VIII

A/N: Last chapter! As usual, the characters belong to J.K.Rowling, as does the master plot and they were used without permission. Linkin Park belongs to Linkin Park and check back to Chapter One for the big disclaimer thing. I'll be revising grammar etc. tomorrow. Thanks for all of your reviews, once more, I can't believe I actually got two reviews in one day! Pretty pathetic, huh?

"But why?" The year was 1982. James Potter was spending yet another quiet afternoon with his longtime fiancé, Fiona Fiddle. "It's Arabella's son, isn't it? What's his name? Jeff? Fiona Figg. Nice ring to it."

"You're not upset?" Fiona said. James looked guiltily down at his fingers. "Ah."

"What, 'Ah'?" Fiona smirked.

"Here she comes now," she said. Lily Evans (der) pranced snootily down to them in her stylish glasses and glittery muggle pants.

"Hello James, Fiona, how are the soon-to-be husband and wife doing today?"

"Lily, I blew off the wedding." Whatever Fiona expected was certainly not happening. Instead of being happy, or relieved, or whatever, Lily was livid.

"What? Why the hell did you do that? He is a great guy! You'll have a wonderful life together! Do you remember how long we've been planning this getting married to James thing?"

"Yes, Lily, but it wasn't me who was planning all of it. I don't love him and I'm not going to marry him because you don't want to!" Fiona retorted. James shook his head as if to shake the bewildered thoughts out.

"Wait, girls, I'm right here!" Both stopped saying whatever and turned to him. "So?" replied Fiona.

"I can't believe you would embarrass me like that!" Lily continued. She dragged Fiona away so James wouldn't listen, as if taking his advice.

"Fiona, I can't!"

"Why not, Lily? You've always thought he was great. Who are we kidding? You're perfect for each other!" replied Fiona, Lily seemed to be about to cry.

"He's my friend!" She gave Lily a 'no, duh,' look in response. "Fiona he feels sorry for me, I know he does! I don't need his pity!"

"That was a long time ago."

"But it's when we became closer. I mean if it hadn't happened, he would never have even given me a second thought!" Lily stamped her foot frantically.

"But I can see it in his eyes! He adores you."

"No," she countered firmly, "he feels bad that such a rich beauty had to go to waste because her father lost his good name in high society."

"Whatever. I don't understand you people. I don't want to marry James. Jeff and I are already planning our honeymoon, I mean what do I say to him? 'My best friend doesn't want me to marry you so I have to go off with her boyfriend'?" For a second Lily was about to laugh, but restrained herself, remembering the desperate facade she had to hold up lest Fiona get those crazy ideas implanted in her head.

"Fiona, he hates me! What if he doesn't feel the same way?"

"So you admit it?"

"No...er, I mean I would feel the same way if Remus decided to marry Tammy! You're making a big mistake and you know it!" said Lily, though a bit quickly.

"Remus and Tammy are in love! Just like me and Jeff! And you and James, whether you want to admit it or not." Fiona gave her friend a stern look. Lily sighed. "And Tammy is not all that bad," she added to Lily's back.

James noticed that Evans looked a great deal more different than in Hogwarts. She was still beautiful, but she always had a haughty, sour look on her face. Her hair had become a darker red, like her mother's, and her green eyes were clearer. He had changed quite a bit too. His face was longer and his eyes dark and shadowed. He had bags under his eyes and lines on his forehead. At twenty-two, his hair was spotted with gray at the front. Whatever the Hogwarts girls had seen in him was gone. The mischievous look in his eyes, the adventurous spirit, the bad boy Marauder in his personality. He was fighting on Dumbledore's side against Voldemort. Revenge for his killing the Potters. His father, mother, all four of his sisters, dead. It was beginning to take its toll on him.

"James Potter, you prat what did you tell Mrs. Figg over there?"

"Who, Fiona? I didn't tell her anything!" She was still so beautiful. Without thinking about what he was doing, he grabbed her hand. She stopped her ranting. "What are you doing?" she asked. He dropped her hand, but he couldn't look away.

"I should have known. Has Sirius been feeding you those old Hogwarts rumours about how I have a cold body temperature?" James looked puzzled, but suddenly remembered the story that he had started back in third year about how she was cold-blooded.

"Actually, that was me," he smiled cheekily. Lily burst out laughing. She stopped abruptly and looked at her watch.

"James, we're almost late!" she said. He suddenly remembered the meeting he had with Dumbledore and the other Aurors and just managed to grab onto Lily's umbrella on the table and her hand right before it disappeared. Too bad Apparitions could be tracked, he'd never liked Portkeys anyway. Neither did Lily.

A month later, Lily found out she was pregnant. With (you guessed it) James's child. She was going to get an abortion, but James seemed overjoyed. It happened in a fit of anger and passion, as did all things concerning their relationship. One day when the Marauders (minus Peter), Tammy, Fiona and Lily were together, James finally told everyone.

"Guess what everyone?" he said, giving an uncomfortable looking Lily a big smile. "I'm having a baby!!" He gave a squeak and clapped.

"James, no offense, but I don't think you have the right organs," Sirius said, and Remus and Tamora laughed. Fiona, on the other hand, looked worriedly at Lily.

"No," Lily said, "it's mine. I've scheduled the abortion next Monday." She looked guiltily at the hole in Fiona's favourite pillow.

"You-you didn't tell me that?" said James, his voice faltering. The others looked from Lily to James, feeling immensely uncomfortable.

"We'll leave you two to discuss this stuff, shall we?" It seemed they took no notice.

"This is half my child, how could you? I want this baby. My sister, she was only an infant when she died. I want a girl. I've been waiting for this for a long time, Lily, and I'm willing to anything it takes to-"

"Ok."

"You mean you'll do it?" asked James, looking more and more like an eager child. She nodded and James spun her around, kissing every inch of her face. "Thanks Lily," he said shyly, tightly holding her hand. Lily, although, felt a vomiting sensation, and she wasn't entirely sure that it was aversion. The next thing she knew James was dragging her off to Diagon Alley to go shopping.

*

Lily and James might have to go into hiding, he said. It was not confirmed, but one of the Ministry Aurors suspected that there was a spy on their side. Professor Trelawney had managed to have a real premonition. Lily and James had a connection to Voldemort's eventual downfall. They had to be careful. If the Auror's suspicion was confirmed, they had to go. And they had to split up so it was hard to find both of them at once.

Of course, James disagreed. They would not split up. Lily was more than halfway along. They both needed him, he protested. No, there was no way. I'm marrying her, he said. You can't split us up, Professor. Lily was too stunned to speak. She didn't even know that she was marrying him. It was her mother's story all over again. She wondered if she could take up her old habit of drinking. Maybe the baby would die and things would be the same again. No, she decided, James would be devastated. She blushed, realizing that Dumbledore was asking her something.

"Lily, are you feeling alright?" James looked at her concernedly.

"Yes. James, will you go outside? I need to discuss something with Professor Dumbledore." He stood up to go, as Lily found his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She heard the door click, closed.

"The baby was an accident. As soon as he's born," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "It's a he?" he asked. Lily mysteriously smiled and continued, "As soon as he's born, I'll go as far away from him as possible so as not to endanger him."

"Are you sure it'll be that easy?" Lily blinked, confused. "Forgive me for being so blunt, but are you trying to delude yourself?" Lily felt the anger swell up within her. She replied: "Professor Dumbledore, forgive me for being so rude, but I would appreciate if you didn't act like those people that I'm supposed to call my lousy friends." She gave a haughty grunt and Dumbledore let out a bellowing laugh like she had never seen before.

"I know I'm supposed to be your Headmaster and about a century older than you, Miss Evans, but if you will allow me to speak to you as an equal, I don't think he will let you go all that easily. Take it as advice, blabber, whatever you feel like." Lily narrowed her eyes. "So you'll let us stay together...I mean if we go into hiding?"

"Why, sure, if you want it that much?" Dumbledore was acting too hyper, she decided. "I think I need some Fizzing Whizbees," she muttered, calling James's name loudly. Dumbledore shook with mirth, trying not to make any sound as James helped an indignant Lily down the spiral staircase.

(A/N: Good ending to the chapter, don't you think? lol.)

The wedding was two weeks later. Lily was starting to show, and she wanted to have it as soon as possible because it was highly disgraceful for such a...pregnant lady to get married so late. It pinned a bad reputation on the groom, she said. James (and Fiona and Sirius, for some odd reason) were happy to oblige. Sirius was best man, Fiona was maid of honor. Tamora and Remus were off in the Bahamas somewhere, celebrating their honeymoon, so they barely made an appearance. Peter was sick; bedrest, he said. All the girls in Gryffindor came, and so did Jeffrey Figg and his family. It was over in a day, the wedding, and Lily and James had no honeymoon. They moved right into one of the Potter homes in Godric's Hollow.

"I can't believe I'm doing this, I can't believe Ieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" James was holding her hand and she was trying to dismember his. They were in a muggle hospital, full of white sheets and a medicinal smell. Lily's face was drenched in sweat and James was looking scared and guilty.

"Hold on darling, It'll all be over. It'll be over, you'll be fine..."

"Easy for you to say you...bastard! I hate you!" she screamed at the top of the lungs and the nurse rushed in at the noise.

"Sorry, sir, it happens all the time. The lady'll be kissing and cuddling with you again in no time, don't worry." James smiled sadly, nodding. Normal was staying in their respective rooms in opposite ends of the house and having the butler bring up their food and drinks. Normal was not speaking to the other unless the tap in the fifth floor bedroom wasn't working because the poltergeist was blocking the pipes again. If normal was kissing and cuddling, he would've had ten million kids. He continued telling Lily that everything would be over soon. As much as he wished it would last.

"Isn't he adorable?" James kissed Lily's cheek and the little boy's as well. Lily was too awestruck to notice. James remarked again how great it was that he had a son.

"Didn't you say you wanted a daughter, Potter?" James frowned. "Yea, I did, but I don't care anymore. And please don't call me that," he retorted.

"Call you what? Potter?" she smiled weakly, still staring at the baby's sparkling green eyes. "Yes. Now what are we going to call him, Lily?"

"How about...Sirius?" James stuck out his tongue, indicating his disgust. "How about Severus?"

"Eww, how could you even think of that?" For some reason James remembered their first date when she wretched at the romantic couples on the edge of Hogsmeade. He smiled. "How about Joe?"

"Harold," she declared triumphantly and James nodded, seeing that she liked it so much. "It was my grand-uncle's name," she explained. "He began our law firm." James suddenly kissed her, with such enthusiasm that he surprised himself. Little baby Harry cooed, as his mother's grip tightened around him.

"I love you," he said.

"You don't."

"I don't?"

"It's Harry. Dumbledore was right. You are grateful to me because I gave you him. You're confused." James shook his head.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, You are."

"No, I'm not!"

"You are, that's why you think you're not," she said firmly.

"No, you don't understand! I've loved you ever since fifth year."

"Then why did you want to marry Fiona?" she asked, hoping to stump him.

"Because I thought you didn't like me," he answered. Lily faltered for a second, making her mind up about something. Harry was sleeping peacefully on her breast. She played with the back of his hair...James hair, she thought to herself. James was still kneeling on her bedside, his arms intertwined and he was staring fixedly at a spot where the bedspread crinkled. His longest gray hair on the front swayed from the breeze from the fan, contrasting with the black.

"I love you too." He looked up suddenly and smiled wide. He kissed her.

"Does that mean we can sleep on the same bed tonight?" James asked. Lily frowned. Whoever said that James Potter had changed? To her, she thought, he would always remain Monsieur St. Prongs, The Great Marauder.