I finally got around to writing the sequel some of you asked for in a way that none of you requested. You're welcome xx

I'm stupidly proud of this chapter title by the way - go on, tell me how much you hate it in the comments.

August was hotter than Lily could stand.

It had been pushing 30 for the past few days, and she was so bloody over it - their surgery had aircon, thank god, but her flat didn't, so she'd taken to spending more time at work, at James', at literally any place in London that had aircon just to keep from sweating to death. Last night, James had picked her up from work (much to the delight of Frank and Marlene, bastards) and though she was beyond thrilled to spend the night in his temperature controlled flat, they still managed to work up a sweat.

She strolled into the surgery a bit later than usual that next morning, a cheeky 730 that made Frank shoot her an amused look. Lily just laughed, "Fuck off, Frank."

He grinned, "Have a nice night, Lily?"

She held up her fingers at him as she walked back through the doors towards her office, but she knew he saw her smirking. She was about halfway through the corridor when she noticed that her office door was open. "Fuck," she swore under her breath, probably forgot to lock it again, I'm surprised Frank didn't scream at me about it. When she got there, though, she noticed Marlene sitting sideways in the chair across from her desk, legs kicked casually over the arm, two cups of tea in hand. Lily stopped in the doorframe, "How the fuck did you get in here? My door was locked." Probably.

Marlene shrugged, "I had Frank give me a copy of your key. Here," she reached out to hand Lily a mug, "Just made this."

"Oh, thanks," Lily took the tea from Marlene's hand as she walked over to her desk, took a sip, sat down in her desk chair, "So Frank just let you come into my office?"

Marlene rolled her eyes, "He knows I'm not going to come in here and steal your bloody files. Relax." She took another sip of her tea, raised an eyebrow, "You're late this morning, by the way."

Lily clicked her computer on and took another sip of her tea, "Late night."

She looked at Marlene over the rim of her mug, the smile on her lips making it difficult for her to take another sip of her tea. Marlene groaned, "I am so envious of you, I almost hate myself for it."

Lily snorted, "Almost being the operative word."

Marlene grinned, "Well, how could I hate myself when I'm this fucking amazing?" She gestured down at herself with one hand and Lily threw a pen at her head.

"I'm sure you'll find someone soon," Lily said as she opened the schedule, "Assuming that's what you want."

"I'd rather just get laid more consistently, honestly," Marlene said, throwing back the rest of her tea, "That Dirk bloke from a few months ago was alright. I really liked Dorcas, but I haven't spoken to her in months…"

Marlene trailed off and Lily looked up at her with a small smile, "You seemed to really like her though… we still talk about her. Why don't you text her or something?"

Marlene rolled her eyes, "Just because you have a steady fuck doesn't mean we're all going to find one."

Lily shook her head, chuckled, "Ever the charmer, McKinnon."

Marlene smirked, but Lily could tell that Marlene was thinking about it from the way she was fiddling with the mobile in her jacket pocket. Marlene was quiet for a minute before she clapped her hands together, "Alright, who've we got today, Evans?"

Lily tipped the rest of her tea into her mouth and set the mug on the desk, scrolled through the schedule, "I've got… fucking hell, that Malfoy kid."

Marlene snorted, "Sucks to be you, who've I got?"

Lily scrolled through Marlene's calendar, "No one too - oh shit, you have that Rookwood bloke."

"Oh fuck," Marlene groaned, let her head fall dramatically over the arm of her chair, "I fucking hate him."

"Was he the UKIP guy?"

Marlene sighed, "The UKIP guy. He's the one that got into that shouting match with that patient last year, remember?"

Lily nodded, "Ohhh yeah. I'm surprised they're letting him come back, to be honest."

Marlene shrugged, "Maybe they're hoping he's gotten better in the past year? Personally, I keep hoping that his shitty heart gives out, but I took an oath."

Lily snorted, "I'm sorry your oath was so inconvenient."

Marlene held her fingers up at Lily, who laughed, "You know it's just arseholes like these that I kind of resent treating."

Lily nodded, "No, I get you. How many patients have I grumbled to you about over the years?"

Marlene grinned, "See, this is why I love you, Evans. I can say completely horrid shit to you, and you keep on loving me."

Lily laughed, "Well, naturally. You're so wonderful, McKinnon, how could I not?"

Marlene snorted, pushed herself to her feet, "You're right, there, Evans."

Lily went about her day as usual, batting about jokes with Marlene when she met her in the corridors between patients, setting bones, treating insect bites and rashes (the joys of summer), referring people out to specialists. By the time 4pm rolled around, Lily was right bloody exhausted (as always) - she'd just pushed the Malfoys out of her office (the father was, somehow, even more annoying than the son), and she needed a patient that wasn't going to try her fucking nerves (or the strongest gin and tonic money could buy, she would accept either).

When she heard the loud, booming laughter echoing from the waiting area just before four, she practically sprinted out of her office.

Euphemia was standing at the counter, as always, chattering away with Frank. Lily had expected her to be alone, but James, surprisingly, was standing behind her, a broad grin on his face as he joked with Frank about something Lily hadn't heard.

"Good afternoon, Mrs Potter!"

Euphemia turned when Lily called, broke out into a broad smile that warmed Lily's heart. Lily pulled her into a quick hug, held her at arm's length for a moment before she glanced at James, raised an eyebrow. He just shrugged - she wasn't sure why he was back with Euphemia today, but she certainly didn't hate seeing him again.

Lily grinned at them both, "Alright, you two, follow me," Lily turned on her heel and started leading them back towards the patient rooms.

"Lily, dear," Euphemia fell into step beside Lily, "you can just call me Euphemia. You've seen me outside of this office every week for the past few months and seen my son in, I'm sure, very colourful states of undress more often than I care to think about."

Her eyes flicked briefly over to James. Damn right I have.

James met her gaze for a moment, but his face went brilliant pink and he settled for chastising Euphemia instead, "MUM!"

"Though," Euphemia ignored him, glanced at Lily as she walked past her into the exam room, her eyes sparkling with mischief in a way that reminded Lily forcefully of James, "maybe I'll get an accidental grandchild out of it one of these days."

James looked like he had just about died, "MUM, bloody hell!"

Lily grinned broadly at Euphemia and did her best to suppress the laughter threatening to burst out of her as she pulled the door shut behind them, "All the same, Mrs Potter. When I'm seeing you as your doctor, we use surnames. My office, my rules."

She shot a quick glance at James, her eyes flicking over him appreciatively before she met his gaze and smiled warmly, "Hello, by the way, Mr Potter." You fit fucking bastard.

James' eyes burned into hers (all embarrassment gone, now, from his features), but he smiled just as warmly, as politely as she had, "Hello, Dr Evans."

He licked his bottom lip and she tried, desperately, to stop thinking about what she could do to him on the examination table, about all the ways he could - His mother is in the room you sick fuck, get it together.

Euphemia snorted (she never was as oblivious as they might have liked her to be), "You two are insufferable."

"Well," Lily smirked at James before turning back to his mother, pulled her stethoscope off her neck, "unfortunately you'll have to put up with us if you want that accidental grandchild."

James' face went beet red again, he fisted a nervous hand into his hair (that will never stop being a turn on will it), and Euphemia and Lily both laughed. James sighed, "I hate you both."

James breathed another sigh of annoyance when they both said, "You don't."

She took Euphemia's vitals, did the usual badgering about her medication, reminded her that if she was going to insist on tending her garden in this heat, she better be taking breaks.

"I'm going to go sometime," Euphemia said, sighing dramatically, "I might as well do it in my garden."

James shot her a stern look, "Mum, are you really trying to have a heart attack because you need to get your kale into the ground?"

Euphemia shook her head, "I'm planting cauliflower this year. Think of the delicious cauliflower curry we could make."

James groaned, "Christ, Mum, you know what I mean."

Euphemia sighed, "You have one heart attack and all of a sudden everyone thinks you're fragile."

James fisted a hand into his hair, "Mum."

Euphemia put her hand on James' arm, "I know you worry, James, but I'm not going to live forever."

Lily felt like she was intruding, so she tried desperately to bury herself into Euphemia's chart on the other side of the room. I should have left or something, given them a moment, but now I've been standing here forever and it's too fucking late for that now.

James didn't say anything for a long moment (Lily distracted herself by listing off all the symptoms for the rarest diseases she could think of) before he finally said, "I know, Mum, but if you could please take your health a bit more seriously…"

Lily heard Euphemia pat James' arm, "Alright, love," Euphemia turned to Lily, "You can stop hiding in the corner, Dr Evans."

Lily cleared her throat, "I wasn't hiding?"

Euphemia just laughed, "Alright, dear."

Lily sighed, "James is right, Mrs Potter. All I ask is that you save your gardening for the evening hours or that you take a break every thirty minutes or so. It's been pushing 30 recently and it's not good for your heart to be under that kind of stress."

"I suppose I could do that," Euphemia said, reaching out and patting Lily's hand, too. Lily grinned, "Thank you. Now," she turned to grab Euphemia's chart from the counter, lifted her tone to drag them back up the emotional cliff they'd fallen off of, "your lab results from February were great, so if these are equally good or better, I'll write you up for yearly visits instead of biannual, does that sound good?"

Euphemia beamed at Lily, nodded, slid off the examination table, "Sounds excellent. No offence Dr Evans, but I much prefer seeing you over dinner."

Lily laughed, turned her gaze to James for a moment, "I prefer that as well."

Euphemia noticed Lily's diverted attention and smiled softly, "James, you'll book my appointment then?"

She grabbed her handbag off the chair by the door and pulled it open, grinning at both of them. James' hand jumped to his hair, "Y-yeah, Mum, I'll book you in."

"Excellent," she said, and she held her hand out for the keys to James' car, "I'll just go put the aircon on, then?"

James handed her the keys, and she walked as quickly as she could from the room. James sighed, turned to Lily as they began making their way back to reception, "Are all your patients as insufferable as my mother?"

Lily laughed, bumped his hip with hers, "I told you, she's my favourite patient."

James brushed his hand against hers (do not take that hand and drag him into your office), "I feel bad for you, then."

Lily snorted, "You would understand if you met some of my other patients."

When they got back out to reception, it was empty except for Frank, who smiled knowingly at them. Lily rolled her eyes (for once she was actually innocent), "Mr Potter needs to book in Mrs Potter for an annual."

Frank raised an eyebrow at James, and James just shrugged, "Her office, her rules."

Frank shook his head, amused, "You two are dumb as hell."

Lily smirked, "Just because some of us are unable to separate work and personal life - "

Frank grinned, "I have no regrets about the store cupboard, Evans."

Lily held her fingers up at him, and, ignoring Frank's boisterous laughter, turned to James, "I've got some reports to catch up on, but I'll bring home some take away or something? If you're still alright with me staying at yours, that is."

James nodded, "Of course I am. Sounds good, love." He leaned over, kissed her softly on the lips, and it took a lot more willpower than she anticipated to keep from burying her hands in his hair and dragging him back into her office. He smiled warmly at her as he pulled away, and she beamed before turning on her heel and striding back towards her office.

Fucking him in my office would be wrong… right? Ugh yes, ethics, ethics, ethics, ethics...

She popped the kettle on as soon as she got back into her office, sent James a quick text to let him know that she was putting her mobile on airplane mode, and heaved the pile of long neglected reports off the chair in the corner. It had been at least a month since she'd sat down to actually do her paperwork, and, fuck, now she was seriously going to pay. A few hours later, she'd made her way through the backlog, and was just beginning the reports from that week, where there was a knock on her office door. She didn't bother looking up, assumed Marlene was there to tell her that she was headed home for the night (and probably torture her a bit in the process), "What, McKinnon?"

"Oh, I'm Marlene now?"

Lily didn't expect the deep voice that came from the doorway, and she started, fumbled the pen in her hand. When she looked up at him, he had a highly amused look on his face. She sighed, annoyed, "Fuck you, Potter, christ you scared me."

James grinned, "Sorry, Evans."

She scoffed, "No you're not."

He chuckled, "You're right, I'm not," she huffed as he walked into her office, "But I brought dinner, so hopefully you forgive me?"

He set a giant Nando's bag on her desk and she groaned happily (all irritation forgotten), jumped to her feet, and began rifling through the bag, "Oh my god, I fucking love you."

James bit the corner of his lip, so slightly she barely noticed it, before he grinned, "Well, it was already seven, I was starving, and I figured you might be, too. And I know you have a soft spot for that rice."

He raised his eyebrow as though to prove a point (she was in the process of ripping open the rice container like she'd never seen food before) and she rolled her eyes, grabbed a fork from the bottom of the bag, "Fuck off, I'm starving. I haven't eaten since lunch."

James just grinned, held his hands up a bit, "I didn't say anything, Evans."

She pointed her fork at him, "You were going to." James sat down in the chair on the other side of her desk, while she opened the chicken container, groaned again, and James' smile grew.

"So, how was the rest of your day," James said through a mouthful of food. Lily shrugged, scooped another bite of rice into her mouth, "Same as always. Lots of rashes, broken bones, referrals… oh my god, I had this annoying fucking kid today, too."

"Oh?" James popped another bite of chicken into his mouth.

Lily groaned, "He's the worst. The actual fucking worst. He's rude the whole time he's here, acts like an entitled bastard, and," she grabbed a bite of chicken off the centre tray, "and he made some crack about my red hair and said I must be 'of lesser stock'. If our kids are like that I swear I'll kill them."

She took another bite of chicken and it took her a moment to figure out that James had frozen across from her. She eyed him nervously, third bite of chicken halfway to her mouth, "What?"

"Our kids?"

Lily's face flushed, "Oh, uh… I mean, I-I wasn't really thinking about it when I said it, but, I mean, you know, I'm not. Uh. Opposed?"

James was studying her intently (fuck fuck fuck) and of course, of course she couldn't just keep her mouth shut.

"I mean, you know, g-generally. Like the idea of them, kids, is, u-uh… you know...nice. I-I don't think we," she gestured her hand frantically between them, "necessarily need - but uh, I wouldn't - "

James was smirking at her, and Lily huffed, stuffed her chicken into her mouth to stop herself talking. James set his fork down, raised an eyebrow, "So what do you think our kids will be like?"

Lily flushed a violent red, "Don't start taking the mick - "

"I'm not."

He was looking at her intently now, and her heart started hammering, her breathing picked up because he can't be serious right now, he can't actually mean what it seems like he means - "So…" she set her fork down, hoped he understood where she was going without her actually having to say all the words.

He took a deep breath, "Yeah." Holy. Fucking. Shit.

"Huh." Really fucking clever, Evans, you fucking idiot.

They didn't say anything, just sat, stared at one another for a few moments before James laughed, stuffed a hand in his hair, "I don't think we could be more English right now if we tried."

Lily grinned, tension flooding out of her, "Who knew we were so repressed?" Good, we're back to humour. I can do this.

James grinned, "I'm more nervous than repressed, honestly. But it comes to the same thing." Alright, shit, maybe not.

Lily grabbed her fork, turned it around in her hand, "Why are you nervous?"

James just looked steadily back at her, "I'm trying to figure out how to tell you that I love you."

It felt like all the gears in her brain had come to an abrupt stop. She'd known he felt this way, in some part of her mind, but hearing him say it, seeing the look in his eyes as they locked onto hers, still made her heart falter in her chest. She fumbled the fork onto the table, swore under her breath, and looked down for a moment, took a breath to steady herself. Her breath was sharper than she'd anticipated, and she practically felt James stiffen from across the table, but she needed a bloody minute because she had a million things to say and no words to say them with, and damn it he was just going to have to wait.

When she returned her eyes back to his a moment later, he was smiling softly, but a bit hesitantly at her, and she knew how nerve wracking her moments of silence must have been, how hard his heart must be hammering in his chest. She smiled as broadly as she could manage, her cheeks straining with the effort of expressing just how fucking happy she was. She hadn't come up with words because the right words didn't seem to exist - she didn't know how to tell him all the things she felt in her chest when he looked at her, all the stupid, mad things her mind dreamed up as they walked through London together, as she buried her face in his neck, his chest, the crook of his arm, didn't know how to explain the fact that he still gave her fucking heart palpitations, that it was harder to breathe when he looked at her, that she loved every single thing about him, even the things she hated, even the things that made her want to smack him. There were too many things, too many feelings, and she wanted to say them all but she didn't know how and her mind had started trying to spiral itself out of control when she finally decided fuck it and just looked back up at him again -

"I love you, too. You have no fucking idea how much."