Hello people. Here is chapter 6 for your enjoyment. Please remember to review !

Kerrie x-x-x-x

DISCLAIMER: no i do not own harry potter. I am making no money out of this. I am, poor :(

Chapter 6

"Thanks," smiled James, as Lily handed him a Butterbeer.

"My pleasure."

Ever since the incident at New Years Eve the couple had both been extra polite to one another.

Too polite, if truth be told.

Sirius had found their newfound niceness creepy as well. "And damn right weird." And had said as much to James ("I like you guys better when you were fighting.") And personally Lily agreed.

She had smiled so much in the past few days that her jaw was actually aching! And instead of smiling most of the time she felt like screaming.

Not that she had much time to herself anymore.

If life had been bad with just James, Sirius and herself, it was unbearable now. Not that Remus and Peter were bad houseguests (well, Remus anyway), but she now found herself serving the four men twenty-four-seven - Literally!

And when she finally did get to bed she couldn't sleep. This deprival was taking its toll on her and Lily actually found herself wearing sunglasses indoors to hide the dark rings around her eyes.

"Listen James, I'm going out later." James' head snapped round quickly to face her.

"When? Where? With whom?" he asked - apparently he hadn't completely forgotten about what had happened.

"Later. And where I go and with who I meet is no business of yours." James gave her a last searching look as though he was about to protest, half shrugged as turned back to his friends (all of whom had fell silence at Lily's entrance into the room.)

-----

Later that day Lily could be found standing in front of her full-length mirror in her bedroom (James still hadn't been brave enough to move back in and was most likely sharing a bed with one of his bum-chums.). She tugged at a stand of lifeless scarlet hair, sighing at the look of the sad reflection staring back at her.

She pulled on a clean shirt, noticing as she did, so the buttons strained as she did them up. Muttering a quick concealment charm sorted out this problem but the uncomfortable feeling remained.

Lily sighed again. "That's as good as it's going to get," she told herself.

"James! I'm going out now. Don't wait up." (As if). Footsteps pounded on the stairs.

"Sure honey, what time will you be back?" he asked.

"Sometime tonight."

"But Lily, it's already getting dark."

"What James?" She snapped. "Are you saying I have a curfew now?"

"No, I just—"

"Because you are not my keeper, James. I don't have to answer to you." And with that she marched straight past him.

------

Lily rapped hard on the door with her white knuckles.

"Lily! Oh my God! It must be freezing out there! Come in!"

Gingerly she stepped into the house.

The woman who had greeted her pulled her into a hug but drew back. "You look so different."

"You don't," Lily grinned. "You don't look a day over eighteen."

Alice smiled, "You always were a flatterer. Anyway, make yourself at home. I'll get Frank. OY FRANK LILY'S HERE! COME AND SAY HELLO."

While this was happening, Lily settled herself in an armchair by the fire.

"He's making tea." Alice said, plopping herself down opposite Lily. "You do look different you know," she said again.

"Yeah, more of a mess than last time. How long has it been, two years?"

"Yeah," agreed Alice. "You look glowing."

"Fuming more like!" she laughed bitterly.

Her eyes sparkled. "Frank told me about how you're looking after the infamous Marauders singled-handed."

"How ever did my life come to this?" she asked. But before Alice could answer, Frank Longbottom entered the room carrying the tea tray.

"Alice, keep the noise down - Mother's sleeping." Behind Frank's back, Alice muttered something that sounded like "Witch." She nodded in understanding, thinking of Doreen.

"Anyway, Lily," started Frank, sitting on the arm of Alice's chair after pouring her a cup of tea and putting a reassuring arm around his wife. "Have you heard the news?"

"News? What news?"

Frank grinned placing a hand carefully on Alice's stomach "We're having a baby!"

-------

"Cheer up Prongs!"

"Yeah, I mean it could be worse."

"Padfoot," said a disgruntled James, "How could anything be worse than this?"

Sirius said nothing and offered a packed of cigarettes around the room. James shook his head as he shook the packet at him.

"Fine then," Sirius said, sitting back in his chair and lighting his own cigarette with his wand. He inhaled deeply. "Are you sure she's worth it, Prongs?"

"Merlin, yes, I've never been surer of anything in my entire life."

"Apart from the fact you're not that way inclined," joked Sirius.

"So," pressed Remus, ignoring Sirius' outburst.

"I dunno. I just think she's hiding something from me."

Rolling his eyes, Sirius said, "All women are like that. Ain't that right, Moony?" He earned a slap upside the head.

"Shut up!" Remus shot James a sympathetic look. "Sirius, for God's sake, do something useful and make a cup of tea."

"You know where the Firewiskey is."

Sirius crossed the room and disappeared into the Kitchen. But it was only several seconds later that his head popped round the door.

"Prongs mate, we have a problem."

"What have you done?" James asked quickly. "It better not be my mother's bone china, it's been in the family for gen—" He stopped as Sirius placed a box on the coffee table and they all stared at it, frowning.

------

"Alice, have you spoken to Dumbeldore?" Lily asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes, of course!"

"Then—" she started.

"Oh Lily, you don't believe all that spy rubbish!" she scoffed.

"Alice, but he said it could stop You-Know-Who."

"If anyone does it it will be Aurors not a baby." She spoke as though she had thought the whole thing through very carefully. "Anyway, how do you know about—Oh Lily!" She pulled her friend into another hug.

"You silly thing, and you haven't told James?"

"Not anyone," Lily answered, blushing. Now she heard it from Alice she realised how stupid she had been,

"Listen, Frank will protect me. I trust him. James will do the same for you."

"I don't know."

"He's your husband." Alice insisted.

"That's just it, I don't know for how much longer."

"Then that's why you have to tell him." Alice insisted.

"So he'll stay with me because of the baby. Whatever you say Alice there are spies - people we thought were on our side. Our friends!"

"Oh!" she sounded appalled "You can't think any of the Marauders—"

"I don't know what to think anymore." She shook her head. "I really don't"

-------

By the time Lily got back to Godric's Hollow it was nearly morning.

She let herself quietly into the house, hoping everyone was asleep.

Her foot was on the bottom stair when she turned around and jumped. Remus was sat at the kitchen table. He looked weary, a mug clasped in his hands. The weak morning light flooding through the gap in the curtains illuminated the scars on his face.

"Lily." He sounded tired and Lily wondered how long it was until the next Full Moon. He didn't look upset or angry, but something in his voice hinted towards the feeling that he was curious. She wished he would just smile and break the uneasy atmosphere.

"Lily, is there anything you want to tell me?"

She shook her head.

Remus narrowed his eyes and gestured for her to sit down opposite him.

"Lily, I know we haven't spoken for a while but if you ever need to talk—"

"No, I'm fine" she cut across him quickly, panic seemed to rise up inside her. What if he knows? She thought.

Some of her worry seemed to show on her face because the man smiled, "I won't judge you, because well…." He glanced at the moon.

"Remus, what have I got to do with your…?"

He stood up went into the living room, then came back, placing a box on the table.

"Sirius found these." Her face suddenly turned pale. It was a box of blood-flavoured lollypops that she had got a craving for a few days ago.

"Lily, why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"Because I understand, even if you couldn't talk to James you could have come to me." It didn't make sense how Remus could understand about her having a baby unless… Sirius was right and he was a girl! She shook her head. Somehow I don't think that's right.

"Remus, what the hell are you talking about?"

"You."

"What about me?" she asked, starting to get annoyed.

He took a deep breath and spurted out "You being a vampire!"