The Request by redhead414

Chapter 31

"Dance with me."

Anya, arms deep in the kitchen sink with suds, looked over her shoulder at James, who had turned on the radio to a slow, melodic song with a beautiful, albeit slightly sad melody. "Right now?" she asked.

James nodded. "Right now."

Scratching the inevitable itch she always got at the end of her nose when washing dishes with a brush of her shoulder, she rinsed and dried off her hands with a nearby towel. With only three months to go in her pregnancy, she was fully embracing the world of elastic band pants, as she was completely unaware that they made these sorts of maternity pants in all styles, though she favored her black maternity leggings, as they were the most comfortable of the bunch. Tugging the sleeves of her ruby red sweater down her arms, she waddled towards him, while doing her best not to appear as if she was in fact waddling, and took the outstretched hands that were waiting for her.

The prominent bump protruding from Anya's stomach only made it slightly awkward, but neither cared. James rested his hands on either side of Anya's bump as she held her hands behind his neck, lacing her fingers together as his forehead leaned down, pressing against hers. The two of them swayed to the music, eyes closed. Anya sighed with a content hum, her nose nuzzling against his. "I wish you didn't have to leave tomorrow."

James sighed. He didn't want to leave tomorrow either. But he made a deal with the Auror office - if he went on this mission, which involved illegal smuggling and mistreatment of endangered magical creatures, he wouldn't be sent on any missions after the baby was born for at least sixteen months. He had no idea how long he would be gone, but he was told by the lead Auror that he didn't see this taking more than a month, due to the information they'd already gathered. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Not possible," she mumbled. "I already miss you and you aren't even gone yet."

"I'm sorry," was the only reply he could think of as he rubbed soothing circles on her belly with his hands.

Anya shook her head slightly. "It's fine. I'd rather you go now than later too." She felt the baby kick, right against James' hand, and smiled a little. "He agrees, too."

"I still say it's a girl," James replied.

She looked up at him and smirked. "I'm telling you - it's a boy."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Mother's intuition," Anya retorted as the baby kicked again, a little harder than last time as she winced slightly.

James rubbed the offending spot as he looked down at his wife's stomach. "Be easy on your Mummy," he instructed his baby.

Laughing, Anya kissed James' cheek as the song ended and a commercial came over the airwaves. "He's probably just unhappy that I've been moving around all day, cleaning and such."

He frowned at his wife as she went back towards the small kitchen, pulling up her sleeves as she walked. "Maybe you should take it easy then," James suggested, walking over to her and gently catching her elbow before she could return to the remaining dishes. His request fell on deaf ears as she went back to the dishes, but he knew this was what she did. Any time he was preparing to go on an auror mission, regardless of the anticipated amount of time he would be gone, she went into a spring cleaning sort of mode, and nothing was left undone. Beds were always made, laundry was always done, and the flat in general was spotless - and none of it was done with a charm. It was funny to everyone how 'Muggle' the two of them had become since graduation, but it was mostly second nature to them. Anya always kept her wand in her purse for emergencies, but James out of habit with his job, kept his on him at all times.