This story was written for BountyHunterGirl134's Happy Happy Joy Joy Competition on HPFC.

Its also her birthday present so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The pairing I was given was Lily Evans-Potter and Harry. My prompt was bubbles.

Disclaimer: I do not own HP at all.


Baby Talk

"Merlin, if there was ever any doubt that he was your son I'd say it's pretty obvious now." Lily Evans-Potter tries to scoop another spoonful of mashed peas into Harry's mouth, but the infant is drooling and sticking his pudgy little fingers in the bowl instead.

"That's because he knows I hate peas…he hates them…I hate them…its obviously a genetic connection." James Potter leans forward and kisses his wife on the forehead before doing the same to his son.

"What does Sirius have planned for you tonight?" She smirks and then triumphantly gets a spoonful into Harry's mouth.

"Oh you know, the usual," he pulls his sports coat around his frame and begins fastening the buttons, "have a couple of drinks, talk some Quidditch…peruse the single witches in the pub." He waggles his eyebrows and Harry lets out a blubbering fit of baby laughter.

Lily merely shakes her head and continues feeding their son, "You're married, you are old and you have a kid now, James Potter," she chuckles, "Your far less desirable then you used to be."

"I don't know about that," He leans forward and kisses the side of her face before trailing his lips down her neck and along her collarbone, "I know one witch who still finds me pretty desirable."

"Yes, well that's because I've obviously been confunded." She grins, "I've just given up the will to fight it."

James snorts back a laugh, "Believe what you will Evans. I know you can't deny all of this." He gestures from his face down to his torso, "I'm an Adonis."

"You're an idiot." She laughs, "Now get out of here before I change my mind and make you stay home tonight."

"Why? Had to cancel your Saturday night invigorating plans?" He muses.

A mischievous smile pulls at her mouth, "Had to cancel a really hot date. Promised I'd see him next week though."

James shakes his head and grabs his wand from the counter behind her, "You are going to be the death of me, Evans." With a pop, her husband apparates out of the kitchen and leaves Lily alone with the second favorite man in her life.

Harry's fingers have managed to find the bottom of the pea bowl, covering him in the green slop all the way up to his elbows.

"No Harry," she laughs, "you are supposed to eat it, not bathe in it."

The almost one year old gurgles out baby noises and Lily pulls him from his high chair and makes her way to the small bathroom towards the back of the house. Although James is gone for the evening, the quiet feeling in the house is quite comforting despite her worry of attacks. Dumbeldore assured them that they would be safe where they were, and at this particular moment in time Lily felt just that; she felt safe and sound.

"Let's run you a bath, yeah?" She doesn't mind that the mashed peas have now ended up in her hair and along the front of her blouse. It was the price you paid when raising a child.

Once the water was warm enough Lily adds a small amount of bath soap and waits for the bubbles to rise up just enough so Harry could pop them with his chubby little fingers.

"You know Harry," she whispers, while placing him in the tub, "Mummy is so glad that you were born. " He slaps at the water and giggles as bubbles float up towards the ceiling. Lily laughs as well. "I guess you are happy then too." It's more of a statement than a question, as she knows he isn't incapable of answering her just yet.

Oh he was close to saying Dada, and some of the burbles and gurgles that came out of his mouth truly sound like words, but she wasn't expecting much more.

Lily cups a handful of water and runs it over Harry's head as he splashes in the tub.

"Do you want to hear a wonderful story?" She pauses as if he'll answer, "Well, when Daddy and I got married we were so excited to start our little family. We couldn't wait to have a little boy or girl to love and care for…it was all Daddy ever really talked about." She thinks back to James and all of his baby preparations despite Lily not even being pregnant yet.

"And so Daddy and Mummy tried very hard to have a family. So very hard." She begins scrubbing his little hands with the duck patterned washcloth hanging on the tub railing, "and Mummy and Daddy didn't understand why they couldn't have a baby."

She recalls her visits to Mungos and all the heartache that came with the discovery that her chances of becoming pregnant were very slim. The shape of her uterus normally did not hold embryos so it would take a short miracle for her to conceive.

"And Mummy and Daddy were very sad that they may not be able to raise a family. Even when Uncle Sirius came over to cheer us up, it didn't work."

She begins scrubbing his tummy and feet and Harry giggles as the washcloth takes away any trace of his dinner.

"And then one day Mummy wasn't feeling very well. Uncle Remus said it was the Wizard Flu that was going around, but Daddy didn't think so. Daddy had this look in his eyes that Mummy will never forget."

That look of hope; the look of miracles.

"We all rushed to St. Mungos and guess what we found out?" She slicks back Harry's dark wet hair and kisses his forehead. "Mummy was going to have a baby! Mummy was going to have the most precious baby in the world."

Lifting Harry out of the tub, Lily begins drying him off and wrapping him up in his favorite soft blue towel. Harry rests his head on her shoulder, and the two walk quietly from the bathroom to Harry's nursery.

She places him down on the table and begins the routine of powdering and diapering, all while still whispering her story.

"Then on July 31st Mummy and Daddy's wish had come true." Leaning over she begins blowing air on his stomach causing Harry to giggle and kick and squirm all around the changing table. She pauses for a mere second before whispering, "Mummy and Daddy got to meet you, Harry."

And it had been the most precious moment of her entire life. Taking the tiny bundle into her arms and looking into his face for the very first time, Lily couldn't imagine loving anything nearly as much as she loved the baby in her arms. For all the fear and anxiety she had faced about being a poor excuse of a Mum, it evaporated as soon as his teeny body pressed against hers. She knew right then she'd do anything for him. He was her light and her love.

"Mum- muuu" Harry garbles out, and Lily stares down at him in shock.

"Di-did you say Mummy?"

He's sticking his little tongue out at her, tiny spit bubbles oozing out of the corners of his mouth.

"Say it again, sweety, say Mummy." She could feel the pricks of tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Come on….Mum-my."

"Mum-muuu" He gurgles again and Lily slaps her hands in excitement even though it barely sounds correct. Mostly it sounded as if he had swallowed too much bath water and was trying gargle, but she didn't care. It was close enough.

After dressing Harry in a pair of red and gold pajamas (courtesy of Sirius who swore he already sensed Harry's Gryffindor potential) Lily sat in the rocking chair that James had insisted they needed. Her feet pushed against the floor and Lily held her son a little tighter against her chest, afraid that if she didn't she'd miss out on even the most miniscule moment in his little life.

Harry stuck his thumb in his mouth and gave her a toothless smile, nestling himself against her bosom while the motion carried him off to dream land. Lily would remain there a long while after he fell asleep, thinking of how much she adored her husband and her son. She thought of how long it had taken her to realize that this was what she had wanted in her life, and how long it had taken her to achieve it. She thought about the future, and how Harry would go off to school and get into trouble (much like his father), and how he would play Quidditch and meet girls.

She thought about the day he'd graduate Hogwarts and the day he brought home the girl he intended to marry. All of these wonderful images seeming so close and yet so far away. Before they'd know it Harry would be raising his own family and they'd be doting grandparents. Lily drops her gaze down to her son again and sighs. It will all go by too quickly.

Later that evening, after placing Harry in his crib, Lily lies in her bed and hears the pop signaling her husband has finally arrived home. He quietly pushes the door open, and is surprised to see her still awake.

"Have a good night?" They both ask at the same time, which causes them both to laugh.

"Sirius had a little too much whiskey so I took him home early."

"You didn't drive that bloody motorbike I hope?" She raises her eyebrow and watches as James stumbles out of his shoes and turns his back to her.

"So what did you and Harry do?" He avoids the question, and Lily is far too happy to see him to even get angry.

"We had a nice bath, a nice long talk, and then some mother-son bonding time." She smiles as she recollects the time she spent alone with Harry. "Harry said his first real word tonight." She beams.

"What?" He spins to look at her as he removes his shirt, "Really? Did it sound like Da? Or more like Dada?"

"What makes you think his first word would be about you, hm? She muses.

"Cause a boy has that connection with his father, it's a male pride thing." He pounds his chest like an ape and Lily laughs.

"It was Mum-muuu" She snorts back a laugh at the shock and awe in her husbands face, but James recovers quickly.

"So he called you Mum and then moo'ed at you. How rude of your son."

Lily snickers at the comment. He smiles and kicks off his pants in one effortless move.

"Just wait till he starts saying my name."

James slips into the bed beside her and pulls her into his arms, negating any space that may have slipped in between them. "It sounds like you had a nice night, love." He murmurs, nuzzling the side of her face. She catches the scent of cheap whiskey, but doesn't care.

"James," she starts, turning over so she cold face him, "I'm going to ask you something and you be honest with me, ok?"

He kisses her nose, "Anything Lils."

"Can we try for another baby?" Her voice is barely audible, "Not now," for she notices the look of shock on his face, "No, not right this minute, but in the future, yeah? You know when Harry's a little older."

James is quiet for a moment before kissing his wife softly on the lips, "Of course."

"I would love a little girl," she mutters against his mouth.

"Or another boy…" he chuckles.

"Harry will make a darling older brother." She trails her mouth to his cheek and then down to his shoulder where she rests her head.

"Yeah Lils, we can try for another baby."

"Thank you, James."

She closes her eyes and imagines Harry teaching a younger sibling to play Quidditch. She imagines him rough housing with a younger brother and then being over protective of a little sister. She can see him looking out for his sibling in Hogwarts and making sure that no one picks on him or her. There would be no war, and there would be no worry, just their happy little family together in Godric's Hollow.

But they had all the time in the world for that…

Right now it's merely baby talk.


I know I know, kinda bittersweet, but sweet nonetheless. Still shows how much Lily loves her little miracle Harry.

Please leave a little review, and if you are interested in another cute Parent/Sibling bonding moment I will shamelessly plug my other One-shot His Little Girl where Harry shares a moment with Lily Luna about boys.