As the Seventh Month Dies

Author's Note: I had the most random urge to write this story. It's a pretty simple one-shot fic that came to me as I was pondering the possible circumstances surrounding Harry's birth. I wanted to do something that had to do with that amazing Lily/Snape relationship that came about in Deathly Hallows, so here it is! This is my first time writing for Lily and James, so I hope it comes off well enough. Enjoy!

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July 31, 1980

It was nearing midnight. Lily Potter looked over her shoulder anxiously as she ran down a deserted Muggle street on the outskirts of London. She ducked into a dark alleyway, pulling her cloak around her tightly as she fought to catch her breath. Her right hand fell instinctively to her stomach and came to rest on the round bulge of her abdomen as she peered around the corner. Now hidden in the dim alleyway, she found herself alone and wandless, her side burning with stitches from running. She was nearly eight months pregnant.

She and James had agreed that she would take a break from being an active member of the Order of the Phoenix at least until after their baby was born. But the Order had recently been taking considerable blows in the battle against Voldemort: just two month previously Fabian and Gideon Prewett had been killed, followed by the murder of Edgar Bones and his entire family three weeks later. The Order was in bad shape, and Dumbledore himself had come to Lily to ask if she would be willing to take on more active duties. She would not be involved directly in any operations, he assured her, but would instead act as an informant. Lily had immediately agreed to help, a decision that led to the biggest argument she had ever had with James.

That had been earlier in the pregnancy, back when Lily had just begun to show. Dumbledore had rarely sent Lily on any assignments now that she was so far along. Tonight was the first time she had been given a task for the Order in several weeks.

They had received intelligence that there was to be a small Death Eaters meeting at a tavern in Hertford. James, Sirius, and several other Order members had been stationed there, while Lily and Marlene McKinnon had been asked to set up surveillance outside a shabby looking row of Muggle houses in suburban London. A wizard called Gibbon, whom Dumbledore had suspected to be one of Voldemort's newest recruits, lived on the street. Their job was to simply watch for any unusual activity on the Muggle street, something so dull that even James had agreed (albeit begrudgingly) to allow Lily to do. The night had been uneventful until a quarter to midnight, when three cloaked men had suddenly appeared outside one of the houses. Caught unawares, a small battle had ensued, resulting in the death of one of the Death Eaters, the Stunning of Marlene, and the loss of Lily's wand.

And then she was running, running faster and harder than she ever had in her life. Unable to Disapparate or contact the Order without a wand, she remained hidden in the dark alleyway, waiting for the sharp pains in her side to cease before even considering moving again. After several minutes, her breathing evened out. The pain, however, seemed to have increased tenfold. Lily closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the brick wall behind her. She wanted nothing more than to be at home with James right now. But the war was forever interfering in their lives, forcing them into danger and into Voldemort's waiting clutches.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a fierce, deep pain in her abdomen. Lily winced and pressed both hand to her stomach, worried now that something was wrong. She had taken a few hits with the Death Eaters, and even knocked back onto the ground when she had been disarmed. Perhaps something was wrong with the baby? Lily would never forgive herself if…

And then the pain returned, more intense than before. She gasped a little from the force of it, and decided then that she had to try and find help. Lily moved to step from the alleyway when another pain hit her, causing her to double over and elicit an involuntary cry. She pull back into the alleyway and pressed herself into the brick wall, fully aware and terrified that she had very likely given away her position should any Death Eaters be searching for her.

Her breath became hitched as the pain racked through her again, so fiercely now that she forced herself to bite down on her own lower lip to keep from crying out. As if reflecting her turmoil, a great rumble then roared out from the sky. Her emerald green eyes scanned the dark and now cloudy way above her as thick droplets of rain began to fall.

Lily had never been so scared in her life. Every attempt she made to walk was thwarted as a fresh wave of pain seared through her abdomen. Something was seriously wrong with her and the baby. She felt utterly alone and helpless, lost in Muggle London with James hundreds of miles away and completely unaware that her life and the life of their child was in dire jeopardy.

Just then a dark figure appeared at the mouth of the alleyway. It was the Death Eater that had Stunned Marlene. Lily blinked dizzily and sank to the floor.

“Lily?” a male voice echoed through the alleyway.

Relief swept over her. Someone had found her. She and the baby would be saved.

Severus Snape was at her side instantly. His hair was long and stringy from the rain, his cloak already half soaked.

“Severus?” Lily said torpidly.

“You've got to get out of here,” he said hurriedly, grabbing her arm and pulling her up from the floor. “The others are searching. If they-”

“Don't touch me!” she said jerking her arm away from him. “You're a Death Eater!”

“That is irrelevant,” he said with narrowed eyes. “Right now I've got to get you away from here.”

“Irrelevant?” she snapped. “It's completely relevant! I'm surprised you already haven't-” She paused, clutching her stomach as a fresh wave of pain washed over her.

Snape studied her anxiously, his black eyes peering from her bulging belly to her face, which was still contorted with pain.

“You're in labor,” he said flatly.

“I can't be,” Lily replied shakily, leaning back on the wall for support. “And it's none of your concern.”

Snape's eyes flashed. “Do you think that when I became a Death Eater I stopped caring for you?”

“Isn't that one of the requirements?” she shot back coldly. “Surely you can't be friends with a Mudblood now that you've got Voldemort.” Her face was flushed, her dark red hair mixed with both sweat and rain. Yet even in such an utterly vulnerable state, her face was defiant and fixed.

“Let me help you,” he said evenly. “I will not turn you in. I could never-”

“That's why you attacked me back there then, right?” she shot back. “You and your Death Eater chums.”

“When I realized who you were I tried to protect you,” Snape seethed. “That's why I was sending only Disarming spells at you!”

Just then Lily gave a sharp cry and doubled over. Instantly Snape was there, holding her up as she rode through the contraction. When she opened her eyes his face was very close to hers, concern etched in every feature.

“It's coming,” she whispered aloud, more to herself than Snape. “The baby's really coming.”

“Can you move?” he asked her, still holding onto her tightly.

“I-I don't think so,” she said shakily. “The contractions are too close; every time I try it just gets worse.”

Snape nodded curtly and conjured a small bed for Lily to rest on.

“I'll go fetch help, then,” he said gently guiding her onto the bed.

Lily nodded, and then suddenly grasped his arm fiercely. His black eyes sought her green ones, and he was at once filled with terrible distress at the realization that there was a very real fear in her eyes.

“Oh my God,” Lily exclaimed through now haggard breaths, “It hurts so much.”

Snape grasped her hand, not caring if she was in the Order or married to James Potter or about to have his baby.

“It's okay,” he soothed. “I'm just going to go fetch some mediwizards.”

Her eyes flashed anxiously. She unconsciously gripped his hand tightly as another contraction hit. Simultaneously a loud bang issued from down the way.

A large trash bin near the bed had flew across the alleyway when Lily had cried out, landing with a metallic crunch on the opposite wall.

“You're losing control of yourself,” Snape hissed. His thin sallow face looked at her determinedly. “You've got to focus.”

“I'm finding that a bit difficult,” she breathed, “As I've got these murderous pains ripping through my body.”

The rain was falling harder than ever now, making Lily shiver on top of everything else. Snape conjured a thick blanket and unfurled it gingerly over her.

“What would you like me to do?”

“Give me your wand,” she responded instantly. “I can contact James with it.”

Even in the semi-darkness of the alleyway she could see his lip curl with loathing.

“Perhaps it would be more prudent to contact someone who could actually aid in the delivery of your child,” he said coolly.

Lily's bright green eyes became slits. “He is my husband and the father of this baby,” she replied coldly. “Now if you really want to help me, you will give me your wand. ”

Snape begrudgingly handed over his wand, which she immediately accepted. Soon a brilliant silver doe exploded from its tip and scampered down the alleyway and out of sight. Lily relaxed a little as she watched it disappear, knowing that James was only minutes away from her now.

Snape continued to watch her intently, a pleasant little feeling washing over him as he realized that her hand was still in his, gripping it every so often as she grimaced in pain. Several minutes passed in silence. The rain finally let up and eventually ceased altogether.

“You'd better get out of here,” Lily finally said to him. She slowly picked up his wand from her left side and held it out to him.

“I will not leave you alone,” Snape said calmly. “I shall wait until--.”

“James will attack you as soon as look at you,” she said cutting across Snape.

“So let him.”

“I really don't need this right now,” said Lily, and she sounded strained. “Just leave, please.”

“Lily!” a voice rang out from the mouth of the alley.

Her face was worried now. “Severus, please! He's probably bringing members of the Order, and they will kill you!”

Her green eyes met his black ones, silently pleading with him. Cursing himself for doing it, Snape slowly released her hand from his, gave a curt nod, and turned away from her.

As he was about to Disapparate, Lily's soft voice reached him one last time.

“Severus?”

Against his will, a little smile twisted Snape's mouth when she said his name. It always had.

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

It was a simple sentiment that caught Snape entirely off guard. He paused momentarily, and then was gone entirely with a small pop. He had not turned around to look back at her.

Lily's doe patronus cantered back from around the corner and into the alleyway where it dissolved once reaching the spot it had originated from. James came sprinting up from behind it, followed by Sirius and a dark haired woman in lime green robes who she did not recognize.

James reached Lily in a flash and enveloped her.

“Oh, God James,” she said, hugging him back just as fiercely.

“Are you alright?” he asked pulling away to kiss her and look at her properly. His black hair, untidy and disheveled as always, framed his concerned looking face.

“I don't know,” she said truthfully. “I think I'm in labor.”

“Sirius brought a Healer,” James said, motioning for the dark haired women to come forward.

“It's all right dear,” the Healer soothed as she dropped down onto the end of the bed. “We'll just have a look and see what's going on.” The Healer lifted Lily's robes and began waving her wand over her abdomen.

“Oi!” James suddenly shouted at Sirius, who was standing next to the foot of the bed. “Do you mind stepping away from that particular end of the bed?”

Sirius, who was normally full of mischief and general merriment, paled slightly at this and moved quickly away from the Healer.

“What happened, anyway, Lils?” Sirius asked, eager to change the course of the conversation. “Death Eaters?”

“Three of them,” Lily said through gritted teeth. “Marlene was Stunned, and I only just got away when—OW!”

Lily grasped her husband's arm as the most powerful contraction yet ripped though her. She tasted blood on her lower lip as she bit down, determined to not make any more noise than she could help.

“You are indeed in labor,” the Healer said matter-of-factly. She furled her wand again, and Lily numbly felt the knickers and tights she had been wearing under her skirt and cloak vanish.

“But it's not time!” she said quickly. “James,” she said turning to him desperately, “Tell her it's not time! I'm not due until late August!”

“The baby is perfectly healthy,” the Healer said bracingly, looking from Lily to James, who had opened his mouth to protest. “Eight months is certainly enough time for a baby to develop properly.”

“Shouldn't we get her to St. Mungo's?” Sirius asked anxiously. “She can't give birth in an alley.”

“Moving her is out of the question,” the Healer said steadily. “She is fully dilated. In fact, the baby is already beginning to crown.”

James looked determinedly from Lily to Sirius, who nodded silently and walked down towards the mouth of the alleyway, transforming into Padfoot along the way.

“Sirius will send word to the Order and stay watch for any Death Eaters,” James said reassuringly.

Lily nodded, then closed her eyes and gripped James as another contraction hit.

“I'm going to need you to push very soon, dear,” the Healer said looking at Lily. “Prepare yourself.”

Lily looked up at James, whose soft hazel eyes met her own.

“I'm afraid, James,” she whispered, her eyes reflecting the weariness she felt inside. She was tired of running, tired of fighting, tired of everything that had happened to her tonight.

“You've done great, Lily,” James said tenderly placing a kiss on her damp forehead. “Just a bit more and our baby will be here.”

“Right then,” the Healer announced in a dulcet tone. “I'll need you start pushing. On three: One, two, three, go.”

Lily did as she was told, her face set in concentration.

“Oh, sweet Merlin,” she exhaled heavily a few seconds later. “I-I don't think I can do this.”

James kissed her hand and shifted onto the small bed so that he was directly behind her, her back against his chest. He spoke from over her shoulder, cheek to cheek with Lily.

“You can do this, Lily,” he said gently but surely into her ear.

“Again, dear!” the Healer called.

Again Lily did as she was told. James could feel her body tense violently, her breathing stifle as she strained under the pressure.

“Harder!”

“I-I can't,” Lily half cried. “I'm sorry, I'm so tired! I've g-got nothing left in me!”

“Lily Evans Potter,” James said to her evenly. “You are the cleverest, bravest, most stubborn witch that I know. If anyone can do this I know it's you.”

Lily's breath hitched. She closed her eyes and sank back into James.

“I love you,” James continued softly, “And I know it's hard, and I know you're scared, but you've got to keep going. And you can claw at me all you want,” he added as an afterthought.

Lily could see his lopsided grin without having to open her eyes. It was simultaneously one of the many things about him that used to infuriate her like no other back at Hogwarts and later one of the many things about him that made her fall in love with James to begin with.

“Again!” the Healer rang out. “Harder this time!”

Lily opened her eyes slowly and took a deep breath. She gripped both of James's hands with her own and pushed down with all her might.

The Healer was performing intricate waves and sweeps with her wand now. “Good girl,” she said after a few moments. “I can see the head. This one might need a haircut when he gets out.” She glanced up at James's disheveled mane and gave Lily a small wink.

“Is it a boy then?” James asked her anxiously.

The Healer glanced back up at him. “You generally can't tell just by the head and shoulders,” she responded shrewdly.

The corners of Lily's mouth turned up into a small grin as she relaxed back into James to catch her breath. He, on the other hand, looked slightly affronted.

“Quickly, now,” the Healer said. “One more large one ought to do it.”

James rubbed Lily's arms reassuringly as she sat back up for her final push. Her eyes began to tear under the physical and emotional strain of it all. James leaned in from behind her, bracing her. Seconds later the night air was filled with the cries of an infant.

“It's a boy,” the Healer announced happily as she waved her wand over the gooey baby. She quickly conjured a soft navy blue blanket and bundled him tightly. Lily's tears spilled over and down her cheek silently as the Healer placed the baby into her arms.

“He's so small,” James commented numbly as he reached to touch the baby's tiny fist.

“He is a bit premature,” the Healer chimed in, by now waving her wand over Lily's abdomen again to clean up the after birth and heal her own wounds.

“He's perfect,” Lily said clearly, gazing down at her son's scruffy patch of dark hair. “He's going to be just like you, James. Just my luck.” She smiled.

James laughed. Their eyes met again, yet for the first time as parents. He leaned in and kissed Lily softly, who in turn leaned back and deepened the kiss contentedly.

“Two minutes until midnight,” the Healer announced looking at the pocket watch she had produced from the pocket of her robes. “He's a July wizard, just barely.”

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