She opened her eyes to the dark room and the flickering, warming blue fire. James' lap had been replaced by a pillow beneath her head and she could see Remus spread out on the ground in front of the fire with a large novel open on the floor. The kitchen door swung open and Sirius came through, examining a chicken leg that he held in his hand.

"You sure sleep a lot" he told her, seeing she was awake. He tore a chunk off the meat with his sharp teeth, looking more like the dog than the human.

"You try having to sit around your stupid house all day when you can't go out or do anything" she retorted. She slid to the ground and stretched out on her back next to Remus who didn't even glance up.

"Never happen" he replied with a grin. "I'd burn the place down."

"Where's James?" she asked him.

"He hasn't been to an order meeting since he was wounded. We offered to keep you company."

Lily laughed. "You mean you offered to babysit because he thinks I can't take care of myself for more than five minutes and I might disappear or something."

"You don't have the best track record." he shrugged.

"Or maybe" Remus said with a resigned sigh, marking his place in the book and closing it regretfully. "He thinks that someone should be with you as your already more than nine months pregnant and could have the kid at any moment." He smiled vaguely.

She shook her head.

"Not to mention that for all we know the death eaters are trying to find and kill you" he added matter of factly, glancing longingly at his book.

"Oh ya" Sirius cut in. "I was supposed to tell you that Alice had her kid last night. It was a boy. They named him Neville, and don't ask me why. Horrid name, Neville Longbottom..." But she was no longer listening.

Lily felt the blood drain from her face. She didn't know whether to be happy about the news or sad for her friends. Remus caught her expression.

"Ya, There's a pretty good chance that the prophecy is talking about their kid." He glanced at his watch. "Unless you have yours in the next twenty four hours or so." His own expression was worried as he considered the idea.

"Poor Alice and Frank."

His face clouded. "Ya."

"I think I'll go to bed now" she told them, wanting to be alone. Sirius jumped to his feet and hauled her to her's.

"Are you sure your alright?"

She offered them both a forced smile and a brave nod. "Ya, just tired."

"We'll be here."

****

She didn't know what woke her. Lily opened her eyes once again and reached out instinctively, her hand falling through the air and clutching at empty sheets and pillow. She dragged herself from the bed to the window where the sun was just rising over the horizon and then to the washroom where she washed quickly and pulled on one of James' shirts and a pair of boxers, the clothing fitting comfortably over her swollen frame.

Her reflection in the mirror showed her chubby cheeks, with the old scar above her eyebrow and dark rings under her eyes despite how much sleep she had been getting. Maybe it was the worry that did it.

Alice and Frank. How would they be feeling? Mixed between their love for their newborn son and the horrors that his future would hold? Or had they put it from their minds for sanity's sake?

She left the bathroom and reentered the bedroom, stumbling slightly, tripping over her own feet and bashing her knee against the frame of the bed. She cried out, but not due to the pain in her leg. It was something much higher that did it, the contraction rocking her body. Had her water burst when she had been in the bath? she wondered. Or had an earlier contraction been what had awoken her?

But other questions were far worse. What did it mean? Would her baby be born as the seventh month died? Would her child have to kill or be killed?

She stumbled into the hallway and towards the stairs, dazed and disoriented.

"James!" she called as she reached the top step and sunk down onto it, but there was no answer. "James!"

She buried her head between her knees, her hands over her face. It couldn't be happening. She had read everything she could get her hands on and yet she was still unprepared. Her husband wasn't there, it seemed that no one was there at all, and it was all happening too fast. Was magic a factor that she hadn't considered? She remembered what Sirius had said. 'We'll be here.' Right.

"Remus? Sirius?"

Damn it. The second contraction came much quicker than the first, and unexpected. It was definitely happening faster than it should have been, at least for a muggle birth, but it was ridiculous to think that it would be any different. She braced her back against the wall and bit into her lower lip, tasting blood.

"This is stupid" she said out loud to herself as the pain receded once again. Gritting her teeth she reached up, took hold of the railing and dragged herself to a standing position, taking a minute to get her bearings.

The door opened below, flooding the hall with light and Lily with relief.

"James?"

Two figures froze on the threshold, looking up at her. Remus and Sirius.

"Lily?Are you alright?"

Her body answered the question for her. Bending at the waist she resisted the urge to vomit. Sweat beaded her face and body.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs below her and hands took hold of her, comforting her, pulling her back so she wouldn't fall. She had a hold of Sirius' hand and she knew by the intake of breath that she wasn't being gentle. Remus' face swam in front of her.

"Where's James?"

His apologetic look told her that her husband was still away. "We have to get you to the hospital."

She shook her head. "It's too early. We have time." She was begging, desperate for more time, another hour, preferably another day.

"I'm sorry Lily." Remus ran a hand through his hair, reminding her of James. "It's different than it is for muggles. Faster. But I promise that James will be there."

She closed her eyes, her head pounding.

"It's still the seventh month."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Her friends voices were hushed as they discussed a plan of action but she couldn't focus and so let the words flow over her. It wasn't until she felt hands gripping her shoulders that she opened her eyes again.

"Were gonna apparate. I'll help you. Hold my arm" Remus told her.

"What about-"

"Sirius is going to go get him."

He didn't flinch as she took hold of his arm in a death grip. She heard the crack just as the pain shot through her body one more time. And then she was once again looking through the glass window at the ugly mannequin on display in the store window.