The babies were small little things with whisps of black hair across their heads and confused-looking eyes that stared up at whoever leaned over to look at them. Jasper and Meg each held one, switching so they could take equal turns with them, and Lily's eyes were all gooey as she stared over Meg's shoulder and James rearranged the chrysanthemum stems in the vase as he bit his lip nervously and watched as Lily cooed and oogled over the twins. "They're so beautiful, you two," she said, teary, "You've done such a brilliant job of it."
Lily couldn't stop talking about how wonderful the babies were, and her heart grew about a hundred sizes when Oliver got to hold baby Frankie and Kevin held baby Farah and the other boys gathered 'round to see, too, and Eli asked how come the babies weren't talking and Michael said, "They were just born, dummie, they don't talk 'til they're like a month or two old."
"Try a year or two," Oliver said.
"What? That long?" Nathan asked, "But how do we know what they want to watch on telly if they can't talk?"
"I don't think they'll care about telly if they can't talk," Kevin said, rolling his eyes.
Wally hovered back, smiling as he watched Oliver's excitement, and James nudged Wally's shoulder at one point, "I'm sure he's glad you're here," he said encouragingly.
Wally nodded.
When the time came and visiting hours were ending, Jasper kissed the babies and promised Meg he'd be back in the morning to see her, and they all filed out of the room, saying goodbye to Meg and the twins as the mediwitch and nurse came to bring the babies back to the nursery.
"Oh hello Mrs. Potter!" the mediwitch said, recognizing her from the sonogram appointment. "Where's Moral Support?" she joked. "Is this the elusive Mr. Potter?"
Lily gave her a wide-eyed look to stop talking, and said quickly, "Yes this is Mr. Potter."
The mediwitch smiled and nodded, flushing and turned away, focusing on Meg and the twins.
James looked at Lily as they were walking down the hall a moment later, "How'd that mediwitch know you?" he asked.
"I had an appointment the other day for a checkup," Lily said hurriedly, then quickly stepped ahead to talk to Jasper.
Jasper hugged Lily before he turned and thanked James for coming. Sirius had already headed home after catching a glimpse at the twins, and Jasper asked Lily to tell Sirius thanks for having come, too. She promised she would and James congratulated Jasper again and Jasper hugged him and murmured, "Soon it'll be your turn in there," to James as they said bye.
James glanced at Lily, who was talking to Eli and Nathan across the room, then back to Jasper, "Maybe," he said in a tone that sounded like someone who'd rather given up on the idea.
Jasper patted James's shoulder, "Hang in there, mate."
Oliver and Wally said bye then and they took the floo back to Flitwick's office with the special password in, and Lily kissed Eli's cheek and bid the boys all goodnight and congratulations on becoming big brothers as Jasper herded everyone off through the floo back to Diagon Alley, back to their flat over the ice cream parlor. Lily turned to James, "Ready to go home?"
"I'm exhausted honestly," James said, nodding his agreement.
Lily smiled and laced her fingers through his and they went to the disapparation hall and apparated away from Mungo's.
James let Lily lead the way and they ended up in the street of Godric's Hollow, down the lane from their house, at the foot of Godric Gryffindor's statue at the fountain. They both stood there, lingering a moment, rather than turning immediately to walk home. It was quite dark by now, the stars and moon overhead and the street lamps glowed. Water splashed in the fountain and James stood staring up at it, his hands in his pockets as he stared at Godric's benevolent face carved into the granite. James fished about in his pocket and found a knut. He stared up at statue and closed his eyes, holding the knut tightly. After a moment's wishing, he tossed the coin into the pool at the Founder's feet with a little splash.
Lily watched, biting her lip.
"James?"
"Mhm?"
"What'd you wish for?" she asked.
James stared at the blurry image of the coins down in the floor of the fountain and wondered if the sickles he and Lily had thrown in before their seventh year were still in there somewhere? "I can't tell you or it wouldn't come true, would it?" he asked.
Lily whispered, "What if it already has?"
"What? Come true?" he glanced at her.
Lily nodded.
James stared at her for several long moments, then he slowly, very carefully murmured, "Bit of a miracle if it has," he said, "So I'm told."
"Well what if you and I are in the business of miracle making, Mr. Potter?" Lily's voice was quiet, edged with excitement only just barely contained.
"Evans?" James's voice shook, not daring yet to believe what his mind was thinking.
She reached into her jumper pocket and withdrew one of the sonograms the mediwitch had created. "Surprise, Potter," she whispered and she put the picture into his hands.
James stared at the picture, holding onto it as though it were the most hallowed object he'd ever beheld. His fingers cradled the photo carefully, nose flared slightly, and he looked up at Lily after several moments of not moving. She thought of those cartoons where a person's eyes go heart-shaped... James's eyes were about as close to that as a person's face is physically able to be.
"Alright, Potter?" she asked after a moment, mimicking his usual tone.
He looked up from the sonogram picture and stared at Lily for a moment, a smile slowly hiking his upper lip onto his tooth. Then he stepped up to her and pulled her into his chest, arms locking tight around her torso, and pressed his face into her hair. She laughed into his shoulder, nuzzling into him.
"Are you happy, James?" she asked.
She felt him nod and his arms hugged her even tighter.
"I'm happy too," she said.
He let out a gasp of a laugh, but still held onto her.
She could feel a hundred emotions pouring through her husband and was so thankful he'd let her love magic him because the ocean's depth of love roaring just under his silence was so strong it was nearly overwhelming.
"I'm gonna be a Dad," he whispered.
"Early on in July," Lily said.
"You're gonna be such a good Mum!" he exclaimed pulling back from the hug and holding her at arm's length. "Oh my Godric, you're going to be a Mum, Evans!"
"I am!" she squealed excitedly.
James held the photo up and looked at it again and he said, "It doesn't look like much of a baby yet, but it will soon, I reckon?"
"Yes, he will soon," Lily answered, laughing as James grinned at the picture. He turned suddenly and held it up to her stomach. "What are you doing?" Lily laughed.
"Just... wrapping my head around it."
Lily smirked at him, "You're such a nutter, Potter."
"Early July, you said?"
"Yes," Lily nodded.
"Oh Gods we have so much we have to do to get ready!" James exclaimed. "We've got to prep that extra room and get it all ready and we have to tell my Mum and the dogs - oh Sirius is going to lose his mind! And Remus - Remus is going to be telling us all of the baby facts. You're going to be so cute pregnant with the round belly and all. Evans! You're pregnant! I have to get you chocolate pudding and crisps and all the things you're craving! What are you craving? Should we got to the market on the way home? Or - no you should be laying down! I should go to the market for you. What do you want me to get? Anything you want, just name it and it's yours. I'll rub your feet. D'you want a foot massage? Or neck message? Which hurts more? OH is this why you were throwing up the other day? Morning sickness? Bloody hell you were really going at it, is it that bad, really? Evans, seriously, what are you craving and I'll --"
"James! Oh my stars, you're going to give me whiplash talking at that speed."
"Sorry Evans," James said, "I just - I feel so --"
She could feel it, coursing through him, jittery and panicked and excited and joyous and overwhelmed and -- so many things, she couldn't even keep up with them herself, not to mention how he must feel.
"Alright, let's go home before you spin out of control," she laughed, "I don't need anything from the market. We have roast at home to re-heat and eat for dinner, remember?"
"Yeah! The roast!"
"I'll take you up on the neck massage but not because it hurts just because that sounds rather lovely and when you're done I'll give you one back." She took his hand and started leading him along the sidewalk back to the Potter Cottage, "And yes it was morning sickness, and -- oh James, I'm sorry, Sirius already knows, but --"
"You told him already?" James looked disappointed.
"Well - no. He's had morning sickness all week with me."
James stopped walking. "Sorry, he what now?"
Lily laughed. "The love magic? I told you how we did the magique amour on one another?"
"Yes," James said warily.
"Well, Sirius is feeling all my nausea from the pregnancy through the love magic."
James stared at her.
"He's been feeling my nausea and nerves and everything and -"
James shook his head, "Ohhhh poor Remus. Phantom Pregnancy Padfoot!"
They got back to the cottage and James held open the creaky gate for Lily. "I gotta get out here to fix that thing," he muttered.
"I sort of like that it creaks," Lily said. "I heard it open earlier when you got home and it was such a comforting noise. I knew you were here because the gate announced it." She smiled.
"Yeah but it's broken," James complained.
Lily said, "But so what if we like it that way?"
"If it falls off the hinge you won't like it that way."
"If it falls off the hinge then you can fix it."
Inside, it was a couple flicks of the wrist and the fireplace was alight again, the roast back in the oven reheating, and James was setting the table for the pair of them while Lily changed into her pyjamas. James set a couple candles on the table, flickering dimly, and he set some music playing quietly - James Taylor's Greatest Hits, which Sirius had gifted to them and was one of Lily and James's favorite records.
There's something in the way she moves
Or looks my way, or calls my name
That seems to leave this troubled world behind
If I'm feeling down and blue
Or troubled by some foolish game
She always seems to make me change my mind...
And I feel fine anytime she's around me now
She's around me now
Almost all the time...
When Lily came downstairs, he smiled at her pink stiped pyjamas and her hair in a ponytail on her head and he said, "The perfect date night ensemble." He kissed her softly and his hand moved from her hips to her belly and he paused. "What do babies eat, Evans?"
"Baby food," Lily replied.
"We have to buy baby food."
"I'm thinking it can wait until the baby's a bit closer to being here. End of June at the earliest, Potter," she laughed, catching his wrist and pulling him back. "No need to rush off to the market now, darling."
James laughed, "Right."
"Are you going to be like this for nine months?" she asked. "Heading off to market every five seconds?"
"Most likely."
Lily shook her head, but her eyes were sparling. "James?"
"Yes Evans?"
"I love you so much," she said. "I hope our baby is exactly like you."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"I love you too," he said, and he added, "And for both our sakes I hope our baby isn't like me or else we're in for a good many years of trouble."
Lily said, "But at least he'll be a generous, funny, lovable little troublemaker."
"Not a toerag?"
"Our toerag."
James smiled.