"You bloody idiot" James heard just as he felt something whack into his chest making him stumble back a few steps. Only for the attack to continue "why would you answer the door without your wand"
"Marlene stop hitting him" he hears another voice come up behind him. Causing the world around him to snap into place as he recognized the crazy blonde that had been hitting him.
"Thank Merlin, Marlene you are okay!" He tells her grabbing her in a hug, pinning her arms to his chest, stopping her from hitting him. He lets out a breath only to suck it back in a panic. "No, he was there. Lily and Harry are in trouble. We need to get help! And Peter he must be hurt" He says grabbing her shoulders and pushing her back unintentionally shaking her.
"Jamie," She starts as he steps away pacing in a panic, Dorcas comes up beside her wrapping an arm around her waist giving her a sad smile. "James," she says louder this time getting him to look over at her stopping mid-pace one foot hovering in the air a second before stomping to the ground as his eyes connect with Dorcas.
"You were dead," he whispers, mind flashing back to find her on the floor of her and Marlene's apartment having broken out of the cottage to check on her trying his best to keep his promise to Marlene.
"What exactly are we protecting here?" Marlene asks from where she is practically in James's lap as they hide under his invisibility cloak. She watches another ministry worker-run past the room they are guarding.
"I don't know Dumbledore just said to make sure Voldemort doesn't go in that room," He says as he continues to stare at the picture in his hands.
"He does realize that neither of us have ever seen Voldemort," she says, only to be ignored. "Hey, pay attention," she says, pushing him and snapping the picture out of his hand. Looking down she can't help but smile "So, any names for my Godson yet?"
"Not yet, we still have a few months to work it out though, while for Lily to work it out. I lost naming rights after suggesting Prongs Junior" he tells her ignoring her eye roll and snatching the picture back, still amazed that the muggles could look inside people without magic.
"What's wrong?" she asks, not liking the look on his face. She gives him another smack when he says nothing. "Jamie, I have known you since you were eleven years old. I know you better than I know my own siblings. What's wrong?"
"I'm terrified," he tells her, and the look on his face causes her physical pain, she grabs his hand and waits for him to continue. "I'm not an idiot, I knew that joining the order would be dangerous but now with the baby it feels like there is so much more to lose. What if something happens to him, or what if we don't stop him, or if something happens to Lily, or me… I want to watch my son grow up, I want to teach him to fly and watch him get his hogwarts letter, to cheer for him in the stands when he wins the quidditch cup for gryffindor"
"No pressure there," Marlene tells him unable to stop the tears, she wants that to both for her godson and her and Dorcas's kids when they are ready. "We can't think of 'what ifs' James, it will drive us crazy. But I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to protect that baby" I tell him emphasizing each word with a jab to the picture still clutched in his hand. "If something were to happen to you I would make sure that McGonagall gets her quidditch cup. And hey, I'm sure Dorcas and I could take care of Lily" she tells him wiggling her eyebrows at him, a grin crossing her face even in this serious moment. She just laughs as he pushes her away, happy to have succeeded at putting a smile back on his face again, it was just wrong to see a marauder without a smile.
"Do you promise to take care of them?" he says serious one more.
"I promise," she tells him, holding out a pinky "If you promise the same, I'm all Dorcas has left, her parents were killed, and you guys all have your own families, I don't want her to be alone"
"I promise I won't let her be alone," he says as he wraps his pinky around her own.
"James," they both say, giving him a sad smile as the realization comes to him.
Oh.
"Is Peter here?" he asks not looking at them, at least he would have bought some time for Lily to get Harry to safety, as long as his family are alright this was all worth it. "He was the secret keeper so Voldemort must have..he must have" His face twisted up in pain at the thought of what must have happened to his friend. He finally looks up at the two shocked by the anger on their faces.
"Jamie, Peter is the traitor," Marlene tells him. He instantly shakes his head, there must be a mistake.
"No, Voldemort must have found out he was the secret keeper and…"
"James, Peter has been working for him for months," Dorcus tells him but he keeps denying it.
"No he must be working as a spy, or Voldemort threatened him"
"Voldemort wasn't there to threaten him when he attacked my family, wasn't there when I begged him to let my sisters go, or when he killed me" Marlene growls not, in the mood to hear any defence for that man that killed her family. Killing her she could forgive if it had been for the greater good, but her sisters had not even got their wands yet. Dorcus grabs her hand kissing the back of it as James stares at them unable to even say anything.
"We can see him from here let us show you," Dorcus says, bringing James to the edge to watch the scene they had been distracted from by James's arrival. James takes hesitant steps forward looking down towards his house letting out a pained gasp, as he sees Peter standing at the gate of the cottage seemingly standing watch.
"Oh, Merlin '' He hears Marlene gasp, pulling him away from his betrayal to see what she is looking at. If his heart was still beating he's sure this would have stopped it. Lily and Harry hadn't gotten away. He watched as his wife clutched their son to her chest in his Nursery whispering to him as Voldemort slowly made his way up the stairs towards them. He watched as she kissed him for the last time placing him in his crib before turning towards the door and he watched as she fell to the ground. None of which terrified him as much as when Voldemort turned towards his son in his crib. He heard movement behind him but he couldn't look away from Harry sat in his crib screaming for his Mama. He felt a body collide with his side.
"Please work" He hears her whisper as they both watch the spell leave his wand hurtling towards their innocent baby. Only for him to die instead.
"Oh thank Merlin," Lily says as she sags against him "It worked"
"What did you do?" the other three questions in sync.
"An old spell I found," she says absently, as silent tears fall as she watches her baby yell for her unable to reach him. They also sat watching Harry cry unable to do anything.
"Look Dumbledore," Dorcas says in disgust. As they watched him enter the house casually stepping over James as he made his way towards the stairs stopping at the door he looks in a slight head tilt and a twinkle in his eyes he smiles as he lay his eyes on Harry. Walking into the room he pauses looking out the window to see Hagrid arrive outside. He picks up Harry making no move to comfort the child as he walks out of the room. Walking outside he dropped Harry in Hagrid's arms.
"Someone betrayed the Potters, Hagrid, don't let the boy out of your sight," he tells him, as Hagrid works to calm Harry. A motorcycle grabs their attention as it stops in front of the house. Sirius ran towards them scoping Harry out of Hagrid's arms and inspecting him for any injury, a finger running over the cut on his forehead.
"Where are they?" He demands his attention, turning away from Harry towards Hagrid neither having noticed Dumboldore disappear. At the look on Hagrid's face, he pulls Harry closer. "No, No" he shouts, unable to believe it he takes a step towards the house only to be stopped by a hand on the shoulder. Hagrid holds his hands out.
"He shouldn't have to see them like that" Sirius looks between his Godson and the house where his brother and sister lay. Handing Harry over he makes his way into the house only to drop to his knees a few steps in he lets out a scream.
James watches as his brother sobs over him, unable to offer any comfort. They watch as Hagrid works to distract Harry from Sirius' pained screams. They watch as Sirius levitates James, laying him down beside Lily. They watch as he apologizes over and over. They watch as the realization takes over his face. "Oh God Peter" He gives one more look at the two lying there before taking off down the stairs. He stops as he sees Harry unsure of what to do,
"Give me him" he demands his godson had to come first even if the thought of Peter being hurt turned his stomach.
"Dumboldore told me to keep him with me," Hagrid tells him, Sirius opens his mouth to argue before nodding, handing him the keys to his bike.
"Get him out of here and somewhere safe. I need to find Peter '' He makes sure the two getaway safely before turning and apparating to Peter's apartment only to stop short at the sight of it. There wasn't a single thing out of place. He makes his way out the front door and down into the muggle street when he sees him walking towards him, not a hair out of place. He gives the neighbour a wave and a smile before he sees Sirius standing there. It's then that Sirius realizes what's happened.
"Peter, how could you" he whispers before his eyes filled with fury. He grabs his wand. Both were unaware of the screams coming from those watching over them.
"He did'nt do it you fucking idiots" Marlene screams as Sirius is taken away by Aurors. His laughs still echoed down the street.
"Dumboldore will explain" James stutters, eyes still watching Sirius even as his head turns towards Marlene. Until her laughs gain both Lily and James's attention she drops to her knees Dorcas follows her down.
"This is all part of Dumbledore's plan," Dorcas tells them as she works to calm Marlene "He needs a choose one, he made sure that both Harry and Neville were in the right position to be it"
"Alice and Frank?" Lily asks hesitantly.
"Bellatrix" is the only answer Dorcas gives which is enough to make James and Lily both flinch back. The two sit down across from their friends the night catching up to them. Lily eventually scooted forward till she was directly in front of Marlene.
"I've missed you" is all she says as Marlene falls into her arms. James and Dorcas join the hug as they also sit there unable to do anything to help their family down below.
"Remus" James suddenly says, pulling away as Remus bursts into Dumbledore's office. They watch as Dumbledore tells him the news, watch as Remus collapses into a chair his legs no longer able to hold his weight, they watch as he tries to defend Sirius, only to stop short he had no proof to believe otherwise.
"Where is Harry?" he demands, if he couldn't protect any of his friends he would protect their son.
"He is safe"
"But where is he?" He asks again "If Marlene and Dorcas, Lily and James,and Peter are gone, Sirius… I'm the next one to be given custody" He tells him struggling to get the words out, but remembering the very detailed list of who was to look after Harry.
"Remus, I assure you Harry will be perfectly safe," Dumbledore tells him sitting at his desk, hands folded in front of him a soft smile meant as reassurance directed towards Remus.
"Why isn't he giving him Harry?" Lilly says in a panic not that any of them have an answer for her.
"Remus, word has already spread that Harry has defeated Voldemort and that he survived the killing curse. He deserves a normal childhood away from all the popularity this night has given him"
"And I will give him that," Remus tells him not understanding why Dumbledore was fighting him on this.
"And when there is a full moon?" He asks, stopping Remus in his tracks.
"No" James shouts knowing that was the one thing to say to get Remus to stop fighting for the chance to raise Harry.
"What is he going to do with my son?" Lily questions in a panic. As they watch a defeated Remus leave the castle heading towards the shrieking shack. They watch him collapse in the corner in tears.
"He's all alone," James says, none of them knowing if it is talking about Harry or Remus.
"We were just playing with him," Lily says "He was safe. He was dressed as a pumpkin," she says with a shake of her head.
"We have to do something," James says suddenly standing.
"James there is nothing we can do now," Dorcas tells him.
"We can only watch, the most we can do is scream at idiots" Marlene adds having spent her first month in the afterlife attempting to find a way to warn them of the traitorous rat.
"No, there has to be something"
"James," Lily whispers, shaking her head while holding out a hand for her husband to come to her.
The four sat wondering how everything could go so wrong, unable to do anything but watch what was to unfold.