James POV
James stood in his kitchen, hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea as he looked out onto his garden. Oh, how he wished he could go out, just for a while. He missed his friends. Sure he saw Peter often when he came round with shopping or gifts from the others, and Sirius swung around occasionally, but James had been cooped up in his house for weeks now. Maybe he could sneak out as Prongs and meet up with Pads for a bit of a laugh in the forest?
No, Dumbledore and Moody would kill him if Lily didn’t first. Or Remus.
James turned to the door when he heard Harry’s babbling.
“There’s my beautiful boy and the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen!” he chuckled as he put his tea down and walked over to Lily.
She blushed slightly, rolling her eyes at him but tilted her head up for a kiss either way.
“God, why did I marry you,” she laughed. James scoffed jokingly and took Harry from her, “Because I’m amazing and irresistible and the most handsome-” Lily rolled her eyes again and shut him up with another kiss.
Okay, maybe being stuck in the house wasn’t too bad.
“Do you know if anyone is popping by tonight?” Lily asked hopefully as she started clanking around the kitchen, preparing dinner. They were eating early so that when children started coming around trick or treating, they were ready and didn’t have to keep getting up from the table.
“Not sure, Sirius might though,” James answered. Harry squirmed in his arms, making grabby hands for Lily again.
James shook his head fondly, “Mummy is busy, but Daddy has all the time in the world for you. How about we have another go on that broom, eh?”
Harry’s little face lit up at that, his green eyes which resembled Lily's in so many ways, sparkled back at James and he carried him into the spacious sitting room. “James! Do make sure he’s careful!” Lily called after them, making James grin. Their sitting room had been nearly completely cleared since Harry’s birthday. The only thing remaining was a sofa and in the corner, Harry’s favourite toy; the broomstick Sirius had got him for his birthday. That had been so very Sirius of him and Harry loved it. James loved watching Harry whizz around the room, but they quickly found out that he was a hazard to all of Lily’s decorations, so they put them all away into the cupboard under the stairs. Now Harry could have fun without breaking anything.
He was getting good at flying, too. James couldn’t be prouder of him. At this rate, Harry would definitely be joining the quidditch team at Hogwarts and he might even go pro after school. Only if he wanted to, of course. They weren’t going to force him into anything he didn’t want to do. After a while of flying Harry had enough and stumbled over to where James was sitting.
“Unca Pafoo,” he babbled. Sirius had been at theirs when Harry said his first comprehensible words and had been so overjoyed about them being ‘Uncle Padfoot’ he had sobbed.
“Yes, Uncle Padfoot might come over tonight. Are you looking forward to seeing him?” James answered, laughing at the way Harry clapped his little chubby hands in glee.
“Alright, bud, let’s get you cleaned up for dinner,” James said.
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James was very disappointed to find that not many children came to their house for Halloween at all. They had the odd few, but that was all. Harry did a few more laps of the sitting room on his broom while James sat on the sofa with Lily curled into his side. “You okay?” he whispered, planting a kiss on her head.
“Mh, yeah. Did you hear from Sirius?”
“No. I thought maybe he would show up, but he’s probably busy with Remus. You know them two, can’t keep their hands off of each other. I’ll talk to him tomorrow and see if he wants to come for lunch soon. Is that alright?”
“Of course. I’m sure Harry would love to see his godfather again,” Lily chuckled.
“Yeah. When this is over we should get in touch with Frank and Alice, too. I bet Harry would love to play with a kid his own age. And Neville seemed like such a nice kid,” James suggested. They hadn’t seen or heard from Frank and Alice in such a long time, but Peter and Sirius had told them they were doing fine.
“James?” Lily asked quietly, sitting up slightly to look at him sincerely.
“Yes, my love?”
“How much longer do you think…”
“I don’t know. All I know is that I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else,” James told her.
“I love you,” Lily whispered.
“And I love you more.”
Eventually, it was time for Harry to go to bed.
“Say good night to Daddy,” Lily prompted, taking one of his hands in her own and making him wave.
“Night night, little man. Daddy loves you,” James waved back. Harry giggled and then yawned as Lily stepped out of the room.
James sighed and reclined on the sofa, turning his wand over in his hands. Sirius hadn’t come over and neither had Peter. None of his friends had replied to his letters and Lily hadn’t heard from Mary for ages. Under normal circumstances, James would march right up to her and force her to come stay with them until she felt better again, but he couldn’t do that. And who knows how long it would take until she did feel any better?
Marlene had been murdered in the middle of July, just after James and Lily had gone into hiding. They couldn’t attend her funeral or Dorcas’. Lily was still rather upset about it all and would start crying randomly. James would wrap her up in his arms and carry her into their bedroom to bed, bring her a warm cup of tea and let her cry it all out until his shirt was covered in tears. James completely understood her, and Mary for that part. He doesn’t know what he would do if Sirius were to die. Even just thinking about it made his heart ache. He didn’t ever want to live in a world without Sirius again, and he was pretty sure that Sirius felt the same way.
Marlene and Dorcas’ deaths had only proven that no matter how skilled a fighter you were, you were still in grave danger. Dorcas had been one of the orders’ most talented witches (Lily being the best, in James’ eyes at least) and had been killed by Voldemort personally.
And Marlene… Marlene was insanely talented. She wasn’t only talented though, she had a wicked sense of humour and was a beast on the quidditch field. Her entire family had been wiped out altogether, their bodies aligned neatly on the kitchen floor, or so James had been told.
Her death had affected all of them, especially Mary. The two girls had been best friends since first year and even though Mary hadn’t joined the order, they did a lot together. Lily wasn’t as close to Marlene as she had been to Mary, but they were still really good friends.
James missed the days back at Hogwarts. Pulling pranks on the teachers, the ghosts that would float along the corridors, sneaking around with the cloak and the map and always being on the run from Filch’s cat.
Curling up by the fire in the common room with Lily in his lap, Sirius leant up against Remus. Mary playing with Marlene’s long blond hair. Peter lying on the floor playing chess with Dorcas.
When he would be sat at breakfast and his owl would swoop in with a letter from his parents, telling him how much they loved and missed him. Saying they were looking forward to seeing him again. Telling him to take care of himself and not eat too much crap, to eat his veggies and not to stress too much about his school work. Telling him how proud they were of him no matter what. Informing him that they would be coming to his next quidditch game, just to see him. Then at the end, they would remind him again of how much they loved him.
James smiled fondly at the memories of his mum and dad. Oh, how he missed them. Not a day went by that he didn’t. Two years is all it had been since they had died, only days within each other and it felt like only yesterday that he was a small boy running into his father's arms after falling from his broom. Euphemia had died first. It had been Dragonpox that did it for her. Fleamont died two days later, partially of Dragon Pox, but the healers at St. Mungos said it had also been heartbreak. James hadn’t been able to get out of bed for weeks.
19. James had been 19 when his mum and dad died. He should have had so much longer with them and he was determined to be there for Harry. That was one of the perks of having a child so young. It had been somewhat of an accident… But it was the best thing that had ever happened to them. Now at least Harry would have his parents until he was old and gray.
There was a knock on the door and James jumped up, carefully placing his wand on the arm of the sofa.
“I’ll get it! I’ll give them all the stuff we have left!” James shouted enthusiastically up the stairs to Lily. The bowl of sweets was already at the door, he would simply pour the entire thing into the kid's bags. He swung the door open, grinning at the children.
Except there were no children. And it wasn’t Sirius who had come to visit. It was Peter. But it wasn’t just Peter. No, next to him stood a cloaked figure, his wand already clutched in his hand. James felt his heart drop, he couldn’t breathe. His mind was racing; Lily had to get out. She had to take Harry and go. They had to make it out. They couldn’t- Harry needed someone. This couldn’t be the end. Where was his wand? Merlin, why was he such an idiot?! This was his fault. He should have never listened to Sirius! Peter. Peter of all people. Never had he expected it to be Peter.
“Lily! Take Harry and-” James shouted, but it was too late.
“I’m sorry-” Peter whispered.
“Avada Kedavra!”
There was a green flash before his eyes and then his heart stopped as he hit the floor.
At least Lily and Harry made it out alive.