Chapter 51
Remus and Tonks' wedding was short and beautiful. Lily was extremely happy for them and she was grateful for the distraction from her own relationship problems. After seeing them off on their honeymoon, Lily returned to Grimmauld Place with Sirius and Harry. She was just starting to show her pregnancy in her fourth month, a little earlier than she had shown with Harry.
"You okay mum?" Harry asked.
"I should be worried about you," Lily rubbed his cheek. "You broke up with Ginny to try and protect her, but it's not Harry. You need to be happy."
"I just couldn't handle it if Voldemort went after her to get to me." Harry whispered.
"I'm not going to be able to convince you otherwise," she sighed. "I'll be fine."
She suddenly started, placing her hands over her stomach.
"Mum?" Harry asked loudly, Sirius came running from the kitchen. "What's wrong?"
"The baby kicked," she looked up at the pair in excitement. She pulled Harry's hand to her stomach. "Here, feel, they kicked."
It was several moments before there was another movement and Harry's face lit up.
"That's my sibling," he grinned at Lily.
"It is," tears welled at the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away. "Sorry."
"It's okay mum," he held her for several moments and Lily wondered when he had gotten so tall. "When do I get to know what gender my sibling is?"
"I'm supposed to be able to find out at my next appointment with the healer, if the baby is facing the right direction to look at their genitalia." Harry flushed slightly.
"What are you hoping for?" Sirius asked curiously.
"I kind of want a little sister," Harry admitted.
"I want another boy, they're so cute to have running around the house." Lily told her friend. She rubbed her abdomen. "I'll be happy with whatever gender though, I'm sure they will be perfect."
"I hope they look like you," Harry told her, the silence of the rest of his sentence said everything. They wanted the baby to look more like Lily so that they wouldn't remind them of the father—the father who had abandoned them and killed Dumbledore.
"I'm sure they will be beautiful." Lily's expression turned down and she gave one more forlorn rub of her stomach. She walked into the kitchen, ready for a late night snack.
-oOo-
Severus stepped into the Death Eater meeting, Voldemort was politely waiting for him. He took a seat quickly at the table, the Dark Lord immediately jumping to start the meeting.
"We are looking for a way to find Lily Potter and her son Harry Potter." He stated. Severus' heart jumped into his throat, but he kept his face untelling.
"I would have thought Severus would be up for helping us with that task." Bellatrix hissed from further down the table.
"I no longer have any kind of contact with Mrs. Potter or her son, nor would I think that they would allow me to get close to them." Severus replied coolly. What he had done, the fact that he never knew what was so important for Lily to discuss with him, and the way he had had to abandon the order haunted him every day.
"If we cannot utilize Severus, then we will find another way to find them. Yaxley, please tell us how we are doing in our approach of taking over the ministry." Voldemort turned his cool eyes on the bulkier man.
Severus allowed himself the moments of reprieve to let his thoughts drift to Lily. He really loved her, and she had seemed so happy to see him. She had looked even more beautiful than he remembered the last night he saw her. He rolled over that memory of her in his mind over and over again. It haunted him on long nights when he couldn't sleep. He tried to calm himself in the meeting by intaking a long breath through his nose.
"Severus, if you could find a way to get any information about the orders movements it would be appreciated."
"Of course my Lord, I will see it done." Severus nodded, allowing a fake smile to creep up his face. Now he had another task, and still no contact with Lily would be possible.
