AN: Hello everybody! This is my first ever fanfiction I'm actually posting somewhere, so I hope you enjoy it. I'm currently really into Harry Potter again and have been toying with this FF idea for a while now. Yeah, I know, this kind of FFs have been done to death for Harry Potter, but at least it's not a Twin-Fic this time ;) (Although the first draft started with this idea :X) The first few chapters will probably be kinda short, but I hope to increase their length as I'm diving deeper into the story. Also, english is not my mother tongue (I'm German) so if you find any grammatical mistakes please tell me. I'm always open for constructive criticism, so I hope you leave a comment. So finally: enjoy!

October 31, 1981

Lily

They were in the middle of a war. A bloody, gruesome war; that already went on for years. They had lost people. Friends and Family. On some days she was terrified. But as she stared at the sweet face of her sleeping daughter she didn't think she could be any happier.

The wedding hadn't really been planned. They had just graduated from Hogwarts and from there went straight to enter the Order of the Pheonix. After a close encounter with Lord Voldemort, in which some of their friends sadly had died and they themselves had barely made it out alive, James had suddenly proposed to her. He had explained that from this day onwards every day could be their last. And if he had to die, he at least wanted to do it with the knowledge that Lily was his and well taken care of through his wealth she would then have access to, should she make it out alive. Under tears, because she didn't even want to THINK about loosing the love of her life, she had agreed to become his wife.

It had been an intimate affair, with only their closest friends present. James didn't have any living family members to speak of and Lily only had her sister left. She and Vernon, her brother in law, had refused to even answer the invitation letter. Lily had expected it, but it still had hurt her deeply.

The little baby girl in the crib twiched with her chubby hand in her sleep. Lily smiled and lovingly stroked the black tuft on top of her little head. She had her dads hair. They both had. But they also both had her eyes.

She hadn't wanted to bring children into this war. But not soon after the wedding she had become pregnant. So she had given birth to Harry James Potter - and immediately gotten pregnant again. She hadn't known if she should cry or laugh when she had been told that she was pregnant again, just after carrying out her son. And then they also were suddenly forced into hiding. Because now, it seemed, Lord Voldemort was after them especially. It had been difficult times. But she had taken it with stride and just barely 10 months after her brother, Willow Petunia Potter had been greeted into this world in secret. The world knew of Harry, but no one outside the order knew of Willow. And they were content in keeping it this way until the Dark Lord was finally defeated.

It had been relatively easy to name Harry. She had always liked that name and James had insisted that he was named after him also; what, apparently, was a tradition in his family. Though she got the inkling that that was only one of his ego trips, naming their first born after himself. James had not been named after his father.

It had been more difficult with Willow and so the baby had been known only as „puppy" for a few days, courtesy of Sirius. But of course she wanted a real name for her daughter. There only was one condition: it had to be a flower name, like with her and Petunia. And after days of reading books about names and testing the sound of several ones out loud, she had found the perfect name. Willow.

The flowers of the willow tree were known for their resilience, grace and flexibility. Also, the name in itself meant „peaceful or resolute". All things she wanted for her daughter. And, coincidentally, her wand was made out of willow wood also and it had never let her down. So her name was decided. Also, Petunia as her second name, because she still hadn't given up on her sister completely.

She heard the giggling of her son and the loud, deep laughing of her husband coming from the living room. Frowning she looked at the clock on the wall. It was the night of Halloween and way past Harrys bed time. She had hoped that James would make him ready for bed while she was nursing their daughter and putting her to sleep. But of course, he was playing around again. Oh well. Being forced to stay in the house no matter what was pretty stressing, so it was nice to hear they could still laugh so carefree. But it was high time for Harry to go to bed.

She gave Willow one last, little kiss on the forehead, lovingly whispering „Sweet dreams, precious girl" while doing so. Then she went out of the nursery to put her son to bed. Not knowing that, in less than 10 minutes, she would lose the love of her life, and her own life as well, to their mortal enemy Lord Voldemort. Trying, with her last breath, to protect her children. Leaving them behind to fend for themselves.