!-- page { size: 21cm 29.7cm; margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } --

When It Rains

James Potter wandered along the street, his hair still sticking up even though it was soaked, his hands were in the deep pockets of his jeans and one hand was closed tightly around his wand as he looked for Number 12 Private Drive. As he finally located it his heart stopped. Beyond that door was his only son, he knew that Dumbledore would send Harry to live with his Aunt and Uncle, no matter how much they despised each other.

As the rain fell harder he found himself staring at the door, thinking back to times with Lily and Harry. They flashed through his mind quickly, each more beautiful and sorrowful than the previous. He'd known for weeks that he wouldn't live to see his son past Halloween, but now he was this close to dying he felt the full force of it hit him, he would never see his son again.

He wanted to take Lily and Harry and run, to escape and get away, but somewhere in his heart he knew the truth, Harry had to live on alone, he'd have to find his way through life without him and Lily. Although maybe, just maybe, Snape might be able to save Lily; James knew that he always liked her and now that he was one of Voldemort's inner circle he might possibly be able to ask one favour...that Lily be spared.

A sudden movement in the front window of the house made James gasp. A face appeared there, small and shy he saw a short boy with unruly black hair and beautiful almond shaped eyes...Lily's eyes... "Harry..." He breathed into the hair as the boy vanished again. Tears sparkled in James Potters eyes and his knees felt like they wouldn't hold him. He had seen him, he'd seen his son...

The front door opened and made James jump slightly, Harry appeared there dressed in a baggy t-shirt and trousers, he watched James shyly before walking out into the pouring rain and up to him. James wanted to hug him there and then, to tell him how much he loved him, that he'd always be there for him, that he and Lily cared about him so much, but he knew that he couldn't. Harry stopped on the pavement next to him, there was a mug in his shaking hands.

"Uhm..." Harry's voice was shaky, as if he didn't use it often, "Would you like a drink sir?" James stared in shock, it was too strange, too sad to hear his own flesh and blood address him like a total stranger. He couldn't answer his sons question, he just stared with sad eyes as the tears began to fall and mix with the rain.

"Harry..." He knelt in front of his son and put both hands on his shoulders, a small smile graces James' lips as he looked at the young boy. "God Harry...you're here, you're okay..." His son was looking at him in confusion. "Me and Lily, we love you, so much. And we're so proud of you." The world around James began to get wispy and he knew the spell was nearly wearing off. "Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail are going to look after you, it'll be okay." He trailed off into a whisper and stared into his sons green eyes, recognition flared there for a moment.

"Dad...?" James bit his lip, staring at his son in sadness. As he leant forward to hug his son for the last time the image faded and he was left kneeling in the middle of the garden looking at an empty space with his arms outstretched...

"I'm here Harry..." Tears poured down his face silently as he thought of Harry, stood alone outside the house, soaked with a cup of cooling tea in his hands. "I'm so sorry."

"James?!" Lily's voice floated from the door and she ran out to him. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I saw him Lily...I saw him..." He didn't need to say any more as Lily embraced him, hugging him as they both cried, their thoughts on the boy they would soon have to leave behind...

"LILY! Lily it's him!" James ran out the living room, it was here, he was so close now. "Take Harry and run!" He saw his wife run up the stairs as Voldemort crossed the threshold. James smirked lightly. "You're never going to win." A flash of green was all he saw before the sound of wings fluttered in his ears and he fell down like a puppet, he could still see and hear for a few seconds, he heard the sound of Lily upstairs and Voldemort walking up towards her, then a new voice, one he recognised from the week before. "I love you dad."