Disclaimer: roses are red, violets are blue, I don't own Harry so you don't sue.
This is the last chapter of Butterfly Wings. I will be writing another story soon but this one is finished.
Psst if you haven't already read the new chapter thirteen I strongly suggest you do…
Thank you to all who reviewed its great to see such support from so many of you.
Alright here you go the very last chapter of Butterfly Wings
Chapter fourteen
Sweat sea breeze blew in the open windows, white curtains billowing in the wind. The sugary smell of the cherry tree in bloom floated on the air. The suns late morning rays warmed the bodies laying in the white canopy bed as they slept peacefully wrapped in each others arms.
James Potter shifted slightly and sighed as he buried his face in to sweet smelling auburn hair. Opening his bright hazel eyes he gazed at the body lying serenely in his arms. Red hair curling softly around her milky white face, long lashes closed over emerald eyes; red lips parted slightly revealing white teeth. With one arm wrapped around one of his shoulders and the other on his chest she lay nestled in his arms content to lay there for eternity. The only difference in what James saw and what he knew was there were the angry red slashes marking both wrists and arms. As Lily Evans shifted in her sleep her arms turned about, scars glowing red against pale white skin, silent testimony to her past.
His soft fingers wound there way down her arm, pausing to gently caress the gashes across her wrist, causing green eyes to open. A sweet smile parted her juicy red lips as she moved to cuddle in to James chest more, conveniently hiding the cuts from view. Thankfully James noted none of those scars were new, but the very presence reminded him of the fateful morning three weeks ago. Pushing that thought out of his mind he wound his fingers into her curly red hair.
"You know James" she said contentedly to his chest, not bothering to lift her head, "one of these days you might want to go to Quidditch practice, I can take care of myself for one afternoon and anyways I don't want you getting kicked off the team on my account." James chuckled to himself as he tightened his grip on her small frame pulling her closer to him.
"And miss this?" he asked running nimble fingers down the outside of Lily's thigh and up her side, pausing stoke her cheek.
"James…" she said eyes glinting with humor but tone proving otherwise.
"I quit," he said bluntly.
"What" Lily asked, startled as she sat up rigidly.
"I quit the team," James said following suit.
"Why" she said, face blank
"I realized it wasn't what I really wanted" When a look of confusion was all he got from Lily he continued "Quidditch is great and all but we don't need the money I'd get from playing professional, when play is your work it isn't play anymore. Doing it professionally meant I couldn't and wouldn't do it just for fun, which is why I play Quidditch in the first place. Anyways there are way more worthwhile things I could be doing with my life"
"Such as" Lily asked, face still emotionless.
"Well I've been wanting to run this idea past you for a long time but kept putting it off" He began
"Like your doing now," she asked half smiling
"Exactly" he replied grinning back at her, "My Mum and Dad had an estate just outside London. 30 rooms, 18 bedrooms, 7 bath, Kitchen, Dining room, recreation room, Great room, whole bit, swimming pool too. It's been in our family for generations, it used to house the entire Potter family, including grandkids, all 20 of us. Anyways I wanted to turn it into a home for abused children. You know a place where they can live, short or long term, to recuperate and just, be a real kid." James finished, looking into Lily's thoughtful jade eyes.
After a half second pause Lily smiled "I love it" She grinned up at him. James wrapped his big arms around her and hugged her tightly, Lips brushing hers gently. Her long fingers wrapped around his neck and entwined in his hair he kissed her tenderly, eyes filled with longing. He released her from his tight grasp and looked into her clear emerald eyes. His fingers trailed there way down her face, over the cuts and scars left from her father. As he ran his fingers down a particularly large one from the day her little brother died Lily cringed and stiffened a bit. James seeing this stopped his fingers decent.
"Your so beautiful" he murmured
"Not with that" she said, shifting her eyes from his
"Lily you only see the scars, cuts and all the pain you've been through, but what you don't see is that you've made it through, a little worse for where its true, but alive and as well if not better than to be expected. You're doing something with your life, which is more than your father or sister can say for themselves" He said, his fingers still paused over the scar. "Regardless of what you think your beautiful, inside and out to me" He sighed, hand cupped around cheek, lips against ear. "Now come let me make you breakfast" He pulled himself out of bed and offered an arm to his lady love.
Sirius and Remus sat in the corner booth of an almost deserted pub deep in whispered discussion
"He's getting closer to James and Lily" Remus said, voice low
"I know but I don't want to worry James right now. James is strong enough and protected enough he'll never get anywhere near"
"I still think we should do the Fidleous Charm before it's too late" Remus said, voice edged with urgency
"What so you can be Secret Keeper" Sirius said venomously
"No so my best friend will live to see his 22 birthday" Remus replied with equal venom "Grow up Sirius this is James' life were talking about. After the Snape incident in fifth year I would have though you'd value a life more now, please prove me right" he said almost pleading.
Sirius sighed as his shoulders fell. "Alright what do you propose we do?" he asked hopelessly.
"The Fidleous Charm" Remus replied immediately "If you don't trust me as Secret Keeper do it yourself." Sirius thought about this for a moment before replying "No I can't be, he knows how close I am to James and will suspect me. Dumbeldor too."
"So who do you suggest?" Remus questioned
"What about Pettigrew?" Sirius asked in undertone
"Pettigrew?" Remus asked "I haven't seen him in months, we don't know what he's up too, who he works with or hangs out with and face it we could never really trust him at school, but now with James' life?" Remus asked struggling to keep his voice quiet.
"I know but it's the last thing he'll suspect right?" Sirius responded with a note of anxiety in his voice. Remus thought about this for a moment before agreeing rather desolately.
Sirius got up and left the pub without another word. Remus sat there a moment, staring at the dirty glasses, chipped wooden table and worn leather seats, stuffing coming out in places as he thought about the possible ends to this situation. As the door opened and closed again with a swish and a flicker of light Remus muttered softly 'I do hope your right, for James' sake" as he threw a couple sickles on the table and walked from the smoky dusty pub and into the bright afternoon sky.
James eased open the large ornate wooden doors letting the bright afternoon light fall onto the dirty hardwood floor. The smell of old air, dust and sweet cedar wood filled their noses. Looking around the room in the very front was a large elaborate staircase ending in two halls. To the left stood a grand piano and chairs all covered in dust covers around rounded glass windows, on the right stood a strikingly big fireplace circled in large chairs covered in the white material. Lily and James creaked there way through the rooms and around the stairs to a kitchen on the right, cupboards, table and counters all done in old cedar and on the left a massive dining room, complete with elaborate chandelier over a huge wooden table about 8' long.
Up the stairs were twelve of the bedrooms, simply four poster beds, with out the canopy, desk, wardrobe, dresser and vanity, and window seats done in cedar wood carved with leaves, flowers and fairies, appeared to be made by ancient whittler. Lily could almost picture the old man sitting in his small house deep in the woods carving out the stories his mother and grandmother told him as a child into reality. Magical, almost.
Separating every other room was a bathroom with all the basics, sink, toilet, and bath tub with shower. As Lily and James turned the corner after viewing six of the twelve bedrooms they found another staircase leading to another floor. The carped exuding small puffs of dust and they winded there way up the stairs, old cedar wood creaking underfoot. Up the stairs lay about five more bedrooms same as those on the second floor only larger and two rooms like all the rest of the house in half wooden paneling, but the rest of the wall in bright red, not yet faded by age or light. In each those rooms hung four paintings under the dust covers capturing scenes from fairy tales; fairy princesses, nights in shining armor, kings of old. The days of glory, honor and chivalry. Looking at those paintings, running her fingers over the brush strokes from long ago made her think of how far we've come, good or bad its hard to tell. Sure there was more pain and anger and death but there are more people now, more technology, more hate. I know it wasn't heaven back then, with disease and sexism and slavery but there was honor and chivalry and hope. Lily gently ran her fingers over the picture of a fairy princess locked in a high tower with a look of whimsy upon her face and sighed. There was no way to go back anyways, so I guess you just do what you can with what you have. No body wants to live through times like this but its not really for us to decide, all we get to decide is what we do with the time we've been given, she thought. She walked across the ragged carpet and out the door. Walking down the hall James tugged on Lily's arm gently. She stopped walking as James ran his finger down the wall. An old creak followed a couple of groans as out of nowhere a door appeared. James opened the door and beckoned for Lily to follow. Tentatively she pursued, easing herself through the door. James clapped his hands and light appeared, illuminating the staircase before them. James walked up the stairs as it groaned from misuse. At the top there was an intricately carved door, filled with pictures of wizards and witches, princes and princesses, kings and queens generations before them. With a gentle push the door gave way to a well lit room. The whole far wall windows, each with its own seat, a large white canopy bed in the middle, desk, dresser, door leading to a large bathroom (equip with a white and gold bath tub), vanity and massive bookcase, filled with priceless classics like Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe and Jack London. Lily drifted towards the shelves, picking a book from them and opening it. The smell of old ink and parchment flooded her senses, the curve of the letters, pen marks in the pictures raised an image in Lily's mind of an author, white hair and bearded sitting at his desk in the middle of the night writing the book by the light of a candle, inky words splashed across white parchment.
Smiling she put the book back and walked about the room. Staring out the window Lily got her first good look of the backyard. In the right corner stood an old rickety tree house, on the left lay tennis courts, a small stable nearest the house on the left and the right was positively massive oak tree, branches dusted with the last leaves of fall and a swing hanging from its largest branch, rocking softly in the late afternoon breeze.
James came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and his head on hers he whispered to her "So do you like it?"
Lily turned about in his arms to face him and replied; "I love it" she beamed up at him and kissed him tenderly.
Two Months Later
The sun had just barely begun to beam over the horizon before she was up and out of bed, leaving James laying there alone. She slunk down the stairs softly and opened the door with a creak. Slipping down the hall as to not wake the rooms occupants she tiptoed to the stairs, decked out with evergreen boughs and red ribbon. Creeping into the kitchen, adorned in its Christmas finery too she began to cook. The smell of coffee, bacon, eggs and hot cakes woke the rest of the houses inhabitants as small feet stampeded down the stairs. Lily was greeted that morning with a mess of hugs from countless children as she set food out for them in the dining room, pre-adorned with dishes. As they ate, talked and laughed James came up behind Lily, wrapping strong arms around her waist.
"You know you don't have to do all this," he said gesturing to the impressive meal on the table, "We could get servants or house elves or something.
Lily smiled back at him "and miss all this?" she asked "Not for the world"
As the kids cleared the food from the table she ushered them outside, heavily clothed to play in the new snow. With the help of a wand she cleared the food from the table and dishes and whisked dishes away to the cupboards. Stepping on to the snow free porch out the back doors Lily, still clad in pajamas, watched James tumble in the snow with all the kids. Seeing their faces smiling, eyes bright, and laughter echoing Lily couldn't help but be happy. Sure there were hand prints on the walls, mud on the floors and pillow fights almost nightly, she wouldn't miss it for anything. They were so full of life, abounding with energy, humor and good times. It was hard to believe anyone would ever want to hurt them. Obviously some people did. They came to Lily and James, beaten, bruised and scared, and stayed till a permanent home could be found for them. However, seeing the looks on their faces made everything in the world seem good. That after all the bad Lily had been through there was still good things in the world, like children.
A snowball to the stomach woke her from her thoughts. Seeing James' boyish face grinning from a pile of kids she knew the culprit. Whipping her wand about shoes found there way onto her feet as she ran into the snow, tackling James to the ground. Holly, Andrew and Emily followed suit, ending up in a pile of small squirming bodies. Rolling in the snow and dotting the lawn with angels took up much of the day, leaving the removal of handprints and mud till tomorrow. No sense in sacrificing all this fun for cleaning right. So there they lay in the snow with 12 children beside them, panting in the cold air, cheeks rosy and noses red. James sneaked a kiss from Lily when the kids weren't looking as she rose to usher them inside as the sun faded from the sky. Shaking snow off and changing in to pj's took the kids upstairs while Lily and James made coco and chocolate chip cookies. Her hands covered with batter and hair coated in flour distracted James for long enough to sneak a box from his pocket. Gently taking Lily's hands from the cookie dough he knelt down on the floor before her. Looking into those bright green eyes, no longer haunted with shadows he grinned.
"Seeing as there's no better time than the present and I can't wait any longer to spend the rest of my life with you, Lily, will you marry me?"
Lily's eyes grew over-bright as a smile came to her lips "I will" she said softly. James rose and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her lips in a pure simple kiss. Letting her go he opened the box in his hand. In it lay an intricate gold and diamond ring. He slipped it onto her slender finger as he looked into her eyes. In the last months they'd spent here he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her this happy. Sure they didn't make a lot of money having a home for abused kids but they didn't need it. They had each other and kids that really needed them. Running fingers down her cheeks he kissed her again. As they kissed the children silently filed into the kitchen pajama clad and hungry.
A curly haired blue eyed six year old blond was the first to speak "EEWW LILY!!! BOYS HAVE COOTIES!!!"
Lily laughed as she pulled away from James kiss. "You guys go into the living room, James will light a fire for you, Henry, its your turn to pick a book so go find one, I'll bring you guys coco and cookies soon." She ordered, guiding them from the kitchen.
Cookies baked and eaten and coco done the kids dozed beside the fire, listing to James' light tenor tell of the Little Princess' fall from honor into hardship. Holly, the blue eyed blond curled up in Lily's lap and fell asleep. Her breath warm and steady on Lily's cheek as she slept peacefully. Lily stroked her hair softly as she dozed off in the fire light.
James watched Lily, holding the small blond girl, sweet smile across her face, red hair making a halo about her. She really is an angel, James thought, she's gone through so much and is still so sweet and good. She does so much for these kids with nothing in return but there happiness. It makes me want to smile whenever I see her with them, so happy, free, and pure.
Seeing most of the kids had fallen asleep James closed the book softly and picked up the small boy sleeping on his knee and carried him off to bed. Once all the kids were tucked in, James went off in search of Lily. He spotted an open door and looked inside. Lily sat, bathed in candle light singing a song softly as she stroked blond hair gently. Her light soprano voice filled the air, perfectly in tune and angelic James propped himself up on the door frame, content to watch this scene.
Sleep, dear child
Close those precious eyes
Dream of candy and hearts
And all that is good
And forget the tears that once fell
Sleep, sweet angel
Let music fill your head
Think of things so beautiful
And so wondrous
And forget where you've been
I sing the lullaby of angels
The lullaby of angels
With their wings spread out
And the halos shining for you
Sleep, my child
Rest your little mind
Think of friends that will
Never leave you
And don't you cry again
Sleep, my loved one
Stay here in my arms
And know that you are
Safe from all harm
The demons can't touch you again
I sing the lullaby of angels
The lullaby of angels
They watch you as you sleep
And hold you in their arms
The lullaby of angels
Oh, the lullaby of angels
See our tears, hear our prayers
And heal the hearts of millions
The last strains of the song died away as Lily pulled the covers up to the girls chin and kissed her forehead softly. With one last glance she left the sleeping girl and walked from the room with James. Arms wrapped around waists they walked in comfortable silence to their room. Tucked into the covers laying in each others arms they slept there, slight smiles gracing their faces and red hair mingled with black. Stars wheeled overhead and the moon drifted through the skies, people died, were born, and changed the world around them a little at a time all around the sleeping pair, but they didn't notice. They and the other tiny occupants of the Potter Manor slept on that December night, regardless of the happenings outside. All there was and all there ever would be was Lily, James, there kids and the slight stirring of life in Lily's belly.