The distribution of this story is for personal use only. Any other form of distribution is prohibited without the consent of the author.

The distribution of this story is for personal use only. Any other form of distribution is prohibited without the consent of the author.

***

The clinking of glasses and laughter can be heard from within a small, comfortable house on the edge of the town of Hogsmeade. Candles hover about the living room, shining onto the street outside.

***

"Really, gents, it's only three years," says a young man with glasses and unruly black hair. He stands behind a red-haired woman with his arms around her waist and his chin on her shoulder.

"Any excuse to have a party, James. Didn't you know?" joked Sirius Black, leaning his elbow on the bar and cocking his head jauntily. Wine splashed out of his glass as he explained.

"Besides, we didn't think you two would get past sixth year," admitted Remus Lupin, shrugging, a smirking grin on his face.

"Yeah, speaking of that, Moony, I owe you five Knuts," added Sirius.

"I've found it!" issued a less resilient voice from another room. Peter Pettigrew came in, carrying a Wizard Wireless.

Remus looked approving "Ah, yes. Now the fun can begin."

"What're you doing?" James Potter asked as the three other men made their way to the back door, where a deck awaited.

Sirius turned and gave Lily Potter a meaningful look, which went unnoticed by her husband. "Tell him," he mouthed to her. She replied with pursed but playful lips and raised, warning eyebrows.

"Maestro, some music, if you would?" Remus bowed out of the room, turning on the Wireless with a jolt from his wand and closing the door behind him.

James stepped away from Lily as though he were being indecent, and acquired a regal air.

"Care to dance, my good lady?" he asked, eyebrows raised teasingly and bowing.

"Only if you don't step on my feet this time, my good man."

The two whipped around the dance floor in an elaborate tango. The Wireless was playing a strict waltz.

"It's about time they got out. I've wanted to be alone with you all night long," James said as if he had been in total agony. They weren't really alone either; the other three were just outside the door, laughing loudly at something Remus had said.

"Oh you poor, poor baby," cooed Lily.

"Oh, yes, it's been ruddy horrible. Just the two of us is the way it should be," he confirmed.

"It's not going to be like that for very long. Just the two of us, I mean," she said, hinting at something.

"I know. It looks like Padfoot's almost done with his third glass. He'll be in for more in a minute." He dipped her deeply, and was looking up, annoyed, through the glass panes of the back door.

"That's not what I meant."

Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot watched as Lily, being dipped tango-style by James, whispered something into his ear.

"Did she tell him?" whispered Remus anxiously.

"You're WHAT?!?" They could hear James' cry through the glass as he dropped Lily the short way the hard floor.

"She told him," said Padfoot, grinning.

"Well, ouch," said Lily from inside. James knelt beside her with his mouth gaped open.

"Sorry. I-," he paused. "W-what is it?"

"The wand spark turned pink, so…"

"So…" he prompted.

" So it's a boy, of course." She watched his response. It wasn't like James to lose his footing, at least not in the metaphorical sense. She was enjoying this immensely. He slid back into a sitting position.

"Wow. A boy."

"Yep."

"Wow. A baby! I don't think I'm ready to be a dad!" James ran one hand through his hair, a bemused smile on his face. He suddenly remembered Lily and embraced her with such vigor that they nearly fell over.

"Ooooh, this is going to be fun. I'm going to teach him to play Quidditch…" said James, kissing the soft skin behind Lily's ear every few words.

"Ooooh," she moaned over-dramatically. "Sweet nothings…"

"And tell him about all the secret passages in Hogwarts…" he whispered.

"Don't. I'm becoming faint," swooned Lily Scarlet O'Hara style, brushing her forehead with the back of her hand.

"And buy him Dungbombs from Zonko's and tell him to put them in McGonogall's office…"

"Ooooh, bad boy," Lily growled, suddenly doing a lively seductress impersonation.

" 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,'" he whispered, brushing his smiling lips against her cheek until their noses touched, making her giggle insanely.

They stopped joking for a second and sat quietly, breathing softly. After a moment Lily broke the silence.

"So… uh… you going to kiss me, or what?" she asked, not taking her face away from his. Her lips brushed his cheek as she said the words.

"Wasn't planning on it, no," stated James in a reasonable tone before a wide grin spread across his face. Their lips locked for a few joyous seconds before loud hooting and guffawing could be heard outside. They both smiled, their mouths still pressed together, and turned slowly to see drunken Marauders making kissy faces at them through the door.

"Do you mind?!?" begged James, pretending to be annoyed. He marched over to the door and pulled the curtain over the glass with a tug. Remus opened the door anyway and popped his head inside.

"So you told him?" asked Remus, grinning.

Lily nodded, and he closed the door behind him, still smiling.

"You told them, before you told me?!?" James asked incredulously. "I knew it. It's not mine, is it?" He pretended to look angry and hurt.

"James," began Lily.

"Whose is it?" he pondered.

"James…"

"Sirius or Remus or… no… not Peter. Dear, good Peter… couldn't be him…"

"James, I'm serious."

"No, you're not. You're Lily."

"James, we're going to have a baby."

"Yes, we are, aren't we." He couldn't help the grin as he pulled Lily to her feet. Alone again, though not quite, James pulled her close to him, and they rocked back and forth to the music, not bothering to move their feet.

"He's going to have to be a very special baby, you know," he informed her matter-of-factly, saying it into her hair as he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"And why is that?" she wanted to know.

"Because he's my son, of course." He paused and stopped rocking, stepping back a bit from his wife, suddenly quiet. "Bloody hell, Lily, it sounds so good to say that. My son," he said again. He slid down to his knees in front of her so that he could rest his ear on her abdomen. "What're we going to name him?" he asked.

She played with the ever-messy hair on the top of his head, running it through her fingers. "I don't know. Sirius suggests Severus just so we could see the look on Snape's face when we say we've named it after him."

James visibly shuddered. "No, it's not worth that."

"Let's see. What sounds right?" mused Lily.

"Certainly not Severus Potter. How about William Potter?"

"George Potter?"

They pondered back and forth, but none of them sounded quite right.

"Gerald Potter?"

"Harold Potter?"

"Harris Potter?"

"Harry Pot"-

Lily didn't even have to finish the name. They both froze, and James turned his head to look up at her.

"That's it. That's perfect. Harry."

"Absolutely," she confirmed. "I don't think I know anyone that thought up their baby's name so fast. He's a prodigy already."

"But of course." He stood up again, kissing her on the forehead.

***

Outside the streets are relatively quiet. Suddenly it sounds as though a door has burst open inside, letting several very noisy people back into the house for refills. We hear the host shout "Bugger!" He wants a few more blessed minutes alone with Lily and little Harry Potter.

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