Agemate: a person of about the same age as another.

June 29, 1980

"I thought you were supposed to be on bed rest."

Lily Potter rolled her eyes as she carefully lowered herself into the folding chair beside a pretty blond woman with an amused smirk and a belly as bulbous as her own.

"For heaven's sake, Alice. Has Sirius gotten to you already? I barely stumbled."

"I heard you fell down a flight of stairs."

"Sirius Black is a notorious liar." Lily said primly, clasping her hands over her bulging stomach.

Alice Longbottom laughed, tossing her head back merrily. "You sound just like you did back in forth year, do you remember? I was Head Girl and how many times did I have to mediate for you and Sirius or James?"

"Too many," Lily said, grinning ruefully.

"At least you only had to deal with them for one year," a new voice chipped in.

"Remus!" Lily cried happily, struggling up to enfold her friend in a hug made difficult by her large belly. "You don't call, you don't write…."

"It's only been a week," Remus reminded her amusedly. "And anyway, I should be the one worrying about you. What's this I hear about you falling off a bridge and Sirius having to rescue you on his motorbike?"

Remus burst out laughing at the completely exasperated expression on Lily's face.

"It was two steps, and I didn't even hit the ground, thank you."

"Thank Sirius by the sound of it," Remus snickered and Lily smacked his arm.

"Never mess with a woman who's eight months pregnant," Alice advised too late, watching Remus rub his shoulder reproachfully.

"Eight months already?" he asked, eyes widening.

"Seven and a half," Lily corrected. "And what do you mean by 'already'? It's been the longest, hottest, most nauseating seven and a half months of my life."

Alice patted Lily's shoulder in a comradely fashion. "Just a few more weeks. Then we'll let the guys take over and go hit a few pubs. Merlin, I can't wait to taste butterbeer again…."

"Leave James in charge of a newborn?" Remus snorted. "I don't suppose you remember all the detentions you handed out that one year you were Head Girl."

"As a matter of fact, I do," Alice said, giving Remus a sly look. "And I seem to remember having to write 'Remus Lupin' on a lot of those slips, too."

Remus shrugged, grinning. "So, speaking of detentions and Headships and dealing with Potters for seven years, which one of your little miracles there do you suppose will be docking points from the other one in fifteen years?"

"Are you kidding? If James has anything to do with it, ours will be driving the prefects up the wall the moment he boards the train," Lily sighed, although she couldn't keep the fondness out of her voice as she rubbed the side of her belly. "Al over there's the lucky one. She has a responsible husband. There's'll probably be a Head Boy or Girl just like them."

"I don't know," Alice said thoughtfully. "You two both got the headship, too. It might be an interesting competition."

"You reckon they'll be in the same house?" Remus wondered, looking from one round stomach to the other.

"I hope so," said Lily. "It would have been nice to already have a best friend in my dormitory when I started school. Of course, if this one decides to be late like his father, he might be a year behind Frank and Alice's son."

"And you think they'll be best friends?" Remus asked.

Both women looked at him as if he'd doubted the existence of unicorns.

"Of course they will be," Alice said confidently.

"Practically family," Lily added earnestly. "This fighting will all be over soon, and we'll all be celebrating our happily-ever-afters together for years to come. You'll see. And the kids'll get bored with us dull old folks and our reminiscing and they'll go off and stir up all kinds of trouble together like you lot used to. Our son'll corrupt Frank and Alice's little one in no time, just like James corrupted you."

"Is that so?" Remus asked, and he forced a smile just like he always did when he thought about the uncertain future waiting for them. He would like to believe it was the one Lily was describing.

"It is so," Lily told him. "It'll be a whole different world for our children. A whole other generation. And these two will be the start of it."

She looked so utterly certain that Remus didn't have to force his next smile.

"Well I pity the teachers that will have to deal with the pair of them then."

A/N: Hey! Two whole updates on the same day! And it's not even a dent. Ah well. Hope you liked it anyway. Let me know, will you? :)