Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world and its characters are the property of JK Rowling. No copyright infringement intended.

"James. James!"

James shook his rain-splattered head and winced slightly as the water droplets covered the walls. When they'd moved in, a few days after their wedding, they'd joked about the hideous salmon wallpaper. Lily said it looked like something Petunia would wear and Sirius pointed out it was the exact shade of vomit that the cat had thrown up the night before. But during the past few weeks, Lily had started nesting and Merlin help anyone who got her in way. Hormones, Sirius had called it, before hastily apologising when Lily hexed him with the Colour Change Charm.

"Lily, I swear, if you want more gherkins you're going to have to wait. It is chucking it down and I am not going back out."

"JAMES!"

James jumped up the stairs, two at a time, smiling to himself. He'd never quite get over the feeling he got when Lily said his name. It made a nice change from dingbat and whatever else it was she used to call him whenever he was in earshot. He liked the way the J had a sort of lilt to it and how the S carried on for a heartbeat longer than it should have. He also liked the way she'd whisper it into his skin, the way she'd force it into his shoulder during a hug, the way she'd yell it down the stairs.

"Lils? Where are you?"

James strolled into their bathroom. He'd spent weeks learning muggle plumbing and had fitted the bath and shower himself (Lily had had to call an actual muggle plumber a few days afterwards to fit it properly) and James was incredibly proud of himself. Sirius had sneered but Remus had been very complementary and Peter had even asked if James could teach him some of the muggle skills he'd picked up. Of course, James had only decided to learn how to plumb after that disastrous dinner with Vernon and Petunia, when Vernon had taken great pleasure in pointing out that James probably didn't have any actual skills, whereas he, Vernon Dursley, was a real man, but that was beside the point.

Lily was curled up on the floor, her fiery hair curtaining her face which was contorted with pain. Her hands were cradling the bump Marlene had christened Button. James' heart stopped as he beheld her looking both so beautiful and so vulnerable.

"Lily? What's wrong?"

"Contractions", she moaned.

It took a few seconds for Lily's words to fully register in James' head. When they did, he had to lean on the wall to stop himself collapsing.

"Oh God. Lils. What do I do? What is it?"

Despite everything, Lily smiled to herself. Every time James forgot to be the cool, suave Potter boy, the Quidditch star and regular class smartass, and became James the caring, gentle man she was going to have a family with, she fell in love all over again. His clumsiness, so evident on the ground and yet so sparse on a broomstick, was endearing and Lily had spent several months letting her friends tease him about the gruesome nature of childbirth. Dorcas, in particular, would be amused by James' reaction.

"No one said they were going to be this bad. I asked but OW", Lily reached up and crushed James' hand, "Do we need to go to St Mungo's? Holy Merlin, James. If I'd have known… and they are relentless! You get a twenty minute break but then…. oh, help me!"

It was these magic words that launched James back into action. He'd never admit it but, after Lily told him she was pregnant, he had read up on pregnancy and childbirth and has spent the last few weeks carefully crafting a list of things to do when Lily went into labour. The other Marauders had teased him but James pointed out that if one of them was alone with Lily when her waters broke, they'd want a list.

"Your bag, you need your bag. And I should let Sirius know. And Moony. Damn Lily, you're not due until the start of August. It's only the 12th of July!"

James ran from the bathroom, still shouting.

"Did you even pack your bag? Lily? I can't find it. Shall I pack one for you? What do you need? Do we have time?"

"Hey, Potter, get back in here or do you want Herbert to be born on the bathroom floor?", Lily's voice cut through James' blind panic. He grabbed Lily's pyjamas from the floor where Lily had thrown them last night, his old rucksack from the desk, and ran back to his wife.

James crouched next to Lily and pulled her close. He stroked her hair before softly kissing Lily's forehead, just between her eyebrows. Nothing about this pregnancy had been planned – who in their right mind would bring a baby into the hell they were living in? – but James had hoped the actual birth would have gone slightly more smoothly. He also didn't want a son called Herbert but he could deal with that later.

"Lily, how can I help? This was not in the book."

Lily looked up and had to stop herself laughing at the fear on his face. He had such beautiful, magical eyes; they were rich in colour and when you looked into them, it felt like you were being wrapped up in a warm blanket in front of a fire with a big box of chocolates. And when James Potter was scared they widened behind his glasses until they took over his entire face and made him look hilarious. If baby Button inherited James Potter's eyes he would be a very lucky baby indeed.

"Braxton Hicks contractions, James. The ones I've been having for months. I may not be the world's greatest childbirth expert but I think I'd be able to tell when I go into labour. This ain't the proper thing just yet", and then, feeling like she had to justify herself, "They feel like the proper ones, you know. But I reckon we've got a few more weeks before we meet this little fellow."

James slumped on the floor next to Lily, complete exhausted, and turned to face her.

"You could have said, Lils! That was in my book. They're nothing to worry about; you don't have to go to St Mungo's or anything. You bloody terrified me", James exhaled and started to laugh, "Everything's fine, Mrs Potter. You just need to stay here and let me look after you."

The young couple wrapped their arms around each other in mingled relief and friendship; Lily was just glad that she wasn't about to give birth on the bathroom floor. James smiled, partly with humour at Lily's overreaction and partly because he was glad he could still help his wife even with this alien subject. Lily pushed her head into James' neck.

"You're sure everything will be okay? 'Cause I was scared James. If anything happened… we've had to stop so much for this pregnancy. We've lost friends, jobs, we've had to stop fighting. This baby's our future – how could we survive without him?"

For once James Potter didn't know what to say but it didn't matter. He just held Lily and gently kissed her neck. They were the Potters and of course they'd be okay. How could they not be?