#1. Introduction.

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She was pacing back and forth, her fingers toying with the hem of the shirt she wore. She was still dressed in her Muggle clothing from having been out shopping that day. Her red hair fell over her shoulders and framed her face, eyes cast down at the floor. She slipped her hands in her jean pockets, biting lightly down on her lip. She looked up, eyes searching for the clock on the wall. It read 4:53. Any minute now he would be home from his training. Any minute now she would have to tell him.

She didn’t know why she was so frightened to let him know of her condition. In the two years that they’ve been together, he never gave the slightest reason for her to doubt his love or devotion. And, in return, she never faltered in her own feelings toward him. Despite this, there was the nagging thought in the back of her mind that having a child at such a young age would ruin their marriage and relationship. They were both only nineteen; she would be twenty in a couple of months. They had only been married for a little over a year. She worried that he wouldn’t be ready for a child. She worried that she wouldn’t be ready.

“Lily! It was brilliant, today. I wish you could have been there.” He set his wand down on the counter, walking over to her with a smile on his face. “Are you feeling any better?” He kissed her forehead in greeting, though the content smile faded from his features when he looked at her. “You’re really pale, Lily.” He frowned, eyebrows drawn together and creating a crease.

She looked up at him, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I – no, no. I’m fine.”

He sat down onto the arm chair, pulling her onto his lap. The frown remained on his face as he tucked lose strands of hair behind her ear. “You don’t seem fine.”

“I am,” she insisted.

“Lily,” he said softly. He brushed her cheek with his fingers; she shut her eyes against the touch. “I think we’re a little past the stage where you feel you have to hide things from me.”

She opened her eyes and looked at him, eyebrows slightly furrowed. “We are. I … I’m not hiding anything from you, James.”

“You’re not telling me everything, either.” He returned her look, their eyes meeting. She looked away.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Lily said quietly. She was toying with the hem of her shirt again, more for something to do than anything else.

James continued to look at her. He was silent for a moment, during which he gently urged her to look at him, his finger on her chin. “Then what is it, Lily? You’ve got to help me out here.”

It was her turn to be silent. Her stare was intense, green eyes bearing into his hazel ones, searching for answers. “I love you,” she said.

He smiled warmly. “I love you, too, Lily. I always have and I always will. But, I don’t think that’s any secret.”

She laughed lightly. “No, no …” She paused, inhaling and exhaling deeply before saying, “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” At this, James raised an eyebrow. She did not allow him to ask questions, though, for she quickly pressed forward. “Someone you’ll be spending a lot of time with, soon, I hope.” His eyebrow quirked even more, a look of confusion on his face. She took another deep breath and reached for his hand. She placed his palm over her stomach, her own hand (much smaller and far daintier in comparison) resting over his.

“James,” she said quietly. “I’m – we’re going to have a baby.”

He stared for a moment, mouth slightly agape in the shock of her announcement. In a split second, though, a grin broke out across his face and he pulled her into him in a strong hug.

“A baby! Lily, this is wonderful,” he said, his voice muffled as he planted small kisses on the crown of her head.

A flood of relief washed over her. The fear and anxiety which previously occupied her mind gave way to a warm feeling of pure elation.

“You really think so?” she asked with a smile. He responded with a nod and took her hand in his, their fingers entwined together. “I can’t believe it,” she said wondrously.

“I can,” James affirmed with a smile. “You’re going to be the perfect mother. I just know it.”

She laughed. “You’ll be an alright dad yourself,” she murmured against his lips.

“Just alright?”

Another laugh escaped her lips as she looked up at him, her eyes wide from the excitement of the unknown. Lily shrugged noncommittally, lifting her eyebrows as she did so and making an noise of feigned indifference. Her actions were made in jest, an intention made known as she pressed her lips into his.

“I think you’ll take that back,” he murmured.

“Oh, yeah?” she asked with a grin that widened into a giggle as he started to leave a trail of light caresses along her neck and jaw.

He nodded, leaning his forehead against hers. Their eyes met, hazel staring into green with a softened sort of intensity that could be nothing short of love. She brought her hand up to his face, fingertips brushing along the yet unshaven stubble gracing his jaw-line. She let out a soft sigh, content. He echoed it as his own fingers rested upon her stomach.

“We should name it James,” he said with a lopsided grin that mirrored the one which frequently graced his features in his school-age years. That grin occurred just as often now as it had then. Where it used to cause her an intense urge to pop him or throw something his way, she now found it wholly endearing and was unable to hide a smile when seeing it. She let out a laugh and pulled back from him, looking at him with an amused smile.

“I’d stick out like a sore thumb in a family of Jameses.”

He looked at her, an eyebrow quirked. The grin didn’t falter, causing her own smile to remain contentedly upon her features.

She laughed again, shaking her head. “Imagine that introduction. ‘Hello, my name is Lily Potter. This is my husband, James Potter, and this is my son, James Potter.’ It’s only slightly redundant.”

“People do it all the time.”

“It’s bizarre!” she said. He laughed, pulling her into a hug, his arms wrapped fully around her. “Anyway,” she added with a look that suggested some sort of all-knowingness (a look which mirrored the one often used in her own teenage years). “What if it’s a girl?”

“Jamie. Now, do you know what’s bizarre?” he asked, his voice growing quiet as he murmured into her hair. “The fact that you were afraid to tell me the wonderful news.”

She hesitated in thought, toying with the neck of his robes before propping her chin on his chest to look at him. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be,” he said in the same soft, calming tone as previously executed. “Just promise me that you’ll never feel that hesitation again, alright?”

She nodded. He placed a small kiss on her forehead, giving a reassuring squeeze before saying, “You know, you never did imagine the introduction if the baby is a girl. Lily, James, and Jamie Potter.” The corners of his mouth quirked into another grin.

Lily snorted and pulled back, lightly smacking him on the shoulder. “Not happening!”

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Author’s Notes: Not so sure how I feel about this one. I kind of just wanted to get it done with. I want to do less-cliché things for my themes … So I thought this was something at least vaguely original for the “introduction” theme. Let me know what you think! Review, sil vous plait.