From Eden - Regulus Black (Complete)

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-One -

TWO CHAPTERS IN TWO DAYS AS A CHRISTMAS (YULE/HANNUKKAH/ANY OTHER CELEBRATION AROUND THIS TIME OF THE YEAR) PRESENT (and, yes, i know a lot of religions don't give presents, it's just a joke.

BY THE WAY, IN CANON THEY CELEBRATE THE CHRISTIAN CALENDER FOR SOME REASON, SO I KEPT IT IN, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE A RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND ON THIS FANFIC, SO THAT'S THE REASON THERE ARE NO TW FOR RELIGION AND ALL THAT.

CHRISTMAS

(BASED OFF ON 'YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, KID' FROM TAYLOR SWIFT, especially the bridge)

Without anything particularly interesting happening in October since the Potters couldn't make a Halloween Party under the Fidelius Charm and Anne mostly keeping to herself during the whole day, the biggest stars of the Manor were Morgana and Laurie; everybody seemed to love when they came by to visit, and Mia seemed delighted to have babies in the house again, but nobody seemed happier than Coco and Kreacher, who bent to every and each one of the baby's whims.

Anne had sent Moody over to the Granger's house to look into their life and Hermione Granger had been born healthy and perhaps a bit too big for her age, according to the medical records that he had stolen from the Muggles before putting them back and passing the information to Anne. Hermione was born in her actual birthday, just a whole year before – September 19th. She spent the whole October worrying something would happen, but in all the checks Frank and Alice did, the family seemed happy and ordinary.

It was the start of November when Alice Longbottom wrote her a lengthy letter of explanation that, due to her newly-found out pregnancy, she was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix, but she was requesting some time off the fighting, though she would partake in case of an emergency. Of course, Anne wasn't a monster and wrote that her biggest worry at the moment was taking care of her child and keeping an eye out for the Granger family ever fortnight, to which Alice was happy and grateful, though a bit surprised.

"I'm happy for them," Lily said. "They have been trying for a baby for a whole year now."

And November seemed to be the month of the babies, because Molly Weasley wrote to Anne announcing a pregnancy that she had kept to herself since July to make sure the baby would hold.

And it followed by a third letter.

My dearest friend,

In this letter I bring the best news I can think of about my own life. Your prophecy is coming true. I'm pregnant with already two months and this time I'm taking all the possible cares so not to lose it again. I have the hope that your prophecy is correct and it's a boy; I have the feeling it's a boy, though Lucius isn't sure yet, but, Anne, I have never seen him this happy and this doting of me.

Perhaps Bellatrix wasn't complexly wrong about being pregnant, because I have received everything from Lucius and Abraxas in the moment that I start thinking about something that I want. Last night, for example, I was lying in bed and dreamt of watermelon, and I woke up with Dobby – one of our house-elfs, and the one who's responsible for the Heir of the House – bringing me a huge plate of watermelon.

It still scares me either way. We found a midwife who is going to take over my child's birth, but it still scares me. A birth is something so terribly dangerous for some women, Lucius' mother herself – who passed away not too long ago – almost lost him and almost died in the process. Sure, I shouldn't be saying those things to you, who'll one day carry the Heir to the House as well, but I fear that I have no other friend to confide my fears who'll not find me silly and terribly selfish for thinking of myself and not the baby that I carry. Don't get me wrong, I want nothing more that my child is safe and healthy, but I wish to see him growing up before I die, no matter how poetic it sounds to die in his stead.