For the tenth time in what was likely the last minute, James glanced in the direction of the Hogs Head kitchen where his wife just disappeared to. His knee was shaking, and although he was laughing, his usual gleeful mirth didn't quite reach his eyes.
"James, mate, calm down. She probably just went to say hello to Aberforth," said Remus once he noticed his friend's wandering eyes.
James sighed, "Yeah, you're right. Sorry," he ran his hand through his hair, "The morning sickness only just stopped two days ago. So I still worry about her when I can't see her, you know?"
"WHAT!?" James and Remus both turned their heads to across the table they were seated at to where Sirius was staring wide-eyed at a chuckling Dorcas, "You've got to be kidding me Meadowes!?"
James, being the nosy bugger that he was had to inquire, "What's going on?"
Sirius barked a laugh before responding, "Prongs, did you know that our gal pal here Dorcas almost convinced Mulciber that he was sexually attracted to Snape back in 6thyear!?"
"WHAT!?" screamed Remus and James at the same time.
"How?" laughed Alice Longbottom from another end of the large table where she was seated in her husband's lap with the couples hands caressing her swollen belly together.
"I honestly don't remember the details, but Lily helped me to manipulate the arousal charm to activate on him each time he thought of or saw Snape," she chuckled along with everyone else. "It didn't last very long, and he found out it was a charm after only a few hours, but I am pretty sure he thought you and Sirius did it," she finished looking at James.
"Oh my gosh! Prongs, I bet that's why he kept on spreading rumors that you and I were together that year!" exclaimed Sirius.
"I remember that!" bellowed Peter. "Remus and I almost believed it at one point."
Sirius grinned, "Who didn't!? We thought that shit was hilarious. So we just never denied it, right Prongsy?"
James just grinned back. It's been a while since him and others from the Order have been able to get together like this. With the war reaching new heights and having just lost the Prewett twins and Marlene, no one was in any mood to do anything for that matter. Yet for some reason, today, Lily decided to gather as many of them as possible to venture through this snowy March day and meet up at the Hogs Head for drinks.
While the night started off somber with tales of and toasts to their fallen friends, it soon turned into a night reminiscent of their carefree school days at Hogwarts thanks to Lily and her infectious ability to lift moods. Now everyone was laughing and sharing tales of anyone and anything just basking in the moment—happy to make this one night away from the war.
A few minutes ago, as Sirius was taking off his shirt to show Dorcas his newest muggle style tattoo that everyone else had already seen about a thousand times, Lily turned to James, told him she'd be right back with a light peck to his lips before disappearing to the kitchen before he could even ask where she was going.
So, naturally, James's eyes kept shifting to the closed kitchen doors wondering when the hell his pregnant wife would return to him. After Dorcas' admittance of her prank, Sirius and Remus started sharing some of the Marauders' more hidden pranks to the rest of the group while James pretended to stay engaged.
Just as James' anxiety was reaching its limit of restless foot-tapping and shifty eyes, he started to stand up to go follow where Lily went through to the kitchen. As his hands slapped his knees to push himself up, the doors to the kitchen burst open to reveal a beautiful red-headed woman with a swollen belly that was being partially hidden by a large Gryffindor-themed cake held in hands with around twenty candles.
As Lily and the cake started walking toward a bewildered, jaw-dropping, and wide-eyed looking James, everyone started singing, "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear James (Prongs from Sirius, Remus, and Peter). Happy birthday to you."
James was chuckling at her bashfully as Lily carefully set the cake on the table in front of him, ran her fingers through his hair as she looked at him lovingly, and said, "Make a wish my love."
He gently placed his hand on her baby bump as he returned her adoring stare, and then turned his head toward the cake to blow out the candles. Sirius whistled loudly, while the rest clapped and cheered in response.
"If someone told me five years ago, that James Potter would forget his birthday, I would have called them barmy," chuckled Lily as she put her hand on top of James' on her stomach.
James just shrugged, "I only make it clear that it's my birthday when I want something, and that something used to be you Evans."
"It's Potter now," she grinned.
"Exactly," James winked.