Chapter 13: Chocolate-Covered Grapefruit (And Other Rejects off the Food Network)

Lily sincerely hoped that it wasn't the wizard's flu.

James's observations about her tired appearance had proven more astute than his usual perceptions about her; she was feeling tired and generally out of sorts lately. The ten-hour workdays weren't helping, she admitted, but it was work she enjoyed, and the time often passed much more quickly than she'd expected. Usually, before she knew it, it was dark outside and time to head home to meet with James.

The past couple of weeks, though—actually, starting at the very end of the year—had been physically trying. The number of new safety precautions taken every day against the Dark Order was overwhelming. Merely going through the security checkpoints every morning was enough to make her feel exhausted and rather nauseous by the time she reached her office, and she was starting to lose her appetite at meals.

It got to the point where even James would notice.

"Why aren't you eating?" he asked abruptly, when she'd spent fifteen minutes pushing her potatoes around her plate. It was another late-night snacking session, and the two of them were sitting in the kitchen eating a candlelit meal. "Aren't you hungry? I thought you said you hadn't eaten since lunch."

"I haven't," agreed Lily wearily, continuing to play with her food. She speared a bit of potato and held it up to the light, staring at it in wonder. "Do you know, this thing doesn't look appetizing at all."

James paused, a forkful frozen on its way to his mouth. Slowly, he put his fork down.

"What do you feel like eating?" he asked slowly, looking at her seriously. "I'll make it."

Lily laughed half-heartedly. "James, I know your culinary skills a little too well. I love you, but please don't destroy my kitchen trying to cook." She set her potato back down with a faint clunk. Resting her chin thoughtfully in her hand, she frowned. "Maybe I'll eat some fruit…grapefruit sounds good right now. Mmmm….grapefruit….with chocolate. Chocolate-covered grapefruit sounds good right about now…yes…"

James quirked an eyebrow at her. "Since when have you liked grapefruit, Lily?"

"Since now," she replied, already rummaging through the refrigerator. "James, where do we keep the grapefruit? And could you melt me some chocolate in a pot?"

He shrugged and headed to the cabinets, pulling out a slab of Honeydukes. "I think they're in the bottom drawer, behind the tangerines."

Lily, frustrated, picked up her wand and summoned the grapefruit from the depths of the refrigerator. She emerged victoriously, clutching several grapefruit to her chest. She trotted gleefully over to the sink, where she supervised their washing with her wand. Still flicking and swishing, she directed a knife to begin slicing the fruit, peeling them, and cutting the meat into small chunks.

James had by now melted the chocolate in a pot on the stove. He watched curiously as Lily dug up the fondue forks and set about dipping pieces of grapefruit into the simmering chocolate.

She grinned and winked at him as she took a large bite; chocolate dribbled down her chin. He watched as she chewed thoughtfully, then gave him a big smile. James grinned back at her and reached out to wipe off the chocolate on her face, licking his fingers carefully afterward.

Lily finished about two grapefruit before she declared loudly, "I'm done!" Setting down her fork and turning off the stove, she sat down at the table, patting her belly. She sat still for a few seconds, then picked up her fork and began on the potatoes again. While James looked on questioningly, she merely said, "They look good now."

James wondered whether Lily didn't really have some sort of wizard's flu, and felt her forehead. "I think you're a little warm, Lily," he said, brow creasing. "Maybe you ought to go to bed. You've got a long day tomorrow, too, and you've got to be up early."

Lily looked on the verge of arguing with him, but checked herself and seemed to think better of it. She sat still, contemplating her plate for a few moments. "All right," she said reluctantly, standing up. She looked at her husband consideringly. "Will you come with me?"

James smiled at her childishness. "Yes, let me just finish and put these things away." She nodded her assent, and left the room.

The next morning, James was awakened by the sound of Lily being horribly sick in the bathroom. Groggily reaching for his glasses, he tumbled out of bed and went to offer his services in holding her hair out of her face and rubbing her back.

"I knew I shouldn't have eaten all that grapefruit," Lily mumbled between heaves. "But it just looked so good somehow…"

James almost laughed, but sobered as Lily continued regurgitating her dinner.

When she'd finally finished, he handed her a toothbrush. Then he waited for her to finish up, so he could help her back to bed. Tucking the blankets underneath her chin, James looked at her pale face concernedly. Lily noticed the look he was giving her, and gave him a shaky smile.

"Don't worry, James." Her face looked a bit peaked. "I think…I'll take the day off work today. Do you think you could owl Ashby for me?" He nodded, and she smiled, closing her eyes. "I'll feel better after a lie-down. Really."

James was still uncertain, but he knew better than to argue with his wife over the state of her own physical well-being. So instead, he tucked the blankets more securely about her and began to get dressed for work. Before he left, he put a tray on the bedside table with some toast and weak tea on it for her. He smiled, relieved, when he realized that she was already in a deep sleep, a small smile on her face.

Work was uneventful; the day was comparatively peaceful, and James spent the vast majority of it at his table filling out a perpetually growing stack of paperwork. So intent was he at his work that it was mid-afternoon before he even set down his quill to take off his glasses and rub at his eyes. The fireplace in the office crackled merrily with wizard fire. Suddenly there was a small popping sound and Lily's head appeared in the flames. James would have been scared out of his wits if Lily hadn't taken to calling him every so often through the fireplace these days to let him know when she'd be going home.

"How's your day off?" James asked, smiling. Lily's face looked much better—there was a rosy tint in her cheeks that had been noticeably absent that morning, and her eyes were sparkling.

She laughed. "Just fine, James. Enjoying your paperwork, I see," she said, eyeing the piles of parchment spread all over his desk and the blots of ink scattered about. She sobered a little, though there was still a small twinkle in her eye. "D'you think you could come home a little early tonight? Let's have dinner at a normal time tonight…what do you think?" She grimaced playfully. "I don't think this midnight snacking thing is agreeing with me."

"All right," agreed James easily. He didn't really have anything important to do that day, anyway…Moody would forgive him for leaving off paperwork for another day. There seemed to be a lull at the office. "What time then?"

"Hmm…can you be back by six?"

"See you at six then."

With a grin and a wink, and another small popping noise, Lily's head vanished from sight. James continued to smile to himself after she was gone, picking up his quill to continue with his work.

James showed up at his apparition point with plenty of time to spare and took the walk home at a rapid pace, whistling softly. He savored the twilight hour, the sun having already set, and took note of people's lights blinking through the semi-darkness. One of those lights, he delighted in thinking, was his. One, out of the myriad all around him, was burning just for him, with a warm fireplace and a beautiful wife waiting. The air wasn't too chilly, for winter, and though the ground was slippery with a bit of ice, he thoroughly enjoyed the walk.

Entering the house with as little noise as possible, after going through the basic procedures (getting round the safety curses and charms), James slipped quietly into the kitchen, from which area he heard Lily's soft humming.

Lily was in the process of setting the table. Candles were lit all around the room, and the silverware glistened in the flickering light. Fiery red poppies were again the centrepiece of the table, and the scene overall reminded James of that night last year when he'd come home late for dinner and Dumbledore had shown up in the fireplace, requesting that he and Lily teach at Hogwarts for a time…

Even the green robes Lily wore, James realized, were the ones she'd been wearing that night. They looked as lovely on her as they ever had, he admitted to himself, enjoying the sight of her adjusting the napkins on the table. Her hair wasn't up today, as it normally was; instead it hung down her back in a dark shining mass. He took the moment to appreciate the unruly lock that fell over her forehead just so, the way her slender fingers wrapped themselves around the stem of a wine-glass, the flash of her eyes as they disappeared behind her lids and thick lashes as she blinked. He caught his breath and almost sighed out loud.

Lily was just putting the final touches on the table when her sixth sense told her suddenly that she was no longer alone in the room. She almost panicked, thinking that someone had somehow gotten through the protective spells that she and James had patiently set up about the house a matter of weeks before. She relaxed when arms slid gently around her, enclosing her in warmth.

"You're lovely," a voice whispered in her ear. She smiled, closing her eyes for a second before swiveling around and locking her own arms about James's neck. She ruffled his already unruly hair and kissed him softly. It didn't take much coercion on either side to deepen the kiss. It was a while before they pulled back, slightly out of breath and smiling.

It was several minutes later, when they'd finally settled at the table to eat, that Lily mentioned what she'd done that day. "I woke up at noon," she said, a little sheepishly. "Then I dropped in at St. Mungo's for a checkup before going grocery shopping." James made an involuntary movement, a worried look on his face. "No, nothing's wrong…just a little cold," Lily said, her smile widening. It seemed for a moment that she had a secret she was considering sharing. "They gave me some pepper-up potion and I felt better right away."

James relaxed in his seat. Lily began ladling out the contents of the dishes, and they began to eat.

"How was work today?" Lily asked, the secret smile now gone, a wry one in its place. "Did Moody curse and spit when you asked if you could leave early? Did he threaten you with the Unforgivables?"

James laughed. "No, actually, today was rather slow. He didn't mind me leaving a little early, since all I had to do the whole day was all the paperwork everybody else has been putting off since the beginning of time."

This launched them into a discussion of various other Ministry workers, and some silly gossip that was going around about various people. Despite the dark times, there were always things happening to lighten the mood.

"Did you hear about the Longbottoms? Frank was in the office roaring drunk today," James said, sniggering.

"Oh? What happened? How could he? Hasn't he got a pregnant wife at home?"

"They've had a boy! Frank spent all night pacing the hospital corridors and getting tight. His wife gave birth this morning. They've named him—get this—Neville."

Lily giggled, clapping her hands. After the laughter had died down, her eyes twinkled as she leaned forward. "So what do you think we should name our baby? If we had one, that is," she added quickly.

James looked contemplative as he chewed his steak. "I don't know…for a boy…well, can't you just imagine the boys clamoring for us to name him after them?"

Lily burst out laughing. "I don't want to name our child Sirius! One Sirius is enough for the world!" She thought for a few seconds. "And, much as I admire Dumbledore, I can't say I'm overly fond of the name 'Albus,' are you?"

James shook his head. "Well, there's always your father's name…or we could follow his traditional way of naming children…"

"No, that's quite all right," Lily smiled wryly. "I loved Daddy, but I really don't want to name my son after a flowering plant."

James guffawed.

"What about your father's name?" Lily asked. She wiped her lips with the napkin. "From what I can remember, he was named for your grandfather, wasn't he? The man with the lovely green eyes, just a little like mine?"

"Yes, you mean 'Harold?' Don't you think that's a bit…stuffy?"

"Well, perhaps you're right. Something more informal?"

"What about…Harry?"

Lily's eyes brightened. "Harry James," she said, wonderingly. "Harry James Potter…I like it. I like it very much."

"What if it's a girl, though?" James asked, chewing pensively. "A girl with curly red hair…and green eyes…like her mum's…"

"No," said Lily dismissively. "I really don't think it would be a girl. I think it would be a boy…with black hair that's always untidy." She sniffed. "Too many redheads in one family never boded well for anyone's peace of mind, anyway. Too many redheaded tempers." She grinned mischievously as James snorted into his vegetables.  "But I'd like a girl the second time around. What do you think?"

"Why not? What would we name the girl, though?"

"Rose? Daisy? Holly? Marigold? I don't know. They all sound funny with 'Potter' attached to them…"

"Maybe not a flower name, then."

They both sat in comfortable silence for a time, finishing their dinner.  Soon enough, dessert was over, the evening passed, and the couple headed to bed.

In the dark, nestled close together under the covers, Lily's voice broke the quiet of the night.

"James?"

"Yes?"

Lily cuddled closer, and James smoothed her hair, pushing it away from her face.

"Today…at St. Mungo's…"

James turned to try to see Lily's face in the dark. All he could see was the top of her head, as she had her face buried in his chest. He moved his hand soothingly around her back and tried not to sound too anxious as he replied. "Yes? What happened?"

"Well…they didn't think I had a flu, and the cold wouldn't have made me feel nauseous all these days…"

James sat up. "You've been feeling nauseous for days? Lily, why didn't you say something?? What if—" Lily's fingers found their way to James's mouth, and a gentle pressure there made him stop.

"So the doctor did some tests on me…" Lily began, a tinge of nervousness in her voice. The rest of her speech came out in a rushed blurt. "…And I'm pregnant. Said the exact date of conception was Halloween, and the baby should be due in late July or early August. Said it's a boy."

Absolute silence invaded the room. Lily looked up finally, trying to catch sight of James's expression.

He seemed to be frozen in shock at first; then he suddenly let out a whoop that nearly deafened her. He hugged her so tightly she could barely breathe, then released her quickly and scooted down to press his face to her abdomen.

"You're glad, then?" Lily asked teasingly.

"Don't ask daft questions," a muffled voice replied from its place at her stomach.

Returning to his original position, James took Lily back into his arms. She smiled, tucking her head under his chin in the comfortable niche of his shoulder with a contented, albeit tired, sigh.

"Goodnight, James."

"Goodnight, Lily." There was the briefest pause; then in the sweetest, most gentle way Lily had ever imagined, "Goodnight, Harry."

Notes:

Short chapter.  Nothing much happening.  Been getting back into the rut of school this week, and it's been hectic and slightly hellish.  Sorry about the gap in updates…may be a little while before the rest of my chapters come through, as well. :(  Sigh…

kellie – Hopefully you got to read Chpt.12 (or 13, as ff.net stubbornly continues to call it) sometime after you reviewed.  I've always thought that nursing is a very consuming job…in that it seems to me nurses do so much more than the doctors in terms of administering to the patients and what-have-you.  Erm.  Yes. :)

everblue3 – Yes yes, but I'm coming to the end of the chapters I'd written beforehand, so updates are slowing…that, and school, of course.  Soon I'll have to throw out a spontaneous chapter…we'll see how that comes about.  James not knowing about Santa Claus is pathetic, I agree.  He should've paid more attention to Muggle holidays.  Then again I'm sure they have a wizarding equivalent and I just somewhat ignored it.  Oh well. :D  I love your suggestions!  As for a response—in the future I'm sure the girls at Hogwarts will crush on the guys in their own age group; the students at Hogwarts will always procrastinate no matter what (it's unavoidable!); Peter must needs be threatened into making trips down Knockturn Alley, and his absences from his job at F&B will quite probably get him sacked; Remus will most definitely take lots of pictures on his travels, if he can afford to (as wizarding camera & film are probably not the cheapest things in the world, and Remus is still unemployed); and Sirius, the charismatic loon, has lots of friends, not just Adhara—but the bike stays very close to his heart. ;)

Princess pixie ice – Oh, no…don't let the fluffiness of fanfiction ruin your dates!  Then again, if there wasn't at least a thrill or two with the guy at the movies, maybe it was all for the best. :)  Um, I don't really know what I'm saying either.  But thanks for the compliment! :D  I remember track practice…long cold hours of running in the rain, oh yes I remember.  Good luck with that!  I was on spring break last week, but I'm back at school now. (Unhappy sigh.)  Ohhhh welll.  I'm glad you're reading this, and thanks so much for reviewing!

J.Hicks – Hello :)  As you saw, the answer to your question is here in this chapter.  Harry's coming!!! ;D  Haha.  Anyway, thanks for the review!  Hope you keep reading.

rosezgarden – It's okay…that really wasn't a stupid question!  I wonder myself actually…what did Snape do to gain Dumbledore's trust?  Any takers?  Because I really don't know…I just figure Dumbledore usually knows who to trust, etc.  Dunno.  But yeah…my chapters are very short.  I suppose it's a testimony to my ever-shortening attention span…can't keep myself riveted to one thing for long enough to write a good meaty chapter.  Hrm.  I should work on this…I'd like to spin out a huge chapter someday!  Anyway, thanks so much for your review—so grin-inducing, as always :)

Kirbee – I'm working on the fluff…….;D

Did anyone else review, who I haven't said a thank-you or sent other comments towards?  Because for some reason ff.net won't let me access the reviews page, and those email notice things are getting confusing.  Erm…a big thank-you and sorry to those I missed??  I'll try and get to you next chapter…in the meantime, review again! :D