A Dance Through Thyme (Harry Potter)

Heilend

Chapter 42: Healing

Every day that Lily Potter woke up still pregnant was a blessing for her. She still thought of Niamh; in fact, this happened frequently. The thoughts were still quite painful, and the mixture of her grief and pregnancy hormones made her almost inconsolable at times.

The baby was due almost any day. She and James did not know the gender yet. They wanted it to be a surprise, but Lily could not help but think of her continued conversations with her husband about the matter.

“James, I know that I keep saying this baby will be a girl, but what do you really think it will be?” she asked of him one night as they lay on the couch together, listening to the soothing sound of rain drumming on the roof. She was very tired, and wanted to sleep, but she also wanted to stay up a little longer to spend time with James. They would not have much alone time in the near future.

“I’m still stuck in that bet with Moony and Padfoot. I still have to go with girl.”

Lily’s eyes widened when she heard this, and she reached her arm back to give James a playful slap.

“You are not still betting on our baby!” she laughed, although James knew she was deadly serious.

“How else will we choose her godparents?” asked James, also serious.

“We’ll think about that when she’s born…oooh, she…err, he… umm it, is kicking. Feel?”

Lily guided James’ hand across her belly to the point where she could feel the baby’s feet drumming against her side. They had become more painful over the past few weeks as the baby ran out of room in her belly, but she would have happily stayed pregnant forever. It was a wonderful feeling to have your baby growing inside you.

James leaned his head towards her stomach, pressing his lips against where the baby was pounding away against his hand.

“Hello little one. Can you hear us talking about you?” Lily smiled at her husband attempting baby talk. “Yes, that’s right. We can’t wait to meet you. Mummy’s been organising your room for months, and months. We will always keep you safe, because you love you to the moon and the stars times infinity. Maybe we’ll even give you another brother or sister, so you can play together.”

Lily gave a sad smile at this, thinking of her other little baby. Her little baby Niamh, who was no longer with them. She did not know what happened when you died, but she hoped it was something beautiful. Niamh deserved only the best.

James had stopped talking to her belly, and the baby had since settled down as well. His hand was still pressed up against her stomach as he snoozed next to her, and she could feel the warmth of his body against her t-shirt; however a new kind of warmth was now spreading a little lower in her body.

James woke with a start, thoroughly confused.

“Lils, what happened? Why are you so wet?”

Lily’s eyes widened and comprehension flooded her facial features. Her fingers felt down as far as they could reach to find that her trousers were indeed soaked.

“James, I think the baby’s coming,” she said, panting with fear more than any pain.

She had been getting some slight tightness around her stomach, but that had been happening on and off for weeks as her body prepared for labour, so she thought nothing of it.

“James, help me up. I think we need to get to the hospital as soon as possible.”

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP