Lily leaned back from her work in the garden when her ears caught the sound of a metallic bell. Curious to what the sound was she stood up and cleared her gloves away.
Entering the house she removed her shoes at the doorway and entered the living room through the kitchen to find Sirius stretched out on the couch, reading a magazine.
Kitchen& Dining
His free hand was playing with a small multicoloured ball hanging on a string around his neck, making it tingle as it moved.
"What is that?" she asked as she walked to him.
He glanced up at her questioningly before looking down at the necklace when he noticed what she meant.
"I don't know. Dad dropped it off with the groceries, saying the baby would like it. Though If I'm honest I like it very much too."
"May I?"
"Sure," Sirius lifted the string over his head and handed it to her as she sat down on the table to looked at it, moving the multi coloured ball around in her fingers.
"It's pretty isn't it?" Sirius smiled as he looked at it too.
"It is. But I have no idea what it is. It looks to be of Muggle origin. But I can't remember to have ever seen it before."
Discover moreOccupational Health & SafetyBooksNecklacesScience Fiction & Fantasy FilmsFood"Maybe James knows," Lily handed it back to him and Sirius returned it to his neck.
"Where is he anyway?"
"He's cleaning the bathroom. When the baby refused to settle down he surprised me with a bath. But when I wanted to clean up he chased me out, saying to rest while I can."
Bathroom
Lily laughed. "Better not get in his way of taking care of you. And he is right. You have to take advantage of the times the baby is calm."
"I know. But it's frustrating to be unable to do anything. But I compromised. As long as he doesn't try to cook again I'm willing to let him treat me like a fragile doll."
"You could certainly pass for a doll with your features," Lily laughed.
Sirius glanced up at her confused. "My features?"
Lily chuckled at his confusion. "Yeah, do you even know how many girls and boys drooled at you when they saw you in Hogwarts?"
Sirius shrugged as he looked back at his magazine. "Remus told me about the rumours flying around in seventh year. But I don't know why, I'm hardly anything special to look at."
Lily stared at him for a long moment; he couldn't possibly be that naive about his own appearance.
"Hardly...say, who would you say is attractive?" she suddenly asked, curious to what he'd like in a person.
"In? Looks or personality?" Sirius asked without looking up from his magazine.
"Both," Lily decided after a moment, smiling at his indifference to her sudden chance of subject.
"Of our friends?"
"Sure."
Sirius looked at her thoughtfully for a few moments to try and make up his mind.
"I guess...erm...you, Remus and James."
"You find me attractive?" Lily asked surprised.
"Yeah sure. Pretty eyes, brilliant mind and a kind heart. What's not to like? And you have pretty hair too."
Lily looked at him speechless for a moment before she smiled when she realised he was serious.
"Thanks. So you find Remus and James attractive too?" she continued with a tease and Sirius laughed.
"You said of our friends so yeah. Their personalities lure you right in and make you love them."
"What do you like most about James' features?" Lily asked curious.
"His warm eyes and smile. It doesn't matter how sad or upset I am, when he smiles at me I can't help but want to smile, too," he answered her without missing a beat.
Discover moreMagazinesBooks & LiteratureScience Fiction & FantasybathroombookLily nodded, knowing how her husband's smile could affect people. He had a way of pulling people in just by smiling at them.
"And his hair?" she asked.
"Fits him like it fits every Potter. It's a disaster that defies all logic but suits him. He wouldn't be him without it," Sirius smiled softly.
"And what do you like most about Remus?"
"His light green eyes. I absolutely love his eyes, especially when we've got this mischievous idea and his eyes sparkle with amusement as we explain it to him," he paused as he considered his words. "Unless they are sad then I just want to hug him and try to make him feel better so that his eyes sparkle again."
"And the rest of his features?" Lily asked, smiling at his honesty and understanding his point of view. Remus did really have nice eyes, especially when he was smiling.
Not unlike Sirius himself.
She always loved it when his grey eyes sparkled in amusement or joy. Or when he looked at her with this bemused and fond expression that always made her want to grin like an idiot. But when he looked sad, she always wanted to hold him close to her to take that sadness away from him, too.
"Erm...his smile? I don't know. I don't usually pay that much attention to how other people look. Either I like the person or not. Their appearance has very little to do with it."
Lily nodded. She thought about his words for a moment before a small playful smile crossed her lips.
"So you like me?"
"Are you interrogating me?" Sirius laughed, making Lily blush as she realised she was indeed asking a lot of questions.
"Sorry. I'm just curious to what you'd find attractive if you don't think yourself to be anything special. I don't think I've ever seen you date anyone."
"That's because I haven't. I don't know..." Sirius trailed off; looking down at the ball he was playing with before he sighed.
"I've never been interested in dating. I don't like it when people come close unless I want them to and the only ones I am comfortable letting close are you guys. I'm content as I am right now..." he trailed off again as he glanced down at his belly and Lily suppressed a chuckle.
"I'm content to live with Remus in our little apartment and having the two...three of you in my life. That's all I want," he corrected himself.
"And if Remus someday meets someone?" Lily asked softly. She couldn't really blame him for not wanting to let people in, not with where he came from. But she also didn't want him to end up alone. If anyone deserved love it was Sirius.
"I guess I'll take a second cat then to keep me company and talk you into letting Harry stay over now and then."
"Like you need to ask. We could also drag you over here to keep us company," Lily suggested as she moved from the table to sit on the couch beside him, moving his legs over her lap when he attempted to move into a sitting position.
"Am I not too heavy for you?"
"With your twig-like legs? I'm more worried I'll find sharp edges to cut me on," she laughed as Sirius stuck out his tongue at her.
The magazine he had been reading slid from his legs as he shifted but Lily caught it and frowned as she saw what it was.
"Why are you reading a household magazine?"
"It was within easy reach," Sirius admitted as he yawned theatrically.
"Lazy ass," Lily laughed as she swatted at his arm with the magazine, making Sirius laugh again.
He moved his legs from her lap and shifted so that he was curled up against her side and rested his head against her shoulder.
Discover moreGrains & PastaChildren's BooksAuthor toolsCrossover storiesFan fiction books"You truly are just like a big dog aren't you?" she laughed as she wrapped her hand around his as he leaned against her.
"I can't help it that you are just so comfortable," Sirius defended himself as he snuggled closer.
"Who's comfortable?" James greeted them as he entered the living room with three cups of tea.
"Lily is. Say, could you bring that bag with you if you come over here?" Sirius asked and James nodded, placing the three cups on the table before picking the bag up and placing it on Lily's lap so that Sirius didn't have to shift to look into it.
"Thanks."
'Hmm, did dad drop those off?"
"Yeah, he came over to give me the new vitamins with instructions from mum and left two bags with groceries and some books we might like. He said to say hello. Oh and he left this," Sirius held up the necklace.
"I can't believe they still had that," James laughed as he lifted it into his hand without taking if from Sirius' neck.
"What is it?" Lily asked.
"A pregnancy necklace. Pregnant people wear it because the sound it makes is said to settle restless foetuses. My mum wore it when she was pregnant with me and when I was a baby."
"I never knew something like that existed, why would she give such a treasured item to me?" Sirius asked as he looked at the necklace again.
"Probably because you love things like that and you are carrying a baby right now," James smiled as he let it rest against Sirius' chest again before sitting down next to him.
"How's the little guy doing now?"
"He's finally settled again. Though I'm not sure if it is because of this thing or because he's finally decided I'm bruised enough."
"He certainly has strength," James teased and Lily smiled, remembering when she had first seen Sirius' entire abdomen move. She had been amazed to be able to see small feet and fists appear in his belly as the baby moved around. And although she always looked forward to see it happen, she truly felt sorry for Sirius as she could see how much it hurt him at times.
Sirius shot James a mock glare before picking the books out of the bag and looking through them, settling on one and opening it.
Lily and James both picked a book too and they all sipped their teas while reading in comfortable silence for a while before Sirius closed his book and moved from the couch to stretch.
"I'm getting something to eat, does either of you want something?"
"What do you want, I'll make it," Lily offered as she closed her book and stood up too.
"I want spaghetti but you don't have to get up for me."
"Shush, it's my turn to pamper you," Lily grinned as Sirius rolled his eyes with a smile. "What kind of sauce do you want?"
"Cheese. Lots of cheese...but mostly spaghetti."
"Sounds good to me," James followed them to the kitchen, sitting down on a chair beside Sirius as Lily refused to let either help her.
A few minutes passed in which Sirius shifted a few times, unable to settle as he stared at the pans Lily was working with impatiently, clicking his tongue.
Lily turned at the sound, blinking surprised as she noticed Sirius glaring at the pan.
"Are you that hungry?" she asked with a chuckle.
"I want spaghetti," was his only answer.
"I can see that," James snorted.
"Shush."
"Why is it taking so long?" Sirius asked with a pout after another minute had passed.
Lily chuckled, suddenly recognising his behaviour for what it was and she turned the fire higher.
"Only a few more minutes and you can eat all the spaghetti that you want," she assured him.
Sirius nodded with a sigh, resting his head on his hands.
He sat for another minute before he sighed again, deeper and more annoyed this time.
" Bathroom again?" James asked with an empathic smile.
Sirius answered something back neither could understand as he moved from the kitchen but Lily shook her head fondly anyway.
"Poor guy. He goes to the bathroom more often than you and I go combined."
"Mum said it's normal. Though I feel sorrier for him during the night when he has to get up tons of times after finally settling down. And if he doesn't have to pee then the baby decides to keep him awake."
Lily stirred in the pan.
"I can't believe it's only a few more weeks left. Time sure passes quickly," she noted softly.
"Only a few more weeks before we can finally hold him," James agreed with a smile as he watched her cook.
Sirius returned as Lily was putting the food onto plates and gave out a whoop of delight as he saw the food was done, pulling Lily into a short hug before stealing a plate from her.
He dumped a generous amount of cheese sauce over his spaghetti and dug in.
"Enjoy," Lily laughed, not caring that part of his manners deserted him for the moment. The few times he got a sudden and desperate craving like this she believed he was allowed to forget his manners.
"Cravings are weird," James commented with a laugh as he and Lily dug in, too.
"Can't argue with that," Sirius agreed once he had emptied his plate and added some more. "Not that you need cravings to eat a lot of food."
"An active man needs food," he defended himself.
"Hm... or you just like food," Sirius shot back.
James laughed, not denying it as Lily shook her head fondly again as they continued eating while chatting comfortable.