The Intentional Accident

The following day was one of Sirius' days off so he and Michael decided their first port of call was Sirius' parents. Considering the tension that had existed in the past between Sirius and his father over his choice of sexuality, neither was sure of what to expect when they arrived. They had decided to use Floo Powder because according to Sirius' medical training, Floo Powder was safe to use until the fourth month of pregnancy. Apparating was not recommended at all. Sirius thought of every excuse he could find to procrastinate. After he had checked to see of the gas had been left on for the third time, Michael gently took hold of him.

"Sirius, your dad has accepted us and the way we live. You have nothing to worry about," he said as confidently as he could. The truth was, he was just as nervous only he was having an easier time keeping it hidden.

"I know but ...well this is going to be a lot for him to swallow. What if he ..." Michael took both of Sirius' hands in his own, kissed him on the forehead and whispered softly,

"Your dad will be as thrilled as I was when I found out, I promise." Sirius knew that Michael couldn't guarantee that in a million years but he saw that he meant well by his empty promise.

"OK ...I just need to go the loo and then ..."

"There's one at your parent's house, I'm sure of it," groaned Michael as he forced Sirius towards the fireplace. Sirius was glad that Michael could be so organised when he needed to be. If Sirius' nerves were allowed to dictate their schedule they wouldn't be going anywhere at all. However, Sirius' nerves were overthrown as he stepped into the fireplace.

~|~

Ginny had noticed that all morning Harry had been particularly engrossed in the Daily Prophet. He wouldn't tell her what it was about, but one article in particular had caught his eye in the Sports pages. Ginny assumed it had something to do with the League Cup matches yesterday but left Harry to his reading.

"Didn't Sirius and Michael say they'd be over later on?" asked Harry from behind the paper.

"Yes, they said they'd be here this morning as a matter of fact. It'll be nice to see them again," she said as she searched the living room for a book she had been reading.

"Yes," said Harry quietly. "Yes it certainly will."

"I expect Michael wants to tell us all about his win yesterday. Of course you're probably reading about it right now. Don't you go interrupting him when he gets here. That was a big win for his team and I expect he's very excited," she said sternly while making her way into the kitchen to see if she had left her book in there. Harry merely made a basic noise of acknowledgment and continued reading. He hadn't gotten much further when the fireplace turned green. Sirius emerged slowly and looked around, as if he was hoping that no one was home. Harry folded up his paper and got up. Sirius smiled uneasily as he hugged his father. He couldn't tell if his nervousness had been detected or not. There seemed to be something in the way his father looked at him. Michael appeared behind him shortly afterwards. Hearing the roar of the fire, Ginny came rushing in and almost launched herself at the two boys.

"Oh it's so good to see you both. It seems congratulations are in order." Sirius started at this, thinking that his mother had somehow found out. He was mildly paranoid at the best of times but now it had been shifted into overdrive.

"A-Are they?" The stutter was a surprise even to him.

"Of course, it's not often that the Kenmare Kestrel's are beaten so spectacularly. It calls for drinks at the very least." Michael was doing a little better at appearing calm than Sirius was.

"That sounds great, I'll have a lager please." For a moment Sirius was a million miles away. He snapped himself out of it quickly.

"Uh, just some pumpkin juice, thanks mum." Ginny's normally all seeing maternal senses must have been taking a leave of absence because she couldn't detect her son's anxiety. To Harry, it was as clear as a lighthouse beacon. When Ginny returned with the drinks they all sat down. Sirius and Michael on the sofa together and Harry and Ginny on separate armchairs. A troubled silence set in. In each of their minds a debate raged as to what to say. Ginny thought of asking about the game. Both Sirius and Michael wondered how to break the news. Harry, whose patience had never lasted long, spoke his mind first.

"So, when did you plan to tell us about the baby?" he asked casually, as if he had just enquired about the weather in London. Ginny spilled about a third of her coffee on the carpet. Michael nearly choked on the foam of his lager as he took a sip. Sirius felt a mixture of relief and confusion. He no longer needed to break the news himself but he was at a loss as to how his father had found out.

"Dad, you can't read minds ...can you?"

"No," said Harry as he picked up his paper. "But I can read English." He handed Michael the newspaper and indicated to a page at the back. The corner had been folded over slightly. Harry did that so he wouldn't lose his place. Ginny had to put her cup down before it all ended up on the floor.

"I'm sorry, can we back up just a little? Are you saying that you're expecting a baby?" Sirius did his best to keep his head up. He nodded earnestly.

"Yes, or to be more specific, I'm expecting a baby." Ginny placed a hand over her mouth. Not in shock, but to try and stifle the girlish squeal of delight rising in her throat. Finally she could hold it back no longer. She shot across the room to her son, threw her arms around him and plastered him with kisses.

"Oh Sirius, my little baby's going to have his own baby! This is wonderful news!"

"But this isn't," said Michael dryly. He had just finished the article Harry had been reading before.

"I'm sorry Mike," said Harry as he leant forward to speak to them properly. "But it's best you saw it now rather than later."

"Saw what?" asked Sirius, concern touching his voice.

"There's an article about us in the Sports pages. It's not exactly flattering," said Michael. He handed the paper to Sirius and Ginny. The sides of the page were crumpled where he had gripped it so hard in anger. Before Sirius started to read he looked over at Michael. He was staring directly ahead, trying to calm himself down. Sirius reluctantly turned his attention to the offending article, unsure of what to expect.

PUFFLEMERE UNITED

It has been discovered that the Keeper for Puddlemere United, the oldest and one of the most respected teams in the Quidditch League has been leading a questionable personal life. Michael Wood, son of the England coach Oliver Wood, has been living with Sirius Potter, the son of the famous Harry Potter, for some time. While to some naïve people this might seem normal for two young men it has been revealed that Sirius Potter is in fact expecting Michael Wood's child. Will the responsibility of this warped parenthood be too much for the inexperienced Keeper? More importantly, is this the kind of example we want to set for the Quidditch players of tomorrow? When asked to comment, the Puddlemere United manager had nothing to say. This suggests the possible cover up of the whole team's sex lives. When informed of this, a loyal yet shocked supporter had this to say, "I am outraged that Wood did not make his sexuality known when he joined. Frankly, I am disgusted that the teams managers condone this kind of thing."

The article went on to spout mostly the same rubbish. Sirius found he couldn't carry on reading. Before turning away he noticed the author of the article was Rita Skeeter.

"Skeeter?" croaked Ginny. "That horrible woman who could transform into a beetle? She's still writing?"

"She's not a beetle, she's a cockroach," said Harry bitterly through gritted teeth. "Cockroach's don't die easily and she doesn't retire easily. She'll be too old to do her sneaking around herself anymore but there are plenty of idiots out there stupid enough to work for her." Sirius remembered hearing of his father's previous dealings with this woman. Thinking back to the previous day, Sirius concluded that someone must have overheard him when he told Michael in the changing room. Michael had now successfully cooled off and was thinking clearly again.

"Thanks for telling us. You're right, better to hear it here than during practise or something." Harry rose from his seat and took the paper from Ginny. After throwing it directly onto the fireplace, he drew his wand and blasted the damn thing into cinders. He then sat down on the sofa next to Sirius and Ginny. All four of them now sat together, all equally affected by the article.

"She really has sunk to a new low," said Ginny quietly for want of something more cheerful to say.

"That woman redefines low," sighed Harry. He put a comforting hand on Sirius' knee. "But enough of that cow, the important thing is we have a little bundle of joy on the way," he said sincerely.

"You mean ...you're not upset?"

"Of course not, why would I be?" Harry beamed at the two of them. The look of mild shock on their faces was priceless. It certainly took their minds off the article though.

"Well ...to be honest ...we thought you'd be ...well, angry at becoming a grandfather again," explained Michael. Even he was so taken aback by Harry's relaxed attitude that it caused him to pause when he spoke. This partly came from living from Sirius for so long. Harry merely shook his head and shrugged,

"Been there, done that, got the T-shirt."

"Yes, and it says 'Grumpy Granddad'," Ginny reminded him. They all laughed cheerfully. Harry actually had such a T-shirt. It had been a birthday present from Arthur, who was always saying how grumpy his grandfather was. Wiping a tear of laughter from his eye, Harry turned to his son.

"Seriously though, I know there have been times where I've been a right grouchy bugger. Then when I wasn't being a grouchy bugger I was being moody and reclusive, so I know how much it means to you when I say that you both have my full support in this. After all, it's long overdue." Sirius hugged his father intensely. This visit had gone better than he could have ever hoped. He didn't even care about the article he was so happy. The rest of their visit was taken up by Ginny gushing over the two of them, asking about their plans, offering advice and basically being a mother. Although Sirius had been more than reluctant to come to his parent's house he now felt he couldn't drag himself away. He did though, as he and Michael had another appointment for that afternoon. They said their goodbyes and stepped back into the fireplace. Their next stop, the home of Mr. Oliver Wood.