Love with No Regrets (HP NEXT GEN)

Chapter 34: Baby, Baby, Baby

"Jill," James said holding her back, "you should let me do this, I really don't like you this high."

"James, I've got it!" She reached on her tip-toes on the ladder trying to put the star on the tip of their tree. Her belly was protruding out of her sweater giving James a glimpse at his soon to be baby. "There. That wasn't too hard."

"Love, let me do the rest, I don't think it's safe."

"Please, I'm a healer. I know what's safe and what's not." She climbed down the ladder and pecked his cheek. "Now, would you make us some hot cocoa?" She rubbed her stomach giving him a pleading smile.

"Okay, but not one foot on that ladder until I return!"

Jillian rolled her eyes and sat on the couch sinking deep into the leather. "You know what would be cool?" James murmured something but she dismissed it. "If the baby was born on Christmas!"

"And...?"

"We could name him Jesus." He stared at her with a blank expression. "I'm kidding. But really, it's almost the due date and I'd really like it if we started talking names."

"It would help if we found the sex first." James set their drinks on the table and sat next to her.

"No, no. I want to be surprised! So, I was thinking. Your family has this knack for naming people after those who died in the war. Or like Teddy and Victoire, names that sound like dead people. Like Reily and Remus and Nicholas and Nymphadora." James nodded. "Well I don't really want to do that unofficial tradition."

"Me either," James said. "Al hates his name and Lily and I are just reminded of our grandparents. Even Fred said that he's a constant reminder of dead Uncle Fred. But I'm hoping for a boy. Katrina wrote a few days ago from Hogwarts, she think's it'll be a boy too."

"That would be cute. Or a baby girl."

"Yeah...Ooh we could do what those families do when they name all their kids with the same letter. We're Jillian and James, so it could be Joe and Jennifer. Not that I like those names. Our baby - or babies - are going to be legendary, so they can't have a too ordinary name."

"I was thinking for a boy, Nathaniel."

"Nathaniel? Like Nathan?"

Jillian laughed. "Yes, like Nathan Potter. You know? Nathan's such a handsome name, every Nathan I've known is good looking."

James shrugged. "With our genes, he'll be the best looking. Maybe black hair with blue eyes?"

"Or blonde and hazel."

"Hazel Potter?" James said. "That sounds nice. Jillian, James, Hazel, and Nathan."

"I like that," Jillian said. "But we'll need backups. I hate picking one and one only. What about Zac, or Dylan. Ooh, I like Quinn, for a girl. Quinn Potter."

"Like Albus's owl... butI like that better than Hazel. Jillian, James, Quinn and Dylan? No, that doesn't have a ring to it. It doesn't roll off the tongue. What about...Clayton."

"Clayton and Quinn Potter...that's cute. What about Hudson?  Or Genevieve, maybe Vallery, or Victoira! Hmm...or Brooklyn. I like that one."

"Okay love, how about we write out five names for each and separately rate them," James suggested pulling out a piece of parchment. He wrote out the names and tore the paper into two and turned his back. "No looking..."

They turned back to each other about five minutes later and compared papers. They were both thinking along the same lines. James hung the papers on the fridge with some sticky tape. "Well I guess we'll decided when the baby's born."

_____________

There was a scream echoing through St. Mungo's on December 15th, 2026. Harry, and Ginny, along with AJ and Ashley Gillespie ran through the wards and stood in the waiting room. More people arrived: Tegan, Fred, Lily and Albus. They sat around for what seemed like hours, one going for the half hour coffee run for everyone. Finally, at 3pm that day, a high pitched cry came out. They all stood up when the medi-witch came out.

"Okay," she counted the heads, 8 in all, "alright, follow me into the delivery room."

They walked in, Jillian holding the baby swaddled in a blanket. Jillian looked physically exhausted, but she still looked beautiful. James sat on the chair next to her, staring in awe at the baby and cradling his hand at the same time.

"Jillian, your screams were so loud!" Lily said closing the door. "Honestly, you could've woken the dead!"

Jillian chuckled, "Oh that wasn't me."

They all looked at James.

"Hey, don't judge me until you have to hold her hand when she delivers!" he exclaimed.

"James, you'll wake him," Jillian said quietly.

Ginny smiled, "Him?" The new parents both nodded.

"He's so cute!" Ashley cooed. "Oh he's looks just like you James."

"With her eyes," Harry pointed out.

The baby boy stared up at all the strangers. He didn't cry, he didn't sleep, he just watched. So carefully everyone's movement. He had Jame's facial features but by far Jillian's bright blue eyes and long eyelashes.

"What'd you name him?" Albus asked.

Jillian looked at James and nodded and said in unison, "Nathaniel James Potter."

After the first hour Jillian got tired and wanted to sleep before leaving. James took Nathaniel outside and let the family hold him. They were admitted out around 7 pm and went back to their house. The nursery was blue, a nice baby blue, and decorated with quaffles, snitches, bludgers, and brooms. Molly made the little mobile of a little quidditch player trying to catch the snitch that played a little tune when it spun.

"You think he'll like quidditch?" Jillian asked placing the baby in the crib.

James scoffed, "I sure hope so."