Spoiler: If I owned Harry, let's just say I wouldn't be sitting here.
AN: THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS!
"We'll make it Harry, I promise," James whispered finding his voice again, "the world hasn't heard the last of James and Harry Potter. It won't for a long time to come. We'll go on, live our lives. We'll fight back ok?"
Harry nodded.
That night Mrs. Weasley kindly made dinner for the "family" since Sirius and James weren't exactly good cooks. Unless you wanted your kitchen to be blown into pieces, then the two were the perfect cooks. No one uttered a word during dinner, no one wanted to say anything in fear it would trigger a memory for James and Harry.
Harry had known Lily for a few months only, it was James that was going through the hell. It was him that had lost his everything to that evil disease. It was the 36-year-old that had been so intimately close to Lily. Yes, Harry was miserable as well having lost his mother again. But a father could always become both parents, but nothing could replace a wife. Nothing could replace the wife that had been Lily.
There wasn't anyone in the room who didn't notice him picking at his food like a spoiled child refusing to eat his vegetables. No one cooked like Lily, no one knew the secret ingredient she would use in every food and make it taste so mouth-watering. Food had lost its charm, like everything else in James's new life.
"Dad," he heard Harry's soft voice as he felt a hand on his shoulder, "eat something," he said.
James looked at his son's concerned eyes, pain searing through his. Fine, his son looked exactly like him. The resemblance was uncanny. But did his eyes really have to be Xerox copies. It killed him! "I'm not hungry Harry," James said quietly with a faint smile.
"C'mon James, eat something," Arthur said kindly from across the table.
"I appreciate all the concern guys," he said standing up, "but I just want to go for a walk."
"Can I come with you?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," James said with a weak smile.
They excused themselves from the dinner table, thanking Molly profusely and walked outside, grabbing their coats first. James's was a gray hooded sweatshirt, while his son wore a blue sports jacket he had gotten for Christmas. They walked towards the CSU (California State University) of Stanislaus, the county Turlock was in. The town housed maybe 20,000 people, it was relatively small and peaceful. It was town someone might chose after a terrible ordeal, or to just escape the life of a city they may have lived in previously. James had stumbled upon the small town by accident, after having accidentally Apparated there once when he had been a teen. The peacefulness had stuck on his mind, so when he and Lily were in Malta, hiding out two weeks after their staged death, he had remembered it and suggested the town. They hadn't wasted any time moving in.
"Lily and I used to come here all the time," James said thoughtfully looking at the numerous ponds and man-made ponds filled with ducks in the University, the ideal place to go for a walk. "She always had a thing about being fit, always thought she was fat," he chuckled half-heartedly. "She fed half of these ducks," he said.
Harry smiled, almost seeing his mom feeding the little ducklings during summer, with her arm through James's as they walked. She would laugh as James surely said something stupid to hear that unique laugh of hers. It saddened him to know that not only would his dad never get a chance to take her out for a walk again, but he would never have that privilege.
"She had a thing for being outdoors," James said, a small smile on his lips as his eyes went to a distant place, Harry was more then happy to accompany his father for a trip down memory lane. "Loved picnics," he smiled, "we used to have a dog a few years back, used to take him jogging every morning."
Harry smiled, practically hearing his moms footsteps on the ground as she jogged down the cement walkway he and his dad were walking on.
"She even wanted us to have our wedding outside," James chuckled, "but she wanted a traditional wedding too. So we went for the traditional wedding."
"What was it like?" Harry asked as they sat down on a bench by the water, well, James sat on the table rather then the bench.
He smiled, "Sirius and Remus had taken me out, a privet bachelor party, Peter couldn't make it…" he laughed after a thoughtful second after Peter, "the two got me drunk, I remember the morning of the wedding I woke up with Sirius's feet on my stomach….
Flashback, May 16, 1987 ((AN: For those who are confused, I went by my dating…it's modern times, as it were))
20-year-old James Potter woke up, his messy hair in his face. He felt something on his stomach, looking down his saw they were his best friend's legs, half of Sirius was on the couch, the other on the table. Remus was passed out by the fireplace. James tried to raise his head but saw that it was impossible, he grunted as a wave of some sort struck him, "son of a…" he grumbled.
The movement had caused him to move his stomach, knocking off Sirius's feet, "what the hell Prongs?" he yelled as his feet swung over his head, making it impossible for him to sit up having rolled up into an odd ball.
"Shh!" Remus hissed in his sleep, "I'm sleeping!" he said softly.
"Idiot," grumbled Sirius having finally been able to sit up, holding his head.
"You're calling the guy that scored the highest marks in Hogwarts history an idiot?" James asked rubbing his head, trying desperately to see past the red circles.
"He's a drunk now, not a student," Sirius pointed out focusing on a spot on the floor, praying that the world would stop turning so fast.
"Right you are Padfoot," James said sitting up with a few grunts.
"Isn't today something important?" Remus asked having woken up.
"No clue," James said, trying to get rid of the tennis ball at the back of his throat.
"I feel like we should be doing something important," Sirius said, "did someone paint like a coat of fuzz on my tongue or something'?" he asked making odd faces as he stuck out his tongue, running it under his teeth.
"SIRIUS ORION BLACK!" they heard someone yell as the front door of James's flat busted open.
"Hi baby," he smiled broadly.
"Don't you 'hi baby' me!" she said, coming towards the couch, her hands on her hips so it gave her authority and accented her pregnant belly.
"What did I do Pipe?" he asked attempting and failing at standing up.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" she yelled, "LOOK AT YOU!"
"So? This isn't the first time we got carried away," James pointed out to his best friend's wife.
She looked at the three of them, James sitting on the couch, his eyes out of focus, Remus flat on his back on the floor and Sirius looking like a baby attempting to stand up for the first time. Piper Black burst out laughing, holding her belly as she did so, "you don't remember!" she laughed between screams of laughter.
"Right now, I'm willing to give a million Gallions to anyone who can tell me what my name is," Sirius said.
"I think it might be Sirius Black," Remus said.
Piper laughed harder, always having enjoyed seeing Remus drunk because he was so uncharacteristic of the strict and logical werewolf. "What am I forgetting Pipe?" James asked almost desperately.
"You're wedding," she said simply, studying his face, hoping, anticipating his expression.
The expression was priceless, something so rare and so extremely hilarious. His face fell with shock, his wedding, he's getting married. "Oh shit! Oh shit!" he said standing up, and toppled back down on the couch, "oh shit, oh fuck I forgot!"
"We know love," Piper said, "ooh James stop," she said in between fits of laughter, holding her belly, "my bladders vulnerable," she laughed.
James looked at Sirius whose eyes were as big as saucers, but was staring at his wife laughing as a smile broke lose on his face. "What do we do Piper?" Remus asked, not having moved one inch.
"Get rid of your hangovers, instead of taking a regular shower, use a charm, get into your tuxes and haul ass to the church," she said.
They immediately followed her orders. And since none of them had ever been good at casting sobering spells, Piper, being powerful, easily cast the charm on all three with one curse.
"Hey, sweetheart, I'm gonna go to Lily's ok?" asked Piper as they began to get ready.
"Alright baby," he said and smiled at her, kissing her lips sweetly, then lowered his head and kissed her stomach.
It was about 4 in the afternoon and James stood at the alter with his heart in his throat. No word nor emotion could ever describe the happiness he felt when he anticipated her walking down the aisle. She hadn't let him see her dress, it was a rule in the Muggle world. But the Magical world gave it an extra kick. If James even came within a yard of the dress, the curse would go off and his face would turn hot pink, the brides-made dresses color. He twisted his fingers in his hand, almost yanking them off with anticipation as people began to file into the beautiful Cathedral. Sirius was his best man if that wasn't obvious, and Remus was the usher. James and Lily decided the less the cuter as apposed to the more the merrier and Peter had said he would have to leave the ceremony early on a count of his ailing mother.
Then he saw her, a glimpse of her anyway, at the far end of the church where the entrance was. Katherine, Remus's partner and one of Lily's best friends, stood at the door wearing the beautiful hot pink gown the three had chosen with the flower on the breast. The pianist began to play the beautiful Mozart symphony single-handedly as she began to make her way down the aisle. Her eyes locked into her fiancé's eyes.
James and Sirius's gaze quickly turned to Remus who had the most glazed over look on his face. "You're next Moony," Sirius whispered not knowing the horrors afoot.
He looked at the two grinning faces of his best friends and blushed. They were basically going by age order, Sirius was the oldest and first to tie the not in his abrupt way, James the second oldest and was getting married five months after Sirius. Which was odd because that was their age difference.
Next came the beautiful Piper, everyone "awed" at the site of the glowing mother-to-be and some, like Dumbledore, turned to look at Sirius who had adopted the glazed over expression of Remus. Her belly stood out distinctively, her hands holding the white lily's rested on her stomach and her hair was majestically spread on her shoulders.
"Hi kids," she whispered as she bowed in front of the crucifix.
The three boys…er, men, smiled at her. Since they had known Piper, which was back First Year at Hogwarts, and for Sirius, since he was born, she called them kids. James's adorable 3-year-old niece, Mary-Beth, came after the ring barer, with the basket of flower peddles on her arm as she almost ceremoniously and meticulously dropped a handful of flowers on the runway created by the red carpet. She waved at her uncle James, he waved back with a wink. His gaze quickly turned to the doorway, stupid sunlight, he thought. It reflected off of her so he couldn't see anything except a white outline and his father-in-laws black suit.
The piano started playing Lily's favorite Mozart symphony. His heart caught in his throat as his father-in-law, Paul Evens, cut the band that blocked their entryway. They slowly began to walk down, he could see her face, her gleaming eye, and that beautiful, big smile on her lips. Her dress to all his air out. It was so simple it was crazy and caught Lily's tasted in clothing to a quip. It had a white ribbon around her back starting at the bottom of her breast where it turned into a bow, with the ends flowing free. The sleeves hung loosely around her shoulders, embroidered with white roses making a V. She looked so beautiful. Her hair wasn't put up, but was around her shoulders with little waves and the necklace he'd bought her for the first anniversary hung elegantly on her neck.
He smiled at her, she wiggled her eyebrows playfully as they approached, her arm through her fathers as she stared happily at him. They came to an abrupt stop on the photographers orders, he took a photo of father and daughter and stepped aside. James nervously came forward to meet her.
Paul looked kindly at his son-in-law, holding his daughters hand in his, "take care of her James," he said putting their hands together.
James stared into Lily's gleaming emeralds, "I'd rather die then see something happen to her," he promised.
"Good," Paul said smiling and took his seat next to his wife as James took over the job of taking her to their spot in front of the beaming, young priest.
"Hi baby," she whispered.
"How ya holdin' up?" he asked.
"Better then you," she smiled as they halted in front of the priest.
James looked at her and smiled. They priest practically skipped half of the formality's and jumped to the good part, "James Matthias Potter, do you take Lillian Lois Evens do be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold till death you part?"
"You bet I do," he sad sweetly.
She stared right back at him.
"And do you, Lillian Lois Evens take James Matthias Potter as your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold till death do you part?" he asked no knowing how truthful those words really were. No one ever realized the full capacity of those words.
"I do," she said rubbing his hand with her thumb as they faced each other.
"And so, with the power invested in me by the Catholic Church of England, and the Magical Ministry of England, I pronounce you man, and wife," he smiled looking at the two, "James, you may kiss your….bride," he hadn't finished his sentence before James went for her lips. She cupped his cheek in her hand as he kissed her, the church filling with whoo's and cat-calls started by Sirius and Remus with the female Marauders that were Katherine and Piper. The two broke their kiss laughing, gitty with excitement.
They walked down the aisle, practically running. Feeling invincible. Feeling strong like nothing could ever break them apart.
End Flashback, Modern day
As James finished remising that beautiful day, Harry had the softest smile as he stared into the lake in front of him. So that's how it had begun, how he had come to be. How one of the greatest love stories ever told began.
James looked down at his hands, tears in his eyes, they'd be invincible. "I took her to the mansion in Monte Carlo for the honeymoon," he smiled, "we stayed there for a week…the war began two days after we got back…."
Flashback May 17...New Potter Residence
It was three in the morning and the Marauders and the new Potters were in Lily's flat, which would become their home for a while until their house in Godrics Hollow was finished. No one had had the energy to come there afterwards except, Sirius, Piper, Katherine, Remus, and James and Lily. The dancing and the fun had been so intense and energy-demanding, energy only the Marauder's had. The "kids" were saying bon voyage to the new couple.
"Have fun man," Sirius said looking at James with and evil smirk, the bottom of his fisted hand banging against his palm.
Everyone looked at him and Lily gave him a scolding look though she was about to burst laughing, "how do you put up with him?" she asked Piper who was standing next to her.
"Hey! It was your husband that put the lizard in his alligator bag!" laughed Piper, her belly shaking jovially.
"Well," Lily looked at Katherine thoughtfully, "when you get married, we'll give you pointers on how to survive a Marauder."
Katherine smiled putting her arm through Remus's , "thank you!" she smiled.
"No problem!" smiled Lily.
"Babe, we should get going," James said yawning.
"Alright, bye kids," she said.
Everyone yelled bye, "wait! Sirius," James said approaching him for a more intimate conversation, "the Voldermort dick is out there slaughtering anyone who gets in his way, please, just please promise you'll look out for yourself."
Sirius looked at his friend earnestly, "don't worry about us Prongs, we'll hold our end up…" the two started laughing at the perverted joke ((AN: Hopefully you guys got what Sirius was doing with the hand and the fist and end up)).
End Flashback
James laughed bitterly at the memory. "You mean, Voldermort wasn't powerful when you and mum got married?" Harry asked.
"No, he was just this big bully, the Aurors only dealt with him," he said quietly, "apparently Peter helped him to power. He'd been with Voldermort since day one."
"And you guys didn't suspect anything?" Harry asked.
"Naw, how could we?" he asked picking up a dry piece of grass that had blown onto the table top, "I mean…it was Peter. Piper never liked him, said he was too squierly to be any good and she didn't trust him. Sirius and I were never paranoid about Peter, we thought there was no one more faithful then that little shit…sorry."
"It's ok," he said knowing that James meant his language.
His father sighed heavily, "it seems so far away…Piper, Rose, Kat."
"Kat?" Harry asked.
"Remus's fiancé, Katherine," he answered.
"What happened to her?"
James looked at his hands again, "she was a spy for the Order, pretended to be one of the werewolves that converted to Voldermort. He eventually killed her."
"Oh my God," Harry gasped before he could stop himself.
"Yeah," he said, "we were way in over our heads when we joined Dumbledore," he sighed recalling the scene in the cemetery with Sirius on the day of his wife and daughter's funeral, the truth he had said in his numbness. The bravery her death had brought him, he knew that bravery now. It was just numbness, not gallantness. "Dumbledore knew the seven of us were faithful, we grew up under his eyes. He knew us. So when he organized the Order, he gave us the most intimate assignments, the most crucial, secretive information was given to us. So we were on the Most Wanted list of every Death Eater. Including Peters."
"How did you find out about him?" Harry asked quietly.
"When do you think?" James smiled looking at Harry who looked embarrassed, "we all have blonde moments son. That night, Dumbeldore immediately told us to haul ass and get to safety. He managed to sneak us in to talk to Sirius that night," James shifted his gaze to his hands again and seemed so uncomfortable. When he spoke, his voice was strained with anger and hatred and a fire that would never be put out, "his eyes were on fire that day…I've never seen him that angry. He was ready to really kill someone."
"Poor Sirius," Harry whispered inaudibly.
"That's what I said," he breathed, "Lily as torn," a lone tear streaked his cheek, "she wanted to keep you safe by hiding but wanted to end Sirius's pain. He wouldn't let her."
"Sounds like him."
James laughed, "when I say Sirius is my brother, I really mean it."
AN: Thank you all for reviewing. Means a lot. Could use more!
queen-of-monkey-magic: Poor Harry, i feel for him. I promise, next chapter, he'll laugh full-heartedly. Just for you, k?
smurfinator: Aww...i'm sorry i made u cry, but it's good to know i could suck out some emotions, jk. Thank you for the kind words, keep reading! And James is cute lool.
orlin: I hope it gets better too, lol. I loved the quote too. Something my own godfather told me when my dad died.
Neurotica: The dating goes by modern times or whatever. I aint going by the books dating. I hope u like this one!
hpjsr: i know you were kidding, don't worry!
THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! Please, please recommend because no one is reading these!
