Can't Be Hidden|| Bill Weasley [2]

09

Niall's cries rippled through the house. Harley tossed and turned, falling out of the bed and dragging herself into his nursery. She picked him up and rocked him. Her thumb rubbed across his hair, his small tufts of hair sticking up. 

"Shhh, baby, shhhh," she whispered but he still cried. 

She sighed, pacing around the room. Bill also woke up to the cries, entering the room shortly after. Niall saw his father and immediately stopped crying. Harley didn't notice this, she thought she had soothed him. Catching a glimpse of Bill in the doorway smiling, she grinned. 

"I did it, Will, I did it," she exclaimed. Her voice wasn't loud so not to make Niall cry again. 

He didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise. Bill nodded, stepping forward to kiss her head. He was glad she was able to hold onto Niall by herself and didn't want to rain on her parade. That would not have down any good.

Niall rested his head on his mother's chest staring up at Bill. "See, darling, just a little bit of practice and you're doing great!" 

Harley was beaming. She pressed a small kiss to the top of Niall's head, rocking him a few times more before placing him back in his cot. He curled up, closing his eyes and falling straight back to sleep. 

"Just like his mummy, he loves his sleep," said Bill, putting his arms around Harley's waist and kissing her neck. "I'm so proud of you, Harls."

"I really did it."

Bill hummed, leading her out of the nursery, shutting the door behind him. When they were back in the bedroom, Harley turned to him. She held onto his cheeks and kissed him. Neither had realised how little they had shared such affection over the past few months. 

Holding her in his arms, he stared into her eyes, they were tired, no denying that, but life had begun to trickle back in. There were less worry lines on her forehead and she was becoming Harley slowly but surely. 

"Do you think he loves me?" She asked him. 

"As much as  I love you, if not more," replied Bill, stroking her hair, "one day I will be fighting for attention and love from you with him."

"I doubt that."

"Why?"

"He is ours. I love him, I do, but the love for you both is different. I could switch my love for you off, not that I ever will, but for him my love is naturally eternal."

Bill understood, he held her tight. "You'll never lose me, Harley, I'm in it for the long game."

   * * *

A sense of magic cascaded over the house as the months went on. Harley was better, her and Niall's relationship was stronger. Bill was able to sleep through the night and let Harley feed Niall or change him. She was becoming independent once again.

Asa and Dylan came to visit one afternoon and Bill was out doing some food shopping. He hadn't left her completely alone with Niall yet but he did only for an hour as he knew Asa and Dylan would be arriving around that time. 

"Oh look at him!" Asa cooed, lifting Niall into his arms, grinning widely. "He looks the spitting image of you both. I told you guys that you would have a beautiful child!"

Dylan snickered taking the mug of tea from Harley's hands that she had made. "I'm guessing we are now volunteering as baby sitter if you need one," he told her observing his boyfriend falling in love with the baby. 

"I'd appreciate that but to be honest I don't feel like I could leave him anymore. Now that I'm better, I would prefer to not be the one working-"

"But you're not Harley if you're not working."

"Being a mum is as good as working."

Asa and Dylan share a look between each other, they could see her point but at the same time knew that there had to be a deeper meaning to it all. She was probably worried that if she was the working parent then her progress would go out of the window again. 

Asa's nose scrunched, "dear oh dear, someone's done a poo! I'll go and-"

Harley leapt up and more or less snatched Niall into her arms and hurried up the stairs to change him. 

Dylan sipped his tea before saying, "she's going to burn herself out."

"She's doing what she thinks is best and you won't change her. She stubborn."

"I know, but, she needs to understand that she won't just digress again if someone does something for her."

"Have you met Mrs Weasley? If you give that woman a chance to do something once she will do it every time. That's what Bill said happened last time. Everyone was doing it with Harley's best interests at heart but it meant she couldn't do it herself at all. Now that she can she doesn't want to risk that happening again. Bless her, she just needs more time."

Harley plodded down the stairs once more with Niall dribbling on her shoulder. She put him down in the living-room cot to rest where she could keep an eye on him whilst catching up with Dylan and Asa. 

"You're a great mumma, Harley," Asa smiled, "me and Roger always said you would be."

"Gosh! How is Roger? I haven't seen him in ages!" 

"He's doing good, he misses having you around. No one compares to you on the base."

"Someone will."

"Never."