Disclaimer: Don't own HP.

Found this rattling around in my files– wrote it four years ago and I'm not sure why I didn't post it before, but I figured I might as well. Keep in mind that the quality might not be great (again, wrote this four years ago).

8

"James?" Lily Potter's eyes were empty, almost devoid of emotion as she greeted her husband from the faded brown armchair. His eyes immediately took in her chewed fingernails as she picked at a loose thread, her grim expression, her thin, bony hands and her coarse hair. "You're home," she said finally, her voice weary yet harsh.

"Yes…" he murmured, confused. Surely this was all a trick. Surely Lily couldn't be this run down.

With sharp movements Lily rose to her feet, clapped her hands and walked over to the kitchen, her shoes clacking on the wooden floor. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come."

"Lily…" James called after her with a sigh, eyes trained on her as she took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with tap water, "We knew about the risks when I became an auror. We knew I'd have to be away for long periods of time. We knew about the sacrifices we'd have to-"

"James Potter," Lily yelled suddenly, the glass dropping from her hand and shattering on the floor, "Don't you dare lecture me about sacrifices! I would have gladly gone out with you, helping the healers and administering potions, but I stayed here, alone, because you asked- no begged me to be safe. Day after day without a word from you…" She shook her head, "Day after day waiting, hoping that you might have checked in with Remus, the only one of you who makes time to call."

James slowly tried to approach his wife, his hand reaching over to gently pat her shoulder as he whispered, "Lily, I-"

"No!" she cried out, flinching away from him, "I am not a child anymore James, and neither are you. At least have the decency to listen when I talk to you."

James' temper finally reached a boiling point and he sputtered, "For Merlin's sake Lily, people are dying out there! This isn't just about us, Dumbledore asked for my help. I have an obligation to the wizarding world."

"So do I."

"I don't want to lose you!"

"What about me? If you died…" She gasped and shook her head. When she looked up, her eyes were haunted. "I couldn't go on without you James."

"Couldn't you Lily? Sirius would support you, and so would Remus."

Her eyes widened with disbelief and she leaned over the counter faintly. "Don't… don't you dare say a thing like that ever again, you hear me? I… Don't… Just… Oh!" Her eyes rolled back and she became limp. James ran to her side, catching her before she fell, and immediately hoisted her up, noting painfully just how thin she had become, before dissaparating.

"Help!" he cried, apparating in St. Mungo's, "I need help! My wife…" His voice broke as he lifted her head against his. Immediately she was out of his hands, carried away in a wheelchair by healers.

"Please wait here," a kindly woman told him, "We'll take care of her. Now, if you could just fill out the paperwork." James slumped down in the green plastic chairs in the waiting room, taking the witch's quill in his hand, but as he filled in the lines he couldn't help replaying the scene from home over and over again. What had happened? Had Lily always been so miserable? And why wasn't Remus taking better care of her! He'd promised. She didn't look like she'd been eating right at all. He decided he'd stay, at least for a while. Surely Dumbledore could work something out. Just long enough to get Lily healthy again. As he nodded to himself, Remus apparated in the waiting room.

"Speak of the devil," James muttered, and then rose to his feet.

"Prongs," Remus said, a sad look on his face, "I came as soon as I heard. The healers owled me." James took a double-take, his anger momentarily subdued. Remus was a mess as well, his tattered robes worse than ever and a fresh scar across his face.

Then the thought of Lily feeling so alone hit him and he gritted his teeth. "I told you to take care of her, Lupin! I trusted you!"

Remus remained calm and James frowned. Was that pity in his eyes? "There's… There's something you don't know James. Lily wanted to… She wanted to keep it a secret." A brief smile graced his face, and then the sad look again. "I suppose I should tell you."

"What? What happened?" James' face was wild with wonder and fear. What could be so terrible that she hadn't wanted to tell?

"She's…"

A healer suddenly dashed into the room. "Mr. Potter," the man called sternly. James and Remus both looked up. The man gasped for breath, then approached at a steady jog before murmuring, "You didn't tell us your wife was pregnant."

"Wha… What?" James stuttered.

"Congratulations," Remus whispered, though in retrospect it may not have been the best timing.

"You knew. You knew and you didn't tell me!" James roared, the veins of his face ready to burst.

"Mr. Potter…" the man tried to cut in.

"Silence!" James ordered, "Why didn't you tell me Remus?"

"Lily wanted to tell you," Remus pleaded, "She wanted to surprise you! But then… you didn't come back when you were supposed to, and she was worried that… Well, quite frankly, we were all worried. It's been really hard on her, the baby. I swore not to breathe a word of it to anyone because if I hadn't… she was so weak James. It was heart-breaking."

"Mr. Potter!" the man interrupted.

"What now?" James cried out.

The man sighed in relief, "You're wife is quite alright. It was the pregnancy taking a toll on her, that's all. If we'd known, it would've been much easier. You can come see her now, she's taken a potion to restore her strength."

"I… okay. Where is she?"

"Right this way, sir."

Remus started to follow and James shook his head. "Not now Remus. I can't… just stay here." Remus nodded slowly and then, like a child about to be grounded, made his way to the farthest corner of the room. James shook his head, overwhelmed, and ran after the healer.

Lily's hands rested over her stomach protectively and she watched him carefully when he entered the room. The healer stood by the door for a moment and then left, closing the door behind him.

"I know about the baby," James said finally. Lily let out a breath of air, sounding defeated. "That's why you want me to stay, isn't it," he continued.

"I won't let him be an orphan James. He's going to need a father, and I can't be his mother without you," she said fiercely, hope in her eyes and voice.

James leaned forward and settled on the hospital bed beside her. "He?"

She nodded, "It's a boy."

James looked into Lily's beautiful green eyes and brushed her hair out of her face. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I… I was so scared…" Her voice broke and she curled into James' arms. "I thought you might never come back."

"I'll stay," he whispered into her lovely red hair, "For you. For the baby. I'll stay."

She gasped, then flung her own arms around his neck, murmuring, "That means the world to me James."

He offered her a weak smile and patted her stomach lightly, answering, "Me too."

"Harry," she whispered, her eyelids growing heavy.

"Hmmm?" James asked.

"I'd like to call him Harry. Harry James Potter."

"Harry it is then."