ENCHANTED ⇒ jegulus

FIFTEEN

After an intense three hours on the quidditch pitch, James decides to visit Diagonally.

He and Lily had reluctantly kept the nursery as it had once been, desperately clinging to what may have once been; the room left baron and isolated, unused and empty. Void of any emotions. James used to sit in it more often, he used to linger within the nursery's doorway and stare at the crib that sat by the bay window. He doesn't do that anymore.

He sighs softly as he enters a shop with many baby items sitting within the shop window sill. Running a hand through his hair, almost nervously, James glances around at the array of baby items.

James' heart bounces in his chest. Regulus may be upset with him if he brings home baby things, however, James knows deep down that Regulus has to be aware that this baby girl is going to need some things of her own.

James gently skims his hand through the rails of little girl's clothing. He softly strokes a lavender colored baby grow and smiles.

"Can I help you with anything, mate?" A man says from behind the counter. He wears a plaid beanie atop his dark hair.

James grins over at him. He feels like the most stereotypical impending dad in the entire world right now. "Um, no...no, I'm alright, thank you," He says. "Just browsing,"

The man nods. "You expecting?"

"Uh, no, no," James utters with a breathless voice. He shakes his head. "My...someone I know is having a baby." He lies. He can't bring himself to say it is a baby he is adopting to be his own that he is shopping for.

The man smiles. "Ah, boy or girl." He inquires.

James smiles in return. "Girl,"

"Lovely," The man responds. "My husband and I are due a girl in July," He practically beams.

James grins. "Congratulations," He says as he returns to fiddling with the tiny lavender baby grow. He moves on to pick up a small, stuffed teddy bear. James smiles down at it.

He ends up with far more than he needs, but far less than this baby girl deserves.

James carries the baby grow to the cashier, the tiny teddy bear, a few bibs, some pacifiers, and; whether Regulus will throw a fit or not, James has purchased a sketchbook album. Just in case Regulus changes his mind about not wanting the baby to have anything of his.

"Merlin, mate." The man laughs. "Are you sure this is just for somebody that you know?" He inquires.

James shrugs simply. "Yes," He insists. He contemplates before eventually just lying. "My friend is having a baby,"

"And he's just a friend then?" The man raises an eyebrow. He holds up the teddy bear. "Because this thing is £60," He laughs. "He'd want to be a best friend for me to pay this much for a bloody teddy bear," He jokes.

James thinks before responding. "No, he's...he's just my mate," He reassures.

The man laughs once more as he packages James' purchases. "Come back to me in awhile and tell me the same thing, eh?" He smirks. "My husband and I used to be just like that. Now we're on baby number three,"

James laughs shyly, a soft sound. "Thank you, congratulations, by the way," He grins.

"Good luck with the baby!" The man calls after him, far too late for James to maintain his lie that his so called friend is having this baby.

When James pops through the floo, Regulus is in the kitchen. He's clad in the sweatpants James is sure he wore the day before and a loosely fitted t-shirt. He's getting bigger now, the curve of his belly no longer equipped to be disguised as second helpings of dinner.