Disclaimer: I only own the storyline, the characters and surrounding all belong to J.K. Rowling.

A/N: This chapter heralds the start of some more action (hopefully!) and the start of things to come. Hopefully you'll enjoy, as always please leave feedback if you can. Thank you

The Changing Years

Chapter Two

July 1978

James Potter walked slowly up the winding wooden staircase. He ran his hand along the smooth banister idly remembering the times he'd exuberantly slid down it as a young wizard. But it would be no more. James tugged at the collar of his dress robes, he felt uncomfortable in their stiffness and longed to change back into his more normal clothing. The sound of softly talking voices followed him as he walked up towards the rooms of his childhood.

The upstairs hallway was quiet, the voices from downstairs absorbed into the walls and floor. James ignored his childhood room, it was unimportant now; instead he headed toward the end of the corridor and the largest upstairs room. The chaser gently pushed open the wooden door and stepped quietly into his parents' bedroom. The west-facing room was bathed in afternoon sunshine and a slight breeze crept through the propped open window. The room was large with an ornate double bed at its centre. A dresser filled with pictures stood alongside one wall underneath a large mirror. A vanity stood on the other side of the room next to a small piano, James felt tears smart in his eyes. As a small boy he could remember creeping out of bed at night and hiding just outside his parents' bedroom in order to hear his mother play while his father got ready for bed.

James sat on the bed and brushed his hand over the silk coverlet. The air still smelt like his Mother and a picture of his Father sat on a table by her side of the bed. James swallowed heavily, all of a sudden he felt very alone. It had only been a matter of weeks since he had graduated from Hogwarts but it already felt much longer. He was glad his Mother had lived to see him leave despite her weakened state.

After leaving Hogwarts James and Lily had both moved back into his family home to care for his Mother. She had been ill for the past year but had battled bravely on after the death of his Father determined to see her son leave school and pass into the adult world. She had truly been a remarkable woman, James recalled the many evenings spent he and Lily spent listening to his Mother gently reminisce over her long life. He was glad his Mother had got to meet Lily at least.

James could feel his strength waning. He had stayed strong after his Mother finally slipped away managing to organise the funeral and sort the finances. He had been shocked when he realised that he actually had no need to work. In his more bitter moments he realised that he would give it all up to spend one more shining day of peace with his parents. James turned and buried his face in his Mothers softly scented pillow. It was too much, he thought, he was just 18 so what was he supposed to do now without his parents to guide him?

James barely noticed when the hot tears began to slip down his face. He desperately tried to hold it back but he couldn't stop himself from thinking of the memories he had yet to make. A wedding with no proud parents making a toast, a child without grandparents. All of a sudden a lifetime seemed a very long time to go without them.

The door to the room creaked open and James sat up in time to watch his best friend and the girl he loved walk into the bedroom.

"We thought you might be up here." Lily came and sat on the edge of the bed as James dried his eyes, "We were worried."

Sirius tactfully studied the piano as Lily reached across and brushed a tear from James' cheek. Sirius had found it hard to support his friend over the past few weeks. He had always felt close to the Potters and regarded James as the brother he wished he'd had. It had been hard watching his friend go through the motions of saying goodbye first to his Father and now to his Mother. Sirius had done all he could and had quickly offered to deliver the eulogy at the funeral but there was only so much that could be said to ease the grief his friend was suffering.

"It's just strange." James put an arm around the redhead and stared out the window. "Every now and then I'm just waiting to hear them again and then I realise that I won't, that they're really not coming back." He took a deep shaky breath. "I mean, what do you do without your parents?" He looked up and caught the watery gaze of Sirius.

"You turn to us," Sirius supplied gruffly, "and we'll look out for you." James smiled shakily and nodded his thanks. Sirius cleared his throat, "I'll be downstairs, someone's got to stop Peter from eating the entire buffet." James grinned.

"And that someone is always you," He reminded, "Just don't tell him to go on a diet again, I couldn't face the tears." Sirius let out a quick huff of amusement and turned to go.

"Oh and Padfoot," James stopped the handsome man in his tracks, "Tell Remus he can have the posh chocolates on top of the dresser downstairs, it's probably been torturing him all afternoon." Sirius grinned and left the room. The young couple listened to his footsteps bound down the staircase followed by a bellow of:

"Wormtail if you've eaten all the sausages I'm throwing you out!"

Lily snickered and huddled closer to her boyfriend. James suddenly felt his heart pound in his chest.

"You know," He tried to sound casual, "I have quite a bit of money now." Lily burst out laughing.

"It's ok, you don't need to convince me anymore – I'm already your girlfriend." She teased, James swatted her arm playfully.

"No I mean you don't have to go back to your parents. I'm going to buy somewhere and I want you to come live with me." He said hurriedly, looking at the floor. There were a few beats silence as he let the news sink in before risking a glance at the red-heads pretty face. She looked shell-shocked but quickly recovered and gave him a beaming smile.

"I'd love to." She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed happily. James dropped a kiss on the top of her head and smiled.

The next month seemed to pass rapidly. After the mourners and well-wishers had dispersed James quickly set to selling his family home and purchasing a new home for himself and Lily. The days passed in a haze of boxing up the couple's belongings including a less than pleasant visit to Lily's parental home where her sister Petunia made a point of snootily leaving the house to see her chubby new boyfriend as soon as they arrived. Mostly though the days were fun although punctuated by increasingly grim news delivered by Sirius, Remus and more occasionally Peter. During one memorable shared afternoon Lily, Remus and James cleared James' old school trunk and found – among other things – several singular unwashed socks and a small tub of Belch Powder which had evidently matured in age and only required slight inhalation to have the three of them burping for three hours before Remus remembered the counter-spell. Lily also had to wrestle one of the stinking socks off of James who remained convinced that it would only take about another month for it to be able to talk. He then sulked for half an hour after she finally got it off him and told him in no uncertain terms that if one of his socks started talking she would leave, no matter polite it was.

Remus was beginning to look steadily shabbier after leaving Hogwarts and Lily had already devoted several hours to patching up some of his meagre wardrobe. It secretly pained James to see his friend so low and he and Sirius spent several hours plotting how to help the werewolf without hurting his pride. However, it wasn't until rumours of a secret society founded by Dumbledore to help in the fight against Voldemort reached their ears that Remus finally began to perk up. Over dinner one warm evening in James and Lily's new house the group of five talked about joining the so-called "Order of the Phoenix". James and Sirius both had no worries about money and no need to work and so quickly decided to join as soon as the opportunity arose. Lily also supported the idea of joining almost immediately although she was forced to spend many hours explaining to James just why his "precious flower" should be allowed to fight with the big boys. Eventually it was only when she threatened him to a dual to prove her skills that he backed down – Lily had a fearsome reputation for casting the furnunculus hex – several noisy third years disturbing the common room during exam time in the groups 7th year had been forced to report to the infirmary for the removal of boils from a very sensitive place. Remus had more money worries than the rest of the group but remained quietly determined to fight, he privately confided in Lily that without the order he doubted he would find a place in the world anyway with his lycanthropy. Peter was the most unsure of the group and voiced the most concerns though these were quickly – and loudly – shot down by James and Sirius. Eventually it was decided that James –as ex-Head Boy – would approach Dumbledore on behalf of the group to request permission to join the order. It was a slightly more sober and adult group of friends who bade farewell to one another that evening.

As Peter, Sirius and James talked quietly at the front gate Lily took the opportunity to catch Lupin alone.

"So how are you?" She asked softly, "Really?" Remus looked taken aback at the question and appeared to be formulating a generic response but stopped at the look the redhead gave him. He sighed and ran a hand through hair that was already sporting more grey than a young man should have.

"Ok," He replied, he smiled at the sceptical look Lily gave him. "Honestly, ok, as ok as I can be anyway. This isn't a good time for any of us in the wizarding society really." He thrust his hands in his pockets and gazed at his carefree friends, "It's only just begun, you can feel it in the air." Lily shuddered and wrapped her arms closer around herself.

"Do you think it'll help? The order?" She asked tremulously. Remus smiled at her and briefly wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"I think so." He gazed up at the stars beginning to shine through the twilight sky. "I'd like to say I tried anyway, and who knows maybe one day people will look back and see that a werewolf helped defeat a dark wizard – even in only a small way." He smiled wistfully, "That should be worth fighting for." Lily nodded her agreement and squeezed her friends shoulder. On seeing James staring none-too-subtly at the two of them Remus quickly took his arm from around the redheads shoulder, prompting a chuckle.

Remus joined Sirius and Peter in waving farewell to the young couple before swiftly apparating. James and Lily quickly went back inside – the times were too dangerous for anyone to linger in doorways.

The next morning dawned bright as James and Lily apparated to just outside Hogsmeade. They had arranged to meet Dumbledore outside the Hogs Head for a 'stroll'. They took their time walking into the village, hoping to look like any other couple casually perusing the scenery.

They had only travelled about half the distance towards the village when a strange chill descended in the air. The couple were instantly on alert, wand in hand. James automatically pushed Lily behind him and she quickly pushed her back against his, scouting out the path behind them. They stood still for a moment, unable to explain the pounding of their hearts.

Lily stood so quietly she could hear each breath she took echoing in her ears. She felt so helpless, so useless. She was stranded, panic washed over here, she was stranded she knew it! There was no way out and she was going to die next to the man she loved. She was too useless to fight. Lily found herself fighting back tears. A strange mist swirled in front of their faces and Lily despaired at the lack of vision. James quickly reached his free hand around to grasp hers.

"Dementors," He muttered quietly, squeezing her hand for extra reassurance. Lily swallowed and nodded, licking her dry lips she closed her eyes and concentrated hard on the feel of James' hand in hers and tried hard to send her despairing feelings back where they belonged. Their new home... fighting for the future... their future... their family... Lily raised her wand arm and with more confidence than she felt said:

"Expecto Patronum!" A doe burst from the end of her wand and cantered in a circle around where the couple stood. Lily instantly felt the benefits of the doe's light and relaxed enough to squeeze James' hand back.

A cruel high laugh rent the air around them. Lily's heart leapt to her throat and beat a tattoo against her larynx. She stiffened in fear, No, Oh god no...

"Impressive." The hooded figure approached through the mist and banished the bright doe with a flick of its wand. A thrill of fear went through the couple as they turned to face the stranger. Lily felt a chill go down her back as she saw the gleam of red eyes under the hood. Her hand trembled slightly inside the warm grip of James but she held firm, her wand arm trained on the figure.

The laugh sounded again, it sounded cruel and devoid of warmth.

"So courageous, true Gryffindors." The tone was mocking. A hand with impossibly long pale fingers reached up and pushed back the dark hood covering the strangers face. James' hand tightened around Lily's as the bald, white head was revealed. Lily felt a shudder of revulsion entwined with fear run through her body as she took in the flat expressionless face of Lord Voldemort.

To be continued