It was 12:00. I was sitting down on Alice and Frank Longbottom's bed waiting for Alice to hurry up and find a shirt that she thought looked good. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the other twenty-five shirt she tried on before, that were now scattered on the floor.
"Okay how about this one?" I looked up to see a small, glowing brunette in front of me. I stared at the shirt she was wearing. It was a dark green baby doll shit, with a crises-cross design in the back.
"Yup that's the one Alice!" I said happily. Alice looked herself over in the mirror.
"Are you sure? You don't think it makes me look like a pumpkin or something?"
"Nope definitely not!" I said smiling. "Hey wait a second!"
Alice turned to look at me, "What is it?"
"That shirt looks familiar," I said suspiciously. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I could have sworn that I had seen it somewhere.
"Oh that's because this is your shirt!" Alice replied cheerfully. "I borrowed it. I hope you don't mind, but I mean its really really cute."
"How long have you had it?" I asked remembering that I had bought it sometime in June and it was already October, and I had only worn it once, to a summer party.
"Since August. Remember at that pool party thingy that Sirius and James had invited everyone to. Well Sirius and James teamed up and forced me in the pool. I didn't have a bathing suit, and so my clothes got all wet. James said that I could go up stairs and borrow some of your clothes.."
"Oh he did, did he?" I said amused.
"You were too drunk anyways to realize that it was yours, but you did comment on it. I swear I have never seen you so drunk in the entire time I have known you."
"Ugh I had the worst hangover the next morning" I said remembering that awful day. "Okay then, well it does look good on you."
Alice laughed. "Yeah Frank thought so to."
"Ewww Alice I have images, lets get out of here, and go do some shopping." I grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the house.
We arrived in Diagon Alley two minutes later. Alice ran to the first clothing store she laid her eyes on.
"So what kind of design are you looking for?" I asked Alice, while flipping threw a rack of shirts.
"I'm not exactly sure, nothing too tight, but nothing too flowy, and I definitely do not want to wear the colors pink, or purple. But you should no that already, seeing as I don't have one shirt in my closet that is either of those colors, except the one that Frank's mom gave me… I hate that shirt."
I laughed out loud. I really couldn't see what was so bad about those too colors, they looked really good on her. Now pink or purple on me? Heck no techno. Ugh I don't even want to think about what it would look like.
"Alice, you don't even look pregnant right now. You should were as many tight shirts as you can while it last," I said. She looked at me with a shocked expression.
"I do look a little pregnant. See?" she said. She pulled up her shirt just enough to expose her flat stomach.
"See that little bulgy thingy right there?" she said pointing to a small bump.
"Oh brother Alice," I said rolling my eyes. At that moment I remembered the one thought that I had been trying to forget. I placed my hands on my own stomach with a sigh.
"What's wrong?" Alice asked.
I shook my head. "Nothing I'm fine."
"So how are you and James? Are you guys still fighting?" she asked as she pulled a dark blue v-neck t-shirt out of a pile.
"No, thank god. He apologized a couple days ago."
"That's good, you know for a second I thought you guys would never get back together. I've never seen James so angry at you."
"Huh…yeah." I replied picking up a cute black top with loose sleeves that gathered up at the ends. "How about this one?"
Alice turned and snatched it out of my hands when she saw it. "I absolutely love it."
"Well one down twenty more to go," I said.
"Ha yeah right," replied Alice. "Frank would kill me if I brought home twenty shirts. He gave me a minimum. Only five shirts."
I made a fake gasp "How dare he?!" I laughed. "That means that you can't get two shirts per store that we go to."
"Yup, I know," Alice replied with a frown. "But I'm going to get 20 shirts anyways."
I looked at her. "What?!"
"Yup, Frank just doesn't understand that when a woman needs clothes she isn't just going to get a couple clothes, she is going to get a lot. Besides I like it when Frank gets mad at me, because he can never stay mad for long."
I watched as Alice paid for clothes after clothes at each store we went to. She must have had 8 shirts, and 3 pairs of pants, 1 pair of shorts (that were really cute) and 2 pairs of shoes when we left to go get something to eat. Frank was going to be so mad. And what was even worse was that we weren't done shopping yet.
It took us at least twenty minutes to fine a store that Alice liked. I swear this pregnancy is making her so picky about food. We ended up eating Chinese food with pizza. I had the pizza, Alice had the Chinese food.
"So what's been new with you Lils," Alice asked after taking a bite of her orange chicken.
"Nothing really. I still think James spend too much time at the ministry, and he still gets annoyed when I mention it. My life right is not the best," I replied with a sigh.
"Maybe you should go to a couple counselor, I hear they work really good."
"Oh god Alice, James and I aren't planning on getting a divorce or something, its just little fights," I said. I looked down at my full plate in front of me. I didn't feel so great, and I wasn't in the mood for pizza anymore. I pushed the plate away, taking a deep breath.
"Okay Lily," Alice started. "Something is going on that your not telling me. You've been acting weird all morning, now spill!"
"I have not been acting weird, and what makes you think I've been hiding something?"
"Lily I've known you for ten years, ever since our first year at Hogwarts, I think I know when something is wrong, or bothering you. Now tell me I want to help, and I hate it when you keep secrets from me."
I looked at Alice with her begging face. I hardly ever keep anything from her. But should I tell her about my suspicions. I mean I don't even know if its for sure. I wouldn't want to get her hopes up, but then if I don't tell her she will feel left out. Ugh!
"Fine," I whispered. "But you can not tell anyone. Not even Frank."
"Okay deal," Alice whispered back, leaning in to hear better. "I promise, cross my heart and hope to not die anytime soon."
"God I can't believe that I'm saying this, but… I think that maybe, its not for sure, but maybe I might be ummm going threw the first symptoms of ummm pregnancy," I finally stated nervously.
I watched as Alice's expression when to confusion, to shock, and then to complete bliss. She was super happy that much you could tell.
She screamed and jumped out of her seat running to me and giving me a hug. About forty people looked over at us giving Alice perplexing stares, before going back to what they were doing.
Alice," I said pulling away. "I told you I'm not sure yet. And remember you can't tell anyone."
"But I can't keep this from Frank for long. Oh! I'm sooo excited, this is going to be great. Our kids can stick together and have little play dates. It will be great!!" She threw her hands up in the air for emphasis.
"For the third time Alice you can't tell no one, and I'm not sure if I'm even pregnant!" I yelled.
"Then what are we waiting for, come on lets go get a pregnancy test!" She grabbed my arm and yanked me away, off towards a drug store.
When we got there Alice rushed to the pregnancy test while I walk slowly behind her, seeing if there was anyone that I knew in the store.
"Okay I got two just for safe measure," Alice said giving me to two test. We walked to the cashier and purchased them.
"Come on Lily lets go back to my house and find out. I'm dying to know," Alice said before apparating with me right behind her.
We arrived at the Longbottom's house only seconds after, but before Alice could pull me towards the bathroom, Frank appeared from the kitchen.
"Hey honey," he said. Walking up to Alice and giving her a long kiss. I hide the bag which held the two fortune telling, life changing sticks, behind my back.
After what seemed like an hour they finally broke apart, and Frank gave me a huge smile.
"Hey Lils," he said before enrapturing me into a big hug. "You were able to restrain my wife from getting ridiculous clothes, right?"
I laughed nervously. I was not very good at being cool when I was hiding something. "Yup," I replied. "Well I better get going, I'll see you guys tomorrow at the meeting then?"
"You sure will," replied Frank, wrapping his arms around Alice.
"I'll talk to you later Alice. Bye," I said before apparating to my house.
I unlocked the door, and rushed up to James and my bedroom. Throwing the bag on the chair beside the closet, I collapsed on the bed. I was exhausted from the shopping. The clock read 6:45pm. I had been gone for more than four hours. Sitting up I found myself staring at the small plastic bag. Getting up, I walked to it, and picked it up taking it to the bathroom.
I locked the doors and set the bag on the counter. I slowly took one of the boxes out of the bag, and opened it. Out came a thin white stick. I turned over the box, reading the directions. All I had to do was pee on this thing and it would show the results, either a plus sign or a negative. It seemed pretty easy. I took out the second one that Alice bought me, and it read the same thing, except if you were pregnant it would show a yellow happy face, and if you weren't it showed a yellow sad face.
I urinated on both of them, then placed them on the counter, and waiting for the results. I took deep breaths trying to calm myself, both of them would at least take five minutes at the most to show. I walked outside the bathroom, and downstairs, into the kitchen to get some water. Once I was done drinking, the phone rang. I picked it up and wasn't surprise to hear the voice of Alice.
"Okay have you found out yet?" she yelled when I picked up.
"Hello to you too Alice," I said smiling.
"Hey, sorry, so do you know if you really are pregnant?" she whispered.
"Nope not yet, I'm just waiting for the results," I whispered back scared. I was most definitely not ready for this.
"I'm so excited, you have to call my right away when you find out okay?" she demanded.
"Yeah okay, I promise," I replied.
"Well I'll talk to you later then, remember to call me," she said.
"I will, bye Alice."
After I hung up I made my way back up the stair to the bathroom. On the counter were two test-
One with a plus sign
One with a smiley face.
"Shit!"