Being pregnant isn't all it's cracked up to be, let me tell you. My morning sickness is still out of control – I think I've actually dropped ten pounds – and things I used to love to eat now make me so nauseous just to think about eating.

But James is being pretty awesome about the whole thing. He Floos over a lot, which was annoying at first, but he's figuring out what I can and can't eat and he brings stuff over and stocks my fridge.

Just thinking about this makes me want to cry – he's going to be so awesome at this dad thing, he's already taking such good care of me and the baby and I'm a wreck. I can barely even remember to take my prenatal potions in the morning!

So this time when James comes over, he finds me sobbing on my couch, holding a pint of ice cream.

"Lils?"

Oh yeah, he's given me a nickname now. Is that adorable or what?

I sniff. "Hi."

"What's wrong?" He sits next to me and rubs my back. "Are you okay?"

I nod, and hiccup. "I'm fine. I just can't seem to stop crying."

"Well the Healer said that you would start having stronger mood swings this month, so maybe-"

"What? You think I'm moody?" I shriek, and jump off the couch. "You think I'm some crazy hormonal pregnant lady, is that it?"

"Yes," he says calmly, not even afraid of my outbursts. I guess he has some sort of immunity to them now, after all the times I flipped out on him at school.

"Oh." I sit back down next to him, and he hands me my pint of ice cream and spoon. I guess I tossed them at him when I stood up like a…well, like a crazy hormonal pregnant lady.

"This is your fault," I shoot at him between bites. "You and your friends and your Firewhiskey and your stupid sperm and your evil spawn that is growing inside me. I'm crazy right now because of you."

"Love," he says easily, leaning back and draping his arm over the couch (and around my shoulders), "if you are carrying my…'spawn' I believe you called it, then it can't be evil because it's half you."

That is just so sweet! So of course it sends me sobbing into my ice cream again. I'll ignore the part where he called me love.

A knock sounds at the door to my flat.

"Can you get that?" I ask James hoarsely. "I'm sure I look like hell and your cologne is making me nauseous." I make a dash for the bathroom as James heads towards the door.

Ten minutes later after I've thrown up and waited for my face to not look so red and puffy, I walk into the living room to find James leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and a dark look on his face. Looking across the room, I see Luke standing awkwardly near the door. I'm so shocked, I run to the bathroom to throw up again.

When I come back, I look from James to Luke and back again – several times, actually – waiting for one of them to say something. Luke is looking everywhere but at me or James, and James is glaring at Luke like he would love nothing more than to slowly chop him into a few hundred pieces.

"I'm going to leave," James announces suddenly before walking over to me. "Enjoy your ice cream," he says with half a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? There's actually something I was going to talk to you about today, but considering," he aims an evil look over his shoulder at Luke, "the circumstances of the moment, we can discuss it tomorrow."

"Okay," I reply, "see you then." He leans over and kisses my cheek – which is becoming a regular occurrence – and then Disapparates.

Almost as soon as he leaves, Luke relaxes.

"I think he's going to kill me one day," he says with a hint of laughter.

"It wouldn't surprise me."

Then we're silent. And it's awkward, believe me.

"Do you want to sit?" He shakes his head and just stays by the door. More awkward silence – and it's strange, because he and I used to talk about a lot of crap. "Was there a reason you came over here?"

"Oh, yeah," he says, and a small blush spreads on his cheeks. "Well…I've been thinking about you lately, and I wanted to…umm…see how you and your…baby…are doing. And I was wondering if you maybe wanted to hmmphmphgmm."

"If I wanted to what?"

"If you wanted to maybe go out with me sometime," he mumbles. I can feel my jaw drop.

"Really?" I squeak. He nods. "Yeah, sure! That would be great!" Luke smiles and I can feel butterflies. Oh no wait, that's my morning sickness again. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten that ice cream.

When I come back into the room, Luke is still standing there, albeit more comfortably. We are just sitting down to talk when I hear a pop and Claudia strolls into my living room. She stops short when she sees the two of us, and she arches her eyebrow.

"I guess I'll be going," Luke says reluctantly, standing and helping me up. I get a little woozy, but I simply hold onto Luke's arm for a moment, then I'm fine. "I'll owl you, okay?" I nod, and he kisses me on the cheek before leaving.

"Wow, Lily! Being preggo has made you a player!" She nods approvingly, and I shake my head, laughing.

"No, I'm not a player, Claudia. Luke just came by to see how I was doing, and if I wanted to go out with him sometime." She arches her eyebrow again – she does that so much I can't believe it hasn't gotten stuck yet.

"And what did you say?"

"I said yes, of course." Now both of her eyebrows shoot up to her hairline.

"Did you even think about James, and how this might make him feel? You are kind of knocked up, you know."

I resent that comment. "I resent that, you know." She rolls her eyes – remind me why I'm friends with her again?

"Oh, and by the way," she adds as she's about to step into my fireplace and ditch me, even though I haven't seen her in weeks, "your boobs are enormous. Maybe I should get pregnant – I've always thought I was kind of lacking in that area." She disappears in a rush of green flames, and I'm left standing there staring at my chest. She's right, they are a lot bigger.

And maybe I should warn Sirius. I don't think he wants to be a daddy.

James arrives the next day as I'm gorging myself on pickles and ice cream – don't judge me, pregnancy does weird things to your appetite! I'm still in my pajamas since today is my day off – a tank top two sizes too small, and cut-off sweatpants. Claudia's comment is still floating around in my head and so it seems almost obvious and not subtle at all when James's eyes linger on my chest, which I'm sure looks just huge.

"Hey Lily."

"Hey James." My, aren't we interesting.

"You remember how I said yesterday that there was something I needed to talk to you about?" I nod. "Well, I was thinking about this whole situation that we have going on here, with the baby and everything, and I was thinking…maybe I should move in here with you."

Silence.

Ha. Haha. Before I know it, I've busted out laughing, clutching my sides.

When I finally get myself together – and it takes awhile – James is still standing there, looking affronted. "What is so bloody funny?"

I giggle. "I'm sorry, but apparently pregnancy is making me hallucinate. I could've sworn I heard you say you should move in with me." James looks at me blankly, and the laughter slowly fades from my face.

"I wasn't hallucinating, was I?" He shakes his head. "You're serious." He nods. "WHY?"

"Well," he begins, "you're pregnant, with my kid. And I'm already here a lot. You have a spare bedroom. And I'm afraid that something will happen with the baby and I won't be here. What are you going to do when you're seven or eight months pregnant and can't bend over, let alone defend yourself or anything? I don't like the idea of you living alone, especially not when you're carrying my baby."

Damn. That all makes sense – how are you supposed to argue with that? And since when did James Potter get all logical and stuff? I mean, in school he couldn't even-

"Lily?"

Oh yeah, he's still here. I shake my head slightly and look back at him to find him watching me expectantly.

I plop down onto the couch and he plops next to me, almost instantaneously draping his arm across the back of the couch.

"Well," I say slowly, "you do have some good points." He's smirking, I can practically feel the smugness oozing off him. I don't think before now I've ever said he was good at something, which is kind of a shame because he really is rather smart. But forget you heard me say that, yes?

Anyway…where was I? Oh yes, James Potter saying we should move in together.

And I think it's a good idea. See, this is why you should never get pregnant. It makes you do the craziest shit.

"Lily, if you really don't want me to, I won't. I just want to be around more, for both of you."

"Okay."

Both of our eyes grow wide. "Really?" he asks.

I nod, although I don't know why. I'm going to hazard a guess and say that the spawn of Potter has temporarily taken over my mouth and head. Along with my stomach and brain and pretty much everything.

James smiles – he has a really nice smile, you know? – and pulls me into a hug.

"When do you want me to move in? I don't want to rush you, but I also don't want to give you time to change your mind." He bounces slightly on his toes, and looks at me anxiously.

"How about in a few days? Any longer and I probably will change my mind, and that also gives me time to adjust to the idea." I still can't believe I've agreed to this, and part of me is screaming to regain my sanity – although I've agreed to live with James Potter, thought he has a nice smile, and thought that he's intelligent, so my sanity is pretty much shot.

James Apparates out before I can tell him about my date with Luke, and now I also have to inform Luke that I will be living with my baby daddy.

When the hell did my life get so complicated?

And did I really just use the phrase 'baby daddy'?

Five very short days later and James is all moved into my spare room – surprisingly, he doesn't have very much stuff other than his clothes and some photos.

He knocks on the door to my room – I'm in my attached bathroom getting ready for my date with Luke.

Oh, and neither of them know about my current situation…yet. Because you know me, my life is boring, so I gotta shake it up anyway I can.

"Come in," I call, applying some blush to my cheeks. He walks through my room to my bathroom and leans against the doorframe, watching me.

"What are you doing?"

I bite my lip and try to think of ways to get out of telling him that I have a date. I'm going to hang out with Claudia? No – she has plans with Sirius tonight, and James would know that. I just felt like getting dressed up? But that wouldn't explain why I was leaving.

I hate when the only option is telling the truth.

"I have a date."

Instantly the air thickens and he stands straighter.

"With who?"

I roll my eyes. "Who do you think, James?"

He shakes his head. "No. You aren't going."

I turn to face him, and if looks could kill, I would be raising my child alone in five and a half months. But of course, he just glares right back. "Look, I get that you're pissed right now Lily, but you are not going on a date with that guy. I don't like him, and you're pregnant."

"Who do you think you are, my father or something?" I turn back to the mirror and begin to apply mascara. I can hear him inhale sharply.

"No," he says tightly, and I can practically feel his fists clench, "but I am the father of your child, and I think that gives me some say."

"Not over my love life it doesn't." I brush past him to my room to pick up my purse and then walk to the living room. I'm such a genius that when Luke said he would pick me up, I didn't argue. Like I said, genius.

James doesn't say anything else, but the look on his face as he sits on the couch next to me doesn't bode well.

Luke is a few minutes late, which makes James smirk.

"You kids be safe!" he calls jovially. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and I'll see you when you get back!"

Luke looks confused and I bury my face in my hands. From in front of me I hear, "What?" Luke may be insanely sweet and a really talented Healer, but he's a bit slow on the uptake sometimes. I hope the kids I have with him don't inherit those genes. But I hope they get his looks.

"Oh," James says innocently, "didn't Lily tell you? I've moved in with her so that I can help out with the pregnancy and the baby."

I look up and glare at him again, but his gaze is fixed on Luke's face and I can pick out the signs of delight in his expression. Luke, on the other hand, has paled and is looking at me confusedly. I turn to face James and he smirks back at me.

"I don't think you understand how much I hate you sometimes," I say coldly, and the smirk slides off his face. I turn back to Luke. "Can we go somewhere and talk about this, please?" He nods, and we walk downstairs and then head to the park down the street.

I sit on a bench, and he sits next to me gingerly as if waiting for James to pop out somewhere and hex him into next week. I would think so too, but I saw the look on his face and so I know he's sitting at home wondering if I really hate him.

"I don't know if I can do this Lily," he says softly. "I really like you, and I think you're sweet and beautiful and I would really like to date you, but with Potter…he won't make it easy. It wouldn't be as bad if it was just you, but you're pregnant. I'm just not sure anymore Lily."

I sit there, stunned.

"Well," I reply slowly, "how about we cancel tonight's date and reschedule? I really like you too, and I'm not going to let James Potter get in the way of this. I need to go home and deal with him anyways. Is that okay?"

Luke exhales and slowly nods. I lean forward to kiss him on the cheek, but he turns his head and meets my lips with his.

Now, don't get me wrong, Luke is a great kisser, and I certainly like kissing him. But it's just nice and sweet. There's no sparks, and I've felt sparks before with a guy. Is it bad to want them?

The kiss ends and Luke stands, holding out his hand for me. He helps me up and then walks back to the door of my apartment building with me. He kisses me again and then opens the door for me.

Upstairs I find James sitting at the kitchen table, staring at a half empty glass of what looks like Firewhiskey.

"We need to talk," I say briskly, removing my coat. "This whole living together thing isn't going to work very well if you-"

"Do you really hate me?" he interrupts, still staring at his drink. Surprised, I sit down across from him, watching him curiously. He gulps down the rest of the Firewhiskey and looks up at me. "Answer me honestly, Lily. Do you hate me? Because if you do, then I'm going to move back in with the Marauders. This isn't going to be like school where I pester you incessantly. If you don't want me around, I won't be, except for when something important comes up with the baby."

I take a deep breath, and surprise the both of us by reaching across the table and taking his hand. "I don't hate you, James. I honestly don't. I just don't like when you pull something like you did earlier with Luke. You are living here with me, and you are the father of this child, but that doesn't mean that you have complete control over my life. If I want to date Luke, I will."

"And if I say I'm not okay with it?"

I close my eyes and take another deep breath, withdrawing my hand and ignoring how cold it now feels. "It doesn't matter. I like Luke. Why don't you?"

He stands silently, and walks towards the door to his room, pausing and then walking back to me.

"He's not good enough for you. Nobody is."

James presses a kiss to my temple, then walks to his room and I hear the door shut.

I hate when he does that.

There you go, month three. Reviews, yes? And I'll see you next Saturday with Four!