Chapter 5- Complications

Only a week after giving birth Alice was released from ST Mungos. She left all smiles, Baby Neville in one hand, a broadly grinning husbands hand in the other. The only way to descibe how both were feeling could only be understood by any parent looking down at their first born, trying to imagine how they themseleves created the little bundle of joy in their arms. It could bring a tear to the toughest mans eye, a laugh to the sternest womans smile, it could bring together a family full of hate for one another and reunite them with each other. Right now Alice and Frank were headed home to a warm welcome from their family. Lily and James would go and see them later, this was a time for the family.

Lily and James were sharing there own quiet night in. Lily wasn't up for much these days. She didn't really feel that active. The only thing she ever even moved for was to get more food or to go to the toilet. She had never realied what effect a baby had on your bladder. She was up and down every 5 minutes. She was scared to drink anything, but even so it didn't seem to matter. She would need to go any way. James would just laugh at her as she ran back and forth. So she hexed him.
James sat on the living room floor, on the rug, Lily laying her head on his lap on her back (She couldn't lay on her front) she was slowly falling asleep. James gazed down at her closed eyes, stroking her hair gently away from her face. He treasured these moments with her. He loved just watching her peacefully.
"James.." She said slowly, sleepily. "How can we bring a child into this horrid world. How can we make her suffer the pain we have?" James smiled grimly.
"You know, you think to much." He said softly stoking down her cheek, then planting his lips swiftly on hers. She opened her eyes and looked into his. Letting him wipe away the sleepy dust.
"But look at it, just recently, you know who has killed anothe 3 members of the order. He's come after us 3 times already, what if he gets us next time? and Harriet too?" Lily voice was quiet, her eyes showed her fear.
"Don't worry what will come will come. I promise I will protect you both till the day I die. Volemort will regret the day he comes after the Potters." He squeezed her hand encouragingly, kissing away the tears falling down Lily's cheek.
"You always know what to say." She smiled.
"Shhhh, go back to sleep. You both need your rest." She snuggled into James more comfortably and almost instantly fell asleep knowing that James was good to his word, he would protect her till the day he died. But to her just being with the man she loved was more than enough.

Sirius sat on the kitchen table as Lily began making the lunch she had insisted on making him.

"So why are you off today?" She questionned as she pointed her wand at the chips frying on the stove.

"Teacher training." He replied simply.

"So aren't you supposed to be training or grading papers or something?" She asked coyly.

"And miss the chance to spend time with my sister in law?" He grinned in response.

"You do know that you and James aren't ACTUALLy relat... Argh!" Lily bent over clutching her stomach.

"Lily are you alright?" Sirius said jumping off the table and to her side.

"Yes yes I'm fine- must be indegestion."

"Lily you haven't eaten anything yet. I think I should take you to the hospital to get you checked out."

"No Sirius don't be silly. I've had one slight movement- she's probably just kicking or something..."

"Still, if there was something wrong... it'd be better to check."

"No I'm fi... AHHHH!..... Ok get me to ST Mungos."

James had told Sirius that he was to take Sirius to the hospital at any reaction she gave. The healer had warned him when she had gone for her check up, that lily was at high risk of complication and premature labour. She wasn't due till August the 10th. But due to her active pregnancy, she would be more umpredictable.

James didn't want to take any risks, so he entailed the help of all his mates, making sure that some one was with her all the time. Of course Lily didn't know this.

By the time they had reached the hospital (They couldn't apperate or floo), Lily's waters had broke and the pains (Which were apparently contractions) had gotten longer and closer together.

She was in sheer agony and was rushed straight into a room. After a quick examination Lily had been diagnosed as 9 cm dilated. nother cm and she would be ready.

Another healer cast a spell over her to numb the pain, but it didn't seem to have worked.

"Is this the famous husband then?" A healer asked her college trying to get her to forget the pain.

"No, Coral, thats his best friend SiriUSSSSSSSSSSSSS! AHHHH!" Sirius grabbed Lily's hand.

"Come on breathe." He said. "I'm not that bad am I? That you have to scream my name?"

"Ha Ha!" Lily panted dryly. Then suddenly the grip she had on Sirius' hand tighteed once more. "AHHHHHHH!" She screamed.
"AHHHHHHHH!" Sirius joined in. "MY HAND!"
"GET JAMES YOU MORON!" Lily shrieked at him. Sirius left the room swiftly cradeling his paw.
"Honestly- the blokes always feel they have the worst part of the deal." Coral said. Lily replied with a weak smile.

Coral analysed Lily once more. "Well I think it's time..."

"Not yet. I want James with me." Lily said shakily. She needed her husband. But then she had to deal with another painful contraction and soon changed her mind. She just wanted it over with. "OK I GET IT HARRIET! TAKE ME THROUGH!"

Five minutes later, James ran through the door.

"Mr Potter? A healer asked. He nodded his head.

The healer flicked his wand at James and his clothes changed to white robes.

"Is it normal for her to be screaming that loud?" Jam4es asked concerned as to why Lily was screaming at such a high pitch.

"Well, yes." One of the healers answered. "Can you go and take her hand. help her with her breathing, talk to her and dab her forehead with tis flannel. Just try to keep her calm." James walked over to Lily and took her hand. She gripped it so hard he yelped.

"Darling.." He started. "How do you feel?" She glared at him.

"I'm in pain and I want to start pushing. I want to get this thing out of me!"

James' clever response was;
"So start pushing then."

"No not yet. We've done her analysis. Mr Potter a word outside if you may?"

James stepped outside into the waiting room.

Sirius had arrived back with Claire, Remus, Peter, Alice, Frank, neville and Crystal. He had also sent an owl to Petunia to see if she would come. The reply seemed to be his owl coming back and pecking him. So he took that as a no.

Sirius saw James enter the waiting room. He was talking to someone. Sirius aproached, about to ask about Lily when he head=rd James say;
"What do you mean complications? Whats wrong?"
Suddenly Sirius was six years old again.

He had been told that he was going to have a new baby brother or sister soon. He doesn't quite understand why he has to come to the hospital to get it out his mummy's tummy?

All he knows is theres allot of screaming coming from the room he's waiting by.

Is that his mummy?

Two men come out from the room, ones his daddy.

They whisper a bit, then ;
"What do you mean Complications?" His daddy raises his voice. At six years old, he doesn't quite understand what is happening, but even then he had dog senses and they could sense fear.

He saw his daddy run back into the hospital room.

Then finally an hour later his daddy comes back out and hugs him so tightly. He has tears in his eye,

Sirius has never seen him cry before.

He still doesn't understand.
"Daddy, wheres mummy?" He askes.

This sends his daddy over the edge, he breaks down.

As Sirius came back to the present, he saw faces all looking over him. All his friends.

"LILY!" He gasped. "STOP HER! GET HER OUT OF THERE AND STOP HER!" James looked at him confused.

"Sirius, it's about 9 months to late to stop her. Listen mate calm down."

"Complications!" Sirius gasped. looking into James' eyes, tears pouring from his own. "He said she was having complications."

"No mate. Calm down, you've got it wrong. He said there was a complication in the baby's position- nothing they cant handle."

James knew why Sirius was freaking out, he alone knew what his mate had been through all those years ago. Claire had a good idea of it too. Sirius' tense body seemed to relax a little.

"JAMES POTTER I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Came from the hospital room.

"Spose thats my que to get back in there!" James smiled. He put a comforting hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Don't worry mate, she'll be fine. I promise." And he ran back in to his wife.

"Come on you!" Claire said pulling Sirius up. "Lets us two go and get a cup of tea and have a chat."

James retook Lily's hand.

"OK push." One of the healers said. Lily screeched in pain.

"Come on honey, you can do this." James comforted.

"That kind of talk is what started all this." As another push came along Lily's voice rose. "JAMES I'M NEVER DOING IT WITH YOU AGAIN! AND YOU CAN CERTAILY FORGET ANYMORE CHILDREN!!!" She screamed.

Out in the waiting room, James' friends were all quite amused.

"They should really sound proof these walls." Alice blushed remembering what she had screamed during her labour.

Lily's labour seemed to last forever, but finally the healer held up the baby and said;
"Mr and Mrs Potter you have a baby boy.

Lily and James looked at each other, shock eveident in their eyes.

"A boy?" Lily asked then smiled. "A boy! Little Harry Potter!" James grinned at her.

"Perfect. Gryffindors youngest quidditch player!" Lily shot him a glare.

"Or Ravenclaws smartest head boy." She replied.

"No son of mines going to be a goody two shoes!"

The healer took Harry to wash and weigh him, Lily was put to sleep by another healer and James stepped out into the hospital waiting room grinning.

"It's a boy!" he exclaimed proudly.

Then all of a sudden he was surrounded by hugs and congratulations.

James had sat by Lily's side until she had reawoken. Harry had been brought back shortly after she had fallen asleep, the healer told them that he was completly healthy which was suprising as he had had a near death experience before he had even been born.

He had 10 fingers, 10 toes and weighed 6Ib 11, which was just right for a premature baby.

James gave Harry to Lily and she cradled him lovingly in her arms.

"Well, not exactly a Harriet are you?" She smiled. "Sure shocked us."

"You don't mind do you?" James asked her, not at all worried what her answer would be.

"No way." She replied. "As long as he's healthy, I don't care if he's another Sirius."

"Ow, that reminds me. We have to go easy on Padfoot, out in the waiting room he had some sort of break down. I think it was to do with his mother."

"Is he alright?" Lily asked concerned.

"Yeah Claire talked to him a bit, I think he's good now." James smiled at her a Lily yawned.

There was a soft knock at the door and 14 eager eyes peered round the door.

"Can we come in?" Peter squeaked.

"Sure." James replied not taking his eyes off his wife's face.

Alice layed Neville on the bed next to Harry.

"I don't really think it suitable for us to betrove them any longer." She laughed. "You can be best friends, like your mummy's."

James went to talk.

"No not like your daddy's." Lily interrupted him. "They are to naughty, or your God father- the worst of the lot, he is." She smiled pointing at Sirius. "You can be like uncle Remus or Peter, Or auntie Claire or Crystal."

"Hey I am an auntie." Claire smiled proudly.

Suddenly Harry errupted into a chorus of crying.

The girls let out a round of "aww"'s as Lily gently picked Harry up, making sure she gave his neck support as new borns cannot hold their own heads up.

James and Sirius both looked at Harry.

"Is that it?" Sirius asked.

"Not a very manly cry is it?" James continued. "I can put up with that." He smiled.

"James," Alice started. "He is just a new born baby. When you hear that cry roughly every 4 hours, day or night. It will start effecting you. Plus the fact soon enough his cry will become stronger and louder. Neville's started after just 2 weeks."

"Yeah mate." Frank supported his wife.

"Ow." Was all James could reply.

Lily smiled at him. Then she looked down at her first born.
"Aww I love him so much already." She turned to James, "What do you say to another 6?" James paled.

"I thought you never wanted to do it again?" Sirius grinned.

"What?" Lily asked.

"Well, if I remember correctly that was what you were screaming a few hours ago?"

Lily blushed. "Well Sirius how about you try to pass a baby out of your..."

"Woah!" James interrupted. "Six will do just nicely." He smiled. Lily poked her tongue out at Sirius.

"I think we had better choose a different God father though." She quipped.

"Well we had better go if these two are going to have six more children, personally I don't want to hang around." Sirius fought back. He grabbed Crystals hand and walked out of the room. Remus rolled his eyes, went and kissed Lily on the cheek, shook James' hand.

"Congratulations you guys." He said, Claire did the same and they left hand in hand.

"How would you feel about having children one day?" Claire asked Remus. He just paled.

"Can we talk about this later hun?" She smiled at him.

"I didn't mean today."

Peter followed them shortly after, then Frank, Alice and Neville.

"Thought that would get rid of them." Lily smiled at James. "I love them, but I'm tired and I just want to spend time with my Hunky husband and my new wickle baby boy."

James just chuckled to himself shaking his head.

This was what Love was all about.

Hey thank you all for reviewing, I got this out as quick as poss (believe it or not)

JKReviewer- was it you who wanted an AU ending? If not then never mind, but I'm afraid I can't, after this chapter there are 6 more till the end. I have the last bit written out (I have had for months) I may write a chapter instead of the last 2 for you where they survive, but I may not have the time to? The thing is, my story has been written the whole way through in the status that Lily and James would die. I've used ironic twists and fate that they would change the wizarding world by being together. But I will try for you. I'm glad you like it so much that you don't want it to end!

Luv ya all

Jessie xxx