Lily was not the kind of girl who got pregnant right out of school. Petunia was that kind of girl. Petunia had never had the desire to do anything but marry a man with a stable job, live in a clean, quiet suburb, and raise happy little children. She was the girl who settled into a picture perfect life as soon as she was grown. But Lily? Lily was meant to have adventures. She was meant to work at interesting jobs and travel the world and meet all kinds of people. She wasn't supposed to have children until years later when she was old enough and wise enough to know who she was. When she knew for sure she'd chosen the right career and the right partner.
And yet here se was, barely more than a year out of school, only nineteen years old, staring down at a positive pregnancy test. Really four positive pregnancy tests: two muggle and two magical.
There was a knock on the bathroom door.
"Lily?" It was James. "Lils? Did you take the regular one? I really don't think the muggle ones can be trusted. I mean, Muggles can't even..."
He broke off as Lily pulled the door open.
"It's positive," she croaked. "They're all positive."
James stayed quiet. He was doing his best to maintain a neutral expression, but he'd never been good at hiding his feelings, especially from Lily. His eyes shone with excitement and his lips were pinched in that particular way they did when he was trying to suppress a grin.
"It's not the right time," said Lily.
"They say it never is," James replied, his voice carefully measured.
"We're at war," Lily said emphatically
"I know that."
"We don't have real jobs."
"We have plenty of money."
"We're not married."
"We can get married."
Until she met James Potter, Lily thought she saw the world through rose-colored glasses. But while it was true she had a tendency to see the best in people and to trust the world around her, nothing compared to James's unassailable belief that everything in his life would continue to work out right. And who wouldn't have that kind of confidence if they had a life like his? For the first eighteen years of his life, James had never encountered a problem that couldn't be overcome with minimal effort and a cheeky attitude. Nothing ever came uneasily to him. And even with all they'd been through lately, what with the war, the loss of their friends, and James's parents getting sick, he still couldn't imagine an obstacle he couldn't handle.
Lily knew what he was imagining right now. A sweet, fat-cheeked baby, maybe with his smile and her freckles, giggling at his magic tricks. Tiny little clothes, mostly in Gryffindor colors of course. Flying lessons with him and Sirius as soon as the kid could sit up on its own. But she was thinking about all things James would never consider, the things he would brush off if she worried out loud. The constant danger a half-blood child with parents in the Order would face. Missions that would become a hundred times more terrifying if they knew they could be leaving their child an orphan.
"Lily," James said gently and she knew her face must be betraying her fears. "This is a good thing, isn't it?"
Lily looked down, her eyes filling with tears.
James took her hand. "I know it's scary. But it's a baby, Lils. It's you and me. It's going to be great."
"But what if something happens?" Lily practically whispered.
"We won't let it. I know us and I know our friends and we won't let anything happen to this kid." He pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly. Lily let herself sink into his chest and let out a long sigh. He was right of course. James Potter might have an unbelievably positive outlook, but when had it ever failed him?
They stood there for a few moments, until Lily, her face still buried in James's shirt, felt him reach around to pull his wand out of his pocket.
"What're you doing?" she asked, her voice muffled.
James paused a second before answering, slightly sheepishly, "Sending a message to Sirius."
Lily laughed and hugged him tighter. Even if it wasn't the right time and she wasn't the right girl for this, at least she'd chosen the right man.