Disclaimer: Unfortunately J.K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter characters! mutters 'Lucky' whilst glaring at the floor in jealousy
Prologue
"Ewww!" James cried looking at his shirt. Lily rolled her eyes and picked up Harry from James' outstretched arms.
"You are the only one he throws up on James, maybe it's a hint to stop throwing him around like a quaffle" Harry started crying. Lily passed Harry back to James, "It's your problem James!" Lily grabbed her coat from beside the front door, "I'm going to work, see ya later honey." She leaned over and kissed James on the cheek. He looked up at her with puppy dog eyes.
"Why do you have to go work? You know we have enough money in the Potter vault to live comfortably for the rest of our lives, and Harry's too." Lily rolled her eyes again.
"If you think that I'm going to lie around all day like you then you're wrong! I like being useful once and awhile" Lily said.
"Oh Jamesie! You've been insulted!" cackled Sirius insanely as he walked through the back door.
"There is such a thing called knocking Sirius!" Lilly exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, "I'm leaving! Try not to blow anything up while I'm away!" she opened the door and walked out into the night.
Sirius turned to James with a serious expression on his face, "James, he knows".
James and Sirius were in the sitting room with their heads in their hands when Lily got home that night. "Hey guys, what's up?" Lily asked a little worried by their solemn behavior.
"Lils..." Sirius trailed off.
"What's wrong? What happened? Is everyone alright? Is Remus okay? Rhiana? Raine? Yera? What's going on?" Lily was starting to get hysterical.
"Lily!" James whispered loudly. "Calm down everyone else is okay." Lily started to calm down. "You might want to sit down for this hun." James guided her to the couch and sat her down. "Lily, Voldemort is coming after us." James said. Lily gasped and looked at Sirius for verification.
"It's true Lils, and Professor Dumbledore said that you three will have to go into hiding." James glanced at Lily then turned to Sirius.
"We want you to be our secret keeper, Sirius." Sirius looked up in surprise.
"Yeah Sirius, we both trust you with our lives, and with Harry's life too." Lily said, not the least bit hesitant. Sirius looked at her.
"I wish I could foxy, although don't you think I'd be the first person that Voldemort would suspect is your secret keeper?" he said "I don't think that Remus should be it either, or any of the girls for that matter. They are all too close to the top of the list of people you guys would choose. What about Peter though?" He suggested. Lily glanced at James who hesitantly looked back at her. For a moment she and James seemed to be having a silent conversation. They weren't too sure about Peter. "I mean who would suspect Peter?" Sirius added.
"Alright." James and Lily had finally come to an agreement that Sirius was right; Peter would be the last person anyone would ever think. Lily brushed her dark red hair away from her shoulder.
Harry crawled up to her legs and yawned thrusting his minuscule arms into the air. "I'll be right back; I'm going to take Harry to bed." Lily picked him up and then disappeared up the stairs.
Lily came back down a few minutes later. "I guess we should call Peter over then." James said a bit hesitantly. They all moved over toward the fireplace. Sirius grabbed a bit of floo powder.
"Peter Pettigrew." He called out. Peter's head appeared in the flames. He yawned.
"Hello?" Peter asked sleepily.
"Hey Peter." Lily greeted.
"We were wondering if you could come over here for a little while. It's important." James said.
"Sure, I'll be right over." Peter's head vanished and a minute later he appeared in the fireplace. "What's going on guys?" Peter asked curiously, but seemingly eager.
"Peter we've had a long discussion about this and..." James trailed off.
"What happened?" Peter asked. "Is everyone alright?" James continued.
"Peter, Voldemort is after us and we have to go under the Fidelius Charm. We want to know if you would be willing to be our secret keeper." Peter looked shocked.
"Me!" He asked astonished. "Why me? I mean I would definitely be your secret keeper, but why me?" Lily sighed.
"Sirius would be suspected as the first person we would choose, so we decided on you instead." Peter looked at her blankly.
"Oh. Okay then."
Lily sat down on the maroon sofa (yes, James INSISTED on having a Gryffindor colored living room). James, Peter, and Sirius were discussing the details of the highly difficult charm. "My poor Harry, what I would give to be able to have a normal life with you, with us as a normal family, then again, you're a Potter." There's nothing normal about that Lily thought looking up at her wonderful husband. The flames glowed off her hair and made it look like her hair was liquid fire. Lily could tell they had finished the discussion because Sirius left to the kitchen to get something to eat, he would never leave if there was still important stuff going on. He walked back to the room and Lily gave him a disapproving look
"So, Sirius. Since this was your bright idea I'm assuming you at least brought the potion." she raised a perfectly shaped brow at him.
Sirius' eyes widened. "There was supposed to be a potion?" He asked. Lily looked at him stunned. "Kidding Lils, I was just trying to lighten up the mood a little." He pulled a small vial from an inside pocket of his robes and tossed it up in the air before snatching it back again. He presented it to Lily. "I'm guessing you know what to do, right?"
Lily nodded solemnly, tears filling her eyes. Sirius moved toward her and hugged her tightly. "It'll be okay, Lils. It'll be okay." Lily clung tighter to Sirius as tears streamed down her face. James walked into the room from talking with Peter. "Lily, are you alright baby?" He reached forward and gently maneuvered Lily toward him and hugged her gently, whispering soothing words in her ear. Lily soon calmed down just as Peter entered the room.
"Is everyone ready?" Sirius asked, for once living up to his name as he was serious as could be. They all nodded slowly. "Alright then." He handed the vial to James and gave James a brotherly hug. Then he turned to Lily and embraced her tightly. He quickly shook Peter's hand before he quickly went upstairs to see Harry for the last time in a long while. He came down a few minutes later and as he stepped out onto the front porch he had tears running down his face as he said good bye, never knowing that this was the last time he would ever see Lily and James alive. Then he stepped out into the rain and apparated away.
Lily, James, and Peter were sitting in a triangle on the ground holding a glowing crystal phial. Lily had Harry on her lap; she poured some of the potion down his throat then took some herself. She passed the vial to James and he took more of the potion, grimacing at the taste. Peter gulped down the rest of the potion quickly and made a disgusted face at the taste. He raised his wand and chanted the charm. A blue-green light flashed through the room as the charm was completed.
A month later...
"Happy Halloween, Harry!" Lily smiled at Harry.
"Hawoween!" Harry cried clapping his hands together in delight.
"Lily! Bring Harry to the kitchen now! We can start carving the pumpkins!" Lily brought Harry to the kitchen where James stood waiting. The family spent the day carving pumpkins and making pumpkin pie and roasting pumpkin seeds. They even made their own pumpkin juice. As the night descended upon them, the house was light up inside from the glowing jack-o-lanterns.
As they ate pumpkin pastries near the fire a sound came from outside. Lily and James froze and looked at each other. "Peter betrayed us didn't he?" Lily said. James nodded slowly.
"I think he did." There was a knock at the door. "Lily! It's him! Take Harry and run!" James cried.
Lily's face was even more pale than usual, if it was possible to be that pale. She quickly hugged James relishing in his closeness, knowing that this was probably the last time she would see him. "James, I love you" he caressed her cheek and she knew he loved her just as much. She quickly grabbed Harry, who was still crying and ran to the back door. The door was locked and something boomed in the front room. She had no choice but to run upstairs hoping that Voldemort would neglect to look there.
She rushed into Harry's room and locked the door sobbing because she knew that James was most likely dead by now. She had to look to Harry now. He can't take my baby! I won't let him! She took out her wand and began murmuring an ancient spell that she uncovered the previous week while going through the ancient Potter library. A golden glow flew from the wand and encircled Harry.
As the glow faded the door was burst open and in strode Voldemort in all his glory. He peered at them with hardened blue eyes. "Give me the boy and you shall be spared" He sneered at Lily.
"NO, I'll NEVER surrender him to you!" she gathered up her courage and spit at him, directly defying him. Voldemort's mouth twitched in disdain.
"You shall pay for that you insolent little mudblood!" He cried lifting his wand. He cast the killing curse and Lilly screamed her son's name before falling to the floor, her features forever frozen in an expression of horror and loss.
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Tori and Toby