Author's Note: See the bottom author's note for why this was late. I apologize in advance for the length (or lack of as I see it), and the cliffhanger. I feel it will keep readers on their chairs. It's tragic. Oh yeah...this is the unedited version...I couldn't wait. Sorry tynwfiel! Did I spell it right for once?
"What a pleasant surprise!" Dumbledore said happily with a twinkle in his blue eyes as the family took the seats across from him.
"Not very," James muttered quietly, underestimating the hearing of the older man.
"You look tired, what's happened?" Dumbledore asked quietly, holding out his arms and gesturing to take Harry from a very exhausted looking Lily's arms. Lily handed over the baby and sank back into her chair.
"Why don't you ask him? He's seems to have an explanation for it!" Lily snapped. The Headmaster looked quite surprised at her sudden outburst. Lily noticed this and blushed while muttering an apology to him, and shot James an angry look.
"We were almost attacked by Death Eaters this morning. They came to the apartment but we escaped-"
"Just barely because you had to be reckless!" Lily interjected.
"I was not being reckless! It was obviously a lot quicker and a lot safer than levitating the baby down, and do you really think flying with me isn't safe? I was the best flyer on the team!" James yelled.
"You really haven't changed at all, have you? You're still as egotistical as always!" Lily retorted.
They were snapped back to reality by the cries from their son. He had woken up because of the yelling. Dumbledore rocked him in his arms, trying to stop the baby from crying anymore. He immediately stopped when the old man's beard tickled his face, then he giggled. Lily smiled at this, as did the two men in the room. One of the portraits on the wall snorted.
"I have yet to hear what actually happened today," Dumbledore said quietly, as Harry fell back into a light sleep.
"He knows it's not safe for a baby up there" she said pointing a finger at James, "but he insisted and we just barely were in the air when they looked out of the window and saw us, and you know who he blamed for this?" Lily asked Dumbledore, with a murderous look on her face.
"Who?" Dumbledore asked.
"He blames me for this, as if I would endanger my life and my son's life by telling them where I was living. After all of the sacrifices I have made for his safety he thinks that I let slip where he lived. He can trust the Marauders, but not the mother of his child," she replied, barely audible. James flinched because heknew that she was very mad when she couldn't yell.
As Dumbledore listened to this his face fell into a frown, and then a look of disappointment towards James. James had the decency to look ashamed of himself.
"I didn't mean it, I was worried and...scared," he said quietly, pausing before hesitantly admitting that he was scared.
"I see," Dumbledore replied. He took the chance to glance at Lily, whose look of fury immediately melted away as she reached for James' and squeezed it, as her sign of forgiveness. They held hands through the rest of their meeting, until they decided that they had better find a new home.
"While you're looking for a house, you are welcome to stay at Hogwarts, and when you find a home, we could have several Order members guarding your house if you'd like," he offered. They thanked him for the offer and decided to stay in the castle while they looked for a house.
They were dismissed a few minutes later, and given the password to Gryffindor tower, which was empty because it was still summer.
"Never thought that I would see the tower this empty," James said quietly. Lily smiled and dropped onto the couch and conjured a small crib for Harry, James placed him in it and joined Lily.
"I'm really sorry," James said, while wrapping an arm around Lily.
"It's ok, it was just really hard to hear," Lily replied, he heard her voice crack.
"I know," James whispered.
"No you don't-" Lily said, pulling away from James roughly, "-you have no clue. You haven't heard the prophecy, have you?" Lily asked, tears dripping down her cheeks.
James shook his head. A prophecy? It had to be the most far-fetched thing he had ever heard.
"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 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," Lily recited. It had been played many times in her head and she laughed at the end. Not a laugh that suggested that she found this humorous, but a laugh that was empty; a laugh that indicated she was very worried about this prophecy.
"But Harry was born August first...," James said, looking puzzled.
"No, he was born at 11:59, July 31st," she whispered.
"So our son is marked for death?" James asked.
"I don't know. There is another boy that fits the prophecy too," Lily answered without emotion. She had thought about this many times, how there could be a small chance that this wasn't meant for her son, but she knew not to get her hopes up, she knew that deep inside that it was Harry that the Dark Lord was after.
They fell asleep that night on the couch in front of the fire, looking every bit the perfect family.
Sirius came up to the castle that night, having heard what had happened to Lily and James. He found them on the couch sleeping, and Harry was in a small cradle by the fire, making quiet gurgling noises.
He walked over and picked the baby up. He looked so much like James, there was no doubt in his mind that this kid was going to be something big.
Sirius took the baby upstairs to the top of the tower and they watched the stars. Sirius pointed out his star, and the other ones his family was named for.
"You're lucky you were born into such a great family, Harry," he said quietly, laughing when Harry gave him a funny look.
"You're apart of the family too, Sirius," said Lily from the doorway.
Sirius blushed, being embarrassed of talking to a baby like that. He had never shared with Lily about how his family was, but he suspected that James had filled her in.
"Thanks," he said awkwardly.
"I'm sure you already know this, but the way James talks about you, you'd think that you grew up together, that you were blood brothers. It frustrates me sometimes, you guys are always together it seems, it seems as if I'll always be a third wheel to you guys," she said, collapsing on the bed nearest to the door. Sirius sat down.
"James loves you though," he said, after thinking how to approah this.
"I know, but he could act like it a bit more. I don't think he trusts me, I know he didn't mean it, but for a second he actually thought that I had betrayed him, he didn't think for a minute that it could have been one of you guys. No I'm not accusing you of anything, Sirius," (Sirius had just opened his mouth to protest) "But, immediately he blamed me. I love him so much, but if he can't trust me I don't think I could be with him anymore, I don't think it's good for Harry. I know you guys are really good friends and all, but Harry is his son, and I am his fiancee, we're supposed to be more important to him, his immediate family," she finished, her face was blotchy now. Sirius knew that she was on the verge of tears.
"James trusts you Lily, or else he wouldn't have let you come home with him. He only lets people know where he lives if he knows they wouldn't give it away. He loves you very much too, you should have seen how depressed he was after you fell, or when you were kidnapped. A man can only take so much. It seems like he cares about us more because he's known us longer, and he knows that we would die for him, and I'm sure you would too. I think he's just being cautious with you because he doesn't want to lose you again," Sirius replied, rubbing Lily's back with one hand, cradling Harry with the other.
Lily looked at him and smiled. "Thank you, Sirius," she said quietly, and she rushed back downstairs with Harry, to talk to James.
"James..." she said, prodding him with her wand. He jerked awake, and nearly fell off the couch.
"I love you," she whispered, and hugged him. He was surprised with how happy she was towards him now.
"Where is Remus?" she asked suddenly.
"He's not feeling well," James said quickly.
"You're lying James Potter," she said quickly, "I saw him in the castle earlier."
"I'm tired Lily, can't we just go back to sleep?" said James quickly, changing the subject.
Lily nodded and went upstairs to one of the beds, leaving James and Harry in the common room. As soon as she got upstairs she summoned the Marauder's Map, she remembered that Sirius and James had left it here for the group of Gryffindors who could figure out how to work it. Finally after a few moments she heard it flying towards her.
"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," she muttered. The ink on the piece of parchment came to life after she said those words, and soon she saw a map of the whole castle, and the grounds. The map looked different, because there weren't as many little dots moving around the castle as usual. It was quite easy to find Remus on the map. He was just entering the Forbidden Forest.
Lily looked out the window and saw a werewolf entering the Forbidden Forest also. She had to warn Remus! Quickly, she threw on a cloak and grabbed her wand. She ran past James, there was no time to explain to him. She reached the front doors in record time, and pushed them open. If she didn't speed up Remus would be bitten for sure!
She could see the werewolf's footprints in the ground, and she sped up even more. She had to find Remus before the werewolf did. All of a sudden she heard a growl from behind her. She knew that it was the werewolf behind her. For just a second she completely froze up, but then instinct kicked in and she sent off curses and jinxes towards it, but everything seemed to bounce off of him, nothing had any effect on it at all.
The werewolf looked a bit amused by her feeble attempts to stop him, but could they show emotion? He was getting closer to her now, she could see his long fangs dripping as he prepared to bite her. His mouth was foaming, and his long claws were stretched out towards her.
She closed her eyes, preparing herself for what she knew was about to happen, and then she felt it. She felt this searing pain in her upper left arm, and passed out as she heard the cry of the werewolf.
Author's Note: Sorry this has taken me so long. Read my xanga and you'll probably figure out why. I haven't been using the comp much lately as a result of it. That's all I'm going to say for myself. By the way I had fun writing this. Sorry if bits of it seem forced. Please review and don't hate me!