Lily races up the stairs, holding Harry close to her chest. She just makes it to his room and manages to locks the door when she hears a cry of "AVADA KEDEVRA" and then a thud.
She screams because James is dead. And she'll be dead soon too. And Harry will be as well. She presses him close to her chest as the tears drip down her face.
"Mama?" Harry asks, his chubby little hand reaching up to touch her face.
"It's fine baby." she tells him, her voice shaking as she hold onto his hand. "Mummy loves you. Daddy loves you. Uncle Pads love you. Uncle Moony loves you. Uncle Wormy loves you. Auntie Mary loves you. " she says. "Harry, I love you baby. I'll always love you."
Lily strokes his head and breathes in his soft, sweet baby scent. "I love you baby boy." she repeats. "Mummy loves you Harry." She needs him to hear it, to remember it. He reaches out his hand again and his sleeve rides up a bit. He's been going through a growth spurt recently, his blue pyjamas are just a little too small. He's growing up so fast. So big and yet still so small.
She remembers when he was born. 15 months ago exactly. How little he was then, his hands so tiny. How James and her had cried as Harry was placed on her chest. Then James had kissed her head and whispered "He's beautiful, Lily." to her and then looked towards their son and said to him "Hello sweetheart, I love you." It seems silly that she was ever scared of being a mum. Yes they were young, just 19 when they found out but Harry is the best thing that's ever happened to her. In all her 21 years, Lily has never felt so full of love for another person. Lily lets out another sob but she doesn't want to scare Harry. Not now. So she holds him close in her arms and sings him a lullaby, humming gently when she's too scared to make a sound.
"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are-" The door bangs open and there he is. Wand in hand and murder in his eyes. He lets out a high pitched cackle and Lily drops Harry as gently as possible into his crib. And then she stands in front of her son, her arms outstretched. All in an attempt to save her little boy.
"Mummy?" his little voice asks again and Lily's heart breaks. This is the first time he's ever called her that and it'll be the last. She can't save him. Harry Potter will die before he ever truly gets to live. At least she'll be with him. Her and James will be with him. James. The love of her life. She'll see him soon.
But she has one last attempt to make the man see sense and so she tries. Tries for her little boy. "Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"
"Stand aside you silly girl...stand aside now." he says, his voice cold and cruel. He moves closer and Lily pleads again. Not for her life, but for her son's.
"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-" she begs. Lily can feel death looming over her shoulder and she wants to scream and cry and run. Anything to stop it. But she can't run and she can't let her baby boy die.
"This is my last warning-" He doesn't want to kill her. She doesn't know why but it makes her more determined. Maybe his mercy will extend to her son.
"Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy...Not Harry! Not Harry! Please-I'll do anything-"
"Stand aside. Stand aside girl!"
She doesn't move and the next thing Lily sees is a flash of green light and the last thing she thinks is "I love you Harry. I'll be waiting for you." Lily Potter falls to the ground and cloaked figure steps over her body, ready to kill her son.
When she awakes in the afterlife, she sobs for her little boy who will grow up without her love.