Here We Go Again

Chapter 17: The Meddling Mister Lupin

POV: Dominique

Knock. Knock.

"Dom!"

Knock. Knock.

The knocking on my door had been happening for over an hour now. It shifted from soft, resigned, angry, to fully pissed off. It was kind of a cycle, really, and it was quite amusing for me to hear the emotions swerve. When it hit the rage point of the cycle, I was threatened with having the door bombarded open, kicked down, apparating inside, going to the backyard and scaling up the wall to crawl through my window, steal Uncle Harry's old house-elf to bring himself in, and going as far as to threaten me with singing the newest Celestina Warbeck song if I didn't open up.

"Dom!"

Right now, the cycle had gained a frustrated point to it. Frustration that I was not going to ease. "Go away, Blondie," I shouted at the door as I continue to stare at the ceiling of my bedroom, my back pressed to the mattress and my belly protruding out like a mountain.

There was a strand of beautifully mumbled curse words. "Please?"

I rolled my eyes. Like that would ever work. "I'm sorry, but Dominique Weasley is currently not available. She finds herself being a disgrace to the family as she continues to open her legs for Slytherin scum. If you wish to do so, please leave a message after the beep."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"BEEP!" I shouted through the rough knocking.

There were more curse words. And then, surprising me, there was a loud, "—Alohomora!"

And just like in those muggle action films Molly loves to make me sit through with her, I sprung up from my mattress in a second. And in the next, my wand was out and being pointed at the person now inside my bedroom.

"Did you not hear?!" I crouched down, by some divine miracle because this belly didn't even let me see my toes. "I'm currently not available!"

Louis scoffed at me.

Glaring, I stood back into full height and marched over to him. My wand was still pointed forward, and it was now currently jamming into the tender skin of his neck. "Get out!"

"Lower your wand," he hissed. "I'm trying to talk to you here, you barbarian."

It was my turn to scoff.

"Seriously, Dom," he was back to being frustrated. "Remove your wand. If it leaves a mark, Coral might think I'm cheating on her and she'll murder me. You know how she gets!"

I jabbed my wand-tip harder into his skin; twisting it slightly.

"Bitch." I smirked as he turned in an angle, making my wand just scrape more on the skin of his neck. "Mum!" He shouted out the open door of my bedroom.

How did we get to this point you ask?

Simple.

Earlier that morning I informed our parents that I'd be going on an outing with Derrick Rowle—my baby's daddy—just to take a stroll around a few shops to buy some things for the extra twenty pounds in my womb. Mum and Dad looked hesitant to let me out with Rowle, but then my dear brother pointed out that they shouldn't be worried about me spending alone time with Rowle; after all, I had already lost my pureness and was already going to hell for my sins.

Explains why I want to kill him, doesn't it? He just keeps adding fuel to the fire. Dad had gone into a rampage about my future with Rowle again, just making me lose my want for that second batch of pancakes Mum had made me.

"You're such a little witch, Louis." I dropped my wand from his neck. "Can't even fight without bringing Mummy into the battle. Tell me, does McLaggen dominate you in your relationship, too?"

"Piss off."

"I should've just let that dragon eat you when you were eleven and visiting Uncle Charlie in Romania. I don't know why I bothered to save you; clearly you fail at existing."

He rolled his blue eyes. "Please. You know you couldn't survive a world without your little brother. I'm like the secret ingredient to your Puking Pastilles. I'm the magic in your blood. I'm the birds to your Oppugno Charm; the bounce to your Chocolate Frog; the sting to your hex; the punch of greatness to your Firewhiskey—"

"You're the pain to my ass."

Pretending not to hear me, Louis shut the door of my room and summoned the rocking-chair from across the room. It'd been a Christmas gift from Dad to the baby, the only time he had actually looked joyful over my situation.

"I'm leaving to Hogwarts today," said my brother in a light tone as he settled himself on the rocking-chair. "Uncle Percy's supposed to be stopping by in an hour so I could head off to the Platform with them."

My frown was still unshakeable. "And what? You want pocket money for the train? Sorry, sweetheart; no can do. You're going to have to get your Chocolate Frogs some other way because I currently hate you."

He snorted, rolling his eyes again as he began moving the chair back and forth. That just served to add to my irritation. "I've got pocket money," he said casually. "Mum gave me a few sickles."

"Of course she did. Why would she not give her precious baby—"

"I'm here to talk to you, actually," he interjected, looking a little uncomfortable. "Well, I really didn't want to talk to you, but Teddy won't give me back those Quidditch tickets he got me for Christmas if I don't. I would've just told him to shove off, but I've learned my lesson that it's not wise to anger Teddy since he knows all those new Auror tricks. Last time I thought I almost lost my manly-bits."

Bloody Lupin. He was always meddling in matters that weren't his.

"Personally speaking, I don't give a damn about your manly-bits. So, if you please, get the hell out of my room!" I pointed my wand at him again. "You've got five seconds. One. Two—" His blue eyes widened as the color of a spell started illuminating my wand-tip. "Three. Four—"

"Wait!" He scrambled out of the chair in a fast second, hiding behind it. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry!"

The spell preparing to expel from my wand stopped on its track, but my hold on the wand was still firm. I narrowed my eyes at the frightened boy. "No, you're not, Louis. You don't even know why you're apologizing. You're just in here to save your testicles, and I, for one, don't care for fake apologies." My wand was pointed again. "Now get out."

Eyeing me for a few calculating seconds, Louis foolishly started approaching me. His gaze was kept on my wand, just in case I gave my hand a little twitch and the spell shot out and blasted his bits right off. "You're a fucking lunatic, Dominique," he breathed. Honestly, was that a good idea when I was a flick away from making him a woman? "You need help with your violent lashes."

I said nothing in return for the moment, surprisingly. I marched over to the bedroom door and opened it. "Get out, Louis. I rather be alone with my disgrace, thanks."

"You see, that's the problem!" He slammed the door shut, startling me. Was he not afraid of me anymore? Merlin's balls, what does a witch have to do to be feared around this bloody cottage? "Leave the dramatics aside, Dominique, and stop making yourself the victim!"

"Get out!"

"You're not the same since all this began!"

"I'm pregnant, you idiot!" I shoved him towards the front of my door. "It's called mood swings! What did you think? That I was going to remain peachy forever?! This kid is toying with my mentality!"

"That's your fault!"

"I'm fucking aware of that!" I growled. "Now, me and my bastard child would like some peace and quiet! We currently have a low patience for little fairies alike yourself, so get the hell out!"

I shoved him harder and he didn't flinch.

"I don't want to see you!" For Godric's sake. Do I really need to curse him? "Leave!"

"I MISS YOU, OKAY!" Clutching onto my hands, halting the attack they were having on him, Louis narrowed his blue gaze at me with incredible intensity. "I'm sorry I've been a sod to you, but I can't bloody well help it! We did everything together, Dom. You were more than just my sister, you were my partner in crime. You understood me and now all that's gone!"

I was struggling, attempting to knee him in the family jewels, but then I stopped. My body loosened and all I could do was suddenly notice how silent Shell Cottage had gotten and the way there was deep hurt on my brother's face.

"...I know that you have to start your life...your own family...I just didn't think it'd be this early. Your mistake took you away from me."

My bottom lip trembled. And it was not in that aw-how-touching-my-brother-really-loves-me-and-adores-me-and-oh-our-parents-should-be-very-proud-at-this-moment way.

"So my child's a mistake? Merlin, Louis, you know how to make pregnant teen feel dandy about herself."

Yeah, my eyes filled with tears in that stop-talking-now-you-dunce-before-I-murder-you-Don't-let-my-pregnant-belly-fool-you.-I'll-beat-the-rubbish-out-of-you way.

His hands squeezed mine tighter. "No, you dramatic bitch." He sighed. "I didn't mean the baby. I meant Rowle."

"Rowle's an excellent bloke," I defended. "And—regardless of what you may hear—he is the father to my child. He's going to be in my life forever. He's my world and everything good in it. I'd fight with everyone for him."

He released my hands. He shook his head once, those blue eyes glittering with an emotion that made me feel queezy.

Seriously, when did Louis become all sentimental?

"That doesn't mean you've been replaced in my life." Merlin, just take my manly-bits! "You'll always be my brother, Louis. Not that I have a choice, mind you; Bill and Fleur unfortunately gave birth to you and made us blood related. And, I suppose, that makes me one lucky bitch. You're the best brother I could've been doomed with and I love you."

He looked away from me. Selfish bastard! How dare he leave me in this sentimental rubbish by myself? He started it!

"I've...erm...got a few sickles underneath my pillow if you want them. I was going to use them to send an owl to Hogsmeade for some sweets, but I do know the train sells theirs too expensive."

Louis cleared his throat uncomfortably. "No, it's cool."

"I insist."

"Seriously, Dom; it's okay."

"Come on, Louis."

"No, it's alright." He smirked, looking up at me with his veela features. "I got them yesterday—and the ones inside of your sock drawer."

"Twat!" I hissed and slapped him beside the head.

He laughed loudly.

"Louis, Percy's here!" And before I could start laughing too, Dad's voice echoed from downstairs. "Get a move on, there's traffic!"

"We're in the middle of a bloody cliff!" My brother shouted back. "Unless we're flying in the air, there's nothing but birds around here!"

I raised an eyebrow at my brother. Was that even a wise choice? One simply does not talk back to Bill Weasley.

"Write to me, Sis?" And probably figuring that out a second too late, Louis was fast to get the show on the road.

"Once every three months," I said.

He grinned and engulfed me in a hug. It was an odd one, especially because it felt like I shouldn't let go, like my brother was suddenly my protector and I was in harm. Hugging him in that second felt like the happiest I was going to be for a while.

But not liking the affectionate side of myself, I ushered the blonde out of my bedroom after three seconds of hugging. After that, I gave him a dim smile as I closed the door behind him.

Crack.

Now I was just alone with no one but the creature developing inside of me and the one that had just rudely apparated into my bedroom.

"No need to thank me—"Teddy grinned from my bed with an extra dosage of smugness. He sat with his legs crossed in the middle of the bed, his dirty boots on my clean sheets. He also had a plate of Chocolate Cauldrons on his lap—my Chocolate Cauldrons. "But if you simply must, I like to be referred as Mister Lupin."

I frowned, whipping out my wand again.

People just never learned.

                                                                        XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Pink."

"Black."

"Pink."

"Black."

"Hello, I'm Lisa and I'll be in charge of showing you around." A small woman appeared with an eager essence about her. She had a short haircut that framed her scary, accommodating features. "Have you chosen the color yet?"

"—Pink!"

"—Black!"

The redheaded woman—not family related, I assure you—smiled grandly at us. "Well, we are in a pickle, aren't we?"

One of my brows shot up at her high voice.

"Yes, we're currently discombobulated." As smoothly as he could, Derrick's black eyes and crooked smirk were mocking as he looked at the middle-aged sales-lady. "Absolutely befuddled by all these shapes, patterns, models and colors ."

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and I tried to contain the explosion of mocking laughter inside of me.

The muggle sales-lady nodded passively, like she understood that this was a grand problem. "Naturally," she said lightly. "I've noticed you two eyeing the cribs for the past hour. I can go into deep detail if you wish. Eliminate every model in the store until we have found the right one for you."

Oh Merlin, no. I cannot handle an overly excited muggle go on and on about their contraptions and other things about them that I didn't really understand. I just wanted a bloody crib for the baby, not to walk out with a headache. I haven't the foggiest why we chose to come to muggle London to do this, but I somehow felt it was my fault and now I was getting punished for it.

"Actually, we know what crib we want. We're just debating on what color to purchase it in," I told her.

The woman nodded again. "And what color would you like?"

"—Pink."

"—Black."

I rolled my eyes. "If you had a natural one that'd be loads of help."

"Sweetheart, you look far along to know the sex of the baby," Lisa the sales-lady said to me quite intrusively. "The gender can help you decide."

A wrinkled hand extended from her and she proceeded to pat my giant belly like it was a cat.

Knowing me and my low patience, Rowle pulled me back a step from the woman. "She's a little over five months," he explained to the muggle with a charm, just so she wouldn't get offended that I looked ready to attack her. "We just decided to keep the gender a surprise."

The woman squealed. "That's exciting!"

I scoffed at her. "It's a bet," I informed. "If it's a boy he has to kneel down before me and loudly proclaim that Gryffindor is better than Slytherin. And if it's a girl, I've got to dye my hair green and get the Slytherin crest tattooed on my back."

Lisa said nothing, just looked more confused and less thrilled.

"It will be a girl," interjected Rowle, cutting through any possible questions the muggle would ask for my slip of things she wasn't supposed to know.

"It won't."

"My entire family has always given girls as their firstborns." Here we go. A story about his pureblood, Death Eater history. Gross. "For ten centuries the Rowles have produced—"

"Yeah, well, in my dad's side of the family males have always been the firstborns. And we both know that the Weasley gene is a mighty one. The likelihood is that the kid will be a boy and a redhead."

Rowle scowled. "Our baby will not be a redhead."

I snorted.

"Best of wishes to both of you," Lisa the sales-lady interrupted. She suddenly looked out of place and eager to leave. "I'm sure that regardless of gender, your child will be a beauty."

"From my side of the family of course," Derrick commented with a smirk.

Again, I snorted. "Yeah, right. I forget that you have veela blood in you and not me."

For a moment, the woman looked like she wasn't ready to leave just yet. She chortled at us, grinning like we were a real class act. "Oh, I love your silly banter," she commented with her high voice. "Newlyweds always put a smile on my face."

Rowle grunted. "No, I don't think so." He started laughing now, like he was appalled by the funniest thing he'd ever heard. "We're not married."

My eyes went up to his face as he pulled his fingers away from mine and took a step away from me.

"Soon to be, I assume?" Lisa the sales-lady reached for my impregnated stomach again, patting it once more. "Marriage is the next step. It should've been the first, darlings, but things happen."

My brow creased.

The redheaded woman looked down at her watch as she withdrew her hand from my belly. "Well, I best be off. I'm afraid I'm off the clock." She smiled grandly at us. "I'll send Andy right over. He's a recent newlywed himself and I'm sure he'll be eager to give you—"

"We're not getting married," Derrick interjected.

The woman's smile became a little strained. "Well, goodluck with your purchase today, then."

And as she turned on her heels, I did too.

"Weasley!" Derrick was fast behind me. "Where are you going? The bloke's about to—"

"Fuck off," I snapped through a knot in my throat. "You wait for him so he can teach you how to treat a girl."

He grabbed one of my arms, turning me around. The sod actually looked thoroughly confused. "What are you on about? What did I do?"

I tried pulling my arm out of his hold but all he did was hold on tighter. "You don't want to marry me," I said accusingly. "What the hell are your intentions, then?"

He swallowed roughly, keeping his mouth tightly shut. His dark eyes looked to be in the middle of a war, fighting emotions, fighting thoughts. He narrowed his gaze for a moment, and then pulled me into a lonely aisle of the department store. "Come off it, Weasley," he began, "you really can't be mad. We're young. We know nothing about life and...and...Well, just because we're having a kid together doesn't mean...Fuck."

The more he talked, the more he looked at me, the more troubled he appeared. Whatever war was going on in his head, it was not going to leave a pretty outcome. That war was attacking me now. My eyes began to burn. "Doesn't mean what?"

Derrick released his grip from around my arm. He now used his hand to run it through his black hair, pulling on the strands with frustration. He gazed at me for a quick second, then he dropped it cowardly to the tiles beneath our feet. "...It doesn't mean it...It doesn't mean we'll last forever, Dom."

Well, I'll be damned. This is what heartbreak felt like?

My body began shaking, from my toes to my hands. "If that's the way you see it...I guess we'll end it now."

He didn't look up at me. He didn't even move when I said what I said. He just let me say it; he just let me pull out my wand and let me leave with a resounding crack.

Crash. Crash.

"For Merlin's saggy balls—"

Plates fell into the metallic sink that Teddy was washing as I apparated into Shell Cottage's kitchen. He was startled, turning around in a flash and whipping out his wand like he was in his fieldwork.

Once his grey eyes met mine, he rolled them at the lack of threat. "Brilliant, Dom," he huffed.

I didn't respond in my usually witty manner. I just took a shaky step forward, finding all the strength in my body to continue moving my feet so they could take me to the small table.

"We've just finished dinner and your mum made me do the dishes; claiming that I can't do them right. Which, let me tell you, is rubbish. Ginny has been making me do them since I was eight and every dish was left squeaky-clean." He pointed his withdrawn wand to the sink, casting a spell to repair the damage. "And here you come, like the brute that you are, and making me break them all."

I had made it to the table, but my legs were shaking too much I had to clutch onto the chair. My hands were still shaking, my chest aching, and my eyes burning more than ever. I wasn't so sure, but I could bet that an earthquake had rattled up all my world and crashed it down all around me.

There was nothing but dust—I had nothing but dust now.

"What's wrong with you?"

I blinked up at him. My mouth opened, and we were both surprised that the loudest sob in history escaped past my lips.

Crap.

Next thing I knew—the only thing I registered from then on—was my brother-in-law clutching me tightly, pressing me into his chest, and the screams radiating out of me as everything I had disappeared like it'd meant nothing.