I almost didn't get this posted because it was my first full week back at school and I've been busy, to say the least. Anyway, enjoy, and make sure to check out the A/N at the end for a hint of next weeks update!
I've popped. I now might as well be wearing a giant sign that says Watch out for the pregnant lady.
I have this little bump on my tummy now that most certainly was not there when I went to sleep last night. Or maybe it was, and I just didn't notice it until today because today is one of the rare days where I can wear jeans to work.
Except that my jeans don't fit!
Usually, we Healers wear these loose pants and tops under our robes, sort of like Muggle nurses, you know? But every now and then they let us wear jeans because those uniforms itch and nobody has been able to figure out a way to stop it. Today just happens to be one of those days.
Right now, James standing in my room staring at me while I stare at the ceiling. I'm lying on my back, my hands still loosely grasping the buttons on my jeans.
You see, he became worried when I didn't come down for brunch (I have yet another strangely timed shift today) and came to check on me.
I didn't come down because I was still trying to button my pants. They refuse to cooperate and it's making me want to cry.
"Lily?" he asks softly. "What's wrong?" I feel the bed sink as he sits down next to me, and his hand gently pushes a piece of hair off my face. Sometimes I hate him for being so sweet.
"My pants," I sniffle. "They don't fit. I'm fat!" I stand up angrily, and get one of the usual dizzy spells. Now I'm so used to them I barely even notice anymore.
"You aren't fat, Lily," he says, smiling slightly. "You're pregnant. And you look beautiful."
Evil bastard. This is all his fault. I will never forgive him.
"No I don't. Stop lying to me, because I know you're lying, because I'm not beautiful, which makes what you just said a lie. I'm fat, I'm sweaty, I'm still throwing up even though the Healer said it would start to go away by now, and I have heartburn." I feel like such a baby, whining, but I think I have the right here.
James is still smiling – does he want me to smack him? – and he pats the bed next to where he is sitting. Reluctantly, I sit next to him, my jeans still not buttoned. He drapes his arm around my shoulders and sort of hugs me, which is also making me want to cry. And it's making me wonder when it became acceptable for him to be so touchy-feely with me. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't change anything between us.
Does it?
"Lily, I'm not lying. You look beautiful, you aren't fat, and you don't seem to be sweaty right now."
"This is your fault," I say into his shoulder. Except that since I'm talking to his shoulder, it sounds more like "Dishishourhalt."
He chuckles, so I guess he understood that mumbo-jumbo, and his hand starts to stroke my arm. It feels really nice and I start to relax into him.
"I'm really not fat?" I look up at him.
He shakes his head, still smiling gently, and we both just kind of stare at each other for a minute. His gaze flickers to my lips, and mine sort of shifts down to his. He has nice lips. We are sitting really close together. I mean, really, really close – my tiny belly is inches away from poking him in the stomach.
Surprisingly, James pulls away, and I ignore the fact that I think I'm disappointed.
"Go to work, Lily. I have to get going too, there's a case I need to follow up on." And then he leaves.
So I put on my stupid itchy uniform and head to St Mungo's. Luke is working the same shift as me today, so we are going to talk about rescheduling our date, and how this whole possible-relationship-thing is going to work with the whole I'm-pregnant-and-live-with-another-guy-thing.
And surprisingly, he approaches me. Judging by the look on his face, however, it isn't going to be the conversation I want to hear.
It isn't. He says he really likes me (like I believe that now) but he doesn't want to get in the middle of whatever complicated mess is going on between James and I (too late dude) and that he hopes we can still be friends (oh yes, you and I are going to be BFFs now).
He is such a chicken. He must not like me that much if he's not willing to stand up to James for me.
And surprisingly, I don't even blame James that much. I know that he's territorial and all, but Luke is just a fraidy-cat.
When James gets home from work…wow…I guess it is his home now but it's weird to think that I'm actually living with James Potter and I don't have a huge problem with it.
Anyway, when James gets home from work, I'll have to give him the joyous news that he no longer has to worry about Luke anymore – he successfully freaked him out.
I go home after an extremely long shift – and since they know about my pregnancy, the Healer I report to has already told me that they will be gradually shortening my shifts until I go on maternity leave for four months – and lay down on the couch, both hands on my bump. The people at work who didn't know I was pregnant before now do, and a lot of them kept staring at me all day. It was creepy. My stomach may not be huge yet, but apparently it's noticeable now.
I'm sort of dozing off when I feel this wonderful pressure on my feet. I open my eyes slowly – it's really bright in my living room – and find James massaging one of my feet, and let me tell you, it is like an orgasm for my toes. And my heel, and the arch, and even my ankle – it is simply mind-blowing.
Luckily, I have my socks on, so I don't have to worry about him being grossed out because I haven't had a pedicure in Merlin knows how long.
As he continues this magnificent treatment, I begin to fall asleep again, completely exhausted and so in heaven right now.
The next thing I know, I'm waking up in my own bed, nice and warm under the comforter and in my comfiest pajamas and –
"JAMES POTTER!"
He peeks his head into my room to find me sitting up with my meanest glare. Pregnancy has like, amplified my evil-glaring-powers, because he actually flinches and attempts to hide behind my door.
"Yes, most beautiful Lily-pad?"
He is just so sweet.
No, Lily, focus.
"Yesterday, when I came home, I laid down on the couch and almost fell asleep. The last thing I remember is you massaging my feet. I never changed into my pajamas. So why am I now wearing pajamas?" He visibly gulped.
"I um…figured that maybe you um…" he rubs the back of his neck. "I thought you might be more comfortable." He says very quickly. "Sorry."
Again, so sweet.
Wait, no, it's also creepy.
"You undressed me when I was completely asleep."
"I also redressed you," he points out.
"Shut up."
Meekly, he obliges.
"I get that your intentions were probably good, but the last time I don't remember you undressing me, I ended up with this!" I point at my stomach.
James sighs and scrubs a hand down his face. "I get your point, but I'm not some kind of crazy…creepy…rapist person, and you know that. All I did was make you more comfortable."
I sigh as well and sit back down on my bed. Smiling slightly, James walks over and grabs my hand, tugging me up and towards my living room. Grudgingly, I follow.
And my jaw drops.
The man has cooked me dinner.
It's a weird dinner, to compensate for my pregnancy cravings and nausea, but still…
I had no idea the guy could cook.
And he cooks well. He made this chicken, and cut it up all pretty (although I don't think he would appreciate it being called that) and there's some vegetables and it's really, really nice. And pretty, don't forget pretty.
There's other food too, and all of it is so yummy. So very, very yummy.
After we finish eating, I feel even fatter and more pregnant, but in a good way this time. We settle ourselves on the couch, and he tugs my feet up into his lap and begins massaging them again. Somehow, it feels even better now than it did earlier.
"How come you never told me you could cook before?" I ask with my eyes closed, but I open one of them so I'm kind of peeking at him. He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes exactly.
"We weren't exactly friends at Hogwarts Lily, don't tell me you've forgotten that."
I'm silent and close my eye again, enjoying the massage.
"Speaking of friends," he says a few minutes later and I open both my eyes to look at him, "we haven't seen much of ours lately, have you noticed?"
I think back to the last time I saw Claudia, when she commented on my boobs, which are still huge. That was at least a month ago, and I haven't seen Sirius since before I knew I was pregnant.
"Yeah," I reply softly, frowning slightly, "I have. We need to do something with them. Maybe you can cook dinner again and we can invite them over? We could do it next week…" I trail off, looking at him uncertainly. He's frowning at my feet, but thankfully he doesn't stop the massage. "Unless you don't want to…"
"No, I think it's a good idea," he said. "I'm just thinking about how much Sirius is going to tease me, because he doesn't know I can cook either."
I smile and lift my feet off his lap, walking over to my small desk where I have some parchment and a quill. Quickly, I write two letters, one to Sirius and one to Claudia, inviting them both to dinner next week. I don't have an owl, but James does – something else good that came from him moving in with me – and he sends him off with the letters.
"They're more than likely together," I say as we sit back down on the couch and he lifts my feet into his lap again, then tugs me closer so that my feet are on the other side of him and he begins massaging my lower legs, which feels just as amazing as the foot massage did.
James smiles and replies, "I wonder why they don't just get married or move in together or something. They're acting like they did when we were in Hogwarts when they both constantly had to play mind games with each other."
"I think they love each other," I say slowly, "in their own ways, but they both like their independence too much to be married. Maybe living together. But," I add with a smile, "not everyone can be as evolved in their relationships as we are." I pat my tummy and James smiles and reaches over to pat it too.
He returns to massaging my lower legs and I can't resist saying, "You know, if I didn't know any better, I would think you were trying to feel me up."
I can feel his smile – my eyes are closed again – as he replies, "You caught me. I'm trying to cop a feel by slowly massaging my way up your legs and then to your hips, your stomach, your-"
"I get the picture," I say with a laugh. James chuckles as well.
He massages my legs until I fall back asleep. When I wake up the next morning, we're both passed out on the couch in the strangest position. My legs are still in his lap and my head is at the end of the couch. James's feet are on the floor and he is laying partly on his side with his cheek resting on my stomach.
Smiling, I run my fingers lightly through his hair, then freeze.
What did I just do?
Next time:
The dinner with Sirius and Claudia. Lily tells James about Luke. James has a date. And there's a kiss...
Hope that's enough to tide you over until next Saturday! Reviews please!
Oh, and I have a one-shot songfic that I will be reposting soon. I had put it up, but I decided to edit it some more and get it perfect, so it should be reposted in a few days.
Again, REVIEW! PLEASE! REVIEW! You know you want to ;)