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First of April. April Fool’s Day. Dora’s birthday. Whatever you wanted to call it, Dora wasn’t feeling particularly excited about the day. Later she’d be meeting friends for tea at a nice restaurant where everyone else would be drinking and having a good time while Dora sat smiling through the inevitable indigestion she’d have only halfway through their meal. She’d been told heart burn meant her baby would be born with a full head of hair and judging by the amount of heart burn she’d been having for the last several months, Dora was starting to worry she’d be giving birth to a yeti. Then of course there was the worry that it was in actuality a werewolf, but Fin had soothed her wild imagination almost immediately. While she didn’t know exactly who the father of her unborn baby was, she did know that he had to meet the standards of the resort they’d been at when she got knocked up. It was purely for pureblooded witches and wizards, right down to the staff. No werewolf, or yeti, or muggleborn would have been allowed anywhere near the island and that, Dora supposed, put her mind at ease just a little.

It wasn’t just the uneventful dinner she had planned for later that made Dora wring her fingers nervously in front of her enormous belly. She was sat on a well-worn sofa, one she’d sat on thousands of times before, only it was no longer surrounded by luxurious rugs and lamps and tapestries in a large room as it once had been. No, now the sofa sat in the living room of a little two bedroom townhouse that Rebekah Parkinson now called home. It hadn’t been a pleasant visit with her mum, but at least it was something. The first something in longer than Dora cared to remember. The last time she’d found herself inside the tiny home her brother had still been alive. Theon had taken the second bedroom and their mum, now widowed, had told Dora she wasn’t welcome. “It’s too small and besides, you’ve always wanted to act like you were an adult. Here’s your chance.” The second bedroom hadn’t even been offered to her after Theon’s death, not that Dora would have wanted to live here anyway, least of all in her deceased brother’s bedroom. Rebekah Parkinson was not a good mother, and not a good person in general but Dora still yearned for her acceptance and that was precisely what had brought her to the woman’s doorstep mid-morning on her birthday. She wanted to share the news that in a little over a month she’d be having a baby. Rebekah certainly had heard but Dora hadn’t spoken directly to her since before she’d found out, and thus telling the woman she was to be a grandmum just had to earn Dora a smile on her birthday. Right?

Wrong. “You’ve gotten fat,” was the greeting she received as a surprised Rebekah opened the door. Dora had apparently looked pathetic enough that the woman had taken pity on her and allowed her inside but the conversation that followed was tense and with little emotion. It was like talking to a refrigerator, one that sneered whenever you mentioned baby names or nappies. In the end, Dora never got the pleasant expression she was hoping for and soon enough her mum was ushering her out of the house, making up an excuse why she couldn’t use her fireplace to connect with the Floo Network. “But the healer said-” Rebekah shut the door in Dora’s face, midsentence, “I can’t apparate.” Biting her lower lip, Dora turned away from the uninviting townhouse and looked out at the bustling street. She was too far from home to walk, had no broom, and no access to the Floo. The baby kicked her hard as she looked around for an idea of what to do, and Dora pressed on her belly. “Not now,” she told the baby, scolding the unborn child for simply moving. She was in a right mood now, wanting to lash out at anyone at all and fighting back the urge to cry which was all too easy now with her hormones raging.

She stuck her left hand into the air, hailing the Knight Bus. When it arrived, it came screeching down the street, zig-zagging between muggle autos at impossibly high speeds, stopping so suddenly that Dora instantly regretted her decision. She hadn’t had morning sickness in a while, but the jerking of the Knight Bus was bound to trigger something similar, still she had no other way home so she paid her eleven sickles and stepped on board, holding her stomach as she looked about quickly to find a seat before the Knight Bus pulled away from the curb – too late. The bus lurched forward and Dora grabbed onto a nearby pole to steady herself and avoid crashing to the floor.

The morose bulge that was formerly her gorgeous, flat stomach actually made for a nice little shelf that assisted her in cradling the little baby. The pregnancy had engorged her breasts as well as her stomach and ankles, and while most of the time having large boobs for the first time in her life was the only positive thing to come out of her condition thus far, at the moment they were making Dora feel awkward about holding Alec. Or perhaps she just wasn’t the sort to ever be comfortable holding an infant. Would this be how she felt trying to coddle her own little bundle? Yes, probably. Uncomfortable and awkward, with only a small smidge of heart melting warmth as Alexander yawned and wiggled gently in his blankets.

Pulling her eyes off the blond little blob in her arms, Dora smiled brightly as her new home was complimented. “It is, isn’t it?” Magnificent had been the word Dora herself had used when Fin first showed it off to her. She’d been so elated that day and she talked nonstop with Fin about all of her brand new plans for her life in this gorgeous home. Trying to summon something akin to that same level of excitement, Dora nodded. “Of course!”

Checking her hold on the baby in her arms, Dora gestured with her head toward the lounge and headed off to start her little tour. “My purple room,” she simpered, stepping into the well-sized sitting room. The walls were draped in a deep purple fabric and the furniture was ornate yet plush. “I want to get sofa to go there,” she said, adjusting the sleeping bub to free up just enough of her left hand that she could point to an empty space opposite two purple armchairs. “I have some catalogs coming in the post, and I’m hoping to find something that fits well. If not, you and Baby Alec may have to join me on a shopping trip.” She was just blowing smoke at this point. If she couldn’t find something to order from a catalog she would have Fin take her shopping, in case her tastes outweighed her pathetic Gringotts vault, which was very likely. She was going to save loads of money not paying rent for her little flat every month but that gold was earmarked for the next several months to furnishing the still empty room where her child would sleep soundly all through the night. “That’s daddy and Theon up there.” Her partially free hand now gestured to the matching urns on the mantle over the fireplace where her father’s and brother’s ashes were kept. “I think they approve the house. Daddy would have loved it.” Her tone became a little more airy as she spoke of her deceased family fondly, disregarding how absent her father had been most of her life.

Dora was still looking at Fin when Aurelius began to choke and as her attention turned to the man struggling to eat a simple piece of broccoli Dora’s eyes widen with fear. Oh shit. Why had she said that? Why now, in front of the worst possible people to say that to? This moment could have only been made worse by her own mother’s judgmental presence but even that she thought she might be able to manage. Fin’s father, on the other hand… “Bollocks,” she said to herself, an intense feeling of dread overcoming her as the choking man recovered, his eyes staring intensely at her. He asked her to clarify what she had said but Dora, though not very smart in the traditional sense, was bright enough to know he had heard her perfectly well. Of course he had. She hadn’t been quiet about it. What had she been thinking?! She hadn’t been, that was the problem. So consumed with making Fin feel more at ease, she had completely lost the plot. She could blame it on the pregnancy but it all was still so new to her that Dora didn’t yet realize that was an option, not that it would improve the current situation any.

Starting to turn her head toward Fin, who was too bloody silent to be of any real use, Dora found she couldn’t actually pull her eyes away from Mr Avery and her silent plea for help from her best friend went unfinished. “I haven’t told my mum yet,” she remarked timidly, as if that was some sort of buffer. Rebekah had basically disowned Dora after Theon’s death, she certainly wasn’t high on the list of people Dora had considered telling she was pregnant to. The baby might be eight and a half before Dora worked up the nerve to speak to her mother again but that was neither here nor there. Dora felt queasy and she wasn’t sure whether it was the look in Aurelius’ eyes or the morning sickness again. She felt as if she might cry if she had to sit there any longer. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, eyes still locked with Fin’s father.

Clem would be a bright spot in a day that Dora couldn’t figure out why it was so dreary. The weather itself was fine but Dora’s mood was lower than it had been in quite some time and she found herself sobbing for no apparent reason much more frequently than she was used to. A few random bouts of melancholy were usual fare for Dora but this was utterly ridiculous, not that she would discuss it openly with anyone save maybe Fin. Probably not even him, though she would pop over unannounced and sulk in his presence, but that could hardly be deemed a discussion. After a rocky morning, playing with Clem’s little baby boy would certainly be a highlight and when she’d planned this visit a few days ago in better spirits she had actually been excited to talk with Clem, knowing she would have only glowing things to say about motherhood. In the cold grey present day, Dora was certain Clem would warn her against having a child of her own and it was already far too late for her to do anything about it at this point. With a fake smile, Dora descended the stairs and followed the sounds of footsteps to find her friend.

“Let me see that little boy,” Dora cooed, coming up to the new mum and her precious little bundle. “He’s getting big,” she remarked, though in honesty Alec was a tiny thing still. “Can I hold him?” She didn’t know why Fin had made such a big stink about her former flat not being large enough for her, Mimi, and the baby. Clem could leave Baby Alexander on the armchair and still have room to sit on the seat beside him. Truly she was overjoyed at her new home, and the fact that Fin had gone out of his way not only to buy her the most expensive gift he’d ever given her – luxurious holidays included – but to have also found something so reminiscent of her beloved childhood home was beyond comprehension. She wished she could have the energy all the time to remind herself of that feeling of being loved so much that your friend buys you a sodding house but it was harder and harder to remember, so she faked it. Quite well, she thought. No one had said anything to her about it but then for someone to speak about it they’d have to care enough about her to care that she down, and she rarely remembered that, too.

Dora preened herself at Narcissa’s compliment, or possibly her backhanded compliment, lifting her chin slightly and brushing an imaginary errant hair behind her ear. It was difficult to tell where Lucius’ wife stood at times, she was always so reserved, and Dora had never witnessed her be outwardly catty to anyone even if it were due. She was either truly a pleasant person all around or the most buttoned-up witch imaginable next to Lilith Lestrange, but Dora enjoyed Narcissa’s company much more than she ever had Lilith’s. Much like the new Lestrange, Dora admired Narcissa for her regal air but her interactions with the witch were limited. Lucius was more outgoing than his wife, at least towards Dora, and she thought of him as something of a friend albeit not the closest. She knew of some of his familial troubles but nothing directly from his mouth, they weren’t that sort of friend. Mostly, Dora listened to gossip and anything she heard from more than one source she took as fact, and sometimes if the gossip were simply too juicy to be overlooked only one source would do for her overactive mind. She knew there had been troubles having a baby which was a shame because the Malfoys would have made the most attractive little offspring. Perhaps Narcissa had given up on life, because she looked a little plump in the face and her dress left something to be desired among all the glamorous designs featured around this room alone. Poor Lucius, she would make it a point to meet up with him in the new year to check in on him, though what she planned to do if things weren’t going well between him and his wife was yet to be seen.

Lucius, ever the gentleman, waited until the ladies had exchanged compliments and admired each other’s outfits before interjecting with a greeting. “Very much so,” Dora said with all sincerity, her eyes only quickly flashing to the bulge in Lucius’ pants that made her words that much more true. He really was a perfect specimen of a man and Narcissa was lucky beyond belief to get to go home to that every night. Green eyes flicked back up to her company’s faces. “I was rather hoping the Lestranges would have got The Hook to play again this year but I suppose it might be more of a spectacle now if I were to fangirl all over the lead singer in my state. It’s so hard to orchestrate just the right amount of drama at these things.” She gave a little wink in their direction, a nod to the fact that she knew people were talking poorly of her this evening and trying to play it off as if it were no big deal. She was good at that up to a certain extent and if she felt herself slipping at all she could always feign tiredness from her condition and sneak away to dwell on the evening alone in a dark room.

“Moreau was gorgeous,” Dora said wistfully, picturing the man’s naked figure and almost certain she was matching the right name to the person. Not only had the men come in rather quick succession (thankfully not literally) but she had also consumed half the island’s store or liquor while there. Her memory was not to be trusted beyond the generic timeline, any details were completely up for grabs at this point, even if that did make her seem like more of a tart than she really was. It was only onlookers that found anything wrong with how Dora conducted herself. Clem’s new sister-in-law had, for some reason, taken issue with Dora despite the witch’s sisters being good friends of hers. Dora had only ever looked up to Lilith as a role model, she was thin, gorgeous, and well mannered, and beyond everything else Lilith owned the room no matter where she went. Dora had long since wanted to be like Lilith when she grew up, and now the woman was practically running an entire magazine and it was all Dora could do to be envious of her talents. No matter her connections with Liv Burke, the photographer for Pur Magazine and one of Dora’s close friends, Lilith refused to allow Dora to be the model for any of their spreads and Dora would have been a fantastic model. Even now, six weeks pregnant, she was stunning. Lilith, the stuck-up cow (such an excellent description by Clem), would have been lucky to have Dora’s exquisite features in her magazine but when face to face with the woman Dora felt even smaller than she actually was.

The women chatted more about Dora’s pregnancy and their expectations for their children’s social lives together in future years as they sipped their tea and Dora abstained from partaking in the little snacks Clem’s elf had prepared for them, feigning fear of morning sickness which was a legitimate concern but more over Dora just didn’t want the unnecessary calories that Clementine seemed so content with consuming. When conversation was beginning to run thin, Dora suggested a shopping trip. Clem would be bursting very soon and Dora hadn’t yet bought the new baby anything, plus she had Fin’s credit information memorized and it wouldn’t hurt to buy her own baby something adorable in preparation. The day had certainly helped to ease some of Dora’s concerns and the excitement her friend had shown made Dora feel more confident that she was making the right choice in keeping the baby.