42 Ways to Name Your Baby

#7

James plates the salmon onto two round dishes alongside loose corn and mashed potatoes. He carefully sets the pan into the sink before grabbing the plates and a bottle of sparkling apple juice. "Dinner is served," he says placing the food before Lily.

"I feel like a queen being served," Lily jokes as she grabs the napkin, folding it over her lap.

"That's because you are one, love."

Their conversation varies between numerous topics, as it usually does. Tonight's topic: aliens. James is animatedly talking about the idea of aliens on Mars, the idea brought to him by none other than Sirius Black, while Lily listens. 

"Wait - I've got it!" James suddenly exclaims. 

Lily looks around confused. "You've got what?" 

"A name!" Lily sighs, taking another forkful of corn. "Salmon. For a girl!"

"What on Earth possessed you to think that Salmon would be a good girl's name?"

"My bad, it can be a boy's name too." Lily suppresses the urge to argue, allowing him to continue with his proposition. "You remember that girl in our year, Salmon, the Ravenclaw? It's a bit of an unusual name but at least nobody else will have it!"

Lily thinks hard, deep in concentration, when her eyes widen with realization. "Are you talking about Salma Murphy?" 

"Yeah, Salmon Murphy. Brilliant chess player."

Lily rubs her forehead. "James, her name is Salma. Not Salmon."

"Salma? No, that's not right. It was definitely Salmon. Well, it could've been Salsa."

"James Fleamont Potter eat your dinner."

"Or what, are you going to send me to my room?" He smirks mischievously, dodging the piece of corn flying at his face. "Okay, okay! We won't pick Salmon!"