Disclaimer: Be reasonable, honey.

Author's Note: So, I just had to. I couldn't resist. This first chapter is rather boring and a tad redundant, or so I think. It's all setting up for later on. There's a bit of humour in there, but I'm not sure if anyone else would find it particularly funny. And now I'm rambling. Enjoy!

"I'll see you tonight." James smiled down at me and kissed my forehead. He smelled like syrup. I wasn't sure if the scent made me hungry or nauseated. I was leaning towards nauseated. "I love you."

"I love you too." I said, desperately trying to swallow the discomfort of my roiling stomach and attempting not to breathe. It wasn't working.

He seemed dissatisfied with my forehead and bent down for a real kiss. I endured as much as I could before pushing him away. "You're going to be late." I really meant "You're making me sick. Please leave." The message didn't really get across.

"You look a bit peaky. You all right?" He stepped back to take a full look at me. He didn't seem too pleased. When I nodded he shook his head. "You look like you feel awful." He was careful to stay away from the "you look awful" as any man with half a brain.

"No, James. I'm fine, really." I took deep breaths and wrinkled my nose when I could smell each bit of individual food that he had consumed for breakfast.

He put his hand on my forehead and moved it to my cheek when he was satisfied that I didn't have a fever. He stroked my cheek softly, his callused fingers a direct contrast to the smoothness of my own skin. "I love you." He brushed his lips against mine and my skin tingled.

"I love you too. Now leave before you're too late."

He grinned and made to apparate.

"Be careful, James!" I shouted as he disappeared with a pop, knowing he could hear me.

I barely made it to the toilet before I vomited.

"Ugh." I groaned. My mouth tasted horrible. I wanted a sip of water to get the taste out of my mouth, but the thought of swallowing any of it made my stomach churn with revulsion.

"Lily?" A deep voice called out.

I rolled my eyes. "In here."

"Lily! What's happened?" Sirius stood, aghast, over me. As I was draped over the toilet, I could see why he was so upset, though I wasn't pleased.

"What are you doing here, Sirius?" I asked wearily.

"James told me to come by. Thought you were ill or something. He was obviously right." He bent down, resting on his knees and brushed my hair from my face. "Did you throw up?"

"Yes." I groaned, reaching to flush the toilet before he could grab a look inside. "But I'm fine, Sirius. It's just a bug or something."

"Come on, Lil. Let's get you into bed."

"I will not sleep with you, Sirius. I am a married woman now. Perhaps if you had offered before…"

He smirked and I could tell he was trying not to laugh. "You're feeling better, I presume."

"Much. I told you, it's probably just a bug." I stood and swayed a bit. Sirius' arm flashed out and steadied me.

"I'm taking you for a bit of a rest." Without accepting any more arguments, he swept me into his arms with such fluidity that it made my head spin. "There anything I can get you?" He asked after he had gently placed me on my side of the bed.

"Yes. Peace." I sighed. "Just go to work, Sirius. Tell James that I'm absolutely fine. I'm just going to take a nap and do a bit of cleaning. That ought to be fraught with peril."

James' concern was sweet, but I was quickly growing tired of it.

"Whatever you say, Lily." He agreed, grinning. He kissed my forehead. "Feel better." He said before apparating to headquarters.

I fell asleep instantly. Dreams did not touch me.

When I woke up, it was three in the afternoon and I had to pee terribly.

I began cleaning after relieving myself, though I avoided the kitchen as the smells were making me heave. My day was during out to be utterly horrible.

I heard the front door open and I heaved a sigh.

"Lily?"

"I'm in the study, Remus." I slipped a book in its' proper place on the shelf as he walked in.

"Feel any better?" His large eyes roamed over me, checking for any signs of discomfort or worse.

"Doesn't Dumbledore have anything for any of you to do?"

"Apparently not." He smiled. "James is just worried, Lily. You know that. He said you looked a bit ill. And then Sirius said you vomited and James just about had fit. He sent me as soon as I could get away. He would have come himself but Dumbledore has him doing something."

"For Merlin's sake. I'm fine. I just felt a bit… under the weather after I smelled James' breakfast. It's nothing. Just a bug or food poisoning or something. It'll pass."

He didn't look convinced. Instead, he looked calculating. I chose to ignore it.

"I'm fine. Now scurry off and tell James." I gave him a withering look, one he knew so well from school, and he gave in.

"Sure, Lily." He patted my shoulder. "Feel better."

He walked out of the study, apparating as he went.

A wave of nausea hit me, then and I rushed to the bathroom. My head spun, but I didn't throw up.

"What the hell is going on?" I mused.

I didn't throw up for the remainder of the day, though I still felt a bit queasy. I was awake, lying in bed, when James came home.

"Lily?" His voice was loud and worried. It seemed as though all I had done all day was listen to people shout my name in a voice full of unnecessary concern. "Lily?" He called again when I didn't answer. The alarm in his tone was escalating. I could only imagine what he thought had happened to me. Drowned in the toilet? Fallen down the stairs? Tripped over a stray sock? The possibilities were endless.

I was too tired to form any words. I just let him find me without any help. It was beyond amusing.

His footsteps grew faster as he checked the rooms of the house without any luck of finding me. When he finally came to the bedroom, he had a look of pure panic etched onto his face. "Lily! Oh, Merlin. I didn't know where you were."

My eyes were half closed, dragged down by exhaustion, though I'd hardly done anything to tire myself out all day. "I've been here all along."

He smiled. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Mhmm. Just tired."

We were both silent for a few minutes. He stroked my hair and I fought against sleep, wanting to stay awake with him for just a bit longer.

"Oh! James! I'm so sorry. I completely forgot." I exclaimed.

"What? What is it, Lily?"

"I forgot to get your dinner ready. Oh, I'm so sorry. It just slipped my mind." I started to get up, rambling my reasons for forgetting. "I couldn't go into the kitchen because the smells from your breakfast were making me sick. All that syrup and batter…" I threw the covers off. "It was just repulsive. I couldn't—"

"Lily. Lily, it's fine. Don't get up." He soothed, pushing me back down onto the bed. "I'm a grown man, I can make my own damned dinner. Now. What would you like? Some tea? A bit of soup?"

"No, no. I'm not hungry. Let me make you dinner, James. You have to eat something and I can't just go around and make you cook your own dinner when you've been out all day." I insisted.

"No. Lily, it's perfectly alright. Just lie down and let me take care of you." He kissed my forehead like a child. "What have you eaten today?"

"Erm…" I tried to think. "I think I had a bit of water this morning while you ate your breakfast." At his appalled expression, I hastened to explain. "Well, I didn't feel well enough to eat anything else."

"You need to eat something Lily, or drink something." He sounded like a concerned father. It was rather endearing.

"James, I'm fine. Really. I'm just extremely tired. And I really have to pee." I got out of bed with one last look at James and padded to the bathroom. He followed me.

"Lily, I'm worried about you." He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest.

I sighed as I finally peed. "Don't be. I'm fine."

"In all the time I've known you, Lily, you've only been sick about twice."

"Now it's three times. Calm down, darling or you'll give yourself wrinkles." I smirked, but he didn't look amused. "Go eat and then come up to bed. I missed you." I kissed him deeply, my eyes staying closed as he pulled away.

"Let me get you some tea." He was adamant at best, and now he was practically shoving the prospect of tea down my throat.

"Fine." I sighed. "But I'm not going in the kitchen. The stuff from breakfast is still down there." I made a face. "I really don't want to throw up again."

James laughed and kissed me again, his hands resting lightly on my hips. "Go lie down."

I obliged, thankful for the rest. By the time he had made it upstairs with my tea, I was already asleep.