A/N: Thank you so much to everyone for reading these little vignettes! I love going and looking in my inbox and seeing the reviews, or logging on here and seeing the stats. It makes my day. I know it has been a while since one of these was published, but I was super busy with finals, and then I finally got what I have been working towards for 3 1/2 years. A lead in my school play. I was Mary Warren in The Crucible. I was so thrilled and excited, but unfortunately, that meant that way to much had to be put on the back burner just to stay on top of school and rehearsals. But I am back now, and have some time to write this one that has been bouncing around in my head. As always please review! That makes me extremely happy.
Disclaimer: The idea is all mine, but the characters are not. Enjoy!
The Potter house was unusually quiet that night compared to even just a few months before. Lily was asleep on the sofa in the living room in front of the fireplace, and in the kitchen surrounding the table sat four men playing a rousing game of poker, at least, for three of the men.
"James." No response.
"Jay-ames." Still no response.
"JAMES!" Remus half-yelled snapping his fingers in front of James's face.
"What? Coming dear!" James said standing up all of sudden with wide eyes.
Sirius snorted. "Relax Prongs; Evans is still asleep on the sofa."
James sat down again, threw his cards on the table and put his head in his arms.
"What's wrong, James?" Peter asked concerned.
James said something indiscernible, and then groaned.
"I'm very sorry James, but you are going to have to lift your head up so we can understand you," said Remus amusedly.
James lifted his head and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. "I love being a dad, don't get me wrong. Harry is great, but he won't sleep for more than two hours at a time. He's up most of the day, and requires constant attention, so we can't really get a lot done, so we have to try and do everything at night when he is asleep. So now Lily and I never sleep."
"Sounds like this is just karma paying you back for everything you did," Sirius said mirthlessly.
"Oy, you were involved in almost all of that!" James said shoving a finger into Sirius' chest. "Besides, why punish Lily too? She never did anything wrong, besides saying no to me for all those years."
"It sounds like you two need a night off," said Peter.
James smiled. "Thanks Pete, but no, we're happy to stay here and take care of him. Just remind Remus to never get Lily pregnant again."
"Marauder's Honor," Remus said as seriously as possible, and then burst out laughing. Soon all four friends were laughing at the table, and it seemed as though everything was normal until the cries of a baby wrenched the blissful, happy cacophony of the house.
James sighed and got up. He poked his head around the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room to see if Lily was awake or not. Lily remained fast asleep. James walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle from it. He cast a warming charm on the bottle and turned around. "It was just too good to last." He said with a shrug.
James walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. He opened the door to Harry's room and went and fetched the crying infant out of his crib. The simple act of lifting and holding Harry quieted the boy almost instantly. James blinked in shock at the baby in his arms.
"Is this all that it takes to calm you down? Me holding you?" Harry stretched in response. "Well, maybe you can do that for mummy a bit more, eh?"
Harry blinked up at James. "Well, now that you've had some attention, maybe you can go back to sleep?" He asked. He started putting Harry back down in his crib, but as soon as little Harry's back touched the mattress, he began his wails again. James quickly lifted the boy back up into his arms, and Harry was silent again.
James walked over to the plush chair in the corner of the room and sat down in it. He put the bottle that he had been holding down next to him, and put his feet up on the ottoman. He held the infant close to his chest, and began to tell him a story.
"Once upon a time, there were three brothers. They were on a long road, traveling at dusk, when they came upon a river. Now the brothers were wizards so they pulled out their wands…" James continued to tell his story until he noticed the tiny baby was once again asleep.
He lifted his right arm out from underneath him, and put his index finger by the baby's tiny hands. Without even knowing what he was doing, Harry reached out and grabbed James' finger in his tiny little fist.
"I love you, Harry James Potter. I know you are asleep and little, and probably don't understand me, but I love you. And so does Mummy, and Sirius, and Remus, and Peter. We would all be willing to die for you. Never forget that." He leaned down and kissed the sleeping child's forehead, then pulled his head back up and leaned back into the chair, shutting his eyes for just a moment.
Lily woke up to the sound of the crackling fire, and low voices from the kitchen. She sat up, and stretched her arms out over her head and then pushed herself and walked into the kitchen.
"You're up!" said Peter with surprise.
"How are you feeling?" Remus asked kindly.
"So relaxed. Where's James?" She asked.
"Harry woke up and he went upstairs. But that was about five hours ago. Hasn't come back down," Sirius said staring intently at his cards.
Lily walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. She walked down the hall to Harry's room and noticed the door slightly open. She poked her head inside, and smiled. She turned around, walked into her's and James' room and picked up the throw blanket they kept on the bench at the foot of the bed, and walked back into Harry's room. She unfolded the blanket and draped it gently on James. She walked back to the door, and just before she left she turned around to look at her husband fast asleep, holding their son, with his finger in the baby's little fist.
A/N: I am so sorry for the end note. I hope you enjoyed this story. When I began this little series I saw a clear point in my head that this could go, however, things do change with the flow of time, and sometimes your characters take you in very different directions. Mine are beginning to do that. Please bear with me, as I figure out how to make the story go where it needs to go now. I cannot promise that they will follow the book, however I am using the Harry Potter Lexicon as my guide for facts, and character descriptions. I am trying to be as faithful as I can while taking this in the direction that my characters are taking me. Thank you so much! XOXO RP95