CHAPTER TWO: A Difference Of Opinions
There was a somewhat heated discussion at the breakfast table the next morning. James was absent-mindedly stirring scrambled eggs in a fry pan with his wand in the air as he tried to remember the previous nights events.
"I'm telling you Lilyflower," he said finally "I was asleep. I remember a weird dream where you were firing mustard and tomato sauce everywhere, and someone yelling my name, jumping out of bed, going back to bed, and falling asleep. That's it."
"Well, James dear, I was awake. And you said we could have a baby. Thanks" She added as he handed her a plate of breakfast, "What's more, you said you were going to get me one today. And I expect you to follow through with your promises, or I'll run away with Sirius."
James gave a snort before his face broke into a wide grin "Look Lils, I don't have any problem at all with making a baby. I mean, if you want to get some more practice in, make sure we get it right before going for the real thing, I understand…"
"James!" She said, spraying a mouthful of scrambled egg as she kicked him under the kitchen table. She looked across at him and noticed his plate was already cleared and he was leaving the table; sometimes she wondered if he ate by osmosis while she wasn't looking.
They had been married for two years now; surely wanting to have a child wasn't that outrageous? Lily thought as she stomped down the hall after breakfast. She grabbed her wand off the bedside table and checked her appearance in the mirror, her lime-green healer's robes fell nicely to the floor and clashed with her red hair in a way few people could appreciate in the same way as Lily did. She quickly brushed a rogue piece of her breakfast from the fabric before going through to the bathroom where James was brushing his teeth.
"Do something with your hair." She told him reprovingly "You look as awful as the day I met you."
"Andfuftashharmink" he replied before spitting out the remainder of the toothpaste
"I love you too," Lily told him and kissed him on the cheek "And, as delightful as your conversation always is, Potter, I must go to work. I expect a baby waiting on the table for me when I get home… or Sirius is just a Floo-jump away."
James scowled, partly at the condescending way she'd called him by what was now her own last name, yet another mention of this supposed baby and threat of Sirius again. "Yeah, yeah." He sighed "I'll just never be good enough for you will I Evans? But I do love you oh ever so much." He smothered her in minty-fresh kisses as she tried to escape his embrace.
"All right! Enough, I'll see you tonight." She half-flew from the room, and he stood there still grinning.
"You can't escape me Lilykins," He called after her "I know where you live!"
Lily wandered through the reception area with a mind so deep in thought that others glancing at her may have been surprised she wasn't swimming through it. Her thoughts were still on that dream, the face of that baby as it looked up at her…
"Hello Agnes," She waved with a cheery smile at her favourite Welcome Witch, a cheery, but somewhat dim-witted young woman who seemed to be having trouble with a fiery red-headed couple who appeared to have permanent Shouting Charms fixed on their throats.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED EXACTLY," Yelled the short plump woman "WE WERE HAVING A ROW AND I MUST HAVE GOTTEN A TAD OVER-ENTHUSIASTIC WITH MY WAND."
"A TAD?!" The man bellowed back at her "YOU WERE FIRING JINXES ALL OVER THE PLACE MOLLY!"
"WELL IF YOU WERE A LITTLE MORE SUPPORTIVE-" The woman turned with her hands on her hips to glare at the man, but was interrupted by Agnes who appeared to have heard enough.
"Okay then," She told them, her melodic tone of voice effortlessly breaking the tension in the air "You need Spell Damage on the Fourth Floor… Lily could you take them up with you?"
Lily had stopped to check the chart and see whether any of her patients had been moved, quickly ascertaining who was where she nodded "They'll probably end up being mine anyway. Follow me."
Leading the pair of them up past the Artefact, Creature, Bugs and Poisoning floors, Lily soon arrived in Spell Damage.
"Just take a seat here," She told the still glaring couple, seating them in a small consultation room "I'll be back shortly."
She closed the door behind her and headed into the floor's Staff Office to put down her bag and check who else was on today. In the room she found her a familiar face, that of Lynius Reade, fellow healer and good friend.
"Morning Lyn!" Lily was given a smile in return
"Gooood morning. Just you, me, Hestia and Lucas today. Free reign of the floor!" Lyn said with an evil cackle, referring to two Trainee Healers. Lucas was talented alright, but more suited to dealing with problematic objects rather than people – he didn't have the best bedside manner. And Hestia meant well, but struggled under pressure which often lead to mistakes someone else had to fix.
"For all three wards? Crap. They must have been short of staff. Oh well – any important news?"
"Well, Mr Jacobsen is still sprouting fungi all over, even though we've tried countless counter-curses and even a few antidotes. I thought we'd put Lucas on the case. And there's a batty old witch who either can't or won't speak any language our Translators can decipher. Any normal hex would have worn off by now – she's been here 24 hours. Either it was really powerful or she's just having a laugh, I don't know."
"Ah, it's going to be a fun day Lyn my dear." Lily laughed as she held the door open for them to leave "I've got a shouting match to dear with in Room 12, shouldn't take long. I'll take a look at the babbler after that."
"Aye aye Cap'n!" Lyn saluted and marched off. Lily giggled her way back to Room 12; it was advised to have a good sense of humour in a place like this.
"Okay!" She clapped her hands together, ready for business as she entered the consultation room, a clipboard with a fresh chart attached to it under her arm. "I'm Lily Potter, your healer for the day. First I'm going to need to fill out a few details. Your names?"
"ARTHUR AND MOLLY WEASLEY!" Arthur Weasley promptly shouted
"WILL THIS TAKE LONG? WE'VE LEFT BILL, CHARLIE AND PERCY WITH SOME RELATIVES BUT I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THREE LITTLE BOYS." Molly Weasley was able to show concern even through a scream
"No, no. The counter charm is fairly simple, as long as it's just the sonorus incantation gone wrong." Lily muttered, scribbling away on her chart. After a few seconds she looked up at them brightly and smiled. "Who would like to go first?"
Molly and Arthur exchanged an apprehensive glance, before Arthur stood up. Lily pulled her wand from her pocket and began making intricate patterns in the air between herself and the nervous redhead. In a matter of seconds a small glow at the tip indicated it was ready and she gave a sharp flick and confidently uttered "Quietus"
"Did it work?" Arthur asked, his voice hoarse but unmistakably quiet. He looked relieved. "That's some remarkable charm work, Miss Potter."
"Mrs," Lily replied "But call me Lily. Right, you're up next Mrs Weasley."
"MOLLY." She smiled at her healer and stood.
Lily repeated the same actions for Molly as she had for Arthur, but when the light glowed at the tip of her wand, she received more than she had bargained for. Allowing a slight moment of surprise, she finished the spell and then sat down to look at her notes.
"You're not entirely sure what happened, Molly?" She asked
"No… I don't usually have any trouble controlling my spellwork. I got a bit… er… worked up." Molly blushed and risked a quick glance at her husband.
"Understandable, very understandable, in your current condition." Lily looked up from her clipboard to give Molly a knowing smile, to which the patient replied with a confused "My condition? What condition?"
"You're pregnant, Molly." Lily put it bluntly "About three weeks along, I'd say. Congratulations."
Lily watched the happy couple shriek with joy for a several minutes before telling them she had other patients to visit, and must be on her way. She left reluctantly though, and as both Molly and Arthur thanked her over and over she couldn't help but wonder if she and James could share that kind of joy…
James, meanwhile, was having a long-awaited day off. Work had been stressful lately, with Voldemort's attacks becoming a daily occurrence, so he was pleased to be enjoying the finer things in life for a change. He had already downed several Butterbeers, had about an hour flying through the house on his broom, repairing everything he had broken when he finished, and had just decided to go visit Sirius when he remembered Lily's threat earlier that morning. 'I expect you to follow through with your promises, or I'll run away with Sirius'
He knew she had been kidding, but this baby thing was obviously important to her. Maybe if he… hah, that's brilliant. He apparated for Sirius' with a faint 'pop', a plan formulating in his mind the only way a plan could formulate in a Marauder.
A/N: Thanks to my reviewers, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to let me know what you think, and if there's anything I can improve on.