It's a chilly Autumn evening, the wind is crisp and leaves in different orangey shades are splattered out over the ground. It's the perfect Halloween night, and the atmosphere in the Potter household is just delightful. Some are dancing to ABBA, others are chatting happily, but most are obsessing over the Potter couple's one-year old Harry.
James has his son on his shoulders, and he seems more than happy to be up in the air. Lily suspects he gets it from his fathers Quidditch obsession. She stands there, smiling at the two who are dancing with Sirius, Remus (who was forced to dance by Sirius) and Dorcas.
She's so in love it's ridiculous. If someone had told her in her early years at Hogwarts that she'd end up with James Potter out of everyone, she'd have laughed in their faces. But now, she can't imagine being where she is today without him by her side. Her James with his ridiculous messy hair, ridiculous lopsided glasses and ridiculously charming smile.
She feels a pat from beside her and turns to see Mary grinning at her. "Someone's ridiculously in love," She says with a laugh. Lily smiles and looks back over at James, who's now handed over their son to Remus as Sirius says something to him which makes her husband nod with a laugh. "Who would've thought..." She sighs.
"Hey, Lils!" James says. "Watch this!" Lily blinks, and within that moment James has turned into his stag form, and Sirius takes over Harry from Remus just to put him on James' back.
"James!" She exclaims. "What did I tell you about your Anima-"
"Calm your nuts, Evans." Sirius laughs (he still has a habit of calling her by her old surname). "If you think Prongs would let little Prongslette fall, you don't seem to know him as good as I thought you did." Lily meets the eyes of James, they're big and practically begging her to let him go. She can't say no to those eyes.
"Fine, but Harry love, hold steady on the antlers, OK?" She instructs her son how to grip James' antlers and soon the little boy is screaming with joy as James trots around with him on his back. It doesn't take long before Sirius is in his dog form and chases after them. Lily stands with Remus who's looking at the two Animagi running around with a one-year old in disbelief.
"I can't believe I'm marrying that fucking lunatic." He says, referring to Sirius who's currently rolling on the floor in the form of a dog. "I can't believe I married the other lunatic." Lily responds, looking at James, still with Harry on his back. Remus grins and lays his arm around Lily. "We have great taste."
The two continue chatting for a while before Peter walks up to them. He hasn't really been himself lately, and that is something Lily and the others have noticed. He's been quieter and keeping to himself more. At get-togethers like this Halloween night he's usually in a corner which isn't like him and they've all grown a bit concerned of it.
"I'm gonna go home now," He says. "Thanks for having me, Lils." "Awh, why so early Pete?" Dorcas asks, who's walked up to them after chatting and dancing with Mary. Peter shrugs. "Just a bit tired, thanks for tonight though. Tell James and Sirius goodbye for me when they're human again," Lily smiles. "Of course, we'll see you later Pete." "Uhm- yeah. 'Course."
The rest of the night passes in a blur and everyone's having a lot of fun. Dorcas and Mary leaves around the same time, and Remus and Sirius leaves together last. The two moved into a flat together after Hogwarts and seems to be doing great together. Lily couldn't be more happy for them, and both she and James were so excited when they heard about the engagement, although both Sirius and Remus had said they'd wait a bit before actually getting married.
Everyone had gone home and the couple are quick to put their sleepy son to bed. It's been a long night for him, so he falls asleep within a second. Lily smiles fondly at Harry, not realizing that James is admiring her in the same way from behind. When she turns around, she finds him gazing at her lovingly. "What?" She smiles, feeling all giddy inside, as you do when you're in love. She wonders if the butterflies he gives her will ever go away, because it's already been three years and she feels as in love as ever still. Just by the way he looks at her she knows he feels the same. "You're just so..." He takes a step to wrap his arms around her. "Incredibly and utterly beautiful. And I'm so in love with you Lily, you have no idea." Lily flushes and looks up to him. "I love you." She whisperers, and they kiss. It's such a light kiss, but with a deeper meaning, because what is deeper than loving someone as much as Lily and James love each other? It's the loud knock on the front door that breaks them apart. Lily freezes and James' eyes widen.
It's terrifying times, and the two have all the reasons to be scared of the someone that is knocking on their door. The war is fully going, and it was only a few months ago their good friend Marlene McKinnon was brutally murdered by death eaters. Anyone not Pureblooded with the racist beliefs could be next, and that included James, Lily and their young son.
"What was that?" Lily whisperers, fear lacing her low voice. James blinks, his posture is rigid. "I don't know." He breathes. James leans down and kisses Lily's cheek. Another knock is heard. She's shaking now, and James holds her, appearing brave while deep down he's terrified by whoever is at the door. "I'll go check it out." He grabs his wand and moves to walk down the stairs. "It'll be alright. Stay with Harry, I love you, see you soon." He swallows and turns around before Lily can see the tears building up in his eyes. He has an idea of who could be at the door, and he's praying that he's wrong.
James walks down the stairs slower than he usually would. He stops before the front door and waits before opening it slowly, trying to make himself look braver by pulling himself together a bit. But he quickly relaxes, it's only Peter. His childhood best friend, not a death eater. Not Voldemort.
Upstairs, Harry has woken up and Lily's by his crib comforting him. She loves her baby boy so incredibly much and wonders how it's possible to love someone she's only known a year more than anyone else. She supposes he shares the biggest piece of her heart along with James and she's swore to herself to protect him from anything that could possibly hurt him.
Downstairs again, James tilts his head. "What is it Wormtail?" He asks as he takes a shallow breath, because he realizes something is wrong. Peter's eyes are empty, and his mouth remains shut. Then, James realizes the pale hand resting on his best friend's shoulder. James suddenly feels like he cannot breathe, because there is no way. There is no way in the world that one of his best friends has betrayed him. He shakes his head, backing away from the door a step. "No... no...." Tears are forming in his eyes because there is just no way. "Peter... why?"
"I'm sorry," Peter mouths before he is shoved to the side and in the doorframe is no one but Voldemort.
"Because I told him to," The man of evil himself tells in his hissing voice. His wicked smile reaches his dark eyes as he takes a step closer to James. "I can be very... persuasive."
"LILS! IT'S HIM, TAKE HARRY AND RU-"
"Avada Kedavra."
Lily hears everything, she hears James' scream, she hears the curse, and she hears a thump of a body crashing to the floor. At the latter sound she jumps lightly, and her shaking fist covers her mouth. Small streaks of terrified tears are dropping down her face as she sinks to the floor because it simply can't be true. Because James Fleamont Potter can't be dead. The young boy that had annoyed her to an extreme extent when they were younger had grown up to be the man she fell for. The one she married. The one she had a kid with. The one who were always there for her, and always so ridiculously loving. That he was gone was something her brain just couldn't take and she wanted to shut down. She would've shut down if it wasn't for Harry who was crying desperately in his crib. She scoots over to him weakly and wipes her tears to be strong for him, but it's for no good, because they don't stop coming.
"Be brave..," Her shaking voice whispers to him. "Stay strong Harry, Mum loves you so much. I and your Dad are always with you my love, be brave for us..."
Lily can't pretend she isn't hearing the footsteps coming up the stairs. They're nearing, and nothing but a second later he stands in front of her. The man who took away half of her heart just minutes before is standing there and Lily wonders if he's just breaking and destroying others hearts because he's incapable of loving himself. She wonders how someone can be so cruel without loathing themselves. She already knows she won't let him take the other half of her heart. She will do everything she can to keep him away from Harry because there is no way she can live without a heart.
"Give me the boy," The heartless man orders in a low voice. "Give him to me and live, or die trying to prevent it."
Lily stands before her sons crib. "No." She says, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "You're not taking him," She hisses.
"Have it your way then," And with that, Voldemort raises his wand a second time.
The last thing Lily Potter sees is a flash of green. And the last thing Lily Potter hears is her sons scream as she falls to the ground, unknowing that she'd just saved his sons life with the one thing deeper than evil; love.