"So, James? I'm going to buy the cream curtains, okay?" Lily gathered up diapers and stuffed them into her bag.
James frowned, not looking up from his newspaper. "I liked the blue ones better."
"Yes," Lily said patiently, "but they'll clash with the cherry wood cabinet."
"Mm," said James observantly. Checking that she had everything, Lily hurriedly brushed her hair out of her face. James turned a page of the newspaper. Looking at the clock, Lily realized something.
"James!" she whispered, her face suddenly taking on an expression of pure terror. "Tracin and Sirius aren't here yet!"
This time James looked up. "And so?" he asked, trying to not to sound like it was a big deal.
"What if something happened to them? It's already been twenty minutes!" wringing her hands, she nearly reached the point of hysterical as her mind supplied the images. "James – James – "
James' stood up, the newspaper crinkling unnoticed to the ground. "Lily, they're fine – "
"How do you know?"
"They're both qualified Aurors – "
"So were the Prewett brothers!"
Silence. Two long strides, and James gathered his wife in his arms. Though he would rather die than admit it, he was scared too. "Lily…"
"…"
"Lily, look at me. Tracin and Sirius are fine," he said calmly, praying his words were accurate.
"But, they might've – "
James put a finger to her lips, and held her closer. "I…" his breath caught in his throat. "I'm scared too." There you go, he was dead. But he'd suffered a lot worse for Lily.
A loud bang from the doorway disturbed their peaceful vigil. Startled, they looked up.
"Oops," said Sirius, grinning devilishly. "Did I interrupt something?"
Tracin smiled mischievously. "We'll just be going," she said, wrapping an arm around Sirius' waist. "Where's Harry?" she added, totally contradicting her previous statement.
"In his room." Lily wiped at the tears in her eyes. Tracin immediately went in search of her nephew.
Sirius caught her by the chin. "James mistreating you, my dear?" he smirked.
"Quite the opposite," Lily said, smiling, and slapped Sirius' hand away playfully.
"Now, Sirius, on the other hand, has a lot to answer for," Tracin said, emerging from the bedroom with Harry in her arms. "He gave me this bruise." She lifted up her sleeve to reveal a small purple bruise above her elbow.
"That was an accident," Sirius protested. James slung an arm over his shoulders.
"Ah, these women," he said dramatically.
"Bane of our lives, eh?" Sirius returned.
"And that is why you love us so much," Lily said, taking her child from Tracin.
"You'd best be going, then," Tracin said, clapping her hands. Harry blinked.
"You're right. See you, and thanks for taking care of Harry…" James pulled on his jacket. Lily picked up her purse and straightened her skirt. James offered her arm to her, which she took, and they walked out the door.