A/N: i know this looks really chunky and big to read, but just try it please because I'm kind of proud of it. you don't even need to review if you don't want to, please just read it.
Disclaimer: This story is mine, except for any and all things that you can recognize as J.K. Rowling's work. That pretty much sums it up. Enjoy:
Not Everything Ends With Happily Ever After
A little twig of a woman with glasses magnifying her already large eyes was talking in a most serious voice, she seemed to be having an interview. A familiar head of silver was speaking to her asking her if "it runs in her family." They continued talking like this, the Silver Man at times removing his half-moon glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. His shoulders slumped; until it happened.
"THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES . . . BORN TO THOSE THAT HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES . . . AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT . . . AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES. . . . THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES. . . . "
The twiggy woman rocked back and forth, her glasses became askew, her voice deeper then any man's, yet higher than any women's. She repeated it, over and over she repeated it: " . . . AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT . . . AND EITHER MUST DIE - " She repeated these condemning words until her voice grew raspy, and until Lily Potter was jerked awake.
She breathed in heavily. It was nothing, just a dream. A dream she could live with. So, with great difficulty, she turned her head and gave her husband a quick peck on the nose. James stirred a bit, but continued to sleep.
She was calm now, he always made her feel calm, and was just about to lay her head back onto the pillow, when that frightening women's face came into her mind. She wouldn't be able to sleep now, not with that picture in her head, andso Lily heaved herself up and waddled out the bedroom door, closing it softly behind her.
Carefully she tiptoed into the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards, anything to keep her hands busy. Finally Lily decided to make a cup of tea.
She filled the kettle and placed it on the stove, lighting the burner with her wand. Once the kettle started to whistle, she quickly removed it from the heat. It didn't help, the kettle just kept making noise, and Lily got used to it. Once the kettle had quieted down, she heard the padding of bare feet on the wooden floors.
There he stood, the love of her life, his bare torso tan and muscular, his dark hair tousled, his pajama pants loosely hanging onto his hips, and a worried look on his sleepy face. "What's wrong, hon? And don't tell me "nothing," you only make tea in the middle of the night when something's the matter. So, what's up?"
She took a deep breath, got out another cup, and poured him some tea. She gestured to the table, and they sat, James looking concerned, and Lily looking a little confused. He took her hand and gently squeezed it. She looked into his eyes, a soft sadness was there that she'd only seen when something was troubling him, usually concerning her. "Well, God, James, I don't know where to start. There was this dream, mm, it gives me shivers to think of it. In the dream there was this women, she was rocking back and forth, her eyes weren't quite right. She kept saying something, I think she was having a . . . premonition, is that what it's called?"
"Well, anyway she was talking about the 'Dark Lord' and the person who will be able to get rid of him. He will be the son of parents that have 'defied him thrice' and the child will be born at the ending of July." Here she paused, taking a sip of her tea to settle her nerves.
"That's us, James! We have 'defied' Voldemort three times! Look at me, im eight months pregnant and it's the end of June! OUR CHILD WILL HAVE TO KILL VOLDEMORT . . . Or . . . Or else be killed by Him. James, I can't have this baby. I won't be able to handle the unavoidable future. Not my child. Not our child, James. I'm not putting him through it."
James had tears forming at the corners of each eye. "Lily." She slid her hand out from under his. "Lily." he said it more fiercely now. She slowly looked up at him, her face was wet with tears. "It was a dream. It was a dream, sweetheart. Forget it, alright? Promise me you'll forget it."
Lily started to move away, but James pulled her back towards him, careful not to hurt her stomach. "Lily, it was nothing! Look at me." She gazed at his face and James bent down and kissed her. He pulled her close to him, kissed the top of her head, and whispered to her. "It'll be alright. It'll be okay. Shh, I'm here."
Lily had never felt so lucky in her entire life.
– — – — – — – — –
The next month went by quickly, the dream wasn't mentioned again. A nursery was made with brilliant walls blue like the sky, and changed with your mood. When you were angry it would be a thunderstorm. Sadness brought a gentle downpour. Happy moods were greeted by bright blue and a dazzling yellow sun.
Sirius would come by now and then, Peter was often with him. They would stay for dinner. The men would drink wine over dessert and Lily would sip her tea, a constant comfort. They chatted over many things, whether the baby were a girl or a boy, what to name it depending on gender, and the rise of Voldemort.
But nothing could dampen James' mood. He was beyond being excited about parenthood. James was ecstatic, expectant, and the most wonderful thing Lily had ever experienced. Everyday after work he would pat her belly while softly cooing to the unborn baby. James would tell the child what they would do together, they would play wizard's chess and he would teach his child how to play quidditch.
Lily smiled while James did this. She couldn't wait to see him holding the new baby, and she wouldn't have to wait that long.
— – — – — – — – —
He came on a hot July day. The 31st. Lily had to call James home from work and he helped her apparate to St. Mungo's. Sirius, Peter, and Remus were already there looking a bit overwhelmed, but they gave Lily encouraging smiles and hugs before she was whisked away by the healers. James started running with them, but the healer turned to him and gently said, "No wizards allowed in the delivery room, I'm afraid. Not unless they are healers."
James was devastated and dejectedly walked away to worry with his best friends. He was glad to have them there. More glad than they'll ever know.
He suddenly stood, "One minute, I've got to call her parents." and with that he found the closest fireplace, took a little extra floo powder, shouted "Evans Residence, 567 Harrington Street!" And was spinning, then looking into Lily's old living room.
The Evans' were startled when James suddenly appeared in the fireplace. "It's time," he said, and Mr. and Mrs. Evans, without asking a single question, grabbed their bags and walked into the fireplace. "Wait, you need me. And the Floo Powder."
James sprinkled the emerald powder on them and shouted "ST. MUNGO'S." They were quickly spinning, the poor Evans' grasping at James' arms. Then it stopped and the three of them tumbled out of the fireplace. James helped them up, quickly brushed them off, then started to sprint towards Lily's room. "This way!" he called and they followed, hurrying along the corridors and swinging their bags around recklessly.
When they reached the room, Mr. Evan's started to enter. "I'm sorry, Dad. They don't let men in there."
He seemed surprised, "Still? They did that when Lily was being born. That was a while back."
James smiled, "Yeah, I know. She is getting old, but let's not let her hear us saying that."
They started to walk away, when Mrs. Evans came up and kissed her husband, then squeezed his hand before turning to James, "We'll be alright, Darling. Don't worry." He smiled and Mrs. Evans turned around to see her daughter.
As Mr. Evans and James walked away to find The Marauder's, he asked James a question, "Where are your parents, Son?"
James made a noise of irritation, then scathingly answered him, "They're on a cruise around Africa for the whole summer. And they knew Lily would be giving birth sometime this summer. After we told them they scheduled the cruise! It's ridiculous that they wont even come to see their first grandchild being born."
Mr. Evans clapped a hand on his shoulder, "I know what you mean, mate. I know what you mean."
With that they walked away to wait, and to worry.
– — – — – — – — –
Remus was holding hands with Peter, Peter was holding hands with Sirius, Sirius was holding hands with Mr. Evans, Mr. Evans was holding hands with James, who was holding hands with Remus. They were sitting in a circle, keeping up a silent vigil, when the healer came.
"She's doing well. You can go in and see her now," He said pointing to James.
James shakily stood up and crookedly walked into the delivery room. He was frightened of what he would find in there. Slowly he inhaled, then pushed open the door.
Lily sat on her bed, her brilliant hair tousled and she looked sweaty, but her eyes were sparkling. They dazzled him even before he noticed what she was cradling. He started to cry upon looking at the baby. His child. He had helped put the sweet, helpless thing on Earth. It was overwhelming. He ran up and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you." he whispered. Then he turned around and ran out into the hall.
"I HAVE A SON! IT'S A BOY, SIRIUS. A BOY, I TELL YOU. God, he is beautiful!" He shouted. James was so overjoyed, he couldn't stand it. He ran over to Peter, pulled him up and twirled him around and around, the entire time chanting, "a boy, a boy, a boy."
He kept dancing and dancing. His feet were getting tired, but he couldn't feel them because he was numb with happiness.
He danced with the entire hospital staff. Then he realized he hadn't even held his son. James skipped into Lily's delivery room, beaming. "James, you ran off so quickly there. Do you even want to see him?" Lily teased.
James could only nod as he held out his arms and the tiny bundle of life was placed in his hands along with a responsibility he had never known. After holding his child for a second he knew that he could never let anything happen to him.
James would keep the silent promise to make sure Harold James Potter was always safe.
— – — – — – — – —
The next weeks were the most tiring, yet happiest times James had ever experienced. Waking up two to three times a night made it difficult to go to work, but what made more difficult still was seeing Lily sleeping happily with Harry laying on her stomach, and wrapping him up in her arms. And whenever James would come to kiss them goodbye Harry would open his big, green eyes - the eyes he would be told many times were "his mother's" - and look at James with absolute adoration. James stared back and smiled at Harry with the same look.
As he mindlessly apparated to work, then walked to his office, James would think about how much he was missing when he had to be gone all day. He didn't want to end up being the workaholic dad he had known, and loathed, growing up. He wanted to be the dad that all the other kids were jealous of, the dad he had been jealous of.
He didn't know that day would never come.
– — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — –
A/N: And here ends chapter one. Originally I was going to make it a one shot, but I decided that wasn't enough space for me to fit in a whole year of their lives. Mmk, please review. I love them so. Thanks.