(3 months pregnant)
"I WANT YOU TO COME TO MY APPOINTMENT WITH ME." Diana whispered to James one day as they sat together in one of McGonagall's transfirguration classes. Normally James would have sat next to Sirius, but Sirius had waved them off, forcing them to sit next to one another.
Even though James and Diana had become friends over the last month, he knew he had hurt her and that she was still little uneasy about the entire situation. She was still thinking he didn't want to be involved in the baby's life, they hadn't really spoken about the baby at all, it seemed like something they were avoiding for the time when there wasn't a bump or physical evidence that the baby was really there, when really they were just trying to build a friendship at the time.
"Are you sure?" James asked, Diana just smiled at him and nodded, "of course, you are the baby's father remember, you have as much right to be there as I do." Diana told him, and James couldn't help but have a grin that he couldn't quite seem to wipe off his face.
"Brilliant, yeah totally, I'll be there. When is it?"
"Tomorrow, just before dinner. Is that okay?" Diana asked, and James nodded, still not having the smile off his face.
Sat in front of them, Sirius turned around. "Couldn't help but overhear, that's a lie I was forcefully listening, but anyway, can I come? Y'know, to see my godchild."
Diana rolled her eyes, "no Sirius, you cannot come to my doctors appointment, only people that have impregnanted me seem to be able to come to them."
"I can totally make that happen, sweetcheeks."
Diana made a disgusted face, while James slapped him on the back of the head. "Not in a million years Padfoot, get your own girl."
"Maybe I will," Sirius smirked at Diana, knowing she was blushing at James calling her his girl.
"Mr Potter and Mr Black, I suggest you stop with the talking before I give you more detention than you already have." McGonagall said to the pair of them, giving them a stern look.
"Sorry Minnie," both of them said, smiling sweetly to her.
--
The next day, James couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his face, excited for the appointment with Diana, to finally hear how their baby was doing. James didn't think he'd be this excited, especially when Diana first told him; but now James couldn't help but not be excited, his friends were excited and his parents were excited.
James had recently sent a letter to his parents, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret, especially with Sirius' loud mouth, so he thought it was something that had to be done, and his response from them was better than expected. They were shocked as any parent would be, but they were supportive, with his mother eager to go shopping for baby clothing and, most importantly, to meet his child's mother. Knowing his mother would like Diana, James had described who she was and what kind of person she was. He hoped Diana would meet his parents around time for Christmas, and vice versa.
The pair had concieved the child in the beginning of September, when they held a welcome party back in Gryffindor, and Diana was only three months along in the pregnancy. It was the beginning of December, and they were all set to return home for Christmas in a few weeks; all James had to do was persuade Diana to spend a few days with him and his family over the holidays; he would even offer Otto to accompany her, knowing how much he meant to her, almost treating him as her own child rather than her brother.
James had waited all day for the appointment, and he had agreed to meet Diana in the hospital wing because she had class just before Madam Pomfrey's visit. But it was finally time to leave; James had begun walking from the Gryffindor common room after spending a free period constantly checking the clock to ensure he wouldn't be late for the appointment.
Walking there as fast as he could, practically running, he accidentally ran into someone, making their books out of their hands. "I'm so sorry, let me help you." He said, bending down, picking up the books.
"Piss off, Potter." James looked up, he had bumped into Lily Evans, and Severus Snape was beside her, sneering down at James, while Lily just smiled at him.
"Severus don't be so rude," Lily told him, as she turned back to James. "It's okay James, what has got you in such a rush anyway?" She asked, as James just scratched the back of his head, not wanting to give too much away, this was still their secret, he definetly didnt want Severus Snape to be the first to know, the whole school would know within an hour if he found out.
"Oh, I just, um, just have somewhere too be, no where important." He told her, ignoring that fact that Snape was sneering at him the whole time. "With Marlowe's, Potter? A little birdie told me that she got herself knocked up, you the father Potter? Although even Marlowe couldn't possibly stupid enough to get herself knocked up by your devil child, even if she is a stupid Hufflepuff."
James couldn't help but get angry, not only was it Severus Snape who he hated anyway, but it was Snape talking about Diana and their baby. James couldn't even process the fact that somehow Snape knew she was pregnant, all he heard was calling Diana stupid, and if there was one thing Diana was, it wasn't stupid. "Shut the fuck up, Snape, you have no idea what you're on about, talking a load of bollocks as usual. Go and slither off somewhere else, why don't you."
Lily looked between the two of them, not quite believing what she was hearing, was Diana pregnant, and if she was, was that why she was around James and the other marauders so much? Because James was the father?
"James is that true? Is Diana pregnant? Is that why you haven't been bothering me as much? Because you're in a relationship with her now?" Lily asked, as James just sighed. He still liked Lily, it wasn't as if he could just get rid of the crush he had on he for the past six years, but things were different now, and he didn't know how to explain it to her, whether she liked him or not, she deserved an explanation, he knew it would be strange for him to be all over her to then nothing at all, but how could he explain to her that Diana was pregnant, the mother of his child, and well, he liked her as well.
"No Lily, look mine and Diana's relationship is complicated. But I haven't been bothering you because you don't want me to, I see that now, I could only take the rejection for so long Lils. It's our 7th year, it's time to see what it brings us, I though maybe it was just time to start over, I can imagine it was quite annoying me asking you out every 5 seconds, so i'm sorry." James told her, in the previous two months he had had to mature, that he had to open his eyes, and once he had, he could see why Lily had probably rejected him, because he was loud and boysterous and did things that embarrassed her. Lily was more closed off, she preferred simplicity, and she certainly disliked being the centre of attention, which was unavoidable when James publicly asked her out.
Lily was taken away, astounded that James had not only apologised but also matured, and she couldn't help but assume it was all to Diana Marlowe, the definition of kindness. Lily couldn't help but believe that she should be more envious of James' confession that he and Diana had a relationship, but she wasn't; she was delighted for them. Diana deserved someone to adore her, and if it was anything like how he adored Lily all these years, Lily knew she would be well treated; she was going to be loved not just by James, but also by his friends.
Unexpectedly to both James and Snapes surprise, Lily pulled James into a hug.
"If she is pregnant, you'll be great parents, look after her." Lily whispered, not wanting Severus to hear. Lily wasn't judging if she was pregnant, she knew things like this happened, she couldn't help but think that maybe this would be a good thing for James, gave him a sense of purpose, as sense of the real world, something to work for. It gave something for all the marauders to work for, she knew they thought without Hogwarts they would be lost, now they had something to be excited about, something to keep going for; and she knew the child would never not feel love, it would be one lucky baby.
Pulling away, James didn't know what to say. He knew then even if Lily knew, she wouldn't say anything, she wasn't the type to start spreading rumors, he knew the secret was kept safe with her. "I-i've got to go, see you later evans."
James left, practically running as Lily waved slightly. She smiled to herself, James Potter would be a good father, she knew that for sure.