James Potter (ex_stagknigh452) wrote in thebreach, @ 2010-07-31 13:13:00 |
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“So are you planning to have the ‘babies have a soft spot don’t touch it’ lecture with them before or after he or she’s born?” Lily asked her husband as she dished out the leftover pasta from the night previous. It was one of Lily’s better dishes and she’d added chicken and some of her own spices to the sauce like Ted had shown her this time. The pair of Potters had just finished adding a few more things to the baby’s room and had decided to take a break for lunch - now Lily was very curious about James’s declaration that they needed to have a Talk with Sirius, Remus, and Peter about baby care Do’s and Don’ts. Flicking her wrist she set the plates to warm the leftovers up there on the counter as she waddled through their kitchen toward the pantry with drinking glasses. “Before I think,” James said. “Since Sirius will probably hold Elvy for the first time and wonder what the dent in the top of its head is, and push on it,” he said, making a face. “It really shouldn’t be so hard to keep something alive,” he added, whirling past her to take the glasses in hand and fill them himself. “You need to sit down, love, you’re over doing it again. It can’t be easy working up a sweat walking between the fridge and the kitchen table.” Sighing, Lily smiled but shook her head. “Well, no, but it’s not that far, and the cooling charms are doing their jobs,” she replied, even though she was in a sleeveless maternity blouse and a pair of boxer shorts to combat the heat. When it was just the two of them in the house, she gave up fashion for comfort in every way she could. He didn’t seem to mind though. “But fine, I...” Lily slowed, having gone to pick up the dishes of pasta before feeling a heavy tightening in her back and she bent forward, clutching the edge of the counter and letting out a loud, pained groan. “What’s wrong?” James asked immediately, rushing to her side. “Lils?” He put his hand on her arm and squeezed lightly. “Is that baby related or cramp related or giving me a heart attack just for the hell of it related?” he inquired, watching her with a worried expression because he wasn’t quite sure what to do until he knew exactly what was wrong. Lily took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as the pain began to move from her back to front and she squeezed her eyes shut as she realised this contraction was worse than the others - a lot worse. And it was still going and oh god this one was real. She reached out to use James for balance as she tried to keep herself breathing. “Contraction,” she managed, trying desperately to remember all the breathing techniques and bits of advice she learned from their Healer but it was suddenly escaping her because this hurt so much more than the ones before it. Her bright green eyes locked with James’s gaze and she looked at him pleadingly. “James...” “Just breathe sweetheart and I’m sure that sounds peachy coming from me without the pain and all but breathe through it and we’ll put you in a chair and owl the healer and the baby is coming and won’t that be amazing?” he asked. He leaned against her to steady her and stayed closed until the pain seemed to ease up. “Let’s get you into the living room, yeah?” he asked. “And tell Elvendork to try and not hurt so much.” Lily nodded, brows unfurrowing slightly now that the contraction had mostly passed, but she still felt wobbly and ached, so she held onto James tightly as they slowly made their way through the kitchen and into the living room. “That one was real,” she told him, even though he seemed to get that impression already. When they got to the living room, Lily carefully sat down on the sofa, swallowing and consciously making herself breath regularly. Her eyes widened now and she looked up at him. “The baby is...” She placed a hand on her swollen belly and inhaled, then exhaled once more. “Call the healer,” she told him once she had shifted to a slightly more comfortable position where she felt she could handle James leaving her side for a moment. This was it. Oh god, this was too soon! Wasn’t it? She was supposed to have another week! “If that’s the first big one the next one should be a few minutes away,” James reassured her. “And I’ll be right back. Just-- don’t go anywhere.” As if she would or could. James was trying to sound calm but as soon as he was out of the room he was instantly ten times as stressed as he called for the healer and grabbed Lils a glass of water to sip and tried to remember everything it had said in the book, but he realized now that there really hadn’t been that much to do except wait. He took the water back into Lily, forcing himself to walk slow enough that he wasn’t sloshing around. “You want me to owl for mum and Mary yet?” he asked. He’d journal to the guys in a minute. After the next contraction maybe. Lily had closed her eyes while James went into the next room to floo their Healer, trying to keep herself calm. Without as much of the pain, it was easier, but she still felt a rush of anxiety. She was a Gryffindor, a bit reckless, and brave, and would step onto the front lines of battling Voldemort in a heartbeat.... and this was probably the scariest thing she’d ever experienced. In the moment alone, she wished her mother and father were there. It wasn’t the first time she had, but suddenly it made her want to cry, but she couldn’t think about that, she knew that it would still be hours before she actually gave birth, according to the books and that thought made her groan all over again. James presence beside her had her opening her eyes once more and she took the water from him gratefully, shakily guiding the glass to her lips and taking a sip before handing it back lest she drop it with another oncoming contraction. “Um... it’s still going to be awhile, right? Of sitting and... waiting...” Lily brought a hand up to rub her forehead. “Why can’t I remember anything?” she asked, frustrated with herself and emotions like a roller coaster. She took another breath and reached for James’s hand. In the back of her mind she was vaguely aware how frazzled he was himself, but frankly, he wasn’t having to give birth, so her sympathy only went so far. “Is your mum going to fret the whole time?” she asked. She didn’t want that. But there was no denying how much Lily wanted her own mother there, and Mrs. Potter was as close as she got, especially having lived with her for the six months following their leave of Hogwarts. ”Mum?” James asked. “No. She’s birthed loads of babies or at least been around when it’s been happening. Cool as a cucumber, that one. At least in situations like this,” he said. “And it’ll be good to have her around in case I pass out,” he teased. He didn’t plan on it but the books all said that fathers were the ones who usually ended up out cold by the end of the birth. Lily had taken his hand and he gave her a light squeeze. “Don’t be too scared, Lils,” he said. “I know it hurts but the midwife can give you something to help with that and then it’s going to be rough but then Elvy is going to be here. Rebecca or Harry,” he said. “We’ll know. And we’ll put Elvy in one of those little outfits we bought and introduce the baby to our friends and count its fingers and its toes. Just think about that. You’ve been making fingers and toes for nine months and now you’re going to see them!” The redhead shot James a Don’t you dare look when he mentioned passing out, but then went back to trying to breath normally and her expression softened as he reassured her. He even managed to get her to smile a bit, and Lily nodded nervously. Especially at the idea of knowing whether or not it would be a boy or girl, finally. Nodding one more time, Lily looked over to her husband. “Okay. Call your mum. My mum would fret I think... she was a fretter,” she told him, though the thought made her smile a bit more rather than frown. “And the boys.” She was going to have awhile, a painful while to wait, and there was no one better than her boys to distract her and make the time fly... well, as best as it could in this situation. She was about to say something else when the next contraction began to wash over her and her grip on James’s hand tightened tenfold. James felt the change in pressure on his hand and he squeezed back, holding her arm with his other hand and reminding her to breathe and attempting not to panic. He could tell she was in pain and he hated that. “I’m so sorry it hurts, sweetheart. If I could hurt instead I would but you’ve got to be the strong one right now. And you’re doing such a good job of it. I’m so proud of you.” He didn’t really have much else to say until her grip on him eased and then he leaned in to kiss her forehead. “You are brilliant. Let me owl mum, write to the guys and Mary and then I’ll be right back,” he said. “Then we’ll get you moved to the guest room and you can try and rest and then-- baby. Not a bad plan for the day, yeah?” Still breathing heavily, Lily looked him a bit helplessly before she couldn’t help but laugh a bit. It was ridiculous, all of it. They were going to have a baby and it would be here soon and James was being as sweet as he could even though this pain was completely unfair. She relaxed slightly when he kissed her forehead, the stuff she read starting to come back to her. The best thing to do when it came to contractions was to distract yourself, right. She could do that. They were in the middle of a war and still managed to have fun. She nodded slowly in response to his question. “James... I love you,” she inhaled and exhaled again. “But why are you Potters always so hell bent on surprises?” she asked him with a weary chuckle, heading tipping back in a bit of exasperation. “What’s the fun in doing what’s expected?” James asked with a smirk. “Now. You rest. I’ll go do all the things I’ve got left to do, and in ten minutes the house is going to be full,” he said, leaning over to give her one more kiss on the forehead. “I love you, Lils,” he said quietly. “And we’re going to be so happy. I solemnly swear.” |