Author's Note: So this idea came to me after watching Deathly Hallows part 2 for the second time. This story will be a series of unrelated one-shots based on ten characters that fought valiantly for the Light and lost their lives. This story is based on the song "It's Not My Time" by 3 Doors Down. Each character has their own section of the lyrics that not only are in proper order in regards to the way the song goes, but are also in order of their deaths (canon or mentioned) in the books. Does that make any sense at all? Sorry :D
I haven't written any fanfiction in almost a year, so sorry if I'm a bit rusty.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or anything else you'd recognize from the Harry Potter universe (regrettably), nor do I own the song by 3 Doors Down. This disclaimer applies to all ten chapters of this story. That is all. Enjoy!
It's Not My Time
James and Lily Potter
Looking back at the beginning of this,
and how life was, just you and me
loving all of our friends.
James Potter couldn't help but wonder when his perfect life became a royal mess. Why did it have to be him? Why now, after all those years of wanting her and trying to court her? He finally had Lily Evans! He also had a beautiful baby son, Harry. To an outsider, everything seemed perfect. So why did he feel this miserable?
Oh that's right. Because we are in the middle of a bloody war, he thought sarcastically.
He glanced down at the photo at his hands for what seemed like the hundredth time. No matter how many times he looked at it, the picture still made his heart lurch at what used to be. It was taken during his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was in the center, making a silly face at the camera, while his best mate, Sirius Black, was giving him a noogie from behind. James's other close friend, Peter Pettigrew, was crossing his eyes and sticking his out his tongue simultaneously on James's right hand side. Remus Lupin, the forth member of their group, stood to James's left with his hands behind his back while smiling politely at the camera.
The Marauders, as they called themselves. He barely talked to any of them anymore. Dumbledore had insisted that it be best for Lily and James to not have any contact with his Marauders, or anyone for that matter. It would keep the Potters safe, Dumbledore had said.
James put the photo down on the mantle of his living room. Looking at the picture for a long period of time upset him deeply. The photo was like a dozen knives cutting through his heart and soul. It reminded him of simpler times when his biggest worries were winning a Quidditch game, and his favorite thing to pass the time would be pulling pranks on Slytherins and first years. Nowadays, his biggest worry was keeping his family safe, and he passed the time by staying in hiding, trying to keep Lily and Harry alive.
He didn't deserve this, James thought bitterly. He didn't deserve all this suffering and worry for his family. He should be enjoying his son's first birthday. Not worrying if Harry will even see a second one.
"If anything, Snivellus deserves to suffer," James muttered under his breath, sneering the greasy git's name.
"What was that, love?" Lily asked curiously from the armchair in the far corner, feeding Harry from a bottle.
"Just lost in thought," James said, smiling at his beautiful wife. He walked over to his wife and son and kissed them both on the forehead. He then came up behind the chair, his chin resting on Lily's head "Are you having a good birthday, Harry?"
"Aah!" his son replied, flashing James a wide grin.
"I can't believe Sirius had the nerve to buy him a broom!" Lily blurted out to her husband. "He just turned one!"
"It's a kiddie broom. He'll be fine! He'll have his father's amazing flying ability." James said, smirking.
"Naturally," Lily replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes at her husband, but nonetheless cracked a smile.
James suddenly became somber. "Do you think it was a good idea to let Peter be our Secret-Keeper?"
"Of course," Lily answered. "That's what Sirius wanted, right? No one would suspect that Peter is our Secret-Keeper. If I were Voldemort, I would've gone for Sirius first, since he's your best mate and the stronger wizard. We did the right thing. Besides, Peter has this hero-worship look on his face when he's around you. He'd do anything for you. Loyal 'til the end."
James was not reassured by his wife's comforting words, but still smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. He did not need to worry her with the bad feeling he had in the pit of his stomach.
"More!" Harry squealed from beneath his mother, effectively interrupting anything else that Lily would have said. "More, more, more!"
James and Lily laughed at their son's enthusiasm and appetite. "He doesn't get that from me!" James said, holding his hands up in what was supposed to be an innocent gesture.
"Hmph!" Lily smacked his arm and turned to walk into the kitchen. Before she could move an inch, James grabbed her from behind the waist and kissed her on the cheek as she giggled uncontrollably.
They smiled at each other for a moment, and then Lily disentangled herself from her husband's embrace and walked off to the kitchen, Harry in tow.
James was still smiling at the exchange. Even in the hardest and darkest of times, he thought, Lily and Harry are my light.
Shaking his head, he followed them into the kitchen and leaned against the doorway , watching his son and wife. What a night, he thought.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang just outside his house in Godric's Hollow. He instinctively grabbed his wand in his pockets and found it wasn't there.
"James? What was that?" Lily asked her husband worriedly.
James didn't answer, but sprinted into the living room where he left his wand.
He skidded to a stop when he saw a hooded figure standing where his front door had been blown away. He immediately knew who it was.
"Lily!" James screamed, "It's him! It's him! Take Harry and run! Take-"
But James did not finish his sentence. Lily was sprinting up the stairs with Harry clutched close to her chest when she heard a cold voice scream, "AVADA KEDAVRA!", followed by a loud thud, which she presumed was James's body hitting the floor.
Lily let out a whimper, but nonetheless kept running up the stairs. She reached Harry's room, and frantically placed him in his crib. Lily had tears streaming down her face, and the innocent, questioning look that Harry gave her was killing her inside.
"Muma?" Harry asked.
"Harry, momma loves you. Dadda loves you. Harry, be safe. Be strong."
Lily heard the loud footsteps coming closer to Harry's door and she knew she only had seconds. She kissed Harry on the forehead and stood up to face Voldemort.
He blasted the door down with his wand and tried to point his wand at Harry, but Lily was blocking his path.
"Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside now…" his menacing voice pierced the otherwise silent bedroom.
"Not Harry, please no! Take me! Kill me instead-"
But the Dark Lord was not listening. He raised his wand around Lily's shoulder, opening his mouth to utter those final words that would kill her son.
"Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…"
It's not my time, she thought. I need to stay here to protect Harry! Please, Lord, keep him safe!
A shrill voice was now laughing. At the last second, Voldemort turned his wand on the red-headed women in front of him, silencing her forever with the killing curse.
Lily's scream rang throughout the room for a moment, and then she fell to the floor with a soft thud, tears still streaming down her cheeks.
AN again: Let me know what you guys thought! Like I said, I haven't written any fanfiction in a longgg time, so this probably was just story-telling and had no emotive quality to it. Let me know what I can improve on! Each of the one shots are kinda based off of the lyrics for the particular character. So the beginning of the song talks about looking back at life, and that's what I had in the beginning.
I couldn't resist having that line from Deathly Hallows pt. 2. :D
Rambling now, sorry. Anyway, let me know what you thought! Even if you hated it!
~Adrian'sLittleDhampir
