Trials and Tribulations
Summary: Harry Potter knew he was going to get shocked when he visited his parents graves. He knew that'd he'd see family he never met; like grandparents, uncles, and aunts. But one thing he didn't know was that he was going to meet his sister.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I am not making any profit off of this fanfic.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Loo and Furry Little Problem Issues
"You've gone to the bathroom two times this morning."
Lily looked at James and rolled her eyes. "If you had a few pounds sitting on your bladder, you'd need to go too." She sat down on the bed and stared at her feet. They were swollen, but Madame Jacobs had given her a mild pain relieving potion, but it seemed to do nothing with the swelling. James looked at her feet too.
"Maybe you should get that checked."
"I have," Lily said, sighing. She wiggled her toes and then she put her feet on the floor. "Will you get my shoes? Socks too."
James nodded his head and bent over and picked up her shoes and socks. Instead of making her bend to put them on, he slid to the floor and put them on for her. When he was finished she smiled at him gratefully. James smiled back. He leaned his head against her knees and hugged her.
"Prongs is breaking one of the ten commandments. You shall not show public displays of affection."
"Shouldn't you be in prison by now?" Lily asked when James pulled away. "Because what you do-"
"No one's in the room except me and another person, that doesn't count," Sirius said, sticking out his tongue at Lily. Before Lily could retort Remus stomped into the room, anger written across his features. He almost tripped over James, but he managed to catch his balance.
"What's wrong Moony?" James asked, getting to his feet.
"I have a detention for having a pet rabbit on Hogwarts grounds." He sat down on his bed angrily. "A first year told on me--I don't even have a rabbit!"
"Was it your furry little problem that got you in trouble?" James asked. It looked like Remus was about to throw a pillow at James, but Lily intervened, requesting help from someone to pull her off the bed. She had to go to the lavatory. James helped Lily to her feet and she made a mad dash to the bathroom.
After Lily went to the lavatory and came back out, Remus seemed to be cooled off. Lily shivered and put on her school robes. During the last month or so, she had outgrown all her pants and was down to skirts, making her cold and uncomfortable. Quickly tightening her tie she took one look in the mirror and was pleased that she didn't look entirely exploded. She walked out of the boys dormitory, slowly following the Marauders, her mind drifting to the many things that were going on around her. Alice and Frank were happily engaged, which made her think of life outside of Hogwarts. 'What am I going to do with a baby? James is more than likely going to work…But that doesn't quite matter, statistics say that James and I are more than likely not going to be together after the baby.' Lily stopped walking and snorted. 'Statistics can be wrong.' She didn't try to catch up with the Marauders. She just took her time, her hand moving to the small of her back. It hurt a lot, but the pain relieving potions merely dulled the pain. Madame Pomfrey didn't want to give her something that might take away her labor pains.
"Labor pains…" Lily mumbled. She smiled a small smile. 'I'm not going to pregnant forever!' She felt as if her entire pregnancy was never going to end…ever. She knew she had a month or so left and then out comes the baby, and to be honest, she didn't quite mind. Sirius's voice was slowly floating towards her and she looked at him. It seemed like he had been talking to her for several moments.
"Were you listening to me?" Sirius asked. He was standing at the Great Hall doors, holding them open for her.
"No." Lily paused to look at Sirius. Then she smiled and touched his arm before going into the Great Hall. She heard him grumbling about something, but she ignored him. Grinning broadly she sat down next to James at the Gryffindor table.
"What are you grinning about?" James asked, leaning over Lily to grab toast.
"Oh, nothing important," Lily said, shaking her head. She couldn't seem to wipe that smile off her face. James shrugged his shoulders and returned to his breakfast. He only looked up again when Sirius sat down across from him, mumbling something about hormones and pregnant women. James was still confused, but he chose to not take part in the conversation. Peter took part in the conversation but that conversation didn't get very far.
When they finished eating, Lily was the first to stand. Classes started in about fifteen minutes and she wanted to get a head start. She shouldered her bag and waved goodbye to the Marauders before making her way out of the Great Hall. She had double potions and she was almost looking forward to the potions class because usually they had to make potions on double potions days and she was freezing.
She tightened her robe around her middle and shifted her bag. It felt lighter, and she was relieved. Remus had taken her massive Ancient Runes text book and James had her Charms book. Lily walked down the stairs to the dungeons. Her hands were gripping the railing tightly and she took her time. She had always had a fear of falling down those stone steps. She shuddered at the thought.
When her feet were safely on the floor, she breathed a sigh of relief. She knew sometimes she overreacted to some things, but these stairs were not an overreaction. A few minutes had passed and she could hear students behind her coming towards the dungeons. 'Good timing.' She reached the Potions classroom a minute later, and walked in, claiming her regular table at the front. The Marauders always sat behind her, and Alice and Elizabeth would sit on either side of her. She noticed that Slughorn wasn't in the room, which was odd, and that there was not a bubbling potion in a cauldron at the front of the room.
Nearly five minutes later students began milling into the room. The Marauders were one of the first, followed by Alice and Elizabeth. None looked pleased, Double Potions was not a fun two hours.
"Stop looking like you're glad to be here," Alice said, setting her bag down on the table.
"Oh bullocks Alice," Elizabeth said. "Lily's just happy. Her expression doesn't say, 'I love Slughorn.'"
Lily laughed, shaking her head. Alice and Elizabeth sat down and they waited for the classroom to fill up. Slughorn still hadn't appeared by the time the bell rang. Lily could hear some of the students getting rowdy, and she knew that since she was the Head Girl she should control them, but she didn't quite feel like raising her voice or wasting energy on discipline. James was definitely not going to do anything at the moment, he was having an in-depth conversation with Remus about his detention. It was to be with Hagrid that evening.
Finally the door opened to the classroom and everything got quiet. In stepped an older man, wild gray hair sticking up in all directions. He wasn't looking too pleased to be in there, but he was there.
"Silence!" he bellowed to the few students who were still talking. That seemed to quiet everything down. Lily felt goose pimples prickle at her skin. The older man went to the front of the classroom and examined everyone. "I'm Professor McNeil, and I'm substituting for Professor Slughorn. I'll do role call shortly and then you have the rest of the period to do one of two things. Either you can write an essay on a potion of your choice, or you can do book work, both of which are due for your next potions class. Of course everything shall be done silently, which means no noise, not even a bless you for a person who sneezes. Sirius Black?" he called, looking around the room. Sirius raised his hand high in the air. McNeil acknowledged him and went on with the role call.
Lily pulled out her potions book. She could do book work rather quickly, and decided the essay could wait.
xoXoXoXox
Barely a quarter of the class passed before Lily finished her book work. She put down her black quill and blew on her parchment, quickening the drying. 'Why waste charm work when blowing on parchment can make the ink dry faster?' She blew on it a moment longer before setting it aside. She looked at her hands, there were ink stains on them already. She leaned over, pausing to grip her side. Whenever she stretched a sharp pain would go up her side. For a moment she took a deep breath, trying not to catch the attention of anyone around her. That didn't seem to work because she heard James hiss at her. She turned her head to look at him. She read the expression on his face and nodded her head slowly. After another moment she was able to move again, and she reached for her bag, pulling it up. She needed her blue ink to write her essay.
She found her ink bottle in the pouch connected to her bag. She got the ink and set it on the table, grabbing another piece of parchment. She had a potion in mind to use for her essay, but she had no idea as to how to write the essay. It was difficult to write an essay when one didn't know what it was supposed to be based on. Lily raised her hand high in the air to get the attention of the Professor.
With a sigh, Professor McNeil got up from his seat and stood in front of her. "What is it Miss Evans?"
"What is this essay supposed to be about?"
"About a potion, albeit I know it's hard to understand what it's about. I mean, you are in Potions class and you study potions and make potions…"
Lily's eyes flickered. She was taken aback by his sarcasm. "I know it's about potions. That's not hard to understand," Lily's voice hardened, but she was speaking quietly, only loud enough for Alice and Elizabeth to hear. They continued to work on their work, but they weren't writing or reading anything. They were listening to Lily. "It's just, what's the point of the essay? Am I supposed to write about what's in the potion, why it's used? What are the details? I'm sure Professor Slughorn left something behind for you to tell us."
"I've already told you about your assignment." Professor McNeil stood up straight. "Why don't you do your work, or would you like to be written up for insubordination?"
"I wasn't being insubordinate!" Lily hissed. "I was asking a simple question."
"Again, would you like to be written up? If not I suggest that you return to your work." Professor McNeil eyed Lily carefully. Lily glared at him for a moment before returning to her work. She gripped her quill so tightly that it was surely going to break. Alice reached over and loosened the grip on Lily's quill. Lily sighed and looked at her blank parchment. She dipped her quill into her ink and began writing, hoping that her essay would make sense even though she didn't know the intimate details of the topic.
Lily was surprised at how freely she wrote on the potion she chose. She was sure that this essay couldn't get top marks, most of it was information stored away from earlier years at Hogwarts. Polyjuice Potions.
Halfway down her parchment she realized two things. One, she had no idea as to how long her essay was supposed to be. Usually she wrote no more than a sheet of parchment unless it was requested that she write more, and two, she had to use the loo.
The latter obstacle was making it hard to concentrate. She was sure her bladder must have shrunk during the night. Three times in one day, in one morning was more than she had ever gone in her life, other than when she had morning sickness, but that didn't count. She had been sick then.
Lily looked at the clock. There was about thirty six minutes left of class, but she knew she wouldn't be able to wait. Her bladder was at its full capacity. 'I'm going to have to get that checked.' Lily raised her hand again. 'Second question to a jerk of a Professor. He can't deny me the lavatory.'
"What is it Evans?" McNeil called from his desk. He didn't even bother to stand up and come to her desk.
'Dropping the Miss already?' "I have to use the lavatory," Lily said, her voice crisp and clear.
"You can go after class," McNeil said, returning to what he had been doing earlier.
"I can't wait," Lily said, tapping her foot and squeezing her knees together. "I have to go now."
"There's thirty minutes of class left, you can wait."
"I can't when my baby is pushing against my bladder!" Lily nearly shouted. She knew now that she was being insubordinate, but this man was being ridiculous.
"What baby?" McNeil asked, leaning on his elbows to look at Lily. "I see no baby-"
"It's inside of me. Can I use the lavatory?"
"No." McNeil sat back in his seat. "That excuse isn't going to work. I've been a Professor a lot longer than you've been in school. I've heard that excuse too many times to believe it."
"I'm as big as a whale!" Lily said, standing up. "If you can't tell I'm pregnant, than you're blind."
"Where are the Head Students?"
Lily raised her hand, as did James. McNeil ignored Lily. "Will you write her up? I'm quite sure you're familiar with the process."
Lily spun around, her eyes flashing at James. "If you write me up James-"
"I'm not." James stood up. "Sir, you should really allow her to use the lavatory before she gets distressed. Madame Jacobs, her healer, wants to make sure she doesn't get too upset over anything. She's getting closer to her due date-"
"I can't believe this! Is the entire class in on this?" McNeil asked, throwing his hands in the air. Alice scooted closer to her table and Lily walked passed her, going to the door. "If you leave this classroom Evans, disciplinary actions will be taken!" Lily was out of the room before he even finished his sentence.
James quickly began packing his belongings, closing his ink bottle and throwing everything in his bag. He left his wet parchment on the table, asking Remus to take it for him since the ink hadn't dried.
"Where are you going?" McNeil asked when James walked towards the door.
"As Head Boy, and Lily Evans fiancé, I have the responsibility to make sure she gets to the loo without any problems."
James left the classroom, slamming the door behind him. He started running in the direction of the only bathroom in the dungeons, knowing Lily was probably only a little ways to it. He couldn't believe that that Professor hadn't allowed her to go to the lavatory.
'I'm definitely taking this up with McGonagall.'
xoXoXoXox
BB/N: As if Lily doesn't have enough problems in her life!
Thanks for the reviews!
I'm sorry I haven't updated in ages! I had finals last week and yesterday I left my house at 6:30 in the morning for Solo and Ensemble, and then I was with the Pep Band for the boys basketball game. Yesterday was a very long day.
I just realized that fiancé and fiancée are two different things…I've been reading a thesaurus. :)
I don't even know if I've made mistakes with that. I should probably check, but…more than likely I won't fix them on the internet. It takes too long.
I'm a lazy author. LoL
Thanks for the reviews…again!
Love,
Bob Bennit