Stars Will Fall

It's been ten months since James last saw Regulus. Ten months since he took him to that cottage and endangered him. He has no idea what could have happened to him, but he knows he's at fault. The Death Eaters definitely found out, that's for sure. But beyond that? Regulus Arcturus Black had disappeared.

The guilt was eating him alive. He didn't want to believe it was his fault that something bad had happened to his lover. That's why he contacted Evan. It was hard, since the Death Eaters were much more careful after what happened, but he did it.

"I don't know where he is, alright? I was there when they took him, but they didn't let me go with them. I think they're after me now. You shouldn't even be here, Potter," Evan had told him.

It's been ten months, and his child has come to this world. They named him Harry. He looked so much like James. But his eyes, they were his mother's. He was the most precious person to James at the moment. 

That’s why he couldn't go looking for Regulus. He couldn't just leave his son. It wouldn't feel right.

Harry is five weeks old now. In James' eyes, he is the cutest baby there could ever be. The moment he saw him for the first time, his life had changed. Nothing is the same when you become a parent. Your child always comes first.

When Lily was still pregnant, James had convinced her to move in with him and his parents. Lily's parents weren't being supportive of the circumstances of her pregnancy and James wanted a healthy environment for the baby. That meant that, obviously, Mary moved in too. Mary and Lily got together during the week James was with Regulus. Lily told him that they worked things out, that Mary wants to be there for her. For Harry.

And she indeed was there. She has been there ever since he found out about the baby. First time Harry kicked? Mary was there before James. Bringing him home from the hospital? She was driving. Feeding time? She's already there doing the airplane. She was even the first one whose finger Harry clutched in his small fist! She was always there first before James could even process what was happening. It honestly wasn't fair.

A knock on the door brought him back to reality. He got up with a groan and strolled towards the door. When he opened it, a tired Remus greeted him.

"Hey, man. Is Lily here?" He let himself in.

"No, she's out for a walk with Harry and Mary," James shook his head and followed him to the living room.

"You didn't go?" Remus raised his eyebrows, awaiting an answer.

"Nah, I needed a break. I was up with him the whole night. He couldn't stop crying," James rubbed his eyes as he sighed.

"Yeah man, get some rest." Remus fidgeted with his fingers before speaking again. "Would you mind me complaining to you a bit?"

James shook his head. "Whatever, man."

Remus fixed his posture. "Okay, so… Sirius has been weird lately. I mean, yeah, their brother disappeared and all that. But the thing is, they never talk about it. Whenever I try to bring it up, they just claim they're not bothered to care. I know they care, I know they're worried. Sometimes I just think it'd help if they would just talk about their feelings more. It's like the night they left they locked away their feelings for their brother and refuse to look for the key."

James just nodded along as Remus talked. He knows exactly what he means. Regulus is like that too. He never talks about Sirius, and when James tries to bring them up, he just redirects the conversation elsewhere. 

"I mean, you know how the Black siblings are. They act like they're emotionless even though they're the most emotional people I know." James stopped himself when he noticed Remus' puzzled expression. "What?"

"Nothing, I just didn't know you were close to Regulus," Remus shrugged.

James choked at that. "I'm- I'm not. I mean I wasn't. I just guessed."

"Okay, yeah. But like… sometimes I think Sirius should go see a therapist. They've got some serious issues," Remus sighed. His eyes widened suddenly. "I don't mean that in a bad way, though! I'm just worried 'bout them."

"I know, Remus," James gave him a comforting smile. Just as he was about to suggest some coffee, an owl knocked on the window. He stood up to open it and let it in. The owl flew to the carpet, dropped a letter and flew back out. Remus stood up too, reaching out and observing the letter.

"It's from Dumbledore," he spoke into the silence. "He's calling a meeting this afternoon."

James nodded. The Death Eaters haven't attacked in quite a while now. What if they're planning something? They might be just waiting to catch them off guard.

Later that evening, the Order met at a beforehand decided location. Everyone was on edge, even though Dumbledore didn't seem concerned at the very least.

"You're all probably wondering why I called a meeting so suddenly," he started. "I have to say, it's not good news I want to announce." He was making them all nervous. Why does he talk like that? James wondered. He could just say it in one breath.

"One of us betrayed us."

There was dead silence in the room for a while, before everyone turned to their neighbour to talk about who the traitor might be. Does sleeping with the enemy count as betrayal?

"Quiet, now, everyone. I am not going to point fingers," James let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding, "but one of us did indeed join the enemy. Classified information has been leaked. Information that only members present here with us know."

"How do you know that?" Mad eye Moody questioned. "How do you know it got leaked if they haven't done anything about it?"

It was a good question, one that James was too afraid to ask.

"I have a spy amongst them too," he proclaimed solemnly. "Which brings me to my second point."

James knew what that meant. More bad news.

"My contact has let me know about You-Know-Who's next step. A certain prophecy got to him. One that claims that a child born in late July would be the one with the powers that could take down You-Know-Who himself."

James' eyes snapped up towards the older man, then to the Longbottoms. Their son was born a day before Harry. They looked just as afraid as he was.

James knew it was wrong, but he had prayed it was their son and not Harry.

"This child is in great danger, as I'm sure all of you have realized," he continued. "And I-"

Moody cut off the other man mid-sentence, "Who's the child, Albus?"

Dumbledore sighed.

Just don't say Harry. Do not say-

"It's Harry Potter."

No.

No, it can't be. Harry is just a baby. How could he defeat him if he can't even walk yet?

"Now, I assure you I'll do everything in my power to keep him safe. I'll-"

Once again, Dumbledore got interrupted.

"What will you do? What could you possibly do to keep my son safe?" Lily barked back. "Voldemort himself wants my baby dead," there were a couple of gasps at the direct mention of the man's name, "and we all know he's not gonna stop until he gets his way or dies. And the latter is very obviously not that easy to achieve."

"The prophecy said Harry could defeat him. Maybe if we just-"

"You are not dragging my son into this war!" Lily stood up and snapped her fists to the table to prove her point. "You better figure this out or I'll do the Death Eaters a favor and kill you myself," she hissed before leaving the room. She left everyone wide eyed with jaws dropped to the floor. 

James had to hold back a smile at how his friend handled the situation.

Dumbledore turned to James now. But just as he opened his mouth, James shut him back up.

"I'm with her. Don't you dare even try to bring Harry into this."

Dumbledore let out a sigh. "Alright, then. I'll secure a location for you to move into. We can't risk you staying in your house right now."

James nodded. "Let us know when it'll be ready." He then proceeded to stand up and walk out the door, his three friends following shortly.

They all apparated to James' house, his friends talking over each other the whole way there. 

"You were so right for that, James."

"He had no right to even suggest that."

"He doesn't have children, he would never understand what it's like."

James appreciated his friends' attempts to comfort him, but he just wanted to get to Lily. When he got to the living room, the mother of his child was crying in her girlfriend's arms. Mary shot him a death glare. James ignored her and walked towards them.

"I talked to Dumbledore," he started. Mary kicked him in the leg at the mention of him. James sighed. "He'll find us a safe house. We can wait it out there until the situation calms down."

"He won't try to take Harry away from us?" Lily rasped.

"No, we can be with him the whole time." Lily nodded at that. She has calmed down a little by now.

"What about me?" Mary asked, a little wary.

James totally forgot about that little detail. "I… I don't know. I didn't ask."

"You didn't… James! What the fuck?" Mary threw her hands around in frustration. 

"It's okay, I'll tell Dumbledore you're coming with them," Remus stepped in. James sent him a thankful look.

The next morning, Dumbledore came knocking on their door. Lily sent James to open it, she still didn't want to see the old man's face. He let them know he found a place for them to stay. He told them they could leave right away, that he would bring their things later. He also told them to choose a secret keeper, someone to know their whereabouts in case something happened and they would need to be contacted. 

What they all didn't expect him to say, however, was that Mary couldn't go. Apparently, their friends weren't allowed to join them in this. He said it would be dangerous. The only thing James thought it was was absolute bulshit, which he also let them all know. 

"This is bullshit. Mary's been with us throughout the whole pregnancy. She's been helping us raise Harry as if he was her own. We can't just leave her behind like that!"

Dumbledore sighed. "You can't bring your nanny to the safe house, James."

"A nanny?!" Mary jumped on her feet. James rushed to her side to put his hand on her shoulder in a comforting way, but mostly to hold her back from Dumbledore. 

"She is not our nanny, she's family. And she's coming with us," Lily had the final word. Her gaze was piercing, her presence suffocating. 

"Alright then, I suppose she isn't the traitor since she isn't even in the Order."

"The traitor?! You seriously think I would help that snake?" Mary threw herself towards the older man again, James holding her back by her shoulders. 

Lily approached them and pushed James aside, snaking her arm around her girlfriend's waist and pulling her back by it. "It's alright, don't listen to him. You know the truth and so do I, that's what matters." Mary calmed down in her girlfriend's presence. "Can we go now?"

Dumbledore nodded, irritation obviously present in his core.

They all bid their goodbyes to James' parents, apparated away from the house and found themselves standing outside a church. James glanced at Dumbledore confused.

"This is the nearest we can apparate. We have to walk now," he exclaimed. 

After a couple of minutes, they all stood in front of a nice, soft yellow painted house. It seemed cozy. James could imagine raising Harry there.

And soon enough, he was raising him there. The house became their new home. The doorframe to their kitchen marked Harry's height, the carpet wore a stain of wine from Lily and Mary's date night, the walls bore Lily and Harry's paintings. They made it their home.

"Sirius, for the last time. If you were the traitor, you would know about it," Remus sighed while massaging his temples. He was trying to read his book, but Sirius walked into the room and won all of his attention once again.

They haven't been the same since Dumbledore announced there was a traitor in the Order. Sirius somehow convinced herself she was the traitor.

"I'm a Black, Remus! We were born to do things like this, it's in our nature!"

She says she could be betraying them without even being aware of it. And to be completely honest, it is kind of convincing. Just not in the way Sirius claims it to be. Remus has been through it all with her. They fought and they made up, because that's what they do. But it was different this time. This was much bigger than just their relationship. This was their whole world. Sirius already betrayed him once, where's the proof that she wouldn't do it again? Her whole family is on the other side of the war. Sirius is easily manipulated, what if she gave in and joined them?

"What if I went into some kind of trance and didn't know what I was doing? What if- What if I was imperioed! To give them the information and forget all about it," she reasoned. 

Remus sighed and put his book down. "Pads, look. You want my opinion?" He raised his eyebrows, yet did not await an answer. "I don't think you were imperioed or anything of that sort. If you were the traitor, you'd do it willingly, consciously."

"What?" Sirius let out softly.

"You said it, you're a Black. It's in your guys' nature. On top of that, you already betrayed us once. I don't see why you wouldn't do it again," he shrugged. The impact of his words didn't get to him until he noticed Sirius' pained expression. 

"That was one time, Moony. I've been apologizing for it ever since and I fucking mean it. I'm sorry I betrayed you. But you have no right to bring it up right now. You know I hate my family, I would never do such a thing willingly," Sirius turned around to leave, but then changed her mind and opened her mouth once more. "But if you wanna go this way, okay. Because you're just as much of a suspect as I am. You're a werewolf, Remus, you also have connections with them. There is a whole pack waiting for you. So don't go telling me that I might be the traitor, when it could be you just as well."

With that, she took her bag and slammed the door behind her. Well, that went well. 

Remus really didn't understand her sometimes. She's been trying to convince him about her theory for days. And when he finally gives in and tells her what he thinks, she gets mad and runs off. There was no point in trying.

Remus shook his head and opened his book again.