Chapter 30 Onions and Rutabagas
I was made to love you, I was made to find you...I was made to love and be loved by you -Tobymac "Made To Love"
I tried to permeate the boundaries by running through them, but I ended up bouncing off the walls by my shoulder as the solid air rippled.
"Remus! Emmy!" I screamed, pounding on the wall. I was the only one on this end of the dementors, but Moody was running to my side.
"Bomborda!" I screamed, whipping my wand out and attempting to shatter the shield. Still nothing-Moody did the same, to no avail.
"Damn, this is strong!" He let out another stream of language, and continually attempted to blast through the dome.
"Got it!" He finally yelled when the air shook and wobbled in a place-he put his hands through the hole, and squeezed himself through. "Right here!" He yelled. I catapulted through and we both made a mad dash for the house, hoping there were no other obstacles we would have to overcome.
"Remus!" I gasped. "Emmy!" They were chained, bound, tied, gagged, and unconscious. They sat in the middle of the room.
"You stand guard!" Moody barked. "Now that there's a crack, there'll be dementors trying to get through to us."
I ran through out back from the house and guarded the hole-something was coming up, a dark silhoutte in the moonless night-"Expecto Patr-James!" I cut off my spell, running to help him through the hole Moody had blasted. "Moody's getting them, they're just unconscious-"
"Look!" James said, pointing to the red sparks that were being shot up from the house. Moody barreled out with both Emmy and Remus-
"Come on, you two!" He bellowed. "We've got to get out of here before the giants wake up! We can't hold back the dementors for long!" We slipped through the opening, carrying Emmy and Remus gingerly, and Moody pointed his wand at his throat, yelling-"Sonorus!
"Can everyone hear me?" He bellowed in a magically magnified voice. "Everyone, say something now if you are not able to run!" No one said anything, but continued to fight, ragged breaths cutting through the air. "Then everyone leave, now!" Moody bellowed-with a last burst of strength, everyone cast their patronus.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" James, Moody and I bellowed. And as one, the silvery animals charged, beating back the dementors. We didn't waste a second-everyone raced off, Moody levitating Remus and Emmy behind him. We ran over ragged ground until we could barely catch a breath, until our sides screamed and legs burned. We sprinted, full out, for almost two miles. I think a couple of people even threw up. We met up with Dumbledore's reinforcements ahead of us, standing guard in a circle around us.
"DISAPPARATE!" Moody bellowed, and with a series of pops, we disappeared from the browned meadow. James and I vanished together, appearing again in the safe house. All of us collapsed to the ground, completely out of breath.
"Are-you-alright?" James panted, looking at me from the ground. Similar questions were being asked all over the room.
"I'm-fine," I struggled to take a full breath. "You?"
"Yeah. Moody, how are they?"
"They'll come around. Just unconscious."
"Should they be taken to St. Mungo's?" Sirius asked from around the corner, rubbing his head.
"They'll be fine," Moody answered forcefully, limping off with them to lay them down on the couch.
"You all have done well," Dumbledore began. "Better than I could have asked of any of you..."
"Sirius," James whispered as Dumbledore continued to talk to all of us on the floor. "Sirius!" I looked over to see Sirius holding his head in one of his hands, looking exhausted.
"What?" He finally heard James, turning his head to see him.
"What's up? You look hammered." Sirius cracked a smile.
"Regulus died."
"Your brother?" James muttered, eyes wide. "How?"
"Well, turns out the little dark prince didn't want to be a Death Eater anymore," Sirius cracked a grave smile. "I don't know much more than that."
"Well he was good in the end, then, right Sirius?" I asked.
"Yeah, maybe. Don't pity me, I haven't spoken to him in years, and before that we barely spoke anyway."
"He was a hero," James said quietly, and Sirius nodded. I took his hand, and squeezed it. Sirius looked at me thankfully, and we rose to take our places at the table once more, waiting for Remus and Emmy to wake.
Four Months Later-November 15th, 1979
"Are you feeling alright, Lily?" Marlene looked at me oddly. Sirius and James stopped their conversation and looked at me, scrutinizing.
"You look really pale," Alice remarked.
"Thanks, Doe," I replied sarcastically. "I just-I think I'm going to go into the bathroom, alright?" I stood up from the booth we had been sitting at and walked slowly into the bathroom, hand on my head. I had been feeling out of sorts for the past two weeks. I could feel Remus, Sirius, James, Marlene, Alice, and Frank's eyes on me until I made it into the bathroom. I ducked into the largest stall of the wizarding restaurant in Diagon Alley and kneeled down, putting a hand to my clammy forehead. Soon after doing that, I got a hot flash-waves of heat rolled over me, and I began to sweat. I pulled up the collar of my sweatshirt and fanned it over my face, leaning against the wall. Suddenly, without warning, I bent over the toilet and the appetizers we had eaten a few minutes earlier made their reappearance.
"Sc-scourgefy," I whispered, cleaning whatever hadn't hit the toilet. I wiped my mouth with toilet paper and stood up, walking on shaky legs over to the sink, where I drank until the taste was washed from my mouth.
"Lily?" Alice asked softly, opening the door. I quickly pulled my head up from the sink so it looked like I was merely washing my hands. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I croaked, coughing. "Just-just had to use the bathroom. I'm fine."
"Alright," she said, not believing me, not leaving. "You ready to come back and eat? The food's here."
I paused and thought. I really would rather I not throw up in front of the whole restaurant. "Alice, I'm sorry, but I think I've got to go home, I'm feeling really sick," I moaned, clutching my head again. I could feel every pound of my heart reverberating through my temples.
"Lily, you look terrible," Marlene gasped as she came in. "Are you feeling alright?"
"No," I moaned, stumbling. "I really think I've got to go, I don't want to throw up all over the table-"
"Come on," Marlene said, and both she and Alice took one of my arms. We made it back to the table, where I sat down shakily.
"What happened?" James looked at me, concerned.
"I-I think I need to go home, I feel really sick," I confessed. Sirius's eyes flitted to James and he widened his eyes significantly. James shook his head slightly, but hope fired in his eyes-I didn't know what that was all about, and I was too tired to ask.
"Alright, let's go love," he said, standing and taking my arm. "We can eat at home, and get you to sleep."
"You can stay if you want," I protested weakly as we exited through the door, cold November air blasting us immediately. I was still hoping for snow.
"No," James shook his head. "I'm coming with you. Through sickness and in health, remember?"
"Alright, but I've got to warn you-" I bent over and fell to my knees, retching once more into the grass, emptying my stomach of whatever had possibly been left. James bent down with me and I tried to push him away, but he stayed and lifted my hair back. I kept on heaving, even when there was nothing left in me. James cleaned up the mess and got me more water-this time, I took it slowly, small sips so I wouldn't throw up again.
"Lily, do we need to go to St. Mungo's?" James asked, panicked.
"No, no-I just-think we should-go home," I said in a scratchy voice. "And maybe I should go to sleep. Today is-Friday so we don't have Auror training tomorrow." James nodded, taking my arm and disapparating, appearing again in our house. The apparation boundaries were extremely complicated-we had sort of a registry of who could and couldn't appear whenever they wanted-namely, to keep Death Eaters out. I laid down on the bed while James got us both water, and alternating between freezing, and pushing all the covers to the end of the bed as I sweat.
. It wasn't until a week later that I found out what was the matter with me.
it was smack dab in the middle of a drill-I threw up again, and rushed to the bathroom, bringing my purse. I had purchased a pregnancy tester the day before, but I didn't want to get my hopes up, so I forced myself to wait.
I held up the little stick with shaking fingers-positive.
I did it twice more to be sure, and ran out of the bathroom, a giant grin spreading on my face.
"Alice!" I gasped, almost running into my friend, who was also grinning like a maniac. "You're late!"
"I know-have you seen Frank?" She blurted at the same time I asked-
"Did you see James?"
"No, what's up?" We both said together, voices blending.
"I'm pregnant!" We both announced, beaming.
"What?" I shouted, jumping up and down. "You are? Me too!"
"No way!" Alice shouted back, much to the dismay of the workers around us. We crashed into a hug- "When did you find out?" Alice asked, her eyes wide and shining.
"Just now-two minutes ago, I threw up right in the middle of a drill, and I had bought the muggle testers yesterday, and I just checked now-and you? When did you find out?"
"I just found out now as well!" Alice shouted. "We've got to go in for ultrasounds together!"
"Are you supposed to get one this early?" I wondered.
"No, but you can."
"Alright! Let's go find the husbands!" I linked arms with her and we skipped off, singing loudly-hey, we were pregnant, alright? Hormones.
"Are you feeling alright now, Mrs. Potter?" The man with the nasally voice who was overseeing our test stopped us at the door.
"I'm pregnant!" I shouted at him, making him jump back about a meter. "And so is my friend Alice here! We need to tell our husbands! Go on, get them-James Potter and Frank Longbottom!"
"I can't, ma'am, they're in the middle of testing-"
"So was I, but I threw up and ran out-and Alice here missed the whole thing. Morning sickness, you know. Not just in the morning. If you don't run, you're at a high risk of being retched on," I said very seriously. The man's eyes widened, and he backed away slowly.
"I'll be right back," he said a bit uneasily, jumping in and slamming the door behind him. We heard an argument break out, and seconds later the door burst open once more, James and Frank rushing out.
"Lily, are you pregnant? That's what that man said!" James gasped, putting his hands on my cheeks.
"Yes!" I shrieked, throwing my arms around him. "Second time's a charm!" He laughed and buried his face into my shoulder, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me with such exuberance he picked me up off of my feet.
One month later-December 27th, 1979
"Do you hear anything?" I asked excitedly to the African woman running my ultrasound. I was squeezing James's hand so tight I thought it would be purple, but he didn't say anything.
"Yes I do, your baby is alive and kicking. Two months along, correct?" She asked.
"Yes," James and I answered together, beaming at each other. "When would you be able to tell the gender of the baby?" He asked.
"Well, muggles can do it in four to five months, but we've got more advanced ways-we could do it now, if you like," the woman said, glasses resting smartly on her nose. I looked to James for conformation-
"Do you want to know?" I asked him. "I do."
"I do too," he nodded fervently. "What are you going to do to find out?"
"Just a quick spell. Nothing harmful to the baby, don't worry. I've been doing this for thirty years," she said reassuringly, patting my arm with smooth hands.
"Alright then," James nodded. "Let's do it."
"Would you like to?"
"Oh, no, I'd mess it up." The healer laughed.
"It's quite simple, really, I promise. Just point the wand at your wife's stomach, and say Declario Genderus."
"Declario Genderus," James took his wand and pointed it with a steady hand. Spiralling, misty symbols appeared in the air-I couldn't make heads or tales of them.
"Congratulations," the healer said softly. "You've got a boy."
Two Months Later-Late February, 1980
Sixteen Weeks along
"And now, reeeeeach to the left, knees straight, if you can." Alice and I reeeeeeached to the left, stretching our arms over our heads. We were in the "July" pregnant yoga class, and we were just beginning to show. It was a muggle class, so we had to be careful about what we said.
"And one more exercise, down on your mats now."
"Have you felt anything yet?" I whispered, pushing a strand of hair back that had escaped out of my ponytail.
"Nothing!" She whispered. "You?"
"Nope. But since it's our first time, it's going to be on the far end of sixteen to twenty-five weeks, remember the book I showed you?"
"Oh, right. Oh, and guess what? Frank and I have got a boy name decided now!"
"Really?" I smiled excitedly. We were among the youngest in the class-nineteen, although there were still several more who weren't twenty yet. Even muggles had been getting anxious to start a family, even though the threat of Voldemort, in their world, was put down to increased terrorist attacks, freak explosions, and the apocalypse.
"Yeah-Neville! What do you think? And Grace for a girl."
"That's beautiful!" I sighed, reaching for my feet. Or trying to, at least, with the beginning of a baby bump. "This hurts," I griped.
"Relaaaaaax," Valere, the coach, said in her breathy voice. "Breath iiiiiiiiin through your nose, oooooooout through your mouth.
"She has such a relaxing voice," Alice whispered to me, and I nodded.
"It almost makes me sleepy. I think Harry agrees with me, don't you Harry?" I cooed, patting my stomach. "He says yes, Mummy," I turned to look at Alice, completely serious.
We both struggled not to laugh, switching to the other side and stretching down once more.
"I just got a craving," Alice gasped, looking, wide-eyed, in the window of the grocery store we were passing just after yoga class.
"What for?" I asked, linking arms as we walked through the store, the bell tinkling.
"Onions," she sighed. "I get the weirdest cravings."
"Onions?" I crinkled my nose. "Little Neville-Grace has weird taste buds," I observed, patting her stomach. "Oh-rutabaga." I sniffed out the vegetable, eyes following it as we passed.
"You were saying?" Alice laughed, turning back around so we could get the bag. "Do you have any muggle money with you?"
"You are talking to a muggle born," I pointed out, gesturing to my purse. "I've got enough for both. Look at us-two pregnant twenty year olds, out buying onions and rutabagas," I laughed. "Can you eat a plain onion, anyway?" I wondered offhand, grabbing a bag of my desired vegetable.
"We'll find out," Alice said, sending both of us into peals of laughter as we made our way over to get the onions. "Wait!" She stopped dead, halting both of us. "I just saw-I think I just saw a Death Eater," she whispered frantically. "Tell me Lily, have you seen anyone else in the store?"
I had to think about that-there was one lone cashier, a pimply teenage boy-"There was that boy by the checkout counter," I whispered, slowly and subtly taking out my wand.
"But no one else," Alice said in a low voice. "Lily-turn around slowly. Let's stand back to back, and get out of here." Cravings forgotten, we put down the vegetables and stood at each other's backs.
"Can't we disapparate?" I hissed.
"I don't know-are we supposed to apparate when pregnant?" She wondered.
"Let's not risk it," I finished. "Stupefy!" I screamed, blasting the deodorant display. I had seen a flash of movement, a bit of black cloak and a silver mask-
"BOMBORDA!" Alice shrieked, and a flickering sign detached itself from the ceiling, smashing to the ground and shattering, effectively cutting off another Death Eater's route to us.
"AAARRRRGHHH!" Another Death Eater leaped over a box of cantelopes, wand out-
"Stupefy-
"Avada Kedavra!"
"DUCK!" I screamed at Alice, heart racing as I dove to my feet, pulling her down with me to avoid the unforgiveable-
"Can't dance forever, pretties!" He roared, and I exploded a row of canned goods in the Death Eater's face. Alice shot a well aimed curse at the lights, and they all flickered out, plunging us into almost darkness. The light from the windows still flickered in, but that was far away, in the front. I began to creep out, feeling around with my hands, breathing heavily.
"Lumos," a Death Eater growled, and I saw the tip of his lighted wand glowing from the other side-I frantically dug in my bag, looking for the pamphlet I knew was there-maybe it would say if we could apparate while pregnant.
"I hear you!" He growled, and blasted a whole row of produce, covering me with Merlin knows what.
"Stupefy," I whispered, putting my wand over the pile of destroyed food and pressing myself against the pile, trying to make myself scarce. I heard the curse hit it's mark, and the Death Eater fell, his wand skittering across the floor, sliding under a display, the light disappearing.
"Come on, come on," I muttered, trying to hurry-I heard Alice shouting "Stupefy!", hopefully holding her own. "Yes! Transportation while pregnant...apparation-no apparation in the third trimester-Alice!" I shrieked. "Apparate! Trust me! Do you hear me?"
"Got it!" She yelled, and a resounding crack echoed through the store. I was about to do the same, but then I remembered the muggle cashier-I vaulted over the piles of destroyed displays and merchandise-
"THERE SHE IS!" A Death Eater roared, and a volley of spells barely missed me, bouncing off the cashiers as I ducked down, wincing as I landed hard on my ankles. My hands immediately flew to my stomach-I hoped that wouldn't effect Harry.
"Hey, you!" I shouted to the muggle who was staring, wide eyed, at the destruction. "Get out of here! Go on!" He shook his head frantically. "Come on, I'll cover you! Go!" Too late I realized he wasn't refusing, he was trying to alert me to the fact that Death Eaters were sneaking up behind me.
"AVADA-"
"STUPEFY!" I screamed, knocking three of them over as I spun around quickly, knocking them off their feet, sending them flying. I let myself smile briefly, impressed with my wand work. You know what they say about near death situations. No? Me either.
The teenage guy finally got the picture, rushing out-and breathing a sigh of relief, I apparated, stumbling into the kitchen of my house, making my way toward the voices-
"-right behind me, I swear!"
"Where were you? We've got to go and-"
"Here I am," I said, dragging myself into the room. "All right, Alice?"
"I'm fine, you? Besides being covered in food, that is." I nodded, smiling, and James immediately jumped to my side, cleaning me and asking if I was alright, putting a hand on my stomach.
"I'm fine, really," I promised as I cleaned myself. James knelt in front of me, continuing to feel my stomach as Alice relayed the story.
"Hey!" James said, surprised just as I almost choked on my own spit.
"He kicked!" We both exclaimed at the same time. We met each other's eyes, grinning like fools, overjoyed.
"Do you feel that?" I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. "Harry's kicking!"
"I'll leave you two alone," Alice said knowingly, bidding us both goodbye before disapparating.
"He's going to be alright," I sobbed happily, letting James pull me into his arms.
"He's kicking again," I buried my face in James's shoulder as we put our hands on my belly, grinning down at our son-to-be. "He's going to be a fighter, I know it," I grinned. "He's not even supposed to be kicking until closer to week 25," I smiled.
"Come one, I've got to show you something," James took my hand, leading me toward the nursery. "Close your eyes," he said softly, covering them with his hands. I felt for the doorknob, opening it, letting James lead me to the middle of the room-
"Oh, James!" I gasped as he released his hands. The nursery had been completely repainted-soft red and gold, with quidditch posters and Gryffindor hangings mingling with pictures of James and I, Harry's grandparents, our friends from Hogwarts, and classic baby pictures of things like pink elephants and cows jumping over the moon. And of course, the things from the first pregnancy. "When did you do all this? I love it!" I exclaimed, kissing him with exuberance.
"Surprise," he said, taking my face in my hands and kissing me again. "Are you sure you're alright? What happened, exactly?" I relayed the story to him as we made our way back to the living room and lit the fireplace, sitting on the couch, arms around each other.
"Wow," James said softly. "How did they know you were going to be there?"
"I've got no idea," I said a bit fearfully, tightening my grip on James. "But I'm glad we made it out okay. We've now defied him three times...oh...and I've been thinking," I began slowly.
"Uh oh," James teased, resting a hand on my stomach.
"I've been thinking we should tell our parents we're pregnant."
"Uh oh!" James exclaimed, for real this time. "Your parents are going to murder me!" He cried dramatically, eyes wide.
"No, they won't," I said, eyes dancing. "And I've got an idea as well."
"To send them a letter instead? They can take their anger out on that instead of me," James proclaimed.
"Oh, James. You're so dramatic," I teased, putting a hand on his cheek. "But really, I've got an idea."
"Let's hear it, Mrs. Potter." I grinned widely at my name, kissing him quickly before I continued. "We get our parents together, telling them we have 'big news'," I quoted. "And what would you immediately assume if you were in their place?"
"Pregnancy," he said immediately. "What's your point?"
"Well, we get them together and then say that we're getting a dog," I laughed hysterically, like this was the funniest thing in the world. "And then we drop the bomb."
"They're going to hate me even more," James shook his head, laughing. "Let's do it."
"Hey Mum, did Petunia come?" I caught my mother off to the side. It was the day after the grocery store incident, and James and I had gotten our parents together at the Potter's house, and were about to break the news.
"She was...busy," Mum told me, pursing her lips, looking disapproving.
"Oh, alright," I said, slightly crestfallen. I readjusted my robes again, hoping my mum wouldn't see the baby bump. She probably already at least suspected, but I had conveniently worn robes that strategically draped over my stomach, so at least that wasn't obvious.
"Lily?" James called for me from the other end of the living room. "Are you ready?"
"Oh! Yes!" I hopped over to him, where he wrapped his arms around my waist. I was smiling uncontrollably.
"Alright. Well everyone, Lily and I..." he paused for effect, and all four of the parents leaned in, trying to look like they didn't know exactly what we were going to say. "Are getting a dog!" James finished, a big goofy smile on his face. I bit my lip, trying to keep from bursting out laughing at their expressions.
"Oh, my, son!" James's mother put her hand to her heart, laughing. "Oh Lily, we thought you were going to say you were pregnant!"
"Me too!" My mum said, craning her neck to smile at Daisy, James's mum.
"We're joking!" I called, and all four sets of eyes whipped back to us. "We're joking..." I looked at James, smiling into his eyes. "You all are going to be grandparents."
"What? Oh darling, that's wonderful! Oh, I'm going to be a grandma!" Mum stood up, teary eyed, and enfolded us both into a hug.
"Congratulations!" James's dad boomed, hugging us both. His wife was beaming away, almost crying as well. However my father stood, lips pursed, on the couch.
"You're having a baby?" He said, breathing heavily.
"Yes honey, isn't that great?" Mum said forcefully, putting a hand on his arm.
"Yes, I'm so proud of you both!" He said in a slightly high-pitched voice, lurching forward to giving us both hugs.
"How far along are you?" James's mum gushed, taking each of our hands.
"Four months," I said proudly as my mum put her hands on my stomach.
"Oh, I can feel it kicking!" She gasped, and with that I now had five hands on my stomach.
"I can feel it too!" My dad finally smiled, looking overjoyed. "What's the gender? Any names picked out?"
"It's a boy," James grinned, wrapping his arms around me. "And we like the name Harry."
"Aw, it's perfect," his mum cooed, beginning to talk to my stomach. "Hello Harry, I'm your Grandma Potter! I'm going to spoil you rotten, yes I am!" She said in a baby voice.
"Oh, congratulations, honey," Mum got teary eyed and pulled me into another hug. "When is the baby shower going to be?"
"Baby shower?" I looked at her, startled. I had completely forgotten about that little event. "Well-that seems a little-I don't know, inappropriate now...with Voldemort and all," James's parents winced, but nodded, understanding.
"Yes, of course. We're still going to send you tons and tons of cute little clothes though!" James's mum promised. We all started to talk and converse, and James's parents offered tea. My eyes fell upon the newspaper, a moving picture of a burning muggle supermarket on the cover-DEATH EATERS WRECK HAVOC ON MUGGLE GROCERY STORE! As the headline.
Muggles putting incident down to minor earthquake that set off a boiler explosion. No fatalities...
I nudged James, pointing to the front page. The Death Eaters were getting stronger.