Read Aloud

Lily spent an extraordinarily long amount of time bathing that evening. Every muscle in her body was stretched and sore and her bones were adjusting incredibly as her baby grew inside her and while she loved her baby with all her heart, she could frankly do without the constant pains in the butt. Quite literally.

"Lily, are you out yet?" James hollered from the hallway the second Lily stepped out of her bathroom on the first floor. She grinned.

"I am! And I need you in here," she responded, yelling equally loudly. Then she placed her palms on her stomach, alarmed.

"Sorry, baby!" She whispered, convinced that she was going to be responsible for driving him deaf. Lily quickly threw on her comfiest nightgown and settled into bed, stretching her legs out. Her stomach rumbled gently, reminding her of the dinner she'd cooked but not eaten.

"I bear food," James barged in just then, holding up a tray laden with piping hot spaghetti and meatballs with the sauce on the side, just as she liked it.

"I knew there's a reason I stuck by you for so long," Lily joked as she sniffed appreciatively. James scowled but placed the tray before her carefully and then proceeded to walk back to the kitchen.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" she demanded, waving the door shut with a flick of her wand before James could step out. He blinked. "To get myself dinner," he answered, and Lily smacked herself on the head. Of course he hadn't eaten.

"I'm sorry, sorry. Get yourself a tray and get back up here soon!"

"What's the hurry?" James asked curiously. "You're alright, aren't you?"

Lily huffed impatiently. "Yes, yes. But it is story time for our little baby!"

James waited for an explanation.

"Sweetheart, our baby can hear us and is most likely trying to understand who you are and who I am," she explained patiently as she rubbed her large, sore tummy with one hand while she spooned some food into her mouth with the other.

"Well, we talk plenty, why do we need to read stories to the baby when, well, he isn't even born yet?"

"Or she," Lily corrected automatically. James wisely remained silent.

"Babies pick up things in-utero, James. I'm going to play our baby some music every day, and read stories out loud at bed time. Which is now," she added as she stifled a yawn.

James quickly realised that there was no arguing against his wife's logic. There never was, anyway.

"Let me get some dinner," he said, moving to open the door. "And then I can tell our baby all about how his brave daddy caught a few snoopy Death Eaters today…"

Lily threw him a look. "How about we keep the Death Eaters away from our stories?"

James smiled ruefully. "I agree. It's a little too early for that."

And he went to get dinner, his mind abuzz with the most fascinating of stories.

Entered in:

The Het-tastic Drabble-Athon Competition, prompt #66: hot