Cherishing Harry

Prologue

Harry Potter reached out over the side of his crib, trailing his pudgy baby fingers down the soft arm of his mother, Lily.

At fifteen months old Harry was a pretty baby. His soft ebony hair was messy at the top but curled slightly at the nape of his neck. Emerald green eyes adorned his smiling face. Flushed cheeks sat above rosy lips that were constantly curved in laughter.

His sweet baby face promised of great beauty when he was grown.

Lily turned to look at her oldest child while cradling Harry's twin, Matthew, in her arms.

Harry smiled hopefully at his mother, raising his arms as if to be picked up.

Her two boys were only similar in their hair color, black like their father's. The resemblance ended there, though. While Harry had his mother's emerald eyes, Matthew had his paternal grandmother's grey-blue eyes. Harry, aside from his eye color, look like an exact replica of his father, James. Matthew, however, favored his maternal grandmother with a slightly longer neck and very high cheekbones.

Matthew, she knew deep down, was no where near as pretty or sweet tempered as Harry. She regretted not spending time with her sweeter son. However, she knew she had to spend all the time she had with Matthew, as he was destined to face Lord Voldemort, the most evil dark wizard of the age. And Matthew's chances of winning against him were horribly low; she could not lose the only time she might have with Matthew for anything. Not even her other son.

Lily situated herself on the glider between Harry's crib and the window. Humming, she rocked Matthew as Harry looked on, disappointed again as his mother favored Matthew.

It all came down to their very different scar's, really. Matthew had a shiny burn above his left eyebrow, perfectly shaped like a star.

The nursery door opened and Harry's father, James, strolled over to his wife and kissed her deeply before smoothing Matthew's hair from his forehead and brushing a tender kiss upon it.

Upon seeing this, Harry gave an indgnant squeak and James chuckled and moved to Harry's crib. Harry again held up his arms but recieved only a hair ruffle.

A stair creaked and James' head snapped up towards the door immeadeatly. Lily stood, clutching Matthew to her, and quickly drew her wand. James swiftly crossed to the wall next to the door and prepared to attack whomever came through first.

A tense atmoshpere engulfed the room as everyone inside silently waited.

Charging into the room, Sirius Black stopped short at seeing two wands pointed at him.

"Wha-" Sirius began.

"Christ, Sirius!" James swore. "I could have cursed you! Announce yourself the next time, you know how dangerous things are now!"

Lily breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, thank goodness, Sirius, we though you were a Death Eater or something."

"Nah, you know me, just came to see my godson!" Sirius replied calmly, "And there's the handsome chap now!" He continued, moving towards Harry's crib.

Harry gave a excited squeal and laughed, "PAA-FFF-T!"

Sirius laughed and said, "No, Harry, PAD-FOOT!"

"PA-FT!"

"I guess that'll work, kid," Sirius replied, resigned.

"Aren't you going to say 'hi' to Matty, Sirius?" interjected Lily.

"Naw," Sirius answered, looking up from Harry, "it looks like you've got him covered." And he promptly returned to Harry.

Lily and James exchanged a confused look and, for the next hour, thought "Why did Sirius like Harry better than Matthew? Didn't he know that he could spend time with Harry AFTER Matthew defeated Lord Voldemort? Matthew needed Sirius now."