Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter or Harry Potter related copyrights.
"I hate it when he goes on these missions," Lily confided to Sirius, still looking out of the window at the spot where James had met his auror team and disapparated only a minute before.
"I know you do," said Sirius softly as he slung his arm around her. "But look on the bright side: you get to live with me for a few days every time!"
Lily looked at him with her eyebrows raised. Her face completely serious, she said, "That's the bright side? I thought that it was a punishment for bitching about him going."
"Evans! I'm hurt!" gasped Sirius as he took back his arm and used it to clutch his chest.
"That's Mrs. Potter to you," she informed him playfully as she let the curtain fall back into place.
Sirius snorted. "You will always be Evans to me."
"Yeah, you and Moody just can't seem to wrap your heads around the fact that I have legally changed my last name even though that both of you were there when it happened last year," Lily mused as she made her way toward the kitchen.
"Personally I'm still in a state of shock; I lost a huge chunk of money that day. I was betting that you'd never actually marry that prat I call my best mate," Sirius joked as he trailed behind her like a dog attempting to wheedle a treat out of his master. "So what's for dinner?"
"You're favorite," Lily informed him perkily, temporarily forgetting about the danger her husband was diving headlong into as she spoke. "Pot roast!"
"Prongs can go away anytime," teased Sirius as his mouth watered while Lily lifted the lid and checked on the roast. "Moony only knows three recipes, none of which are pot roast, and Peter burns water. I never get to eat like this!"
"Not true," Lily disagreed. "You eat here four or five times a week!"
"But it's not the same," whined Sirius. "Usually you're cooking for James and I just show up and eat the food. No one ever cooks for me."
"Well tonight I am cooking for you," said Lily with a warm smile.
"I'm going to go unpack, and by that I mean put my bag of dirty clothes next to James's pile of dirty laundry and go look at all the nice clean clothes that are in my dresser."
"You know, James told me that if I married one Marauder I was really marrying all of them, but I thought he was kidding!" Lily called after him.
Sirius's bark-like laughter floated into the kitchen and Lily smiled.
She hated the fact that every time James went away he asked Sirius to move in and watch after Lily. She felt as if he was treating her as a defenseless child just because she wasn't a trained auror like he was. She often threw fits about the matter, but James just weathered them without surrender. Somehow he always ending up winning the battle and Sirius arrived on their doorstep only minutes before James departed.
However it was moments like this that Lily knew James was in the right. She hated being left alone. Never in her life had she lived alone; she went from living with her parents and sister to a dorm full of girls at Hogwarts to a flat with a few of her friends from Hogwarts, to living with James when they got married. Sirius had only been gone from the room for a moment, but already she was feeling that familiar tightening in her stomach, the cold feeling of fear creeping on her heart. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if he wasn't in the house.
Lily also knew why James always chose Sirius. It wasn't just because he was his best mate, it was more due to the fact that Sirius had the best poker face. If things went wrong, if James was late coming home, Sirius wouldn't let on. He would laugh, he would joke, he would distract Lily so that she wasn't even aware that her husband of a little less than a year could possibly be dead.
Also Sirius was like sunshine, he brightened every situation and kept things light. There was no better person than Sirius to keep you company in such dark times of stress and worry.
"You're brooding," Sirius commented as he hopped up on the counter next to Lily.
Startled, she jumped. Embarrassed that he had caught her off-guard, Lily blushed and returned to furiously chopping the potatoes.
"You know me, just thinking about everything that could go wrong," she joked weakly.
"I hope you're referring to all the things that could go wrong with my dinner," stated Sirius jovially.
Lily returned his wide grin with a weak one of her own. "How about you invite the boys over for supper? I've cooked enough for an army," she said changing the subject.
"How many are we talking?" asked Sirius.
"I could easily feed the two of us plus six people," Lily estimated.
"So I'll owl Moony and Wormtail…"
"And why don't you ask a few of the blokes from work? You're always telling me about them, but I have yet to meet them!"
"Sure," said Sirius brightly. "Most of 'em are in the same situation as me- no lovely bird to cook them dinner."
"Well what are you waiting for, send those owls," said Lily excitedly. "Tell them supper should be ready in an hour and a half."
Sirius provided a sizeable distraction, but there was nothing like a good dinner party to take her mind off of things.
Ninety minutes later Lily was plating the food as Sirius set the table. Sirius had just placed the last plate when the door rang. Peter and Remus were the first to arrive, but only minutes after them the other six guests stormed in, whirlwinds of laughter and stories, much like Sirius.
Introductions were made, and food was served. Lavish praise flowed freely from the mouths of the Gringotts curse-breakers, causing Lily to constantly blush. Crude jokes, and hilarious stories abounded. Lily found herself wishing that James was there too; he would have laughed so hard…
Almost as if Billy, one of Sirius's friends, could hear her thoughts, he asked, "So Lily, where is your husband? I think I'd like to throw him in a ditch somewhere. Then I could marry you and eat like this every night!"
Sirius kicked Billy under the table. Billy was a nice guy in his early thirties, but a self-proclaimed bachelor for life. Sirius now wondering if it really was a conscious decision; after his thoughtless comment, Sirius thought it might be more due to the fact that he obviously couldn't talk to women.
Lily took a calming sip of her wine and then answered, "Off on an auror mission currently. He should be home in a few days or so."
"Well, when he gets home be sure to tell him that we missed him," said Gus warmly. Gus was a widower of two years, and unlike his younger co-worker, was well versed in how to speak to women.
"I definitely will," Lily promised.
"And until then she gets to live with me! How lucky is she?" joked Sirius with his trademark full grin.
Without even planning it, the six other men at the table made sounds of disagreement. The snorts, scoffing, and ridicule, didn't even phase Sirius; he just laughed along.
"Any time you want to get rid of this bloke, you just owl me and I'll keep you company," offered Jeremy, a handsome man only a few years older than Lily.
"I wouldn't give her up without a fight," joked Sirius. "Her pot roast is too good!"
"A duel to the death then," suggested Jeremy good-naturedly.
"Now now boys, if you're going to be dueling then you have to take it outside. I detest cleaning up blood and guts; it ruins my whole day," said Lily light heartedly.
"Sounds as if you've had blood and guts to clean-up before," said Billy, once more in poor taste. Who in these times hadn't had the experience of needing to care for and clean up after a bleeding loved one? Especially when one was married to an auror and his rambunctious friends who ran around with a werewolf on a monthly basis… not to mention the whole Order of the Phoenix thing….
"You think Sirius and Jeremy are the first men to ever duel for my favor?" Lily asked him, her green eyes sharp like her wit as she surveyed Billy.
The Marauders saw her smirk and were instantly reminded of their missing friend. It wasn't hard to see why James had fallen in love with her; after one got past their obvious differences it was startling to see how truly similar they were.
Sirius, aided by Remus and Peter, then launched into many anecdotes about James fighting other blokes at Hogwarts when they expressed an interest in his Lily.
Soon the party moved into the kitchen as Lily washed the dishes and Remus dried. The others lounged around the kitchen table eating very healthy portions of homemade cake and nursing large mugs of coffee.
"Maybe it's good Prongs isn't here," Remus said quietly to Lily. "He would be mortified by some of these stories. He never wanted you to know some of them."
"Only one or two are truly new to me," Lily reassured him. "James may think he's uber clever and secretive, but there were not many secrets at Hogwarts. Usually the stories made their way to me sooner or later."
"He did some really strange things to get your attention," reflected Remus.
"Still does," smirked Lily.
"I don't think I want to hear those stories," said Remus as his face flushed. He had correctly guessed that the more recent stories were of a much more intimate nature.
"Imagine walking in on one," Sirius stated dramatically.
"Taught you to knock, didn't it?" said Lily as she blushed furiously, thinking of that particular episode.
"It's about time I head out," said Jack, the oldest of the group. His wife of thirty-two years had died five years previous, and although his kids tried to spend as much time as possible with him, they all had families of their own and so he was often left alone. "I'm babysitting the grandkids early tomorrow morning and I need all the sleep I can get; they're a right handful!"
After thanking his gracious hostess profusely and accepting a plate of leftovers, Jack departed. Soon after the rest of the guests trickled out, Remus and Peter being the last to go.
Around one a.m. Sirius and Lily finally found themselves alone.
"I'm glad I don't have to work tomorrow," said Lily as she unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn.
"I think I'll stay up a bit longer and then sleep until three!" declared Sirius. It was a well-known fact that Sirius preferred to sleep all day and stay up all night. "It's been a long week."
"And the next only promises to be longer," Lily muttered as she began activating the many wards on her home. "Shut off the lights when you come up?"
"Sure," said Sirius as he settled in the living room with a pile of newspapers. During the week he didn't have time to do the crossword puzzles because he was consumed by scanning the pages for the names of loved ones in conjunction with the words 'deceased' or 'attack.' But when the weekend rolled around, Sirius had a marathon of filling them in. In all likelihood he would be up until five or six working on them and then would sleep until three, at which point he would wake up and request Lily's assistance for the few words that eluded him.
Lily, very much a morning person, trudged up the stairs and quickly got ready for bed. She curled up on James's side of the bed, unable to sleep on her own side when he wasn't there. The emptiness was not as apparent because it was her body that was missing from that side, not his. Also his pillow smelled like him, and that somewhat comforted Lily, allowing her to fall into a light sleep.
Normally a deep sleeper, Lily's sleep was restless and sporadic without James by her side. As the days added up, so did the evidence of her poor sleep.
"James is gone again," guessed her friend and coworker Marlene McKinnon.
"Yup," answered Lily shortly as she took a huge swig from the cup of coffee Marlene had just handed her.
"Have you ever considered sleeping in a different bed while he's gone? Maybe a twin one?" suggested Marlene worriedly. Lily had dark circles under her eyes and her skin was abnormally pale. She also lacked her normal passion and spark. All-in-all Lily walked around like a zombie for several days every few weeks and it was beginning to take a toll on her life overall.
"I tried," sighed Lily. "I have slept in the guest room double bed, the other guest room single bed, the couch… I even rolled out a sleeping bag on the floor. The only way I can get any sleep is on his side of the bed."
"I think you need to look into some sleeping potions," expressed Marlene. "This just isn't healthy."
"He should be home this afternoon and it will be fine," said Lily determinedly.
Marlene sighed. "It will only be fine until he leaves again."
"I'm living from day to day right now Marlene. I'm taking each problem as it comes. Thanks for the coffee," said Lily as she dismissed her friend.
Marlene frowned, but walked away anyway.
James didn't come home that day or the next. One week later found Lily a near wreck. She was so sleep-deprived and worried that her boss ordered her to go home, and get some sleep by any means necessary. She stopped by the apothecary on her way home and finally bought a few different sleeping potions.
Initially she had been reluctant to use one because she was afraid she would sleep through an attack on her house, or worse not wake up when James finally did return. Now she had no choice. She resolved that she would only use them when Sirius was home.
As soon as he arrived home that evening she explained the situation and immediately used one of the potions. The lure of a full night's sleep had become too tempting to resist.
Although she wasn't happy about becoming dependent on the potions to get a good night's rest, Lily was pleased that she no longer looked like a banshee and was able to function at work.
Another week passed and James didn't show up. Lily still didn't panic. One mission had gone this long back when they were engaged and he had returned to her in one piece, perfectly fine. She knew he wouldn't be able to contact her in any way, for fear of blowing his cover, and for now Lily considered no news to be good news. Then news came.
After an Order meeting Moody pulled Lily aside.
"Mrs. Potter," he said gruffly.
Lily nearly fainted right then and there. Tears sprang to her eyes before she even heard the news.
"Potter and his entire team have gone missing. Day before last," stated Moody factually. "They had found a lead and were following it. We suspect that they were lured into a trap. Thus far there have been no demands or ransom requests. We have no idea about how many, if any, are still alive or what condition they are in. We're doing everything we can to find them."
Lily stuttered, "Th-thank y-y-you for te-ll-lling me, Alastor."
"Black," ordered Moody softly.
Sirius was at his side in a moment. Before he even had a chance to open his mouth, Moody ordered, "Take Mrs. Potter home."
Sirius's face hardened and he scooped the unresponsive Lily into his arms. The moment he made contact she dissolved into body-wracking sobs. Her cries didn't diminish for an hour. Sirius sat with her in his arms the entire time. When she finally tired herself out and fell into a restless slumber he summoned a blanket and covered the both of them as he made himself comfortable in the armchair. When he was sure that Lily was asleep he allowed silent tears to work their way down his cheeks. His best mate, his brother, was dead or worse.
Sunlight streamed into Sirius's eyes a few hours later. He summoned a quill, some ink and parchment and as best he could in his position, he hastily scribbled notes to his boss and Lily's, explaining that they were taking a few personal days. A soft whistle attracted both Lily and James's owls and the messages went on their way. Sirius then proceeded to stare out into space, memories flashing before his eyes.
Two weeks trudged by without any news. Lily was deteriorating in front of Sirius's eyes. Luckily her job in the Department of Mysteries enabled her to work on select projects at home. Her work was impeccable as always, though sporadic. Her boss, a widower himself, understood and was grateful that she was functioning at all.
Sirius continued to go to work every day, though his heart wasn't in it. The challenges and puzzles of curse-breaking had lost all allure for him. Remus stayed with Lily during the day and Sirius was grateful for that, but yearned to be home with her 24/7. She was the only one who truly understood the depth of his pain.
One evening at the changing of the guard, Remus murmured something of great concern to Sirius. It was a long-held suspicion of his and he had only been able to prove it that morning.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sirius asked, the multiple layers of hurt evident in his tone as he approached Lily, who was sitting in the living room reading.
"I didn't want you to have to handle another burden," Lily stated dispassionately. "I'm enough of a problem as it is."
"Number one: You. Are. Not. A. Problem. Number two: I could have helped you with this," Sirius told her as he squatted in front of her so that he was at her eye-level.
Lily didn't reply.
Sirius tapped her book twice and in place of "Advanced Charms for the Advanced Wizard" was "What to Expect When You're Expecting." "I was starting to wonder why you hadn't finished the charms book yet," gaped Sirius. "Remus is right then."
Lily nodded tearfully.
"Does James know?"
"No," she whispered. "I only found out a few days before he left and I didn't want him to be distracted while he was on a mission. I thought he would need more than a few days to let it settle in. I thought he would be back in a few days!"
"He'll be back," said Sirius surely. He and Lily rarely discussed James's absence, but when they did neither expressed false hope. They were both of the opinion that saying such things only served to make the matter worse. It was better to ignore the situation entirely than to lie about it and pretend everything was okay.
"I don't think so," sobbed Lily as she shook her head vigorously. "It's been over two weeks since they've disappeared. The search teams have already given up."
"If nothing else, have faith in the fact that James is fighting with every fiber of his being to get back to you. He would never abandon you, so do not abandon him. I believe that he will find his way back to you and your child."
"Oh Sirius," she cried as she flung her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you're here. I will never give you or James crap about being babysat ever again!"
"Don't worry, after the baby is born I'm sure that you will have more than enough reasons to scold us, because of course we will want to raise the baby as a proper Marauder, boy or girl, and you will want the kid to be a perfect little angel."
"If James comes home in time for the birth of this baby then he can raise him any way he wants," vowed Lily.
"I'm going to hold you to that," said Sirius with a smile that was only a ghost of his usual toothy grin.
Another month passed. The aurors had given up looking, but Lily and Sirius's hope only grew with Lily's abdomen. The rest of the world thought they were crazy. How could anyone be so upbeat during such a terrible period of time? Sirius and Lily knew that if they stopped smiling their hearts would break.
Lily had Sirius's coworkers over for dinner again. Sirius made sure not to invite Billy, not wanting anything offensive or insensitive to slip out of his mouth.
Although a small bump was now evident, Lily made sure to wear loose clothing around anyone outside of the very small circle of friends (Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Marlene) she had chosen to tell about her condition. She thought she had all of the men fooled, but Jack proved her wrong when he simply whispered "congratulations" as he hugged her good-bye.
"I have five children and twelve grandchildren; I know pregnant women," he quietly responded to her shocked expression. "I won't say anything."
"Thank you," Lily whispered in return.
"Get some rest, you look like you could use some," he advised as he departed.
Lily was now in the middle of her pregnancy and still her husband was M.I.A.. The only thing that kept her going was the baby growing inside her. That same baby was the driving force that kept Sirius functioning as well.
By this point Lily was slowly coming around to the fact that James might not return home. She didn't dare to utter the word 'dead,' even in her thoughts, but she was starting to think that he would be missing forever. She was grateful that she would clearly have the help of Sirius, Remus and her other friends to raise the child, but every day that she walked into the kitchen to find Sirius's sleek black locks instead of James's scruffy mop a little piece of her heart died.
It was a very ordinary morning. Sirius sleepily wished her and the baby a good morning as he chugged his cup of black coffee. She made herself a cup of tea and slathered a blueberry muffin with strawberry jam. She was halfway between the counter and the table when the muffin slipped out of her hand and landed jam side down on the floor. The mug followed and shattered on the floor, soaking the muffin with coffee.
Every muscle of Lily's body except her heart was frozen solid. It was as if she had been petrified, except for the fact that her heart was racing at a thousand kilometers a minute.
The sounds that had induced such a state repeated. At first Lily thought that it must have been an echo, a trick of her mind, but the sound increased in volume and pitch.
"James Potter!" screamed a feminine voice. "You have not been released yet! You have to come back to the hospital to be assessed and treated!"
James Potter did not answer, mostly because he was incapable of such an exertion. Pure adrenaline and love were the only things that powered his muscles enough to allow him to walk up the short walk and few steps to the door.
As he was stumbling closer and closer to his heart's desire, Sirius was gently escorting a stunned Lily into the hallway. He opened the door and facilitated the reunion he had dreamed about for months.
"Lily," gasped James as he tripped over the threshold.
"You're alive!" she said through her copious tears as she caught him and with Sirius's help stabilized him.
"He won't be for long," snapped the annoyed Healer as she entered the room. "He needs to come back to St. Mungo's."
"He will," Sirius assured the woman. "But right now this free man is hugging the wife he hasn't seen for months. Give them a minute."
"Sixty seconds," huffed the overworked and underpaid women as she consulted her watch.
There was hardly a centimeter of James that wasn't bloody, bruised or broken, but Lily somehow found the one clear spot on his cheek and kissed it softly.
"I'm coming with you," Lily promised.
She wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders and Sirius, taking the brunt of the weight, grabbed the other. They may have looked like a rag-tag band of fools, but never was there a happier trio.
Once they reached the curb, Sirius apparated with James and the two women followed him to the hospital. The Healer and her cohorts hauled James away for intense testing and treatment and left Lily and Sirius gaping in the lobby.
"He's back," whispered Lily as she turned to Sirius.
"Your baby will have a daddy," Sirius whispered back as he hugged her tightly.
Said baby suddenly kicked.
"He's happy," said Lily. "He's glad that his daddy is back."
"How do you know it's a boy?" asked Sirius as he rejoiced in the feeling of the tiny baby's movement.
"It's just a feeling I have," Lily shrugged. "I don't know for sure."
"Prongs is going to be thrilled when you tell him."
"Once he gets better I will," Lily stated.
Sirius went to quickly owl his fellow Marauders and Lily settled into a lobby chair, ready for a long wait. Before long Sirius and Remus and Peter joined her in the uncomfortable chairs. Hours passed without a word on James's condition. Remus and Peter fetched food and tea and magazines to make everyone more comfortable. Lily put various charms on the chairs to make them tolerable. Sirius entertained the group by reading the extreme stories printed in the Quibbler and Inquiring Wizards, two tabloids famous for their outlandish articles.
Approximately thirteen hours since James had been whisked away, Dorcas Meadowes, an Order member and talented Healer approached the group.
Remus shook Peter awake and Sirius nudged Lily.
"Great news," beamed Dorcas once all eyes were trained on her. "James should make a full recovery. It will be a couple of weeks of tough recovery, but he should be back to his old self in the end. I'm advising that he doesn't return to auror duty for five maybe six months…" Dorcas winked as she eyed Lily's stomach. She was clearly estimating how many more months until the baby was born so that James could spend the second half of Lily's pregnancy with her. "And my professional advice is also for you to take a leave of absence for the same amount of time Lily. He's going to need constant support and care in order to recover fully."
Lily grinned so widely Dorcas was afraid her face would split in half.
"Thank you Dorcas," Lily whispered as tears of joy and relief spilled down her cheeks.
"He's sleeping now, but you can all go and sit with him. He should wake up in the next couple of hours," said Dorcas. She then led the way to James's room and left the group alone.
"Healer Meadowes, this is the intensive hall," remarked a co-worker sternly. "You know that only immediate family is allowed in the rooms."
"That's his wife and three brothers," retorted Dorcas. "They are his immediate family."
The Healer huffed but walked away. Dorcas smiled once more as she thought about the strong bonds among the men and the one and only honorary Marauder.
After seeing that James was truly alive, albeit battered and bruised, and on the way to recovery with their own eyes, the Marauders left Lily alone with her husband and went home to catch a few hours of sleep, promising that they would be back in the morning.
Lily sat in the chair at James's bedside and held his hand in hers. For a long time she was content to just watch the steady rise and fall of his chest. But soon her emotional needs were soothed and her physical needs caught up to her. The need for sleep weighed heavily upon her, but the chair was not at all comfortable. The bed however… well it was a hospital bed and didn't look as comfortable as her bed back home, but James was there and that was enough for her.
She wasn't as nimble or thin as she had been five months ago, but Lily still managed to fit alongside James in the bed. As soon as she curled up against his side she sighed and fell into the best sleep she had had in months.
Many hours later Lily awoke to the feeling of someone watching her. Slowly she opened her eyes and was met by the hazel eyes of the person she loved most.
"Over the past few months I've had a lot of dreams like this," James whispered in a raspy voice.
"So have I," Lily whispered back as the tears began to fall.
James slid one arm under Lily and pulled her into a one-armed hug against his chest. He rubbed her back slowly as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"I was so scared," she cried.
"So was I," he whispered as his tears fell into her hair.
"You've changed," he murmured into her ear some time later. He had been running his hand up and down her side, reacquainting himself with the curves of her body and had come across the bump that hadn't been there when he had left.
Figuring now was as good a time as any, Lily took his hand in hers and placed it right on top of her swollen abdomen.
"James I would like you to meet your baby," Lily said softly, her voice overflowing with emotion.
James stared in pure awe at the miracle residing underneath his fingers tips. His gaze shot back up to Lily's face as the little bundle of joy pushed against his palm.
"The baby knows you," she whispered with a smile. "The first time it kicked was when I found out you were back."
"We're going to have a baby," James said quietly.
"He or she is due at the end of July," Lily informed him.
"Halloween," chuckled James as he counted back nine months. Lily blushed as memories of that particular night flooded her mind.
"I missed you," said Lily.
"Tell me all about it," requested James.
With that Lily launched into the story that spanned the entire time James was gone. She was just finishing when the other Marauders sauntered in. She made a move to get off the bed, knowing that her relationship with James often made some of his friends uncomfortable, but his arm was unrelenting.
"They can deal with it," he told her softly. "You're not going anywhere."
Lily smiled and snuggled back up to him.
Hours passed pleasantly. The news of James's return had spread throughout their circle of friends and the stream of well-wishers was constant. Lily only left James's side to make frequent trips to the bathroom.
It was after coming back from one of these trips that Lily found that James was scooting from one bed into another.
Dorcas smiled at her. "I figured that since you were going to be staying here with him, you might as well do it in comfort. I pulled some strings and got you one of the bigger beds."
"Thanks Dorcas," said Lily gratefully as she gave her friend a warm hug.
The days flew by and soon James was well enough to be released. Lily was all smiles as she walked next to James through the halls of the hospital. Many Healers and Healers-in-training, wished both Potters luck as they passed the couple.
When James and Lily walked through their front door they were delighted to see that all of their friends had gathered in their front hallway to invite them home.
Lily smiled as she read the lopsided banner that spanned the room: "Welcome home James!"
"What no welcome for me?" asked Lily as Sirius as she greeted him with a hug.
Sirius chuckled. He summoned some parchment and a quill and then attached the 'and Lily!' sign to the bottom of the banner. "Happy now?" he inquired.
"Ecstatic," she assured him.
The party went very smoothly. When dinnertime rolled around Lily panicked, knowing that whatever food had been in the house was long since expired. That was when Sirius's co-workers brought out various dishes and plates full of food.
"It's not anything compared to your cooking," began Jeremy.
"But we wanted to repay you for your kindness," continued Jack.
"And so we cooked for you this time," finished Gus.
"You guys are so sweet!" she cried as she hugged each of them in turn. "Thank you," she added as her eyes glistened with tears.
The hours passed in enjoyable company. Most of the Order, many of James's auror friends and their families, including many aurors who had gone missing with him, Lily's friends from work, and various other extended family and friends surrounded the deliriously happy couple.
Finally James couldn't hold back anymore. "Attention everyone," he called. "Lily and I would like to announce that we're expecting a baby to arrive in late July."
A great cheer of joy and congratulations rang out; it was so loud that it caused the china plates and bowls to shudder on their shelves.
Before anyone knew it, it was two in the morning. Reluctant to go, but aware of the physical conditions of their hosts, people begrudgingly left. The Marauders lovingly offered to stay to clean up as Lily went up to bed. James was on his way, but before he went up he pulled Sirius aside.
"Listen Padfoot," said James in a low voice. "I just wanted to say thanks. Lily told me about how you were there for her every step of the way when I was… gone. I don't think I can ever repay you for that."
Sirius pulled his brother into a tight hug as James's voice shook and his shoulders shuddered with barely repressed emotion.
After Sirius had released him, James said, "There was only one way we could think of to truly thank you…"
"Really mate, no thanks is necessary," interrupted Sirius.
Ignoring him James continued, "We'd like for you to be the baby's godfather. You kept the baby and his mother alive during all this and so we think you deserve to be a huge part of raising him."
"Wow," said Sirius in shock. He knew James trusted him with his life, but he had never thought anyone would trust him with the life of his or her child. "You're sure Lily's on board with this? Doesn't she think I'll corrupt the kid?"
"It was her idea," said James softly. "And I couldn't agree more."
"I can barely take care of myself never mind a baby…" muttered Sirius in concern.
"We trust you," stated James firmly. "If anything ever happened to Lily and me, we would trust you completely to do the best thing for the baby. So will you take the job?"
"Hell yes!" shouted Sirius as he assaulted James with a bear hug.
"Got a couple of healing ribs," wheezed James.
"Sorry mate," Sirius apologized sheepishly.
"Night godfather," teased James.
"Night dad," Sirius shot right back.
"I still can't believe that I'm going to me a dad. Me a dad?"
"You'll be great. You and Lily both will be amazing parents."
"Well you turned out okay and we can't possibly screw up more than your parents," joked James.
"No," laughed Sirius softly. "You'll be like your parents. With his great genes and good upbringing, your kid will probably grow up to save the world."
"I'd be satisfied if he was happy, healthy, and marginally successful," said James wistfully.
"Are you coming James?" Lily called down the stairs.
"Your beloved is calling," Sirius laughed.
"My better half," said James with a grin. "See you late Padfoot, and thanks for everything."
"It was my pleasure. Get a good night's sleep; don't let Lily keep you up too late," Sirius bantered.
James chuckled as he walked up the steps.
"He said yes?" Lily inquired through her yawn.
"He was very excited about it," added James as he stripped down to his boxers and tee-shirt.
"Good," said Lily simply, her eyes heavy with fatigue.
"I love you," he said as he slipped under the blankets next to her. He kissed her softly and sweetly and then planted a kiss on her stomach. "And I love you too little one," he whispered.
"We love you too," Lily informed him. "And we're glad that you're home."
"I've never been happier to be home in my entire life," said James, his eyes wet.
"Me too," said Lily with the same raw emotion in her voice. "I feel like I haven't been home in just as long, because it wasn't home without you."
"You won't ever feel like that again," James promised. "First thing tomorrow I'm writing a letter to Moody telling him that when I go back to work I'm strictly a desk guy. Being home every night is something I'm never giving up again."
"Sounds like heaven," said Lily sleepily as she snuggled further into the blankets and the warmth of her husband. "To be home everyday."
"Welcome to heaven."
"Welcome home."
James stayed true to his word. Although there were times he missed the thrill of being in the field, when he strolled through his front door at five o'clock on the dot every day and picked up his son and kissed his wife all thoughts of the field flew from his mind. To be home was the most important thing.