We Can Do Anything

Author's Note: Thank you for all the support so far and for sticking with my story! Without further ado, here is chapter 2! ALSO I loveee cliffhangers so uhh be patient with me ;)

Delicate

New Years Eve, 1979

"I'm pregnant."

James' heart stopped then, or maybe his brain finally did break. Either way, he wasn't thinking straight, and he surely felt like he was going to pass out. His face drew blank, and his hands involuntarily went to his hair, pulling at it as he looked at her anxious expression.

Pregnant pregnant pregnant. The word screamed at him, and an overwhelming urge of panic took over the part of him that yearned to comfort Lily. She looked down at the floor, staring at the test he had dropped. She sniffed and brought her hand to her eye, slowly wiping away at her tears.

James blew out a slow breath and spoke carefully. "Lil. I love you. So much." He paused. "I just… just give me a mo.'"

James backed away from her slightly, sitting on the bathtub's edge; he pressed his elbows to his knees and ran his hands through his hair once more. Lily gave him a sad smile; he needed a moment to collect himself. She had hours; it was only fair.

Lily looked at her hands, fidgeting with her wedding ring and forcing back her tears.

James finally finally looked up at her. "Halloween, huh?"

"I think so," Lily shrugged. "I don't remember if I used the charm afterward."

James chuckled darkly at the memory. "That was a messy night. We probably forgot it." He admitted, sliding down to the floor, stretching his legs out, and leaned against the tub. "c'mere." He patted the floor next to him, and Lily got off the counter. She sat beside him, stretching her legs out and resting her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

He squeezed her shoulder slightly, pressing his lips firmly against the side of her head as Lily sank further into his touch. "I love you so much, Lily, " James whispered, digging his nose in her soft hair and deeply inhaling her flowery aroma.

They sat there for a few quiet moments, the bright light of the bathroom buzzing down on James and Lily. She started softly sobbing again, burying her face in his side, allowing herself these few minutes of panic. "What're we gonna do, James?" She spoke so carefully, James thought she might break then and there. "We have no idea how to have a baby," the more she spoke, the more panic began to overwhelm her, and Lily started to gasp for air as she tried to get her words out.

"How…could… " hiccup, "...this happen?"

"Well, we both know how it happened, " said James. A pathetic attempt at humor went over Lily's head as she sat up a little straighter and turned to face him, the most broken expression painted across her delicate features.

Chewing on her lip and pulling a hand away from her husband so she could anxiously run her fingers through her hair, flipping it from one side to the other and tucking it behind her ear. Lily grimaced at herself internally, knowing she picked up almost all of James' habits, just as he had begun to mimic hers.

When they finally entered a relationship by the beginning of their seventh year, Remus liked to point out how they picked up on each other's mannerisms. In habits and personality.

Sirius told Lily on the night of her wedding, "you are so bloody loved up. It's like you're morphing into each other." Lily remembered the conversation vividly. They were dancing on a rooftop in Hogsmeade, a blustery January night made warm by magic and the love of a young witch and wizard. "Prongs kids will be wild, Lily." Sirius had said, holding her at elbows' length and twirling her around. He gave her the sweetest smile she had ever seen from Sirius and whispered to her, "you'll be a great Mum, though, you; you'd handle it."

Back in their bathroom on that fated New Year's Eve, James kissed Lily and wiped her tears away with his thumb. He held her gaze, sliding his thumb down her cheek and landing it just under her chin. Pushing up her chin so she could properly look at him, James asked firmly, "what do you want to do, Lily?"

"I want this, " Lily had spoken with so much confidence she nearly believed it herself. She studied his eyes for a moment, her green boring into his hazel. "But, " she began, her tears emerging once more. "We're in a war, James."

"I know, " James said so quietly she could hardly hear him.

Sitting back on her legs, Lily took hold of his hand and began to play with his fingers in her lap. She closed her eyes and tilted her head down in a lame attempt at hiding this fresh batch of tears. The sight nearly broke James in half, and he hummed to her softly. "We'll do whatever you want, Lily." He wrapped both arms around her and hugged her more closely than he ever thought possible. "Just breathe, Love, " he said carefully, closing his eyes and inhaling slowly, then exhaling, encouraging his wife to do the same.

After another moment in his arms, Lily wiped away her final tear and moved away from him, resuming her position, curled at his side and his arm wrapped around her shoulder once again.

"So we're having a baby," James said, after a long while of sitting in each other's company and thinking silently to themselves and taking time to absorb the adjustment to parenthood.

"Yup."

"Erm." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "So what next?"

"I uh… I think I'll make an appointment at St. Mungos. To get it confirmed."

"So…" He squeezed her shoulder again and kissed her temple. "We are having a baby?"

Lily pulled away from him slightly, studying his nervous expression. "I… James," Her voice broke, and she sighed out. "Are… are you okay with this?" She asked him.

"Yes," James said automatically, the word left his mouth before he even registered what he was saying. Yes, actually, a baby would alright. He always told Lily he wanted a family; he just never expected it to be this early. "I wish we were older."

"I know," Lily whispered, looking down. She moved her hand to sit delicately against her stomach,

"But… I'm okay if we get started now." He stared down at her, and she turned her head to face him.

Lily was quiet for a moment, her heart thumped wildly, and she grabbed at his hands. She pulled them to her waist and pushed her shirt up, planting his hand firmly against her belly. "We made a human, James. We really really fucked up."

"I know."

"We have to be responsible now, love. We have to take care of our baby; we made it."

"I know Lily." James felt something warm pool in his chest. He smiled at her. "We managed to be Hogwarts Headboy and Headgirl Lily!"

Lily gave him her patented sad smile and laughed slightly. "A baby is different, James."

"Oi." James sat up straighter, pulling his hands from her grasp and cupping the sides of her face. He kissed her forehead and smiled against her. "We figured out how to run an entire school, Lil." He pushed his head away from her and met her eyes. "If we can do that, we can do anything."

Lily allowed herself a breath of relief at her husband's words. "Babies take a lot, you know. There's a lot we'll have to get and learn." She explained carefully.

"I'm ready for it," James said with so much surety, Lily had to fight herself from crying again. Stupid hormones.

Lily leaned into him slightly; James pulled her closer and made sure to keep his face buried in her hair.

"You're great at everything, Lily." He whispered to her in the quiet. "You'll be a brilliant Mum."

"I never realized how much I wanted this," Lily said, curling her legs on top of his. "It's going to be a boy." She whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her forehead to his.

"You're sure about that?" James laughed.

"Absolutely. I can feel it in my bones." She told him, scrunching her nose in the most Lily-way.

James just laughed instead, pressing kisses against her jaw. "See? You're a great Mum already, Lily. You've got that Mother's intuition or whatever it is called."

Lily laughed and kissed him lightly. After another moment, Lily pulled back slightly, touching her nose to his. "I really want this, James." She told him honestly, and it was a conversation that had happened before. It was just as terrifying at seventeen as it was today; Lily would reflect on that a lot more later on. But this was it, everything she had ever wanted, a family, a baby. She had never been more sure of anything, except perhaps the night she married James.

She told him that too, whispering it in his ear as he snaked his hands up her back. He smiled against her skin, planting a soft kiss in the crook of her neck.

"A baby, " James sighed wondersly; he pulled back from her slightly and let out a low chuckle. "I really got you pregnant?"

Lily rolled her eyes, her smile wider than he had ever seen before. "Yes. You really did."

He just laughed in return, moving his arms around her waist and hoisting them both off the ground. Squeezing her thighs around his hips, Lily threw her head back, cackling, as he carried them through the hallway and to their bed.