Not a Chance

By Lalita

Disclaimer~ As always, Harry Potter isn't mine.

Summary~ James didn't think he had a chance with Lily, but she proved him wrong… 

Author Notes~ Well, here's the end! Hope ya all liked it! Please read and review!

Epilogue~ One Family

            Only a few years later, in Godric's Hollow, Lily Evans was rocking a small infant to sleep in her arms. The baby boy was cooing delightedly as he reached up and curled a tiny fist into her loose red hair. She smiled contentedly and gave a little sigh as she rested her cheek against her son's.

            Moments later, a tall, lanky man with tousled black hair emerged into the room, watching the scene before him with amusement. He leaned against the doorframe and watched his wife and son in silence.

            Lily patted little Harry's back and slowly rocked him back and forth until he was lured into sleep. Carefully, gently, she leaned over and placed him in the baby cradle. Straightening upright, Lily let a hand linger on the softness of his round cheek. Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong arms encircle her from behind, and she gasped. She whirled around to face her husband, grinning broadly at her.

            " Oh, James," she breathed, and relaxed into his arms.

            " Who'd you think it was?" James asked, absently running his hands through her hair. " Don't tell me there's another man you've been expecting."

            Lily giggled at James's playful teasing. " Of course not, James," she said, a sparkle in her eye. " I'm not so foolish as to engage in my liaisons when you're present."

            James growled and drew Lily closer to him. " I'm going to make you pay for that one," he threatened.

            Lily laughed and breathed in deeply, inhaling his unique scent. " I look forward to it," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

            James's arms tightened on her waist as he lowered his lips to touch hers. His tongue slipped across her lips, begging for entry that was given happily. Lily moaned into his mouth as he toyed with her tongue.

            " Eager to finish our previous activity, before our son woke up, are we?" He smirked.

            Lily flushed. " I could say the same for you," she said. Then she pushed lightly on his chest. " Speaking of our son...," she murmured, glancing over her shoulder at the one year old staring avidly at his parents, apparently awake.

            James chuckled and released Lily. He pretended to pout as she made her way over to Harry and picked him up, rocking him again. " Soon," he said, crossing his arms, " I will be forced to become jealous of my own son."

            Lily made no comment but to roll her eyes in James's general direction and kiss Harry's cheek. James, still grinning, strode over to her side and wrapped his arm around her. He smiled affectionately at his son, doing the same as Lily and kissing Harry on the cheek. Harry, whose eyelids had been drooping considerably since being picked up by his mother, dropped off to sleep, but not before smiling brightly and mumbling what James was sure was the word, " Daddy."

            James felt his throat constrict as Lily lowered Harry to the cradle once again. He pulled her to him and embraced her fiercely. " James," Lily mumbled against his chest, " what are you doing?"

            " You're ruining the moment," James murmured. He kissed her forehead, then cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs caressing the silky texture rthymatically. " I love you," he whispered. " You and Harry. I love you two more and more everyday."

            Lily blinked back a sudden rush of tears. " Oh, James," her voice broke, and she hugged him back just as hard. " I love you too. More than anything."

            James leant down and kissed her softly, gently, and she smiled. Her tears mingled with his own. " James," she said, breaking the kiss, " Is it... Is it true?"

            " Is what true?" James asked, a little impatiently. He was more than ready to stop talking and start kissing.

            Lily's eyes had fallen to the floor. " That... that V-Voldermort," here, she stumbled over the name, as if it scared her senseless, " is looking for us?"

            James groaned. " Don't think about it, Lily," he told her.

            " I... I can't," Lily protested. " Every time I look at Harry, I wonder what would happen to him if we d-died!"

            She was babbling now. James knew that if she didn't stop, not only would she wake up Harry, she would work herself into hysteria. She was shaking, and tears were leaking from her eyes. James held her close and soothingly patted her back. " Shh... Lily," he consoled her. " Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to us, not as long as Peter keeps the secret, you know that. And if anything did happen, Dumbledore and Sirius would take care of Harry. So stop."

            Lily sniffled but ceased her sobs. James sighed in relief. " Besides," he added, eyebrows raising, " I was under the impression that my beautiful wife and I had more pleasurable things to dwell on."

           Lily laughed feebly. Her tears had stained the front of his robes. She stepped up on tip-toe to kiss his lips, his cheeks, all of his face. James took one last look at his son, said " Goodnight, Harry. I'm off to ravish your lovely mother and make some more brothers and sisters for you," and hoisted Lily into his arms, carrying her to their bedroom, which, consequently, was right next door to Harry's nursery. Lily giggled and held onto his neck tightly. She started kissing his neck, sucking lightly on his salty skin.

            James groaned and deposited her on the bed, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. When they came up for air, James said, " Do you remember that bet we made in fifth year?"

            Lily looked puzzled for a moment, but then realization dawned on her face. " The one where I said I'd never date you?" she said, her voice low and husky.

            James smirked. " Yeah, that one."

            Lily rested her head in the crook of his neck. " What about it?"

            " Well... I just thought I'd say... I won."

           Lily laughed. " Yes, you did, oh Thou-of-such-Modesty," she agreed, lightly punching him. " Although... I must admit, I'm not complaining."

            James slanted her a goofy look, then kissed her again. " Good, because neither am I."

            All of a sudden, a tiny wail interrupted them. Cursing, James swiftly let go of Lily and rolled over. " Our son needs to learn the finer points of sharing," he grumbled. " If Harry has his way, I'll be left with nothing but a pillow to keep me company at night."

            " Oh, you're not the only one suffering, you know," Lily scolded him. She had already gotten up and straightened her clothes. " I bet he's hungry."

            James frowned in confusion. " But you just fed him!" he protested meekly.

            " He has the appetite of his father," Lily noted wryly. She kissed his cheek.

            James turned his head and kissed her full on the lips. " But right now, his father has a very different kind of hunger..." He wiggled his eyebrows.

            Lily pushed him back down and, chortling, left the room to tend to Harry. James fell back on the pillows, contenting himself with thinking about all the things he would do to Lily when she came back. That way, she wouldn't be tempted to leave again, not even if a pack of vampires knocked on their front door.

            Little did James know, in just a few minutes a knock would sound his door. Lily, having just finished feeding Harry, would come downstairs with him. He had no idea that as soon as he opened the door, he would come face to face with Voldermort, and be forced to send Lily running. The last view of his wife would be of her wide, terrified emerald eyes, so like Harry's. And then he would die, protecting his loved ones.

            James couldn't have known what the future held in store for him, but still, as if sensing his time was drawing to a close, he rose and entered Harry's nursery. He tenderly kissed his wife and embraced his son, thinking that despite all, he would always love them.

~*End*~