James and Lily- A love story

Chapter 2- Some Sirius News from Dumbledore

"A son, our son," She said, tears pricking her emerald green eyes. Taking James' hand, she put it on her abdomen where their baby boy was growing and covered it with her own, a shiver of wonder going through her, "He will be a great wizard one day, he has an incredible legacy behind him. I hope that he has your Quidditch skills, James," Lily had never gotten into Quidditch in school, she was more the studious type,

Just then she heard a knock at the door, "That must be Sirius here for his nightly visit," She said, laughing, "I sometimes wonder if that guy missed his calling and should have been a seer instead, he couldn't have picked a more perfect time. Make sure it's him though. We don't want any unpleasant surprises, not now..."

James took the crystal from Lily's lap and gently set it on the floor - it would continue to swirl in blue until he dispelled the incantation. After his hand covered her abdomen in wide-eyed wonder, he imagined the tiny figure within, peacefully residing within his wife. He met Lily's eyes and gave her a joyful expression as she spoke hopefully of their son's traits. A father, he was going to be a father. "He'll have your eyes," he said, almost spellbound by the thought, knowing that since his eyes were hazel, and 'indeterminate' colour genetically, their son would more than likely take on the eye-colour of his mother. Wouldn't that be something?

Her eyes still held a wonder for James, even after all this time of knowing her. He startled slightly when the door resounded. He stood abruptly, pulling Lily to her feet with him, "Wait here, love. Be right back." He kissed her quickly and rounded out of the study and headed to the front door, uttering the incantation that would announce who their visitor was if it was known. When the word 'Sirius Black' rang out, he moved ever-quicker to the door, unlocking it and opening it widely, "Hey, great timing!"

Lily nodded at James, knowing that if it was someone unsavory that he would want her to stay here. She gently touched her abdomen, still amazed that they were going to be parents. The world was so uncertain right now but she knew that she loved the little person growing inside of her more than words could say and that she knew that James and her were going to be incredible parents.

"Hey, Prongs, old fellow," Sirius said, clapping James heartily on the back, "Did you guys eat already? I hope that I'm not interrupting anything important," He said, stepping into the house, "You have a goofy grin on your face that kind of tells me that I might have," Sirius said, grinning mischeviously, "I brought you guys a peach cobbler, I know that Lily likes those."

Stepping aside so that Sirius could come in, he greeted his old friend a tad more exuberantly than usual. "Padfoot, you couldn't have come at a better time, actually." Taking the peach cobbler from his friend, he waved him past, "Yup, we've eaten, but I am sure Lily will love the dessert." He knew his friend would be able to tell he was in rather good spirits and only shrugged about his goofy grin, "Well, I think the mischief has already begun, but if you want details, you will have to see my lovely bride," he grinned. "Lils!" he yelled down the hallway to let her know the coast was clear, the enthusiasm evident in his voice. He waited until he heard her footsteps and turned toward Sirius, "Prepare yourself, my friend, for your new responsibilities."

He left it at that, and handed off the proffered dessert to an elf, who would put it in dishes most likely, and return in a few moments. "Besides, we are going to have to make sure Lils gets everything she craves, I think."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at his friend's odd behaviour, but having gone through Hogwarts with him and been friends with him for so long, he was used to it. Smiling at Lily as she entered the room, he went over to give her a hug, "Hey Lily. You are fairly glowing tonight, what in the world did I interrupt?" He said, blushing a bit and grinning mischeviously.

Lily looked quizzically at James, surprised that he hadn't told him. She was sure that when James saw that it was Sirius he would be telling him as soon as he set foot inside of the door, "You mean James didn't say anything to you?"

"Nope, not a word. I brought a peach cobbler and he did say something about you and cravings, but he also said that I would have to ask you for the details. So tell me, what are you two up to?"Sirius, who could be kind of dense at times, said innocently.

Fairly bursting just to remain quiet, James followed his friend back in the room to see Lily, but he had to laugh that his friend, at times when he didn't have to be an Auror, could be fairly clueless. Damn if he didn't have to spell it out for him. He went beside his friend and slapped him rather hard on the back a couple of times, "Sirius, my boy - you are going to be a proud Godfather!" Looking over to Lily, he exchanged a joyous look with her, "Lily is expecting. Why else would she be 'fairly glowing'?"

Laughing again at the shocked expression his friend wore, he looked to see Lily as it seemed she was fairly blushing. "Come on, we have to do this proper," he said and went to a side cabinet, withdrew a bottle of wine and poured two glasses for him and Sirius and a glass of water for Lily. Handing them out, he said, "A toast. To new and great beginnings in spite of all the bad endings."

Sirius blushed, embarassed at his ignorance. When he had recovered, he gave Lily another hug and clapped James on the back, "Congratulations, you two! I'm so excited for you. A Godfather, wow, this is such an honor! Do you know when it will happen? Do you know what it will be?" He said, excitedly, toasting Lily and James and drinking some of his wine c

Lily laughed as well at Sirius' expression on his face, then answered his questions, "Well, around the end of July...the baby will be a Leo. Really appropriate for two Gryffindors, don't you think? And, well, as for what it is going to be, I'm sure that James wants to tell you that himself,"She said, drinking some of the water, "And then I hope we can have some of that peach cobbler, cause I'm craving it," She said, winking at the two of them.

The expression on his friend's face was classic and James made a mental note to keep memory of it. "Well, before all that..." he said, giving his friend a conspiratorial glance and putting down their wineglasses, "You have to swear to keep it under wraps. Not a word to anyone that we don't give word to ourselves, alright?" He wasn't going to explain it right now, but probably would expound on it for his best friend's benefit to him privately later on. When Sirius' expression turned from quietly quizzical to compliant with a small nod, James continued, at first giving his friend a disappointed look before beaming brightly, "It's a boy!"

Squeezing his friend around the shoulder, "Isn't that great?" Then, crossing over to Lily, he put her glass down for her and pulled her along out of the study back to the dining room, telling Sirius, "Come on, mate, bring the dessert. Peach Cobbler - mustn't keep the lady waiting." When they were all sitting again, James content just to watch his wife eat, he turned to Sirius, "That means, mate, we both have to watch her and make sure she is doing the proper thing, right?" He knew Lily could be stubborn at times when it came to work.

"A boy, that's wonderful, mate!" He said, grinning from ear to ear, "And of course, no more raids for you, Lily. If you need me to come with you to speak to Jonathan I will. We must keep you safe, along with that precious baby you are carrying," He said, beaming at her, "And you," Sirius said, looking directly at James, "You're going to need to give up that nasty habit of yours now for sure."

Lily paused in her eating to nod at Sirius, "I'll let you know if I need an accomplice. Jonathan doesn't scare me though," She said, laughing. When talk turned to the matter of James' smoking, she heartily agreed, "I have been trying to get him to give that up for years. He has a good reason to now. Do you want to send Dumbledore a Patronus, luv? We should tell him as soon as possible."

James continued to act the proud father - agreeing with Sirius that Lily should take it easy and happy that he had an accomplice with making sure she took care of herself, "That means no skipping meals, either. Baby Boy wouldn't be too happy with you if you did." Nodding with Sirius until he said something about his 'nasty habit', James turned on him and gave him a quick 'you traitor' look, scolding him almost incredulously, "Hey! I thought you were on my side!" It was a joke, however, and his smile never faltered. He laughed then and turned to Lily, "Darling..." He gave her that charming smile that said he was humouring her or... not really. "How many vices, seriously, do I have?" He shrugged then, and decided just to comply,

"Well, I'll try. You know it's difficult." As it was, he confined his vice to the study in the house, where the room was spelled to not let the smoke escape and freshened the air when he was done, or took it outside. "How about I confine it to just after Remus' monthly jaunts?" Something to look forward to every full moon besides just running about in animagus form. "Should I send it now?" he asked about her question to send message to Dumbledore. He could only imagine the look on Albus' face when he got it. "Sure," he said and moments later, a long chinese dragon burst forth from his wand with proper instruction. "Done. Happiness?" he asked Lily and beamed at his best friend, "Let's see - what should the Godfather give up? Drinking?"

"Hey! Why do I have to give up anything?" Sirius said, jokingly, "But of course, when the lad arrives we have to have a cigar each. I can't imagine that James won't be giving them out," Sirius said, grinning at James, "But I'll tell you what, I'll cut back too. Would that help? Knowing your best chum was going through the same misery as you are?"

Lily just sat and laughed at the two of them. They were both full grown men but sometimes she wondered what exactly got into their heads, "I can just imagine what our son is going to be when he grows up, with the two of you as role models, to say nothing of Remus," She said, rolling her eyes, "I'm in biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig trouble."

Smirking, James gave Sirius a shrug, "You have to give something up if I have to give something up." He said it with a certain finality, although it was largely a joke. When his friend agreed that he'd join him in his campaign to cut down, albiet it wasn't exactly an agreement to cease and desist. "Fine for me, mate. Misery loves company. I guess Lily doesn't want to be the only one having to suffer cravings." He gave Lily a brief smug look, but then gave her a look of lifelong suffering. When she spoke about their influence, he laughed, "Merlin help you, Lily." He wrung his hands, pictures of his son already dancing in his head - and the things he and Sirius were likely to teach the young man as he matured, "We have plans, don't we?" He wasn't about to tell Lily about the ninja suit, though.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts:

Albus Dumbledore was tired. He was frustrated and exhausted but he could not seem to rest his mind. He was sitting behind his desk in his tower office muttering to himself, his fingers forming a tent under his chin as he thought. The situation was worsening every day and it seemed as if everything he tried had no effect. Voldemort was becoming stronger and gaining followers by the day.

A few of the portraits on the wall around him were shooting him concerned or sympathetic looks. Some were whispering to their neighbors in low tones but he knew what they were saying. He was losing the battle against Voldemort and he had no tricks left up his sleeve. The Order of the Phoenix still battled hard against the Dark Lord and his followers but it felt like a losing battle and morale was very low.

Dumbledore's thoughts were interrupted by a silver Chinese Dragon entering his office. He knew at once that it was a patronus from James Potter and listened for its message. It seemed that James had been either in a great hurry or very excited when he had sent the patronus for Dumbledore could only make out bits and pieces of it. He heard something about Lily and that he should come quickly to the villa. Dumbledore's heart sank at the mention of Lily. He could not bear to lose another member of the Order and it would be especially heartbreaking to lose Lily. Without waiting another minute, Dumbledore stood. With a loud crack, he apparated outside the door to the home of James and Lily Potter. He raised his arm and rapped the door firmly, his apprehension building.

Lily just chuckled and rolled her eyes more at James' plans for their son. What was she going to do with him? "James, the baby isn't even close to being here yet and you have all these far out plans for him. I suppose you'll teach him that he should break rules when he goes to Hogwarts and go gallivanting around the Forbidden Forest too, won't you?" The twinkle in James' eyes told her all she needed to know, "Well, I do hope that he takes after me in the fact that he has a good head on his shoulders despite whatever you all teach him," Lily was just kidding, she knew that James could be really serious when he had to be and was one of the finest Order members she knew. Just then she heard an apparition crack outside the door, "Gee, I wonder who that could be?"

Sirius laughed at the expressions on Lily's face when she heard about the plans they had for the baby, "You know, Lily, that I will do everything I can to teach him right from wrong, along with how to have fun. Sounds like Dumbledore might have arrived. Your message was so garbled, James, because of your excitement, that you better answer that door fast before he thinks something is wrong."

Letting go the evil laugh that James had been practicing since he was very young, he gave Lily the mischievious look until he got a reproachful one from her, "Oh, you know we'll make sure to mix in the appropriate 'eat your vegetables' moments, Lils. With the combination of parents and Godfather, he's bound to be an unstoppable force of nature." He certainly hoped so - none of them were exactly slouches in their talents. Lily having certainly been regarded the cleverest witch at Hogwarts when they were there - in spite of being muggle-born, or because of it, he wasn't sure.

Walking over to give Lily a quick hug and kiss, James regarded what Sirius said about Albus. "Merlin, he might have gotten the wrong impression," he said, noting how fast the headmaster had gotten there and knowing how ... cryptic... his messages could be when he was in a rush. "I'll get it," he said, keeping a merry expression on his face and going over to the door to open it. "Albus!" he said when he met the gaze of his mentor, stepping forward to give the man a hug. "Come in," he said then, pulling him along to the Dining Room. "Look who I found outside," he said when he had rejoined his wife and child and friend.

Caught up in the whirl that was James Potter, Dumbledore found himself hugged and then ushered into the house. He breathed a deep sigh of relief when he found Lily alive and well sitting with Sirius in the dining room. So, it must be something else going on with Lily. Dumbledore decided to wait until they were ready to tell him the good news. "Lily, how good to see you," Dumbledore said with a wide smile. "I was a little concerned by James' patronus, only being able to distinguish the words, 'Lily' and 'come quick to the villa', but I am very glad to see you are all right." He turned to Sirius. "And Sirius, I expect all is well with you? Not up to too much mischief?" Dumbledore chuckled and gave Sirius an affectionate clap on the back.

Lily smiled at Dumbledore, "It's wonderful to see you too, Albus. Yes, when James is excitable he tends to...shall we say, not get the whole message across? And yes, Albus, I'm all right. I'm better than alright, in fact. James and I found out tonight that we are going to be parents," She said, a bright smile on her face.

Sirius chuckled at the look on Albus' face, "Michief? Me?" He said, an innocent look on his face, "Not when I'm going to be a Godfather. Actually, you missed quite an interesting conversation about what we are going to teach the child when he grows up. You better be ready, Albus, when it comes time to teaching this one. With the four marauders looking out for the, eh hem, less savory part of education?" Sirius said, a twinkle in his eyes.

As the news sunk in, Dumbledore felt his heart lighten for the first time in months. "What wonderful news, James, Lily! Congratulations! What a great thing to happen in such a dark time. You two much be ecstatic with joy. Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?"

Years of people having dealt with James always told them a great deal about the life of rather hyper people. James' family and friends knew only too well about that particular aspect of his personality, and often got swept up in it before they knew it. "You looked scared there for a second, Albus," he said, keeping the smile on his face and trying not to worry about anything else. After all, he'd just gotten the greatest news he could possibly imagine in his lifetime, thus far, aside from Lily saying yes to marrying him in the first place, in spite of his reputation as a troublemaker and everything else. "Sit down, Albus. Peach Cobbler?"

He pushed a plate in front of the headmaster and personal family friend before he could say one way or another. Going over to Lily, he squeezed her shoulders, "She has not to worry about our antics for the young child..." he said and looked down to his wife, smiling, "Yet." Happy that Albus was obviously pleased by the good news, he nodded, "Son! Due at the end of July - a Leo. Isn't that great?"

Something jumped in Dumbledore's mind at the mention of a July due date. An eerie voice flitted through his mind and he heard, 'born as the seventh month dies' as clear as day. It could not be. Dumbledore had been holding out hope since the time when the prophecy was uttered in his presence that no child would be born as the seventh month died. "Are you quite sure of the date? Are you absolutely sure?" Dumbledore asked with urgency.

"Well, James did some tests and I remembered the last time I wasn't pregnant was back in October, at the Order meeting..." She said, looking at Dumbledore's face. Something obviously was upsetting him, "Albus, what's wrong?" She looked at James for some clue as to what Dumbledore could be thinking but she saw that he was as clueless as she was. e

Dumbledore was unsure of how to break the news to the Potters. This was a very wrong time for them to hear any news that could be construed as bad news. But they must be told; it was essential that they told no one else about the impending birth. Dumbledore did not believe in fate, he was convinced that men and women decided their own destinies, but he knew that if Voldemort believed the half of the prophecy he had been told, the Potter's unborn child was in grave danger.

"I am going to tell you two something and it will sound fantastic. Please listen until I have finished. Slightly more than a year ago I was searching for a new divination teacher and I arranged an interview with a woman named Sybill Trelawney in the Hog's Head. Almost immediately upon sitting down with her, I was convinced she was a fraud. Nevertheless, I continued with my interview. Near the end of our time together, Sybill began acting very strange and uttered the following words:

"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..."

"This prophecy in itself would have meant nothing, in my opinion, had it not been for Severus Snape. At that precise moment, Severus was listening at the door and heard the first half of the prophecy. He did not hear the entire message as he was caught and taken away from the door halfway through. As you know, Severus is working undercover in Voldemort's confidence. Like me, he believed Sybill to be a fraud and upon hearing the prophecy, thought that he had hit upon something he could tell Voldemort that would cause him to be trusted more but would also cause the Order no harm."

"This was his mistake for, although I still believe Sybill to be a fraud, Voldemort does not. If he puts any stock in this prophecy, as I believe he will, Voldemort will seek out this child and destroy him before he becomes powerful enough to 'vanquish the dark lord'. As you may have noticed, the prophecy names the seventh month as the time of birth and that the child will be born to parents who have thrice defied Voldemort. This would indicate you two as the parents." Dumbledore paused, allowing all he had said to sink in.

More and more as Dumbledore spoke, James began to come down from his enthusiasm rather rapidly. Everything that he was saying certainly applied to them, and he noted that - along with Lily's earlier warning of caution - there was a great deal to be concerned for. Exchanging a look with Lily, he had to wonder why their life was to be so complicated and difficult. They loved each other, having fallen for each other as they did - and why did it matter that he was a pureblood and she was not. It didn't seem that people should concern themselves with that if the two of them did not. And yet, they encountered it rather often and had to deal with this fanatical group that had labelled it as the wrong thing and were working actively about eradicating this sort of supposed wrongdoing.

No sooner had he found out they were to be a parents and have a son, than he found out that their child was already threatened. He gave Albus a dumbfounded look and swallowed hard, "What do we do?" Perhaps if their child was born in a cave in Tibet, they wouldn't find them. But James' mother had been a true seer and he didn't take things like the prophecy very lightly. His mother sometimes slipped off into a trance and spoke cryptically. Eerie, to be sure, but very much a part of his life. "Lils?"

Lily sat, listening to Albus' words, the joy of the impending birth of their son growing dim with the realization that this child would be in real danger when he was born, and even before he was born if the wrong people found out that he was on the way. She felt a shiver go up her spine as she heard the prophecy, their precious baby, their son, was quite possibly the one that would vanquish the Dark Lord. Taking James' hand in hers, she gave it a squeeze and instinctively put her hand over her abdomen.

She knew how ruthless the followers of the Dark Lord could be, she dealt with them every day. They did anything they could to protect their master and it didn't matter who they hurt or killed. The fact that Severus Snape was possibly involved was a real blow to her. She had helped them while they were in school together, and had chided James when he had teased him,"The Order...they can't know. If Severus finds out that we have a son on the way, if he tells him..." Lily's voice caught just then and she couldn't go on, tears running down her cheeks.

Sirius, who had been listening quietly and allowing James and Lily spend the time with Dumbledore, was dumbstruck. James and Lily didn't deserve this, their moment of joy had been ruined. Instead of a happy time that it should be, Lily's pregnancy and eventual birth of their child would be lived in fear and anxiety. He went over to Lily's other side, wanting to help comfort her along with James, and looked at Dumbledore, "Albus, is there nothing that can be done?"

The urge to be angry was undeniable. James' and Lily's life was being infringed upon in the worst way - all the hatred, the threats, and killing for no good reason whatsoever. He hated them for that, the Death Eaters and their accomplices, and he very nearly felt like doing something rather drastic about it. It was no doubt that this was a full out war, without benefit of declaration and no idea who was on whose side most of the time, and --- well, it just made him feel both angry and helpless at the same time. He would certainly do anything to protect his family and friends, for what was left - but now he had to protect a child who wasn't even fully in the world yet.

What was he supposed to do? "We have to keep this a secret for as long as we can. Tell no one. Especially..." he began and couldn't help a sneer from visiting his face for a moment, no matter how Dumbledore felt about the man, "Snape." He had to admit to himself that he never trusted that man, never wanted him around him, and doubted very much whom he truly worked for.

Dumbledore could see the effect of his words immediately, the pain and anguish written across the faces of James and Lily. The last thing he had wanted to do was to ruin this joyous moment for them but they had to know the dangers. Decisions needed to be made immediately, before the world knew about their unborn child. "In answer to your question, Sirius, there isn't anything that can be done about Voldemort attempting to act on what he knows of the prophecy. We know by now how paranoid he is about being overthrown. What he fears most is death. He will seek out the child spoken of in this prophecy."

"That being said, there are things you can do to hide yourselves from him. It would mean giving up life as you know it and no longer being a part of the Order. To ensure that your child is safe, you will need to shut yourselves away and no one must know where you are. Perhaps you will appoint a secret keeper, someone you trust with not only your own lives, but the fragile life of your child. But the decision must be made immediately. It is my opinion that you should tell no one else about your pregnancy. You must go into hiding before you begin to show. These are only my opinions but I hope you will take them into consideration."

Lily started thinking about the ramifications of what Dumbledore said. She knew that he was right, but how could they possibly stay hidden from the world around them? They were well known and liked in the wizarding world, in their half of it anyways. She rubbed her temples, in an attempt to calm herself. She thought of her sister, and for once in her life she was truly envious of the life she lead. The birth of their child was going to be a happy occassion, they were probably out right now buying clothes and picking out names. What was there for their child? A lifetime hidden away from everyone that might do him harm?

She was so thankful that James was a healer, that he could do something in case of an emergency. She knew that the next seven months were going to be hard on all of them, including Sirius who was now burdened with this knowledge. She thought about how James loved going out with his friends on the nights of the full moon, romping around the countryside in their animagus forms. Would he ever be able to do that again? Just then a thought occurred to her--Remus, "Albus, can we have two Secret Keepers? Can the spell be split so that in order for the secret to be told, both people must divulge?" She knew that they could most likely fool Peter Pettigrew but not Remus...he was way too smart.

Sirius looked at both his friends, and saw the pain on their faces, "James, Lily, you know that I would give my life for you two, and for the baby. I would take your secret to the grave with me, if need be," He said, knowing that it was true.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I don't believe so, Lily. As far as I know, you must choose one secret keeper so choose well. It is imperative that you are not found."

James was truly nearly sick with the prospects before them and very nearly speechless. He could pick Albus to be their secret-keeper, but the elder man was already kneedeep in a million other things and had the weight of the world on his shoulders lately, it seemed. He hated the thought of burdening him any further than he was already responsible for. Besides, he had to entertain the thought that anyone they chose, could quite possibly be captured and tortured for whatever they might be holding onto. He wouldn't wish that on anyone, to tell the truth, and all choices seemed unsavory.

He wanted to say that Sirius was too obvious. If anyone ever thought of James, they'd think of his 'brother.' He looked over at his best pal, the troubles clearly evident on his face. "I don't want you to do it, Albus," he said turning to him, "Although I know you would." He thought of Remus, and he turned to face Lily, "And we don't know how the secret could be affected by Remus' transitions - he might not be able to keep it in... the moments in between." He sighed, knowing that no one could reason with a werewolf and no one could possibly break Remus, but he had definite weaknesses that could be exploited.

He didn't like any of his other options, but Peter stood out. No one would suspect he'd trust him enough with something this important. Still, Lily had voiced her concern about him and he couldn't bring himself up to say he'd make Peter his choice. Perhaps, he'd just have to trust that Sirius could handle himself, plus he'd already sworn he'd give his life to protect them, "It has to be Sirius."

Lily stood and gave Albus a hug, "Albus, I know that you have only our best interests at heart and I thank you for telling us. You are a wonderful friend and mentor to us, and I truly look forward to the day when our son will be in your care as well," Lily knew in her heart that there was a real possibility that that day may never come, but she forced herself to remain positive. She wondered what would become of their baby after he was born, if he was doomed to live a life of solitude and if he had to hide his true identity and the date of his birth. Going over to James, she laid her head on his chest, made weary by the emotional strain she had been under.

Sirius' heart went out to Lily and he looked at James, "I don't think one more night will make that big a difference. As we all know, it takes the power of the three of us to make this spell work, and Lily is obviously not up to it tonight. What about tomorrow?"

Dumbledore smiled at the three of them. They were all so strong of character and great friends as well. He knew that those qualities would help them through the dark and difficult times that lay ahead. He returned Lily's hug and said to them, "Well, I will leave you three to your decisions. If you need my help at any time for any reason, please do not hesitate to call me at once. I love you all dearly and I do not want to see any harm to come to you or your child."

Looking at all the people in the room, James noted the mixture of emotion and determination displayed. He was fairly certain those same things were visibly evident in his own face. He didn't like the idea of hiding, his mind arguing with him somewhere that it was not fair and there should be no reason for it. Another part felt somewhat cowardly to not just live as boldly and blatantly as possible in spite of these... terrorists. Still, he had a small being to consider - a young child that could not defend himself and needed his parents to guide him. So, James knew he'd have to step outside of his instincts to be so brazen and take the larger picture into consideration. Not an easy task for him - as he felt he ought to fight back with every ounce of aggression that was aimed at him.

Still, he was outnumbered and had the vulnerabilities of an expectant mother and unborn child. Even if he couldn't be gotten to himself, he knew damn well the enemy would have no hesitation to take their task to the rest of his family and his friends. Looking to Dumbledore, "Thank you, Albus, I know all of that and more. I wish this wasn't necessary but I know why it is." It wasn't an easy confession - James didn't often think in big-picture terms. Turning to Sirius, he said simply, "Tomorrow, then," and he went over to hold Lily's hand, squeezing it in some attempt to convey confidence and reassurance, which was largely empty in his heart.

After Sirius had said goodbye to Albus and he had gone, Sirius turned to James and Lily, "I should probably get going too. You guys need some time alone and I'll see you tomorrow when we do the fidelius charm. I know that the next months aren't going to be easy for you but please know that I am here for you and I will protect your secret with my life," Going over to Lily, he gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, then gave James a hug as well, "If you need anything, just call me. I'll help you get through this, beyond a doubt, "With that, Sirius disapparated from their house.

Lily sighed sadly, the night had started out so perfectly and now the reality of what must be done was setting in. She thought of all the things that had to be done before they went into hiding, and the thoughts overwhelmed her. Thank goodness they were a witch and wizard and didn't have to go shopping if they couldn''t, "Thank goodness you're a healer, James. At least it's a comfort knowing that you know what to do in case of an emergency and when the time comes you can deliver our son yourself." e

Feeling his mind begin to reel with the full implications of what this would mean, James could feel a fierce headache coming on and small lights began to play on the periphery of his vision. He took Sirius hand and pulled him into a hug, patting him on the back before letting him go again. "Sure, mate," he said automatically, his mind and heart clearly elsewhere. The happy ecstatic evening was quickly plummeting into something else entirely - something more sinister and dark by moments. "I know you would, Sirius - I never doubt," he said by means of final reassurance of ultimate trust.

After he departed, James crossed back to Lily and took both of her hands in his, waiting for her gaze to meet his. Already, fine details of the plan were beginning to delineate themselves. "We can't stay at The Villa anymore," he said flatly, numb enough to be almost unemotional. It was a statement of fact - everyone knew where the Potter familial estate was. He put one hand under Lily's chin and leaned over to give her a short tender kiss, "We'll get through this. We stick together - we remain loyal to one another and nothing can defeat us." He pulled her into the sitting room, sitting down and having her sit next to him so that he could hold her to him so that her head was resting on his chest. It had been a long and tiring day and long and tiring days were sure to follow.

When James mentioned leaving The Villa, Lily knew that he was right. To protect their son and themselves they needed to basically disappear from the wizarding world for now, "James, where would we go? I mean, we won't have much time if we are to move before I start showing," Lily had a slim figure and she knew that the pregnancy wouldn't be able stay hidden for long, "I've been thinking about something regarding the Fidelius charm. Do you think it's wise to make Sirius the secret keeper if he's also going to be the baby's Godfather? I mean, what if something happens to us? They would know that he's your best friend and more than likely go after him. Then our son would have no one to look after him. Problem is, there are only two other people in the world that we are close enough to trust with that responsibility, to not tell anyone where we are---Remus and Peter. Like you said earlier, Dumbledore has too much on his plate already."

Leaving his ancestral home wasn't a comforting thought, but they had some property near London known as Godrics Hollow. It was in the heart of Muggleville, England, but that might just suit their needs all in all. "Well, we can have something built - in England - at this place called Godrics Hollow, Lily. A new home might just be perfect." He didn't particularly thrill to the thought of living among muggles and hiding his... difference. It would mean a lot of adjustment in his life, a lot of contraptions to get used to, and a great deal curbing of his normal habits - and watching himself all the time to make sure he didn't slip anything inadvertently. "I know what you are thinking - about Sirius - Lils, but you already expressed your instincts about Peter and Remus - I just don't think it's wise."

Lily was fighting an inward battle, "I know, but perhaps I'm just being silly. You know how I tend to be overly careful sometimes...it's my nature as an auror. But I have to be practical, and there's no way that I am going to let my sister raise our son if something happens to us. He would be the last person on Earth that I would allow to do it," Looking into James' hazel eyes, she knew that he trusted Peter and maybe she hadn't gotten to know him enough to make a firm judgement on what he was like inside. Outward appearances could be deceiving, "I have to put my personal feelings aside and remember that I'm being overly cautious about him. You're good friends with him and have been for a long time. We have our child to think about, and this is not the time for me to be selfish."

Nodding at what Lily was saying, James smoothed down his wife's hair, just taking in the comfort of lending that simple gesture. "No easy answers," he said finally, shrugging. Lately, Peter seemed more 'off' than usual, but he chalked that up to the pressures his friend had to put up with at his place of employment, not necessarily being the best and brightest wizard in their lot, after all. "I was thinking all the same things you are going through, love. But - I dunno - clean slate and all that in someplace new - it might be good for us."

He was trying his best to see the silver lining in all of this and it wasn't all that easy and he had to think he was just conjuring things to be positive about and there really was nothing at all. Still, he had a son to look forward to and he still had the idea of spending his life with Lily - just more quietly and lowkey than he had imagined.

Lily thought about what it would be like to live in a Muggle village. Being careful of using magic, using electricity(not that she wasn't used to that being Muggle born). Just then, something James had said came back to her, "James, we have no time to have a house built. The way muggles build it it would take months which we don't have and if it's built by magic, well, someone would be sure to notice a house that appears out of nowhere. Unless we had it built somewhere else and then paid someone to move it. Some muggles do that. What are we going to do about the house elves? We can't take them all with us, one or two maybe but there are so many," As she spoke she started to think of other things, "We'll have to make some baby clothes with magic, and I'll need some new robes before long."

She found herself getting angry. Getting angry with Voldemort, getting angry with Snape, getting angry with the whole situation. Their lives were being disrupted at the very time when they should be their happiest, "Sirius will need to talk to the boss for me. I don't even know what to tell him to say. We will probably need to take a trip into Diagon Alley before we go into hiding to make sure you have anything you need from the Apothecary. I did learn how to sew, my mum taught me. I could make our son his baby clothes... My mum doesn't even know about him yet and I can't tell her can I?" She said, knowing that there was no way she could, "When did our lives become so complicated, James?"

Listening to Lily begin to speak, James' expression became somewhat bewildered, then amused. Laughing just a little, he gave Lily a tight hug and then put a finger over her lips. "Hon, I know we'll be in a muggle neighborhood, but there are magical means around everything - after all - nobody even notices the house Sirius grew up in and it's been there for over a century." That was the funny thing about fooling muggles, sometimes - everything was hiding in plain sight and either things were spelled to be ignored, or they looked like something else entirely on the outside. After all, no muggle ever accidentally wandered into St. Mungo's, in spite of it being on a busy avenue.

He kissed her forehead, "You're thinking too complicated, love. We can get everything we need, by proxy or otherwise." Their friends would help, surely, or they could use the floo network for deliveries. They were just going to have to think more in the lines of... underground living - of a sort. "Tell your mum - we can have ways of them visiting - but... not your sis, sorry," he said. Things didn't have to be a complete killjoy, after all - but he didn't trust her sis - he imagined she'd reveal their location without question to anyone that asked in an instant. "We'll get through this, love - the charm follows us to whatever domicile we live in. We can build in Godric's Hollow and the muggles will think the new house had always been there," he said, smiling slightly at Lily - sometimes she amused him to no end with her unique perspective.

Lily chuckled too, for the first time since she had heard the prophecy she felt like she could laugh, "You're right, sometimes I forget how uncomplicated our lives can be, especially when I'm under stress. Forgive me for being so crazy," She said, reaching up to give him a kiss, "And you're right, not Petunia. That's the last thing we need is her sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong. I'm not going to tell her about the prophecy though. You know how they worry about us to begin with," Lily's mother often called to check and make sure that they were okay, especially now with all the things going on in their world. They were covered up with muggle explanations, but her mum knew.

"I think I'm going to call her now," Lily said, asking the one of the house elves to bring her the cordless phone and dialing the number, "I know that she will be happy for us and it will be good to give her a little bit of good news from our end for once. The phone rang and rang and no one picked up, "Hmm, that's odd. No one's home," She said, a puzzled look on her face. Just then the clock struck nine, "They usually don't go out this late. I wonder where they could be? Maybe I'll call Petunia and see if they are over there. Don't worry...I won't tell her anything, I just want to see if they're there," She said, as James gave her a look that she knew well. She dialed her sister's number and Petunia picked up the phone, "Hi, Petunia, it's Lily. Mum told me about your news..that's great," Lily frowned as her sister went off on her, "Petunia, are Mum and Dad there? I needed to ask them something," She frowned when she heard Petunia's answer, "No? Well if you hear from them have Mum give me a...," Lily didn't even get to finish the sentence before Petunia hung up on her, "They're not at Petunia's house either."

Allowing Lily to sit up next to him, James gave Lily a smile for her brief laughter and patted her leg as a silent gesture that he completely understood her momentary mania. "I love you, sweets," he said and accepted the kiss from her gratefully. Knowing what came next about calling her mum, he leaned back and rested his head on the back of the sofa. Listening to one side of the conversation was kind of frustrating for him but he always tried to take it in stride, "Sure." At least, his wife would be able to share her joy with someone. He didn't even care if her sister knew about their child, although he was sure he'd never let her see him so long as he had something to say about it.

However, he opened one eye when Lily was silent for a prolonged moment, and he met her frustrated expression - knowing it meant she was getting no answer on the other end. Her frown deepened and he shrugged, "Maybe they turned the thing off for the night?" He shrugged again at her curt nod and watched her dial again, his eyes rolling visibly. In his opinion, she shouldn't even bother calling her sister - it was only upsetting and frustrating for her, and he was always left picking up the pieces after she did so. "I doubt you'll get anything useful there," he said, picking up his head again and straightening as he listened in.

"It may be nothing to worry over, love," he said, knowing how paranoid Aurors could be at times, having dealt with it all his life from his father and grandfather and their friends, "Hon, you look beat. Maybe you should just - go lay down, oui?"

Lily sat looking at the phone in her hands and half heard James as he said that there was probably nothing to worry about, "James, you're probably right. It's no wonder I'm on edge after everything that happened tonight. Maybe I will go lay down for a bit, if you come and join me? Give me a few minutes while I get changed and such and we can just hold each other and make the world go away," She said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and raising up from where they were sitting. Going upstairs, she went to the bath room and changed and got ready for bed. With the water running, she didn't hear the knock at the door.