the Question
Lily wouldn't quite say she's dense, you can't blame her for not knowing her sexuality until many years into Hogwarts. when you grow up with the muggle family she's had you’d understand, just look at her sister. Now Lily will definitely call her ex-boyfriend James Fleamont Potter very dense.
There's only so many times you don't understand the signs being thrown at you that you're gay until people around you start to think you're blatantly ignoring them or are just a moron. When James and Regulus finally got into a relationship in the last year at Hogwarts Sirius was so happy that his best friend finally figured it out to be angry that it was his baby brother…for a day or so that is. Lily had a good laugh at her moron boys, James was about to crawl in a hole and cry when he found out even his ex-girlfriend knew he was gay before he did.
Lily just had to pat Regulus on the back for holding on for as long as he did while he waited for James to pull his head out of the ground. Remus and Lily were rolling on the floor when Sirius sat James down and threatened him. “I don't care if you're my best friend, if you even think about hurting my baby brother, I swear on merlin I'll hang you by your ankles off the Gryffindor tower!”
To say Severus was not surprised when he walked into the classroom seeing Peter holding back an angry looking Sirius with Lily and Remus laughing their ass' off; it had become another Tuesday since James and Regulus started dating.
<time skip>
It had been a slow day in the Apothecary Lily owned with Severus who was currently out gathering ingredients that they couldn’t order. It was a small shop on the corner you would turn on to go into Knockturn alley. It was a nice surprise to see James and a nervous looking Regulus walk into the shop. “Lils! How's your day been going” Lily had been sitting behind the counter bored out of her mind. “Very slow today since Hogwarts just started a new year”.
Lily and the rest of the troublemakers had graduated a few years ago. “Do you have time for some tea?” James’ lopsided smile looked a little too forced. Lily furrowed her eyebrows confused, “sure let me just put up the break sign” as Lily talked, she waved her wand putting up the ‘will be right back’ sign on the door. Lily made a gesture for them to follow her into her office.
“Sit anywhere, I'll start some tea” there was a small sitting area in front of her desk with a fireplace that she lit while she made a teapot appear and went about making tea.
When they were all settled, James and Regulus were sitting on the couch with Lily sitting in the wing back chair by the fire. “So, what makes you both so nervous, is Sirius having another tantrum?” Lily asked while putting her usual peppermint in her tea.
“No, I think it's finally sunk in about our relationship, but I don't wanna jinx it. There's only so many times I can tell him we're married before I want to hex him” Regulus said while rolling his eyes at his elder brother's antics.
“So why are you two so tense? It's either Sirius crying over both of you or one of you is dying” Lily said with a shrug taking a sip of her tea.
There was a long pause and James loudly sipped his tea. Lily’s heartbeat spiked “is one of you dying?!” she half yelled.
James shook his head violently, Regulus waving his hands no. “No, no, nothing like that; we're both healthy,” James said quickly. Lily pouted her bottom lip, crossing one leg over the other “shame”. There was another long pause, Regulus and James having a silent conversation with their eyes.
After a very long agonizing minute, Lily finally snapped. “Ok out with it, you're not dying so what is it!” she glared. Regulus smacks James' arm “you know her better than me, you ask” he mumbled, James tsked giving a halfhearted glare.
He let out a deep sigh, “me and Reg were wondering if well… (inaudible mumbling)”.
Lily raised an eyebrow, “James you're usually the loudest in the room, spit it out” Lily's nerves were wearing down with this very out of character meeting. James started wringing his hands and refused to look at one thing. “Well…me and Regulus were…it's been something on our minds…and we wanted the right person…we wanted (inaudible mumbling)”.
Lily rubbed a hand over her eyes and looked at her out of sort's friend. She let out a short sigh and looked at the more put together but still nervous Regulus. “Reggie, what do you guys want to ask? Jamie looks like he's about to combust for merlin's sake” Lily said, waving a hand at James who now had a red face.
Regulus seemed to think for a moment before gathering what courage a Slytherin had. “We wanted to know if you would be willing to be a surrogate for us…help us have a child…” Lily's eyes widened; completely gobsmacked by the information. She slowly took a sip of her tea, staring at them; they looked like they were about to be kicked out for treason.
Lily let the silence drag on, letting them stew for a while. “Are…you sure you want me?” Lily finally asked. James swallowed harshly, he said slowly “we thought about it for a long time, who to ask and what not…we wanted to ask you because your healthy and because we both trust you a lot, not to mention your very smart; you've known us both since school and never judged either of us or-” James continued to ramble while Lily melted. She looked over to Regulus cutting off James’ babbling “are you sure, sure? I know we never talked much in school; only really knowing each other through other friends” Regulus seemed slightly surprised to be asked.
“Of course. James trusts you with his life and I know you have a good heart…” He trailed off. Lily nodded along, starting to feel giddy. “Well sure if you're both sure I mean, but yeah of course I'll help, yep uh huh. How will we go about this? Oh, first I need to talk to Mary about this-she is my wife after all-oh I need to tell sev, he's better at making potions for stuff like this!” Lily was in full rant mode and James and Regulus just looked at one another. Lily suddenly shot up to her feet, “oh who's going to use their DNA and who's going to blood adopt! Have you picked a date for when you wanted to start the pregnancy? It'll take sev about three weeks to make the fertility potion-”
Lily was cut off by James laughing and Regulus hiding a giant smile behind his hand. “You seem more excited than we are about this” James said through laughter. Lily sat back down, her hands in her lap and her cheeks pink.
When Lily had told Severus about it after James and Regulus left with plans to come over for dinner, he was less than happy. Grumbling about how Lily already acts insane and how she's going to act when she is pregnant. “I'll start the potion after you three have written the agreement out on parchment and have gone to the ministry to make it official” Lily giggled at her overprotective friend; she could never get him to trust anybody at the level he trusts her.
Mary Macdonald-Evans (Lily still gets giddy when she sees her wife's last name) was overjoyed by it, though was worried about complications with the baby. “They will be coming over for dinner to hash out all the details with both of us tonight” Mary smiled and skipped to the kitchen to help the house elf sweety cook dinner.
By the time dinner rolled around James and Regulus arrived early. “Don't worries over sweety, sweety will finish dinner for Miss master Mary” Sweety all but shoved the dark-skinned woman out of the kitchen.
Mary joined Lily and the two men in the lightly colored parlor. The couples sat on their respective couches across from each other. “While we wait for dinner, how about we start the negotiations?” Mary suggested as she sat down next to Lily.
James and Regulus nodded in agreement. “Ok where do you want to start?” James sat further back on the couch letting the heat from the fireplace soak in. “Mary was worried about complications during the pregnancy and birth” Lily started, summoning some parchment and a quill.
“From what I remember you telling me about your family there weren't many mothers that had severe complications, at least ones that can be solved with the magic we have access to now” James said. “Yes, but in the case, something does happen, what will we do?” they all sat in silence for a while, thinking over possibilities.
Regulus was the one that answered, “in the case that the mother dies during birth or while pregnant; though I'm not sure how your will is set up Lily, you might want to revise or look it over again even with the percent being less than a 1% chance there's always a chance. And if need be, we can set up something on the side to help with funds for Mary, since I know that your half muggle and since Mary is an illegitimate child, I don't mean to offend but are you getting anything from your fathers will?” Mary waved it off with a smile. “I'm not offended, I knew since I was little that since I'm a half-blood I wouldn't be getting anything in the will, though since both me and Lily have our own small businesses I could get by and I know that in her will, she would give her side of her and Severus’ apothecary shop to me, though I appreciate the thought”.
Regulus nodded; James decided to change the topic from the sore one. “How would you like to be involved in the baby's life?” Lily shifted nervously.
Mary took Lily’s hand in hers, squeezing it comfortably. “Well after whichever one of your blood adopts them, I won't exactly be their mother anymore so I can settle with whatever you decide…” Lily played with Mary’s fingers nervously. “Well, we will be using my DNA and Regulus will be blood adopting…” James said. Lily nodded; she was trying to put into words what she wanted to say. She wanted to be in the baby's life more than just a family friend but didn't want to overstep…
“Do you want to be in the baby's life?” James always seemed to misread the situation. “Well, it's your baby so I was going to leave it up to you…” Lily trailed off. Regulus spoke up, “even after I blood adopt them, there still as much your child as it is ours; you are the one that will give birth to them, you have a right to make a decision as much as we do” he said sternly.
Lily was stunned for a moment, James picked up where Regulus left off. “We were thinking; if you were to agree that is, if you wanted to be their godmother? Alongside Sirius being the godfather?” Lily for the second time that day was gobsmacked by the two men in front of her.
Mary laughed beside her looking at Lily’s expression. “U-um, of course if-if you are willing it would be an honor!” Lily finally said. The rest of their discussion went smoothly as the two couples settled down for dinner, Lily and Regulus getting to know each other better. James drinks a little too much for celebration while Regulus and Lily scold him while he giggles to himself, Mary rolling her eyes fondly at the trio. “Well then, we will write up an official agreement and such and then we can go to the ministry by the end of the week if you are not busy” Regulus said as he hauled his husband up from the chair, one of James’ arms around his shoulders.
Lily nodded and led them to the floo room. “Have a good night, don’t let James drink anymore” Lily said snickering at James' incoherent babble. Regulus rolled his eyes at his eccentric partner.