Lily/James

"Hush darling," Lily said, smoothing her husband's hair back from his forehead, acknowledging the fact it was he that should be comforting her.

"He's beautiful Lils," James said, his awe written on his face as he looked at his baby son cradled in his arms. Lily smiled as she watched her husband be turned into a cooing mess by a newborn baby, the same husband who had been up against Death Eaters and came out the other side smiling with his best mate and wife.

"He has your eyes, Lil," James continued, unaware of Lily's amused, loving scrutiny. She couldn't help but stare at the man she loved, he was so childish and adorable sometimes.

"He has your awful hair, James." Lily's voice was proud however instead of mean. She loved James' hair, she wouldn't like it any other way. It was that very same hair that use to annoy her all the time - she had wanted to give it a good combing or shave it all off depending on her mood.

James glanced up at Lily, eyes swimming with tears, "We're finally a proper family, Lils." Lily's green eyes softened. She nodded, smiling a watery smile. It had almost been a surprise that she had married the man who she had been sure she hated. It wasn't however a surprise any more and their kid's arrival had been something that drew them closer than ever.

"Yes Potter, all your arrogant prancing around Hogwarts after me finally paid off." Her tone was amusing but there was truth in the teasing words. She wasn't sure where she would have ended had it not. She couldn't imagine her live without her James - he was too important a part of it.

James placed a soft kiss on the lips of the woman he loved, their baby boy in their arms between their chests. "I don't regret a single second of it. Except maybe the time you jinxed me and told me I was more repulsive than a rapist, baby-killing sociopath. That depressed me." And it had depressed him. He had almost sworn off Lily that time. Handling abuse was one thing but nastiness was a different story and that comment had cut him deeply.

Lily pressed her lips together in a thin line. She knew she had been forgiven for those past insults but she still felt awful about them. Every time the past was brought up her guilt from those always made her apologize again. "I'm not proud of who I used to be, James. I can promise you though I've changed."

James laughed slightly, "I know Lil, you idiot. We were different people back them, forget it." James had matured. He was still as proud and as confident as ever but he lost the prattishness that had turned Lily off him in the first place. Lily had retained her temper and her intelligent mind but she lost the prejudice and judgement that had caused her and James' relationship only to flourish in their last year at Hogwarts.

Lily smiled, kissed her husband's forehead and then dropped one onto her newborn son's. "I love you, both of you." She spoke matter of factly, she loved them and anything that happened between now and the future wouldn't change that. She knew James would love her and fight to protect her until his last breath. She also knew she would do the same. That James - and now their son - were the only things that kept her going even when the fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named seemed hopeless.

"I love you too Lily, and Harry." The name flowed off his tongue without a second thought. They had a long list of names picked out for their baby and Harry hadn't been on it. James wondered why, it was such a beautiful name and suited their boy to the ground.

"Harry?" Lily repeated, a smile on face. She liked it though, it just clicked.

James laughed, "Yeah, I think he looks like a Harry. Harry James Potter, he'll be famous one day I reckon." Maybe he'd be an Auror or a professional Quidditch player. Chaser like James maybe, or a Seeker. James was rather good at playing Seeker as well as Chaser position.

"Of course he will be," Lily said, her smile morphing into a beaming smile, "Sirius godfather then?" She wasn't sure why she asked the question, it went without saying but they hadn't discussed it until that point.

James grinned apologetically, "I promise Harry won't grow up like Padfoot. We'll keep his input to the upbringing of our kid to a minimum, all right?" Sirius might be a little aggrieved for a while but he would live. Sirius might be a bad influence on his baby angel.

Lily caressed his cheek, smiling tenderly into his eyes, "You grew up with Sirius, love. If you turned out like this I don't mind. Sirius will spoil the poor kid anyway, I know he will."

James placed his hand over her one on his cheek, tangling their fingers together and drawing it to his lips to kiss her fingers softly, "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Maybe once or twice."

"Well I do."

"I know love, I know."

She fingered the wedding band on her ring finger, smiling as she realized maybe she really had loved James all along. It was a soft smile, one that could mean anything or everything or nothing at all. To her it meant everything. James was her everything. He was at this moment in time and she reckoned he would be for the rest of her life - however long that may be.

Love was a great thing to have in common with someone. Love for each other was better - perhaps the best.

A/N: Haven't been online in a while but I worked on this for you guys! :D

I'm still working, busy busy busy said the bee and all, yeah?

This story is dedicated to my Mam and her boyfriend who only met so late in life. (She'd kill me if she read late! Their still young like just older than it should have been.) Now that my Mam and Dad split up she's happy, James and Lily took forever to get together and that's why this is dedicated to that.

I hope that anyone who reads this whenever (or if) your married don't stay because you feel a duty. Leave if you aren't happy.

Lots of love to everyone who reads my stories and reviews! Lots of love to those who read them only (though sadly not as much as if you review too... I JOKE!)

Mise do chara,

~ShazzaBlack...x