"Val?" James inquired as he sat up in the bed. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands before looking around. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he got up, "Val?"

He grabbed his wand and made his way through the other house quietly. He flipped the switch to the kitchen on and he lowered his wand to find Val in the kitchen.

She had her resting on the table with a chocolate frog held loosely in her head. He stifled a laugh as he crossed the room to her and gathered the trash as well as the uneaten chocolate and tossed it into the garbage.

"Hey, Val?" he tried, shaking her slightly. She swatted his hand away and he narrowed his eyes, "Up and attem, sleeping beauty. You're taking up a large sum of kitchen space."

"Did you just call me fat?" Val muttered, not moving from the table.

"You're not fat," he replied automatically. It has been become a common theme for her saw of late, "You're pregnant."

Initially, Val had every intention of waiting till marriage before engaging in sexual activity but this changed when she realized that Sirius and Remus who had been engaged for two years prior to her own engagement and they were unable to get legally married.

She now refused to get married until they were allowed too. James was inclined to agree despite Remus and Sirius's protests. Both couples remained happy and engaged.

And now Val was pregnant.

"You'd be far more comfortable in the bed," James reminded her. He was prone to leaving his empty bed and finding her asleep on the table after trying to get a snack. He tried to get her to wake him up as well so he could make sure she made it back to bed but she refused.

"You just called me fat and now you're trying to get me in bed?"

"If you weren't pregnant with my child, I'd kill you."

"Who said it's yours?"

"No one else is stupid enough to manage it." She grunted in response and he rolled his eyes, a smile making its way onto his face. "You want pancakes?"

"Oh, yes," she sat up at this, nodding eagerly. "Put some pumpkin juice in with the batter."

He grimaced, "I'm not doing that."

"Please?"

"No."

"For me?"

He huffed, "Fine but I'm not going to be happy about it."

She grinned in response before she stood up. She crossed the room to the fridge, "I'll make eggs."

"So you can't recall anything special about today?" he inquired as she pulled a carton of eggs from the fridge.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she turned to face him, leaning against the counter as she did so, "Should I?"

He huffed, "I blame it on the pregnancy brain."

She grinned again, "Happy Birthday, you moron."

He rolled his eyes as he walked over to her, placing his arms on either side of the counter, trapping her, "I knew it was too important of a day for you to forget."

"Did you?" she inquired, "Because it didn't seem that way."

"You love me too much to forget my birthday."

"Count your blessings, Potter," she suggested as she placed her hand on his chest. He leaned closer to her and she looked up at him, "You're lucky I'm mad about you."

He placed a quick kiss on her lips, "I'm mad about you too." He pulled away, "I have a weird pregnancy combo pancake to make and I need space. Go rest."

"It's not weird," she pointed out, "And I have eggs to make."

"I can make the eggs."

"It's your birthday."

"And as my one birthday request, I ask that my very beautiful and very pregnant fiancé go take a nap so she's not cranky around the guests later."

She rolled her eyes, "You really know the way to a woman's heart, Potter."

He grinned, "I winned you over somehow, didn't I?"

"Pure luck," she replied as she made her way to the bedroom.

Val had indeed fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. By the time she had woken up, something fluffy was cuddling up against her, it's head rested on her oversized belly.

Her eyes fluttered open, "Hello to you too Sirius." The dog's head popped up and his tongue stuck out, panting happily in greeting. "Did you do the tasks and requests successfully?"

The dog stood up at this and circled the bed once before hoping off, turning into a human, "Did you have any doubts?"

"Many, actually," she informed him as she carefully stood up. She was only five months and she felt like she might explode. "Are Mia and Monte here?"

"Yep," he replied, popping the 'p.' "Mum's already taken over the kitchen. Remus and Dad are talking things I don't understand and James is nodding along as though he is actually listening."

Val frowned, "I'm supposed to cook dinner."

He shrugged, "She was adamant that you get your rest. Everyone agreed."

"Hmm," she replied simply as she waddled to the door. He watched her in amusement and she narrowed her eyes, "What?"

"Nothing," he shook his head, "Nothing at all."

"Hello, dear," Euphemia greeted Val as she entered the kitchen. The woman hugged her, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek, "How are you?"

"I'm great," she smiled, "And ready to help."

"Have a seat," she suggested, "You look like you're about to pop."

"I still have four months."

Euphemia smiled, "I was on the bigger side when I was pregnant with James. When are you due?"

"End of August, early September," she answered as she reluctantly took a seat.

"I suspect it'll be more at the end of July."

"Wonderful."

Euphemia raised her wand and floated the plates of food onto the table. "Boys!" she called out. "Foods ready!"

There was some scuffling before four overly eager boys - or men - entered the room quickly. James smiled as soon as he saw Val. He walked over placing a kiss on her head, "How was your nap?"

"Too long," she replied with a wave of her hand. "You should have woken me up."

"My wish was that you weren't cranky, waking you up would have been unproductive," he informed her. She whacked him on the arm, "You're not supposed to hit someone on their birthday."

Euphemia walked up behind him and whacked him on the back of the head, "Don't call your fiancé cranky."

He muttered an apology before everyone took a seat. They all dove in right away, savoring the delicious meal that Euphemia had prepared for them. Once the meal had been finished, she brought out the cake.

After an obnoxious wizard rendition of the muggle birthday song, led by Sirius, they were then able to move onto presents.

"Oh, come on," James huffed as the pile of presents were placed in front of him, "I told you not to get me anything."

He reluctantly began to open them one by one until he grabbed one that Sirius stopped him from opening, "You may want to wait to open that one, Prongs."

James peaked into the box but immediately closed it, his face turning a crimson red at the sight of whatever was in the box. Sirius grinned, "I told you."

Remus elbowed him in the side, "I told you not to get that for him."

Sirius shrugged in response, "He'll put it to good use, no doubt."

James muttered something before he shoved the box across the table to Val. She raised an eyebrow before looking inside. She fought down a laugh, "Nice one, Black."

"What can I say," he mused, "I'm the god of gift giving."

"Onto my gift," Val requested and James narrowed his eyes.

"You said you weren't going to get me anything," he reminded her as a gift box was placed in front of him.

"I lied."

James opened the lid to the box and pushed the tissue paper to the side before he pulled out a onesie and Sirius raised an eyebrow, "I think that might be just a little bit too small for him." James turned it around so everyone could see what it said. Everyone took a moment to read it, 'Best Son Ever.'

"It's a boy?" James asked as he looked over at Val. She smiled and nodded, "Really?"

"No, it just seemed like a grand idea to mess with you."

"You can't do that," he informed her, placing the onesie down, "Because now I don't know what it is."

"It is a boy," she informed him and he grinned. "Oh, there's more in there by the way."

His eyes went wide, "It isn't twins, is it?"

"Oh, Merlin, no," she breathed out. "I don't know how I'm going to handle one mini you let alone two."

He let out a breath of relief as he moved the tissue paper around. He held up a box of sorts and his eyebrows pinched together in confusion, "What is this?"

"Oh, I know what that is!" Sirius exclaimed rather eagerly. "It's a VHS."

"What's a VHS?"

"It's a movie," Val explained. "Read the title."

He looked down at the cover and a grin grew on his face, "Alice in Wonderland?"

"Oh, come on," Sirius huffed and Remus nudged him in the side. "What? It's a stupid story."

"It's not your present," Remus reminded him.

"Can we watch it?" James requested eagerly.

"We can wait till everyone's gone," she pointed out. "That way we don't bore the guests."

"Agreed," Sirius piped in.

James pouted and Euphemia spoke up, "He is the birthday boy. He should be the one to decide what we do."

"Oh, no..."

"Fair enough," Val nodded. James hopped out of his seat and immediately ran to the other room. Val shook her head as she stood up as well. "James!" she called out. "You don't know how it works!"

"I'll figure it out!" he shouted back.

Val huffed before she quickly ran to the other room, "You're going to break it."

"It shouldn't be that difficult."

"If you break it, that means we can't watch the movie."

"Break it," Sirius suggested resulting in Remus hitting him in the side again.

Sirius rubbed the spot, "Would you stop doing that?"

"Then stop being an ass."

"Watch that mouth of yours, Moony," he gasped dramatically as he gestured to Val, "There's a five month developing baby present."

"He can't hear me."

"Actually, he can," Euphemia countered. Remus's eyes widened and Sirius held a smug expression on his face. "James, Val, we're going to head out. It's getting late."

James hopped up and Val quickly snatched the VHS from him. He pulled his mother into a hug and she smiled, "Happy Birthday, James."

"Thank you, mum." He pulled away and his father hugged him as well, "I wasn't that difficult of a child, was I?"

Fleamont laughed, "Yes, you were." James's eyes widened and his father placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, "You're going to make a great dad." James relaxed slightly, "Happy Birthday, son."

"We'll see you at the baby shower," Euphemia said as she grabbed her purse.

"Assuming Val hasn't killed me by then."

She smiled before saying a quick goodbye to everyone and the two left.

Val pressed play on the VHS before backing away. The TV flickered for a moment before the movie began.

"Yay," Sirius muttered in faux excitement. He took a seat on the ground, leaning against the arm of the chair while Remus sat next to him.

Val and James took a seat on the couch, James placing his arms around her and Val resting her head against his shoulder. He placed a kiss on her head and she looked up at him, "What?"

"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head. He smiled, "Nothing at all."

"Shut up," Sirius suggested, "The movie's starting."

"Language," Remus mocked, "There's a five month developing baby present." Sirius grabbed a pillow off the couch and threw it at him.

After Val managed to get Sirius to settle back down, the four of them watched the movie in mostly silence. Sirius complained about halfway through about being hungry so they ordered pizza to get him to shut up.

"It was a dream!" Sirius exclaimed as the movie came to an end. "The whole thing was a bloody dream?" He stood up, turning to face James, "Why on earth is this your favorite book?"

"Yeah, I think it's time for us to head home," Remus announced as he too stood up.

"Hang on," Sirius spoke up, "I want an answer."

"To?"

"Why is it his favorite book?"

"Why does it matter?"

"It just does," he replied before facing an amused James again. "So?"

"So?" he repeated.

"What's the answer?"

"It's the first book I saw Val reading," James answered simply.

Val's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she turned to look at him, "The first book I read around you was Pride and Prejudice."

"Nope," he replied as he adjusted his position to look at her. "Third year, you were reading while you were walking. I was running away from a prank and bumped into you, knocking the book out of your hands."

"That was you?" she gaped. "You ran away without saying anything."

"Because I was running from Filch and his stupid cat," he explained. "But I did see the book and I did wonder why you were so into it that you weren't watching where you were going."

"So you read it?"

"Merlin, no," he laughed. "But then you read it to me - not necessarily willingly - and I understood why you were so distracted by the book that you couldn't see me coming."

"Well that was boring," Sirius huffed before facing Remus, "We can go now."

Remus rolled his eyes, "We'll see you later." The pair left after a moment, leaving Val and James alone.

"Alright, I'm ready for bed," Val announced. She moved to get up but stopped after a moment, opting to fall back on the couch, "I'll stay here. See you in the morning."

He stood up and stuck his hands out, she grabbed them and he pulled her up. He pulled her toward him and placed a kiss on her nose, "That wasn't so bad."

"It took effort."

"You barely did anything."

"Still effort," she replied, placing a quick kiss on his lips. She pulled away and grabbed his hand, leading him to their bedroom. "Oh," she jumped, placing her hand on her stomach.

"What?" James asked in alarm, "What is it?"

She smiled, "He kicked." She grabbed his hand and moved it to her stomach where the baby's feet were. "Just wait."

There was another kick and James grinned, "He's got a strong kick."

Her smile brightened and he pulled her toward him so that she was facing him. He placed the palms of his hands on either side of her stomach and looked up to her, "This is really happening."

"That's what I'm under the impression of, yes."

He rested his forehead against hers, "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied. She pulled away, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "Now what do you say about us putting Sirius's birthday gift to good use?"