Chapter One

June 15, 1985

"Do you James Potter take Lily to be your wife?"

"I do." James replied, looking directly into Lily Evans' eyes. The day he'd been waiting for his whole life was finally here. And half over.

"I do, too." Lily smiled that smile that never stopped melting his heart.

After the ceremony they walked out of the small chapel behind their family and friends. As they walked down the front steps through the rice being thrown at them, James thought about how he never thought he'd get this far. He never thought this day would come, not for him anyway. If he hadn't saved Snape's life, if he hadn't interfered in his best friend's practical joke and saved the person he absolutely hated, he'd never be here. He would never be beside Lily. He owed Snape. As much as that killed him, Lily meant so much more.

Now though, now he was holding her hand and calling her wife. Nothing in his life would ever be the same, and that was perfectly okay with him.

XXXXX

"So, I don't have to carry you over this thing for real, right?" James asked. They were standing in front of their new little cottage they'd purchased after their honeymoon three weeks ago. They'd visited this little muggle town and simply fell in love with the place. Godric's Hollow was their new home. He turned to look at his beautiful wife. His Lily.

"Er, James?" Lily said. "You will carry me over thi—Argh!" She yelped as James swung her over his shoulder. "James. James!"

"Yes, dear?" He said as innocently as that puppy who ruins your carpet. Lily smacked his back and laughed.

"Not like this you caveman." He swung her back around cradle style in his arms.

"Better?"

"Much." She smiled this was her husband. Sometimes it was hard to believe they had made it this far. She never thought his face would ever make her do anything but sneer, and now his face, his eyes held her future. She took his face in her hands and kissed him, watching as he still had that small bit of surprise cross his face and then change into the brightest smile she had ever seen. The smile that was for her, and only for her.

"Your palace, my queen." He carried her over the threshold over to their all but empty living room and dropped them both unceremoniously on the single piece of furniture in the room; a very old, very ugly, but also extremely comfy sofa. She giggled softly, still awed by the turn her life had taken.

"Want to break in the couch?" She whispered huskily in to his ear. The shock on his face lasted only seconds before he put on his mischievous grin and devoured her mouth. This was the life, she thought.

XXXXX

November 30, 1986

"So Sirius, how goes the adventures on the new motorbike?" James asked his best friend.

"Great." He replied with his mouth full of mashed potatoes. "It's almost like a broomstick with an engine and a kickstand."

They were seated at the large dining room table at the Potter's cottage. All of their friends and a few members of the elite team known as the Order of the Phoenix sat with them. There was Mad-eye Moody, all eyes, nose, and legs intact; then Frank and Alice Longbottom sane and also expecting; Remus Lupin, looking happy and fed despite his condition of being a werewolf; there was also Peter Pettigrew, the smallest and mousiest of the group and the most quiet; there were Fabian and Gideon Prewett, the twin brothers of Molly Weasley nee Prewett; beside them the two Weasley's and their small brood of five.

The Order of the Phoenix was brought together by Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the Light Side. He'd brought them all together to defeat a man who'd named himself Lord Voldemort; a man who'd crossed every line of evil. The wizarding equivalent of Adolph Hitler. He killed mercilessly. He believed that all children who were born into magic from Muggles, or humans with no magical background, were to be killed and never allowed to learn to hone their abilities. He believed they'd stolen their magic from the wizarding community and they had to be punished. So this man, this evil man rounded up every muggle-born witch and wizard and killed them along with people who defied him and the purpose he stood for. The only man that Voldemort would not cross was Dumbledore. So it was Dumbledore who would put a stop to him, with the help of his amazing group of witches and wizards.

Small insignificant chatter surrounded the table, odds and ends, what each did for their current mission each knowing that one of their member was part of the other side. One of them was conspiring to put them all in danger. They were all careful of what they said to one another these days. Not knowing who to trust was hard when you knew that one of your friends could betray you at any time.

Despite the darkness of the time, one Lily Potter had a soft glow about her. She stood up suddenly, and all the conversation came to a pause.

"Everyone? I have an announcement to make." She looked down at her husband and smiled. "James and I, well, we're going to have a baby!"

Cheers erupted from around the table. It would be another child in their group to be coming into the dark world that they lived in. With Frank and Alice expecting and Molly and Arthur with their small ones, there was more to fight for.

Another small light in the darkness.

James leapt up from his chair and swung Lily around kissing her forehead lightly. All of his dreams were coming true. His beautiful wife and the child insider her would be the icing on his favorite cake. His wife. His child. His baby, inside her.

"Wow." Was all he could say.

XXXXX

July 31, 1986

1:00am

"James." Lily called sitting up in bed. "James." She shook him, sometimes this man could sleep like the dead. "James!"

"Wha—what?" He flailed and fell off the bed. Poking his head up slightly he saw Lily sitting up with her eyebrows raised for a second before pain flitted across her face. "Honey?"

"James. Eesh. Its time." She panted out slowly.

"Time?" She raised her eyebrows again, he sounded so dumb sometimes when he first woke up. "Time. Oh merlin. Its Time. Now? Like this second?"

"Yes you idiot, get up." He stood up like a lighting shot. "Grab the bag, we'll go by floo."

"'Kay." He said, still reeling. It was time. He was going to be a father.

They floo'd to the Hogwarts infirmary. It was the safest place for them considering the newest circumstances. They needed to keep their baby safe. Voldemort had been after them and their baby ever since some stupid new Hogwarts teacher made a prophecy sealing the fate of the Dark Lord and a Death Eater had overheard. Idiots. Dumbledore had asked them to take on a Secret Keeper and perform the Fidelus Charm so that no one could find them.

Madame Pomfrey ushered Lily to a bed and gave her a potion for the contractions. It was funny how Muggle women went through horrific ordeals giving birth to babies everyday and here was Lily sitting up as pretty as you please with only a small abdominal pinch to signal contractions.

Five hours later a small boy, seven pounds and three ounces, twenty-one inches long, was born to James and Lily Potter. Harry James Potter was welcomed to the world surrounded by his parents and Dumbledore and the medi-witch.

XXXXX

July 31, 1987

"Oh I wish he could have a real first birthday." Lily and James were still in hiding and Lily was worried about her son's social interaction. "He can't even have any friends."

Little Harry turned one that morning at six. He was now walking, or teeter-tottering, around the kitchen while his mom made a birthday cake for him. His first ever. Every few minutes she'd slip him a finger-full of icing and he'd giggle and come running.

James sat at the table watching his son. It was exhausting being in the house cooped up all the time. The only person they ever saw was Peter, the man they'd chosen as their Secret Keeper, or the man Sirius had chosen to protect them anyway. James understood in a way, why Sirius had given the job to Peter instead, who'd ever believe that they'd trust Peter with such a task? Still, James thought that Sirius would have been a much better choice, if someone ever did find Peter it would be only too easy for them to find the Potter's location, Peter wasn't exactly the brightest candle burning in Hogwarts.

"I know Lils, but what can we do? If we even step outside we could be putting Harry in danger. He'll be okay for now. Its only for a while." He picked up his son and tickled him, little Harry squealed, his green eyes sparkling like his mother's. "Right, buddy? You're okay."

James nuzzled his baby's neck. "Dada, dada, dada." James' eyes widened.

"Honey, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Lily said from the oven.

"Harry just said 'dada' didn't you slugger?" James laughed, excited.

"Dada." Harry wriggled, trying to get out of his dad's arms. James put him down and Harry walked in to the living room, where you could hear him saying 'dada' over and over as he played with his blocks.

Lily came to the table with the small cake. She put a big candle in the middle and lit it.

"Get Harry, its time for cake." They sat him down in his little chair. They sang him happy birthday and Harry clapped with enthusiasm. "Blow out your candle, baby."

Harry looked at them like they were crazy, so all three of them blew out the candle together. "Happy Birthday, Harry Potter."

XXXXX

October 31, 1987

"Harry James Potter! You come back here!" Lily laughed as she chased Harry around the bottom floor of their house on his little baby-broomer. He'd gotten it for his birthday and hadn't wanted to get off of it for months.

"Hey, Lils, can you put Harry down? I want to watch a scary movie with my wife." He smiled and kissed her.

"Sure, but no axe murderers." Lily waved her wand and the toy broom came to a halt. Harry shrieked, a happy baby sound. She lifted him up in to her arms. "Come on slugger."

Lily carried her son up the stairs to his nursery. Grabbing his favorite Blues Clues pajamas she readied him for bedtime. "Time to dream about the fairies, little Harry."

She sat down in the rocking chair and started to sing his favorite lullaby.

Meanwhile downstairs, James had picked out the movie and was cleaning up Harry's toys that were left strewn over the living room floor. The front door opened of its own accord. James looked up and saw something he never expected to see. Voldemort was in James Potter's home.

Voldemort twirled his wand in his fingers. Calmly he glided over to James and took his neck in his hand. James never had time to react.

"James Potter." He hissed.

"Voldemort. What do you want?" He choked out, bravely.

"Where is the boy?"

"Shove off, Snake-face." James spat.

"Tell me where he is and I will spare your insolent life." Voldemort said, squeezing harder.

"James!" It was Lily, on the stairs paused with her wand raised.

"Lily. Run! Get Harry and run!" She didn't need telling twice. She ran up the stairs and gathered her son. She couldn't apparate from the house. The wards wouldn't allow it and the only fireplace was downstairs in the living room. Harry's room was the farthest away from the stairs, she was trapped. She braced Harry on her hip and pointed her want out in front of her.

Downstairs, James lay splayed out on the floor. In seconds, Voldemort was up the stairs in the doorway of the baby's room. Seeing Lily, angry and ready to strike, the Dark Lord laughed, a cold and cruel laugh that sent uninvited chills down Lily's spine. She wouldn't let him take Harry.

"The Order will be here soon, Voldemort. You should leave." Lily was the negotiator for the Order, she could do this.

"You dare speak my name? Hand over the boy."

"No. You take me instead. He's just a baby." She was panicking now, she messed up by saying his name.

"Silly girl, hand him to me and you needn't go the way your husband did." He was lying. James wasn't dead.

"No! Not Harry. Please, not Harry." Voldemort came closer, he was becoming angry. Outside a storm was brewing, the wind was knocking the trees into the windows.

"No, please! Please."

"Avada Kedavra." The Killing Curse flashed its angry green light taking the last of Lily Potters breaths. She fell to the floor with her son still clutched in her arms.

"You. They said you could stop me." He laughed again, the cruel sound echoing through the cottage as he said the curse once more.

The green light flashed toward Harry, and Voldemort stopped laughing. The green blast of light fused with a bright white emitting from the small boy on the floor. It was so bright that Voldemort shielded his eyes as it engulfed them both. Suddenly, the Dark Lord felt a great pain. His tattered soul was being ripped from his body, nothing he'd ever felt before had compared to this. He felt his body melt into pieces. Then it was over.

The disfigured body of Lord Voldemort was no more. Just a vapor of nothing. The blinding light was gone. Harry the baby boy, sat in his mother's lifeless arms and clapped his hands one time. He had unknowingly survived the most powerful curse known to wizard-kind. Soon, he would be known as the Boy Who Lived.