Prologue: The Promose

"Don't over-excite him James! It's nearly his bed time."

"I'm not, we're just playing a little game of hide and chase!" James laughed and Harry's squeals filled the air. Harry had started a new habit of ducking behind the dining room chairs and slowly peeking around the arm rests to see if the coast was clear. He would take 2 wobbly steps before James jumped out from underneath the invisibility cloak to surprise Harry. Harry shrieked with laughter and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him to the other side of the table. James would again disappear and the whole sequence would repeat.

Lily tried to suppress her grin. She loved hearing Harry's laugh and watching James try come up with more creative ways to surprise Harry. "Again!" Harry pleaded.

"Okay kiddo, one more and then it's bedtime, else your mum will hex me". Lily smirked and watched as James disappeared beneath the cloak and Harry crouched down and tried to hold his giggles.

Seeing her opportunity, Lily wordlessly cast a disillusionment spell and silenced her steps. She slowly approached the side of the table James had just walked to.

In a quick sequence of events, Harry peeked his head past the arm rests. The invisibility cloak flew off, and before "boo" left James's tongue, Lily had tackled him sideways. A frightened Yelp escaped his lips, causing both Lily and Harry to burst into stitches of laughter.

"Gyahhhh" James was thrashing about on the living room carpet whilst Lily pinned him down, too weak to stand up from the laughter. Harry wobbled over and seeing the entanglement of limbs, he decided to join the fray.

"Geddd ohffff… you both weigh more than a hippogriff" James half-grunted, half-laughed"

"Quick Harry! Get da here" Lily said as she instructed Harry to poke James on his belly. "Nooooooooo" James wailed as he thrashed about. Lily and Harry were hysterical with laughter.

"I surrender! I surrender!"

—

"That was quick" James remarked as Lily walked into the kitchen.

"Mhm, that game of yours seems to have tired him out. He passed out a few pages into the Bard." She rummaged in the cupboard for a clean goblet and walked over to the fridge. James leaned against the counter with a butter beer in hand, watching the world outside the window.

"My game? You took it the next level when you joined! " James laughed "honestly Lils, you surprise me. Didn't think you had it in you. You wrestle like a bloke!"

Lily smiled deviously. "Did you really think all the times I swore to hex you into a full-body bind were just empty threats?"

James laughed. " But Did you see him climb onto the chair? Probably would have ran across the table if you didn't grab him"

"Mhmm. Well I don't want him getting any new ideas. I wonder who taught him to wrestle like that." Lily said with a pointed stare.

James scratched his head nervously and looked around the kitchen. "Uhm… you know.. probably Sirius.. that mutt.. always dog wrestling."

Lily tutted "Just make sure he doesn't break anything. We can't be rushing off to St. Mungos .."

"That would never happen!" James laughed. "Besides, I know how to mend bones, had plenty of practice on myself during Mooney's time of month." The smile slowly fell off as he felt the weight of his words.

The jovial atmosphere quickly evaporated. Lily noticed the change and went over to comfort James. "Don't think about that. Not right now." she forced in a leveled voice.

James let his gaze fall and remained silent for a few minutes. He let out a small sigh and shook his head. "He thinks it's him. Pad foot thinks it's Mooney . My own best friend is accusing my other best friend of trying to murder our family. They're my brothers Lily. What am I supposed to think?" His voice thickened with remorse.

"Don't think anything. We're fine. We're safe. We changed keepers. Dumbledore is investigating Sirius's claims. There is nothing we can do but wait for the truth to reveal itself."

James let out an exasperated breath. "I don't want to believe it, but you heard what Sirius said! You can't deny that it all seems so…. " James trailed off.

Lily groaned, sensing the same argument about to start. "We talked about this, James. I know someone in the order is the worm. But it's not Remus. You know him better than I do, you shouldn't doubt him. Remus would never hurt us, especially Harry!" Lily's said firmly.

"But how do you explain Marlene's death!? That was straight after our last order meeting and he was sent away for some mission-"

"James." Lily cut in. "Don't. Not tonight." She could feel her eyes begin to water and her throat close up. Flashes of the Mckinnon manor on that fateful day flew through her mind. Marlene's parents strung up by their ankles. Marlene tortured. The house elves found in matching pools of blood.

The last thing she wanted was to speak about one of her best friend's death. James calmed down and felt bad for straying down the familiar path. He pulled Lily in for a squeeze. "You're right. I'm sorry." Lily squeezed James and the two remained in deep silence whilst holding onto each other.

After some time, when the tenseness dissipated, Lily spoke. "Do you believe in a next life?"

"Hmm? A next life? Do you mean being reborn and living a different life each time?"

"Yeah, that. " Lily paused. "Do you believe in it?"

James was silent and he contemplated an answer. "I suppose I do. If magic is possible, why shouldn't that be?"

Lily gave a small smile. "Then in our next life, you need to promise you will find me."

James laughed "I thought one relentless pursuit was enough!"

"Hey!"

James grinned and placed his hands on Lily's shoulders, pushing her back so he could look her in the eye. "In this life and the next, I will find you. Forever and always."

Lily smiled and felt the tears pricking the corners of her eyes again. She quickly pulled James back into a hug and buried her face in his chest. James tightened his grip, not wanting to let go.

"Let's not talk about any more gloomy stuff. It's hard enough with the war and us in hiding." James rubbed circles on Lily's back and pulled her face to look up at him. "Besides, we should be celebrating!" James grinned.

"Why's that's?" Lily asked, pulling away to look James in the eye with confusion in her face.

"Its Halloween!

Yup... I just did that.

I may possibly turn this into a series.