Chapter Twelve: Baby Boom

Author: So sorry to 'skip' all the exciting work that they are doing with the Order, but it just doesn't flow well with the story (I tried working it in and it just felt wrong…)  This is the third time I wrote this part, but I like what happened to it. (that was part of the delay, sorry) Anyway, thanks soooo much for all of the positive comments. ^_^ I really appreciate it. By the way, this is nearing the end, and there are only about one or two chapters left. I have had a blast writing this, so I hope you enjoy it as well!

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Don't own it. Don't own it. Happy? (I'm not)

            Lily was about to have a baby. Petunia was about to have a baby. Alice was about to have a baby. Lily was very very excited about this. Alice was incredibly happy about this. Petunia, however, was enraged.

            "Mother! I don't want her to have her baby the same day! She just wants to ruin it for me and you know she does! I want my baby to have a special day all to himself, and not share it with her child!"  This rage came about because Lily and Petunia were due in one week, on the same exact date.

            "Now Petunia, dear. Lily couldn't have done this any more on purpose than you did." Mrs. Evans tried to calm her daughter, but she wouldn't listen.

            "NO! She used some kind of magic to spite me!"

            "Petunia, dear, Lily isn't like that. Besides, babies will come when they come. You can't force nature."

            But still she was not deterred. "You always take her side!" She fumed, throwing the little green blanket across the kitchen. "Always! You don't…sob…understand how much this means!" she was crying, and Mrs. Evans took her into her arms.

            This kind of loud outburst could not be good for anyone's health, especially not Petunia's. Mrs. Evans understood that it was hard on a girl to have a baby, seeing as she had given birth to two herself.

            "Petunia, settle down." She told the blond girl. Petunia sniffled.

            "Mother, I'm sorry. It's just…my birthday was never special because it was at the same time as Lily's winter holiday, and you never paid any attention…I want my baby to have the best birthdays ever…"

            "Sweetie, your birthday was special! We always thought that you didn't want to make such a big deal!"

            "But Lily's birthday was always a big deal. You always spent the entire week shopping for things to send to her at school, whatever she wanted, because you missed her, because she was so smart and pretty, and…." Petunia burst into tears. "Then…there was that boy, and you loved him, and you hate Vernon! And now you're going to hate my baby because you think he'll be just like Vernon!!"

            "I do not hate Vernon Petunia." Mrs. Evans said. "And I will not hate your baby. I love both my daughters." Now she looked near tears because of the accusations, and instantly Petunia felt bad.

            "I know mummy." She whimpered, hugging her mother. Suddenly, her mother, the same one who had been there to make her cookies and hug her when a boyfriend dumped her, to bring her soup in bed when she was sick, seemed so much older, so much more like a tired old woman. If she hadn't already been crying, her eyes would have misted over. Soon her mother would be a grandmother. That was about as traumatizing as becoming a mother, and about as life changing. Petunia gave one last sniffle and drew out of the hug.

            "I understand perfectly Petunia, but you can be sure that things will work out, they always do."

            Lily and James were in a much calmer state, having tea with Peter at their house. James was bustling around with dishes and plates, refusing to let Lily do anything at all but sit and relax, which for a while was nice, but Lily got bored easily.

            "Don't spill that James! Its our last bag of hot spice jumping bean tea!" He turned to face her, sloshing all of it out of the cup.  She winced and moved to bend down and wipe it off the floor.

            "No it isn't, and don't get that! Peter!" Peter jumped out of his chair and wrestled the rag out of Lily's grip, forcing her back into her chair and using his wand to clear up the mess.

            "Honesty girl, you forget you're a witch sometimes?"  Lily scowled at them. She did forget sometimes, times like this when she was at home. It reminded her too much of the happy days before she had gone to Hogwarts.

            "And it isn't our last bag. Peter just went and got some, so relax!" James set the cups down on the table, grinning at her good-naturedly. Peter saw that Lily was not so at ease however, and quickly changed the subject.

            "Thought of any names yet Lily?" He asked. Lily brightened immediately.

            "Oh! Yes, I was thinking of Herbert, do you like it?" Peter laughed at the expression on James's face.

            "Brilliant Lily." He remarked. "What do you think James?"       

            "I was thinking more along the lines of 'James Harold Potter II' or something." Now Lily scowled.

            "That's so stupid. It makes you sound conceited to name your kid after you."

            "But it's a nice name! I like it, so why wouldn't the baby?"

            "Because it would remind him of you?" Peter suggested, and James flicked some tea at him from out of his cup. Peter didn't take any notice. "Why don't you name him after someone? Like 'Albus' or 'Sirius'?"

            "That's even dumber Peter," James said, finally acknowledging that his own idea was pretty absurd. "Then we'd all get confused. 'Sirius Potter' makes it sound like Sirius is my husband or something."

            Peter nodded solemnly. "Now that would be a tragedy." The whole conversation was stupid to him. He would just name the kid "Joe" or something boring. That is, if he could ever find a girl willing to marry him. Or even just date him.

            "Have you been to see Alice?"  James asked. Peter nodded.

            "She's doing good. Frank is freaking out though."

            "Why?" Lily asked. Usually Frank was very calm.

            "His mom is staying with them to help out."

            "Oh…" Lily and James said together. Mrs. Longbottom was a very severe witch. She even gave McGonagall a run for her money on strictness. No wonder Frank was freaking out. (Anyone else would be in hysterics.)

            "How's your sister?" Peter asked Lily. She glared.

            "I don't know and I don't care. She wants to name her kid something horrible like 'Walda'. Ugh." Lily hadn't spoken to her sister in a while. All of this information was through Mrs. Evans. "She's so horrible. You know she thinks that I'm trying to have my baby on the same day to ruin her kid's birthday??"

            "Are you?" Peter asked seriously, and James kicked him.

            "Of course not. That's so stupid. I don't even care about her dumb kid. I don't plan on letting little Alex play with little Agatha ever!" Lily said.

            "Alex?" Peter asked questioning.

            "Or Herbert or whatever I decide on."

            "She means what we decide on." James added, but Lily glared. "Or what she decides on. We still have about a week."

            "What about godparents?"

            "Sirius." James said quickly.

            "Saraline." Lily said just as quickly. But then she turned deathly pale. "I mean…oh I just…oh…" James took her hand.

            "Lily, its alright. We talked about this remember? Petunia is going to be his godmother. We tried to use Remus…but he'd have to go through a sex change, and we didn't think it was worth it."

            "What about Alice?" Peter asked. James shook his head.

            "We thought of her too…but she's not close enough. If something happens, Dumbledore wants our baby to be able to stay with muggles for safety."

            "D-don't say things like that." Peter said hurriedly, face pale. "Nothing's gonna happen to you. I'll be sure of that."

            "Thanks Pete." James said gruffly, patting him on the back. "We gotta be realistic. But thanks."

            Petunia had her baby, a large, healthy boy named Dudley on the exact date that was prescribed for him to be born.  Lily heard news of this through her mother, but never actually met the boy. From the pictures, he was going to be a lot like Vernon. Lily hoped desperately that her baby was just like his father. If he was like James, then she knew that he would be ok. James was the best person that she knew, and she loved him. The second best thing to being with him twenty-four-seven would be being with someone just like him.

            She had her baby, Harry, a week and a half after he was due, and he was a carbon copy of his dad. Lily and Sirius both were in awe, never having seen James cry so much in his life. When he held his baby for the first time, a precious gift from Lily, he just couldn't stop sobbing. (Sirius tried to take the baby to keep it from drowning, but gave up when James threatened to hex him.) Sirius was happy for the couple. He figured that he would never have any kids of his own, and so promised the Potters to spoil Harry rotten for them.

            Lily was, besides exhausted, relieved that Harry didn't have blond hair like his aunt Petunia. In fact, just the opposite was his thick mop of black hair. (He wasn't born bald like some babies)

            Once James managed to stop crying, he lay down on the hospital bed with Lily, baby Harry between them, and said to Sirius that this was, in fact, the happiest and most perfect moment of his life.

            And it was.

            **********

Author: (crying) That was my favorite part!!! (sob) ^_^