Chapter 3

"How you doing?" Remus asked Lily. He had dropped by the Ministry to see James and Sirius, he had spotted Lily sitting in her office on his way out. She seemed to be just staring into space, deep in thought.

"Remus hi," said Lily immediately brightening up. She stood up and hugged him. "How are you?"

"I'm good," said Remus. "How are you? I talked to James he told me you moved out."

"I'm alright," said Lily. "Just trying to come up with new fighting strategies, but I think I have a mental block or something."

"You look exhausted," said Remus. "Where are you staying?"

"With my Dad," said Lily. "I'm going to look at some flats tonight, my Dad is already driving me mad with his questions."

"I'm sure he's just worried about you."

"Yeah I know," said Lily.

"So you and James…are you over?"

"Looks like it," said Lily sadly.

"You took off your rings," Remus observed. "Why?"

"Because my marriage is over," said Lily. "It would hurt too much to have to look at them everyday."

"I can't imagine you and James not being together, let alone with other people," said Remus. "It just doesn't seem right."

"You'll get used to it."

"So I'm assuming he doesn't know your pregnant?" said Remus casually. "Do you know you're pregnant?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Lily calmly. Remus had great instincts but surely even he couldn't tell that, she wasn't even a month along she certainly wasn't showing.

"You, you're pregnant," said Remus. "Call it Wolf instincts."

"You can't tell anyone," said Lily looking around nervously making sure they couldn't be overheard. "It's too early to tell anyone, I'm not even four weeks along yet."

"Don't worry your secret is safe with me," Remus reassured him. "You haven't told James."

"No and you can't tell him either," said Lily. "Like I said it's too early."

"Are you keeping it?" asked Remus. He knew Lily well and he could tell that she wasn't being completely honest with him.

"Remus you don't have to do this," Lily sighed. "You're James' friend."

"I'd like to think that we're friends too, you look like you could use one," said Remus.

"I don't know if I'm keeping the baby," Lily admitted. "I have another two months to decide."

"Are you going to tell James?"

"I don't know," said Lily. "I suppose I'll have to eventually, but things are complicated enough between us without this."

"I'll keep it to myself I promise," said Remus kindly.

"Thank you."

"Potter, your reports for the week," said Tricia. She was Moody's admin assistant, she handled all the paperwork for the department. She was tall, brunette and very pretty, she got on well with all of the Aurors, James and Sirius included.

"Got them right here," said James pulling them out of his top drawer.

"Thanks," she said adding them to her pile. "Do you know where your wife is? I need to see if she has her healer certificate yet, Moody is going nuts because she can't go out on active duty."

"Uh…no I haven't seen Lily today," said James awkwardly. "I think she said she hurt her leg when she was away."

"You think?" asked Tricia. "Wow must have been a great reunion if you couldn't even find out how she got hurt."

"Wasn't much of a reunion," said James bitterly. "We're separated at the moment so…no I don't know where Lily is."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that," said Tricia. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks," said James. "Just let me know if I missed anything in my reports, I got them done kinda late."

"I'll do that," said Tricia. "See you."

"Yeah later," said James turning back to his desk.

Separated! That word kept swirling around his head, they were separated. That was the first time he had actually said that, and he hated it. It just didn't sound right that he and Lily were separated, everyone knew that after the separation came divorce, he couldn't think of a single couple that separated and then got back together. He had never actually sat down and contemplated his future without Lily. What happened when the war ended and they weren't together? Would she find someone else? Of course she would, who wouldn't want to make her theirs? No, he had never allowed himself to picture himself in a few months time without his wife, and he wasn't about to start doing it now.

"Look it is not my fault the Healer's won't clear me for active duty," Lily hissed at Tricia an hour later.

"Come on there is nothing wrong with your leg," said Tricia. "I have Moody on my case about this, just file the damn paperwork and get your ass back into battle."

"Who told you it was my leg?" asked Lily. She had successfully managed to dodge questions about why she wasn't fighting, only Remus knew the real reason and she had only told James that hurt her leg.

"I have my sources," she said smugly.

"So James told you I injured my leg," said Lily hating Tricia more by the second. "You could have just said that."

"I could have," she said. "But I wouldn't want you to get the wrong impression about my relationship with your ex-husband. He just needs someone to talk to and keep him company after you left him for months."

"He is not my ex-husband," snapped Lily. "I did not leave him! And I was gone for three weeks not months!"

"Really, we felt like it was forever."

"We?"

"James and I," said Tricia.

"I don't have a Healer's certificate and I won't be getting one in the next few months," said Lily sharply. "I think you need to leave before I blow your head off."

"There is no need to be like that," said Tricia sweetly. "You are separated."

"I'm serious sweetheart," said Lily dangerously. "I will blast you halfway to Saturn if you…"

"If I what? Go near James, it's a little late for that."

It took all of Lily's self control, but she calmly got up and left her office, without inflicting any physical injuries on the little tart.