A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for the QLFC and Hogwarts. Prompts are below :)
Voodoo Magic Task 10: Write about a doting husband
Word Count: 2953
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling
Note: This is an AU where Voldemort never existed
Chaser 2: "Now this is exactly why the doctor changed his number on us." - Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Optional Prompts:
(word) chivalrous
(quote) "I reserve actual terror for only the most special of occasions." - Monstress, Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
(song) Real Good Life - The Mowgli's
Note: A million thanks to everyone who helped me with this fic, especially Kim and her mother, Jane, Grace, and my mom! Y'all were amazing, and I can't thank you enough. I am not going to pretend to be an expert when it comes to pregnancies, so any inaccuracies are my bad.
Warnings: Language, non-graphic pregnancy-related things that probably don't need a warning.
Enjoy!
I.
Lily was grinning as she fished her keys out of her coat pocket. Her cheeks were flushed from the crisp November air, but her eyes couldn't have been brighter.
She entered the cottage she shared with her husband in Godric's Hollow with a spring in her step. She called out to James, who immediately came pounding down the stairs when he heard her voice; he wanted to hear the results of the blood tests just as much as she had.
He stopped a few feet in front of her. His hazel eyes were wide. "Lily?"
Lily beamed at him, holding her arms out to the side. "The rabbit died, James!" she exclaimed.
"Wait—the rabbit?" The excitement in James' eyes had been replaced by confusion.
Lily's hands dropped to her side. "It means—oh, never mind. Muggle expression. The point is, I'm pregnant."
A breathless laugh escaped James' lips. "Really?" He ran his hands through his hair, both stunned and awed. "Lily, that's—that's brilliant!"
He rushed forward and embraced her, and Lily buried her face in his neck. Their child was growing inside of her—a child that was half her and half the man she loved. She didn't have the words to explain how amazing that truly was.
"I'm going to be a father," James murmured. "I'm going to be a father." Suddenly, he stiffened in her arms. "Oh shit. I'm going to be a father."
Lily was startled by the abrupt change of atmosphere. "James?"
"Merlin, what if I drop the baby?"
"You're not going to drop the baby," she said firmly. "You're the best Chaser Hogwarts has ever seen. Your reflexes are better than anyone's I know. You're not going to drop the baby."
James seemed satisfied with this for all of three seconds before a new terror seized him.
"What if Sirius drops the baby?"
Well. That one was harder to reason away.
II
Lily was hunched over the toilet bowl, vomiting, and cursing Sirius Black's very existence.
"Lily!" James was hovering behind her, unsure what to do. He crouched down and pulled some sweaty strands of red hair out of her face. "Should I call the doctor?"
Lily spat out some of the bile in her mouth. "No," she choked out. "No, this is normal. It's okay."
Sirius, who was standing in the doorway, decided to make things difficult. "I don't know, Prongs, she looks pretty sick to me. It won't hurt to check, will it?"
"James," Lily warned, "don't you dare. He's just trying to rile you up."
James bit his lip. "But it's called morning sickness, you said. This has been happening all day for the past two weeks—"
"It's different for—" She interrupted herself to be sick again. She gave herself a moment to recover before continuing. "It's different for every woman, James. Sometimes it happens all day, and sometimes it doesn't."
James gently began massaging the space between her shoulder blades, and Lily almost moaned with relief. The tile floor was cold against her knees and her skin was clammy, but there was something grounding about his hand on her neck.
James pressed a kiss to her temple. "I just don't want to find out the hard way that something isn't right."
Lily sighed. "I know. But there's nothing wrong here."
James didn't look entirely convinced, and Lily resigned herself to several long months.
III
One afternoon found James and Lily in their sitting room with Remus and Sirius, watching the telly. Currently, Sirius was trying to convince James that the baby would inherit his Animagus powers—Lily smugly watched Remus twist around to hit his friend in the back of the head. Life, she thought, was good.
Lily sat back in her chair and watched the soap opera that was the Marauders, a bowl of sunflowers seeds in her lap.
After several minutes of the three men's banter, James looked over at his wife, his hazel eyes sparkling behind his glasses. "Hey, Lily. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Lily perked up. "Italian for dinner?"
James blinked. "Er, no. We've had Italian four times this week already."
Lily frowned. "James, I'm carrying your child. We're getting Italian."
Remus grinned, his amber eyes sparkling. "You can't argue with that, Prongs."
James' brow was creased with concern. "Is it healthy though, Lily? Maybe I should call the doctor to make sure—"
"Prongs, please," Remus interrupted before Lily could explode. "The doctor said cravings were normal."
James opened his mouth to say something, but Lily cut in. "James. A word?"
She led him out of the room into the hallway, her hands on her hips. "Not everything I do is bad for the baby, you know," she ground out, green eyes hard.
James looked horrified. "That's not what I—that's not what I'm trying to say, Lily. Merlin, I'd never say that to you. I just…" He ran a hand over the back of his neck and sighed, his gaze on the ground. "This is my first kid, and I don't know what to expect. I just don't want to find out that I missed something."
Lily softened a bit. She could understand that fear; she had the same one. But she also knew that if James let himself worry over every little thing, he'd miss all the wonderful opportunities the pregnancy had to offer. She took her husband's hand in hers.
"James, I understand. I want this to go smoothly, too. But there are so many milestones you're going to miss if you only ever worry about what could go wrong."
James sighed heavily. "You're right. I'm sorry, Lily."
She pecked him on the cheek. "Don't worry about it. Let's just enjoy what we have, all right?"
James shot her a lopsided smile. "All right."
IV
Lily was ready for this baby to be out.
It wasn't just the swollen ankles and aching back—though those were getting unbearable. Part of the problem was James.
Lily loved him. Really, she did. But James was a chivalrous man, and unfortunately that meant he was falling all over himself to make sure she was as comfortable as possible. It was sweet at first, but now it was getting a little exhausting. She was an independent woman; baby or no, she could do things herself.
She groaned and propped her feet up onto the coffee table. She frowned at her bloated ankles and wished there was a way to make the swelling go down. She felt like she was about to pop.
James walked in then, carrying the bowl of soup she had requested. "Hey, love. How are you feeling?"
Lily groaned. "Everything hurts. This baby just wants to use my ribs as a xylophone."
James snorted and handed her the soup. "She has a sense of humor, then."
"He has a sense of humor as terrible as his father's, then." Lily was certain their child would be a boy—James thought it would be a girl.
James sat down beside her and threw an arm around her shoulders. "We'll just have to wait and see."
Lily pulled away. "Don't touch me," she muttered. "I'm boiling, and you're hot."
James grinned cheekily. "Thank you."
Lily shoved him in the arm. "Shut up. And thanks for the soup."
It was too hot for it, really, but it was the only food that sounded appealing right then. She wished she could control these cravings, but they really were getting the better of her. She was just lucky James was willing to indulge her.
"Do you want a pillow to prop your feet up?"
Lily glanced his way. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure? It's really no trouble."
"It will pass."
After a few moments of silence, James spoke again. "Your back pain hasn't gotten worse, has it? And do you want something to cool you down? I know you said these were normal symptoms, but we really can't be too careful—"
Lily sighed. "Now this is exactly why the doctor changed his number on us. James, I'm fine. Just hormonal, hungry, and hurting." She caught the concern in his eyes and rolled her own. "Just my back and ankles. Honestly, you're worse than my mother."
"Oi!" James would have looked insulted if he hadn't been trying to smother a grin. "I'm not that bad, I'll have you know. And… Lily?"
"Hmm?"
"Did he really change his number on us?"
Lily laughed. "No, but he's threatened to. Come on James, discomfort is part of being pregnant."
James didn't respond for so long that Lily began to get worried. Finally, he murmured, "I just… this is our first time doing this, Lily, and I'm already doing a terrible job."
Lily turned to him in surprise. "What do you mean? You've done beautifully."
James winced. "Not really. I… I panic over everything. What if I do the same once they're here? What if they never have any fun because their dad is too overprotective?"
Lily put a hand on his knee, her heart aching for her husband. "Hey. Listen to me. You're going to be a great father. Wanting to keep your child safe… that isn't a bad thing, James."
He buried his head in his hands. "But I've already taken it to the extreme, and they're not even here yet."
"You're already so dedicated to this child," Lily continued warmly, ignoring him. "You love them already, and what more could a mother ask for? You'll be a great dad." An idea struck her, so she got to her feet with some difficulty and began making her way across the room.
James was right behind her. "Lily? Whatever it is, I can get it for you. You should be resting."
She waved him aside. "I'm fine." She bent down awkwardly and dug around in the baby bag by the door until she found what she'd been looking for. She turned around to James and held it up triumphantly. "Aha!"
James looked at the stethoscope with the utmost confusion, and Lily took pity on him.
"Doctors use it to listen to the baby's heartbeat. I figured that we might be able to do the same, so I bought one to use."
She showed him how to wear it, and James hesitantly placed the diaphragm on her stomach. Together, they moved it around until James heard something. Lily watched with increasing amounts of fondness as his face changed from engrossed to awed. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"That's our baby," she whispered.
"That's our baby," James repeated.
The fear was banished from his eyes at the moment, for which Lily was grateful.
V
Lily was reading a book one evening, curled up on the bed she shared with James. The burning candle on the bedside table gave off a fragrant, calming smell that had Lily smiling softly.
She thought back on the appointment with the doctor yesterday. Everything had gone smoothly, and she was nearing her due date—which was exciting. She and James were putting the nursery together, which wouldn't be used until the baby was older, but it was still a fun project. Everything was going smoothly. Her blood pressure was fine, the baby was developing properly, she and James had two names picked out… everything was perfect.
Three hours later, James and Lily were in the car heading towards the hospital.
James wouldn't shut up.
"Okay, Lily, breathe. Breathe, breathe, breathe. It'll be fine. Just please don't have the kid in the car, because I have no idea what to do in that situation—"
"Just drive," Lily ground out. Her uterus contracted again, and she let out a gasp. The baby was coming—the baby was coming today. She suddenly wasn't sure if she was ready to be a mother.
"James—James I'll be a good mother, right?"
"Lily, you've been mothering Sirius and me since we were seventeen. This baby will have the best damn mother in the world."
It was the only thing he'd said without a note of uncertainty in his voice, and that more than anything else put her at ease.
"We're nearly there, Lily. Please tell me there's still time."
"I think so? I've never done this before."
James, overwhelmed with his nerves, let out a high-pitched laugh. "Neither have I. Let's do this."
He gripped her hand tightly and she clung onto it like a lifeline.
The two Potters rushed through the hospital and were shown to a nurse—then the contractions fizzled out.
Lily stared at her nurse, her head spinning. "I'm… not in labor?"
"Probably just prodromal labor," the woman explained. "They are contractions, yes. It starts the process of labor, but it is not what we would call active labor."
She smiled kindly at them. James and Lily glanced at each other, some shock and adrenaline remaining.
"So… the baby's not coming?" James asked slowly.
Their nurse shook her head, blue eyes sympathetic. "No, not yet."
James took off his glasses, wiped the lenses on his shirt, and placed them back on his nose. "Right, thank you. Er… Lily, want some tea?"
Lily blinked her green eyes. "Oh. No, I'm good, thanks."
They left quickly after that, driving back in silence. When they reached home, Lily spoke.
"Sorry for scaring you. I thought… I thought it was real."
James looked at her carefully. "Are you upset that it wasn't?"
"I don't know," Lily said truthfully. "I want this pregnancy to be over, but I… I don't know if I'm ready to take the next step."
James nodded. "I know how you feel. But you've been right all these months—we can do this."
She raised her brows at him. "Weren't you nervous?"
"I was terrified," James admitted. "I'm glad it was a false alarm. Next time Lily, I'll be more prepared. I promise."
Lily closed her eyes. "You were fine, James. You were brilliant."
"I nearly knocked down three nurses."
Lily couldn't help it—she burst into laughter.
James grinned, but he looked tired. "Let's get inside. It's been a long day."
Lily hummed in agreement. "Hold me?"
Hazel eyes softened. "Of course."
They ended up curled on the couch together, and James put on a movie. Lily rested her head on her husband's shoulder and enjoyed being wrapped up in his arms. This was nice. This was perfect.
She imagined, for a moment, holding a baby in her arms while James held her. That, she thought with a moment of clarity, would be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Yes. Expanding their family could only be a good thing, if James was there to help her tackle the challenges.
VI
Pain woke Lily up at three in the morning on July 31, 1980. She gasped and sat up in bed, her red hair a mess and her eyes wide. She waited a few minutes, her breathing heavy. And then—it happened again.
Lily roughly shook James' shoulder. "James. James."
"Huh? Lily?"
"The baby. Coming now."
James sat up, his eyes wide. "Shouldn't we time the contractions? I think it was a minute long and five minutes apart—"
Lily could only shake her head.
James swallowed. "Right. Yes. I'll get the bag—let's get you in the car."
He helped her out of bed and then the two hurried to the hospital, Lily's contractions coming again and again. She squeezed her eyes shut and hunched over, unused to this sort of pain. Everything seemed to pass by in a blur. They went through the entrance, her water broke in the lobby, then she was in the delivery room—
"You've got this, Lily. Push."
"I am!" she gasped out, sweat drenching her brow. "I—agh!"
It was painful and almost surreal. Sh hadn't known that she could hurt in these places—or that her body had such instincts. She gripped James' hand bruisingly, but he didn't complain. He just rubbed her back and brushed the hair from her eyes, speaking words of encouragement. At some point she realized that he was glowing—more so than he did whenever he'd just executed a prank, like he had on their wedding day. And it was that, more than anything, that gave her the confidence she needed.
When it was all over, there was a red-faced baby boy in her arms with a shock of black hair. Lily could only stare at him, enraptured. He was beautiful.
"Merlin," James breathed from beside her, "he's… wow."
"Harry James Potter," Lily murmured. "A great wizard in the making."
James beamed. "Yeah. And I'm going to give him the world."
Lily reached up and cupped James' cheek. "There is no way I'm letting you and Sirius spoil him."
James let out a laugh and Harry stirred in her arms, waving his tiny balled fists around. James ran a finger down his son's soft cheek in amazement. Lily watched him.
"You were great, you know. You didn't panic."
James rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I guess seeing you in so much pain kicked me into gear."
Lily looked down at her son—her son!—and smiled lovingly. "You've got the best father in the whole world, little one."
James chuckled softly. "And the best mum."
Lily gazed down at the boy in her arms, filled with a contentment she never knew she could feel. She would protect him with her life, she knew. She'd cherish him always. This was her boy, and she couldn't have hoped for a better one.
When she turned her gaze to her husband, she thought back on all the little things he'd done to ensure her comfort those past months. She pulled him down for a quick kiss.
"Couldn't have done this without you," she whispered.
James put a hand on Harry's head. "It was worth it."
A/N:
Writing Club:
Disney Challenge: Themes 3. Acceptance — Write about someone accepting a big change in their lives
Showtime: 8. Be More Chill Pt. 2 — (word) terrible
Lo's Lowdown: 6. (relationship) best friends
Bex's Basement: 8. Remus Lupin — Write about someone scared of becoming a parent
Seasonal Challenges:
Days of the Year: 30th March — Write about visiting the doctor
Spring: 3. (word) fragrant
Earth: 14. (object) seeds
Amanda's Challenge: Pairings 3. Rick Grimes/Lori Grimes — Write about getting married young
Gym: Madam Pomfrey: (action) kissing
Magic Kingdom: Rides: Prince Charming Regal Carousel — (genre) romance
Fortnightly Challenge:
Get Lei'd: Daisy — 1. Twist
The World of Music: 3. Theremin — write about craving touch
365 Words: 172. Afternoon