What may have been?
Lily watched as James hurriedly wrote to everyone they knew. He had been acting oddly all morning, Ever since that letter Lily thought. As James threw the last owl into the blizzard outside he said, "Well, that's the last one, I sent them to Sirius, Remus, Rose and Marilyn."
"What about Peter?" Lily asked.
"Peter? He- he was an acquaintance at Hogwarts, nothing more." James said icily.
"Oh, I didn't know he was that far from you, Prongs. You'd have thought that you were best friends with our dear Wormtail."
"We were young, and we felt bad for Peter. You still on about that aren't you?"
"But of course, I knew I saw all of you on the grounds that one time, don't you remember?"
"Ah, yes... 'Look at that dog, it's huge! Come here, come here. Ah, you like that, don't you?'"
Lily hit James over the head with a pillow.
"I didn't know it was Sirius, at the time- now I know why that stag came from no where chasing it away."
"Of course, you should have heard Sirius afterward, 'I've gotten farther with Lily then you have' It was horrible." James said, faking a grimace
"Quiet, you, he was the one who rolled over to get his stomach rubbed."
"He was also the one who was looking at me through the bushes, smiling."
"How can a dog smile?" Lily said quizzically.
"If it's Sirius, he will find a way." James said simply.
It was evening and Lily and James were sitting in their living room, waiting for Sirius and Rose to show up for their meeting. Remus and Marilyn were already there, both looking bone tired and sick. Gazing through the blazing snowstorm outside, Lily tried to make out the almost full moon. What had possessed James to call a meeting tonight? Surely it was too important to wait for the moon to wane.
"James, why don't you just start? Sirius won't be here for another half-hour, not with that storm." Remus said, looking warily through the window.
"I guess your right, Moony." Clearing his throat he said, in a detached, dead sort of voice, "Professor Dumbledore sent me a letter today."
He stopped, seemingly trying to find the right way to say it. The pause seemed to get on
Marilyn's nerves for she said, "And your point being?"
"Let me read the letter, I can't find the right words."
"A first, for Prongs." Remus said with an edge in his voice.
"I'm sorry Remus, but this couldn't wait for the moon to wane. Marilyn, Remus, I understand that you always feel really, well edgy around this time but please have some patience."
They both nodded, looking a bit ashamed.
"'Mr. Potter-
'You may have heard about Severus Snape's double role as a spy. Mr. Snape has reported to me that Voldemort has targeted you, James...'"
He stopped at the account that Lily seemed about to say something. She didn't.
"'I suggest that you go into hiding, Godric's Hollow is very well protected. I have researched various spells and your best hope is the Fidelius Charm. Meet me in my office at 10am tomorrow morning with your Secret-Keeper.
May God help you.
A. Dumbledore'"
There was a stunned silence in which Marilyn put her hands to her mouth. Remus was looking at James like he was seeing a ghost. Lily looked close to tears, but it was she who broke the pregnant pause.
"But Dumbledore said-" Lily began
"Lily, I hate to say it but that's beside the point, if Dumbledore wrote to us it has to be serious-"
The door opening with a flurry of snow, Sirius and Rose came toppling in, covered with snow interrupted James.
"Did somebody call me?" Sirius said brushing snow off his shoulders and smiling.
"There you are Padfoot." Remus said getting up to help Rose with her jacket.
"What did we miss?" Rose said to Marilyn who by the look of it seemed annoyed at the interruption.
"Oh, nothing much," Marilyn said acidly, she was quite on edge today, not only was it the full moon, but it was that female time of month too. "We just learned that our dearest Voldie is looking for James."
"WHAT?" Both Sirius and Rose yelled
"Yes, I'm seeing him tomorrow at 10." James said looking about 10 years older.
"Lily, I'm so sorry..." Rose couldn't hold it any longer, she burst into tears.
"Rose we'll be fine, we just have to pick a Secret-Keeper." Lily said fighting back tears.
"Sirius?" James said hopefully.
"Yeah...of course." Sirius responded in a dazed sort of way.
"Well, I think Marilyn and I should get going, get to bed early, your going to be all right?" Remus said looking tired and poignant..
"Yes, we'll be fine, Remus. Really, gets some sleep you need it." Lily said with amazing calm.
Sirius spoke after Remus left. "You know what this means?"
"It's never going to be the same." Rose said.
Sirius and Rose stayed the night, seeing that Sirius would have to go with James the next morning.
//next day, James and Sirius have just entered Dumbledore's office.\\
James and Sirius stepped into the office. Looking around, James saw the familiar silver trinkets. It seemed that Dumbledore had acquired a few more, among them a silver and gold hourglass, which flowed backwards. Pointing it out to Sirius, they both puzzled over how it could work.
Albus Dumbledore opened the door to his office. There they stood James and Sirius, Master-Mischief makers. He smiled.
"James, Sirius how good to see you." Alive he thought sadly.
"Hello Professor Dumbledore, sir." They both said in their old voices.
"James, I will not lie to you, this matter is severe. Dumbledore said, getting to the point. "I take it your the Secret-Keeper, Sirius?"
"But of course" Sirius said, trying to lighten the mood, he wasn't succeeding.
Dumbledore pulled out his wand saying," Fidelius works by the concealment of a secret, in this case, were you will be hiding," He indicated James," In the soul of the Secret-Keeper, you." He indicated Sirius this time, which nodded.
"James, at this time tell Sirius were you'll be staying, please."
"Godric's Hollow." James found himself saying
"Sirius, please make any kind of contact with James, now"
Perplexed, Sirius offered a hand to James, he took it
"Fidelius Clandestous." Dumbledore said, pointing his wand at the friends' hands.
A glow, almost angelic gold surrounded Sirius and James, a silver line running from James' sternum (AN: the bone in the middle of your chest, people) to Sirius'. Sirius yelled out, it was painful. After what seemed like an eternity the glow faded, the silver diminished and Sirius fell to the floor, panting hard.
"Sirius, are, are you all right?" James said, fearing that Sirius may be hurt.
"I-I-I'm fine, I think." Sirius said, getting to his feet.
Dumbledore nodded "You and Lily will be safe now."
:: It's been a year now, and Voldemort is still gaining power. James and Lily have moved to Godric's Hollow. Sirius is still Secret-Keeper. Every one is safe and sound, we think::
"You coming?" Sirius said to James
"What?"
"It's full moon, you going to come with me and Moony and Marilyn?"
"Yeah, let me tell Lily."
"You mean ask permission." Sirius put on a voice of pleading, "Oh, please honey, please?"
"Shut the hole you call a mouth." Said James edgily
"Yes, er, sir!" Sirius said the last word as if he had to think about what to call James.
Rolling his eyes, James went to tell Lily.
"Just be careful, ok? Don't let Moony bite."
"You worry too much; I'll be fine." James said, grabbing his wand from the table, he said this with such confidence that it blew Lily why James wasn't dead yet from his own recklessness.
Outside Moony and Marilyn's home, things were bad. Marilyn was having such bad Transformation pains; she could barely stand, let alone walk. Moony was another story, you could tell he was in pain but he put on a good face. Walking to the forest next to Remus' home was slow. They had to carry Marilyn out. She shrieked, writhing with pain.
"Put her down! Change!" Remus shouted, pulling out his wand.
Too late, Marilyn's shrieks turned into snarls soon replaced by howling. James, Sirius and Remus dropped her like a hot potato.
"Stupefy!" They all yelled, James and Sirius hadn't had a chance to change yet. Jets of crimson light shot out of Sirius' and Remus' wands and hit the now priming Marilyn. James' however, backfired. It hit him instead. He looked down in time to register what was wrong. Mahogany wood did not meet his eyes. He had grabbed Lily's wand. He wavered, "Ennervate" he said, hoping it would work, he came back to life in time to see Remus and Marilyn rearing on Sirius, who was not paying attention (he was watching James).
"Sirius! Petrificus Totalus!" He yelled, Sirius would not have time to react. Sirius turned in time to see both Werewolves falling to the ground, inches from him, Bound.
"Thanks...you saved my neck- again." Sirius said, breathless
"Don't mention it, Padfoot. We'd better change." James said, stunned.
"Right" Sirius said, visibly shaken.
Lily sat in the living room, curled up on the loveseat reading A Winter's Tale. She loved anything Shakespeare. She worried about James sometimes. How could she have fallen for him? He's sweet, loving, witty, handsome and indescribably wonderful she thought, a glazed look coming to her emerald eyes. She sat there thinking about how they had gotten this far together, how they had agreed not to have children until the threat of Voldemort was gone, Sirius, Remus... Peter. Sirius was a handful she thought, smiling at the thought. It was a wonder how Rose put up with him. How long had they been together? Six years. Wow, and to think she and James had been together for longer. Looking at the full moon yet again she got up and went to get dressed for bed.
The next day James and Sirius showed up looking tired, white and a bit shaken. She could hear them taking before they opened the door.
"Sirius, we're not saying a thing about what happened last night, ok?" Came James' voice though the door.
"Sure, yeah... whatever." Came Sirius' voice listlessly.
"You heard me, right Padfoot, she worries enough when I leave, don't make it worse."
This infuriated Lily, what were they keeping from her? Remus or Marilyn bit somebody? One of them was bitten? She panicked but kept her cool.
James and Sirius came into the house laughing like nothing had happened.
"So, everything go fine?" Lily asked, with an edge in her voice she tried to hide.
"Just peachy, like old times. Well, I best be going...er, I think Rose had something planned. Yeah, that was it. Uh, bye!" Sirius said quickly evading Lily's eyes.
"Bye." They both said tonelessly.
"So, something happened, didn't it?" Lily said right after he left.
"Er, no. Everything went fine they were fine."
"You're keeping something...." Lily said, trailing off.
"Marilyn went off a bit that was the only set back."
"Fine, if your not going to tell me, I'll just...go out. I can't stand being in here for longer then two days."
"We can't," James said heavily, "The Charm starts working in about...now."
"You mean, that Charm puts us under house arrest?" Lily went livid.
"Lily, only for the first week, -"
"A week? Only a week? 7 days? I could do anything in the space of 7days!"
"It was the best Charm, would you rather be dead?" James said, trying to reason with her.
Lily fell silent; it was true she knew it. "I'm sorry, it's just-"
"I know, Lily, I know." He hugged her around the waist; "it's hard for me too."
~*~3 months later, still under the Fidelius Charm, they're safe. (?)~*~
James was out again, she knew it, out with Moony again She didn't know why but it irritated Lily that he left when things were so dangerous, He needs to get out too, the stress is getting us all. She said, remembering everything she had done with Rose and Marilyn last week. She looked at the clock, 6:47. Groaning, she turned over trying to get to sleep. Without warning a wave of nausea swept over her, causing her to leap from bed and run to the bathroom. 20 minutes later she was rinsing her face with cold water, brushing her teeth and looking at her reflection. She looked haggard with stress, her eyes blood shot from lack of sleep, her skin paler than usual, and her beautiful auburn hair dishevelled. What's wrong with me? She thought. It had been the third day she had gotten up from bed to be sick. Was it stress? Probably. Disregarding everything James told her, she made an appointment with the doctor and set off to see him, straight away. I just need to get out, it isn't serious, and I just need to get out. She kept telling herself, afraid that Voldemort would pop out of no where.
James arrived at the house shortly after Lily left. He worried a bit as to where she could have gone, but figured that she had enough Charms and barriers on her to protect her. He hoped she would be back soon, it was safer at the house then out there at any point of the day.
Lily went back to the house in a dazed sort of way. She had gone to the locale Wizard Doctor and had gotten immediate results. She still couldn't believe it. Opening the door, she saw James right off the bat. She couldn't look him in the eye. What had happened to their agreement?
"James. Hi." She said in a high voice.
"Lily, have fun while you were out?" James hugged her, tight around the waist.
Lily was revolted by his touch, she couldn't look at him, touch him, be anywhere near him. Writhing away from him she said, "fine, just fine."
James was looking at her quizzically, he let go of her and said, "What's wrong Lily?"
"Oh, nothing," Lily said icily, "Nothing at all, you just-" she stopped on the account that another wave of nausea hit her. She ran to the bathroom and locked herself in. She could hear James behind her.
"Lily! Lily, open the door, what's wrong?" James said franticly trying the door.
"Leave me alone!" Lily managed to sob between heaves. Silence prevailed out side the door.
"Lily, you know as well as I do that I can open this door, it's your choice if it's by force or not. Please." James said in desperation.
"No!" Lily said stubbornly.
"Fine." James said and Lily heard the faint 'pop' of Apperation.
Sirius and Rose were just starting to make dinner together when James showed up.
"Rose!" He said, wanting the whole thing with Lily just to end.
"James, what are you playing at? You should be at the house. You're totally unprotected here!" Rose said, ushering James into the house.
Getting right to the point James said, "Rose, I need you to talk to Lily, she's locked herself in the bathroom, sobbing like crazy, she won't talk to me. Please."
Rose and Sirius looked at him. "What do you mean she won't talk to you?" Sirius said puzzled.
"She just won't, I figured she'd talk to you, Rose."
Rose looked uncomfortable. "Fine, let's go."
Two minutes later they were in the Potter's living room.
"Lily, honey? Come out, please?" Rose called through the door.
"Is he out there?" Lily asked sounding tired.
Rose turned sharply to James and Sirius. They got the gist and left to the living room.
"What d'you think it is?" Sirius said, cautiously.
"She's never been like this. It's probably the stress. God knows it gets to me too." James said, putting his face in his hands.
"It's going to be fine Prongs. We've lasted more than a year, right?"
"Yeah... I guess your right, Padfoot."
At that moment Rose came in, nearly holding up a sick, tired looking Lily.
"Lily." James made to hug her but Rose shook her head vigorously.
James looked into Lily's bloodshot jade green eyes. What the bloody hell is going on? He thought angrily. He looked to Rose. She was looking at Sirius in a meaningful way.
"I think we'll leave you to sort things out." James thought she sounded strange, like she wasn't saying something. He simply stayed where he was, looking at Lily. He barely registered the click of the door that was Sirius and Rose.
"Are you-" James said at the same time Lily said, "We need-"
"You go first." James said, feeling uneasy.
"Sit down," Lily said sitting across from him in an armchair.
James, giving Lily a quizzical look, sat down.
"I went to the doctor's today," Lily said, swallowing hard.
"Really What' happened? Is it serious?" James said, convinced it was something dire.
"Give me the chance and I'll tell you." Lily said icily she hated when he did that.
James shut up immediately.
"And he told me, he told me, h-hetoldmethatI'mpregnant." Lily said, bursting into tears.
James looked confused it was clear that he hadn't understood a single word she had said.
Dropping to his knees right next to her he said, "Lily, I can't help you if you don't tell me. Honey, breathe. Shhh."
That's another thing she loved about him, he was so patient, caring. He would understand.
"James...I'm pregnant."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"What do you mean, she's pregnant? You couldn't warn James? It'll kill him!" Sirius said loudly to Rose
"Lily asked me not to say a thing, especially to James, They're sorting it out now." Came the tart response.
"They had an agreement, they wouldn't have children whilst Voldemort was in power! D'you know how much this throws off everything? We have to redo all the spells, charms..."
"But think, Sirius they'll be parents. It was bound to happen-"
"Not this soon though. They told me they wanted to have children, but later in their thirties. We're still seven years from that. It's really going to smack him in the face." Sirius said, face in hands.
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"You're... Pregnant?" James said breathlessly. He was prepared for cancer or leukaemia, but not pregnancies.
Lily nodded, tears glittering in her eyes.
James hugged Lily, "We'll get through this, I'm sure of it."
6 1/2 months later...
Lily was sitting in an armchair, reading The Taming of the Shrew. Mcbeth and The Tempest stacked next to her. James was off reading E.A. Poe somewhere in the house. She was just considering a glass of juice when she got a sharp pain under her bellybutton. Urgh, not again She thought, heading for the bathroom. Just when she closed the door, her water broke.
"James!" She shrieked she heard footsteps running down the stairs.
"Lily? Lily?" James said turning on the spot.
"In here! My water broke!"
James thinking fast levitated her. They were going to run to the hospital.
"Leg Locker, James. Leg Locker." Lily managed to gasp between contractions.
He hesitated, should he?
"Damn it James! Do as your told!"
"Fine." He said. Lily felt the familiar curse winding itself around her legs, snapping them together.
He ran to the Hospital, Lily levitated by his side.
Fourteen and a half hours later...
"Breathe, Lily, breathe."
Lily was crushing his hand but he didn't say a thing. It had been fourteen hours since her water had first broken and James feared that she might never let go of his hand.
"One more good push, Mrs. Potter..." Dr. CorPor was saying from behind his surgical mask.
"Come on Lily, I know you can, you've done so much more. Come on Lily." James cajoled
"James, I've nothing left, I can't." Lily said her hair plastered to her face, her skin pallid.
"Lily, you can, you're strong, beautiful, you will, you won't allow yourself to fail." James said, surprised that he was able to find the right words at that time.
Lily looked at James with a look of pure ardour that could only be accomplished by a woman in labour. James looked at Lily, the moment was electrifying. He could have sworn every emotion that Lily was feeling at that moment was radiated to him. It was amazing.
Three minutes later, the screech of a baby's wail could be heard through out the room.
"It's a boy!" Dr. CorPor said at the top of his lungs.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"It was a great idea that he did the Leg Locker Curse. She wouldn't have made it otherwise." Dr. CorPor was saying.
"But she's all right?" Rose said urgently.
"Of course, of course, she's just tired." CorPor said, in a distracted sort of way.
"Can we see them?" Sirius said looking at the Dr. pleadingly.
"Sure, James is in there now; the baby looks just like him."
"I take it the baby's a boy?" Rose said.
"Yes, yes... Got to run." Dr. CorPor walked off.
"What room is it?" Rose asked Sirius.
"Third floor, room 117." He said quickly.
The sight that greeted them was beautiful. The baby was a cradled in Lily's arm; James bent over them grazing the baby's soft, rosy cheek with his finger. Both of their eyes were lit with a fire that only parents could have. Sirius and Rose stood in the doorway watching the perfect picture.
"Ehem." Sirius said, attracting their attention. Rose elbowed him, hard in the ribs.
"Sirius, Rose. Meet the baby." Lily said in a flimsy voice.
"OH!" Rose lost it completely; she crossed the room and gave Lily a quick hug. "He's beautiful,"
The sudden noise seemed to disturb the baby because he opened his eyes and wailed loudly. Sirius had appeared at James' shoulder. "He's your eyes Lily." He said looking at the baby with a look that was not remotely Sirius at all. It had a fatherly look to it. It was unnerving.
A sharp voice could be heard in the corridor, "Potter? Just had a baby?"
"Yes, room 117, right hand-"
"Thank you" said a woman's voice. For the first time in minutes everyone's eyes flew from the baby to the door, where they could hear some one running to their Room. The door burst open; Remus and Marilyn came in faces alight with happiness.
"Came a soon as we heard." Marilyn said thoroughly delighted.
"Lily, goodness, you look so..." Remus' voice faded
"Ghastly? Appalling, hideous?" Lily tried.
"No! No, no, you just look so tired, I've never seen you like this, and it's unnerving." Remus covered quickly
Lily smiled
"Moony, you just killed it." Sirius said grinning.
"He's beautiful, looks like you, James." Marilyn said, sniffing.
"So is that the baby? He looks like you, James. Wait- with your eyes Lily." Remus said looking at the baby for the first time.
"Have you named him?" Marilyn said, eyes waterlogged.
"Harris James Potter." Lily said.
"Harry for short." James said knowing the look on Sirius' and Remus' face.
"How much does he weigh?" Rose asked
"Five pounds two ounces." James said proudly.
They simply gazed at the baby for a long time, until the nurse said "visiting hours are over,"
//Five years later, still under the Fidelius Charm, James is teaching Harry to ride a broomstick, Lily is worried sick that Harry is going to hurt himself, and Remus, Marilyn, Sirius and Rose are over. Sirius and Remus are on either side of Harry, attempting to balance him. Rose, Marilyn and Lily are by the window drinking tea. Sirius and Rose are married, expecting. Remus and Marilyn are getting married in a few months time. Lily is peering out the window in a timorous way. \\
"Lily, he'll be fine the experts are teaching him."
"Yeah... I guess your right. So what happened with Veronica?" Lily said, trying to pick up on the gossip.
"She got the neighbours so mad at her that they hexed her! Can you believe it? She's still got the marks on her." Marilyn said, looking happy to pass this along to Lily.
"Goodness knows she deserved it." Rose said stingily. She and Veronica Irkinstien had never gotten along together.
They were distracted by a boisterous combination of yelling and cheering coming from the front yard. Lily looked in time to see Harry, 20 feet in the air, gripping the handle of James' Silver Arrow with both hands and knees, James, Sirius and Remus under him, arms outstretched in case he fell.
"Harry! James, get him down, get him down from there!" Lily said loudly. "I swear, men and Quidditch, he'll be lucky if Harry will even touch a broom after this." She muttered to Rose and Marilyn.
Finally, after much coaxing and pleading, they all convinced Harry to dip the handle of the broom forward, into a dive. A foot from the air James said, "Pull up! Pull up!" Harry pulled out of his dive and toppled safely on to the ground. Lily ran to Harry hugging him tightly.
"Mum, I'm fine- really." He said against her shoulder.
Letting go of her son, Lily looked up at the three men standing off to the side. Neither one was meeting her eye.
"Look at the bright side, Lily. He wasn't hurt." Remus said as if pointing out the obvious.
"Yeah and now we know that Harry's really good at dives." Sirius put in; they all glared at him.
Standing up, Lily said, "Fine, teach him to break his bones, he'll do that anyway once he goes to Hogwarts." She meant this to sound nerve-racking and cold, but it didn't work. They all burst into laughter heading in for tea.
The contents of the Orb began to fade, dilute and vanish. Harry didn't want it to. He wanted to see more. He wanted to see them now. Harry didn't want it to. He stared deeper into the swirling mist, determined not to let that picture fade, it did. Finally he looked up.
"That's how it would have been my dear." Professor Trelawny said in her mistiest voice
"Thank-You." He said, he couldn't think of anything else to say.
"My dear, what may have been is painful to see, I understand. But you must see that if your parents hadn't died, You-know-who would have prevailed. Countless other lives would have been destroyed. You would not be whom you are today if it had been for the sacrifices your parents made, you must understand."
"I understand it doesn't make it any easier." Harry said, regretting he had ever asked Trelawny for this favour. What had possessed him to ask her to show him what could have been if Sirius was Secret-Keeper? In a sense though, it made him feel melancholy yet contented at the same time. They would have been happy. Everyone would be happy, Sirius wouldn't have spent 12 years in Azkaban, He would have been married, with children, as would Remus. He would have parents, the Dursley's would be out of the picture, he would have been happy, he would have known his parents.
Leaving the stuffy room for the fresh crisp air of June, he said to himself,
"What could have been, may never be, but what is now it shall be."
AN:) Hello people! Ok, this is for Dog*Star someone's website, and its monthly challenge, (like Flourish's) It required a few things, such as the backwards hourglass, a mention of Shakespeare, someone's wand backfiring, a snow storm and the Full Body Bind. ::sighs:: Feed back on this please, I use you guys as a sound board kind of thing, so send flames, and anything that would permanently attach your lips to my ass to Betoagoo@cs.com so I know whether this is good enough to submit to Dog*Star. I might not be posting Aurora: Year One because I got major Writers' Block in the middle of writing it and I'm not too happy about the way it came out, I might re-write the whole damned thing. Feed back on that too... I posted Remembrance, a Lupin Fic on accident! I'm taking it down and re-posting. It'll be longer and have a few more flashbacks in it, again FEED BACK. Ok... that's all I want to say for now... Bye
(*_*)
Disclaimer: I would not be writing for you people right now, I would be rolling in money if they were mine.
Lily watched as James hurriedly wrote to everyone they knew. He had been acting oddly all morning, Ever since that letter Lily thought. As James threw the last owl into the blizzard outside he said, "Well, that's the last one, I sent them to Sirius, Remus, Rose and Marilyn."
"What about Peter?" Lily asked.
"Peter? He- he was an acquaintance at Hogwarts, nothing more." James said icily.
"Oh, I didn't know he was that far from you, Prongs. You'd have thought that you were best friends with our dear Wormtail."
"We were young, and we felt bad for Peter. You still on about that aren't you?"
"But of course, I knew I saw all of you on the grounds that one time, don't you remember?"
"Ah, yes... 'Look at that dog, it's huge! Come here, come here. Ah, you like that, don't you?'"
Lily hit James over the head with a pillow.
"I didn't know it was Sirius, at the time- now I know why that stag came from no where chasing it away."
"Of course, you should have heard Sirius afterward, 'I've gotten farther with Lily then you have' It was horrible." James said, faking a grimace
"Quiet, you, he was the one who rolled over to get his stomach rubbed."
"He was also the one who was looking at me through the bushes, smiling."
"How can a dog smile?" Lily said quizzically.
"If it's Sirius, he will find a way." James said simply.
It was evening and Lily and James were sitting in their living room, waiting for Sirius and Rose to show up for their meeting. Remus and Marilyn were already there, both looking bone tired and sick. Gazing through the blazing snowstorm outside, Lily tried to make out the almost full moon. What had possessed James to call a meeting tonight? Surely it was too important to wait for the moon to wane.
"James, why don't you just start? Sirius won't be here for another half-hour, not with that storm." Remus said, looking warily through the window.
"I guess your right, Moony." Clearing his throat he said, in a detached, dead sort of voice, "Professor Dumbledore sent me a letter today."
He stopped, seemingly trying to find the right way to say it. The pause seemed to get on
Marilyn's nerves for she said, "And your point being?"
"Let me read the letter, I can't find the right words."
"A first, for Prongs." Remus said with an edge in his voice.
"I'm sorry Remus, but this couldn't wait for the moon to wane. Marilyn, Remus, I understand that you always feel really, well edgy around this time but please have some patience."
They both nodded, looking a bit ashamed.
"'Mr. Potter-
'You may have heard about Severus Snape's double role as a spy. Mr. Snape has reported to me that Voldemort has targeted you, James...'"
He stopped at the account that Lily seemed about to say something. She didn't.
"'I suggest that you go into hiding, Godric's Hollow is very well protected. I have researched various spells and your best hope is the Fidelius Charm. Meet me in my office at 10am tomorrow morning with your Secret-Keeper.
May God help you.
A. Dumbledore'"
There was a stunned silence in which Marilyn put her hands to her mouth. Remus was looking at James like he was seeing a ghost. Lily looked close to tears, but it was she who broke the pregnant pause.
"But Dumbledore said-" Lily began
"Lily, I hate to say it but that's beside the point, if Dumbledore wrote to us it has to be serious-"
The door opening with a flurry of snow, Sirius and Rose came toppling in, covered with snow interrupted James.
"Did somebody call me?" Sirius said brushing snow off his shoulders and smiling.
"There you are Padfoot." Remus said getting up to help Rose with her jacket.
"What did we miss?" Rose said to Marilyn who by the look of it seemed annoyed at the interruption.
"Oh, nothing much," Marilyn said acidly, she was quite on edge today, not only was it the full moon, but it was that female time of month too. "We just learned that our dearest Voldie is looking for James."
"WHAT?" Both Sirius and Rose yelled
"Yes, I'm seeing him tomorrow at 10." James said looking about 10 years older.
"Lily, I'm so sorry..." Rose couldn't hold it any longer, she burst into tears.
"Rose we'll be fine, we just have to pick a Secret-Keeper." Lily said fighting back tears.
"Sirius?" James said hopefully.
"Yeah...of course." Sirius responded in a dazed sort of way.
"Well, I think Marilyn and I should get going, get to bed early, your going to be all right?" Remus said looking tired and poignant..
"Yes, we'll be fine, Remus. Really, gets some sleep you need it." Lily said with amazing calm.
Sirius spoke after Remus left. "You know what this means?"
"It's never going to be the same." Rose said.
Sirius and Rose stayed the night, seeing that Sirius would have to go with James the next morning.
//next day, James and Sirius have just entered Dumbledore's office.\\
James and Sirius stepped into the office. Looking around, James saw the familiar silver trinkets. It seemed that Dumbledore had acquired a few more, among them a silver and gold hourglass, which flowed backwards. Pointing it out to Sirius, they both puzzled over how it could work.
Albus Dumbledore opened the door to his office. There they stood James and Sirius, Master-Mischief makers. He smiled.
"James, Sirius how good to see you." Alive he thought sadly.
"Hello Professor Dumbledore, sir." They both said in their old voices.
"James, I will not lie to you, this matter is severe. Dumbledore said, getting to the point. "I take it your the Secret-Keeper, Sirius?"
"But of course" Sirius said, trying to lighten the mood, he wasn't succeeding.
Dumbledore pulled out his wand saying," Fidelius works by the concealment of a secret, in this case, were you will be hiding," He indicated James," In the soul of the Secret-Keeper, you." He indicated Sirius this time, which nodded.
"James, at this time tell Sirius were you'll be staying, please."
"Godric's Hollow." James found himself saying
"Sirius, please make any kind of contact with James, now"
Perplexed, Sirius offered a hand to James, he took it
"Fidelius Clandestous." Dumbledore said, pointing his wand at the friends' hands.
A glow, almost angelic gold surrounded Sirius and James, a silver line running from James' sternum (AN: the bone in the middle of your chest, people) to Sirius'. Sirius yelled out, it was painful. After what seemed like an eternity the glow faded, the silver diminished and Sirius fell to the floor, panting hard.
"Sirius, are, are you all right?" James said, fearing that Sirius may be hurt.
"I-I-I'm fine, I think." Sirius said, getting to his feet.
Dumbledore nodded "You and Lily will be safe now."
:: It's been a year now, and Voldemort is still gaining power. James and Lily have moved to Godric's Hollow. Sirius is still Secret-Keeper. Every one is safe and sound, we think::
"You coming?" Sirius said to James
"What?"
"It's full moon, you going to come with me and Moony and Marilyn?"
"Yeah, let me tell Lily."
"You mean ask permission." Sirius put on a voice of pleading, "Oh, please honey, please?"
"Shut the hole you call a mouth." Said James edgily
"Yes, er, sir!" Sirius said the last word as if he had to think about what to call James.
Rolling his eyes, James went to tell Lily.
"Just be careful, ok? Don't let Moony bite."
"You worry too much; I'll be fine." James said, grabbing his wand from the table, he said this with such confidence that it blew Lily why James wasn't dead yet from his own recklessness.
Outside Moony and Marilyn's home, things were bad. Marilyn was having such bad Transformation pains; she could barely stand, let alone walk. Moony was another story, you could tell he was in pain but he put on a good face. Walking to the forest next to Remus' home was slow. They had to carry Marilyn out. She shrieked, writhing with pain.
"Put her down! Change!" Remus shouted, pulling out his wand.
Too late, Marilyn's shrieks turned into snarls soon replaced by howling. James, Sirius and Remus dropped her like a hot potato.
"Stupefy!" They all yelled, James and Sirius hadn't had a chance to change yet. Jets of crimson light shot out of Sirius' and Remus' wands and hit the now priming Marilyn. James' however, backfired. It hit him instead. He looked down in time to register what was wrong. Mahogany wood did not meet his eyes. He had grabbed Lily's wand. He wavered, "Ennervate" he said, hoping it would work, he came back to life in time to see Remus and Marilyn rearing on Sirius, who was not paying attention (he was watching James).
"Sirius! Petrificus Totalus!" He yelled, Sirius would not have time to react. Sirius turned in time to see both Werewolves falling to the ground, inches from him, Bound.
"Thanks...you saved my neck- again." Sirius said, breathless
"Don't mention it, Padfoot. We'd better change." James said, stunned.
"Right" Sirius said, visibly shaken.
Lily sat in the living room, curled up on the loveseat reading A Winter's Tale. She loved anything Shakespeare. She worried about James sometimes. How could she have fallen for him? He's sweet, loving, witty, handsome and indescribably wonderful she thought, a glazed look coming to her emerald eyes. She sat there thinking about how they had gotten this far together, how they had agreed not to have children until the threat of Voldemort was gone, Sirius, Remus... Peter. Sirius was a handful she thought, smiling at the thought. It was a wonder how Rose put up with him. How long had they been together? Six years. Wow, and to think she and James had been together for longer. Looking at the full moon yet again she got up and went to get dressed for bed.
The next day James and Sirius showed up looking tired, white and a bit shaken. She could hear them taking before they opened the door.
"Sirius, we're not saying a thing about what happened last night, ok?" Came James' voice though the door.
"Sure, yeah... whatever." Came Sirius' voice listlessly.
"You heard me, right Padfoot, she worries enough when I leave, don't make it worse."
This infuriated Lily, what were they keeping from her? Remus or Marilyn bit somebody? One of them was bitten? She panicked but kept her cool.
James and Sirius came into the house laughing like nothing had happened.
"So, everything go fine?" Lily asked, with an edge in her voice she tried to hide.
"Just peachy, like old times. Well, I best be going...er, I think Rose had something planned. Yeah, that was it. Uh, bye!" Sirius said quickly evading Lily's eyes.
"Bye." They both said tonelessly.
"So, something happened, didn't it?" Lily said right after he left.
"Er, no. Everything went fine they were fine."
"You're keeping something...." Lily said, trailing off.
"Marilyn went off a bit that was the only set back."
"Fine, if your not going to tell me, I'll just...go out. I can't stand being in here for longer then two days."
"We can't," James said heavily, "The Charm starts working in about...now."
"You mean, that Charm puts us under house arrest?" Lily went livid.
"Lily, only for the first week, -"
"A week? Only a week? 7 days? I could do anything in the space of 7days!"
"It was the best Charm, would you rather be dead?" James said, trying to reason with her.
Lily fell silent; it was true she knew it. "I'm sorry, it's just-"
"I know, Lily, I know." He hugged her around the waist; "it's hard for me too."
~*~3 months later, still under the Fidelius Charm, they're safe. (?)~*~
James was out again, she knew it, out with Moony again She didn't know why but it irritated Lily that he left when things were so dangerous, He needs to get out too, the stress is getting us all. She said, remembering everything she had done with Rose and Marilyn last week. She looked at the clock, 6:47. Groaning, she turned over trying to get to sleep. Without warning a wave of nausea swept over her, causing her to leap from bed and run to the bathroom. 20 minutes later she was rinsing her face with cold water, brushing her teeth and looking at her reflection. She looked haggard with stress, her eyes blood shot from lack of sleep, her skin paler than usual, and her beautiful auburn hair dishevelled. What's wrong with me? She thought. It had been the third day she had gotten up from bed to be sick. Was it stress? Probably. Disregarding everything James told her, she made an appointment with the doctor and set off to see him, straight away. I just need to get out, it isn't serious, and I just need to get out. She kept telling herself, afraid that Voldemort would pop out of no where.
James arrived at the house shortly after Lily left. He worried a bit as to where she could have gone, but figured that she had enough Charms and barriers on her to protect her. He hoped she would be back soon, it was safer at the house then out there at any point of the day.
Lily went back to the house in a dazed sort of way. She had gone to the locale Wizard Doctor and had gotten immediate results. She still couldn't believe it. Opening the door, she saw James right off the bat. She couldn't look him in the eye. What had happened to their agreement?
"James. Hi." She said in a high voice.
"Lily, have fun while you were out?" James hugged her, tight around the waist.
Lily was revolted by his touch, she couldn't look at him, touch him, be anywhere near him. Writhing away from him she said, "fine, just fine."
James was looking at her quizzically, he let go of her and said, "What's wrong Lily?"
"Oh, nothing," Lily said icily, "Nothing at all, you just-" she stopped on the account that another wave of nausea hit her. She ran to the bathroom and locked herself in. She could hear James behind her.
"Lily! Lily, open the door, what's wrong?" James said franticly trying the door.
"Leave me alone!" Lily managed to sob between heaves. Silence prevailed out side the door.
"Lily, you know as well as I do that I can open this door, it's your choice if it's by force or not. Please." James said in desperation.
"No!" Lily said stubbornly.
"Fine." James said and Lily heard the faint 'pop' of Apperation.
Sirius and Rose were just starting to make dinner together when James showed up.
"Rose!" He said, wanting the whole thing with Lily just to end.
"James, what are you playing at? You should be at the house. You're totally unprotected here!" Rose said, ushering James into the house.
Getting right to the point James said, "Rose, I need you to talk to Lily, she's locked herself in the bathroom, sobbing like crazy, she won't talk to me. Please."
Rose and Sirius looked at him. "What do you mean she won't talk to you?" Sirius said puzzled.
"She just won't, I figured she'd talk to you, Rose."
Rose looked uncomfortable. "Fine, let's go."
Two minutes later they were in the Potter's living room.
"Lily, honey? Come out, please?" Rose called through the door.
"Is he out there?" Lily asked sounding tired.
Rose turned sharply to James and Sirius. They got the gist and left to the living room.
"What d'you think it is?" Sirius said, cautiously.
"She's never been like this. It's probably the stress. God knows it gets to me too." James said, putting his face in his hands.
"It's going to be fine Prongs. We've lasted more than a year, right?"
"Yeah... I guess your right, Padfoot."
At that moment Rose came in, nearly holding up a sick, tired looking Lily.
"Lily." James made to hug her but Rose shook her head vigorously.
James looked into Lily's bloodshot jade green eyes. What the bloody hell is going on? He thought angrily. He looked to Rose. She was looking at Sirius in a meaningful way.
"I think we'll leave you to sort things out." James thought she sounded strange, like she wasn't saying something. He simply stayed where he was, looking at Lily. He barely registered the click of the door that was Sirius and Rose.
"Are you-" James said at the same time Lily said, "We need-"
"You go first." James said, feeling uneasy.
"Sit down," Lily said sitting across from him in an armchair.
James, giving Lily a quizzical look, sat down.
"I went to the doctor's today," Lily said, swallowing hard.
"Really What' happened? Is it serious?" James said, convinced it was something dire.
"Give me the chance and I'll tell you." Lily said icily she hated when he did that.
James shut up immediately.
"And he told me, he told me, h-hetoldmethatI'mpregnant." Lily said, bursting into tears.
James looked confused it was clear that he hadn't understood a single word she had said.
Dropping to his knees right next to her he said, "Lily, I can't help you if you don't tell me. Honey, breathe. Shhh."
That's another thing she loved about him, he was so patient, caring. He would understand.
"James...I'm pregnant."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"What do you mean, she's pregnant? You couldn't warn James? It'll kill him!" Sirius said loudly to Rose
"Lily asked me not to say a thing, especially to James, They're sorting it out now." Came the tart response.
"They had an agreement, they wouldn't have children whilst Voldemort was in power! D'you know how much this throws off everything? We have to redo all the spells, charms..."
"But think, Sirius they'll be parents. It was bound to happen-"
"Not this soon though. They told me they wanted to have children, but later in their thirties. We're still seven years from that. It's really going to smack him in the face." Sirius said, face in hands.
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"You're... Pregnant?" James said breathlessly. He was prepared for cancer or leukaemia, but not pregnancies.
Lily nodded, tears glittering in her eyes.
James hugged Lily, "We'll get through this, I'm sure of it."
6 1/2 months later...
Lily was sitting in an armchair, reading The Taming of the Shrew. Mcbeth and The Tempest stacked next to her. James was off reading E.A. Poe somewhere in the house. She was just considering a glass of juice when she got a sharp pain under her bellybutton. Urgh, not again She thought, heading for the bathroom. Just when she closed the door, her water broke.
"James!" She shrieked she heard footsteps running down the stairs.
"Lily? Lily?" James said turning on the spot.
"In here! My water broke!"
James thinking fast levitated her. They were going to run to the hospital.
"Leg Locker, James. Leg Locker." Lily managed to gasp between contractions.
He hesitated, should he?
"Damn it James! Do as your told!"
"Fine." He said. Lily felt the familiar curse winding itself around her legs, snapping them together.
He ran to the Hospital, Lily levitated by his side.
Fourteen and a half hours later...
"Breathe, Lily, breathe."
Lily was crushing his hand but he didn't say a thing. It had been fourteen hours since her water had first broken and James feared that she might never let go of his hand.
"One more good push, Mrs. Potter..." Dr. CorPor was saying from behind his surgical mask.
"Come on Lily, I know you can, you've done so much more. Come on Lily." James cajoled
"James, I've nothing left, I can't." Lily said her hair plastered to her face, her skin pallid.
"Lily, you can, you're strong, beautiful, you will, you won't allow yourself to fail." James said, surprised that he was able to find the right words at that time.
Lily looked at James with a look of pure ardour that could only be accomplished by a woman in labour. James looked at Lily, the moment was electrifying. He could have sworn every emotion that Lily was feeling at that moment was radiated to him. It was amazing.
Three minutes later, the screech of a baby's wail could be heard through out the room.
"It's a boy!" Dr. CorPor said at the top of his lungs.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"It was a great idea that he did the Leg Locker Curse. She wouldn't have made it otherwise." Dr. CorPor was saying.
"But she's all right?" Rose said urgently.
"Of course, of course, she's just tired." CorPor said, in a distracted sort of way.
"Can we see them?" Sirius said looking at the Dr. pleadingly.
"Sure, James is in there now; the baby looks just like him."
"I take it the baby's a boy?" Rose said.
"Yes, yes... Got to run." Dr. CorPor walked off.
"What room is it?" Rose asked Sirius.
"Third floor, room 117." He said quickly.
The sight that greeted them was beautiful. The baby was a cradled in Lily's arm; James bent over them grazing the baby's soft, rosy cheek with his finger. Both of their eyes were lit with a fire that only parents could have. Sirius and Rose stood in the doorway watching the perfect picture.
"Ehem." Sirius said, attracting their attention. Rose elbowed him, hard in the ribs.
"Sirius, Rose. Meet the baby." Lily said in a flimsy voice.
"OH!" Rose lost it completely; she crossed the room and gave Lily a quick hug. "He's beautiful,"
The sudden noise seemed to disturb the baby because he opened his eyes and wailed loudly. Sirius had appeared at James' shoulder. "He's your eyes Lily." He said looking at the baby with a look that was not remotely Sirius at all. It had a fatherly look to it. It was unnerving.
A sharp voice could be heard in the corridor, "Potter? Just had a baby?"
"Yes, room 117, right hand-"
"Thank you" said a woman's voice. For the first time in minutes everyone's eyes flew from the baby to the door, where they could hear some one running to their Room. The door burst open; Remus and Marilyn came in faces alight with happiness.
"Came a soon as we heard." Marilyn said thoroughly delighted.
"Lily, goodness, you look so..." Remus' voice faded
"Ghastly? Appalling, hideous?" Lily tried.
"No! No, no, you just look so tired, I've never seen you like this, and it's unnerving." Remus covered quickly
Lily smiled
"Moony, you just killed it." Sirius said grinning.
"He's beautiful, looks like you, James." Marilyn said, sniffing.
"So is that the baby? He looks like you, James. Wait- with your eyes Lily." Remus said looking at the baby for the first time.
"Have you named him?" Marilyn said, eyes waterlogged.
"Harris James Potter." Lily said.
"Harry for short." James said knowing the look on Sirius' and Remus' face.
"How much does he weigh?" Rose asked
"Five pounds two ounces." James said proudly.
They simply gazed at the baby for a long time, until the nurse said "visiting hours are over,"
//Five years later, still under the Fidelius Charm, James is teaching Harry to ride a broomstick, Lily is worried sick that Harry is going to hurt himself, and Remus, Marilyn, Sirius and Rose are over. Sirius and Remus are on either side of Harry, attempting to balance him. Rose, Marilyn and Lily are by the window drinking tea. Sirius and Rose are married, expecting. Remus and Marilyn are getting married in a few months time. Lily is peering out the window in a timorous way. \\
"Lily, he'll be fine the experts are teaching him."
"Yeah... I guess your right. So what happened with Veronica?" Lily said, trying to pick up on the gossip.
"She got the neighbours so mad at her that they hexed her! Can you believe it? She's still got the marks on her." Marilyn said, looking happy to pass this along to Lily.
"Goodness knows she deserved it." Rose said stingily. She and Veronica Irkinstien had never gotten along together.
They were distracted by a boisterous combination of yelling and cheering coming from the front yard. Lily looked in time to see Harry, 20 feet in the air, gripping the handle of James' Silver Arrow with both hands and knees, James, Sirius and Remus under him, arms outstretched in case he fell.
"Harry! James, get him down, get him down from there!" Lily said loudly. "I swear, men and Quidditch, he'll be lucky if Harry will even touch a broom after this." She muttered to Rose and Marilyn.
Finally, after much coaxing and pleading, they all convinced Harry to dip the handle of the broom forward, into a dive. A foot from the air James said, "Pull up! Pull up!" Harry pulled out of his dive and toppled safely on to the ground. Lily ran to Harry hugging him tightly.
"Mum, I'm fine- really." He said against her shoulder.
Letting go of her son, Lily looked up at the three men standing off to the side. Neither one was meeting her eye.
"Look at the bright side, Lily. He wasn't hurt." Remus said as if pointing out the obvious.
"Yeah and now we know that Harry's really good at dives." Sirius put in; they all glared at him.
Standing up, Lily said, "Fine, teach him to break his bones, he'll do that anyway once he goes to Hogwarts." She meant this to sound nerve-racking and cold, but it didn't work. They all burst into laughter heading in for tea.
The contents of the Orb began to fade, dilute and vanish. Harry didn't want it to. He wanted to see more. He wanted to see them now. Harry didn't want it to. He stared deeper into the swirling mist, determined not to let that picture fade, it did. Finally he looked up.
"That's how it would have been my dear." Professor Trelawny said in her mistiest voice
"Thank-You." He said, he couldn't think of anything else to say.
"My dear, what may have been is painful to see, I understand. But you must see that if your parents hadn't died, You-know-who would have prevailed. Countless other lives would have been destroyed. You would not be whom you are today if it had been for the sacrifices your parents made, you must understand."
"I understand it doesn't make it any easier." Harry said, regretting he had ever asked Trelawny for this favour. What had possessed him to ask her to show him what could have been if Sirius was Secret-Keeper? In a sense though, it made him feel melancholy yet contented at the same time. They would have been happy. Everyone would be happy, Sirius wouldn't have spent 12 years in Azkaban, He would have been married, with children, as would Remus. He would have parents, the Dursley's would be out of the picture, he would have been happy, he would have known his parents.
Leaving the stuffy room for the fresh crisp air of June, he said to himself,
"What could have been, may never be, but what is now it shall be."
AN:) Hello people! Ok, this is for Dog*Star someone's website, and its monthly challenge, (like Flourish's) It required a few things, such as the backwards hourglass, a mention of Shakespeare, someone's wand backfiring, a snow storm and the Full Body Bind. ::sighs:: Feed back on this please, I use you guys as a sound board kind of thing, so send flames, and anything that would permanently attach your lips to my ass to Betoagoo@cs.com so I know whether this is good enough to submit to Dog*Star. I might not be posting Aurora: Year One because I got major Writers' Block in the middle of writing it and I'm not too happy about the way it came out, I might re-write the whole damned thing. Feed back on that too... I posted Remembrance, a Lupin Fic on accident! I'm taking it down and re-posting. It'll be longer and have a few more flashbacks in it, again FEED BACK. Ok... that's all I want to say for now... Bye
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Disclaimer: I would not be writing for you people right now, I would be rolling in money if they were mine.