Lily and James are 30 years old (not 20, as Canon dictates), they have demanding careers and they're madly in love. All their lovemaking results in an unprogrammed event: baby Harry's birth. Will the young family be able to overcome the terrifying hurdles lying ahead? Love always triumphs
CHAPTER 1
Unexpected
Disclaimer: I don't own any of JKR's material
Stepping into Collinsdale Laboratories Ltd certainly brought each visitor to a whole new level of sensorial stimulation: metal, tin and aluminium tubes intertwined across high ceilings; rigorously classified boxes of all shapes and sizes sat on countless rows of industrial-sized shelves. Strange instruments, sparks, smell, cranes, stretchers, cauldrons, wires assaulted the visual field from every direction, accompanied by the pitter-patting of rubber shoes worn by the employees and the slow, deep, constant rumble of power-generating machines.
Collinsdale was majestic, yet "simple at its core", basically consisting of five warehouse forming a pentagon around a spaceship-like structure, which housed the administrative area.
With stakeholders of varied nature and origin, but of similar philosophy, Collinsdale was unique as a company. Its mission statement was not very dissimilar from that of old Franciscan monks (ora et labora: pray and work), for the official motto recited "think big, work more". It frequently made headlines as one of as one of the most productive biochemical companies in the world, with its hefty contribution to the nation's GDP. It didn't hurt on this regard that two of its main stakeholders were indeed a witch and a wizard, that another one was a multimillionaire Muggle former head-of-clan of the remote Pitcairn Island and that others accounted for some among the most influential individuals in the Muggle corporate world, who generally exerted political clout.
However, the company was also somewhat secretive and deliberately kept modest in size, with just a couple of branches offshore (one in a former minefield in the Falkland Islands, the other in South East Asia) because of the nature of some of its researches.
On the one hand, it was alluring to young, smart graduates thanks to a working environment that generally praised independent thought and encouraged innovation, on the other hand it was rather segregationist: scientists in the most secret departments could interact with those in less secret ones, but not vice-versa. Everyone had to abide to complicated rules of access, both "vertically and horizontally" across the organizational structure. There were only two shareholder Muggles who were aware of the "magical presence" in the company, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that much of the reasoning behind these "structural access rules" was due to "asymmetric information".
In short, to properly get an idea of what was going on inside Collinsdale Laboratories Ltd, the five warehouses of which it is composed will be briefly described:
Collinsdale: it was not far from a moor, right where the river meets the sea, on the outskirts of a city.
WAREHOUSE 1- this was where all the "fresh newbies", the newly hired workforce, was usually kept. It was a general brainstorming area where inventory was stored, cages with animals and plants were located, and about any instrument from the main fields of science (excluding Physics of particles) could be found. It was where the "Secretives" came and picked the ingredients or personnel they needed for whatever they were doing. Warehouse 1 basically had three sections: Medical Biology, Medical Physics and Chemistry.
WAREHOUSE 2- otherwise known as the Hydroelectric Tube. It was a circular multi-floor warehouse which contained a 30 m (100 ft) deep tub for experiments. It specialized in water and electricity research. Its projects included power generation for public-service use, biological research for life in water and biological conductors and a couple more sinister projects too.
WAREHOUSE 3- it was a space that was devoted to the human body. It was an experimental clinic which looked like a hospital in some of its sections. The research sections here, again, included the Biomedical, the Physical and the Clinical ones. Clinical trials phases I, II and III were regularly ran.
WAREHOUSE 4- was also called "Periodic Table Frontiers". It was mostly a place devoted to the exploration of the rules of Chemistry, where Physics and Chemistry intersected, where new materials were developed. It was also where new pharmaceutical products were developed. There was a huge load of scientists in there.
WAREHOUSE 5- officially, Warehouse 5 was the hospital laboratory for Warehouse 3, but of hospital laboratory in the strict sense of the word it had very little to do. It was where the magical research took place, with 80% of employees being either witches or wizards who were active in at least one of the other warehouses and who worked together to discover "what may be out of reach for Muggles". This way, magicals and non-magicals complemented each other, making researching at Collinsdale a more efficient process. Warehouse 5 was also called "Legendary Warehouse", because-it was so off-limits to most employees, that many didn't even have a clue as to where its entrance was located. To be admitted in, personnel had to possess a special ID card, after having released finger-prints and signed a non-disclosure agreement.
Here, in Warehouse 5, was where James Potter spent most of his working hours.
5th August
James Potter, 30 years old, born in the southern region of Cornwall to wealthy elderly parents, was the dream guy for most of the female newcomers in Warehouse 1: with his broad shoulders, long legs, tan complexion and overall Greek statue good looks he was hardly unnoticeable. It certainly helped that he seemed genuinely nice most of the time and that his thick, messy black hair paired with his glasses gave him that nerdy-sexy allure that was all the trend in that environment. It definitely didn't take 190 cm (6'2''ft) tall James much effort to look irresistible, but that day James didn't wink back at his admirers, nor did he stop by to see if they needed help. That day there was barely enough room left in his brain for thoughts such as remembering the way to his office, or not forgetting to wear his scrubs. It was only 9 a.m. and his head was already spinning, but James knew he couldn't let his guard down, no matter how tired he was. The smallest mistake, and he'd be in deep, deep trouble. Or better, they'd be.
Before going on any further, let's answer what may sound like a legitimate question: how did James Potter end up working in a place such as Collinsdale Laboratories?
Background Story
James used to be a teenager full of life and hormones. He loved to roughhouse with his male friends Sirius, Peter and Remus and had a knack for breaking rules, giving his father a headache each time he caused trouble.
He was active, outspoken, creative: one summer he convinced his father to sign the two of them up for a 90 km (55 mi) biking contest in Northern Norway so that he could train and race under the midnight sun.
He never seemed to have problems disrupting the social order at Hogwarts, his magical boarding school, and definitely used lots of creativity when transfiguring his "enemies" at school, such as filthy Snivellus.
Nevertheless, James also had another side to him, one that wasn't known to all. Some could simply classify him as a spoiled brat, but he had a sensitive nature. He truly took other people's feelings seriously, the well-being of his loved ones was all that mattered for him.
His mother, who was tall, dark and charming just like him, was also the only person who could discipline him by just batting an eyelash. Knowing him inside out, she had recognized that the boy had an intuition out of the ordinary, mixed with a good dose of empathy, and she figured that once his adolescent spree of hyperactivity would be over, he would be able to do something good with his qualities. She used to be a herbalist, so that every time she went collecting plants on the Cornwall hills surrounding the Potter beach mansion, she would bring James along, teaching him all she knew about curative properties of herbs, ever since he was an infant. She and James had always shared a special bond.
One day James met Muggle-born Lily Evans and as years passed, he found that she possessed many of the traits that he had come to positively associate with women, following the lead of his strong mother: force of character, determination, intelligence along with a loving, graceful nature. In his eyes, Lily was justice and forgiveness, dovetailed together by her smarts.
Initially, his interest towards her looked more like childish provocation, however his persistence eventually paid off and at 17 they became girlfriend and boyfriend. Lily was tall herself, surely not petite- she had the body of a pin-up in the making. James, on the other hand, was slowly gaining inches at that stage but was still super-skinny and beardless, so they looked a bit comical together.
There arrived a time when they graduated from Hogwarts and had to part ways.
Lily would attend university abroad, her Muggle parents were right suggesting she obtained a formal education- she reasoned. She could always wait to have a degree before trying to enter the magical workforce.
James, in a manner similar to the majority of his classmates, had his mind set on Auror training.
The two of them shed many tears upon departure but they knew this separation was necessary- though they silently hoped they would meet again, one day.
However, the unthinkable happened.
James spent six months at the Auror Academy, got bored, hated the whole "obey and do not question" training style and eventually dropped out. The following academic year he went on to study Healing, as per his mother's suggestion. After three years he obtained his degree and decided to further his studies "the Muggle way". He was accepted at Tufts University in the U.S.A. for his Master's degree and subsequently transferred to Stanford University which had a dual Healing-MD secret department and where he specialized in Trauma Medicine. He spent 8 months interning in a hospital where he saw the horrors of the ongoing War first-hand and where he was frustrated by the difficulty of healing injured or ill bodies. Sadly, his own parents succumbed to an incurable disease, and his mother, on her deathbed, said: "Since I first laid my eyes on you I knew you'd do great things, James. Go ahead, son, the world awaits you". This pushed him to apply for a PhD program in a practical Medicine/Healing research. Eventually, that path landed him his job at Collinsdale Laboratories, through which he later got in touch with the Intelligence Department of the Ministry…
Lily took her own time to get her Bachelor's degree in Economics, International Relations and Political Science, but obtained two MSc's like a boss, and after a seminar in Criminology, she landed a much sought-after position in the Intelligence branch of the Ministry of Magic (which is the Muggle equivalent of a CIA, FBI, Foreign Service and Interpol mix). She was determined to play her role stopping the War. Had there not been a War, she might have chosen something different, but she had now embarked that path, and she would "go down with the Intelligence Dept ship". She quickly progressed in her career. She seemed cold, but her colleagues soon realized that it was because she felt responsible for their safety, too. She charmed many male colleagues with her stunning beauty and gracefulness, but never let anything distract her from her duties. Due to her reliability and "outside the box" thinking skills, she was appointed director of her own micro-department just two years from when she was first employed. She was often sent on dangerous but interesting missions abroad, on assignment to hardship posts, such as when she had to help prevent a gang of smugglers from stealing a sacred stone of the rainforest in Indonesia. She was tough, but not unbreakable, and some nights were longer than others, when anxiety prevented her from falling asleep, and tears of unspoken fear and frustration streaked her cheeks. The next day, she would stand up, go to work, hoping for a turning point.
James was sensitive, but he was tougher and more profound than anyone would suspect, underneath. Lily had her mind set on becoming something like a healer or potioneer in the beginning. James had his mind set on becoming an Auror and "defeat the bad guys" in the beginning. That reversal of roles was totally unexpected, but, on hindsight, perfectly logical.
Eight and a half years passed before Lily and James met again. Eight and a half years since the day they parted ways on that summer day after Hogwarts graduation. It happened at the first Order of the Phoenix meeting they both attended. Eight and a half years that to them felt more like a minute. Initially, they both played hard to get, they seemed cynical and sarcastic, when in truth they were just trying to manage the incredible sexual tension. Their attraction was palpable, so much so that Sirius, being true to his own character, one day left the room they were all in saying "Holy cow, do something guys, you know what old Sirius means, it is dangerous being around you, someone could get electrocuted…ouch!"
Things only progressed from there, in spite of their reluctant indignation. In the span of six months, James saved Lily from certain death when Bellatrix Lestrange slit her throat open; Lily saved James when he was abducted by a group of Death Eaters; James broke up with his girlfriend with whom he had been in a stagnating relationship for some time, Lily left her stupid boyfriend from work; while on a joint assignment in Florence they finally kissed, and it was a crescendo from there on. They were intoxicated with each other. Soon, their relationship grew so strong that they felt incomplete without each other. They had become a family.
Exactly one year before Harry's birth, they proposed to each other (literally) while on a raging fight on a New York City rooftop. Battered and bleeding, they vowed eternal loyalty to each other, sealing their love with a kiss in Times Square. In October that year they celebrated a modest wedding with just a few close friends that was far from their ideal of ceremony. They couldn't do anything about it: they didn't know if they'd survive to see the next spring. Life was hard, losses were terrible to bear, everything seemed precarious, vulnerable, or corrupt. The lines of reality were fading continuously and on most days the only certainty they had was each other's presence. When they were by themselves they liked to joke around, tease each other. They were madly in love. Therefore, it shouldn't come as a surprise that they made love to each other as often as possible. Especially right before and right after the wedding, their lovemaking spree was at its maximum. With the war raging outside, public places shut down, after having spent a whole day risking their own necks, they would feel an incredible urge to make love, to confirm their being alive and their undying love. Sometimes, on the rare occasions they made it home at the same time they would start making out before reaching the door. Every place was suitable for them: the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom, the living room, the prairie while on assignment, the sea, a tree…anywhere. This being said, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that even while "on precautions", not even two months into their marriage they had a baby on the way.
End Background Story
James passed one hand through his hair, clutching a folder of documents he had retrieved in Warehouse 1. He sighed. He was nervous. He felt something squirm against his chest and thought "oh no!", trying to calm himself. He could manipulate his face to look like nothing unusual was going on at all, but he couldn't hide his accelerated heartbeat from the little creature resting against it. He jumped on one elevator and improvised a small dance, hoping that it would work. Thankfully, the squirming ceased. James not even had the time to release a sigh of relief that the elevator door sprang open at level 2 of Warehouse 3 (James' other assigned Warehouse alongside the 5th) to reveal supervisor Dorman, a snotty opportunistic man of 35, who, although a foot shorter, stepped in glancing at James in a superior way.
"Potter, so glad to see you at last" he soppily chimed in, alluding to the six days James had been absent from work. James had to restrain himself from the urge of saying a word or two to the slimy man, given the circumstances. He knew all envious Dorman was looking for an excuse to: a) blackmail him, b) deride him publicly, c) report him to the Direction. James' colleagues suspected Dorman had taken a dislike for James, who was generally quite outspoken about bad management and prioritized things accordingly to "the urgency of the situation" rather than blindly following protocols, and whose initiatives were generally more well-received than Dorman's.
With a forceful smile, James replied: "Yes, Dorman. Bad situation down at Ruthwill Hospital, with all those rebels, Death Eaters, and stuff". James spent a portion of his weekends volunteering at a hospital where lots of injured from the war were regularly shipped. They mostly consisted of Muggle casualties of the wizarding war, but was also used for emergency magical cases when the other hospitals were full. Almost everyone who knew James at Collinsdale knew he worked there, since he was in charge of monitoring several trauma experimental patients in Warehouse 3. So, it seemed like a good excuse to pull on Dorman. This didn't stop, however, the tiny slimy man from "x-raying" him with a suspicious look. He was probably trying to frame him, looking for the tiniest piece of evidence that he was hiding something, and man, was the hateful bastard right. James tried his best to look all relaxed, while swallowing a lump that was forming in his throat. As a response, Dorman narrowed his eyes even more.
Thankfully, the elevator's bell rang, announcing "Warehouse 5, level 4". James excused himself a little to eagerly, speeding away from Dorman, never turning back until after walking along a seemingly infinite corridor, which counted several research units at its sides. He finally reached his own office, which he shared with a half Dutch, half American colleague, Jorden Vandenlangenberg. Jorden, a father of three, was a good-hearted pal. As tall as the door, he looked like a blonde-bearded Teddy bear. He was one of the few Muggles working in Warehouse 5, owing that very peculiar position to his training as a Genetic Engineer and to his marriage to a witch. James shut their industrial-like, yellow-taped door behind him, panting. That was really unlike him.
"For Jupiter's eyeballs, James!" Jorden stood up, half surprised, half relieved to see his friend. He had been informed of the situation, but still, he didn't have a clue as to when Potter would show up. That day, he was one of the few colleagues who had been warned about the "new entry" James would bring. That yelling caught the attention of Neeta, a svelte British-Nigerian in her late 40s, who peeked inside with a reprimanding look "Why the hell are you screaming your lungs out, Vandenlan…oooh! James! You come back today and you don't say a word!? You bad boy! Let auntie Neeta meet her cutie pie!" she yelled, even louder than Jorden had. "Ssshhh! You'll get us uncovered!" the two colleagues started their usual bickering. "It's so good to be here, guys" James sighed, trying to gain attention. It worked, for Neeta and Jorden stopped teasing each other right away, and gaped at James' direction, wide-eyed. The reason they were doing so was because the black-haired wizard had opened his jacket, unwrapped a band from his torso and revealed to daylight a tiny, bulge-eyed, puffy-haired newborn baby.
The next minutes were a concert of aaah and oooh and cooing and teary-eyed compliments from his two colleagues, who were mesmerized by that little child. During that time of war and loss, few things could bring the morale up like the birth of a kid. Jorden patted James on the back: "Congratulations, man! Welcome to the circle of daddies!" James laughed "I can already see he has your mouth, James. And your nose, I suspect. Oh, and definitely your hair!" everybody laughed at Neeta's remark. "Man, this is incredible. Are you getting any sleep, new dad? You look awful" Neeta continued, straightforward as usual. James found solace in her almost maternal ways "Honestly no, not really. How could I? The battle, then he was born, then Lily's departure…receiving her messages has been difficult. Sirius, my best friend, you know, has been helping out collecting those, coming to our place when he can…but he doesn't have much time himself. Harry doesn't like to sleep at night, so I stay up with him. He's so tiny I'm always afraid of hurting him in some way" "Geez, yeah, I remember when my first daughter was born, I get the feeling" Jorden sympathized. "I am learning how to change him, clean him, feed him, soothe him…and probably he's learning to adjust to me too. He doesn't eat that much, and that worries me at times"
"What about your wife, James? Where is she?" Jorden inquired.
"I can only wonder where…"
"That's insane, who would send a woman on a dangerous mission so early after giving birth?!" angrily snapped Neeta
James explained: "The fact is, we had to keep the pregnancy a secret to her superiors. It was for the baby's safety. Declining to join the mission would have meant them inquiring as to why she wouldn't go, and that would have uncovered us. So, simply put, she was left with no choice but to go. It is so difficult for me…every hour that passes I should feel more relieved that she's closer to coming back, but it's quite the opposite. I shouldn't have let her go, I should've worked out a different plan! It's terrible…our baby needs her. As do I"
Neeta and Jorden knew James' wife was the only family that he had left. They had realized how close the pair was, and they could only imagine how terrible it must have been to miss out on the first days together as a family of three. Days that would never come back, ever. They had shown their support throughout all the unprogrammed pregnancy, and now slightly pre-term arrival, of this baby, and they wouldn't stop.
"She knows what she's doing. She's one tough piece of a woman. Otherwise, how else could she manage you, James!" Neeta exclaimed, causing James to giggle. For some reason, tears started to form in the corner of his eyes, without falling. He had had to be strong in the last few days, and remain hopeful, but now all those emotions that he had been holding back were washing over him, like untamed ocean waves.
That day, the colleague team of Warehouse 5 showed James their support by taking responsibility for most of his jurisdictions, so that he could look after Harry, who seemed to alternate moments of contentedness with moments of downright desperation. "Just like your dad" silently thought James. Harry's wails were so loud that James feared the sound-blocking charm would wear-off.
At the end of a long day Harry was sleeping in his father's arms, who cradled him gently. He was taken over by sensations that he had never experienced before. He felt a love for his son so strong that he was ready to accomplish the impossible to protect him, and to give him the life he deserved. Harry was only a baby, but James knew many of their enemies were just waiting for a chance to harm him, as a form of revenge, threat or retaliation. Due to their accidentally having brought a child to life in difficult times, James perceived his new role as a father as one of immense responsibility. At the same time, he felt crushed by the magnitude of it all. Nonetheless, he would do his best and even more, just like his own parents had done for him, even if it meant working like a thousand men. Moreover- he frantically reflected- who would take care of Harry if something happened to them? He had his friends, but still…how could he be granted his son would receive the absolute best? So he and Lily would have to add an extra dose of carefulness to their burden if everyday task, on top of all else.
That was all Harry really had: himself- and Lily. Lily. Oh, Lily. Where was she? The moment was overwhelming.
"Wherever you are, Lily, please, be well and safe" James whispered while looking through the large windowpanes, the last rays of a flaming red sun reflecting the surface of Earth.
Here Chapter 1 comes to an end. It was long and a bit unusual maybe, but I hope you enjoyed. R/R is appreciated, thanks J