Chapter 28

Two days later, Lily Potter groaned as she opened her eyes. "James close the blinds."

"Lily!" James jumped up out of a daydream in the seat next to her hospital bed. "Lily, are you really awake!"

"Shh!" Lily groaned, "I am tired and Harry is actually asleep."

"Lily, you are in the hospital."

"What!" Lily opened her eyes and jumped up, but then groaned because jumping hurt. "Why? Wait…" Lily looked around the room, "Where is Harry!"

"Shh!" James said trying to calm his wife down, "If you get all upset the nurse will make me leave."

"James, you better tell me where the hell my son is."

'With Sirius…"

"Oh thank Merlin, wait…what happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"No."

"Lily there was an explosion in Muggle London…"

Lily's eyes got wide, "Oh Merlin I remember now! I was looking for a black dress for the funeral. Oh no! The funeral."

"Tomorrow."

"Oh."

"We are Flooing tonight, it's the only way we will make it in time."

Lily nodded, "Harry won't be too happy with us. Oh Merlin, how is my baby?"

"He's fine."

"James…"

"I swear it."

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days."

"How is Alice and Neville?"

"Neville only got a bump on his head, but they moved Alice back to critical condition today. Still unconscious."

"It's all my fault!" Lily cried.

"We're back!" Sirius boomed as he worked in with Baby Harry.

"My baby," Lily yelled as she threw her arms out for one-month-old baby.

"Lily!" Sirius screamed like a little girl, surprised to see the redhead awake but defiantly happy. Harry began to cry from all the loud noises around him, in fact James and Sirius had not been able to calm him down since Lily had been out. The only time Harry would fall asleep is after crying himself out and James was feeling like a horrible father from not knowing how to calm his own son down.

"Give me, give me, give me!"

"Okay," Sirius chuckled as he handed the infant to his mother and as soon as Harry was handed back to his mother the crying stopped.

"Wow," Sirius shook his head. "I don't think I will ever get over that."

"Me neither," James sulked.

"What's wrong with you?" Lily asked her husband looking up from the baby now snuggled in her arms. Harry was very happy now, he had his cuddly red blur back. The two black ones were too loud and they didn't hold him right or do anything right the way the red blur did.

"I couldn't get him to stop crying the whole time you were out and when he finally fell asleep it was from crying himself to sleep. When we were waiting in the hospital to come in here to see you, people were looking at me crazy and saying I was a horrible father."

"Aw, no you are not." Lily said pulling James's face close to hers with her free hand, "You just don't know what to do yet."

"How do you!"

"I am always with him and every time he cries I run."

"I did too but I couldn't get him to stop."

"He has different cries James, they tell you what he wants."

"What!" James and Sirius asked bewildered.

"One means he is hungry, another means he's wet, and then the last one is that he just wants attention or to be held." Lily turned her attention to Sirius momentarily, "When was the last time he was fed?"

"When I left with him about three hours ago."

Lily nodded and then turned her attention back to James, "Do you have a bottle on you?"

"Yeah, in the diaper bag. Why?"

"He needs to feed every three to four hours, but I hear him whimpering now."

"That's whimpering?" Sirius asked confused, "I thought he was just making noises."

"No," Lily shook his head. "His little throat is probably soar from crying the whole time I have been out."

James handed Lily the bottle and as soon as she put it in Harry's mouth he began to suck it dry.

"Wow!" James chuckled, "Look at him go."

"Hungry," Lily smiled lovingly down at her little boy as he began to drift off as he was being fed.

"He's falling asleep?" Sirius asked confused.

"It's okay," Lily nodded. "I'll just save whatever milk he doesn't finish now and give it to him when he wakes up."

"Please teach me when we get home," James whined. "I looked like a total idiot and I felt like a failure of a father."

"You're not James," Lily reassured him. "Harry is only a month old and I am still learning new things about him. I am around him all the time and with the war against Voldemort you are hardly home, and when you are home you are so tired that I just take care of both Harry and you."

"I am going to look like an idiot in front of all of your family with our son."

"The only family that I have left there is Petunia and her family, and I honestly don't care about them. I mean I will probably see a few people that knew me as a child and some of my Aunt Evelyn's old friends but most of the people I won't even know."

"Oh."

"Besides you are great with Harry, you are his father."

"If you say so," Sirius chuckled.

"Can it," James said elbowing Sirius in the gut which got a snicker from Remus in the corner.

"Stuff in Remus."

"Why? You probably did something wrong as usual Sirius," Amelia said walking into the room not noticing that Lily was awake. "So what did you do this time?"

"Say how horrible my husband is with my son, which is totally a lie." Lily said with a smile upon her face as she saw Amelia turned ghost white.

"Lily!" Amelia jumped and ran to give her best friend a huge hug, "Oh Merlin! I have been so worried about you and Alice."

"Have you seen her?"

Alice nodded, "She doesn't look well at all. Not nearly as well as you…"

"Mrs. Potter," the Healer said walking into the room. "You are finally awake?"

"That I am," Lily smiled. "Now let's get me out of here!"

"I don't know all about that…"

"Sir," Lily spoke up. "I need to leave tonight…"

"I'm sorry I can not permit that."

"My last relative of my family died and the funeral is tomorrow, I have to go."

The Healer sighed and ruffled his hair, "I know how horrible these times are now days with the war against Lord Voldemort. I will get a nurse to get your release form, but you have to swear to me that you will take it easy."

"I swear!" Lily said enthusiastically.

"No stress or over doing it."

"I swear."

"I am going to go and get our things packed and I will be back later on with our things, you can change here in your restroom."

"Okay," Lily said as James gave Lily a kiss on the lips and kiss Harry on the top of the head before he left the room to apparate home.

James walked back into Lily's hospital room he found it empty, except for his wife and infant son.

"Where did everyone go?"

"They left about ten minutes ago, all went to go check on Alice. I hear Frank has been out of his mind with worry and that Neville won't quit crying."

"Yeah," James said running his hands through his hair nervously. "Neither one of us really knew what to do. So he stayed in the extra room and we put the babies together and hoped that they would calm one another down, didn't work too well."

Lily chuckled, "Aw! Guess we need to make some more daddy/son time."

"Guess so, here's your suitcase so you can change."

"Do we have time for me to go see Alice before we leave?"

"I'm afraid we don't have enough time, but I'll tell Frank that you send your best. Alice was still unconscious last time I talked to him, so she really wouldn't know if you were there or not."

"I guess that will have to do," Lily sighed. "Will you take Harry with you so I can change and not look over my shoulder? Did you pack the playpen?"

"Yeah I shrunk it down, also my bag and some of Harry's things are all shrunk into my jacket pocket. So when you are done with your suitcase shrink it down and I will put it with the rest of our things."

"Okay."

"I love you," James said taking Harry from Lily's arms and kissed Lily one last time.

"I love you too, and you!" Lily said from James to Harry.

Harry was screaming at the top of his lungs, James looked tired, and Lily could not figure out how to calm him down.

"What is wrong with him?" James yelled after they had just Flooed into a Wizarding part of a small town in America and they were walking into the muggle part. They caught a taxi and James heard his wife tell the taxi driver the address to some street in New York City.

"This contrpaction is really slow," James wined in Lily's ear.

"I told you not a word."

"That was about the Aero-o-plane we weren't able to use."

"Okay," Lily nodded. "On Muggle things."

Harry was still screaming at the top of his lungs.

"What is wrong with him?" James asked again.

"I don't know," Lily said shaking her head. "He's not hungry, wet, and he won't let me put him down. You know how Harry hates Flooing, that's the longest one we have ever traveled maybe his stomach is all upset."

They got to the hotel just a few miles from where the funeral was going to be held and Harry was still crying at the top of his lungs.

"I wish he would stop," Lily said almost in tears.

"Let's go check in and we will try to figure it out."

James and Lily walked up to the front desk with a screaming baby Harry.

An older woman walked up to Lily, "Darling, how long has he been crying like that?"

"Almost an hour and I can't figure out what is wrong with him."

The lady placed her hand up to the infant's head, "Oh what a high temperature."

"What?" Lily's eyes bugged out as she felt his head, his first high temperature. "Oh that's the only thing I didn't check."

The lady smiled, "Is this your first one?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I use to be a pediatrician."

"Oh," Lily sighed.

"How old is he, about a month?"

"Yes."

"Ask the front desk to get you some Children's Tylenol, give him some and it should bring the fever down a bit and calm him down."

"Thank you," Lily smiled from ear to ear.

"He is a beautiful little boy."

"Thank you.'

Meanwhile…

"I am checking in. I have reservations for a James Potter," James told the woman at the desk.

The lady looked at her list and nodded, "Here is your room key."

"James," Lily said walking over to the front desk with her husband.

He turned around and saw that Lily looked like she had everything under control again, which made him breath.

"Could you please get me some Children's Tylenol? My son is running a very high fever."

"Of course," the woman nodded. "I will get a bellboy to bring it up to your room. Also, there was a message left here for you from your aunt's attorney. The memorial for you aunt is in about an hour and the funeral is tomorrow at nine in the morning."

"Thank you."

"James," Lily whined.

"I'll get him this time," James went to get out of bed sleep walking.

"Harry is already awake, now it is time for you to wake up."

James groaned and Harry made a cooing noise.

"We are going to be late if you don't wake up," Lily said sternly and he groaned again. "I will turn the light on you."

"Okay," James groaned. "I'm awake!"

"Good, you have twenty minutes to get ready."

"Crap."

"Yes I know, now go get ready." Lily said rolling up here eyes at her husband, "I am going to feed Harry before we leave."

"Those taxis are so slow," James groaned as they walked up the steps to Aunt Evelyn's estate.

"I told you stop complaining," Lily said through her teeth. "The muggles will look at us oddly, you know we can not blow our cover."

"I know, I know."

"Lily dear!" A voice came to the right of her.

"Oh Merlin, here we go." Lily sighed, "One of Aunt Evelyn's many friends."

An older lady pulled Lily into a hug and then squealed, which got Harry crying again. "My, my! Lily how you have grown up!"

"Thank you," Lily blushed.

"Your parents and grandmother would be so proud of you, I know Evelyn was."

"Thank you."

"Married and with a little boy, would I be imposing by asking to hold him?"

"Of course not," Lily smiled handing the infant over. "Just be careful he had a high fever last night and he's got a bit of a cold."

"How old is he?"

"A month old."

"Looks just like his father."

"Oh I'm sorry," James piped up. "I have been really rude, James Potter."

"Myrtle Reed," the old woman said so she could shake James's hand. "He looks just like you."

"That is what everyone says," James nodded.

"But he has your eyes, Lily dear."

"I know," Lily blushed.

"I love that he has her eyes," James said pulling Lily close and kissing the top of her head.

"You must be so proud."

"We are," Lily and James said at the same time.

"You are so lucky, you know that?"

James and Lily gave one another an odd look.

"Petunia and you had your boys just months apart, I bet that they will be best friends. Like the two of you were when you were little."

"Yeah," Lily sighed. "That was a long time ago, but Petunia has hated me for almost ten years now."

"Sibling rivalry," Myrtle shrugged.

"Lily dear!" Petunia squealed as she ran to give her sister a hug, but Lily didn't keep her hopes up. Lily knew that Petunia was putting up a show for all of their Aunt Evelyn's friends. Petunia pulled back and James looked disgusted, "Where is Henry?"

"Harry," James rolled his eyes.

"That's what I said," Petunia lied. "Where is my little nephew?"

James took his son back from Myrtle and Petunia chocked on her saliva. Her eyes got huge and she looked up at James, "He looks just like…you?"

"Yes," James nodded.

"I love it," Lily said kissing James on the lips.

Harry yawned and his eyes opened, "Green!" Petunia yelled, she had always been jealous of Lily's eyes.

"Yes," Lily smiled from ear to ear. "He looks just like James but he has my beautiful eyes. You know the eyes I shared with Mum and Grandma Rose."

"Petunia," came a big, fat Vernon Dursley with a blue bundle in his arms.

"I must be going," Myrtle excused herself. "My husband will be looking for me."

"You!" Vernon's eyes got huge, "How dare you come here as we know what your kind is!"

"Keep your voice down," Petunia hit Vernon and took their baby out of his arms. "Remember, appearances Vernon."

"Oh yes," he nodded."Of course."

James began to make gagging noises and Lily giggled.

"You are still as weird as ever Potter," Vernon sneered.

"You are still as hideous and fat as ever," James shot back. "Where is your son?" James looked around honestly, "Why are you holding a piglet in your arms?"

"You bastard!" Petunia hissed as she took Dudley from Vernon's arms, "That is our son, Dudley you weirdo!"

James began to laugh at the top of his lungs, "Dudley! What kind of name is Dudley!"

"It is unique," Petunia said putting her nose up in the air.

"It is hideous!" James cackled.

"Henry…"

"Harry," Lily corrected her horrible sister.

Petunia's nose curled up, "What a horribly common name."

"Well…" James said trying to grab for something, "Your kid looks like a pig!"

"What!" Petunia screamed.

"James," Lily acted like she was trying to stop him but she really didn't care.

"Your kid looks like a pig!"

"James let's go inside…"

"Yeah!" James nodded, "It smells like pig meat out here!"

Lily giggled and he put his arm around his wife as she held Harry in her arms. The little family walked into the estate for the memorial.

Later on, all of Aunt Evelyn's friends wanted to see the newest editions to Evelyn's family. Of course that would be Harry and Dudley. As they were passing the one-month-old Harry and four-month-old babies around Lily finally saw Petunia and Vernon's baby. Lily barfed a little bit in her mouth.

That was the ugliest baby Lily had ever seen in her entire. James was right, he looked like a big. Of course Petunia had him in the most frilliest baby clothes she had ever seen. It was all blue, of course so you could know he was a boy. Supposedly. That's what Vernon had said and both Lily and James rolled their eyes at this.

Baby Dudley Dursley looked like a pig in a frilly blue bonnet.

Lily cried a bit at the funeral, but Petunia went over board on purpose. In fact Petunia had never liked Aunt Evelyn, but with Petunia she always had to keep up appearances.

After the funeral at the church that Aunt Evelyn had attended, they had to all report to her lawyer's office.

Lily, James, and Harry sat on side of the room and Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley sat on the other side of the room.

"It is really wonderful that the six of you were able to travel all the way from England to attend your aunt's funeral," the lawyer said with a smile. "I had always been a very close friend with your aunt."

"Of course we came," Petunia said motioning to herself and Vernon. "I always loved Aunt Evelyn and I was heartbroken when I was informed of her death."

Lily rolled her eyes at this, "Sorry it took so long to respond back to you Mr. Martin." Lily said addressing the lawyer, "I was devestaed when I heard about my aunt's death and my husband and I had planned on coming to give Aunt Evelyn our last respects. I was in a terrible accident a few days ago and I was unconscious."

"Yeah right," Petunia rolled her eyes.

"I know Mrs. Potter," Mr. Martin nodded. "Your husband contacted me when you were in the hospital, I hope you are okay. I understand that there was a gas leak and that is what made the building explode?"

"Yes sir," Lily said with a little white lie.

"I hope you are doing better."

"Much better."

"Was your son with you?"

"Yes, but I threw myself over him. You know a mother's love. Harry didn't even have a scratch on him."

"But you on the other hand still have a huge bump on your head."

"Add a broken wrist and fractured ankle too," James threw in.

"You heal fast don't you, Mrs. Potter?" Mr. Martin asked a bit confused.

"So what are we here for again?" James asked trying to change the subject.

"Oh that's right. Your aunt left a message for you," Mr. Martin turned around and place play on the VCR and the TV began to play a message from Lily and Petunia's late Aunt Evelyn.

"My dearest Lily and Petunia," Aunt Evelyn said smiling from ear to ear. Lily noticed Aunt Evelyn looked ten times worse than she did at Grandma Rose's funeral, the last time Lily had seen Aunt Evelyn alive. "If you are watching this I am sorry to tell you that I have passed on and now looking down on you and your new families."

"Lily, congratulations again on marrying James. I loved the wedding pictures you sent me, and I really wish I could have been attended your wedding. When you told me that you and James were going to have a baby, I was so proud of you. The pictures of Harry were beautiful. He looks just like James, but he has those beautiful eyes that you shared with Rose and your mother, Lily dear."

"Petunia," Aunt Evelyn smiled. "You too dear have started a…um…beautiful family with Vernon and your new little boy Dwayne."

James began to snicker that the fact that Evelyn didn't truly know Dudley's name, and Petunia looked outraged.

"I have left the two of you both something in my will."

Petunia's eyes got those greedy eyes of hers.

"Lily, James, and sweet baby Harry. I have left you half a million American dollars and half of my stocks in CNN and NBC."

"Petunia, I have left you the deed to my estate here in America."

"I love you my dears and goodnight."