I'M GOING TO SEE HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE TONIGHT!!! I'M SO EXCITED!!! I KNOW THIS IS A SHORT CHAPTER, I JUST NEEDED SOMETHING DISTRACTING TO PASS THE TIME BEFORE I GO SEE THE MOVIE. IT CAME OUT YESTERDAY AND IT'S GONNA BE INSANE, BUT AWESOME!! ENJOY THIS CHAPTER. R&R
James shook his head, sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, settling in for a fight. Lily glared at him, her emerald eyes flashing dangerously.
"Lily, your pregnant, it's dangerous" he said, for the millionth time. He glanced around the room and his friends looked back at him nervously, keeping themselves out of the argument and so out of danger. Getting in Lily's way was never a good idea. She was too stubborn for her own good and knew several hexes that would leave him indisposed for days.
"So is Alice, and you don't see her sitting around doing nothing! You don't see Frank babying her. I can take care of myself and you know it."
"That's her job Lily, and it's not just about you anymore. It''s about keeping the baby safe. There'll always be more work to do, more battles to fight. I'm just asking that you stay out of it until our baby is born. Is that so much to ask?"
If looks could kill he would be long past dead. He let out another exasperated sigh, knowing what her next argument would be.
"This is my job!" she cries, ignoring his feeble question.
"No it's not. And the other's agree with me."
Lily opened her mouth to retaliate, glaring at Moony, Padfoot and Wormtail in turn before returning her attention to him.
"And Dumbledore agrees with me too. You need to keep a low profile,especially while your pregnant. Especially because the death eaters would like nothing more than to torture you and kill you."
End of argument. He ran a hand through his hair. But Lily wasn't giving up. Her lips were set in a thin line. It had been years since she had last looked at him with such hatred, years since she had hated him and he had still spent every spare moment trying to get her to date him. He repressed a smile, knowing full well that it would not help the situation.
"They want to kill you too!"
She just wasn't getting it. She was pregnant with his child and everything was different. Voldemort wouldn't show her mercy because she was pregnant and he couldn't lose them. He just couldn't.
"God Lily! Do you have any idea how it would be for me if I knew you were off somewhere...and in danger, and I didn't know where you were or if you were even still alive... and the baby... and if you actually got killed? Can't you understand that?" he yelled, getting in her face, but Lily didn't even flinch, her hands balled into fists at her sides. Her face was flushed and he could only be relieved that she hadn't pulled her wand on him yet.
"Yes!" she cried, jabbing a finger at his chest, her voice matching his tone. " Yes I do understand James. What do think this is all about? This isn't about being spell happy or battle hungry, this isn't even about the order. What would I do if you were murdered. You expect me to sit here and wait for you when for all I know you've been killed-"
Her voice broke and James felt guilt and anguish pour over him. As usual she was right. He had thought she was angry about being left out of the battle, being useless to the Order but he had been wrong.
He reached out a hand towards her.
"Lily, I-"
She took a step back, out of reach and turned to leave the room.
"Whatever James" she said harshly, and then she was gone. He didn't follow.
He buried his face in his hands, put his head between his knees and took several deep, calming breaths. He was feeling overwhelmed and overworked. Why did he have to deal with this crap?
"Geez mate, were you ever wrong. You're really in for it now." Padfoot's voice sounded as if he was thoroughly enjoying himself, watching someone else getting yelled at.
He turned to his friends. "You know,I'm starting to think I'm an idiot." They all nodded sadly.
****
He found himself back out on the lawn, on the same spot where they had been when Lily had realized she was pregnant, the spot that she normally went when she wanted to be alone, to have a chance to think. It was dark and stars shone down, winking happily overhead in the open sky, but she wasn't there and she wasn't up in the old oak tree behind the house, another spot that she frequented.
He spent a good ten minutes searching in and around the yard and then went back into the house, checking room by room for any sign of his wife. Surely she had just been tired and had gone to bed early. He paused as he reached his bedroom, bracing himself for Lily's temper and the apology that he owed her. He opened the door and entered the room, fumbling in the pitch dark so as not to wake her.
His knee hit the bed frame, hard, and he couldn't help but curse loudly, holding his leg and sinking onto the mattress, clenching his teeth until the pain subsided. Then he noticed that there had been no response to his reaction. He waved his wand and the lamp on the bedside table lit up the small room.
No Lily.
He burst back through the kitchen door a minute later, making several people jump and slosh soup down their fronts. They muttered angrily as they mopped themselves up, looking tense as they took him in.
"She's gone. Lily's gone!"
Minerva let out a cry of disbelief, expressing James' own feelings. The other's jumped to their feet, prepared for anything, search or battle.
He could feel the denial pressing in on him. He knew that if anything happened to her it would be his fault. She was upset with him and she had left, with no protection and nowhere safe to go. She had put herself and their baby in danger because of a stupid fight. He was far too young to deal with these issues.
James sunk into a chair at the table and buried his face in his hands again.
