Lily sat at her dining table with a hot mug of tea which Molly had insisted she consume. It trembled in her hands.

"I'm a terrible mother..." she whimpered, staring blankly at the table.

"Oh don't be ridiculous," scolded Molly, rubbing Lily's back. "That vile journalist only made it sound like you were a terrible mother, whereas in reality-"

"Harry hates me!"

"He doesn't hate you, dear, don't be silly. You don't know what he's thinking."

"He's thinking that his parents were out boozing with strangers to celebrate their new baby before telling their other children!"

"Well..."

James and Sirius entered the room: a tawny owl perched on Sirius' wrist and a roll of parchment in James' hand.

"We're going to try and owl Harry again," sighed James, dropping the parchment down opposite Lily. "Only this time, we're going to arrange to meet him."

Lily looked up from her steaming cup of tea with an unamused expression.

"Can't you wait until the next Hogsmeade visit?"

"No, Lily! I won't be able to sleep if I know he and Alice are under the impression that we think that little of them!"

Behind him, Sirius rolled his eyes. "And here I was thinking Remus was the melodramatic sufferer in the group..."

"Padfoot, make yourself useful and get a quill and ink."

"With pleasure, your highness!" Sirius kicked James in the backside as he turned and left.

James was left appraising the scene before him: Molly Weasley sitting beside a teary-eyed Lily, attempting to comfort her. He nearly rolled his eyes.

"I'll leave you two alone..." whispered Molly, grinning understandingly at James and she got up.

"Oh, James, erm... when you write the letter to Harry, could you possibly tell him that if Ron even thinks about leaving his dormitory after hours, he will be eating nothing but gruel for the entirety of Christmas."

With that, she left.

As soon as she was out the room, James sat down in her vacated seat and clasped his wife's hands in his.

"It'll be fine Lily. Padfoot and I will go up there and explain everything and we might even see Alice up there-"

"Do not drag her out into the grounds in the middle of the night like you do with Harry!"

"Fine, fine..."

Lily returned to frowning at her tea. "We're having another baby, James. I'm going to be a mother of three."

"That has been established, yes."

"I thought... I thought we were passed that."

James raised his eyebrows. "We're thirty three, Lily, not ninety. We were just a little eager at the beginning, that's all."

"Don't you think it's unfair on the other two? Is that why they haven't replied?"

James tilted his head. "What d'you mean?"

"Do you think they feel left out?"

"Left out of what, the baby-making?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Forget it. It's stupid," she stood up. "Make sure Harry doesn't get in trouble."

"He won't."

"Give him a big hug from me."

"I will."

"In fact..." Lily reached over the table and grabbed the parchment. "Give him a letter for me."

oOo

Nine cups of tea, four drafts of Lily's letter and five hours later, James and Sirius were in the forbidden forest. It was as dark and foreboding as they'd always remembered. Possibly not as terrifying, having been only eighteen years old the last time they ventured in. That still didn't detract from the magic of it.

"Bloody apparition..." grumbled Sirius, clutching his stomach. "You'd think after this many years, I'd be able to jump from place to place by now. I just feel sick each time."

"That's because you're a wimp, my furry friend," said James jovially, looking around at their surroundings. The forest was surprisingly bright; illuminated by an eerie blue-ish hue.

"Full moon," noted Sirius. "If Tonks didn't know about Remus before, she does now."

"Poor Moony," sighed James. "Though I reckon he did tell her. I bet this is turning out to be one lousy honeymoon night..." the two men shared a chuckle.

"Now: dilemma," began Sirius. "Either we meet Harry as humans, keep hold of our wands and potentially be caught or killed by giant carnivorous beasts, or we meet Harry as a dog and a stag, lose all magic ability and be able to out-run any giant carnivorous beasts that would probably be slightly less interested in smelly animals, though any patrolling humans would be slightly suspicious of a giant stag trotting through a remote forest with a stray irish wolfhound."

James stared Sirius blankly.

"Human or Deer, my friend?"

"You're a prat, Padfoot. I brought the invisibility cloak."

"Ah."

"Indeed. Now stop rambling and get walking."

The two men trudged quietly through the forest, their hands occasionally twitching towards their pockets where their wands were kept.

"Old habits die hard, eh?" James laughed nervously.

"Hmm?"

"Our wands."

"Well if I remember correctly, the last time we were all in this forest, I was on the floor getting my leg snapped in half by a death eater."

"The good old days..."

"Memories, eh?"

"What a childhood."

Though neither of them would admit it, they both felt a surge of relief as the edge of the forest came into sight. The trees broke apart and they were in a grassy clearing, staring up at the castle on the hill. The tiny windows twinkled with candlelight and the full moon made the lake shine silver.

"Blimey..."

"You got that right, Prongs..."

The breeze was pleasant. Slowly, dormitory lights were being extinguished. Owls hooted. Waves lapped against the rocky bay by the lake.

"I'll always miss this place," said Sirius. Of course, James agreed. He didn't verbalise his thoughts. The scene was too peaceful to disturb.

"Here they come," said Sirius lowly. James followed his friend's gaze. Harry and Ron were trudging up the hill in their pyjamas and cloaks, talking quietly to one another.

"How the bloody hell did they do that without some sort of invisibility charm?" asked Sirius.

"Please, I made Harry learn every secret passageway that there is."

When Harry spied his father, his expression darkened. Ron gulped.

"This is going to be grim," commented Sirius.

"I know," James shot his friend a grateful smile.

They made their way towards Harry and Ron.

"Thanks for meeting us, boys," said James loudly as they approached. Harry said nothing until he and Ron were standing ten feet away from him and Sirius.

Harry shrugged. "Ron and I were just saying that we feel like we've snuck out to meet a couple of Slytherins for a duel,"

Judging by Ron's expression, he was not the mediator of that analogy.

"I don't want us to fight, son," said James softly. "I want to explain."

"What is there to explain?" demanded Harry, his glasses glinting in the moonlight as he took a long stride towards his father. "Mum's pregnant and you decided to tell everyone in the wizarding world before telling us. How is that fair?"

James sighed. "Harry, the Daily Prophet are notorious for printing false accounts of events. You know that. Rita Skeeter is a dreadful liar. She's famous for it!"

Harry crossed his arms. "So... Mum's not pregnant then?"

James swallowed nervously. "Yes, she is."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"But we didn't tell anyone!"

"Then how is it that everybody already knows?!"

"It was my fault," said a voice that was not James. He, Harry and Ron turned to look at Sirius, who appeared stiff and solemn as though giving a public announcement of death.

"I guessed that Lily was pregnant because she wasn't drinking. Then we went to the leaky cauldron where I proposed a toast and that's where Rita Skeeter was lurking. I spoke a little too loudly. I'm sorry."

Harry stood eyeing Sirius and James suspiciously for what was a torturously long time.

"Harry?"

It was Ron who'd spoken.

"Come on, mate. Hermione was right. You don't want to fight with your parents."

"Hermione doesn't know what she's talking about," said Harry coldly.

"Harry..." James gave his son a disapproving look before reproaching the conversation. "Please don't drag this out any longer. You're mother's at her wits' end."

James saw it in him: Harry's love for his mother was so great that he almost broke down and begged for forgiveness right there and then, but if Harry had inherited anything from his father, it was stubbornness.

"She wanted to give you a letter," said Sirius pointedly, raising his eyes at James. James took his queue and pulled Lily's letter out of his pocket. He held it out to Harry who practically snatched the thing, ripped it open and read it intensely.

"She's OK?" he asked as he scanned the letter.

"She's fine. She's just worried."

"Worried that I hate her..."

"Pretty much, son."

When his son looked up at him, his teary eyes were so heart-breaking that James did not wait for a break in the barrier before stomping over to him and hugging him tightly. Rather than tense up, Harry threw his arms around his father in return.

"I found it so hard to believe that you and Mum would do that..." Harry mumbled into his Dad's shoulder.

"I know. You'd never think that little of us."

The pair let each other go and adjusted their coats. They senses Ron and Sirius standing awkwardly nearby.

"Your mother's going to need a bit more convincing," said James.

Harry grimaced. "I'll write to her in the morning."

James smiled at his son. "Nothing would make her happier. How's your sister? Is she well?"

"She's in Ravenclaw."

"We know. Is she alright?"

Harry shrugged. "I've barely seen her. She just clings to Elsie or Luna usually."

James and Sirius exchanged an anxious glance. News of their daughters was scarce these days. Unnerving details such as this were as welcomed as they were scary.

"Well... remind her to write more often. And Elsie too."

"Will do."

Content to have reached a conclusion, James looked round at his surroundings once again. True, he did miss the golden days of his youth spent here, but he wouldn't go back. He'd grown up. Hogwarts was not for him anymore.

"I just realised something!" said James suddenly. "Look over there, Padfoot!"

The four men craned to get a glimpse at whatever James was pointing at.

He rolled his eyes. "That tree by the lake. That's where my first kiss with Lily was."

"Very romantic," said Harry dryly.

"It was, until your godfather here came and ruined it!"

Harry and Ron burst out laughing as Sirius held his hands up in defence.

"You always were a cockblocking prat, Padfoot."

"Dad..." groaned Harry while Ron continued to laugh.

"I'm only saying!" laughed James. "It's weird though, isn't it? Right here was where I first kissed your mother, and now... I'm standing here with our teenage son."

Harry glanced over at the tree again. A small smile played at his lips.

"Harry," began James again, curiously. "You are happy about the new baby, aren't you?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I can't say I'm a huge fan of nappies, but I reckon having a brother would be cool."

James smiled. "You want a brother, do you?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not fussed. If it's a girl, I'll be the only boy, ergo I'll be 'the special one'" he grinned.

James rolled his eyes again, but said nothing. He would never be able to convince any of his children that attention did not equal love when it came to being a parent. Hopefully, Harry would understand one day.

"Whether it's a brother or a sister," sighed Harry, "I want it to be ginger."

Beside James, Sirius grinned. "Not a fan of the old Potter crows' feathers, are you?" Sirius lunged forward and caught his godson in a headlock, rubbing Harry's hair while he begged for mercy.

"Put the boy down, Sirius, we've got wives to return to."

Harry and Sirius separated, both laughing and red-faced. Harry's hair looked ridiculous.

"Remember to write to your mother," said James. "And Ron, your mother said to not leave your dorm under any circumstances."

Ron sighed and rolled his eyes. "Brilliant. Thanks, Mum."

"Have a good term, boys!" James called after them as they began to depart. "Hopefully next time we see you, we'll be holding tickets to the Quidditch World Cup!"

In the distance, they saw Ron turn and splutter nonsense, with Harry laughing and looking much more elated than he'd been before.

oOo

A/N: thanks to all who've reviewed thus far. How very kind X