Halloween 1979

The laughing couple burst through the door, the tall black-haired man holding the chocolate frog high above his head. His wife jumped ineffectually trying to grab his arm and pull it down.

"You've had enough chocolate, Lils. And you know it."

"It's Halloween, James. Just one more. Please." She batted her eyes in an exaggerated way, but he just laughed. She knew, of course, that he was right. If she ate any more, she would be sick all night long but it was not about the chocolate anymore. It was about convincing him to give in. He shook his head. She finally stopped trying and admitted the painful truth. "All right. Fine. But that doesn't mean you get to be right all the time. Tonight is a one-time thing. Because it's Halloween and all."

"Naturally." They climbed the stairs to their bedroom. The house was small but cosy and Lily at least, loved it. She had decorated it just the way they wanted it although neither of them took time to admire the decor tonight, not even bothering to light their wands as they made their way to their linen-draped bed.

"That was really fun tonight. It was good to see everyone again. It's been a while since we were all together." Lily slipped on her flannel nightgown. The nights were cold now and she was grateful for the warmth. She crossed the cold floor into the bathroom and hurriedly brushed her teeth.

"I thought you said you were sick of Remus and Sirius hanging around all the time." James joined her at the sink just as she stepped back and ran a brush through her long red hair.

"I never used those exact words. And I wasn't talking about Sirius or Remus. I was meaning everyone." She hurried back toward the bed and slipped under the covers, doing a quick warming charm on the blankets. The room was freezing. "But speaking of Padfoot, do you think he's really interested in that girl he had with him tonight?" James pulled on his own pyjamas.

"Oh, I don't know. I don't think Padfoot will get too 'serious' about anyone any time soon." Lily groaned at the pun. It was a common one. How could you help it, really, after all. His name was just too easy. James smiled, knowing it was a bad joke. "He has years before he has to commit to anyone. He wasn't lucky enough to find the perfect girl when he was 11, like I was." He also got into bed then yelped as she put her cold feet against his warm legs.

"You can flatter me all you want but I'm too tired tonight for what you're after." Lily grinned and snuggled up to him, putting her cold hands under his pyjama shirt, eliciting another yelp of surprise although she did this practically every night.

"Who said I was after anything? I was just complimenting my beautiful wife whom I have loved for years."

"Ummm. You're so warm, James. Thanks for letting me warm my hands on you."

"And feet. And it's no trouble, Lils. Anytime." Lily smiled again as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, lulled there quickly by the deep rumble of his voice.

She woke suddenly. The baby was crying. He needed her. She felt a faint whisper of unease at the corner of her mind but she suppressed it. He was teething now and probably just needed some comfort and maybe some of that pain-killer potion rubbed on his little gums. She sat up and pushed her feet into the slippers she kept at the side of her bed. It had been months since he had last woken at night, but old habits die hard. She also grabbed the robe from a nearby chair and headed down the hall toward the nursery. She opened the door and glanced toward the crib. "Harry. What's wrong, baby?" Some part of Lily's brain was confused. She didn't have a baby, did she? She'd surely know if she did. But there was no doubting this was James' baby. And when she stepped closer to the crib, she also knew he was hers. There was no mistaking those eyes. She saw them in the mirror every day.

He stood up against the bars, chubby legs supporting his equally chubby body. He left off crying, but the tears were still on his cheeks. He reached out a hand to her and Lily stopped questioning herself. This was her baby and he needed her. "Oh, baby. Is it your teeth? Or is your tummy? I told your daddy he was giving you way too many sweets tonight. I don't care if it is Halloween. Mommy will rock you for a while and you'll feel better." She picked him up and kissed his cheek as his little fist grabbed her hair. He smelled like baby powder and warm blankets and she cuddled him close. He was so precious, so precious. She heard a noise from downstairs and the nagging unease that had been present since she had woken up suddenly intensified a hundredfold. She stood completely still. They were here! They couldn't be here. It was impossible! Part of her didn't know what she was so afraid of, but it didn't matter. The terror was taking over now. Whatever it was, it was bad. She held the baby close to her and yelled for her husband.

"James! James!" He was there a split-second later and he took one look at her wide terrified eyes and he knew. "They're in the house! I heard them!"

"Yes." He tightened his grip on his wand, which Lily just noticed was in his hand. He obviously knew what there was to be afraid of, even if she didn't. "Take the baby and run, Lily. Get out of the house. I'll hold them off as long as I can." His voice was eerily calm. Too calm.

"No! I won't leave you!"

"You have to. You have to take Harry and get out. Now!"

"I'm staying. We're staying."

"Make a portkey and get out. Go to Sirius's, to Peter's. They'll get you to Hogwarts! You'll be safe there!" She nodded but his eyes met hers for a brief eternity and he knew she was lying and she knew he knew it. "I love you, Lily."

"I love you, too, James." And then he was gone. She wouldn't leave him. She wouldn't leave him alone. To face them. But he might be strong enough to fight them off. She grabbed hold of that thought as though it were a lifeline. Yes, he would be able to fight them off. But if not, well, she'd need her own wand. "Accio wand." She said it quietly, but it was enough. The slender piece of wood fit into her hand with a familiarity that always gave her comfort and even at this moment she felt better just by holding it. She put the baby in his crib, every nerve in her body straining to hear a clue of what was going on downstairs. She wasn't sure if the quiet was a good or a bad sign.

"Your daddy's a good fighter. A strong fighter. He won't let anything happen to Mommy or you. Don't worry. Everything is going to be all right. All three of us are going to be fine." She said that over and over again, rubbing his arm and back, trying to make herself believe it. She heard a noise then and froze, unsure what it was exactly she had heard. Harry started crying again and Lily picked him up again and walked toward the door of the nursery. It was then that she saw the flash of green light from downstairs.

Lily screamed and sat up instantly in bed. "Harry! Oh, God! Harry!"

"Lily, for Merlin's sake, love! Wake up! Wake up!"

"James, James!" She burst into tears and hugged her husband close, convincing herself that he was still there, real and solid. "I had a terrible dream!"

"I told you, too many chocolate frogs. It's okay, it's okay. It was just a dream. Shhh." He made little soothing noises, hugged her tightly, and Lily concentrated on trying to breathe normally, trying to bring her terror under control.

"It felt so real. It was like I was living it. I knew I couldn't be. But I was."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He kissed the top of her head softly and rubbed her back over and over again, reminding her of what she had done in the dream to the baby. The baby named Harry.

"No. It was terrible. I don't want to think about it." She really did, but wasn't sure how to start. "We had a baby."

"Ooh, that is a nightmare." She hit him softly, and sobbed again into his chest.

"I'm serious. We had a baby and his name was Harry and he . . . something was wrong. He was crying and . . . ." She tried hard to put into words the terror that she had felt, to remember what it was that had frightened her. What they had said. What they had done. But it was like trying to hold onto fog; it was there but intangible, and soon she could remember nothing except that there was a baby. And he was beautiful. She sniffled a few more times and then wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. "I don't remember now what scared me."

"Did it have anything to do with giant chocolate frogs?" She smiled and lay back on the bed, looking up into his well-loved face.

"I'll never be able to get back to sleep now."

He seemed to pick up her hint and his blue eyes crinkled at the corners. "I think I have something that could help you settle down."

"A glass of warm milk?" He shook his head and let his warm hand slip under the hem of her nightgown.

"No. That's not what I had in mind."

"You're going to make me some hot cocoa? That's so nice of you."

"No more chocolate for you tonight. And I've got something better than cocoa." His other hand started unbuttoning the delicate buttons down the front of her gown. She blinked innocently at him.

"So it's not warm milk and it's not hot cocoa? Whatever could you possibly mean?" He didn't bother to answer, just kissed the warm skin he was uncovering and Lily ran her fingers through his thick black hair and let the distraction chase away the last memories of her nightmare. "Happy Halloween, James."

He lifted his head long enough to whisper back, "Happy Halloween, Lily. I love you."

Just a brief note of explanation for the title. Harry, as we all know, was born July 31, 1980. Exactly nine months before that date was October 31, 1979. So some people have theorized that he may have actually been conceived on that very day. Probably the only good thing that ever happened to him on Halloween.