Last chapter! Woot! /High fives herself/ Sorry it took so long! I'm still a little iffy about it, but gah! I guess I just was too worried about making the birth live up to the whole pregnancy. I also thought this chapter would be longer. Oh well.

Thank you all so much for the "follows", favorites, and reviews. I'm so proud. Hugs! HUGS! /wipes tears/ You guys...

Writing this gave me flashbacks of my nephew's birth. My cousin was in labor from eight at night to three p.m. the next day and had to push for three hours. By the time my little nephew was in the room with us (he'd had some breathing troubles) I had been awake for thirty something hours.

So think before you open your legs girls! Haha.

Fun Fact: Cora's due date was August 14th. The birth date, though, is right between Harry's and Ginny's. Haha. Also, if Harry wasn't premature, he would have been conceived sometime in mid-November. James and Lily were keeping warm in those cold nights. XD Haha. I'm funny. I am!

Disclaimer: Nope. After nine chapters you should know I don't own Harry Potter. After all, J. K. Rowling is a Hufflepuff, and I'm a Slytherin. Mmhmm.

Winning at Everything

Chapter Ten: James and Cora Win at Everything

Month Ten: Thirty-Eight Weeks and Three Days – August 3, 2022 – Day of Birth

When asked later what the labor was like, James just gave a wide eyed look and shrugged. His cousins had all looked at him strangely, but the fathers in the room had nodded in understanding. It was a blur that was burned into his mind, and while that didn't make any sense, even to James, it was the only thing he could think to describe it.

He'd been at the shop when his mother had floo called Uncle George and told him that Cora had been sent to St. Mungo's. Louis and George had stayed behind to contact the rest of the family, while James had gone straight to St. Mungo's and had a small argument with the Welcome Witch. Ginny, Albus, and Lily were in the room with Cora, who was talking quietly to a healer while Ginny put in small comments. James had walked straight to them, and listened to the conversation.

That started the longest five hours of James's life. It seemed every little bit, horrible pains would hit Cora and there was very little James could do except hold her hand until the pain passed. It was nerve wracking and he didn't know how people hadn't gone crazy around him. Cora had it even worse, as she had to deal with the pain.

By the time the baby was really coming it was nine in the evening and there was quite a crowd in the hallway outside of the room. James, his mother, and Trevor, who hadn't been very accepting of his parents' decisions, were in the room with the healers.

James remembered screaming. He remembered encouragements to push and Cora's weak murmurs that she was trying. He remembered excitement and terror in equal amounts.

He remembered that small, strong, wonderful scream of his newborn son.

The Healers were quick and efficient as they cleaned the small baby. It seemed like seconds, or maybe hours, before a short Healer gently laid a wrapped bundle in Cora's weak arms. Jame stared at the small red face that was way too calm for the room around them.

James cried a little. That was okay, though, because Cora and Ginny were crying too, and Trevor was stiff like he was holding back tears.

"We'll tell the family," Ginny said wetly, and dragged Trevor from the room. James didn't pay much attention, eyes glued to the face of his son.

Eyes opened to show dark, dark blue. "His eyes are blue," James commented. His voice did not have a wobble to it. It didn't.

Cora sniffed. "Don't worry. All babies have blue eyes at first. They change later."

"Oh," James said. "He looks like me."

"It's the nose," Cora said. Her voice sounded like she would burst into tears any moment. "He has your hair too."

And he did. The full head of dark hair under a blue cap was messy, just like James's, Albus's, and his father's had always been. "If his eyes change to green, I'm killing Al."

Cora snickered. Her head bent to where she could press a kiss to the baby's forehead. Blue eyes stared at her solemnly. "He looks like a Liam. I was so scared he wouldn't and we'd have to change the name." She sounded like she was crying again.

James reached out a hand and softly, softly, touched the baby's cheek. "We're just great at naming kids." A small soft hand reached up and locked around his index finger in a surprisingly tight grip for such a small hand. "Nice to meet you, Liam," James said in a small voice. There was a lump in his throat, again.

Cora let out a quiet sob. "I love him so much. I didn't know I'd love him this much," she blurted.

"Me too," James whispered. It felt like he had ripped out his heart, and it turned out to be a baby. The baby really was a little piece of him.

About ten minutes later of whispered conversation, James held Liam in his arms, while Cora fell into a deep sleep. James took a minute to feel the baby in his arms and speak quietly to him, before walking out into the hallway.

Instantly, everyone in the hallway crowded around him. Liam was still awake, and was looking around at all the faces above him. James grinned at the people around him. His face felt like it would split from how wide his grin was.

"Everyone, meet Liam Harry Potter," James announced.

There was a shuffle among the people around him. His father had a rather large grin on his face and his eyes looked a little wet. James just grinned back at him, then looked back down at his son. The infant's eyes were once again trained on him like he was the most interesting thing in the world. He'd have to let the kid know that while he was great, he really wasn't that interesting.

"Kind of small for how big Cora's stomach was," Fred said in the silence.

James made a face at his cousin. "Shut up, you're the Godfather." Fred gaped.

"May I hold him?"

James looked to his mother, who was staring down at Liam like he was a daring quidditch play. Despite the fact that handing Liam over was like ripping his heart out, he still carefully passed the baby over to his mother. If there was anyone he would trust with his son, it would be Ginny.

That started a round over everyone holding the little baby at least once. Fred, Louis, and Albus all crowded around James and fired off question after question that left James dazed.

"Did it really hurt as much as Mum always said?" Albus finally asked after the questions came to an end.

James shrugged. "How should I know? I didn't give birth. There was a lot of screaming, though." His eyes kept sliding over to where his father was holding Liam and chatting happily with Grandad Arthur.

There was a quiet, high pitched whine. "Here you go, James," Harry said. "He's had about enough of his Granddads."

It was a relief to finally have his son back in his arms, even if the baby was shifting uneasily with his face in a grimace. James shushed the baby like he had seen Cora do when she had been holding the baby before.

"Why Liam?" Fred asked.

James shrugged. "Cora wouldn't let me name him Thor or Gryffin."

Louis laughed and muttered, "Thank Merlin for that. The poor kid."

"Thor and Gryffin are awesome names," James told him.

"You keep telling yourself that, James," was Louis's response.

Fred pushed Louis's shoulder. "It's because he's a Hufflepuff. They can't appreciate the awesome."

James rolled his eyes. "I'll see you guys. I'm going to see if I can put him down. Everyone's got him all uncomfortable." In all honesty, James was just feeling nervous with everyone hovering around Liam so much. The little baby was shifting a little bit though, eyes clenched shut.

"Yeah, yeah," Fred said with a wave. James just gave him a look and moved back into the silent room where Cora was still sleeping.

After a while people started leaving, saying their goodbyes to Cora, James, and Liam quietly. Soon there was only Ginny and Harry left. Trevor had left to negotiate getting his little brother away from their parents for a little bit.

James had laid Liam beside Cora, who was finally awake and whispering quietly to the baby at her side. James was exhausted, and had transfigured the uncomfortable chair into a lounge chair that he was slowly falling to sleep on.

"Hey James."

James opened his eyes and looked to his father. The older male was crouching beside his chair and had a smile on his face. "Yeah Dad?"

"Your mother's going to stay here while I make sure Lily and Al haven't killed each other and get some sleep," Harry said. There was a smile on his face that hadn't gone away since James had told them Liam's name. It made James smile too.

"That's fine, Dad," James said. "Blood stains are hard to get out of the carpet."

Harry snorted. "Congratulations, son." Then he was out of the room, with the door closing quietly behind him.

James turned to look at Cora and Liam. Cora was gently rubbing her thumb over the hand was was gripping her finger, while Liam slept. She looked up at James with a grin that was only dampened because of her tired state.

James fell asleep with a smile on his face.

The End.