Toy Frogs & Pale Blue Hats

I own nothing.

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James Potter was pacing the halls of the maternity ward in St Mungo's. He had been doing so ever since his wife Lily Potter had been admitted hours previously, and the only reason a track hadn't been worn into the floor was because the building was magical.

Sitting in a visitor's chair and watching his best friend pace was Sirius Black. He had come for moral support, as Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew (the other two in their barbershop quartet) were unable to be there.

As his wife's screams once again filled the air, James clenched his hands into fists, so strongly his knuckles turned white. Sirius stood up and put a comforting arm round his shoulder.

"Hey," he said, "It's going to be fine." James' features set into a scowl.

"We don't know that," he replied, "Maybe Lily might get some pregnancy-induced disease. Or our child could be stillborn. Or..." as James continued to ramble on about all the things that might happen, Sirius sighed and prayed for something to happen. Anything to get his best friend of ten years to quit working himself into a panic.

The door at the end of the hall opened, and both men swivelled towards it. Remus Lupin stepped through, and quietly shut the door behind him, "Hello James, Sirius," he said quietly as he walked to join them. "Has the baby been born?" he asked, and the other two shook their heads.

James began pacing again as the two men talked, sticking to light subjects. When the midwife finally opened the door, James nearly bowled her over in his haste to get to his wife. When he entered the room, though, he lost all his momentum, and stood in the doorway gazing rapturously at the sight.

His wife was lying in the bed, obviously exhausted, but on her face was a radiant smile ("Brighter than the sun," James would describe it as later. "It lit up the room.") directed at the bundle of blankets in her arms. He slowly (oh so slowly) walked towards her, an expression of complete awe on his face. Remus and Sirius followed behind, the former apologising to the midwife while the later tried (unsuccessfully) to flirt.

"James," Lily said, joy ringing through every syllable, "Look at him. Look at our beautiful baby boy." She turned the bundle towards him, and in the folds of fabric James saw a small face sleepily peering around. The boy's hooded green eyes (the same shade as Lily's, James noted) looked up at him, and Lily pointed at him.

"That's your dada," she said in a coo, placing a kiss on his forehead. "Would you like to hold him?" she asked her husband, who readily agreed. He covetously took the child in his arms, supporting his head in his arms.

"Padfoot," he said to the dog-Animagus (Remus was apologising to the midwife again, this time for his companions flirting attempts), a dopey smile on his face, "I'm a father." Only then did the full magnitude hit James, "I'm a father," he repeated.

A knock sounded on the door, and in walked a Healer, who went to converse with the midwife. Behind him entered Peter Pettigrew, who quietly closed the door behind him. "Sorry I couldn't make it in time," he said, putting a small present on the bedside table next to Lily ("Were we supposed to bring gifts?" Sirius asked Remus in a whisper).

"It's alright," said Lily from the bed, opening his present to find a pale blue baby hat. "Oh Peter, it's wonderful!" she exclaimed, motioning him over so she could give him a hug. Peter awkwardly accepted, moving closer to the bed.

"Hey Wormy, hands off my wife," James jokingly said. Sirius laughed as Peter sprang away, stuttering apologies.

"Ah, don't worry Wormy, he was only joking," said Sirius, still laughing. He made grabby-hands at the baby in James' arms, "Stop hogging the Prongslet, Prongs," he said, "I want to hold him."