DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the content referenced/quoted. Warning for swearing.

31. The Pregnany

"Lily is what now?"

James stares back at Em with sparkling eyes as she tries to staunch the blood flowing down his arm. It's a nasty cut, a near miss with some kind of slicing hex. It could have taken his arm off, something that would normally have scared the wits out of Em. But James' news is enough to shock her out of any other concerns.

"She's pregnant."

Em blinks at him, before speaking, "Fuck sake, Jim, you work fast."

His whole face suddenly flushes red.

Pregnant. Lily Potter nee Evans is pregnant.

"Godric, you're officially old now, Jim."

James splutters, "Now, hang on a minute-"

"Why's Prongs old?" Sirius' voice pops up from behind her. Em turns to face the boy, tightening her grip on James' arm.

Sirius' face is streaked in soot and dried blood, his hair is matted with sweat and dirt, and there are deep bags under his eyes. He hasn't been sleeping well since Reggie died. In fact, Em isn't sure he is sleeping at all. Quietly, she stores that thought away, someone needs to speak to him about it.

Now though, she says, "Lily flower is pregnant."

Sirius stares at them in silence for a minute, looks between James' flushed and proud face and Em's bewildered one.

"Lily," Sirius starts, "Our Lily?"

Em nods.

Sirius suddenly lets out a great loud whooping noise and moves to clap his friend on the back. Em stops him at the last minute, pointing towards James' still injured arm. He clasps his shoulder instead, a wide smile stretching across his face.

"Congrats!" Sirius says, "You're an old man now!"

"Hey!"

Em laughs as Cass enters the room. Her sister is covered in blood, her hands trembling with exhaustion. She'd come straight off a shift into this mess. Cass takes a quick look at James' arm, winces, then mutters a few spells under her breath. Em watches in amazement as the skin starts to knit itself back together until only a smooth pale patch streaked in old blood remains. Scratchers, who has decided to make this flat his only abode, slinks around the corner, staring at the humans with bright eyes, his tail swishing from side to side. He is not so impressed by the magic, and quickly turns tail towards the kitchen.

Cass finally focuses her attention on the two grinning boys before her.

"What are you two grinning about?"

"Lily is pregnant," James says.

Cass' eyes grow wide and then she emits a loud squeal, launching herself at James who almost falls under her sudden weight.

Sirius snorts at them and Em smiles. Cass starts to ramble on about cots and cute hats and baby booties, when Remus enters the room. There's a weary line to his shoulders, which are tense so close to a full moon; his face is scratched, and he's covered head to toe in mud, but the sight of him safe and whole is enough to make Em's chest flutter. He moves to her side, pressing a quick kiss to her hair as they watch Cass continue to ramble at a shocked looking James.

The witch squeals again and clutches at her sister.

"What's going on?" Remus asks.

"A baby!" Cass cries. Remus freezes, his eyes going wide, as he slowly turns to look at Em. He points at her with trembling hands.

She quickly swats him, "Not me, you big oaf. You think I wouldn't have told you by now if it was me!"

Remus brow furrows and then he looks at Cass with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh for Godric's sake, Remus," she says. "We're talking about Lily and James."

"Lily is pregnant?" Remus squeaks at his friend. James puffs out his chest proudly and nods.

"She's due in July."

"Wow," Remus says. "Congrats, mate, really. But fuck you're old now."

Sirius and Em burst into laughter as James scowls at Remus like a petulant child.

A confused Remus looks between them, "What? What did I say?"

It only makes them laugh harder. The green thing in Em's chest expands, growing warm.

"James."

The group turns to see a weary Albus in the doorway, his face lined heavily. Their laughter stops abruptly.

"Dumbledore," James replies. The wizard holds out a hand and James rises to his feet, moves to join him. The pair depart from the room. Silence falls heavily between the teens.

Until Cass turns a stern glare on Sirius, "Have you been checked over?"

He holds his hands up, "I'm not injured!"

"We'll see about that," Cass says. "Sit."

"What about Moony!" Sirius protests as the small witch attempts to man-handle him into a seat.

"I've already been checked over," he says. Sirius scowls at him.

Em tugs at Remus' sleeve.

"Let's get the kettle on," she says and leads him from the room.

They move into the kitchen, and Em fills up and sets the kettle to boil while Remus retrieves a number of mismatched mugs.

"So," Em says, leaning against the counter and staring up at the werewolf. "That was a terrified reaction if I ever saw one."

Remus winces, but says nothing.

"Not a fan of kids?" She asks.

"No! I mean, yes! Yes I love kids," Remus scrambles, "I just...a kid from me...my kid…"

"Would not be a werewolf."

He shifts awkwardly, "How do you know?"

"Because I'm pretty sure you have to be bitten to be a werewolf, love."

"But I could pass it onto him."

"Ah, so our fictional child is a boy now, hm?"

Remus flushes and mumbles into his chest, eyes averted from Em, who is trying not to smile up at him.

"What was that?"

"Maybe I've thought about it," he says quietly, gaze darting from the counter to her and back again. "Just a little."

Em slips her arms around him and pulls him close. He's rigid at first, but then he softens, wrapping himself around her tightly.

"If we have kids," Em says quietly, "the only things they'll be getting from you are your lankiness and your bookishness."

She looks up at Remus, "And if they do, Merlin forbid, end up as werewolves then we'll love them. We'll love them so much that when they go out into the world, they won't have the same difficulties you did. I can promise you that."

He sighs, and rests his head on top of hers.

"Capische?"

His chest rumbles and she grins as he laughs.

"Capische."

They stand in silence for a minute.

"So when you were thinking about our fictional kid," Em says. "What were your name picks?"

Remus sighs, "You're not going to let me live this down, are you?"

She grins up at him, "Nope."

"Edward." He speaks up after a minute, "He was called Edward."

"Edward," she repeats, rolling the name across her tongue. "Edward Lupin. I like it."