I don't own Harry Potter... J. K. Rowling does

***

A month later, James who had been watching Lily very carefully since her parent's death usually checked up on her during the day at work. She never minded as he always had a small gift for her such as flowers or candies.

One day he firecalled her to find the office deserted. This was common, sometimes she would run an errand or be in with the Minister so he went about his business but called her 10 minutes later to find it still emptied. Now worried he firecalled the Minister who greeted him warmly.

"Excuse me Minister but where is Lily?" he asked as soon as greetings were finished.

"She left a few hours ago," the Minister told him surprised he didn't know, "she had to visit St. Mungo's. She didn't tell you?"

"St. Mungo's?" James' eyes widened. He bit his lip. "Thank you sir."

"Good to talk to you James," James got up and paced the room nervously. What was Lily doing at St. Mungo's? Was she ill? Was she hurt? He looked at the clock, she should be home soon, if she left the Ministry a few hours ago. He decided to go to the library and distract himself with a book but it didn't work, he read the same page a hundred times.

When Lily arrived home an hour later, James pounded her with questions, "Why were you at St. Mungo's? Are you hurt? Do you need to lay down? Are you sick?"

"I'm fine," Lily smiled and went upstairs. "You will find out at dinner." She told him.

"Why dinner?" he asked and quickly went up the stairs following her.

"It's a surprise," she smiled more. She went into the bathroom to freshen up leaving James outside the door very confused.

It was hard for James to wait until dinner. It was actually impossible. He kept badgering Lily about why she was at St. Mungo's and at the same time kept asking Rosy when dinner would be ready. Neither would answer him.

At dinner when everyone was seated Lily looked at the four men who were all waiting for the news. For Remus, Sirius and Peter they wanted to hear the news so James would settle down. Her eyes stayed on James and she spoke softly, "James." She stopped and smiled even more. "You are going to be a father."

At this announcement Remus smiled, Sirius stared at James, Peter smiled weirdly and James looked at Lily confused, "What?"

"I'm pregnant James," she laughed.

"You're having a baby?" he blinked a few times.

"Give the man a Galleon!" Sirius laughed. He clapped James on the back. "Congratulations to both of you."

"That's why I was at St. Mungo's," Lily told him. "I was suspicious after for the last week I've woken up sick."

But James didn't hear her words he was staring at the her muttering to himself, "I'm going to be a father... I'm going to be father."

**

Christmas was on its way. A few days before Christmas they helped the house elves decorate the house and put up the Christmas trees. Ever since hearing that he was going to be a father James had made sure that Lily didn't do too much work and he was always considered about her Apparating.

On Christmas the five adults exchanged gifts and then ate their Christmas lunch. They talked about past Christmas, mostly when they were at Hogwarts. As they talked each other hoped and wished that Voldemort would be quiet that day so everyone could have a nice and peaceful Christmas. The hour was barely 4:00pm when they received the call from Arabella Figg telling them about an attack in the Muggle world. The four men went off, Lily decided to quit the Order until the baby was born so she kissed all four of them and told them to be careful.

It was horrible, Voldemort had attacked five Muggle homes and a wizard family and as the Marauders went into each house they knew that the innocent people had just sat down to their Christmas dinner or having a party with friends. James did something he had not done since they had first begun, as they entered of the hours and James saw the half-opened gifts he turned around and went back outside to throw up.

Sirius came out to check up on him and he patted his back in a comforting way. He told him it would be okay.

"When though?" James wiped his mouth and looked at Sirius. "Dammit Voldemort! I just want the world my child and everyone's else's to be safe and free of Voldemort. Why can't it be?"

Sirius didn't know how to respond to this. James often spoke like this. "Come on, we are done here." Sirius hugged him in a brotherly way. "Let's go home."

**

A few days after Christmas James was down in the training room with Sirius when James heard a bell that announced visitors at the gates.

"Who is it?" James called lowering his wand.

"I'm looking for Sirius Black, its Katie Moon," Katie said. At the sound of her voice Sirius lowered his wand and ran upstairs.

James grinned at his friend as he made for the stairs, "Well I'm not."

Sirius turned around and gave him a glaring look. James laughed, "Come in, come in, sorry about the walk."

Sirius continued upstairs to meet her. James laughing and thinking that he had not seen Sirius move so quickly ran up after him. They were met in the Entrance Hall by Lily who had heard Sirius's thundering steps.

"Who is it?" she asked wondering who could make Sirius run so fast.

"It's her girl friend," James made his way over to Lily and whispered in her ear.

She gasped and then smiled. Since meeting in the Alley Sirius had written to her practically every day. Every morning he would badger all of them wondering if the post had come yet. He always got a far away look on his face which James exclaimed he had only seen on his face when he entered a jokeshop.

She came to the door and Sirius who already had it opened ran out to meet her. They exchanged a kiss and Lily, James, Remus and Peter exchanged a look. When they exchanged another kiss and a hug, James cleared his throat.

Sirius let her go and turned to them, "Katie you remember the annoying James Potter." He joked. "And his lovely wife Lily."

"Oh yes, you were all Gryffindors," she said and greeted them.

"The home of the brave and daring," James said. "It's nice to see you again."

"And Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew," Sirius introduced the last two Marauders.

"Oh it's good to see you all again," Katie shook their hands. "The famous Marauders living in the same house." She turned to Lily, "How do you stay sane?"

Lily laughed. "It's hard." The two women laughed together.

"Would you like something drink or to go sit down?" Sirius asked Katie.

"Both sound nice," she smiled at him.

"Lets go then," James took Lily's hand and they led the way into the living room. There James called for Rosy and ordered hot drinks for all.

"How long have you been married?" Katie asked Lily.

"Five months," Lily told her.

"I remember you two at school," she smiled. "I had a feeling you would get married."

"Mr. Potter your drinks," Rosy came back with a tray and the drinks.

"Thank you Rosy," James smiled at her.

"I know this is an unexpected visit but I wanted to bring Sirius his present and to see all of you, he's spoken so much of you."

"Oh it's fine," James told her. "We don't go far these days."

"He's spoken of us?" Remus asked. He shook his head at Sirius, "Understandable, he always pines for us when he's away too long."

Sirius sent a glare Remus' way. Katie laughed. She patted Sirius on the knee and looked around, "It's a beautiful house."

"Thank you," responded James. "It's been in the family for years." James looked around at Sirius and Katie and then cleared his throat. "Lily what was that piece of furniture you wanted Remus and I to move?"

"Oh it's in the library," Lily told him quickly.

"Peter come with us, we might need another hand," James motioned to him and they all got up.

"Dinner is served around 5," he looked at Katie. "You will stay won't you?"

"Oh of course thank you," Katie smiled at James.

They walked out of the living room going in the opposite direction of the library. On the stairs Lily wrapped an arm around her husband, "He's in love."

"I know," James smiled and shook his head. They went up to their room. "He gets that look whenever she is around or mentioned." He closed the door behind them.

Dinner was a wonderful affair. The Marauders provided the entertainment with stories of their adventures at Hogwarts. Katie laughed hard at them and she told them how she wished she could have been a Gryffindor. "You had all the fun." She told them.

"The Marauders would never have survived Ravenclaw. They liked trouble too much," Lily smiled at her husband as she laughed with Katie.

"We never studied for one exam," James boasted.

"Not one? What about O.W.Ls or N.E.W.Ts?"

"We spent the whole time in detention," Remus shrugged. "Well they did at least." He said looking at Sirius and James.

"Was detention fun or something?" Katie asked. "I can't understand why you are so proud of all your detentions."

"The amount of detentions depended on how mad McGonagall was. It was an accomplishment to get two weeks detention for one joke. With us she tried not to show she was mad," James nudged Sirius. "But we knew she was furious."

"I thought she was going to burst!" Sirius laughed. "That was one of the best tricks ever!"

"What did you do?" asked Katie eagerly.

"Remember when classes were canceled because of damaged classrooms in our 6th year?" Remus asked her.

Katie thought for a moment and then smiled, "I do!"

"We Dungbombed, Stink Pelleted and locked every room with our special passwords. Not even the Spell Ending Charm worked, nor Alhoroma."

Everyone laughed, "I must tell you, even in Ravenclaw there was never a dull moment with you four. Someone would come in and yell to everyone what you had done now. We were also the victims of many of your jokes."

"Everyone was a victim!" Sirius shrugged.

"Then we did a good job," James laughed. "It was our job to make sure that chaos was always around."

They spent another few hours talking, laughing and drinking tea.

**

"I think we are done here," Benjy Fenwick spoke to them in low voices. Sirius, Remus and James were standing in a Muggle village with Benjy and a few other Order members. "Another two Order members were killed, have to go tell Dumbledore that."

James nodded. They had been helping a family when they heard the Killing Curse and two of their good friends had been killed. "Let's go home." He looked at Remus. He turned to look over his right shoulder expecting to see Sirius but he wasn't there. "Sirius?"

Sirius had been standing there listening to Benjy when he had a feeling, a bad one that it wasn't over. There was something that was being forgotten. He walked away as James talked to Benjy and made his down the street to where things were quiet again. He looked to his left and right wondering what felt so wrong.

He was walking in the part of the village where there was little space between the houses. "Crucio!" He heard a voice, a man's voice followed by a woman's scream. He stood rooted to the spot, he knew that voice. He looked to his left and ran down the space between the two houses. He found a Death Eater standing over a figure that was screaming and twitching on the ground.

"Expelliarmus." Sirius said and the Death Eater's wand left him. Sirius caught it. The woman's screams stopped though he could hear her breathing heavily.

Sirius looked down at the wand, it felt familiar. He looked down at it, it was a long wand, it felt powerful. He looked up at the Death Eater.

"Well... well look at you. The hero has come," the Death Eater spoke in a cold cruel voice. "You disturbed my fun, do not expect me to greet you warmly my brother." The Death Eater took off his black mask and revealed his clean shaven, short blacked haired brother Simon.

Sirius had not seen him since he was 13 years old but Simon had the same menacing sneer, the same piercing cold eyes.

"Well you have grown." He spoke again.

"People tend to," Sirius answered curtly.

"Are those your little friends?" Simon asked looking behind Sirius.

Sirius didn't turn around, he knew that when James discovered he was gone they would have followed him. He nodded once.

"And the black haired one, is that your brother?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

Sirius didn't nod this time. He didn't move at all.

"You think you are so tough don't you?" Simon asked. "You join the precious Order, oh yes I know you are in it. You alliance yourself with that fool Dumbledore. You are on the losing side, but then you were always on the losing side. You were born to lose."

"We will see who is on the losing side," said Sirius.

"How about a duel?" Simon asked. "Like we use to in our dear parent's house."

Images flashed in Sirius' mind, he could see the room in which they dueled. Simon and he doing magic over the summers, which should have been illegal but they used their parents wands and if magic was discovered by two underage wizards, what Ministry member was going to come to their house of two Dark Wizards and stop them. How many times had Sirius ended up on the ground unconscious. He could see himself falling back, time and time again, he never won.

"Fine."

"I'm surprised, you always lost," Simon laughed cruelly.

"I've been practicing," Sirius said and threw back Simon's wand.

"I'll be the judge of that," Simon grinned menacing.

Sirius looked back at James, "If anything happens, don't sell the motorcycle."

He turned back to Simon and they got in position. Trying to breathe Sirius turned his back to Simon and walked away from him. He stopped, turned and the duel began.

"Stupefy!" Simon roared.

Sirius blocked it and sent back the same curse. It was blocked.

"Crucio!" Simon yelled.

Sirius dodged it, "Expelliarmus." Simon blocked it easily.

The curses were getting darker. Sirius was racking his brain for curses that he hadn't uses in years and the counter curses. The duel went on for awhile. The brothers with years of training did not tire easily.

"Crucio!" Simon said and Sirius didn't dodge it in time. James had to keep himself from going to help his friend. His eyes did not leave Sirius and his ears were filled with the sounds of Sirius' cries. He bit his lip and his fists were in balls.

Simon's smiled widened as he watched Sirius twitch and yell. Remus thought it was a rather sick sight but like James his eyes didn't watch Simon but Sirius. He glanced at Simon once or twice butRemus could see it in his eyes that he was enjoying this very much.

Simon walked around Sirius insulting him and laughing. He walked back to where he had been standing during the duel and he lifted the curse. Sirius kept twitching uncontrollably. James was now breathing heavily, this was it. Sirius get up, he thought. Come on Sirius, come on. How could Sirius get up in so much pain though?

"You know the Cruciatus Curse is a favorite of mine?" Simon told Sirius as he watched Sirius on the ground, face down.

Sirius lifted himself a little bit. He took a few deep breathes and then looked up at his brother, "You- were... always the... sick one." He said in barely more than a whisper.

He tried to get up... he was in so much pain. He got up stumbling and a few times he almost fell back down again. Simon wouldn't stop moving... wait no... everything was moving. He extended his wand arm and tried to steady his wand.

"What are you going to do now?" Simon laughed watching him. "I'm tiring of this duel." Simon yawned. "Good bye brother."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"