After
Prongs
We hadn't finished unpacking, but it was getting late. Lily was putting Harry to sleep in his new bedroom in our new house in Godric's Hollow, and I was cleaning up his toys and our dishes from a late dinner. It had been a busy day; all days had been busy since the war began, and especially since we had become such a pivotal part of it.
For two days now, we had lived here, and we hadn't had a single visitor. We couldn't even get mail, except from Peter, and he had sent us nothing yet. I suppose I should have thought that was unusual. I suppose I should have thought of a lot of things.
I dropped onto the couch sideways, one arm across the back of it, and gazed out the large window behind me at the evening sky. It was just after sunset, and the sky was darkening; a few stars were beginning to appear.
"I'm visible in the northern hemisphere only during the winter months!" came Sirius' voice in my mind. I smiled at the memory of the conversation. I think we had been about thirteen at the time.
I had stared at Sirius incredulously and asked, "What in God's name are you talking about?"
"I'm a star," he had told me with a grin.
"I know you think you're great, Sirius, but—"
"No, really, I'm a star in the constellation Canis Major, visible in the northern hemisphere during the winter months. It's the brightest star in the night sky."
I had exchanged a bewildered look with Remus before saying, "How do you know all that?"
"Hey, if you found your name in an encyclopedia, wouldn't you be a little interested?"
"Who finds their name in an encyclopedia?" I had asked in my most you-are-a-total-nerd voice.
"Well… I'm the evil twin brother of the founder of the Roman Empire."
Peter had snorted with laughter into his pumpkin juice at Remus' unexpected comment.
Staring, Sirius had asked. "Are you serious?"
"No, you are," I had joked, causing eyes to roll on all sides.
"Well, the 'evil' part was a bit of creative interpretation on my part…" Remus had admitted.
I remember feeling slightly jealous of them; years from now, they're names would live in legend, in books. "James Potter" was quite possibly the most bland name in the world. It would never be famous. As I smiled to myself at the memory—Had I really once been so petty? I missed those simpler times, I longed for them—Lily came out of Harry's room.
"I am exhausted," she sighed, flopping next to me and throwing a melodramatic arm over her face. I smiled at her; little gestures like that, when they come from Lily, are so beautiful.
"I love you," I said.
She smiled beneath her arm and answered, "I love you, too."
We'd said it more to each other over the past week than we had in the rest of our lives. Being trapped and isolated and unsure where to turn or what do to had made us truly understand how much we mean to each other.
In unison, knowing that we both needed comfort, we reached out to each other in an embrace and kissed softly.
"Lily…" I murmured through kisses with my eyes closed. "The only good things left in the world are the people in this house."
"Oh, James, that's not true…" she whispered sadly, her breath on my face.
"I wish it wasn't…"
I felt hot tears on my cheeks, and I couldn't tell if they were mine or hers.
"James…" she said shakily, "How long will we have to live like this? Hiding away, letting innocent people face Voldemort for us…"
"We're going to keep fighting."
"We can't. It's too dangerous."
"So we'll just let our friends die?"
We had separated now; though we still had our arms around each other, we were also looking each other full in the face.
"James, you know that isn't what I meant."
"But that's what it comes down to."
"It's not that simple."
I dropped my gaze. "I know it's not," I said quietly. "Nothing is anymore. I'm just— It's been a rough time."
"I know. It's been hard for all of us." She lifted my face up to meet hers again, but just before out lips met…
There was a loud crack outside the window, and we pulled away from each other to look. I saw a black figure glide past the window swiftly. Lily and I jumped to our feet and pulled our wands from our pockets.
"Who is it?" Lily hissed.
"Peter?" I suggested.
I knew it wasn't Peter.
I felt Lily's eyes on me, but I didn't look back. I was terrified of what I'd see in her face.
"Is it…" she began; I knew what she was thinking.
"No, it couldn't be," I answered quickly. It couldn't be.
"Alohomora!" came a high, cold voice outside.
I swore loudly; Lily screamed. We had been so confident in the Fidelius Charm that putting up further protection was something we hadn't gotten around to yet.
"James!" Lily shrieked.
I heard Harry crying from his bedroom.
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's Him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off—"
She stumbled from the room. The door between the living room and the entrance hall burst open.
In less than a second, I was face to face with the most evil wizard of all time. He was laughing at me, brandishing his wand. I returned the gesture.
"You don't scare me," I growled.
Voldemort continued to laugh. "It's the end, Potter! For you and everyone else standing in my way! But if you give me your son without a fight…"
"Never! Expelli—"
"Avada Kedavra!"
It was a pain searing through my body such as I had never experienced… I felt my soul ripped from my body as if Voldemort had reached into my heart to rend it from me with his bare hands… But I didn't scream…
I died fighting for those I loved.
I knew who were my friends.
And who wasn't.