Turns out fight scenes are a lot harder to write than the cute ones—but maybe that's just because I've been in a good mood this week (spring break is a college student's dream come true!) I hope you all enjoy this chapter, next one will be the day after this chapter! Also, just to clarify, this chapter takes place in mid-April.

Song: "Heartbreak Warfare" by John Mayer

Chapter 36: No One Really Ever Wins

"Lily!" On Friday afternoon Lily was met with the squeal of two year old Isabelle running toward her. Lily had let herself into her cousin's apartment with an overnight bag in her hand and gave Isabelle a hug with the other. "Watch me!"

"That's what I'm here for," Lily said with a smile. Isabelle took off toward her bedroom and Lily walked into the kitchen to find Teddy sitting at the table looking bored and anxious while Victorie looked over a list, her eyes flickering from the list to the suitcases on the ground.

"Teddy, are you sure you packed a decent outfit to wear to dinner tonight? And then a nice one to wear tomorrow?"

"Victorie, we've been married for nearly five years. Trust me; your adamant fashion sense had rubbed off." Teddy sighed and Victorie raised her eyebrow at him.

"You want to start the weekend like this?" Teddy thought for a minute and shook his head. Victorie smiled, satisfied and turned to Lily who was trying to stifle her giggles.

"You two are exactly the same as you were growing up." She said and Victorie rolled her eyes.

"Don't I know it. So I left a lot of food in the cabinets, you and Ben can have whatever you like…I told Grandmum you would drop Isabelle and her things off to The Burrow around dinnertime tomorrow. If you need anything at all have Ben send a Patronus to Teddy. You know everything else when it comes to her…but she hasn't had a nap today so don't say I didn't warn you when she throws a fit around dinnertime." Lily smiled.

"I think we'll manage just fine. You two have fun and don't worry." Teddy picked up the suitcases.

"Thanks again for watching her Lily, I don't think Molly can handle her the whole weekend anymore."

"It's no trouble," Lily assured them and Victorie gave her a hug.

"Give me all the details on Ben's child-watching abilities."

"Oh believe me, I will." Lily said with a laugh. Teddy and Victorie said goodbye to Isabelle, who practically ushered them out of the door.

"Playtime!" Isabelle said excitedly once the door had shut behind her parents. For the next hour and a half Lily followed the two year olds directions on how to play "store", which consisted of Isabelle running a store and Lily buying all of her stuffed toys and the minute Lily touched one of her toys, she would scream "mine!" and yank it back. Lily was starting to tire and she found herself constantly glancing at the clock for when Ben would arrive. Lily felt her stomach rumble (this appetite would not let up and it seemed that the fifth month of pregnancy was by far starting to be her hungriest).

"Hey Isabelle, do you want to have some dinner?" Isabelle's eyes lit up and she took off towards the kitchen. Lily pushed herself off of the ground and walked into the kitchen where she found Isabelle standing in the middle of the kitchen, looking around and her eyes tearing up.

"Where mommy?" She asked, her lower lip trembling.

"Honey, mommy and daddy will be back later, I'm here now." Lily said, taking a step towards the toddler. In a second, Isabelle was on the floor sobbing and screaming that she wanted her mother, her hair turning a wild shade of red and then blue and then back to blonde. "Isabelle," Lily tried to sooth her and rub her back but she would not let up and starting to punch and kick the floor. The tantrum was going on a solid ten minutes before Ben walked through the door.

"Lily?" Ben called, following the noise into the kitchen. "What is going on?" He winced as Isabelle let out another wail.

"Want mommy!" she screamed and Lily looked helpless at Ben, who shrugged his shoulders and set his rucksack down. Lily shot him an annoyed look and went back to rubbing Isabelle's back.

"It's okay Isabelle, we're going to eat some dinner and then play more store, look Ben is here now and he wants to play too!"

"No!" Isabelle screamed.

"Ben, would you please go look in the cupboard over the stove and see what snacks are in there. But don't mention the c-o-o-k-i-e-s until after dinner." She reminded, trying and failing to pick Isabelle off of the floor.

"If it will make her stop crying, why can't she have them now?" Ben asked.

"Because then she won't eat her dinner," Lily said irritated. "Would you just do what I am asking you to?"

"Yes dear." Ben said sarcastically. He looked through the cupboard and pulled out a box of pasta. "How about macaroni?"

"Which kind is it, she only likes the kind with the cheese, not the kind with cheese and broccoli, Teddy likes that one, oh no." She looked to Isabelle who had stood up, the front of her dress wet. "Alright Isabelle, we've got to get you changed now."

"No! No potty!"

"You already went," Lily said, pointing her wand at the wet spot on the floor to dry it. "Come on," she took her hand and looked at Ben. "Can you make the pasta while I get her changed?" Ben nodded and Lily led Isabelle into her room.

"No!" Isabelle said when Lily tried to take off her dress.

"Isabelle, this dress is wet, you need to put on clean clothes." Lily's patience was running out so she yanked the dress off of her, which resulted in a blood-curdling scream.

"Mine!" Isabelle screamed, grabbing the dress and running across the hall into the bathroom. Lily followed and found her naked, her toddler-underwear in the toilet and her hand positioned on the flusher.

"Isabelle, do not flush that." Lily warned her, but it was too late and the underwear immediately got lodged in the toilet, causing water to overflow.

"Bath!" Isabelle squealed with glee and she stomped her feet in the water.

"Ben!" Lily called and a minute later Ben appeared, looking confused at the situation. "I need you to take her while I clean this up," she said.

"I've got macaroni cooking."

"I've got a flooded bathroom." Lily motioned. "Cast a warming charm, take her, clean her off and change her!" Ben picked up Isabelle, who started screaming, and took her back into the kitchen.

"Alright miss, you're going to sit here until it's done." Ben said, putting Isabelle on the counter next to the stove. "And if you stop screaming, I'll get you a cookie." At this, she immediately stopped and her eyes brightened. Ben got out the box of cookies and handed her one, just as Lily came back into the kitchen.

"Why is she nearly on the stove, not dressed and eating a cookie!" She exclaimed, going over and grabbing Isabelle.

"I told you I was cooking, she was just on the bleeding counter and the cookie shut her up." Ben icily said. Without a word, Lily left with Isabelle and by the time she finally got her into a fresh nappy and pajamas, the macaroni was ready and the three sat at the table, the only noise being Isabelle's random words. When she was done, she demanded another cookie and despite Lily's evil eye, Ben gave her one.

"How about we read you a story and start to tuck you in?" Lily asked. It was before Isabelle's usual bedtime but the combination of no nap and an hour long tantrum must have exhausted the toddler. It certainly exhausted Lily.

"Okay," Isabelle said and, thanking God for having her agree, Lily picked her out of her seat and carried her across the kitchen.

"I'll clean this up," Ben mumbled and Lily nodded her head. Isabelle picked a picture book about a little witch and a wizard finding a talking cat and even before Lily reached the end of the book, Isabelle had started to doze off. Lily tucked her into her bed, kissed her forehead and put the little gate up on the side of the bed so she wouldn't roll out of it. Closing the door, Lily let out a sigh and closed her eyes, knowing her night was far from over and she would have to deal with an irritated Ben. She walked in to the kitchen and found him sitting at the table, reading The Prophet and eating a few cookies.

"She's asleep." Lily told him.

"Good." Ben said, not looking up from the paper. Lily was not in the mood to deal with his attitude and her hormones instantly switched from the usually emotional to the extremely angry.

"You know, you could have just listened to me. I've minded her before, I know what it's like." With this, Ben looked up from the paper, his eyes an icy shade of blue.

"Forgive me for not wanting my eardrums to have permanent damage."

"Oh, pardon me for you not coming here to dinner on the table and a pleasant little two year old." Lily shot at him and Ben stood up.

"After a long day of work, that would have been nice."

"I can't control her tantrum, she's a fucking two year old!" Lily shouted. "And when you are pregnant and have a full day of classes and have to deal with a screaming child, maybe you will understand what a long day actually is!"

"Does that mean I would get to bark orders at you instead of say a damn hello?" Ben asked and Lily clenched her fist.

"Don't even start with me Ben, I asked you to do simple things, none of which you did correctly-"

"That's bullshit Lily and you know it! I'm not asking for a perfect little housewife here, I'm asking for a thank you."

"Oh well THANK YOU for being absolutely no help to me, THANK YOU for endangering the life of my cousin and THANK YOU for showing me that I'm going to be on my own raising this child!" Lily said, pointing at her belly.

"I give Isabelle ONE FUCKING COOKIE and it shows I'm going to be a terrible, absentee father!" Ben threw his hands up in the air. "You're mental."

"Shut up!" Lily shouted at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "Just SHUT UP!" Lily stormed down the hall and resisted slamming the door to Teddy and Victorie's bedroom only because she did not want to wake Isabelle up. She lay on the bed, tears pouring out of her eyes. She knew she was hormonal, she knew Ben tried his best and she knew she wasn't being fair. But she was also completely terrified. In a little over four months she and Ben would be parents, they would be responsible for raising a baby and if this night was any indication, it had the potential to tear them apart.

Lily cried herself to sleep, not changing her clothes or getting ready for bed. Eventually, her exhaustion caught up with her and an hour later Ben softly opened the door and found her curled up in the bed. His heart was heavy, he knew they had both said things they didn't mean and they were both tired and had out of reach expectations for the other. But it didn't stop him from having the sickening feeling that they were not going to be good parents. They were so young and had been dating less than a year. Ben knew parenting was not going to be easy, but when he pictured it he and Lily were on the same page, they were both thinking the same thing. Babysitting Isabelle had either been a reality check or a very bad omen.

Even though they were fighting, however, Ben had the need to make sure Lily and the baby were okay and he turned to leave and go to the couch when he heard Lily stir in her sleep. Figuring he woke her up, Ben walked over and gently placed his hand on her hair.

"Go back to sleep Lily, I already checked on Isabelle, she's fine." He said. She gave a half-nod in her sleep and Ben caressed her cheek with his finger. "Screw fighting," he murmured and he crawled in bed next to her, pulling Lily's body close to him. Even in her sleepy state, she nuzzled her head into his chest. Ben kissed her forehead and the two drifted off to sleep.