Baby
December, 1979
The first time had been in seventh year.
"Lily, let's have a baby."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"James, we've been together two months. We haven't even slept together yet."
James perked up hopefully. "We could change that..."
"No, James."
Then that summer.
"Lily, I love you. Let's have a baby."
"I love you too, James."
He waited, grinning expectantly. "And...?"
"No."
Then last Christmas.
"Oooh, James, is that for me?" Lily squealed as she noticed the large box under the tree with her name on it. James only grinned and looked at the ceiling as though it was particularly interesting. She ripped the wrapping open and regarded the large object strangely. "It's a... it's an adorable... cradle." She regarded James with an incredulous expression. He was looking at her hopefully with a perfectly angelic expression. Realizing that it was a very sweet gesture on his part, she kissed him softly on the lips and said, "Not now."
James brightened. "That wasn't a vehement denial!"
"Wasn't it?" she asked coyly. The rest of the presents were opened later.
There had been little hints in between, but by now, James seemed to have given up begging. Maybe it was because they were in increasing amounts of danger, but he had seemed really stressed when Molly Weasley revealed she was pregnant with her sixth child a few months back. Not to the amount that Arthur was stressed out, of course, but Lily found that she and James were making more housecalls to the Weasleys' than they ever had before. When they were there, Molly and Lily gushed about the possibility it might be a girl while they puttered around in the kitchen, and James and Arthur talked in hushed voices in the sitting room, each looking very tired and stressed by the time dinner was ready.
So it was with extraordinarily nervousness that Lily slipped an envelope containing a small slip of paper on top of the pile of presents set at the foot of their bed on Christmas Eve.
Lily jolted awake when she heard James sit up in bed beside her the next morning. He looked over at her curiously, but she shut her eyes and hoped he thought she was still asleep. It seemed to have worked, because James only brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face and kissed her forehead softly, something he frequently did when he thought she was sleeping. Moments later, he reached for the envelope on the top of the pile and opened it with tentative curiosity.
There was no movement or sound for what seemed like minutes from James. Lily's heart was pounding in her chest hard enough that she was concerned James might be able to hear it from where he was sitting. Finally, the bedsprings shifted, and she felt a warm, protective arm slide around her waist and settle over her stomach.
"I like James II myself," he whispered, knocking some of her hair lightly aside with his breath.
She exhaled with relief and smiled. "You're mad," she told him. "I love you, but you're mad."
"Right, because 'Harry Potter' isn't a mad notion of a name for our son," he said, waving the note playfully in front of her face.
"What if it's a girl?" she asked him, finally opening her eyes and rolling onto her back to look at him.
James shook his head, unable to wipe the grin from his face. "He's definitely a boy." Lily smiled and rolled over once more, nestling her head against his chest. He instantly wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her lightly. "Oh, Lily, I'm so happy," he whispered.
"Are you?" she asked shakily, biting her lower lip in anticipation.
"God, yes." He swallowed hard.
"Are... are you worried?" she asked after a pause.
He hesitated. "No," he said finally.
She closed her eyes again and nodded. "Me too."