniels that got them out of hand, as Angela once told Lily.

It was all for fun - a way to lessen the tension between the two of them. When the baby was born, however, things turned out to be quite serious.

"Sirius Black!"

The dog jumped off the sofa where the one week-old Caine was lying, and looked guiltily at the newcomer. Angela, who had not recovered yet from the childbirth and was very exhausted because the baby had cried for hours last night, was standing in front of him. Her eyes were puffed from the lack of sleep and full of irritation. Padfoot shamefully scratched his right ear with his hind leg and looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

Angela shook her head. "No, Sirius, don't try to charm me with those eyes. I told you that I don't want Padfoot near Caine, and what do I find after waking up? Padfoot on the sofa with the baby!"

With a soft pop, Sirius appeared in Padfoot's place. "But, Angela - "

"No, no, don't try 'But, Angela!' You heard what the Healers and the Muggle doctors said - that dogs and cats should stay away from the newborn for at least a few months."

"I heard them, but I am not an ordinary dog. Merlin's pants, Angela, do you really think that I - that Padfoot - is contagious? That he has some sort of animal disease?"

She sighed. "No, I don't think so. I have to be sure, though, Sirius. If there is the slightest risk that Caine might be allergic or something else, I can't let you - Padfoot - to march around, shedding all over the furniture and licking him."

That was the greatest insult that she could throw at him. "Caine is not allergic to me!" the Animagus exclaimed indignantly. "You know that he isn't."

"I know no such thing, Sirius, and neither do you. We have to be careful."

Sirius opened his mouth to object, but rethought and closed it shut. He looked at the infant, who was sleeping peacefully, obviously not concerned at all by his parents' argument. He must be used to it by now, Sirius thought guiltily, remembering all the fights that Caine must have heard through his mother's stomach long before his birth.

The baby stirred and meowed like a kitten. Sirius and Angela held their breath, but there was God in heaven and he loved them today - Caine did not wake up. Instead, he put his thumb in his mouth and started sucking on it.

Sirius sighed. I'm a responsible grown-up now, he reminded himself. A father. Caine's well-being certainly was worth some sacrifices on Sirius' part.

And so, the new house rules were put into effect.

There were some problems, though. Never mind how much Sirius loved Caine, Padfoot felt like he was being constantly pushed into the background ever since the baby was born. He felt that the newcomer in the flat had displaced him in more than one way. It was not enough that he had to be careful about shedding. No, Padfoot was allowed to stay only in one part of the flat and he could only look at what was happening in the other. There was a line that he was not allowed to step over. Each time he tried to enter the space where Angela was lying with the new thing that had occupied his half of the bed, he was told, "No!" He had to become Sirius and even then, he had to wash his hands and face before being allowed in his own bedroom. He could not even think of lying in his bed in his dog form because Caine's cradle was next to the bed. He had to say 'goodbye' to transforming whenever he wanted.

Even worse was the hygiene he had to observe. He was not allowed to lie next to the baby or lick him. After a walk, he had to suffer being thoroughly washed and cleaned. Angela washed her hands each time she touched him and even changed the blouse she wore when Padfoot was in the same room with her before hugging Caine, as if Padfoot were some sort of mangy, dirty mutt. Even his best puppy dog eyes did not seem to work on her anymore, not when it came to Padfoot and Caine. The giant Grim could look sorrowfully at them for hours, but she would allow him to come and lie next to them only after he had changed back into Sirius and washed his hands and face. "It'll be only for a month or two, Sirius," Angela had tried to comfort him. "After we are sure that there is no danger for the baby, you'll be able to stay in your dog form around him."

"I know, I know," Sirius said. "The problem is that somehow I can't convince Padfoot."

All in all, when a child and a dog lived together, the dog was always the afflicted one. That was the rule, and the Black family made no exception. Even so, there were some things that were simply too much.

"Forget it!" Sirius snapped, when he heard what he was expected to do.

"But, Sirius - "

"Forget it!"

"It's for Caine."

"Padfoot has stopped shedding, he's being washed on a daily basis, he's even stopped sleeping on his own bed, just for Caine. Enough is enough, Angela! I'm not doing this, and that's my final word."

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Two days later....

"So, here is his milk, his stuffed toy, you know how to change his nappy, and we'll be back in two hours - "

"For Merlin's sake, Angela, calm down, it's okay!" Remus said, and she gave him a nervous smile.

"I'm sorry."

"Anyway, why do you need a babysitter?" her friend asked. "Where are the two of you going?"

"Nowhere."

"Nowhere?" Remus Lupin was not stupid and he did not miss the sudden reddening of Sirius' cheeks. "Then why do you need me?"

"Alright, we're going to the vet," Sirius snapped angrily, shooting Angela an angry glance and then turning it to Remus. "Happy?"

"You are going to the vet?" Remus was trying very hard not to laugh. He wanted Caine sleeping, not awakened by his father's yells - something that would certainly happen if Remus laughed now.

"There is a certain black dog that should get vaccinated," Angela explained.

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A. N. The idea just popped out in my head, while I was reading an article about babies and pets. So, what do you think?