"He's a bloody alcoholic who needs to have his arse kicked!" James yelled teary-
eyed and furious. "You almost died! Do you have any idea what that would have done to
me? I lost my parents and my sister, and now you're going to leave me, too?"
Sirius looked down, unable to meet the intense looks of disapproval from his
friends. They had joked about an intervention and scolded him for his drinking, but Sirius
had never harmed himself in such a way. He could not look at them. The expressions of
worry and anger reminded him of how Mia would linger over his bed in the hospital wing
after a Quidditch injury or fight with Slytherins, begging him to stop being reckless and
letting himself get hurt.
"I'm about to be a father, and I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing, and
I need you!" James confessed loudly. "I need my best friend!"
Sirius winced in shame.
"James," Lily muttered.
"You're a selfish prat and you need to grow the fuck up, Sirius!" James screamed,
pointing a finger in Sirius's face.
"James!" Lily yelled.
James turned and faced his wife, irritation still on his face. "What?!"
"I think my water broke."
"Merlin, look at this head of hair." Sirius grinned, looking down at the infant in his
arms.
Madam Pomfrey had rushed over to Potter Manor when Remus fire-called
Hogwarts. James had panicked at the announcement that he was soon to be a father. Sirius,
knowing that his best friend needed him, downed every potion near his bed and rushed to
Lily's side, dragging James behind him. Madam Pomfrey had not been pleased to see Sirius
already up and about, but Lily's needs superseded his, so she held back her scolding.
Madam Pomfrey admitted to Lily that she was grateful she had held out as long as
she did. Apparently, she had only just returned to Hogwarts, having spent the prior night
at the Longbottom homestead delivering Alice and Frank's boy.