My Favorite Regret

Chapter Two: Beautiful Disaster

Lily took a long drink of water. She felt like she was in a sauna, she knew soon she would have to get another instructor to cover her classes. Lily patted her towel on her brow. "Are you okay Lily?" Lily smiled at her fellow instructor. Annie was a sweet woman who had the most contagious smile known to man. She was a tall brunette with honey brown eyes who liked many of the same things as Lily. On more than one occasion she had gone out with her to go to a movie or even to the book store and cafe for a coffee. Maddy was her best friend, but Annie was a close second. She adored the shy girl who was so very sweet.

"Yeah, I'm just not 100 percent yet." Lily could feel her stomach getting upset.

Annie frowned. "You know I could have covered your class. You shouldn't tax yourself if your still sick."

Lily nodded and pulled her friend to a secluded corner. "Actually its not an illness." She paused. "I'm pregnant." She whispered.

Annie smiled to which Lily had to return. "Wow, really?" At Lily's nod she hugged her. "I didn't even know you were seeing anyone."

Lily bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "I'm not, he uhh, I umm. It was a very brief… thing."

Annie's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Ohh…"Then a thought came to her. "You weren't attacked were you? I don't mean to pry…"

Lily smiled to reassure her. "No, it was an impulsive thing, nothing like that." Suddenly she felt the dampness on her cheeks. She put a hand to her cheek and was surprised to find it was wet.

Annie hugged Lily again. "You'll be just fine. You have Maddy and me to help you. You're one of the bravest people I know, you'll be okay."

Lily nodded and hugged her friend back. "I don't even know why I'm crying." She said when they ended the hug. "I never cry."

Annie put her arm around Lily. "Come, we shall get Maddy, go to your house and have Maddy bring some yummy chocolate dessert. Then find a good movie to watch and just have a girls night. Maybe order some take-out?"

Lily nodded. "Lead on." Lily decided she had the best of friends.

.: Potter Manor :.

Remus and Sirius came in arguing. "You tell him! You're always saying you're his best mate!"

Sirius shook his head. "You found out first, YOU tell him."

James entered the room and lifted an eyebrow. "Tell who what?" He poured himself some juice. He had drank heavily the night before and he needed his juice. Hung over or not he couldn't miss the look they shared. It was a look of panic. "Okay, tell me what?"

Remus pushed Sirius forward. Sirius scowled at Remus. "Lily's preggers." He waited for James to explode.

The color drained from James' face. He forced air into his lung. "You're…you're sure?"

Remus nodded and patted James' shoulder. He hated seeing James suffer. He wanted to blame Lily for causing that pain, but once he got to know her in school, he couldn't. "Sorry mate."

"She's… I… "James sighed and plopped down in his chair. "I'm in so much trouble."

To this Sirius raised his head. "Why would you be in trouble? She's the one up the duff." Remus smacked the back of Sirius' head.

"Watch the hair." He rubbed his head. "Bloody abusive wanker." He grumbled.

James let his head fall forward onto the table. "I had a one night stand with Lily." He admitted to the table top.

Sirius' eyes almost popped out of his head. "And you never told us?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Just because you tell us every detail of your hook-ups doesn't mean Prongs has to."

Sirius smirked. "You know you love hearing them." He looked at James. "Hooking-up with the love of your life is definitely something you should tell your best mates."

James nodded lifting his head from the table. "I know, I was going to." He sighed.

"You didn't use anything?" Remus asked as he sat down at the table.

James shook his head. "A blindfold." He muttered. "It wasn't planned or anything. I didn't even think…"

Sirius snorted. "No kidding. If Monty were still alive he'd tan your hide. There's a reason he taught us how to do the charm wandlessly."

James agreed. "Like I said it wasn't planned."

Remus smiled at thinking of what Mia's reaction would have been. "So what are you going to do?"

James rubbed a hand over is face. "Well I have to tell her, but…"

Remus could read his mind. "But she's going to be livid?"

James nodded. "Yeah."

.: Lily's House :.

Lily was hanging out with Maddy and Annie as they had another girl night. They were gonna need to go on one hell of a diet. Lily laughed as they watched the comedy that Maddy had picked. They sat in the living room with a table full of popcorn, chocolate cake and ice cream bowls. They were waiting for the Chinese to come. Lily insisted she needed real food too. She got up as the door bell rang. "I'll get it." She got up and grabbed Maddy's purse.

Maddy yelled. "Hey, that's my bag!"

Lily smirked. "And we thank you kindly." She smiled as she heard Maddy's grumbling from the next room. She got out enough money to pay for the food and a good tip. The smile faltered as she stared at James. He was soaked from the rain. She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. "Where's your cloak?" She said a quick drying spell.

James shuddered, but it had nothing to do with the cold. "I wasn't thinking when I left the house." Just being in her presence was intoxicating.

Lily nodded. When she saw him leering at her, she suddenly felt naked. "Nice jammies." She was wearing a pair of dark blue shorts and a sky blue tank top. Neither of which left a lot to the imagination. She bit her bottom lip.

"I…" She cleared her throat to get his eyes back on her face. "Considering I saw Remus and Sirius earlier this week, I'm guessing this isn't a coincidence?"

James nodded shuffling his feet. "They told me you were, uh." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Lily sighed. "Pregnant?"

James nodded dropping his hand back to his side. "Yeah. I was wondering if we could have a chat."

Lily could hear how quiet the other room was. "Just a second." She went to the doorway into the living room "Some privacy please?"

"Come on, this is way better than the movie." Maddy grinned putting a piece of popcorn in her mouth. "So I take it that's James." Maddy looked him up and down from the doorway. "You have issues if you said no to that."

Annie looked at him as well. "I have no idea whats going on, but I have to agree with Maddy."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Please?" As they walked back to couch she went back out to the hall. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting company." She walked into the dining room and sat down at the table.

James couldn't help but admire her figure. She was always beautiful, but when he saw her in the club swaying her hips to the music, he couldn't resist. Her figure in school was very slim, but with a few curves. Now she was perfectly rounded. Still on the slim side, but with more curves. He forced his eyes off her body before she could catch him ogling her. He sat down and ran a hand through his hair. He started to talk but he just couldn't get the words out.

Lily lifted a brow. "James?"

Hearing her say his first name was something he treasured after being called Potter for so long. True, Potter was his name too, but he wasn't the only Potter. Hearing James meant him specifically. "It was me." He managed.

Lily was a little confused. "What was you?' James slid a mass of fabric from his pocket across the table. Lily recognized it as her missing knickers from that night. She looked from him to the knickers and back again. "You… you…." She stood up.

James stood and put his hands up. "I was going to tell you…"

Lily's mouth snapped shut, now over the shock. "When?! Its been almost two months? Were you waiting for me to get drunk again? Were you hoping to sleep with me again to make sure you even wanted to bother?!" She grabbed things from the table and started throwing them at him. "GET OUT!"

.: Potter Manor :.

As James walked to his room he couldn't help sneezing for the millionth time. As he put his hand on the knob he sneezed again. "Are you sneezing?" Sirius asked. "And what is in your hair?"

James sneezed loudly. "Its whatever *Sneeze* Lily had on the table. My guess is *Sneeze* salt, pepper, and butter."

Sirius made a face. "I take it you told her then?"

James sneezed. "Can I get the pepper out *Sneeze* before my head explodes?" He went into the bathroom and took a short shower. He was sure Sirius had gotten Remus by now and peeking into the room. 'Yep there he is,' Remus was lounging in a chair. He sighed and went out.

"So Padfoot said you blew it, actually he said she wanted to eat you alive, but I assume there was more to it?" Remus said before handing James a chocolate frog.

James grabbed the frog and sighed. "Well, I told her."

Remus nodded. "And? Did she believe you?"

James nodded. "I had proof." To which SIrius perked up. "I had her knickers from that night."

Sirius sat down. "Does Miss Evans wear thongs? Because I always pictur…" Remus smacked him upside the head. "Tell me why we didn't make him a beater?"

James smiled. "He doesn't like to compete in Quidditch. Just for fun."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Winning is fun!" He composed himself. "So back to Evans' thong, was it…" James smacked him this time. "You both are bloody abusive I tell you." He ran his hands through his hair.

Remus looked at James. "And what did she say after you showed her the knickers?" Sirius rolled his eyes.

James took a deep breath. "She stood up and kept saying you. Then I said I was going to tell you. And then her eyes frosted over and she asked when I was going to tell her, after I'd had another go to make sure it was any good?" He saw them both wince at that one. "Then she threw whatever she could get her hands on at me. Pepper, salt, and butter as we were in the dining room. And yelled at me to get out." SIrius and Remus were silent. "Yeah, I fucked up."

.: Lily's House :.

Lily stared at the spot he just disappeared from. Within seconds her friends came in. Annie helped Lily sit in a chair and Maddy tried to get her attention. "Lils babe, What happened?"

Lily's eyes flickered to Maddy. "He…" She looked up then back at Maddy. "He…"

Maddy nodded. "Yes, James. What about James?"

Lily took a deep breath, "It was James." Maddy was shocked for once.

Annie placed a glass of water in front of Lily. "We're aware that that was James sweetie."

Maddy looked at Lily intently to which Lily placed the scrap of clothing from her hand to the table. Maddy whistled. "Wow." She recognized the missing garment as the one she told Lily to wear that night when she picked out her clothes.

Annie waved a hand between them. "Alright, now you both know, mind cluing me in?"

"Sorry, when I said it was James, I meant the father of my child." Lily explained.

Annie's eyes got big. "You didn't…" She realized Lily didn't know before, and blushed.

"She blushes? Can we keep her?" Maddy made her blush deepen.

Lily took a drink. "Can we focus?"

"You and I need to chat later." Maddy turned to Lily. "So you told him to get out?"

Lily colored this time. "I said that after I asked him when he was going to tell me, after he got me drunk and made sure I was worth the bother."

Maddy made an o shape with her mouth. "I think my wickedness rubbed off on you."

Annie looked at Lily's head. "I can't believe you said that!" When the other two looked at her she shrugged. "Well I can't."

Lily groaned. "Its these damn hormones. I cried yesterday because I saw a puppy all alone inside of a pet store window display. I'm going mental…"

Maddy nodded. "I'll say." Annie slapped Maddy's arm.

"She's not in control is what she's saying. Not that she's crazy." Annie defended.

Lily started crying. "I don't think there's a difference at this point. Do crazy people get a choice? No they just are crazy."

Maddy bit her lip. "Maybe you should call Jacy?" At Lily loud sobbing she sighed. "Or I can call her." Under her breath she added. "Maybe an old priest and a young priest as well."