Chapter Eleven: 1981

or Hallowe'en

...

Hallowe'en day was as normal as always. Pumpkins sat on soft grass with their creepy, ghostly smiles smartly carved in, and decorations spread around the house giving it the dark yet lovely colour of black and orange, in a true Hallowe'en style.

Harry had turned fifteen months old that day. James and Lily had given the small toddler a playing Quidditch broomstick as a present, which little Harry liked very much. Their son now seemed to walk almost perfectly, and he already knew how to say a few things, such as 'mum', 'dad' and 'pee'. Every time their son pronounced a single word, tears flooded Lily's eyes. Things had become worse for them over the past few weeks – they were now stuck inside their own house, protected by a Fidelius charm and Peter Pettigrew as their new Secret Keeper. James didn't trust Peter half as much as he trusted Sirius, but his friend had insisted that was the best idea.

Lily walked downstairs, after having sung a lullaby to Harry until the baby fell asleep. She felt exhausted, completely anguished by the feeling of perpetual stress James and her felt in their everyday lives. Now they didn't even assist the Order's meetings, they couldn't work, they couldn't see their friends – their life would have been a complete hell, had one not been there for the other every single second of their lives.

She found James sitting on the sofa, staring at the crackling fire. Their living room, with the fire and the comfortable sofa, reminded Lily of their days back in the Gryffindor common room, when they were just carefree children who teased each other to never end. Lily smiled when she saw him sitting in the same position than back in their seventh year, as if he were waiting for her to come down and sit down by his side. She walked over to the couch and sat next to him without saying a word, resting her head on the crook of his neck.

"Hey," whispered James, kissing the top of her head. "Is Harry asleep?"

"Yeah," yawned Lily. "Fell asleep in a couple of minutes. Oh, James – he looks just like you."

"He has your eyes," commented her husband with a proud smile. "And he has your temper, too. At least I know he won't be as arrogant as I used to be."

"You weren't arrogant," said Lily. "You just wanted some attention."

James frowned, "I was a bully. Everyone knows that, and I don't know why did it take me so long to realize I had never treated Snape right. It's not like I'm suddenly tremendously fond of him – but I shouldn't have bullied him the way I did over our first years at Hogwarts."

Lily gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and hugged him by the neck.

"Now, don't you worry about that," she said. "That was years ago. You've grown up – everyone can see that. You've become the best man I've ever known, James. You're incredibly intelligent, sweet, handsome – the best husband I could have ever asked for."

James smiled, and pulled Lily closer, breathing in her soft lavender scent. She hadn't changed a bit after all those years. Her hair still smelled like fresh lavender and her fiery red hair and her big green eyes drew everyone's attention towards her. But Lily didn't enjoy being in the spotlight, she had always been rather shy. James loved this too, because she wasn't one of those preppy, conceited girls who followed him around the school when he was in his fifth year.

They watched the fire crackling slowly without sparing a word. The silence between them was perfectly comfortable, and feeling each other's presence was more than enough for them. James held Lily in his arms, and Lily felt her husband's chest moving up and down as he breathed.

"Lily," he croaked finally. "Do you think I should have been placed in Slytherin?"

Lily looked up to him with a surprised expression. When her green orbs met his beautiful hazel eyes, she saw he was completely serious about the question he had just asked her.

"Of course not," said Lily calmly. "You wouldn't make a good Slytherin. You're too nice, and too brave for that."

"But I was a bully," groaned James. "I picked on people just because I didn't like them."

"So what?" Lily asked. "We all have flaws, that's what makes us humans. Plus, you grew out of it, didn't you. James, listen to me. You're the bravest, smartest, and most loyal man I've ever met. You were sorted in Gryffindor because you deserved it, and not because of some dumb mistake."

James nodded slowly, deciding he couldn't argue his wife's words. She looked not angry, but rather taken aback by his comment, so he didn't want to press the subject just in case he bothered her. Lily was still frowning at him, but said nothing. Then, after a few seconds, her expression softened and she placed a small kiss on his lips.

"You're the best man I've ever met," she whispered. "You can't torture yourself with what you did in the past. You were only a child back then, no-one can blame you."

James beamed at her, and kissed her back. When he pulled away, he felt the same butterflies he had felt inside his stomach after their very first kiss, on their fourth year.

"I love you, Lily," he told her. "Don't you ever forget that."

They both sat together in silence for a few seconds, enjoying each other's presence. But of course, this wasn't for too long. A couple of minutes later, they heard a soft knock on the door. It was barely audible, yet it scared Lily and James to the very end of each hair in their bodies. James's heart started pounding a great deal faster, and he slowly stood up and helped Lily up too.

"Lily," he whispered. "Go upstairs. Take Harry. If you hear anything odd just try and escape. If – if it's him – I'll try to distract him all I can."

Tears flooded Lily's eyes once more. She looked at James with watery eyes, not wanting to believe that could be the last time she saw him – alive, at least. Tears starting to trickle down her face, Lily placed one hand in each of James's cheeks and gave him a long kiss. Then, trying not to make any noise, she started walking upstairs, feeling a growing lump in her throat.

James walked to the hall slowly. His palms were all sweaty, and he tried to fix his glasses properly as he found himself in front of the door. If it really was the person – could they really call him a person? – Lily and him suspected it was, he would have no need to open the door.

And indeed, a split of a second later, the door landed on the floor with a loud thud! and James found himself again face-to-face with the closest thing to Devil itself on Earth.

Lord Voldemort.

His face was revolting. Slimy grey skin and a lack of nose made up his face, with tiny, piercing black orbs. He wore a long, black cloak that covered everything but his slimy, long silvery fingers, which held a wand tightly. The twenty-one-year-old man had already met Voldemort twice, but he had never felt as defenseless as that time, just as he realized his wand was upstairs, and that he had no time to go there and get it. James's hand started trembling as something struck him.

He was going to die.

"Again we meet, Potter," said Voldemort in his dark, hoarse voice. "And now no friend of yours is going to cover you. No wand, no protection," he let out a loud cackle.

"LILY!" He yelled. "LILY! IT'S HIM! IT'S HIM, YOU HAVE TO GO AWAY!"

Just as he saw how Voldemort raised his wand towards him, a series of images flashed through James's mind. He desperately clung onto them, trying to make the pain of knowing those were the last seconds of his life a bit less painful.

He saw when he first met Remus and Sirius in the Hogwarts Express. How they had laughed, and how they had liked each other from the very first moment.

He saw when he first saw Lily Evans's fiery red hair, sitting next to greasy-haired Snivelly, and how he picked on her.

He saw the Sorting Ceremony, and how he had felt so ecstatic about having Sirius and Remus in Gryffindor with him. And most of all, how he had felt so overjoyed as he found out the redhead in the Hogwarts Express was a Gryffindor too.

He saw the first punishment he and Lily attended together. He wouldn't stop throwing puns and jokes at her. James knew she hated him, but he couldn't help but think he was starting to like her a little.

He saw when he saved her life when her Quidditch broom broke into pieces. The smile on her lips as they flew up again had been the most heart-warming thing James had ever seen.

He saw their first kiss, being fourteen years old. The slap on his face seemed to hurt again, and the fiery teenager seemed to come back into James's body.

He saw when he hexed Avery and Mulciber just to protect her. The grateful expression in her eyes was something James would never forget.

He saw when he took her out of the Whomping Willow, transformed into his stag form. How his heart had started pounding so quickly had been the worst feeling in the world, and yet James had managed to save her.

He saw their first real kiss, in the Heads Dorm. Her lips had felt like heaven, and after the kiss James had felt compelled to make Lily Evans the happiest person in the world. And he had been true to his word ever since.

He saw his proposal, back in the Order Headquarters. Lily's expression had been priceless, and the joy they had both felt as James kissed Lily as his fiancé for his first time had been the greatest thing he had felt.

He saw their wedding, and everyone who had joined them in the best day of their lives. He remembered his small conversation with Sirius, which had meant a lot to James. His good old Sirius, brothers not by blood but by heart.

He saw Harry's first words. How Lily and him had brought a child to their world was greater than the most powerful magic on Earth.

James Potter looked up at Lord Voldemort, whose lips were now curling into the worst smile James had ever seen as he started muttering something. James stood there, frozen. Then it hit him.

He would never see Sirius and Remus again.

He would not hear Harry pronouncing his name again.

He would not watch his child grow.

He'd lose his brother by heart, Sirius Black.

He would never see Lily again.

He would never be able to kiss her.

As James fell down to the floor, having been struck by the green lightning coming from the tip of Lord Voldemort's wand, he heard one last shriek piercing the air. Oh, how he wished it had just been one of Harry's lovely giggles.

"JAMES!"

...

Tears streamed down Lily's face as she heard the sound of a dead body hitting the floor downstairs. No – James couldn't be dead – he had to live old, they had to live old, and watch Harry grow up –

She saw a dark, silvery figure sliding into the room. She clutched a shrieking Harry in her arms, pressing him close to her chest.

"Your Dad will not have died for nothing," she whispered to Harry, kissing her son's black hair – which painfully reminded her of James's.

She turned around and looked straight into Voldemort's piercing black eyes. She said nothing for a few seconds, and just looked at him with a pleading expression. She would not let Harry die.

"Stand aside, girl," said Voldemort in his hoarse, dark voice. "Stand aside and I won't have to kill you."

"No!" she croaked, barely able to talk. "Not Harry! Please – take me instead...kill me, but not Harry..."

Voldemort cackled loudly. Lily's body hair stood on its edges, and Harry started crying louder, if possible.

"Don't be silly, girl," he said. "Give me the baby and I won't kill you."

"Never!" roared Lily, clutching Harry onto her chest.

Voldemort let out a loud cackle, and Lily suddenly knew her end was drawing close. She clutched Harry with all her might, and desperately tried to make her little son calm down. The only thing she could do now was give Harry all her love and will and hope he would get saved. Perhaps, just perhaps, her little son could make it. Yes! Her son would come alive. Sirius would take the little child with him, and raise him as his own child. Lily knew Sirius would be broken by the news, but she completely trusted he would raise Harry right.

She pressed her eyes close and kissed Harry's jet-black, messy hair for one last time.

"I love you, Harry," she whispered. "Your Dad and I will always be up there looking after you."

She saw how Voldemort pulled her wand out. Her end was drawing close, but somehow she knew Harry's wasn't. Her son would live old and happy, and that was a very good reason worth dying for. A series of flashes came to her mind, and she closed her eyes as tears started flowing down her face again.

She saw when she first saw James Potter and his jet-black, messy hair, and how she had thought he could really use a comb one day.

She saw the Sorting Ceremony, and how he had felt so ecstatic about having Alma and Remus in Gryffindor with him. She also remembered how bitter she had felt when she knew she would be spending the next seven years stuck in the same common room than her newfound nemesis, James Potter.

She saw the first punishment she and James attended together. He wouldn't stop throwing puns and jokes at her. Lily thought she hated him with all her might, but after a few jokes on Nearly Headless Nick, she couldn't help but think she was starting to like him just a teensy little bit.

She saw when he saved her life when her Quidditch broom broke into pieces. James had saved her from getting smashed into pieces, and he had turned into her savior. That was something Lily would never be able to thank him enough.

She saw their first kiss, being fourteen years old. Her hand still seemed to throb and she could perfectly remember how tear had streamed down her face endlessly for the whole night, confused about what she felt for that devilish James Potter.

She saw when he hexed Avery and Mulciber just to protect her. How he had told Mulciber he would send a bunch of centaurs after him if he dared to call Lily a Mudblood again had made Lily beam at him with a grateful expression.

She saw when he took her out of the Whomping Willow, transformed into his stag form. It had been the scariest night of her life, and yet Lily always smiled as she remembered it.

She saw their first real kiss, in the Heads Dorm. His lips had felt like heaven, and after the kiss Lily had realized how much she loved James Potter. She had sworn to stand by his side until the very end, and she had stuck to that promise until then.

She saw his proposal, back in the Order Headquarters. James's smile of pure joy as she accepted his ring had been the best moment in her life, with Total Eclipse of The Heart in the background.

She saw their wedding, and everyone who had joined them in the best day of their lives. She remembered dancing with a bemused Sirius, who was a little bit drunk. Good old Sirius, who had become a brother to her in no time.

She saw Harry's first words. How James and her had brought a child to their world was greater than the most powerful magic on Earth.

Lily Potter looked up at Voldemort with a scared expression. She would die, but her son would live. She was going to make sure he had the long, lovely life she and James had never had. Then, just as Voldemort started muttering a few words, it hit her.

She would never see Sirius and Remus again.

She would not hear Harry pronouncing her name again.

She would not watch her child grow.

She'd lose her adoptive brother, Sirius Black.

She would never see James again.

She would never be able to kiss him.

Lily fell down to the floor, with Harry still tightly in her arms.

Harry would live. And that was more than enough for her.

...

Author's Note: I literally cried as I wrote this. Gosh, I'm sorry I wrote something so freaking depressing. I dunno if it is all right, but now I feel all depressed over their deaths. Ugh.

Well, this was the next-to-last chapter for Ten Years, the last one with Lily and James alive. The epilogue will come soon...I promise it will be a lot more cheerful than this. Sorry if I depressed you or something!