*A/N: Please take the time to read and review. Most of the story is the same as before, but I really do appreciate any comments! Please remember - Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don't say it mean. That would be lovely, thanks!*
*Disclaimer: I don't own this, well, the plot, but NOT the characters….*
*Just a Twinkle*
"Hi Lily! I'm home!" James exclaimed as he walked through the door. "Lily? Sweetie, I'm home!" he repeated when he got no answer. Figuring she must be taking a nap, which she did more and more often these days, he went up to their bedroom to change out of his robes.
James had given up his job at the Ministry when he learned of the incoming baby. He feared something would happen to him or his family if he stayed on, working as an auror. When he owled Professor Dumbledore asking for a job, he was quickly hired as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. The job allowed him time at home with Lily, and the ability to keep his skills up, in case a return to the Ministry ever arose.
"Well, it was nice of you to say hello to me when you came home!" Lily sneered, as she walked into the bedroom, where her husband was changing.
"Lily, I did! Twice, actually!" James retorted. He was getting used to Lily's mood swings and hormone dips, but today was one day that he really could not deal with it. His day at Hogwarts was horrible, and to come home to a bitchy wife, was something he didn't really welcome with open arms.
"No, you didn't. I didn't hear you. I'm not deaf, you know. I would have heard you." Lily berated. The constant ebb and flow of hormones was sending her on the mood rollercoaster of her life. Every other minute was another mood. She was on the verge of tears one minute, and ready to knock out some teeth, the next.
"Sweetie, listen, I did, ok? I really don't want to argue about this." James said. He was tired of arguing over something that was so minute and stupid. He just wanted to take a long, hot shower and wash away the stresses of the world.
"James, I am not arguing. I just would like you to say hello to me when you come home!" Lily exclaimed.
"Ok, Lily, it won't happen again" James said with a roll of his eyes, and mumbling an "Excuse me", walked from the bedroom to the bathroom, where he shut the door behind him, shutting out his horrible day and still steaming wife.
*~*~* Later that Evening*~*~*
"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier." Lily apologized to James, as they got ready for bed. The mood swings were coming and going so fast these days, that sometimes she couldn't control their effects before someone got caught in the mix.
"It's alright." James replied. "I knew it wasn't your fault. I just had a horrible day and coming home to that made me snap a little. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings too." James knew the power the hormones had over Lily, and he was trying to deal with them as best he can. Remembering that in only a few short months, he'd be a daddy, kept him from completely losing his grip.
"Remus called today." Lily announced, eager to get off the subject. "He said he'd be in town for a meeting later on in the week and wondered if we'd like to go to dinner with him on Friday evening. I said that I would ask you and call him back. Will you be free?"
" I don't think I have anything planned, so that would be fine." James answered, crawling into bed, beside his wife. "Wow, we haven't heard from him in, what? Two, three months? Did you tell him about the baby?" James asked.
"No." Lily giggled. "I figured I would surprise him." She knew that Remus would more than likely notice something askew, but not say anything out of sheer chivalry.
James rolled his eyes, knowing his friend. However, Lily wasn't really showing yet. She was only two months along. The only true signs of her pregnancy was her aversion to any alcohol and the maternal glow that shined from her.
"Goodnight, sweetheart" Lily whispered, rolling over and kissing her husband softly. "Sleep well and think of me!" She said with a giggle and flipped over onto her side and quickly fell asleep. James smiled, shut off the light and fell asleep.
*~*~*
The next two days fell away quickly, both James and Lily worked incessantly, both looking forward to their evening with Remus with great anticipation.
"James!" Lily called from the bedroom.
"Whaa?" James answered, peeking his head out from inside the bathroom. He had volunteered to teach last period Quidditch lessons and was still picking grass out of his ears after one of the bludgers plummeted into the soft, rain saturated ground, covering him with both grass and mud.
"Are you almost done in there?" Lily demanded. "I roomed with girls that took less time than you!" She was getting inpatient. She had rushed home early to take a shower, only to find her sweaty, muddy husband getting undressed and heading for HER shower.
"Yeah, Yeah, I am going. Blame the idiot who couldn't slow the bludger down. I'll be out in just a second." James called from the bathroom, he had moved onto shaving and was just finishing behind his right ear. Washing off the excess shaving cream, he walked out of the bathroom, wearing just a towel. Bending slightly, he extended his right arm out and said, most elegantly, "It's all yours."
"WOO!" Lily screeched, bursting past her husband and slammed the door.
"YOU'RE WELCOME!!!" James hollered from the bedroom, but Lily couldn't hear him, she was already in the shower.
*~*~*
Two hours after the bathroom power struggle, Lily, James and Remus were all seated comfortably at a local eatery. They were catching up all on that had happened in the past couple of months, all, that is, except for the news of the baby. There hadn't been a good time to announce it, so it would be revealed in its due time.
"If you two handsome gentlemen don't mind, I am going to go check out the facilities." Lily said, getting up and pushing her chair in. After checking the location of the restrooms with their waitress, she made her way in their direction.
"Prongs, I have a question. I didn't want to ask in fear of offending Lily, but is she alright? There is something off with her. She is just as bubbly, but there is something off." Remus said concerned.
James smiled at his friend. "She knew you'd notice and would be just too polite to ask. She's pregnant, Moony. She's about two months along. Don't let on that I told you, let her tell you." He said quickly, noticing Lily making her way back to their table.
" So, how's the life and times of Mrs. Lillian Potter going?" Remus asked, casually taking a sip from his wine glass. "Anything interesting?"
Lily rolled her eyes, she knew James had told him. "Well, yes, Remus, there is something interesting, I am sure James has filled you in already, but we will be expecting a baby in mid July." She said with a blush.
"You know him too well." Remus said "Congratulations to you both!" Grabbing his wine glass, he stood up and called for everyone's attention. "EXCUSE ME, EVERYONE! SORRY FOR THE INTERRUPTION. I WOULD JUST LIKE YOU ALL TO RAISE YOUR GLASSES TO MY FRIENDS, LILY AND JAMES, IN CONGRATULATIONS ON THE EXPECTANT ARRIVAL OF THEIR FIRST CHILD!" A resounding "TO LILY AND JAMES!" resounded around the restaurant, echoing the complete mortification of both Potters.
"REMUS!" They both hissed as he took his seat again.
"What?" Remus asked, innocently. He gave the face that James had seen his friend, Sirius, give far too many times to count. Laughing, they continued with their meals.
When the meal was over, they all hugged goodbye.
"You had better come visit us this summer or you and I will have problems." Lily warned.
"Uh oh. Wouldn't want to do that." Remus joked, hugging her, "You know that thirty hippogriffs couldn't keep me away."
*~*~*
A few weeks later, the entire wizarding world was alive with Christmastime cheer. There were Christmas trees going up everywhere and Hogwarts students were eagerly finishing their schoolwork so they could pack and go home for the month long holiday.
James, unbeknownst to Lily, had been working on a little surprise of his own. With the help of his house elf friends from Hogwarts, Moppy and Twinkle, he had been secretly decorating the spare room into a functional nursery for Lily. He had painted all the walls in Gryffindor colors. The main color was a brilliant ruby color, with gold stripes, running horizontally along the top of the walls. When Twinkle had mentioned how much the room looked like the Gryffindor common room, James put little lion cubs all over the walls. They were enchanted to roll around and play when ever anyone was in the room. Moppy thought it looked cute, and so it was done. The floor was covered in a lush, ruby carpet. He hadn't chosen any furniture because Lily would have killed him for doing it without her. Keeping the room a secret had proven difficult, because he needed to find time when Lily wasn't home that he could work on it. With permission from Professor Dumbledore, he would apparate home during meals and work on it. Though not much time, he got it all done with time to spare. To completely assure that it would stay a secret, James put a special concealing spell on the room, so when Lily looked at it, it appeared to be exactly as it always was, bare walled and bare floored.
Lily had been rushing around, trying to find things for James. She loved Christmas, but with the baby, she was behind on her shopping. She didn't have the energy to do the all day shopping marathons she had been able to do the years previous. She was determined to make a basket of everything a new father would need. The men she worked with had given her ideas, as well as her own father and her father-in-law. So far, the only things she had, were three bags of coffee, appropriately entitled "New Fathers blend", a silver flask of firewhiskey with James' initials on it, and a "Sleep? Who needs sleep?" t-shirt. She knew she would find more, but was stressing about it in the meantime.
*~*~* Christmas Eve*~*~*
"I knew we'd have enough ornaments." James said triumphantly, placing the star on the top of the tree. He and Lily had fulfilled their yearly tradition of decorating their tree. They would do all of their Christmas stuff early and then would enjoy the company of Sirius, Remus, Lily's friend Jane, and James' parents. In the morning, they would go to Lily's parents' house and suffer through the day with her sister, Petunia, Petunia's husband, Vernon, and their piglet of a child, Dudley, who was only a couple of months old. Yet, they loved it. They loved it all.
"Ok, GIFT TIME!" Lily announced, carrying out her bundle of presents for James.
"Hold on, let me get mine!" James said, running to the hall closet where he had been hiding all his. He knew Lily would look in his bedroom closet, but the hall closet was a completely different matter. He kept his Quidditch stuff in there, things Lily feared most.
After all the wrapping paper had been ripped off, and all praises sung, James thought it time to divulge his secret to Lily.
"Ok, I have one more. But you need to close your eyes." James said, grabbing Lily's hands and pulling her to her feet.
"OOOH! What is it?" Lily squealed. She loved, but hated, surprises. Willingly following James up the stairs, she wondered what it was.
Getting to the spare room, James opened the door and told Lily to open her eyes. She looked at him confused.
"Revealhomora" James said, confidently, and the room quickly transformed into the painted finished room he had worked so hard on.
"Oh James…" Lily gasped as she walked into the room.
"Do you like it? Is it ok? I am going to let you pick out the furniture." James gushed. He was so excited
about the room he could hardly speak straight.
Lily was speechless. She loved it, it was perfect. She couldn't explain how much she loved it to James, so instead
she did the only thing she could. Reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him into a deep kiss. A
kiss full of love and gratitude.
Breaking from the kiss, Lily hugged him and placed her head on his shoulder. Silently, they stood in the room, no words needed.
*~*~*
"Ugh, James. Let's just go back to the bus stop. I don't want to face these people. Sure they're family, but some families don't spend time together. They send a Christmas card with those big long essays about how little Johnny got his license, apparition or otherwise, how little Susie graduated top of her class, or how the dog was hurt in some unfortunate accident. Boring stuff which you end up writing random notes on or putting your tea cup on. That's what I want - not condescension filled, hostility laced pleasantries!" Lily spewed out in a breathy screech as she and James walked towards her mother's house. Her speech had caused her face to get red and her hands to flail.
"Lily. LILY! Calm down. You're depriving oxygen to the baby. Listen, we have to at least try to get them involved. I mean, we're having a baby and he or she will should at least know who they are! It's not going to be fun - I know this. They hate magic and me as a result, but just think about all the fun we had with Sirius, Remus, Jane, and my parents last night. They are our real family - the ones who love us and our baby without any prejudice. But we should still involve them, or at least try to as much as they want us to." James said, trying to calm down his wife. He knew how much her family upset her, but somewhere deep down, he hoped that they would accept them as they were and loved them like his family did.
Lily shook her head, but smiled when she thought of last night. She and James had arrived at his parent's house to music, laughter and the smell of James' mother Ellen's famous pumpkin pie. Sirius was there, subtly charming Ellen and Jane at every point he got. Remus was there, but didn't stay long as the full moon was two days away and he got fatigued easily. They had eaten a feast reminiscent of the Great Feast at Hogwarts and all sat down to open presents. Sirius gave everyone a bottle of Firewhiskey to which he told Lily was to be put in the baby's bottle when he or she wouldn't sleep. Lily threw a candy cane at his head. Remus had given James a gift voucher to the new Quidditch store in Diagon Alley and Lily a voucher to the book store. Ellen and Harold gave Lily a beautiful necklace especially made for new mothers and James some new robes with his initials delicately embroidered on them. After, Lily and Ellen cleaned up, James and Sirius played a game of Wizard Chess and Harold read the newspaper. They said their good byes and each filtered out one by one. James and Lily left last with hugs goodbye and head home happy.
Taking a deep breath, they walked up the steps of Lily's parent's house. Ringing the doorbell, James took
Lily's hand. They heard laughter coming towards the door and as it opened, they saw Lily's sister, Petunia, was
the one opening it. Upon seeing them, the smile on her face fell and a soft, but indignant "Oh. You" escaped
her lips. Regaining a cheesy smile, she ushered them in.
"Look everyone! It's my sister Lily and her...uh…husband!" she announced to the crowd. Everyone looked. A
few people genuinely smiled, but most looked in their general direction and waved. Lily and James walked into the
house, no one bothering to take their coats, and looked for Lily's parents. Upon seeing her mother in the kitchen,
Lily made her way to her. James had taken Lily's coat and held his as well.
"Happy Christmas, Mum!" Lily said as cheerfully as she possibly could. She was trying not to be so
uncomfortable around her own family.
"Oh. Same to you too, dear. And to you as well, John." Mrs. Evans said, placing cheese cubes on a platter and
not looking up at her youngest daughter and her husband. Lily slightly leaned into James and looked him in the eye as
to say "I'm so sorry for this." James knew this was upsetting her and was angering him, but he was
steadfast in wanting them to be part of their child's life in whatever capacity that was.
Taking the initiative, James walked over to Lily's father Richard and wished him a Happy Christmas. Richard looked up at him, smiled and shook his hand. Looking over to Lily, he gave her a hug. Of Lily's family, Richard had always been the one who tolerated her magical abilities and her marriage to James the best. Lily handed him the gift they had bought for them - a new teapot to replace the one Lily's mum had gone on and on about breaking when Lily called last week. Richard looked at it and Lily assured him it was perfectly magic free.
Walking away from her father, Lily walked back into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Petunia was standing there, refilling some champagne flutes in the sink.
"Pregnant, huh. Do you know what you're having yet?" Petunia asked, a thin veil of care delicately draping over her condescension. Lily shook her head to the negative and told her that they hadn't figured out if they wanted to find out or if they just wanted to be surprised.
"So you can tell after a certain amount of time, like a normal baby? You don't cast a spell or something on it to decide if it's a boy or girl?" Petunia had tired of attempting to care and was now just as condescending as normal.
"No, Petunia. My child is just as normal as every other baby. He or she develops just like any other child in the womb would. They might even be born without magical abilities. Spells have nothing to do with it." Lily said through clenched teeth. She could stand her family's hostility to her or even to James. After all, they could defend themselves. However, the baby couldn't and Lily was determined to fight on its behalf.
"Normal…right." Petunia replied with a roll of her eyes. Picking up the now filled flutes, she left the kitchen and Lily fuming. She looked at the clock. They'd been there for two hours and she was already ready to leave. Looking for James, she found him sitting on the couch, picking little bits off the napkin he'd taken.She walked over, sat next to him and put her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead in a vague attempt to comfort her.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked him. Looking down at her, he nodded and got up to find their coats. Lily
walked over to her father and told him that they were going to head home because she wasn't feeling well and
didn't want to be a burden. Richard asked if she wanted to take a plate of food with her. She politely declined and
gave him a hug. He gave her a little squeeze as a small apology and gave her a weak smile. James had rejoined them,
shaking Richard's hand, he helped Lily put her coat back on.
They slipped out the door without anyone noticing and silently walked back to the bus stop. The whole ride home was silent too. Lily was too angry to speak and was afraid that her anger in combination with the hormones would cause her to hand James his head. James knew she was angry as her ears always went bright red when she got angry. He didn't want to infuriate her further by making some stupid banter about the weather or something.
Finally getting home, Lily hung up her coat and walked over to James. Wrapping her arms around him, she gave him a hug. "Thank you for doing that with me and not asking any questions when I wanted to leave" she mumbled into his sweater. James kissed and stroked the top of her head.
Breaking away, Lily looked up at him. "I am going to make us our own Christmas Day meal" she said, walking into the kitchen. She'd decided that she was going to make James' favorite, a pot pie. Taking the left over turkey that Ellen had wrapped for them and pulling out a few vegetables. She prepared the filling for the pie and made a simple crust to go on top. An hour later, everything was ready. She and James ate and cleaned up, just as they always did. Walking over, they turned on the little black and white TV that they owned and watched a Christmas film on TV.
That night, as she lay in bed, she rolled over to James. "I know you want my family to be involved with the baby. But I don't want the baby to be involved with them. I want this baby to know it's always loved - no matter who is around. We can mention my family, but from now on, we will not see them anymore." Rolling back over onto her side, she heard James mumble back - "Ok. Love you." Smiling, Lily fell asleep.
*A/N: Ok, so I added on to this chapter and I hope its ok. Please to remember to read and review. Thanks!! :o)
*