AN: Another flashfic inspired by a Quora question. This one is a bit... different. That's all I'm saying as an introduction (see end notes for the full deets).

Lily's Son

Remus began rummaging through the smouldering wreckage on the other side of the room, looking for any signs of life. But James Potter still stood rooted to the floor, his face drained of blood as he stared at the corpse inside the splintered frame of a broken bedroom door. It was the last person he had expected to see in Spinner's End.

But seeing her here, like this—a pale corpse in the rubble of the ruined house of his enemy—changed everything. Snape's body in the foyer of the house now told a completely different story than it had when they had first entered the home through the gaping hole where there should have been a front door.

"It can't be! No! It can't be!" he muttered to himself, half still disbelieving.

"Sorry, mate!"

James looked around at Sirius, who had just entered the half-demolished room behind him.

"It's her—it's really Lily Evans!" said Sirius grimly, shaking his head. "Never could work out what she ever saw in that bastard—"

Sirius's words were like knives digging into old wounds, and James couldn't bear to hear them.

"Don't!"

"What?"

"He love-potioned her!" said James, almost defensively, trying to convince himself more than anyone else. "That's the only thing that explains her staying with him—why else would she stay with a Death Eater?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Sirius admitted, shrugging. "But she always was a bit thick when it came to Sniv—"

"Don't!"

Sirius shut up, and gave James a What-did-I-say sort of look.

"Whatever else Snape did—for whatever else he was—he tried to save her from him!" James's lower lip trembled as he silently dared Sirius to say anything different. But Sirius said nothing; only the mildly skeptical expression on his face gave away his opinion on the topic.

"He tried to save her..." James repeated defiantly.

"...and their child," said Remus quietly, lifting a bundle of fabric from the midst of a pile of debris which looked like the ruins of a crib.

The bundle of fabric gave a little cry, and James's breath caught, his eyes stinging.

"Let—let me see," he croaked, reaching out his arms. "What d'you think—?"

"It's a boy," said Remus. "looks a bit like, er—Snape, but—"

"He's got Lily's eyes..." James brushed aside a bit more of the baby's black fringe for a better look at its forehead. "...and some sort of fresh wound—looks like a lightning bolt..."

~Ten Years Later~

"What if I'm sorted into Slytherin?"

James ruffled his adopted son's untidy black hair and smiled.

"What ever made you think I cared—?"

James raised his hand when his son opened his mouth to reply.

"Rhetorical question," he said with a laugh. "I suppose Sirius has been telling you stories again."

"Erm… Just a few," said the boy who had Lily's eyes, giving his adopted father a sheepish grin.

"Yes—well, don't let him wind you up, Simon. Your father and we certainly had our issues in the past, but he changed sides and died trying to save you and your mum—"

"—and he was a Slytherin. I know," sighed Simon. "But I don't want to turn Evil before I turn Good again."

"That's not how it works, silly." James grinned and ruffled Simon's hair again. "If Slytherin gets you, they'll die of diabetes—well, the girls will, anyway."

"Shut up, Dad!" Simon turned red and peered worriedly up and down the crowded platform.

Mary Potter rolled her eyes and nudged her husband in the ribs, laughing.

"Look, if you really care," she told Simon, "just tell the stupid hat you'll throw it in the lake if it puts you in the wrong House. That's what I did."

"That was supposed to be my line—"

"That's what you get for being a prat," Mary retorted, giving James a peck on the lips before giving Simon a kiss on the cheek. "Whichever House you get into, just know we'll both be proud of you, and so would your mother..."

End Notes: If you're curious, the Quora question was of the sort comparing James to Snape (it's quite the pastime on Quora... :P). It wasn't framed properly, but it was in essence asking if James would protect Snape's child if Snape and Lily had hooked up and been Voldemort's victims. This is the fanfiction version of my answer.