Lily awoke later that night to someone shaking her out of her sleep.

"Lily, wake UP." It was Sirius. Lily screamed and fell out of bed.

"Sirius, what the hell are you doing?"

"No time to explain, just apparate to James's house, now." And with a POP, he was gone.

Lily jumped up from the floor and threw some clothes on over the tank top and shorts she slept in, then disapparated.

She appeared in front of the Potters' house. She saw, to her horror and confusion, a large glittering skull with a serpent coming out of its mouth, suspended over the house. She broke into a run and noticed people swarming in and out of the building; Aurors, members of the Order, and other official looking people. She covered her face with her hands, paralyzed by fear.

"Lily!" She turned to see Sirius walking towards her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the house.

James was sitting on one of the white couches in the sitting room with Dumbledore.

'Wait,' Lily thought. 'James can't sit on that couch... His mother charmed it. The only way for the charm to be lifted would be for his mother to..No!' Then she realized that Sirius was talking to her.

"..woke up to banging and screaming. James was running down the steps. When we got downstairs they fled, but it was too late..."

Lily looked into the dining room and saw, to her horror, the bodies of Kathy and Matthew Potter laying motionless on the floor, their eyes open and staring. She turned to Sirius and buried her face in his chest, horrified.

Sirius also looked away, hugging her. "Come on, Lily, James wanted you." He led her over to the white sofas on which she and James had been goofing around only hours before.

"Hello, Lily," Dumbledore said gravely.

James didn't say anything, but Lily sat next to him and took his hand. That was enough.

"Anyway, James, if you need anything..." Their old headmaster trailed off. Slowly but surely the house emptied, and Sirius went up to his room. They were alone.

James turned to Lily finally.

"They said that thing over the house means Voldemort's followers did it."

Lily nodded. He didn't seem for her to say anything; he needed to do the talking.

"It's because they were so important. They were getting in his way."

He wasn't crying, just staring at the floor. A single lamp was lit. His parents had been carried away by the aurors, and the house was painfully silent.

"They had a will," he continued. "I get the house, and a lot of other things. I was going to sell it. But I don't think I can." He finally looked at her. "Do you want to live here?"

"Of course, James, this was your home." She reached up and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you want to get some sleep?"

"I don't think I can," he said, closing his eyes at her touch and laying his head on her. "I went to help them. My mother was screaming. I didn't get there in time, I was too late. My mother died screaming. The last thing I saw was her holding my father's body- they killed him first. Then she was gone too."

Lily curled up on the sofa, conjuring a blanket and covering them. James was shaking slightly, and silently crying. A long time later they fell asleep, curled up together, on the couch James's mother didn't want broken. Lily knew that the couch would be forever safe.

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The double funeral was two days later. A lot of people had come, as the Potters had been friendly people and had many admirers. James sat between Lily and Sirius, who looked just as terrible as he felt. Many old teachers had come out of respect, and James saw Professor McGonagall wiping away tears; She had gone to school with his parents.

After, everyone was invited back to Godric's Hollow for a late tea. Lily had arranged everything; the funeral, the tea, a place for his relatives to stay.

Lily and Sirius were serving food. James was sitting on a chair next to them, pretending to listen to everyone who came to offer condolences. He didn't really care much what they had to say.

Afterwards, he, Lily, and Sirius sat around talking. They were telling stories of when they were children, and the mood lightened. After a while, they were laughing.

"And then, there was that time, remember that time, James?" Sirius burst out laughing.

James started to laugh. "I thought my dad was going to kill me!"

"Yes," Sirius said, "But they got old Mrs. Winters off the roof eventually. And her cat."

Lily shook her head. "James, if we ever have kids, I hope they're nothing like you."

"Ah," Sirius said, grinning. "The next generation of Marauders! But, of course, they would have Ms. Perfect Prefect as their mother. So they should even out to be pretty terrific."

James nodded and turned to Lily.

"Let's have kids."

Lily smiled. "I always wanted to have kids. But.. Things are so scary these days..."

James nodded again. "Let's wait until after the war," he said. "We have our entire lives together, no big rush."

The rest of the night was spent laughing over old photographs and memories, Lily receiving a special treat when she found a box labeled 'James's First Bath'. Sirius decided to wait until after the wedding to move out. And, eventually, James developed a routine and his life slid slowly back to what could pass for normal.

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A/N: Sad chapter, I'm sorry. And short. I hated writing it. But, the Goddess that is JKR made it quite clear that Petunia Horseface is the only living relative of Harry. If I could have, I would have killed her long ago. Cheers.

-Ria