December 3rd, 1979
"Okay, it looks like you're measuring in at six weeks." Ethan Pomfrey said, looking at the ultrasound machine screen, pressing the probe into James' abdomen. "Which would make your due date… July twenty-seventh." He continued, as he set the probe on the stand the machine was on, and handed James a towel to wipe the gel off his abdomen with.
"July twenty-seventh?" Lily asked in confirmation.
"Yes." Ethan confirmed.
December 7th, 1979
"Will we be seeing you over Christmas?" Rosalie asked over the phone
"I actually wanted to talk to you about what the plans were for that," Lily answered, phone pinned between her head and right shoulder, the cord stretched, as she cut potatoes at the kitchen counter. She had originally called for her mother's stew recipe, and they had ended up talking for over half an hour.
"Well… Petunia and Vernon will be here the twenty-first through the twenty-fifth, you and James would be more than welcome to as well, if you would like."
"I would love to, but I'll have to talk to James about it first." Lily said, as she scooped the potato she was chopping up, and dumped it into the pot she was using. "I do know we already have plans with Euphemia and Fleamont on Christmas day." They were planning to wait until Christmas to tell their parents about Prongslet (the name Sirius had come up with had stuck). They weren't going to tell the Order for at least a few more weeks.
"Understandable. If you can make it, we'll just do Christmas on Christmas Eve. We could make it work."
"We will at least be able to make Christmas Eve," Lily told her, they had already spoken about that part. "What about Petunia?"
"What about her?"
"…I don't want to cause any trouble." Petunia had thrown a fit when Christmas of 1977 had been on Christmas Eve, so Lily and James could spend Christmas Day with Euphemia and Fleamont. Something about Vernon's family alwayshaving Christmas on Christmas Eve, and neither of them wanting to miss.
There was a sigh from Rosalie. "They can either get over it, and celebrate, either without them, or on Christmas morning, or… we could… all celebrate… together…"
Lily wasn't sure she liked the idea of that, and from the sound of Rosalie's voice, she didn't either. "Maybe."
"Well. Let me know if you decide to come early."
"Will do! Let me know if the Dursley's will be joining us for Christmas…" She needed to know so She and James could get them something, they had already gotten Petunia and Vernon a pretty white and light blue king size quilt (White and light blue having been Petunia and Vernon's wedding colors), and Rosalie and Harrison a painting of a church Rosalie had been eyeing, and a copy of 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens, it wasn't first edition (like Lily had wanted, but Rosalie and Harrison would have had a conniption), but it definitely wasn't a new print.
xXx
"Mum wants us to come from the twenty-first to the twenty-fifth for Christmas." Lily had said that night, after they had both crawled into bed.
"I'm not giving up Christmas Day with my parents." Lily could understand why easily enough, Euphemia and Fleamont were getting up there in age, with Euphemia being ninety-five and Fleamont Ninety-Nine. She didn't want to miss it either.
"I know. I wasn't asking you to." Lily assured. "We could leave early on the twenty-fifth, or even later on the twenty-fourth. Either way, whether we stay with my parents or not, we may end up spending Christmas Eve with the Dursley's."
"Hmm. What is it you're not telling me?"
Lily sighed, "My sister's also staying with my parents."
"And, there it is." James actually rather liked Rosalie and Harrison, Petunia and Vernon, on the other hand… he sighed, "We both have the time off, if you want to go, we can go."
December 10th, 1979
James told the new Head Auror, Rufus Scrimgeour, about his pregnancy, and was taken off field duty and put strictly on paperwork duty.
December 13th, 1979
The smell hit James as soon as he entered the break room. His stomach flipped, "Wh- Who has the fish?"
Immediately, everyone in the room pointed to one of the senior Aurors. He gagged, bolting for the nearest bathroom, which happened to be the breakroom bathroom.
December 20th, 1979
"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Rosalie asked over the phone, she was antsy to see her youngest daughter again for the first time since her and Harrison's anniversary in July. It wasn't that they lived very far away, it wasn't horribly far, two and a half to three hours, it was more that they lived in different worlds now.
"Oh, I don't know. Probably around noon." Was Lily's answer. Rosalie would get to see her youngest around three, then. Petunia and Vernon would be there around noon, Petunia didn't work and Vernon never worked over weekends or holidays, he would call in sick so they could leave early Friday. Which Rosalie didn't know how to feel about. On one hand, she got to see her eldest earlier, on the other, they couldn't afford for him to lose his job, especially not with that baby on the way.
xXx
Lily hated wrapping gifts. She hated it. This was more James area of expertise, but he was working late that night and would be working again the next morning before they left. So, here she was, sitting on the floor, fighting with a large piece of wrapping paper, trying to wrap the quilt they had bought for Petunia and Vernon. They had taken the easy route and gotten Margaret and Virgil Dursley a bottle of white wine, and Marge a candle that would make her entire house smell like a damn bakery.
December 21st, 1979
3:43 P.M.
Rosalie anxiously glanced out the window, Lily and James should have been there more than thirty minutes ago.
Petunia caressed her small baby bump as she watched her mother flit around the house anxiously, glancing out the window every five minutes. Her freak of a sister and her equally freaky husband were late, causing her mother to worry.
"Hey, Tu?" She looked up, hearing her father's nickname for her. Harrison was smiling down at her, "Do you want to go down to the library with me? Check out 'A Christmas Carol', like we used to do?" Petunia and her father had always read 'A Christmas Carol' at Christmas time, until Lily came along and was old enough to listen to a story being read to her. Then it became a Lily and Petunia, and their father thing. She heard Vernon huff from beside her.
"Don't you think I'm a little old for that now?" Petunia snapped, watching as her father's face fell.
"I… suppose you are." Harrison murmured, "I had just hoped you might allow me to introduce it to my grandchild." He continued, "Even if it is a bit early." He added, with a glance down at her protruding stomach.
"I- The baby can't even hear yet." Petunia said softly, in lieu of what nostalgia had wanted her to say. The sound of car door's shutting outside, and her mother's 'Lily! James!' drew her attention back out the window, sure enough, her father's old beat up truck was sat behind her and Vernon's 1979 Ford Cortina.
A grinning, teary eyed Lily ran up to their mother and threw her arms around her.
December 22nd, 1979
Lily felt almost like a little girl again, as she bounded down the stairs, to the sound of Christmas music coming from the kitchen radio.
"Good morning!" Lily announced, entering the kitchen to see her mother and sister making breakfast. "Need any help?"
"Lily! Good morning!" Rosalie greeted, "You can help by setting the table," Rosalie continued, as she shoved a precariously balanced stack of plates, cups, and forks at Lily. "The boys are outside putting lights up." And later, everyone would work together to put up the large artificial tree that the Evans family have had Lily's entire life.
December 23rd, 1979
It was early evening when the doorbell rang. Rosalie and Harrison shared a look, Rosalie shook her head, and Harrison sighed, standing and moving to open the door.
He gripped the doorknob, plastering on a smile as he swung the door open. "Virgil, Margaret, Marge! Come in! Come in!" The Dursleys hadn't wanted to leave early enough to get there by nine the next day, so they were staying the night, Virgil and Margaret in the guest room, and Marge, as the only single person in the house, on the couch.
"Harold." Margaret nodded, walking past him, into the living room.
There was a pause before Harrison corrected her with a curt, "Harrison."
"Yes, yes." Margaret agreed, with a wave of her hand.
"Whose rust bucket truck is that?" Virgil asked from behind his wife.
"The truck?" Harrison asked, "That would be Lily and James'."
"I remember young Lilian and Jameson from my Vernon's wedding." Margaret muttered.
"Lily and James. Their names aren't short for anything." Harrison tried to correct.
"Hmmm." Was the doubtful answer he received. "Petunia dear!" Margaret went on to exclaimed, sitting on the couch beside her.
Rosalie and Harrison shared a look. This was going to be a long twenty-four hours.
xXx
Rosalie slipped silently out of the house, having told Harrison that she was walking down to the park to check on Lily and James. Did it make her seem like an overprotective, overbearing mother? Probably. Did she care? No. Did she feel bad for abandoning Harrison with the Dursleys? Most definitely.
Unfortunately for her, she wouldn't get a very long break from her son-in-law's family, as her youngest daughter and her husband were already walking, hand in hand, back from the park. It was quickly becoming tradition for them to walk down to the Cokeworth park when they were visiting.
December 24th, 1979
Lily stretched, blinking awake to the sound of Marge and Vernon Dursley's loud voices carrying from downstairs. Lily glanced at the clock, 6:58 A.M. she groaned, rolling over and pulling the covers over her head. Hopefully they would shut up, and she would be able to sleep another hour.
"Don't bother. They've been at it since six." Lily shifted, peeking out from under the covers, wide emerald eyes meeting squinting hazel. Huh, for the first time in several weeks, it would seem she didn't wake up alone.
"No morning si-" she yawned, "-ckness today?"
James huffed, "I wish. Your brother-in-law's an ass, by the way."
Lily snorted, "Tell me about it."
xXx
The painting they had given Rosalie and Harrison quickly found it's way to a spot on top of the small fireplace, Petunia and Vernon didn't seem to know how to feel about the quilt, Marge hated the candle, and Virgil and Margaret decided to open the bottle of wine for the family. To which Petunia just sipped at Vernon's glass, rolling her eyes when Rosalie panicked about it, and Lily and James outright refused.
"What, are you afraid you'll fall of the wagon?" Marge had sneered. "If you have so much as a sip?" apparently their refusal had greatly offended her.
Lily sighed, "We're driving to Lavenham this afternoon." She had said in explanation.
"We have something else for you and mum after Vernon's family leaves." Lily told her father quietly.
xXx
"A Christmas Carol?" Rosalie asked, peering over her husbands shoulder.
"Yup!" Lily chirped, "I figured you might want to continue the tradition with your grandchildren next year." Ever since Rosalie was pregnant with Petunia, it had been an Evans family tradition to read 'A Christmas Carol' every year around Christmas.
"I would love that," Harrison answered, shooting a quick, hopeful, glance at Petunia.
"…grandchildren? Next year?" Rosalie asked quietly.
Harrison squinted his eyes in confusion, as far as he knew, Petunia and Vernon were having one, and even if they weren't Petunia and Vernon would be the one to tell them, not Lily and James. So that meant… Harrison's eyes widened as he stared at his youngest daughter and son-in-law.
"No! No way!" Rosalie squealed, "Are you pregnant?" Yes, Harrison thought nodding slightly to himself, one baby Dursley plus one baby Potter does add up to grandchildren.
"Yeah," James confirmed, chuckling as his arms were suddenly full of bubbly, blonde haired, green eyed mother-in-law.
Vernon shifted slightly, uncomfortable at the reminder about his sister-in-law and her husband.
Petunia sat fuming silently. Of course. Of course, Lily couldn't let her have this one thing! Petunia started dating Vernon in June of 1977, Lily turned around and brought James "Tall, Dark, Handsome, and rich" Potter home that same Christmas. Petunia and Vernon marry June the next year, Lily and James marry October of that very same year! Petunia and Vernon announce their pregnancy in October, Lily and James announce theirs at Christmas.
"Petunia." Harrison said softly, as Rosalie turned to Lily, gushing about how 'her baby's going to be a mother', "Lily was happy for you when you announced your pregnancy, at least do her the courtesy of trying."
December 25th, 1979
Lily grabbed James' hand as they stepped out of the elevator on the second floor of the small Godric's Hollow nursing/Retirement home. The first floor was a nursing home, the second was for more capable residents, more like a retirement home than nursing home. They had stayed at a bed and breakfast in Godric's Hollow the night before. Godric's Hollow was a mere ten miles out of Lavenham, so Lily hadn't been lying exactly when she had said they were driving to Lavenham.
xXx
Euphemia stared at the small door plaque as she lifted it out of its box. She had seen near identical ones on her friends doors. Except this one had theirname on it. Potter. Grandma and Grandpa Potter.
"Well I'll be damned." She heard Fleamont mutter quietly from beside her.
"I- I'm going to be a Grandma?" Euphemia asked, quietly. She and Fleamont were getting up there in age, and James and Lily were still rather young. If she was honest with herself, she hadn't thought she would live to see the day.
"Yeah, Mum. You're gonna be a Grandma."