Betrayal.
Summary: ONE SHOT. What really happened that Halloween night when Lily and James Potter were murdered by Voldemort? This is a tale of the ultimate betrayal.
AN: This is my first time writing a Lily / James fic, I know the idea isn't original but then I'm not a very original person. I know it says in the books that Dumbledore and Trelawney are the only people who know all of the prophecy but in this fic Lily and James will know about it as well.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm just having fun.
It was a stormy Halloween night and Lily was sat on the sofa in the living room cuddled up to her husband, the one and only James Potter. Yes, the same James Potter that she had refused to go out with for years, the same James Potter that she had openly hated back in Hogwarts. It was amazing how some things turn out. He had finally let his head deflate in their 7th year. Back when they were Head Boy and Girl and she had agreed to go out on a date with him. It's not like one date would change anything, right? Wrong. It changed everything, it had made her realise just what kind of person he really was when he wasn't around the rest of the marauders, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. A year later they were married and the year after, they had a baby son who they had named Harry James Potter. She smiled to herself, her life would be perfect if it wasn't for that madman Voldemort who was after them because of a stupid prophecy that had been made, involving Harry. She frowned slightly and thought of the prophecy.
The One with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.
She had been hoping and praying that the prophecy had been wrong and Harry wasn't the one that would have to kill Voldemort when he was older, she had been praying that it was the Longbottom boy that this prophecy was about. What was his name? Neville, that was right. She mentally hit herself, how could she be so cruel as to wish this terrible fate upon another innocent human being? She'd do anything to protect Harry. She looked across the room to where he was lying on the carpet in front of the roaring fire. So innocent. He looked exactly like James, the same messy black hair, everything, except he had her eyes. They were big and emerald in colour. She smiled and thought of all the girls who would be fighting over him when he went to Hogwarts, 10 years from now. He would be just like James had been. Actually now she was thinking about it she didn't want him to turn out like that. James had been with so many girls he had lost count, he had been a complete man-whore back before 7th year. Not as bad as Sirius though, thank god.
"You ok Lily?" asked James, looking concerned. She turned her head up to gaze into his hazel eyes.
"I'm fine, just thinking about what you were like back when I hated you, I'm hoping Harry doesn't turn out to be a complete man-whore like you were." She chuckled slightly.
"Oi! I wasn't as bad as Sirius!" he protested.
"Yeh, I know. I was just thinking that, I hope that making Sirius Harry's godfather was the right choice. I don't want him to influence my son too much. Now come to think of it, I think that Remus would have been a better choice! He may have been a marauder but he was no where near as mischievous as you two were!"
Lily suddenly tensed, something didn't feel right. She could feel that something was going to go wrong; everything was too… well perfect. Nothing had gone wrong; there had been no mentions of attacks recently which was weird because Voldemort was supposed to be getting stronger. No one had bothered them, which was strange because they were supposed to be Voldemort's main target. James felt Lily go tense.
"What's wrong Lils?"
"Nothing." She lied while trying to smile.
"Liar."
"It's just I've been thinking. What if we made the wrong choice switching Sirius to Peter as secret keeper?"
"Look Lily." He turned her so she was facing him. "Don't worry about a thing. Peter is one of my best friends and he would never do anything to put us in danger. Just as Sirius wouldn't do anything to put us in danger. Anyway just think about it, who would Voldemort go after for information? Sirius, that's who, who in their right mind would think of Peter? Sirius was right; it would be much safer if Peter was our secret keeper. I trust Peter, he is a marauder. Don't worry."
He placed a light kiss upon her forehead and pushed her long blood red hair back which was covering her eyes. He got up to go pick Harry up before he fell into the fire or had another accident. He could swear that Harry had a knack of finding trouble. He was going to be a right terror one day. He smiled. He was going to be just like his dad. He made a promise to himself that as soon as Harry turned 5 he was going to teach him how to ride a broom. He was going to be a great Quiditch player – hopefully a chaser, just like his dad. James was so proud, who would have thought him to have settled down with a family by the age of 21? With Lily Evans as well! He made his way over to the sofa with Harry and reclaimed his place next to Lily.
"He's going to be a fine Quiditch player my son is." James beamed. Lily groaned, that would mean more injuries than normal, she dreaded to think of the danger he'd be in if he got on a broom.
"I've been thinking about the future," began Lily, "I think that after all this mess is over with, we should move to a big house in the country, away from all that's happened and the bad memories. A house with a big garden and a swing, maybe a little stream running through it and lots of trees for the children to climb in."
"C-c-children?" James spluttered, while staring at Lily's stomach. Seeing the look of horror on his face she began to laugh.
"Don't be silly! But anyway in the future I would like more children, I don't want Harry to be an only child. He needs a brother or sister."
"Oi, I was an only child!"
"Yes, and look how you turned out!" she joked and before he could come back with a remark she continued, "Anyway like I was saying. I also want Harry to have a good future, one where he can do whatever he wants. He'll be intelligent and hardworking and loyal…"
"Hard working? Do you want our son to turn into a bookworm? Do you want our son to be teased? He can still have a bit of fun right? Anyway it shouldn't be a problem getting good grades, what with my brain…"
Lily coughed loudly.
"And your brain of course darling."
Lily glanced at the clock and gasped. It was way past Harry's bedtime. "Come on, lets put Harry to bed and then we can talk some more."
They made their way up to Harry's bedroom. It was painted cream and in the middle of the room was a white cot with a blue blanket with golden snitches all over it. It had been James' choice. She placed Harry down and covered him up before they each placed a kiss upon the sleeping boy's forehead. There was a loud knock at the door. Lily jumped, who could be calling at this time of night? Sirius or Remus could have just apparated in as the wards around the house had been modified to allow them to apparate in at any time. James made his way over to the window as there was another loud knock on the door and he was shocked when he saw who was there. The tall figure was wearing black robes with a hood, the figure looked up at the window and James could see the redness of the eyes and the paleness of the skin. It was him. He had found them. He turned back to face Lily who was shaking violently.
"It's him Lils, he's found us. Now listen carefully, you make a run for it with Harry. Harry is the important one; you have to get him to safety. I'll go distract him to give you a chance to run. Don't worry about me, just remember that I love you and I always will. You have made my life complete and now I can die happy." He pulled her into a kiss.
"Don't talk like that James. You won't die, you can't die. I won't be able to live without you." She sobbed, tears running down her face.
"We both know I'll be killed, just take Harry and run, now!" With that he ran out of the room and down the stairs to try and keep Voldemort from getting to his wife and son. He heard the door being blasted apart and quickened his pace.
"Aha, Potter, this is something I've wanted to do for a while now." Voldemort sneered. "Avada Kedavra!" There was a flash of green light and James Potter was dead before his body hit the ground.
Upstairs Lily sobbed. She knew James was dead and now there was a piece of her missing, she had to get Harry ready and go. She grabbed Harry. She could hear loud footsteps making their way up the stairs. He was getting closer and closer. How could Peter have betrayed them like this? He was their secret keeper; it must have been him that told Voldemort where they lived. The little rat! What had she ever done to him apart from being kind? He had been one of James' best friends and yet he had still sold them off to Voldemort. James would have rather died than give Voldemort information about Peter, had Peter been the one being hunted. The footsteps had stopped; he was right outside the door. She screamed as the door was blasted apart.
"Stand aside you stupid girl." His wand was in his hand.
"Never, if you want to kill Harry you'll have to kill me first!" she screamed, turning to protect Harry.
"Foolish girl, no one ever refuses Lord Voldemort's requests and lives to tell the tale." He pointed his wand at Lily. "Avada Kedavra." There was another blinding flash of green light. He stepped over Lily's dead body and pointed his wand at Harry. "Avada Kedavra." Only this time there was no dead body and Voldemort was gone. He had been defeated by a baby; the baby had survived the curse that no one had survived before. He was the boy that people would call the-boy-who-lived for years to come.