KEYnote: The part of a piece of Voldemort in Harry is paraphrased directly from the Chamber of Secrets, I didn't make that part up just had Harry be a bit more cognitive about it.
Thank you Nauze!
WARNING: This story is a true AU, I am not bashing Dumbledore or redeeming Snape because they aren't the canon timeline characters. This is an alternate universe where there will be minor and major changes. So stuff your canon and fanon. Think of this as if they were my characters, this is closer to what I would have done with them :D
P.s. I made a community page AppoApples What We've Completed, there are 4 large stories, 2 short stories, and translations of my fics other authors have completed (shoot me a pm if you know of any others). What We Lost will be added soonish and Laughing All the Way to London will be added next week. That's 8 completed fics, quit bitching at me about finishing stories when a finished story takes five to ten plot drafts for me to make the whole story work from start to end. And I'm still not getting paid for this.
Chapter 2 - Lily Waking
Lily Evans Potter woke up staring out the window, the sky was blue, bluer than she could ever remember seeing it.
As always, a heavy sorrow settled over her chest. A weight she could never lift. James felt the same, she knew.
They weren't like the others in the forest, they didn't feel the way they did. But then the others had shorter lives. They grew, they had young, they died or were eaten. Lots of things in this forest wanted to eat them. James didn't sleep at nights for her. He'd let her watch over him while he slept only when the sun was high and least likely to be attacked.
Sometimes Lily wondered about finding somewhere safe. Sometimes she wondered at having more young with him.
But she was afraid.
He was afraid.
And she was so sad and lost and she couldn't remember why.
So, they waited out their days, hiding, and waiting. The only happiness in their lives came from not being without the other, and the elements.
The world was beautiful.
Lily blinked up at the sky, marvelling at how blue it was outside the window.
"James," she said, "Look how blue-"
Lily sat up, startled by the sound of her own voice, then startled by how her body moved. Her human body.
And for the first time in more years than she cared to count, she remembered why she sorrowed. Why she was afraid. Why she and James had been so unhappy even when their lives had seemed content.
Why they never tried to have another child.
Because they weren't fucking deer, they were human, and a psycho tried to murder her baby and separated them from him.
Lily didn't know for sure if her blood ward had worked, but she really, really hoped she had blown that bastard sky high.
She flopped back down on the bed, a real bed with no insects or twigs, and looked at her sleeping husband.
He looked sort of funny with a beard, but the years had been kind to him physically.
Years had passed, and they had aged.
She wanted to run out of the room and go looking for Harry.
She remembered some things from yesterday; finally finding a way home, of a little James staring at her with green eyes as green as her own and her father's before her. But upon realizing they were at Hogwarts, Lily wanted to savour the first morning she woke up knowing who and what she was.
The first morning she remembered the man she was married to. However, she didn't have the patience to wait for James to wake up, the sun was up and if he followed his regular sleep patterns, he would remain asleep for hours.
She wasn't going to make it through for hours.
So she reached across him to the side table where his glasses rested.
James stirred a bit but she had time to slip his glasses on his face and fit them behind his ears before he could open his eyes.
An old ritual of theirs. James was a playful man, and he had made it a mission in his life to make her happy.
Funnily enough, it had become her mission also.
His waking up to her, and seeing her clearly, had always brought a goofy grin to his face even when he was half conscious.
Today, though… today was different.
When James's eyes opened, her hand on his chest, they were both wearing pyjamas, she felt his heart kick against her palm.
His eyes widened, the brown and the blue mixing like patches of stained glass, and the emotions held within them...
There was nothing goofy about the way he looked up at her. No, he looked at her as if she were heaven-sent, as if she was beautiful, as if she were ripping his heart out and crushing it slowly.
"Lily," he breathed and sat up in a crunch, cupping her face.
She could read the rising panic in him, feel him spooking at not knowing where they were at, remembering what Voldemort had done to them. Of the two muggles, a boy and girl, hardly eighteen by the look of them, that the Dark Lord had transformed to look like them, only to murder them, expounding on how he would turn them into animals, and if they survived, turn them back to witness the empire he had created on their son's grave.
Lily tangled her legs with his under the covers and twisted.
James let out a low grunt as he found himself on top of her. His body molded to her, and suddenly, she felt so safe, safer than she could ever remember being as James wrapped his arms, his body around hers, holding her close. Closer than they could get even in small caves on dark winter nights.
She buried her face in his neck and spoke with a human voice, "James."
James shuddered, "Lily."
She closed her eyes, "We're alive."
He tangled his hands in her hair, "So is Harry, our son, I saw him."
"I did too."
But neither of them made any move to get up.
After some time, James shifted to rest his head on her pillow, though he kept most of his weight on top of her.
She got an arm free so she could run a hand through his wild hair, "I'm not going to run away, my love."
He huffed, "Can't a man cling to his wife without being accused of holding her hostage?"
She grinned but only hummed in answer, being human was weird, having fingers was weird, but weird and right in all the correct ways.
"I love you," she said.
"I love you too, Lily, more than life itself."
She burrowed deeper into his hold, feeling truly happy.
Harry was alive.
They were alive and human.
She wanted to glory in that before poking at the details.
James smoothed his hand over her hair, and pulled back just enough to make eye contact, "You killed the Dark Lord."
She shook her head, "We don't know that."
"Harry is alive, and as much as I hated the idea of Voldemort ever getting that close, your plan worked. If Harry is alive then Voldemort is dead."
Lily wasn't totally sure about this but he did have a point. Either Sirius pulled a miracle and got there just in time, or her trap worked.
James smiled broadly, "The Dark Lord got taken out by a muggleborn. All those blood purists must have had aneurysms when that got printed in every history book for all time. Lily Evans Potter, the Dark Lord Slayer."
"I probably blew our house up too."
James shrugged, "I never want to go back there. However, I wish I could have seen his gloating face when his own spell blew up on him."
"Not on him," she corrected, "If he used the Killing Curse, he himself would have become the bomb blowing backwards from that point. There shouldn't even have been a shred of him left."
"I bet the aurors' office had a field day trying to figure it out."
"All they would have to do is ask Sev, he's the one who helped me come up with it."
"See, while Sirius and I were running around with werewolves, you and your pet Death Eater were coming up with experimental Dark Arts. And yet, I'm the one who gets called the trouble maker."
"That's because you are the trouble maker."
"Says the lady who came up with a Dark Lord -Killing Curse proof- trap in fifth year," James retorted.
"It isn't Killing Curse proof," she argued, God, did it feel amazing to talk to him again. She didn't know how much she had missed this.
James just raised a brow at her.
She grinned, flicking a finger down his nose, "The Killing Curse was just the final ingredient."
"Oh, sorry, guess we'll have to put a footnote into the chapter."
"You realize Severus, who likely survived the war, not as a deer, probably wrote a whole book on it."
James kissed her forehead, Sirius still hated Sev, but James… Well, James was Lily's everything, and opening up about Severus, who was such a big part of who she was, of her childhood, it hadn't been something she'd been able to compartmentalize away.
When she stopped being his friend in fifth year, it hadn't been because he called her that word, it had been because Avery said that he would slit Snape's throat in his bed if she kept trying to corrupt him.
James knew that.
She regretted that she had never been able to tell Severus that but he had felt so unreliable when she discovered he had taken the Dark Mark.
She hadn't known who to trust anymore, until she started going through her old journal, searching for any magic, Dark or Light, that could protect Harry. And in those old notebooks, her handwriting tied around Sev's, she remembered that underneath all the grim and rough edges, Sev had been a true friend.
James sighed, "You and Severus invented the thing that saved our son. I still say you deserve the credit for imploding and exploding Voldemort, but I suppose I can tell the bat-boy his life debt to me is paid."
She didn't bug him about the name calling, as long as he didn't encourage Sirius or said it to Severus's face, she could live with it. For just as he had accepted her history with Severus, she had to accept his own history with the Slytherin.
A history of spell casting that explained quite eloquently why neither James nor Sev had been chosen as prefects.
"Voldemort is dead," James said again, this time with more certainty.
"Harry is alive," she rejoiced.
James laughed, he laughed so hard he began to cry, and once he began to cry, he began sobbing.
She joined him, as they held onto as they mourned all that they had lost and all that they had found.
Harry Potter, Neville -and everyone else- noticed was happy.
Like, extremely happy.
Of course, Neville had seen Harry happy before. When they were playing games or joking in the dorm room, or when he was playing quidditch, but this wasn't the same.
"Oi, Potter," Draco called, "Did you find love in the forest?"
Harry spun on his heel and gave the blonde a jovial smile, "Don't you know, Draco, the Forbidden Forest is a magical place."
Someone muttered, "He must have snuffed some cheering charms."
But Neville was watching Ron and Hermione who looked more perturbed than Draco.
Neville weaved his way through the crowd and heard Hermione ask, "Harry, what happened yesterday? You missed dinner."
Harry shook his head, "Don't worry about it."
"Harry-"
"Honestly, Hermione. It was just a nice walk is all. Cleared my head."
Hermione, who was not one to be content with a secret, began to argue but Harry cut her off, "I asked McGonagall, I'm going to take Arithmancy with you instead of Divination."
Neville, who had a free period this morning before Potions, chose to speak, thinking that, with Harry being this upbeat, he wasn't likely to snap at him.
Hermione accepted the change in topic as it was about school work; "Oh, Harry! You're going to love it. I've already read the book, of course-"
"I think that's a terrible idea," Ron said.
"Hey, Harry?" Neville spoke up, tapping his shoulder.
Ron was scowling at Harry and completely ignored Neville as if he hadn't spoken at all, "We have a free period today, and you're going to leave me in Divination too?"
Harry shook his head and turned to look at Neville with bright green eyes, "Hey, Neville, what's up?"
"Do you think McGonagall would let me switch too? Divination seems a pretty useless subject after yesterday," he said in a rush.
Harry grinned, "Oh, definitely. To tell you the truth, I think McGonagall isn't much of a fan of Divination." They split at the table, Ron and Neville sat across from Hermione and Harry.
"You're both dropping Divination?" Hermione asked, "I approve of Arithmancy of course, but-"
"But some of us like to sleep, Hermione. Besides," he wrinkled his nose, "that classroom smelled funky."
"Incense," Hermione began as they sat down at the table.
Harry shook his head, "Hermione, I've been cleaning since I could walk; that room isn't clean. Which is probably why she needs so many scented things."
"Oh," she said, her own nose wrinkling, "Maybe I should-"
"No way," Ron exclaimed, "You aren't going to leave me too!"
Hermione frowned at him, "It's only the second day of school, Ron, you're welcome to join us."
Ron made a face at this. There was no more discussion from them until they were done eating.
"Look, Neville," Hermione said, "She's getting up, we should go ask."
He nodded, standing but they almost had to run before they caught up to their Head of House, outside the Entrance Hall, "Professor McGonagall!"
She stiffened, coming to a halt and turned a severe expression on them both. Neville shrunk behind Hermione, reminded forcefully of Gran.
"What's wrong now?" McGonagall demanded.
Hermione sputtered, "Um, nothing, Professor. We were just talking to Harry, he said you let him switch from Divination to Arithmancy. Neville wanted to know if he could do the same and I was wondering if I could drop Divination also."
McGonagall almost smiled at them, particularly at Neville, "Wise choice. Ms. Granger, I would also like you to see what other classes you might be willing to drop. Particularly Muggle Studies. You have the textbook, that should be sufficient to understand the Wizarding World point of view and if not, I am certain Professor Burbage would love to have a discussion with you on the topic during office hours."
Hermione looked a bit crestfallen, "But I thought-"
"I trust you, Ms. Granger, but Albus Dumbledore and I do not always agree on what our expectations for our students should be. You have until next week to make your decision, at which point I will expect to reconvene with you."
"Yes, Professor," she responded.
"Mr. Longbottom, a word."
"Yes, Ma'am," Neville said, hurrying after her as Hermione waved goodbye.
They came to an alcove where they stopped, "You will have to owl-order the book for Arithmancy."
He nodded.
McGonagall sighed then, "Mr. Longbottom, do you know who your godparents were?"
Neville reeled at the dramatic change of subject, "No, I mean- Gran never spoke of it."
"And you never asked?"
Neville flinched, he would never ask that question. He got by at home by asking for nothing and being thankful for everything he was given. Really, his main trouble came from trying to remember things when he was panicking, and he was almost always panicking for one reason or another.
Anxiety was a constant friend where he had no others, because who wanted to be friends with a bumbling scaredy-cat? Especially in Gryffindor House.
"Mr. Longbottom?"
He shook his head, "No, I never asked. I figured my parents didn't plan for-" his voice faltered.
McGonagall sighed, "It was war, they most certainly did have a plan, but it was not to be. Your godparents were James and Lily Potter."
Neville paled and felt horrid.
His real parents got tortured into insanity and his godparents were simply murdered by the Dark Lord himself.
Though, he had a wistful thought of what would have happened if Harry and he had been raised as brothers.
It would have been nice not to be alone all the time even if Harry Potter was the cool kid.
"Mr. Potter's godfather was Mr. Sirius Black and his godmother was your mother, Alice."
Neville looked away from her, it was morbidly ironic how similarly screwed up his and Harry's pasts were.
"James Potter," McGonagall continued, "Was my godson. I'm not telling you all this to bring up painful memories but I wished for you to think about your options."
Neville looked at her cautiously, "Options?"
"Harry's current guardians have been deemed unsuitable and he will be placed with a new family this summer. I know that your grandmother loves you very much, but I am also aware that she is getting on in years and is- shall we say, a woman with strong traditional values and is most inflexible."
That was perhaps the kindest way Neville had ever heard anyone say Gran was strict and disliked raising children.
McGonagall continued, "Mr. Potter's new guardians have expressed a willingness to take you in as well. They have some health issues, and you would of course be able to see your grandmother whenever you like, but you might find it more comfortable homelife. You and Mr. Potter would of course be together through such a transition if you wished to give it a chance."
"Professor, Harry and I aren't that close."
McGonagall rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly, "Friendships are not born from silence." She took her hand back, "At any rate, it is your choice. In about two weeks, Harry's new guardians will be visiting and you will be able to meet them as well."
"Gran will never allow it," he said with absolute certainty.
"It is not Mrs. Longbottom's whose happiness that concerns me," McGonagall said firmly, "Alice and Frank were students of mine and I know they would agree with me that finding a more suitable home for you would be their priority as well."
Neville shook his head, "I don't think-"
"This isn't a choice you would have to make until the summer. Until then, Mr. Longbottom, do enjoy the school year."
Neville stared after her as she left for a stunned moment until he realized he was going to be late for his class.
oOo
Arithmancy turned out to be a fun class and he took McGonagall's remark to heart.
Friendships aren't born from silence.
Of course, talking with Harry Potter was easier without Ron Weasley around, and Hermione went out of her way to be inclusive as they puzzled their way through their first class assignment.
And Harry, who Neville always thought only cared to be friends with Ron and Hermione, chose to sit with him for Potions as Hermione sat with Ron.
Harry remained upbeat and talkative.
The topic of conversation somehow had fallen on magical plants, which was a particularly easy conversation for Neville.
Not that he got the impression Harry really cared about Herbology, but apparently Harry had planted the garden at his family home.
Harry's current guardians have been deemed unsuitable.
It was an uncomfortable insight to know about Harry. They weren't close, but even so, he would have never guessed… though, now that he knew something was wrong… well, Harry was really skinny, and he didn't have near the same appetite as Ron. Also, the more he spoke with Harry, the less Neville assumed that Harry only wanted two friends. Maybe it was just a case of everyone assuming they knew him and expected him to be the one to start conversation.
But Harry only talked as much as Neville did.
Unfortunately for all of them, Harry happened to be talking when Snape entered the room.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Potter, for talking," Snape said casually.
"Fifteen," Harry retorted.
Everyone did a double take.
Snape halted and looked down his nose at Harry, and drawled, "Twenty."
Neville took one look at Harry's returning smile and knew they were all in trouble.
Potter smiled up at Severus, green eyes sparkling, and it wasn't James Potter's smug smirk, it was all Lily Evans, her light, her joy, and her exuberance for life grinning up at him.
"I mean, why stop there?" Potter asked, "The year is young."
The entire room went deathly quiet, and Weasley and Granger stared at their friend as if he had gone utterly mad.
For Severus's part, it was effort not to laugh. He should have been furious, and should have remembered that an entire Slytherin class was present, Draco who would most certainly tattle to Lucius.
Dumbledore had been very clear.
He was to be the villain, he was to be the Potions Professor that couldn't be bothered, the Death Eater who, despite begging for a muggleborn's life, would gladly seek revenge against his 'arch-nemesis' by going after his son and the Dark Lord's bane.
But reminded of Lily, the girl who had once been his best friend, who he regretted screwing things up with, Severus wanted to roll his eyes and chuckle.
How many years had he sunk into the bitterness? Hell, when had he become the bastard he pretended to be? When had his life become so pathetic? He had given up any illusion of happiness or professionalism to play Dumbledore's game on the chance that the Dark Lord might come back.
Looking at a smiling Harry Potter, Lily's son, he wanted to be a better man. Wanted to be the uncle who visited on holidays like he did for Draco. Petunia wasn't better company than the Malfoys, but Petunia was a part of his childhood, as shitty as it had been considering his family, that had been shared with Lily.
Today was the second day of classes, yesterday, he had scared the shit out of the first years. Which, yes, he did enjoy. Potions was a deadly subject on the best of days, but for the older students?
Be the Potions Master, but be a reluctant teacher, Dumbledore had ordered him, Voldemort must believe the only reason you teach is to be close to me, not because you enjoy your position or have started over with your life.
Starting over.
Severus stared down at Potter, surely it was too late. He had gone along with Dumbledore's edicts, it wasn't like he deserved happiness or a fresh start or a fulfilling life in the Wizarding World, whatever he had made of his fractional private life.
Lily was dead, and that was his fault.
Her husband was dead and her son was an orphan,and that too was his fault.
But would Lily have preferred him to play Dumbledore's game or teach her son how to brew a decent potion?
Lupin's return to Hogwarts and Black's escape from Azkaban had reminded Severus of something rather relevant.
He wasn't the only one to fuck up.
And maybe, just maybe, to see Lily's son sparkle with her life and her happiness, maybe that was a more worthy legacy than being a pawn in Dumbledore's games.
"Potter," Severus drawled, "Come stand before the front of the class at my table." He glanced around the worried faces of the Gryffindors and the eager faces of the Slytherins. "You too, Longbottom."
Severus enjoyed startling Longbottom, but he also found the boy's ineptitude annoying. Pomona was always raving about how good the boy was at Herbology, well, time to teach the class that not all subjects were divided.
Potter was good at Magical Creatures, Longbottom was excellent at Herbology, there was no reason they couldn't brew a potion.
"Longbottom," he snapped, "Do not touch anything, you are going to help instruct Potter and the class."
The boy looked positively ill, but Potter bumped his shoulder like Lily used to do for Severus.
He had let himself be blind for too long, the only thing similar between James Potter and his son was his penchant for danger and Quidditch, little else.
Severus began giving explicit instructions and had Longbottom explain the properties of each natural ingredient, while asking Potter for a description of each magical creature. They didn't know everything, but between them, they knew quite a lot for third years and they spoke in plain English, unlike Granger who simply recited the textbook.
Not that Granger didn't understand what she was reading, but she read more than a Ravenclaw and most of what she said went over her classmates' heads which rather defeated the purpose of her answering any given question.
Potter, as Severus had noticed before, was extremely skilled with a knife and stirred and parsed ingredients as if he were a chef.
Severus had never been able to prove it, but he was pretty sure his lackluster performance in this class came from inattention, Weasley's laziness, and Draco tossing things across the room.
In the front of the class, with all eyes on them, however, Potter's attention was soundly focused on what he was doing, and his abnormal good cheer was settling some of Longbottom's nerves.
As Severus gave instructions, he kept an eye out on the other cauldrons.
Dumbledore had forbidden him from teaching like this, saying that he knew the Dark Lord's opinions on 'cooperative study' but let the bastard fire him.
He wouldn't fire him for the dozens of complaints he'd gotten from parents about not learning enough to pass tests in his class, but Severus had no delusions that he could lose his job for doing his job well.
The only reason he had this job was because of Dumbledore. The only reason he wasn't in Azkaban was because of Dumbledore. The only reason he held any sort of respect or status in the Wizarding World was because of Albus Dumbledore.
But a coward like Lupin was getting a second chance.
Black had escaped to reap terror on the world again.
And Harry Potter had found a piece of his mother's light.
Surely, Severus could be allowed to turn a new leaf, to at least be a decent professor even if his past would ever be coloured in blood and regret.
By the end of class, every single student had participated in creating a passable potion, and no one had blown anything up.
"I will expect a full essay summarizing the steps of this potion and relevant properties of the ingredient list. Class dismissed."
Draco was staring at him in confusion as he didn't lecture any of the Gryffindors as they hurriedly packed away their things.
"Thanks for the class, Professor Snape," Harry Potter said, addressing him politely for perhaps the first time.
Severus merely nodded as the boy all but skipped away, dragging a stunned Longbottom with him.
Draco scurried out of the room too, surely to notify his father.
As the last of the students exited, he heard one student say, "Wow, I actually learned stuff in Potions class."
Dumbledore was going to be infuriated.
Severus smiled to himself as he began to rewrite his lesson plans. Let Dumbledore fire him, this year, he was going to earn the title of professor. It would take at least a year before the old man could find a replacement for him at any rate.
Minerva's suite at Hogwarts was a full apartment with two guests rooms, a living room, and a full kitchen.
Lily, James, and Sirius were sitting on the sofa.
Peter Pettigrew who had been staying with the Weasley as the rat he rightly was, was nowhere to be found.
She honestly hoped he had been eaten by a cat.
"Twelve years," James said, "We missed twelve years."
Sirius rested his head on James's shoulder, "I'm just so happy you're alive. That Harry is alive."
Lily looked over at the two men, James was once more clean shaven and Sirius looked a little more put together, but he was still frightfully pale and the shadows in his eyes were so deep it hurt her heart.
She stood, and James startled as if he had just heard a tree branch break. She pushed him back down, and kissed his cheek. "I'm just going to the kitchen, James."
James let out a huff, leaning into Sirius but turning slightly to keep her in easy view. Sirius was still too out of it to notice the odd behaviour.
"Harry looks just like you, Prongs," Sirius said.
That they had just finished lunch/dinner an hour ago and they hadn't talked then nor in the last hour since.
"He smelled odd," James said quietly. "And he wasn't afraid of the Forbidden Forest."
Sirius said nothing.
James turned to him, "What did Harry say to upset you and Remus? I can't remember what words he used but I saw Remus fall on his face. He's not normally klutzy."
Lily was very attentive even as she metaled the chocolate into the milk.
Sirius let out a long breath, "Dumbledore has been interfering in Harry's life."
Lily felt her hackles rise at that, it was too politic for Sirius.
James pulled back from Sirius, "What the hell does that mean?"
Sirius didn't say anything.
Lily came back to them with two mugs of hot cocoa, the smell of cinnamon filling the room from the steaming mugs.
Sirius sat up, taking the cup gratefully, "Thank you, Lils."
She nodded but her attention was on her husband as he grimaced at the cup. They had picked at their dinner whereas Sirius had dug in.
It wasn't for lack of appetite, more because British food wasn't heavily plant based.
"It's water with just coco powder and a bit of sugar, sweetheart."
"I think I might prefer tea," he said, taking the mug gingerly.
She shook her head, the Dementors had passed them by the other day, it's how they had run into the hippogryph herd in the first place. "I'll finish what you don't," she told him sternly.
He took a tentative sip, and relaxed when his taste buds confirmed he wouldn't be pouring dairy into his system.
"Are you two honestly going to be vegetarians now?" Sirius asked skeptically, trying to make a joke of it.
Lily scowled at him, which made Sirius smile into his mug. "Vegan, actually. Now, spill. What's up with Harry? What did Dumbledore do to him?"
Sirius lowered his mug slowly, "I went to find him first, you know, when I got out."
He looked off into the distance.
"Sirius," James warned before Lily could.
Sirius looked up, "He ran away from home."
Lily gaped, "He ran away from Alice and Frank?"
Sirius shook his head, "Alice and Frank were tortured to death by the Lestranges and Crouch Jr. Bella was in the cell beside mine. She was quite proud of herself, at least for the first few weeks."
Lily sat on the floor, pressing herself against James's legs. He stroked her hair as he asked Sirius, "I'm guessing it wasn't Minerva who took him in then."
"Dumbledore put him with the Dursleys, Lily's sister."
Cold dread went down Lily's spine as she remembered her last conversation with her sister.
Tuni, I'm sor-
Sorry!? I wish you were dead instead of them! I never want to see you again! Do you hear, Freak!? It's your fault our parents are dead! You had to go to the stupid magic school! Make friends with that gross Snape boy! I warned you, and now, I hate you. I hope the Dark Lord kills you and your stupid husband. I hope you die! It would be no less than you deserve!
Tuni, you don't mean that.
I mean every word! Get out!
I'm your sister!
I have no sister, and I don't want you anywhere near what is left of my family.
Petunia-
Go to hell!
Lily's breath was shallow as she pressed herself against James's legs. She hoped that her sister would be a bigger person, to not take that pain out on her son.
But she knew her sister, her sister who married a man like Vernon Dursley and mocked and judged everyone and everything.
She would have hated Harry on account of being Lily's son. She would have hated him if she had known Harry was magical.
But both?
Petunia would never have shown Harry love or kindness.
Only James and Severus would truly understand that.
"He was doing house chores, like all of them, and they had him working out in the garden at the hottest parts of the day. Your sister is a piece of work, Lily."
"According to her, we aren't sisters anymore," Lily said glumly. She didn't bother to ask why Dumbledore had done it.
"Who did little Neville go with?" James asked.
Sirius shook his head, but Minerva entered then and answered, "His grandmother."
Both Sirius and James flinched.
Sirius said, "Poor chap."
"James, you and Lily are still his legal godparents."
Lily looked up, "If we're well, we will take him in, of course we will, unless he wants to stay with his grandmother."
Sirius chuckled darkly, "Slim chance of that, that woman had as much a sense of humour as my dear mum."
"Yeah, but I doubt she used the torture curse on either Frank or little Neville," James remarked.
"True," Sirius conceded, taking another long draft of his hot coco.
Lily was watching Minerva, "You look smug."
The older witch smiled at her, "I'm just pleased. Are you three up to meeting with Harry and Remus tonight?"
Lily stood, James taking her hand though he stayed seated, "Of course, pleas-"
The door opened then, cutting off her words as Harry stepped through, Lily ran to him.
Minerva really did know them too well.
Harry's smile was infectious as he hugged her back just as fiercely. She kissed his head, holding on tihgt with very little intention of ever letting him go.
Remus walked around them, joining the boys on the couch.
Lily shut her eyes, for a moment, all was right in her world.
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James watched his son and his wife caught in a moment of all their own and tears spilled down his cheeks. He had done a lot of crying today and he could only be relieved that no one had yet to remark on his weepiness.
He hardly noticed Remus sitting down beside them or Minerva departing into her own room.
Sirius put an arm around James shoulder to tap Remus's shoulder, "Hey, Moony, how was your first day of classes?"
James turned away to look at his old friend who despite not being in prison, trapped as a deer, or trapped with Lily's evil sister, probably hadn't had a pleasant twelve years either.
Merlin, weren't things supposed to get better after a war?
Remus smiled slightly, "Not bad, I think I like teaching."
James knew he would, but in an attempt to lighten the mood said seriously, "Moony, we have to talk."
Remus froze, looking at him nervously, "Yes, James?"
"One of you has to go," James said straight faced.
Remus shrunk in on himself, but before he could apologize for existing, James continued, "You, Padfoot, or that horrid mustache."
Sirius barked out a laugh and Remus flushed, "Ha ha, Prongs, hilarious."
Sirius kept laughing.
And Remus rolled his eyes.
James passed Remus his cup of half finished coco-water as Harry and Lily walked over to join them.
"Hello, son, did you have a good second day of school?"
Harry ran at him just as he had run at Lily, making him feel as if his heart was going to burst.
They had lost twelve years.
But they still had Harry.
He pulled Harry in tight. The last time he had held his son-
He shoved it away, focusing on the here and now. When an admittedly long time had passed, he scooted toward Remus, and sat Harry down between him and Sirius.
Harry smiled up at him, "It was the best." His son turned to look at Sirius, "Hey, Dogfather, how are you?"
Sirius's joy was such that it chased the shadows back from his eyes more surely than the hot cocoa.
"Best day in twelve years, Prongslet."
Lily sat down on the coffee table across from them, "So, we have a lot to catch up on, but let's start small. We were with you yesterday, how was your trip to Hogwarts?"
James grinned, "Prank anyone?"
Remus coughed and Harry's smile faded as he glanced at the werewolf.
Lily mock scowled, "Don't tell us you nearly got expelled before even arriving on campus. I really had hoped you had taken after me not your father, or-" she winked at Sirius, "or your Dogfather."
"No, that was last year," Harry said casually, "A house-elf closed off the platform and we, my friend Ron and I, missed the train, so we panicked and stole his dad's flying car. McGonagall wasn't happy with us. Honestly, though, we were lucky to survive, we landed in the Whomping Willow."
There was a beat of silence, and Lily sighed, "So you're worse than your father."
Harry smiled at her warily, "The car ran away and saved us later from giant spiders, so it worked out."
James stilled, memories of fleeing from said giant spiders over the years flashing across his mind, "Harry, what were you doing that deep in the forest?"
"Hagrid told us it was safe, he got taken to Azkaban and we had to help him," Harry responded stubbornly. He, James Potter, the man, didn't want to run away from the people he loved, but the part of him that was a stag knew to run first and fight later.
James wondered about being ready for fatherhood at twenty-one, but life as a deer hadn't prepared him for this. Suddenly, he felt so incredibly overwhelmed it was all he could do to stay seated.
"So, this year?" Lily redirected, "What happened?"
Harry sucked in a breath then said in a rush, "The train was stopped to look for Sirius and a Dementor came into our compartment and Professor Lupin saved me."
James felt as if he had been sucker punched.
Sirius snarled, "You were almost kissed on the Hogwarts Express?"
"Dumbledore was furious," Remus said.
"Oh, good," Lily said with dripping sarcasm, "Dumbledore was upset."
Again, the world felt like it was closing in around him, made entirely worse when Harry, his son, described exactly how fucked up the situation was. He spoke in a small voice, "I passed out and I heard…" he looked up at Lily, "I heard you screaming. Why didn't you get out of the way? He would have let you go."
The he in that equation, Harry was, of course, referring to Voldemort.
James was going to be sick.
But Lily, ever the more dependable one, said, "Because you are my son. And I will never willingly let anyone or anything hurt you." She smiled fiercely, "Speaking of which, want to learn a charm that will keep the Dementors at bay?"
Harry's expression instantly brightened, "Yes!"
Remus, however, said, "Lily, are you sure you're up for-"
James would have laughed at the expression she turned on the werewolf, holding her hand out expectantly.
Remus just blinked at her.
"Wand please," she clarified, "the rat stole James's and mine before the attack."
Remus's lips parted in a small 'O' but he passed her his wand.
"Thank you," she said primly, standing and offering Harry her hand.
He took it, and Lily flicked her wand causing the table and extra chairs moving away as feathers tied to strings.
James could watch his wife work magic all day, and he knew that it would forever be a cherished memory of his as he watched Lily teach their son the first spell they would pass on to him.
One that was a protection against true evil.
Harry's first attempt produced a shimmering mist.
He looked considerably disappointed and embarrassed.
"No, Harry," Lily said as Remus sat up straighter, "That was impressive. Most people can't even cast a Corporeal Patronus. It comes down to your intent, force of will, and the strength of your happy memory."
Lily cast her own patronus, a young stag with hardly any antlers pranced around the room in silvery blue light. He was sure it was a mirror of Harry, because while not having Harry had likely been the source of their sorrow, their son was the only reason they had held onto anything of the people they had been.
James heard a door open and glanced out of his corner of his eye, catching a glimpse of Minerva peeking out of her room.
Harry, however, was looking up at Lily, then looked at the couch. His eyes met James's, holding his gaze, he smiled, and it was like the sun bursting through the clouds.
Harry turned back to the empty space between Lily and the couch and set his shoulders.
James was so proud of him.
But he was utterly blown away when Harry cast, "Expecto Patronum!"
Not only was it only his second try but he was only thirteen years old, and yet a form shot from Harry's wand, chasing around the young buck as Harry's Patronous took on James's animagus form.
Sobbing silently in front of his son probably wasn't his greatest moment even as Sirius pulled him in tight for a one armed hug.
But Harry didn't judge his father, quite the contrary, Harry returned to the sofa and hugged James, and Sirius as they were that close.
What Harry said next broke James, and remade him entirely, "You and Mum are my happy memory, Dad."
Any attempt at dignity was whisked away as James clung to his son and his brother- Lily came around joining the group hug and James knew that this moment would forever be his happiest moment.
The moment that confirmed that he was human, that he, his wife and son were alive, and that his loving family might have been injured, but they still had each other.
Everything else could be handled, so long as he had his family with him.
AN: And yeah, this story has a plot, but we are totally taking the long road because, ugh, look at them and this only day two!
Thoughts on this chapter or things you would like to see in the next chapter or suggestions for this story?