1) This REALLY is the final chapter. PLEASE don't ask me to write another!! I'll cry!!
2) Wow...I've never gotten reviews this fast before. 'My Baby' got seventeen reviews in it's first day. o_O;
3) Lily and James are...kind of in this chapter.
4) Please don't ask me to write another chapter after this one! It's flattering, but I really need to sleep. ^_^ This story was only supposed to be one-chapter long...
5) Kippinator, you still haven't e-mailed me!
Disclaimer: Harry, Lily, and James Potter are the stupendous work of J. K. Rowling! Sadly, it's not me...Okay, read!)
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Harry stood at his window, staring out of it as he'd been doing for half an hour now. The other three inhabitants of the house, the Dursley's, had long-since gone to bed. He couldn't. If he went to sleep, one of them might come and then he'd wake up and they'd leave. Was the happiness of the visit worth the sorrow of the sudden depart?
"It isn't fair," he muttered. He looked at his bed and sighed before sauntering over to it and lying down. He carefully pulled back the blanket until it was only up to his waist and left it like that. There was no one to tuck him in. There hadn't been in a long time. There never would be again. Harry closed his eyes and concentrated...
"C'mon, James! It's time to tuck Harry in!" Lily called downstairs from her son's doorway.
"Isn't he a bit old for that by now?" her husband replied, though he could be heard walking up the stairs.
"He's still our baby," she said with a smile. James arrived beside her and they both walked into Harry's room.
Harry, pretending to already be asleep, fought back a grin. His mother knew he wasn't sleeping. She had the magic of 'mother's intuition' to tell her that.
"Beautiful dreamer," she began, singing in a soft tone, "wake unto me..."
Her son opened his eyes and smiled. He would never tire of this.
"Lily, that doesn't sound like a lullaby if you're asking him to wake," said James with a laugh.
"Oh, shush. It's a wonderful song," she replied, nudging him playfully. Lily sat down on Harry's bed beside him and slowly pulled the covers over him.
In reality, Harry pulled the covers up to his chest and sighed, keeping his eyes shut tight.
"Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee," his mother sang. "Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day, lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away..."
James watched his son and wife fondly, his gaze warm with admirance.
"Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song," Lily continued, "list while--"
"Queen?" asked James. "Honestly, now, Lily. Harry's our son. Remember?"
Harry laughed. "Yeah, mum, I should be a king."
"And a king you shall be," she said, laughing at the two of them. "Beautiful dreamer, king," corrected Lily, looking at her husband with a smirk, "of my song, list while I woo thee with soft melody."
"Much better," said James, sitting down on Harry's desk chair.
"Gone are the cares of life's busy throng," sang Lily softly, running her hands through Harry's hair with a fond smile. "Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me. Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me..."
A soft breeze blew in through the window and slightly ruffled the boy's hair. He smiled.
"Sleepy yet?" asked Lily, tracing her thumb along Harry's forehead, which had no unusual scars or marks.
"Not at all," said Harry who yawned.
"I'm sure," replied his mother, grinning. "Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea, mermaids are chanting the wild lorelei."
"What's a 'lorelei'?"
"A song mermaids sing to lure out sailors," said James.
"Oh, alright. Go on, mum, sing your lorelei."
Lily laughed and tweaked his nose. "I don't need any more sailors, I've got my own crew of the S. S. Ruckus right here."
The sound of crying came from the other room.
"Oh, dear. James, would you go check on baby Scarlett?" asked Lily. "I thought she was sound asleep, the little dickens."
James nodded and stood. "I'll be right back," he said as he walked out of the room and down the hallway.
"Babies cry a lot," said Harry, looking to his mother.
"Yes, well, she's your sister and you love her," Lily said. "I saw you looking in on her earlier, telling her a story about when you won the Quidditch World Cup. You little liar." She grinned and poked him on the nose.
"She loves that story, it's her favorite," said Harry, sticking his tongue out mockingly.
"Your's too, right?"
"Yep."
"I thought so."
"Woogy!" came a happy squeal from the doorway. There stood James, holding Scarlett. She was only a year and a half old.
"I'm right here," said Harry, sitting up. She couldn't say 'Harry' yet, so she called her older brother 'Woogy'. How she got 'Woogy' from 'Harry' he couldn't figure out.
"She wanted her Woogy," James laughed, walking over to Harry's bed and setting Scarlett in his lap. She giggled and grabbed Harry's hand.
"I 'tay wiff Woogy," she declared.
"Can she sleep in here with me, mum?" asked Harry, looking up at his parents hopefully.
"Of course. You're the only one that can get her to actually sleep anyway," Lily said, laughing.
Harry opened his eyes briefly to look into the hallway, making sure no one was awake. Then, he shut them again.
Lily tucked Scarlett in bed beside Harry. The little girl giggled and kept a tight hold on her brother's arm.
"My Woogy," she said.
"Yeah, I'm your Woogy." Harry laughed.
"Well, you can sing her to sleep then, Woogy," said Lily, standing up as if she were going to leave.
"Aw, mum! Please finish?" Harry pleaded, giving her the saddest, puppy-doggiest look he could muster.
"I can't stand when you do that," Lily giggled, sitting back down. Then, she continued her song. "Over the streamlet vapors are borne, waiting to fade at the bright coming morn."
"Woogy squishy," commented Scarlett, poking Harry in the ribs. He laughed and poked her back.
James laughed. Lily went on, "Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart--"
"There are two of us in here, mum." Harry grinned.
"Beams on my heart," she corrected, "E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea...then will all clouds of sorrow depart..."
Lily smiled as she noticed her daughter had fallen asleep, clutching her brother's arm protectively.
"Beautiful dreamers, wake unto me," she kissed Scarlett on the forehead.
"Beautiful dreamers," she kissed Harry's cheek, "awake unto me."
Harry took his mother's hand and gave it a squeeze of 'good-night' before he too drifted away into a deep slumber with his young sister.
Lily stood up and took her husband's hand. He leaned down and kissed her. They walked out of the room, hand in hand, and James turned out the light.
"Beautiful dreamer..." Harry murmured, nearly asleep. "awake...unto...me..."
His eyes closed and he settled into the most peaceful sleep he'd ever had.
~ End ~
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(A/N: I know you love the story, but this is it. NO more. Okay? Pleeease?)
