Lily was slightly stressed, her twenty-two month old Christopher would not settle and three month old Keira would not settle down either.
"Come on guys, help mummy out a bit." Lily said, even though she was smiling. Just then James walked into Christopher's room, and took Keira off of Lily.
"I'll put her down." James said walking back into their room; Keira was due to stay in their room for another six months.
"No!" Christopher squealed as Lily picked him up and set him down on his back. "No bed." He stood up again and clung to the rails. Lily reached out and picked up his favourite book.
"If I read will you go to sleep, it's bed time?" Lily asked, Christopher started clapping his hands, and let himself fall on to his bum. Lily laid him on his back and opened the book. It was just all nursery rhymes, little songs, but for some reason he loved it.
"There was an old lady who swallowed a fly
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - perhaps she'll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
That wriggled and wiggled and tiggled inside her;
"Always works that one" James said from the door way. "Keira sat up on her own."
"That's great." Lily said beaming. "You know I think we should maybe go out tomorrow, I mean just you and me, a date, we haven't since Keira was born, it would be nice, mum is alone in the house, she might like the company." Lily said refereeing to Anne.
"That's very true, so what about a meal and then a muggle film, and hey I'll even let you pick." Lily nodded and smiled at her husband. "And it'll be nice to see you in something more form fitting." He said indicating to Lily's baggy tracksuit bottoms and one of his old shirts. Lily laughed and looked at him like he was mad she just given birth to two babies within two years, she did not have the figure for fitting clothing, and yet a smile from him and she knew she would wear whatever he wanted.
So then the next day Lily found herself sitting in a fancy restaurant, wearing a emerald green dress, it was low cut, fitted, reached her knees with sleeves that reached her elbow.
"I'm glad you decided not to wear any jewellery." James said with a smile as they waited for the main course to be served, he looked very handsome in a white shirt and black dress trousers.
"And why is that?" Lily asked.
"Because… I have a present for you." James said, and Lily's eyes lit up excitedly.
"Oh what did you get me James?" Lily asked, but she only got a grin and a wink in return.
Dinner was served and the two settled into a light conversation about the children, it was fantastic; Albus, Remus and Belle visited all the time to see their godchildren. Sirius and Honey were there anyway.
James ordered the desert to go, Lily smiled at this. "You're up to something Mr. Potter."
"Me, never, dearest." He kissed her on the cheek, took her hand and led her away from the restaurant, carrying the deserts.
He led her away from the small town and into a deserted wood.
"James?" Lily asked unsurely.
"Don't worry." He whispered to her.
Suddenly they came to a small clearing; there was a picnic blanket on the floor, and a picnic basket. The couple sat down on the blanket, James lay out the selection of delicious looking deserts, and then told Lily to close her eyes and hold out her ands.
Lily did as she was told, then she felt James place a velvet box in her hands.
"Open your eyes." Lily did as she was told and opened her eyes to find herself looking down on a pair of emerald stud earrings, an emerald stone shaped into a small star hanging from a white gold chain, and finally a bracelet, it was a simple charm bracelet, it had a witches hat, a heart, a wand, an emerald stone, a ruby stone and a teddy bear hanging from it.
"Oh James…" Lily gasped. "James, I love you." She said then kissed him deeply.
Sometime later that night the pair looked up at the sky, it was a clear night with only a half moon, a sky strewn with stars, beautiful in a pure way.
"Where did you get the name Keira?" James asked softly.
"Keira Copper, a friend of mine when I was a child." Lily said in a whisper. "She was killed in what I was told an explosion in the village near where I used to live. I later found out, at Hogwarts, that it was an attack against muggles."
"I'm sorry Lily."
"Don't be." Lily said she smiled at James and kissed his jaw. "We all lose someone."
"Promise me you'll never leave me Lily." James asked, his voice cracking slightly.
"In life and death James I am always with you." Lily said, she kissed him softly, resting her forehead against his. "Nothing could take me from you." James kissed the top of Lily's head then lay back onto the soft blanket and looked up at the stars.
"I don't want to live in this war, not in the knowledge that I have everything to lose, you, Chris, Keira. If I lost you three then I've lost it all. You are my life." James said softly, playing with a strand of Lily's hair.
"You're not going to lose us." Lily said lying down beside James, he smiled at her then continued to look at the stars above.
A week later Lily found herself sitting in a meeting, listening to the worst news a person could possibly hear.
"So basically a couple who has defeated Voldemort twice and then pops a baby out at the end of July, will in fact give birth to the saviour of our world?" Sirius asked shortly, when Dumbledore simply nodded he swore. "James mate, I'm telling you don't get Lily knocked up again." Sirius threatened.
"That would be advisable if it wasn't for the fact that we aren't sure who it is at this point, no couple, no single person has yet survived to defeat Voldemort three times, I am sad to say that Lily and James you will have to move again, and have a secret keeper. You have so far defeated Voldemort twice; we can't really risk another chance meeting." Albus said looking sadly at the devastated couple.
"But we have a home, with two young children, we couldn't. James we can't!" Lily said in a panic.
"We'll sell the house, move some where else." James said.
"But James, we have a home." Lily said her eyes were filling with tears now.
"I know this is difficult, as the pair of you have been targeted a lot over the last few years, but Lily you need to for Christopher and Keira." Albus said, Lily nodded silently, then simply got up and walked to the fireplace and floo home, leaving the rest of the group behind.