This is a different take on that fateful Halloween in 1980. In this fic, James alone is living at Godric's Hollow, while Lily and Harry are in hiding elsewhere. Inspired by Norah Jones' "I've Got to See You Again" (which doesn't belong to me.) Anything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling et al. Familiar text is excerpted from PoA, which likewise is not mine. I'm just borrowing it. Remember to review, and enjoy!
-Trinity
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"I've got to see you again." James looked up abruptly from the table, the shock evident on his face. It surprised him that someone could sneak up on him like that- sneak into the house, make it all the way to the kitchen, without his realization. There was only one person who could do that. And she was far away. He thought.
"Lily!" he gasped, jumping up from the table. She was standing in the doorway, Harry cradled in her arms, fast asleep. Her long red hair was free, roughly pulled away from her face, and James could tell it had been tucked into her hood a few minutes earlier. Her face was calm, but her eyes were anxious and full of energy. "What... what are you doing here?" he demanded as he worriedly crossed to her and took Harry from her arms.
"I've got to see you again," Lily repeated simply, aware of nothing except James. James peered at her over the top of his glasses for a long moment before sighing.
"Lily, you sh-"
"I know. I shouldn't have come back," Lily interrupted, a small smile on her face. "But... oh, James, I had to," she explained desperately. James sighed, glad despite himself that she was there.
"Well... let me put Harry to bed. Then..." James tiredly rubbed his forehead with one hand, unsettling his glasses. Lily gazed at him lovingly. James sighed, resettling his glasses on his nose before disappearing upstairs with Harry, still fast asleep. Lily sighed and sat in a chair beside James', unzipping her sweatshirt. She had left the apartment still in her sleepwear- she was only wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt over a t-shirt, which wasn't enough for the cold October night. But... she couldn't stay there. She just couldn't. Not while James was here... alone.
James returned, looking both unhappy and relieved to see her. He silently sat down beside her, clearing away the papers he'd been inspecting.
"Tea?" he offered, and Lily nodded, gazing peacefully at his worried face. James pulled his wand out of his back pocket and conjured two mugs, readily full of hot water and tea bags.
"Thank you," Lily replied softly, taking the mug and clasping it between her cold hands. James concentrated on his tea for a moment before sighing.
"Lily... what are you doing here? You know you're in danger here- that's why you're living in that apartment, for Merlin's sake!" Lily sighed and stared at her mug.
"I know, James. And... and it doesn't make any sense to me, either- to put Harry and my lives at risk. But... but James, you're here! And your life is at risk, too! More than mine. And... I couldn't let you be here, alone." James sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"Lily, we decided on this! I would stay here. And you and Harry would be safe- no one knows where you are! But here, here we're all in danger, and..." James trailed off as he saw Lily's eyes, still focused downward, glistening with tears. "Oh, Lil," he murmured, stretching across his hand to cover hers. "I... I know how hard this is. And... and I'm probably not making it any better," he admitted, glancing away from Lily for a moment.
"No, it's all right," Lily replied, sniffing softly. "You're right, James- but I couldn't help it! I had to come." James nodded.
"I know. I just... I wish you hadn't brought Harry," he replied, replacing his glasses on his face. Lily nodded.
"I know. That almost kept me from coming- Peter wasn't home, or I would have left Harry there. And... well, I wasn't about to leave Harry alone, was I?" James smiled, squeezing Lily's hand.
"Of course not." James was thoughtful for a moment, his smile slowly fading. "Where do you suppose Peter is?" Lily shrugged worriedly, taking a sip of her tea.
"I don't know. But... I had to stay with Harry. And... I had to see you. So I had no choice." James nodded again and moved his chair around the edge of the table to sit beside Lily.
"Well, as much as I hate the idea of you being here... I'm happy to see you," he admitted, smiling fondly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Lily smiled, replacing her mug on the table and leaning against James.
"I love you," she murmured, resting a hand on his chest. James smiled, closing his eyes.
"And I love you," he replied, stroking Lily's hair. "Besides... I'm sure nothing will happen ton-" He was cut off by a loud roar and the sound of a great force slamming against the door. Lily and James leapt to their feet in one motion, pulling out their wands at the same time, expressions of fear and grim disbelief on their faces.
"No..." Lily whispered, staring through the darkened living room toward the doorway, out of sight around the corner. James seemed to come to his senses, quickly stepping before Lily.
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run!" James ordered, his voice steadily growing louder in panic, shoving Lily toward the stairs. Lily didn't respond, but ran toward the staircase. "I'll hold him off-" Once again, James was cut off by the sound of the door bursting in, and a cackle of high-pitched laughter flooding the house. James watched Lily in anguish for a split second before turning, wand ready, to fight the intruder. He was dumbstruck to find the pale, pointed face of Voldemort leering at him from the other side of the darkened living room, still cackling. Gritting his teeth, James gripped his wand more firmly, but before he could make a move, Voldemort had raised his own and screamed the killing curse.
"Avada Kedavra!" Instantaneously, James fell to the floor. Lily, at the top of the stairs, heard the shout, heard the thump of the body, and nearly tripped as she ran down the hall toward Harry's room. She gasped, sobs silently forcing their way out of her, before she leapt into Harry's bedroom and slammed the door. Sobs wracking her body, she ran to Harry's bed to find him slowly waking up. She heard that horrible cackling again, and shoved her hand to her mouth to keep from screaming. James was dead. James was dead. James was dead...
Barely moments later, the door gave an almighty crack as a force slammed into it, and Lily jumped as the door crashed to the floor. She let out a short scream, cramming her hands into her mouth, backing up against Harry's crib. Voldemort stood, robes billowing, in the doorway, his horrible mouth contorted into a smirk, his wand raised. Slowly, as though taking his time, he entered the room, lowering his wand to point at Harry, his horrible eyes never leaving the baby.
"Not... Not Harry, not Harry, please, not Harry!" she whimpered, her voice rising in volume until it reached a scream. Voldemort seemed unconcerned, his eyes slowly glancing at Lily, then returning to gaze at the small boy behind her.
"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside now..." he instructed calmly, his smirk disappearing and a look of intense concentration replacing it. He slowly crossed to Harry's crib, completely ignoring Lily, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Not Harry!" she hollered, taking a step out, intercepting Voldemort as he moved toward Harry. Taken aback, Voldemort stopped and stared down at the redhead who had halted his progress, intrigued by her determination. He had given her the instruction to leave- the gift to leave with her life. Yet she was still here... "Please no, take me, kill me instead-"Lily begged, emboldened by Voldemort's hesitation. He gazed at her with something almost like admiration. Her selflessness was... unfortunate. "Please... have mercy... have mercy..." Lily begged, tears soaking her face and hair. Narrowing his eyes, Voldemort turned his wand from Harry to Lily and shook his head. Stupid Mudblood, he thought. Consumed by love...
"Avada Kedavra!" he screamed, laughing maniacally as Lily collapsed to the floor, lying between Voldemort and Harry. She could have left with her life, he thought as he carelessly stepped over her. But now they were all going to die...
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-Trinity
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"I've got to see you again." James looked up abruptly from the table, the shock evident on his face. It surprised him that someone could sneak up on him like that- sneak into the house, make it all the way to the kitchen, without his realization. There was only one person who could do that. And she was far away. He thought.
"Lily!" he gasped, jumping up from the table. She was standing in the doorway, Harry cradled in her arms, fast asleep. Her long red hair was free, roughly pulled away from her face, and James could tell it had been tucked into her hood a few minutes earlier. Her face was calm, but her eyes were anxious and full of energy. "What... what are you doing here?" he demanded as he worriedly crossed to her and took Harry from her arms.
"I've got to see you again," Lily repeated simply, aware of nothing except James. James peered at her over the top of his glasses for a long moment before sighing.
"Lily, you sh-"
"I know. I shouldn't have come back," Lily interrupted, a small smile on her face. "But... oh, James, I had to," she explained desperately. James sighed, glad despite himself that she was there.
"Well... let me put Harry to bed. Then..." James tiredly rubbed his forehead with one hand, unsettling his glasses. Lily gazed at him lovingly. James sighed, resettling his glasses on his nose before disappearing upstairs with Harry, still fast asleep. Lily sighed and sat in a chair beside James', unzipping her sweatshirt. She had left the apartment still in her sleepwear- she was only wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt over a t-shirt, which wasn't enough for the cold October night. But... she couldn't stay there. She just couldn't. Not while James was here... alone.
James returned, looking both unhappy and relieved to see her. He silently sat down beside her, clearing away the papers he'd been inspecting.
"Tea?" he offered, and Lily nodded, gazing peacefully at his worried face. James pulled his wand out of his back pocket and conjured two mugs, readily full of hot water and tea bags.
"Thank you," Lily replied softly, taking the mug and clasping it between her cold hands. James concentrated on his tea for a moment before sighing.
"Lily... what are you doing here? You know you're in danger here- that's why you're living in that apartment, for Merlin's sake!" Lily sighed and stared at her mug.
"I know, James. And... and it doesn't make any sense to me, either- to put Harry and my lives at risk. But... but James, you're here! And your life is at risk, too! More than mine. And... I couldn't let you be here, alone." James sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"Lily, we decided on this! I would stay here. And you and Harry would be safe- no one knows where you are! But here, here we're all in danger, and..." James trailed off as he saw Lily's eyes, still focused downward, glistening with tears. "Oh, Lil," he murmured, stretching across his hand to cover hers. "I... I know how hard this is. And... and I'm probably not making it any better," he admitted, glancing away from Lily for a moment.
"No, it's all right," Lily replied, sniffing softly. "You're right, James- but I couldn't help it! I had to come." James nodded.
"I know. I just... I wish you hadn't brought Harry," he replied, replacing his glasses on his face. Lily nodded.
"I know. That almost kept me from coming- Peter wasn't home, or I would have left Harry there. And... well, I wasn't about to leave Harry alone, was I?" James smiled, squeezing Lily's hand.
"Of course not." James was thoughtful for a moment, his smile slowly fading. "Where do you suppose Peter is?" Lily shrugged worriedly, taking a sip of her tea.
"I don't know. But... I had to stay with Harry. And... I had to see you. So I had no choice." James nodded again and moved his chair around the edge of the table to sit beside Lily.
"Well, as much as I hate the idea of you being here... I'm happy to see you," he admitted, smiling fondly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Lily smiled, replacing her mug on the table and leaning against James.
"I love you," she murmured, resting a hand on his chest. James smiled, closing his eyes.
"And I love you," he replied, stroking Lily's hair. "Besides... I'm sure nothing will happen ton-" He was cut off by a loud roar and the sound of a great force slamming against the door. Lily and James leapt to their feet in one motion, pulling out their wands at the same time, expressions of fear and grim disbelief on their faces.
"No..." Lily whispered, staring through the darkened living room toward the doorway, out of sight around the corner. James seemed to come to his senses, quickly stepping before Lily.
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run!" James ordered, his voice steadily growing louder in panic, shoving Lily toward the stairs. Lily didn't respond, but ran toward the staircase. "I'll hold him off-" Once again, James was cut off by the sound of the door bursting in, and a cackle of high-pitched laughter flooding the house. James watched Lily in anguish for a split second before turning, wand ready, to fight the intruder. He was dumbstruck to find the pale, pointed face of Voldemort leering at him from the other side of the darkened living room, still cackling. Gritting his teeth, James gripped his wand more firmly, but before he could make a move, Voldemort had raised his own and screamed the killing curse.
"Avada Kedavra!" Instantaneously, James fell to the floor. Lily, at the top of the stairs, heard the shout, heard the thump of the body, and nearly tripped as she ran down the hall toward Harry's room. She gasped, sobs silently forcing their way out of her, before she leapt into Harry's bedroom and slammed the door. Sobs wracking her body, she ran to Harry's bed to find him slowly waking up. She heard that horrible cackling again, and shoved her hand to her mouth to keep from screaming. James was dead. James was dead. James was dead...
Barely moments later, the door gave an almighty crack as a force slammed into it, and Lily jumped as the door crashed to the floor. She let out a short scream, cramming her hands into her mouth, backing up against Harry's crib. Voldemort stood, robes billowing, in the doorway, his horrible mouth contorted into a smirk, his wand raised. Slowly, as though taking his time, he entered the room, lowering his wand to point at Harry, his horrible eyes never leaving the baby.
"Not... Not Harry, not Harry, please, not Harry!" she whimpered, her voice rising in volume until it reached a scream. Voldemort seemed unconcerned, his eyes slowly glancing at Lily, then returning to gaze at the small boy behind her.
"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside now..." he instructed calmly, his smirk disappearing and a look of intense concentration replacing it. He slowly crossed to Harry's crib, completely ignoring Lily, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Not Harry!" she hollered, taking a step out, intercepting Voldemort as he moved toward Harry. Taken aback, Voldemort stopped and stared down at the redhead who had halted his progress, intrigued by her determination. He had given her the instruction to leave- the gift to leave with her life. Yet she was still here... "Please no, take me, kill me instead-"Lily begged, emboldened by Voldemort's hesitation. He gazed at her with something almost like admiration. Her selflessness was... unfortunate. "Please... have mercy... have mercy..." Lily begged, tears soaking her face and hair. Narrowing his eyes, Voldemort turned his wand from Harry to Lily and shook his head. Stupid Mudblood, he thought. Consumed by love...
"Avada Kedavra!" he screamed, laughing maniacally as Lily collapsed to the floor, lying between Voldemort and Harry. She could have left with her life, he thought as he carelessly stepped over her. But now they were all going to die...
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