lilies *James Potter*

Chapter 56

James was pissed as he drove Harry to Lily's and more than preferable got Harry into his bed in her flat and his bag giving Lily a dismissive goodbye before leaving in a storm back into his van.

James leaves the parking lot to prevent Lily from seeing him through her third-story window and comes out curious. He drives in silence with his fists white tight on the wheel and an occasional bang on the horn just to blow off steam when the driver in front of him hits the brakes ever so often giving signs of being a new driver on the road. James hardly ever drove the way he was now, with road rage.

Not wanting to go home, he heads to Sirius's flat as Liliena snaps at him.

Before he knew it he was drunk with his fifth bottle of beer half gone in hand as Sirius took a shot of tequila before biting down on a lime. Sirius didn't even bother to ask him what was wrong after a simple statement of an argument with Liliena and needing to stay for a night.

He welcomed James with open arms and alcohol. They were going to celebrate their own last-minute party. A baby-elor as Sirius puts it.

"Here's to your final day of freedom before becoming a father of four! To Fatherhood!" Sirius slurs grabbing his beer and easily clinking his with James's.

The alcohol gave James a pleasantly happy buzz with an unknown movie playing in the background that keeps playing to the next recommended movie which Sirius had forgotten long about. He refused to think of Liliena as the time went by.

A bit past two in the morning, his phone began to ring and he took one glance at it to look at Sirius for help to decide to answer Liliena.

"It's your night, mate. Don't let her pester you and ruin it."

James sends her to voicemail without a second thought. It was his last night before he'd be put on nappy and bottle duty for who knows how long. He sends the second call to voicemail without bothering to check the contact knowing who it was.

He falls asleep on Sirius's couch with his head lolled on his shoulder. He needed the night. A last night for himself before his new home would explode with baby items.

He was woken up by Sirius talking not long after falling asleep as he blinked bleary at his best mate.

"Hello, Moony," Sirius mumbles into the phone with a smile. The smile diminishes fast as the muffled voice is heard on the other end. "Regulus?" Sirius pulls the phone off his ear to check the contact before setting it back to his ear.

A pause. James sits up rubbing his eyes behind his glasses before fixing his frames straight.

"Yeah?" He says in a duh tone. "We're having one of those nights of celebration before he's fully submerged into fatherhood. A baby-elor."

Another pause. "What-?"

Sirius shifts on the couch, his back going straight and he pushes James up to sit up straight shoving his phone into his hands. "Phone's for you."

"Who is it?"

"Everyone I think."

James puts the phone to his ear confused about what Sirius meant by everyone. "What's going on?"

"Oh, fuck, you're both drunk aren't you?" Remus asks through the phone. "Teddy! Wake up. Get up, I'm not joking! I'm not leaving you here alone."

James grins at himself. "Drunk as skunks, Moon-pie."

Quickly James pulls the phone away from his ear. There were too many people on the other end screaming at him which caused his head to spin violently as the front door pounds making Sirius get up from beside James. James clumsily pulls himself up to follow Sirius through his studio flat. He sets the phone back on his ear as he leans on the counter of the small kitchenette. "Come on, Ana, wake up."

His blood runs cold as he miraculously hears Regulus' voice as it is muffled.

"Ana? Is something wrong?" He asks just as the door opens.

The door slams open pushing Siris roughly off his feet making him fall back as a pissed Barty storm through. James is given no time at all as a fist collides with his right eye and the alcohol makes him fall to the ground with ease.

"Barty! It's not the time right now!" Evan hisses at him holding a phone to his chest stepping over Sirius's body with ignorance in his blood rummaging through the kitchen and fridge grabbing two bottles of water and tossing it to Barty as James sits up with his head pounding.

"Get him to drink those. He needs it more than Big Black. I'll take Black to the car in the passenger seat, you get him and make sure he drinks in the back. Come on!"

James picks up the now cracked phone putting it back to his ear.

"Remus, what's the address to this place? I don't have it memorized. I need it now."

"What's going on, Reg? You've been quiet."

"I'm using Ana's phone for the emergency services and I need an address. Hold on, I'll put both phones on speaker."

James doesn't think twice as he downs the first bottle before allowing Barty to drag him to his feet and haul him out the door.