Chapter 9

Lily nervously wrung her hands as James finished signing all of the hospital paperwork. He looked up from the stack of parchment, and gave her a comforting smile. She managed to turn up the corners of her mouth feebly in return. Truthfully, she was beyond petrified, frozen to her wheelchair, which was reclined at a forty-five degree angle, of course. She didn't know if she could move at this point.

Worst of all, she felt the need to rise above her own fears and be strong for James. She knew how difficult this was for him, how difficult this was for everyone. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that Regina's death was a freak accident caused by heart disease. Lily badly wished that she were here now. She could really use her best friend's reassurance that everything would be all right.

She closed her eyes, imagining what Gina would say if she knew how scared she was right now. Most likely something about the only thing she needed to fear is having a child that was as much of a boring prat as James. Lily giggled, remembering all of the arguments she had with her friend about James. Somehow she just didn't feel comfortable explaining to Gina that her brother was anything but boring, especially in private.

Her giggles got louder as she imagined the look on Gina's face if she had ever said something like that. A look somewhere in between disbelief and utter disgust at the idea. Probably a similar look to the one James got when he realized Sirius was hooking up with his sister. Now, that was funny, Lily recalled, laughing even harder.

She sighed sadly, thinking about the little, motherless girl at home. Ever since she came home, Isabelle had really taken a liking to the baby. From what she could tell, the sentiment was mutual. What worried her was her sister's motivation for offering to care for little Grace. Much as she thought she was clever and hid her feelings, Lily was well aware of Isabelle's crush on Sirius.

But, she didn't quite know what to do about it. Instinct told her to nip Isabelle's hopes in the bud now before her feelings got out of hand. But, that might backfire and drive her farther away, and make her even more determined. She knew that Isabelle was too prideful to throw herself at Sirius, and that he thought of himself as a big brother figure to her.

So, perhaps things will just calm down, Lily tried to reassure herself. Meanwhile, why on earth did I leave her alone to play house with Sirius all day? These hormones are definitely messing up my judgment.

Lily suddenly wanted to owl Isabelle and bring her to the hospital with her immediately. Her sister had a self-destructive streak, and she wanted to protect her before she got hurt badly. But, she remembered her promise to Mummy P not to interfere in their relationship.

"Ready?" James' voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She consciously pushed thoughts of home out of her head, promising to deal with her baby sister later.

"Definitely." She smiled at her husband.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked, smiling back. He held Lily's hand supportively as a nurse wheeled her down the hallway.

"Oh, nothing." She changed the subject. "What are we going to name this baby, anyway?"

He laughed. "No clue."

"Well, we have a bit more time to think about it," she said, completely losing her train of thought as the nurse stopped the wheelchair in front of a massive birthing suite. She let out a low whistle.

"I think the hospital's going a little overboard, don't you?" James whispered in her ear.

Lily nodded dumbly, looking around. She didn't really even expect a private room, let alone a whole suite that was easily half of the size of the estate in Dover. The nurse wheeled her into a large sitting room that was tastefully, but comfortably decorated. James excused himself for a minute to look around the rest of the suite.

"This is insane," he quietly hissed to Lily. "But, I'm not complaining. St. Mungo's obviously agrees with me that my family deserves the very best."

"Why do you have to be so sweet? That's how I got here in the first place."

She giggled as his face turned a deep shade of pink. He's really too easy to embarrass, she thought. The nurse fought a grin, and left the suite to find the doctor, returning after a few minutes with a tall, older man with a kind-looking face. Lily gulped nervously. This was it.

"Good morning," the doctor began, opening her medical chart and scanning it briefly. "Well, Mrs. Potter, it seems that you're here to have a baby."

He smiled as she giggled again. She hated sounding like a silly schoolgirl, but she just couldn't stop giggling nervously at everything.

"I am," she said, composing herself. "And Lily's fine."

"Doctor Kirkland," he replied, holding out his hand. She shook it with a shaking hand. "Ok, Lily, why don't you get changed and I'll meet you in the delivery room in about five minutes?"

"Sure," she said in a high-pitched voice, managing to stand up.

"Mr. Potter, I'd like to speak to you for a minute, if you don't mind," the doctor said as Lily waddled off to change.

"At least I'll be able to walk without sloshing," she consoled herself, looking around the room.

This is nothing like a Muggle hospital delivery room, she thought in awe. She quickly noticed that there were no loud machines or florescent lights. The room looked just like an ordinary bedroom, which Lily found incredibly comforting. She tried to calm down while changing and settling on the bed.

Her eyelids began to get heavy after a minute. The bed was incredibly comfortable, and it was far too early in the morning to be awake. She didn't know why doctors scheduled inductions for the crack of dawn, and she was tired already. This is not good, she thought, yawning. A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," she called out. She tried to look alert as doctor and James came in the room.

"Alright, I'm ready to get started if you are," Dr. Kirkland said to Lily.

She nodded, clutching her blanket.

-----

"Well shake it up baby now, twist and shout," Isabelle sang to Grace while changing her diaper. The baby absolutely hated diaper changes, and singing to her kept her from screaming her lungs out.

"All done," she pronounced, picking the infant up and carrying her to the window. With her free hand, she opened the window and breathed in the warm summer air.

"It's an absolutely gorgeous day," she told the baby. "How about we make a field trip outside?"

She smiled in response, which startled Isabelle. Even if it was just because of gas pains, she figured it was a sign and started digging out appropriate clothing from the tall chest of drawers. Grace whimpered when Isabelle began changing her outfit.

"Jeez, child. What do you think I am, a jukebox?" The baby smiled again. "Well, someone's in an unusually good mood today."

Isabelle began singing "Twist and Shout" from where she left off. Once she finished getting Grace ready to go outside, she headed downstairs, nearly running over Sirius.

"Whoa, sorry," she apologized.

"Where are you going?" he asked suspiciously.

"Outside."

"With the baby?" His eyes narrowed, giving Isabelle a stern look. She didn't flinch.

"Yes, with the baby. I'm taking her to her Regina's tree. It's about time someone informs her that she has a mother," she replied sharply.

Sirius looked like she had slapped him in the face. "That's not fair."

"Nope, it's not fair to Gracie. I know what you're going to say. She's much too young to go outside, right?" He nodded and began to speak, but Isabelle cut him off. "Abuela said she was perfectly healthy, and she's a pediatrician. Stop overprotecting her because you couldn't save her mother."

"Never speak to me that way again," he said in a dangerously quiet tone of voice. She took a step closer to him and looked him straight in the eye.

"Don't tell me what to do. You're not my father," she spat.

Sirius just stared at her. Where was this coming from? he wondered. "No, but I'm Grace's father, and I say that she stays indoors."

"You have two options. One, you can be a complete tyrant and do what you want to do. But, I promise you that as soon as you walk out that door Monday morning, I'm taking that baby outside. Or two, you can get your rear end off your shoulders and realize that I'm right. And, that I'm telling you things that no one else has the guts to say. I'm not afraid of you, or your famous temper."

She brushed past him, and walked to the kitchen door. "The choice is yours. You're the one who should be doing these things with her, but I'm the only person willing to make you face the reality that her mum's gone. So, what's it going to be?"

"Go on," he said in a choked voice, looking at the ceiling.

"Are you coming with us?" she asked softly. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes tightly.

"Yeah. Just give me a minute."

Isabelle nodded, and walked outside, closing the door tightly behind her. She leaned against the doorframe, trembling like a leaf. Sirius did intimidate her, but she was sick of him treating her like a little child. And, if he wasn't going to figure out on his own that she was growing up, she was going to make him see that fact.

-----

James walked into the sitting room, plopped down on a sofa and propped up his feet on the coffee table. A minute later, a nurse brought him the sandwich and drink he ordered for a late lunch. He wolfed down the food, barely tasting it in his haste to get back to Lily. She hadn't eaten a thing since six o'clock the previous evening, and he couldn't be cruel and eat in front of her.

The doctor passed him as he walked back into the delivery room. Lily smiled despite her obvious discomfort. Numbing charms weren't one hundred percent effective, as she had informed him an hour earlier during a particularly painful contraction.

"That was awfully quick," she laughed.

"Couldn't stand to leave you for long. Neither of you," he said with a sheepish grin. "What did the doctor say?"

"Same old, same old," she groaned, wincing as another contraction began.

"Which is?" James asked, holding her hand supportively. It was a full two minutes before she could reply.

"I'm three centimeters dilated, and forty-five percent effaced."

"What does that mean?"

"That I've been in labor for ten hours already, and I'm no closer to having this baby than I was at eight o'clock this morning."

Tears welled up in her exhausted green eyes. James didn't quite know how to comfort her, so he just wiped the tiny beads of sweat off her face and distracted her the best way her knew how – by making her laugh.

He entertained her, and the nurse, with funny stories from work. When he ran out of stories, he turned on the wireless set and began "singing" along with the music. His voice alone caused both Lily and the nurse to dissolve into hysterics. Inspired by their response, he serenaded them until tears poured out of their faces.

"James, I love you, but you are truly tone deaf," Lily admitted. He grinned broadly.

"Why, thank you. Care to sing a duet, love?"

She scowled playfully. "You know I sing about as well as you do."

"Exactly! How can you keep talent like that to yourself?" he joked persuasively.

"Well, when you put it like that…" her voice trailed off.

She smiled, and joined him in singing along with the wireless set. They even convinced the nurse to join in for a few songs. Lily completely lost track of time, and was surprised when the doctor walked in the room to check on her.

"So, how's it going?" she asked hopefully.

"Well, there's progress," the doctor replied, giving her tiny smile. "You're at four centimeters."

"One centimeter in two hours?" Lily wailed. This was going to be an incredibly long night, she thought, sighing.

-----

Isabelle yawned as she flipped through channels on the television set. After a few minutes, she found a football match that looked interesting. She turned her head to ask Sirius if he didn't mind watching the match, and smiled. Both he and the baby were sound asleep in the recliner.

Nothing is sexier than a man with a baby, she thought, shamelessly staring at them. Especially if the man is Sirius, who is without a doubt the best looking man alive. What I wouldn't give to be with him.

She frowned, pondering the futility of her love for him. Spending a day alone with him for the first time ever only deepened her feelings. And, he has no idea, she thought. No one does, and I'd like to keep it that way for a little while. At least until he realizes that I'm not a little girl anymore, which could possibly take forever. He's not exactly a master of the obvious.

With Lily gone, she indulged all of her feelings and dreams without fear of being discovered. A smile played at her lips as she imagined her most private fantasy, where Sirius fell hopelessly in love with her. Her mind wandered off, unchecked by neither reality nor reason. First, they would get married, despite all the taboos.

And, then they would travel around the world, to all the beautiful, exotic places Isabelle read about in her travel magazines. Places like Rome, Hawaii and Monaco. Being the educated, cultured man that he is, she thought dreamily, he'll show me the world through his eyes. Which are the only eyes I truly care about seeing through, other than my own.

The football match played in the background, as Isabelle imagined a life with Sirius Black. Of course, traveling would become tedious after a while, so they would come home and settle down with little Grace. And anyone else who comes along, she thought with a grin. Having a family with him was the ultimate unattainable goal, so it was naturally her life's ambition.

"Isabelle?"

She jumped at least a foot off the ground as Sirius snickered. Her face turned bright red. "Uh, yeah?"

"Have you gotten an owl from James lately?" he asked, concerned. Her heart simply melted at the look on his face.

"About an hour ago. Things are progressing very slowly, but that's normal for a first baby. Everything will be fine," she assured him.

He gave her a strained smile in response. Isabelle couldn't help noticing how handsome he was when scared. There was something about the frightened, little-boy look in his eyes that was irresistible. Not to mention the way his lower lip trembles slightly when he's upset, or how his jaw clenches just a little crookedly. I bet he's an amazing kisser, she wondered.

But, I'll never have the nerve to find out, she thought despondently. I'm too much of a goody-goody to try anything with him. Damn my guilty conscience.

"What are you watching?" Sirius asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Football."

"What?"

Isabelle launched into a detailed description of the sport, partially to distract herself from her daydreams. After the match ended, she excused herself and went to bed, where she could dream in peace. At least until Lily came home, that is.

-----

Lily tossed and turned in a fitful sleep. Fairly confident that the baby wouldn't come for some time yet, the doctor gave her a sleeping potion so that she could gain a little strength. James couldn't sleep, or stay still for that matter, so he paced up and down the delivery room floor.

Around six o'clock in the morning, Lily stirred, groaning loudly. James immediately flew to her side.

"What's wrong? Do you need another numbing charm?" he asked in a rush.

"No," she moaned, clutching her stomach and grimacing. "I'm absolutely starving."

"I know, but the doctors don't think it's a good idea for you to eat," he said gently.

Completely at her wits' end, Lily burst into tears. "I know, but I'm hungry."

"What do you want?"

"Strawberries."

"Ok, try this." He passed her a cup full of ice chips. Skeptically, she put one in her mouth, and burst into a huge smile.

"They taste like strawberries," she sniffled happily. "Have I mentioned lately how amazing you are?"

"Just trying to make you happy," he said sheepishly.

Lily gazed at him adoringly. She truly believed she was the luckiest woman on earth to be married to a man like James Potter.

Just look at him, she thought. He's incredibly good-looking. Not to mention brilliant, funny and the sweetest man I've ever met. Oh, jeez, I'm beginning to think like Isabelle, she lamented, wrinkling her nose.

The doctor came in an hour later, and smiled broadly after examining her. "Well, Lily, are you ready to be a mum?"

"You mean?" she asked hopefully.

"I mean that this baby is ready to be born."

"It's about darn time," she said, exasperated.

Everyone in the room started laughing. When the doctor said she could, Lily bit her lip and pushed with every ounce of strength she had.

"Whoa! Don't bounce this baby off the wall," the doctor joked.

"I want my breakfast," she said through clenched teeth.

"If you can give me another good push or two like that, you'll have your breakfast."

That was all the encouragement she needed. A minute later, she heard a high-pitched cry echo throughout the room. She grabbed James' hand as she collapsed against the pillows, exhausted.

"It's a boy," the doctor said in a booming voice, quickly attending to both mother and baby. The nurse wrapped the newborn in a blanket, and gently handed him to Lily.

"Hello there," she whispered, awe-struck by the tiny bundle. "Isn't he beautiful, James?"

He nodded, too choked up to reply. Lily reached over, and brushed a single tear off his cheek. The baby opened his eyes and looked around him, to the delight of his doting parents.

"He's all Potter, but at least he has my eyes," she said proudly.

"What are we going to call him?" James asked, finally finding his voice.

"I don't know." she replied. "But, I can't think on an empty stomach, that's for sure."

He laughed. "I love you, Lily. I really do."

-----

Isabelle flopped down on her favorite chair in the Gryffindor common room, tired from unpacking all night and from listening to Ali and Sydney's chatter. She couldn't wait for Bill to come downstairs, so that she could have some decent conversation for a change. She pulled out her Astronomy book in the meantime, putting some last-minute touches on her holiday homework.

"Hey, Dungeon Girl." Bill sat beside her, slouching and putting his hands behind his head.

"Hey, yourself." She closed her book and dropped it on the floor with a loud thud. "Is it true that you and Sydney are going out?"

His ears turned bright red. "Maybe."

"Maybe I'll tickle you until you tell me the truth," she said, waving her fingers threateningly. Terribly ticklish, Bill clutched his sides and made a horrified face.

"Fine. Yeah, I asked her out a couple of weeks ago."

"Nice of you to tell someone," she pouted.

"I wanted to tell you in person. So, how's your love life?" he teased.

"So-so. It would be great if Sirius--"

"Not that again," Bill groaned, interrupting her.

"Yes, that again. But, this time, I have a plan," she said earnestly.

"I know I'm going to regret asking, but what's your plan?"

"I call it the Little Women plan. Have you read the book?"

"Er, I'm a guy. Would I read a chick book?"

"Good point. Anyway, it's about these four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. There's a boy who lives next door who falls desperately in love with Jo, but she doesn't think of him that way. So, she turns him down and he runs off to Europe to lick his wounds. Meanwhile, a few years go by and Amy runs into the guy in Europe."

"Does this have a point?"

"Yes," Isabelle huffed. "When the guy, left, Amy was just a little kid. But, when he saw her again, she was all grown up, and he fell madly in love with her. They got married and everything. So, that's my plan. After I graduate from Hogwarts, I'm going to travel the world for a few years with a ballet company. Then, I'll come home and Sirius is bound realize that I'm an adult."

"Yeah, yeah, then he'll fall desperately in love with you and you'll get married. And, have a couple of kids, of course."

"Are you making fun of me, Superman?"

"Never," he snickered. Isabelle hit him in the head with a pillow.

-----

Isabelle hummed as she opened a letter from Lily and grinned as several pictures fell onto the table. She picked them up, marveling at how big her nephew Harry was getting. Already, he was two pounds heavier than Grace, and taller, too. Speaking of the little grump, Isabelle giggled at the bizarre look on her face as she stared at Sirius and James playing Atari. Apparently she wasn't fond of Centipede. Harry, on the other hand, just smiled and watched them, completely content.

She couldn't wait for Sirius to visit the castle this weekend. True to his word, he brought the baby by every time he visited Hogsmeade, which was at least twice a month. And, every time he came, she talked him into leaving Grace with her for a few hours. She absolutely adored the little girl, showering her with all the love and attention she couldn't give Sirius.

"What's that?" a male voice whispered in her ear.

"My nephew Harry," she replied proudly.

The young man smiled and sat down, kissing Isabelle hello. No, she hadn't given up on Sirius by any means, but she wasn't willing to spend her entire youth pining away after a man she couldn't have. And, she convinced herself, Andrew Patil was a really nice guy. Not to mention drop-dead gorgeous.

"Are we still on for tonight?" he said in a low voice, giving her a suggestive look.

"Absolutely," she winked, following him into Charms.

-----

"Professor McGonagall, I can explain," Isabelle said pleadingly. The young professor stopped pacing from one end of her office to the other to give the teenager a piercing look.

"I think being caught in the prefect's bathroom, with a boy, after curfew, engaging in activities fifteen year olds have no business doing, is fairly self-explanatory."

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess so," she said in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry."

The professor sat down at her desk, and picked up a quill, dipping it in an inkwell thoughtfully.

"What are you doing?" Isabelle asked, a huge knot forming in her stomach.

"Owling your sister. Naturally she needs to be informed of your activities."

"No, please don't owl Lily. Anything but that," she begged, dropping to her hands and knees.

"Miss Evans!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, shocked at her behavior.

"I'm serious. I'll do anything if you just don't tell her what I did. She'll be so disappointed in me, and I don't know if I could stand it." Tears streamed down Isabelle's face.

"Maybe you should have thought of the consequences before your little rendezvous tonight."

"I know I should've, but I didn't. And, I'm so sorry, I really am. It's just that Lily will blame herself for what happened, because that's the wonderful type of person that she is. It's not her fault that I'm a troublemaker, but she's felt responsible for my actions since she started raising me when I was eight."

Isabelle sobbed harder. "And, then there's James, who's always been so wonderful to me. What would he think? Worst of all, I don't want Sirius to find out. They've all been under so much stress since Regina died. I would never forgive myself if I added to their pain because of my irresponsibility. Please, Professor McGonagall, punish me all you want to. I'll do anything you ask. But, I'm begging you not to tell them, or expel me."

She gazed at the professor with sincere, pleading eyes. The professor's heart went out to the young girl. She knew that Isabelle Evans wasn't a troublemaker out of malice or spite; she was simply a high-spirited girl. As for tonight, who hasn't been caught with a boy? Professor McGonagall reasoned, remembering her own days at Hogwarts. She ripped up the piece of parchment to the teenager's sighs of relief.

"Miss Evans, I know that you're not a mean-spirited person. However, your recent behavior concerns me. You're a bright girl, and capable of quite a future. That is, if you learn to discipline yourself. So, I'm giving you one month's worth of detention, to be served by going to therapy in Hogsmeade for an hour every day. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."