Chapter 44: Bittersweet

James smiled as he leaned against the door frame and watched Lily hang decorations on the Christmas tree. She was beautiful, even if she was a hormonal mess most of the time. Lily's stomach was still pretty flat; James couldn't wait until it go bigger. She would be so cute. The box in his pocket felt like it weighed a ton all of the sudden. He had been meaning to ask Lily for some time now, but couldn't quite bring himself to do it. What if she said no?

Suddenly, she span around to face him. "Why are you staring at me?"

"No reason," he answered, losing his train of thought.

"Right," Lily watched him with narrowed eyes. There were the hormones again.

"Want some help with that?"

Lily sighed. "Sure."

They had moved back into their house at Godric's Hollow. After casting a few charms, they were free to live in peace until the baby came. James had taken off work from the Order and Lily had quit her Healer job. It was nice living peacefully even if it was only for a little while.

"Have you thought of any names?" James asked as he put one of the ornaments on the tree. Lily shook her head.

"James, I'm only six weeks along," Lily sighed. "We've got a long way to go before we even start thinking about names."

"I just wondered," James replied. "It never hurt to be prepared."

Lily snorted. "Since when are you prepared?"

"Since you told me you were pregnant," James shot back. "We have to be with a little Potter in there."

"Oh Merlin, I hope it doesn't turn out like you and Sirius," Lily muttered darkly.

James smirked. "Why? I'd like a little Marauder running around."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't. I have an idea about you as a little boy running around and causing trouble and if this child is like that, I will murder you."

"But I didn't do anything," James said innocently.

"Excuse me? You put it there!"

"First, our child is not an it. Second, I did not hear you complaining when I put it there," James smirked before changing his voice to what he thought sounded like hers. "Oh, James. . .yes-"

"Is it safe?" Sirius called from the doorway. "It doesn't sound like it from here."

"Can't you two stop shagging for five seconds?" Karen shouted.

Lily rolled her eyes. "We aren't shagging, thank you very much!"

"Then what was that noise?" Sirius asked as he entered the room.

"James trying to imitate me," Lily rolled her eyes at James before turning back to the tree.

Sirius nodded before reaching for a cookie that was laying on the table. Immediately Lily turned around and slapped his hand. Pulling it away quickly, Sirius glared at her.

"What was that for?" Sirius questioned.

"Those are for later," Lily told him. "I don't want you to eat them all before Remus, Dorcas, and Peter get here."

"Yeah, Sirius," Karen teased. "You have to have some manners when we're at someone else's house."

This earned a glare from Sirius, but he said nothing more.

"You wanna help?" Lily asked as she put another ornament on the tree.

"Why not? You didn't let me have a cookie so I don't have anything better to do," Sirius said.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You'll get over it."

"Get over what?" Peter asked as he walked into the living room.

"I didn't let Sirius have a cookie," Lily answered rolling her eyes.

"She won't let me have one either if that makes you feel better, Padfoot," James said.

"Oh, are you making Mummy mad so she won't let James and Sirius have a cookie?" Karen cooed bending down to talk to Lily's stomach.

"Karen, don't talk to my stomach," Lily told her. "It can't hear you yet anyways."

"Hey, I'm going to be her favorite aunt so I have to talk to talk to her," Karen replied.

"Who says you're going to be her favorite?" Dorcas asked from the doorway.

"There's no proof that it won't be a boy," Sirius quipped. "There's still a chance it will be a little Marauder."

"Yes, because that's what we all need right now," Remus muttered. "Another of you and James."

"How do you he won't be like Lily?" Dorcas questioned.

Lily smiled. "Thank you, Dorcas. Finally someone who thinks that I might rub off on this child."

"Oh, I said might," Dorcas corrected herself. "It will most likely be like James."

Lily glared at her before turning back to the tree. After an hour or so of laughing, talking, and decorating the tree, an owl pecked on the window. Lily sighed and went to get it. After reading over it twice, she squealed.

"What?" Dorcas asked coming to her side quickly.

"Alice is pregnant too!" Lily screeched. "Isn't that great?"

"It would be great if you wouldn't do that again," James muttered. "I don't think I can hear."

Lily glared at him before turning back to the letter. "She says 'hi', by the way, Mr. I Can't Hear. Oh, I can have someone who understands to talk to."

"Hey!" James, Karen, and Dorcas protested.

"What? None of you have a person growing inside you last time I checked," Lily replied. "Oh this is wonderful! Well, you know besides the war and everything."

"Indeed it is, Miss Evans," a voice spoke from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Dumbledore standing there. "I hope I'm not intruding on anything, but I must speak with Lily and James right away."

"Professor, of course not," Lily answered before anyone else had time to recover. "Would you like a cookie?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "No thank you, Lily. Please, it's Albus now. You're an adult now."

Lily smiled. "What was it you wanted to talk to us about?"

"Perhaps you would prefer a more private setting?" the old man suggested.

"If you think that would be best," Lily nodded and James stood up. They walked up the stairs and into their bedroom. Dumbledore sighed as soon as they were alone. He never looked so old to James before. Something must have gone wrong.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," Dumbledore told them gravely. "There was a Prophecy made a few days ago. It, unfortunately, involves the child of the people who evaded Voldemort three times."

"What?" James asked nearly stunned into silence.

"I want to hear it," Lily said before Dumbledore could answer.

"I thought you might," he sighed. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ... You must be careful from here on out. The Dark Lord knows of the Prophecy. I suggest you use the Fidelius Charm. There is, however, another child."

This caught James' attention. "Who?"

"Alice and Frank Longbottom's child," Dumbledore said quietly.

"But if it's not a boy and not born in July then we'll be fine then won't we?" Lily asked.

"If it's not a boy then you will be fine," Dumbledore assured them. "If it's not born in July, you certainly will be fine."

"Have you told Frank and Alice?" James asked.

"I'm on my way to their house after this so I should be going."

James nodded as the Professor stood and left the room. As soon as he was gone, Lily burst into tears. Immediately James wrapped his arms around her.

"It's going to be ok, Lily, I promise," James tried to comfort her. "I'll protect you both."

"This can't be happening, James," Lily sobbed. "It's not supposed to happen to us. It can't."

"Love, it's going to be ok," James whispered. "I promise. I'll make sure of it."

James don't know what made him do it, but he pulled the ring box out of his pocket. After pulling away from Lily enough so he could see her face, he opened it.

"Marry me?" James asked.

Lily stared at him for a moment before throwing her arms around his neck and nearly knocking him over. "Oh, James. . . .yes. Of course!"

James smiled while stroking her hair. "I love you, Lily, and I will always, always protect you and keep you safe."

Lily nodded and sniffed. "I know."

"You want me to get rid of everyone?" James asked.

"No, no, I'll be fine," Lily managed a watery smile. "Let's go."

After cleaning her face a bit, Lily walked down the stairs holding James' hand. When the reached the living room, Dorcas nearly knocked Lily over. James moved away from them slowly.

"Dumbledore told us," Remus looked pained as he said this. Sirius raised his eyebrows in a questioning way. Peter looked at him sadly.

"I don't want to talk about it," James sighed as he sat down. "I asked Lily to marry me."

"You what?" Remus stared at him shocked.

"Yep, just now actually," James replied.

"Congratulations, mate," Sirius sat down next to him with a plop.

James nodded. "Thanks."

The rest of the night passed in blur for James. He sighed as Lily curled up next to him in bed. How was he supposed to raise a child with a war going on? It wasn't the first time he wondered this. It was one thing for Voldemort to be after him, it was quite another for him to be after his unborn child. So James vowed that night, even if was the last thing he did, he would make sure that Lily and the baby were safe.