James cracked an eye open and sighed with contentment. He stretched and made his usual early morning squeaky noise. He loved his squeaky noise. He'd been making the same noise every morning for the past twenty years. Sure, Lily complained about it every time he woke up, but James didn't see any reason to change his routine now.
James closed his eye again, and thought about how lucky he was. He had a good job, the Wasps were on a winning streak, he had a refrigerator stocked full of noodles (his favorite food), it was Sunday, and he had the most beautiful, amazing wife ever.
Speaking of Lily... James frowned and open his eyes. He didn't feel as warm as he usually did, and Lily hadn't even complained about his squeaky noise! James popped up and realized Lily was, indeed, gone. She never woke up earlier than he did! Where was Lily? A million scenarios raced through his mind... She left him, that was it. Or... not just left, but she ran off with Sirius! This was possible. Women always seemed to like Sirius, though James couldn't imagine why. A thought struck James then that made his heart jump somewhere in the region of his nose. What if Voldemort had her? Horrified, James leaped up.
He grabbed his wand and skidded out the door. It was a mark of the seriousness of the situation that James didn't even worry about getting his wooly purple socks dirty. He loved those socks. But nothing, not even his beautiful purple socks, could compare with Lily. And James knew he wasn't overreacting. These days, you could wake up and everyone in your family could have been killed while you were sleeping. Ohhh... James gulped.
He was just about to run outside when he heard noises coming from upstairs. James turned around and hurtled up the stairs. He slid down the hall, wand out... and stopped when he saw Lily in the bathroom. Relief coursed through James' body. He ran in the room and gathered Lily up in his arms.
"Lily, Lily... I thought you were dead or gone or... I don't know what, but I thought Voldemort had caught up with us or you were running away with Sirius..."
Silence met his words. James looked down at Lily.
"You aren't planning on running away with Sirius, are you?"
Lily didn't speak, just shook her head.
"Well, that's a relief, but what's the matter with you? You're awfully quiet and... I... oh."
Lily had just thrown up all over James, and just so happened that he wasn't wearing a shirt, so his skin felt rather nasty at the moment, sort of sticky and... chunky. James decided to be diplomatic about the whole situation, though.
"Well, not to worry, love. This has been going around at work, and I can brew up a potion to fix it in a second. If you'd just let me... go, then I could... make..."
Lily was clutching James in an almost painful manner, and as he tried to disentangle himself from her grasp, he realized she was trying to tell him something.
"What was that, Lily? Can't quite hear you."
"I have to... tell you... something." Lily croaked. She looked as if she was about the vomit all over again. James edged away.
"Tell me, then," James insisted. Lily looked too sick to speak. "Come on, you can do it!" James urged her eagerly.
"This isn't how I... wanted you to... find out." Lily rasped. "It's... important."
"Well, now's as good a time as any, love. Why don't you just... oh."
Lily threw up again, but this time James swiftly turned her head so that she vomited in the toilet. He gallantly swept her thick red hair back, but promptly dropped it in her face when he heard her next words.
"James... I'm- pregnant."
James stood alone on the front porch. Lily was sleeping inside, but James couldn't lie down with her. Not just yet. Not when he had just realized that what he had to taken to be a 24 hour virus was actually morning sickness. Not when his heart was this full. Pregnant. Baby. Father. That word seemed so old, and not connected with him. I'm barely out of school, James thought frantically. How am I supposed to take care of a baby?
Lily would be a wonderful mother, of course. James had no doubt of that. But- what if he... messed up? Sirius always said James screwed up anything in life worth having. Of course, Sirius also said that Snape was breeding toads with cucumbers, but still. James had planned on having kids, sure, but... sometime in the future. James squinted up at the sky. The clouds hung heavy with the promise of rain, and the air was so thickly moist it was almost tangible. Hmm. Nice morning. James shivered and sat down. He hugged his knees, something he did when he was nervous. It was one of those routines, those safe, always-there habits... kind of like his early morning squeaky noise.
"Bad day?" wheezed a voice behind him.
James turned and couldn't help grinning at the sight of a pale-faced Lily hobbling along, grasping the rail for support. He opened his arms.
"Come here, love."
Lily smiled and burrowed into his welcoming embrace. She fit perfectly inside his arms. She always had. James felt a pang and touched Lily's stomach. He looked into her deep emerald eyes.
"Your baby... in there?"
Lily smiled and put her hand over his. "Our baby, James."
Then James smiled at her too. Dad, he thought. That's going to be me.
"Hi, Mom," He whispered to Lily.
"Hi, Dad," She whispered back.
They touched their foreheads together and laughed. And, as James felt her hand entwined in his, he felt that everything was right in the world. In his world, at least.
Nox
A/n: You like? My first one. It doesn't seem very good to me, but don't we all say that? Sorry about the unbelievably fluffy ending.
Review, please! I love everyone!