Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The wonderful JK Rowling does! I wish I did, then I'd be rich! Just kidding! Please don't sue me for writing a fan fic that I really hope you enjoy!
Last Chapter Summery: Lily is tense with pregnancy hormones and James is on pins and needles, expecting the baby to "drop out" at any minute. After Marissa accidentally brings up Kiah, Remus gets a cold rush of memories that have haunted him periodically since her death. Lily's water breaks in the middle of the night and they rush to the hospital. Sirius, Remus, and Peter get bored in the waiting room and annoy a grumpy Marissa with singing. After much resistance, Harry James Potter is born. Voldemort is not happy about the birth and puts Peter solely in charge of getting information on Lily and James, while Malfoy and Regulas are in charge of the Longbottoms.
Song Credit – "'Till There Was You" by the Beatles
"Come What May" from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack sung by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman
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August…
"Uhh, Lily?" How does this thing work?"
"How many times have you used a camcorder James?"
"Well, twice, I think. But that was so long ago, I don't remember…"
"It might help not to have upside down."
"Ohh, okay. Now how do you turn it on?"
"The big red button."
"…where is that?"
"James, I went out of my way to find the simplest camcorder in the store. The clerk assured me a monkey could figure it out!"
"Alright, alright, calm down red head. I think I've got it now. The flashing record light on the screen means it's filming, right?"
"You didn't record all that, did you?"
"I'm pretty sure…yeah I did."
Lily sighed and James laughed, zooming in on Lily's eyes. He then panned down to the bundle in Lily's arms, who was currently looking curiously at the camcorder in his father's hands. "Welcome home, Harry!" James said as he opened the door to their house.
To say the least, Harry looked overwhelmed at the size of his new home. James kept the camera on his wandering eyes while walking backwards through the house, giving him a virtual tour. "Here's the kitchen," James said walking backwards around the dining room table. Lily followed him and laughed as James stumbled over the rug.
"Over here is mummy and daddy's bedroom. This is where you were created," James said, looking up from the camera and winking at Lily as she rolled her eyes. "Now when you get older son, if this door is ever closed, you cannot come in. House rule #1."
"James!" Lily said, walking over and smacking him on the head.
"Hey! Do you want him to be scarred for life when he walks in our room at age seven?" James said with a very straight face.
"I really don't know what I'm going to do with you," Lily said, attempting to hide her smile. She looked down at her son and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Daddy is so silly, isn't he? Yes he is!" Lily muttered in baby talk. Harry nuzzled his face into the crook of her arm.
James smiled, looking at his family. "And the last stop on the tour, Harry, is your room. Mind you, after you're eleven you won't see it much, because you'll be going to the greatest school on earth, Hogwarts."
Lily's eyes immediately welled up with tears. "James, he's an infant, don't start talking about going to school!" Lily turned her attention to Harry and said, "You won't ever leave mummy, will you? No you'll just stay with her forever and ever."
"Harry, I'm sorry in advance for your mother's clinginess," James said with a sigh.
"I am not clingy! I just don't want to ever see him grow up, that's all," Lily retorted with a grin. "Hey I'll trade you the camera for the baby."
Putting a finger to his chin, James 'pondered' at Lily's suggestion, then said with a snap, "Deal."
It took quite a bit of logic from the top two students from the class of 1978 to switch an infant and a camcorder. But in the end they figured it out. James looked down on his son with shining eyes. "Wow, I'm going to teach you so much, little guy."
"Not pranks, I presume," Lily said automatically.
"Of course not," James scoffed, "We just won't let your mum know about it," he whispered in Harry's ear.
Lily once again smacked James upside the head. "Why are you so freaked out about the pranks? You did them too at Hogwarts," James said, rubbing his head with his free arm.
"Because I don't want my son corrupted. I want his record to be spotless," Lily replied as James scoffed, "Hold him with two arms, please," Lily added as an afterthought.
Grinning, James carefully, put his left arm securely under Harry, who wiggled around to be more comfortable in his father's arms. "Well then you shouldn't have had James Potters' kid," James said as a matter of factly.
Harry let out a tiny little yawn and both of his parents awed and cooed. "This poor kid is going to be loved way too much," a voice said from the doorway.
The camcorder turned and focused on Sirius. "Hey Padfoot, I didn't hear you come in," James said as Sirius made his way over to the rocking chair James was currently resting in.
"That is because Apparation is a wondrously quiet thing, Mother Goose."
Both Lily and James looked over at him. "Mother Goose?"
Sirius ignored both of them and leaned down to Harry, who grabbed Sirius by the hair. "Now, Harry, you are going to see the first of many pranks to come the next few years," he said in an unnaturally high voice as he pulled out his wand.
Lily's worried mum side showed itself as she said, "Sirius, nothing dangerous…"
"I would never hurt little Harry!" Sirius cried indignantly as he rolled back his sleeves.
"Sirius, please no magic around Harry until he is…two years old," Lily said, nervously biting her nails. But James looked much more concerned than her, because Sirius was aiming his wand at him.
Smiling, Sirius mumbled a few words and colorful bubbles produced out of the tip of his wand. James and Lily immediately relaxed as Harry looked at the bubbles curiously, and one landed on his head, popping. Harry blinked quickly and shivered a little bit and James laughed.
In the middle of the stream of bubbles, Sirius muttered a new incantation and began drawing a rainbow right above Harry's head.
"This is great and all, Sirius, but it's not really a prank," James commented, watching images of leprechauns leap out of the rainbow and crash into a pot of gold.
Sirius paused for a moment and thoughtfully put a hand to his chin. "Hmmm…I guess it isn't, but you know, this is a great one."
Before James could even dream of protesting, Sirius waved his wand with a few choice words and James was replaced with an old woman with James' features. She had white curly hair gathered up under a hat. Delicate silver glasses not unlike Dumbledore's were set upon the edge of her nose. She was wearing an old dress that was blue with tiny white flowers patterned all over it. And to complete the transaction, a white goose was roaming around the bottom of the rocking chair, a book nursery rhymes clasped in the goose's beak.
Lily burst out into rapturous giggles and nearly dropped the camcorder as Sirius traded Harry for a mirror. James looked inside the glass and jumped up, screaming like, well, a little old woman. The goose began squawking and hopping all over the room and Harry started crying. Through her laughter, Lily managed to make the goose disappear as James began feverently ripping off the costume.
"What did I ever do to you?" James asked in a brittle voice.
Sirius laughed glanced down at Harry, who was watching his father rip the silver hair off his head through his tears. "All I wanted to do was welcome Harry into the world of prankdom."
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Baby shrieks filled a home in Godric's Hollow. Lily was pacing around the nursery, cradling a wailing new born. She was attempting to soothingly pat his back, tears of frustration leaking down her face.
Little Harry was not happy, for an unknown cause. He was resting his head on his mother's shoulder. His eyes were tightly closed as tears leaked out of the corners. His face was beat red and his mouth was wide open, bellowing across the house. A little bit of drool was coming out on his mum's shirt.
James rushed in the nursery, carrying a bottle. "Here, try this," James said, guiding Lily to the rocking chair and sitting her down. Next, he handed her the bottle full of formula and Lily tried to give it to Harry.
For a moment Harry was quiet as he contently sucked on the bottle, his eyes now open and wet from tears. Both parents relaxed and Lily wiped the tears from his face. But not a moment later he gurgled and turned his head away from the bottle, letting out another scream of uncomfort.
"You say you checked his diaper?" James asked, slamming the bottle on the changing table.
"Yes. I checked his diaper, burped him, held him, rocked him, paced around the room and now feeding him. I've tried everything and he won't stop!" Lily said, tears matching Harry's spilling down her face. It broke her heart to see her baby cry.
Thinking for a moment, James reached out his arms and said, "Let me try to hold him." Lily hesitated for a moment then reluctantly handed over Harry to James.
Once James got him comfortable in his arms, he began bouncing him slightly while pacing. Harry's cries continued but his emerald eyes opened as he watched his father pace around in a circle. Then, quietly, James began humming a soft tune. He then began to hum a little louder. The more he hummed, the more Harry quieted.
Softly, James started sing. "And they're be music and wonderful roses. They tell me in sweet simple meadows of dawn…and you. There was love all around, but I never heard it singing. No I never heard it at all…'til there was you."
Harry was now silent, looking up at his father curiously. His face was still red an a little drool was coming out of the corner of his mouth, but he was quiet. "That's amazing," Lily breathed, "Can I try?" James smiled and passed Harry back to his mother. Lily smiled down on her son and began softly, "Never knew I could feel like this, like I've never seen the sky before. Want to vanish inside your kiss. Everyday I love you more and more."
James leaned down next to the rocking chair and took Lily's hand, leaning his head on her arm. Together, they both sang. "Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings telling me to give you everything. Seasons may change, winter to spring. But I love you, until the end of time. Come what may, come what may, I will love you until my dying day."
Harry was now completely calm and beginning to look drowsy. Lily and James smiled and continued singing together. "Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place. Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace. Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste, it all revolves around you. And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide. Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side. Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide…" Harry was now fast asleep. Silently, Lily and James stood and put the sleeping baby to bed. James swooped down and kissed Lily swiftly on the lips. "You're so beautiful," he whispered into her hair.
Lily smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "So are you," she murmured.
James kissed her again and said, "Are you ready to start the adventure?"
"When did the last adventure end?" Lily asked.
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"James do we really have to go?" Lily moaned as she carried a car seat full of blankets, a tuff of black hair and two shining emerald eyes poking out of the mess.
"Your mum hasn't seen the baby yet, plus I thought you said you wanted to show off how cute our baby was and how ugly theirs is going to be," James said, putting his arm around the small of her back.
"I guarantee that little Dumdum or whatever is going to be a little fat baby with a long giraffe neck," Lily ranted, tucking the blankets tighter around Harry.
James laughed and corrected Lily by saying, "Dudley. And why are you tucking him in more, its August!"
Shrugging bashfully, Lily said, "Well…I don't want him to catch a cold…"
Stopping in mid step, James looked at his wife ludicrously. "Catch a cold? It's eighty-one degrees outside! You're probably suffocating the poor kid."
"Well I have to be prepared for worst case scenarios," Lily said matter of factly.
Smiling, James caught up with her and said, "Such as a freak blizzard from Greenland in the middle of summer?"
Lily slapped him lightly in the stomach but James let out a gasp and doubled over as if a heavy weight champion hit him. Lily rolled her eyes and stepped onto the threshold of her childhood home. With only a small amount of hesitation she rang the doorbell.
And who else was there to greet Lily but her dear sister, Petunia. "Hello, Lily," Petunia said coolly.
"Hello," Lily returned, her tone as icy as her sisters.
They stood there, glaring at each other for a moment, before James intervened with, "Well, do you mind if we come in? I believe it's too chilly out here for Lily," James said with his infamous Marauder grin. Lily turned her glare onto him and Petunia held out the door for the couple to enter.
"Thank you," Lily said in an over polite voice.
"Your welcome," Petunia returned, as formal as Lily was.
As Petunia slammed the door, Jen came rushing in the entryway with oven mitts placed on her hands. Lily's cold glare immediately warmed and her frown turned into a smile as she carefully put down Harry and gave her mother a huge hug.
"I've missed my baby so much!" Jen said, kissing her on the forehead.
"I missed you too, mum," Lily said, grinning. Petunia looked on the happy reunion jealously. "I'm sorry you couldn't come to the hospital, I didn't know muggles weren't allowed to visit…"
Jen waved her hand objectively. "Don't worry about it, as long as I get to see little Harry sometime!" Jen said happily. Her eyes focused on James. "James! It's so good to see you!" She gave him a very motherly hug that James returned, grinning broadly.
"Hello Jennifer. If you don't mind me saying, you look absolutely dashing today!" James said in a very flattering voice. Jen blushed and Lily rolled her eyes, a smile forming on the corners of her mouth. "I especially love your hand wear, what is this, the new model of Kitchen Mittens?" James inquired, holding up one of Jen's hands.
Blushing even more, Jen took off the gloves and tossed them on the couch. "I must've forgotten about those," she laughed nervously. Petunia's frown somehow got deeper watching her mother become the social butterfly. She never ran to Vernon and gave him a hug when he entered the door. She never had the same love reflecting in her eyes towards me as she does Lily.
"Now, I insist to see my grandson!" Jen declared, kneeling down in front of the car seat. "My goodness Lily, it would be nice if I could see the child!" Jen said, looking at the green eyes poking out from the blankets, "Plus, isn't it a little warm to have so many blankets?" James laughed heartily as Lily quirked an eyebrow in his direction. "You must be swo hot! Yes I bet you ware!" Jen said, talking baby talk to Harry.
Jen started unwrapping Harry from his pile of blankets and finally dug out a little baby boy. He was wearing a lime green onesie and had his hands curled up in a fist by his mouth. "Ooohh, Lily he is so adorable," Jen breathed as she ran a hand over his head. "He looks exactly like James, with your eyes of course."
Petunia's featured darkened severely as Jen continued to coo over Harry. She didn't get that worked up over my baby Dudley. Leaning over her mother's shoulder, Petunia looked at the baby and crinkled her nose in disgust.
Lily saw this expression on her sister's and asked curtly, "Is there something wrong?"
"Why are his eyes green?" Petunia spat, "All babies are born with blue eyes, no matter what." At this moment, Petunia sounded more know it all than Lily usually did in class.
"Actually, we don't know. I read somewhere that wizards may be born with unusual eye colors, depending on how powerful their parents are. So I think Harry just got my eye color early," Lily said with a little bit of arrogance in her voice.
"Don't use that word!" Petunia hissed.
"What word, wizards? Are you afraid the neighbors will hear you're freak sister has magic powers?" Lily said loudly.
Petunia slapped a hand across Lily's mouth. "Vernon doesn't know about your disability yet," Petunia spat.
Lily bit down on her hand and Petunia immediately released her, yelping in the process. "Wizardry is not a disability," Lily whispered dangerously.
Jen sighed as her two daughters fought and attempted to change the subject. "I think I heard the oven go off, let's all head to the kitchen. Vernon and your father are extremely hungry."
"I bet Vernon's hungry," James muttered under his breath and Lily snorted as she took Harry from her mother's arms, who had fallen asleep. James of course had seen Vernon first hand, when he and Sirius did that IRS prank on the Dursleys, but Lily didn't know this. One day on the phone with Jen, Lily asked for a description of Vernon and Jen politely implied that he was bigger than an elephant. James picked up the car seat and carried it with him into the kitchen.
No sooner than they arrived in the kitchen, Rob rushed to Lily and gave her a hug and a kiss on the temple. "How's my angel doing?" Rob said, ruffling her hair like he used to when she was a little girl.
Lily laughed and replied, "Just fine, daddy."
Rob turned to James and shook his hand warmly. "James! Good to see you again!"
James flashed a smile and said, "You too, Robbie! Fancy a game of chess later?"
"You're on, but I have to warn you, I've gotten better since our last play," Rob said, slapping James on the back.
Next, Rob turned his eyes to the little green form in Lily's arms. "Is that Harry?" he asked.
"No, Robert, it's a sack of potatoes," Jen said sarcastically, putting a pot of tea on and winking at her husband.
"Want to hold him, dad?" Lily asked. Rob nodded eagerly as Lily carefully transported Harry into his grandpa's arms.
Petunia had once again been watching the scene with disgust and quickly said, "Lily, I don't believe you've met Vernon yet."
Brushing her hands off on her shirt, Lily replied, "No, I haven't. Nice to meet you Vernon." She looked up and automatically reached her hand out but had to bite her lip when she saw the size of the man before her. He was a large, beefy man with a basketball shaped and a large neck that seemed wider than his head. His shirt was straining to keep his stomach in and the belt around his pants seemed to be extremely tight.
Vernon took Lily's hand and just about crushed it, grunting a greeting in return. "Vernon, this is Lily's husband, Jamal," Petunia said with the air of a hostess at a garden party.
"Uh, actually it's James," James corrected, holding out his hand to Vernon, who was staring at him curiously.
"Are you sure we haven't met before?" Vernon asked, slowly taking James' hand.
It took all James had to hide a smile. "I'm pretty sure this is our first meeting."
Vernon continued to rudely stare at him. "You seem very familiar, but it must be my imagination." Vernon finally let go of his hand as the family settled into their seats at the table.
Lily looked questionably at James who in return shrugged his shoulders and started to straighten the fork and spoon next to his plate. Lily mouthed, 'you didn't prank them, did you?' James just grinned and shrugged, pulling a finger across his lips with an imaginary zipper. Lily sent him a glare just as Jen put tea and biscuits at the center of the table.
"So, where is Dudley, Petunia?" Rob asked his daughter as everyone got a spot of tea and two or three biscuits, in Vernon's case, seventeen.
"Oh, Vernon's parents insisted on taking him out today. I believe they are going shopping for him in London," Petunia bragged as Lily discretely rolled her eyes, "Yes, Vernon's father is the head of a huge drill company. They have quite a large income and can afford the finer things in life," Petunia snapped her head to James, "So Jayme,"
"James," he corrected once more.
Petunia continued on without taking notice. "How much money do you make at your job?"
"Petunia…" Jen said in a warning tone.
"Well, I work, erm…outside the country and I'm not sure of the exact conversion into pounds," James replied nervously.
Petunia seemed to be satisfied with the answer and added, "I didn't expect it to be much, with precious Lily unemployed and Jack with a low income."
Lily's eyes narrowed, "My husband's name is James," she said through gritted teeth, "and it's none of your business how much money we have."
"You would think you could at least afford some decent clothes with your mysterious wage," Petunia said with the tone of someone who was commenting on the weather.
Lily's hand flew down to her wand, which was concealed in her pocket, but James' Quidditch reflexes beat her to it and he grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently.
"So, Rob, how has work been?" James asked Robert, trying to direct the conversation away from the two angry sisters.
Rob quickly took the lead and said, "Great actually. We just got a large donation from the-"
But Rob was cut off in mid sentence with Lily snapping, "Why are you so damn interested in our lives?"
"Lily!" Jen scolded but Lily ignored her and continued.
"I haven't talked to you since my wedding and I know you want nothing to do with me or my friends, so why are you so suddenly interested in what I am doing in my life?"
Glaring, Petunia leaned forward and said in a low, dangerous voice, "Because you're perfect Lily. You are mum and dad's favorite. They don't even care about my new family yet they swoon over yours-"
"-Petunia we never favored-" Jen started but she was once again ignored and interrupted.
"I don't understand what made you so Goddamn special," Petunia continued, her mother sucking in a deep breath behind her, "You're a freak, you live in your own world with all the abnormal kind. You're husband is a good for nothing slob who can't even put food on the table!" Petunia said, her voice raising higher and higher.
"Don't insult James!" Lily yelled at her sister, trying to make another grab for her wand but James had her hand tightly closed in his.
"But now I am better than you could ever be. The amazing, smart, beautiful Lily with the perfect grades is now unemployed and slowly turning into a dumpy housewife!" Petunia yelled back.
All the yelling caused Harry to wake up and begin crying. Jen went over to the child immediately and held him, trying to soothe his tears. But no comfort would help and Harry just cried and whimpered for his parents.
"My husband is going further in life and is going to be a prominent business man, while your husband will be bringing in minimal wages, trying to feed his pitiful wife," Petunia continued.
Lily began fighting to get her wand back but James had a firm grasp on her arms so she couldn't move. "I don't know where you got these mad ideas about how poor and helpless we are. But I can guarantee you one thing, Petunia, that my family is far more riche than you could ever hope to be. My family has love and friendship while yours is a false image, a last chance to settle down," Lily said menacingly.
Petunia threw her napkin on the table and rose angrily, Vernon standing next to her with a purple vein popping out of his face. "At least my child will be smart, brave, and strong. He will be loved and cared for more than anything else in the world. Your little filthy blood son will amount to nothing and will join in the ranks of the abnormal people with your filthy little friends!" Petunia spat.
This time James released her and both husband and wife stood up and in one swift motion, yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!" Petunia froze and fell backwards onto the floor with a thunk. James muttered a few other non-magical curses towards Petunia and looked over at the people around him. Vernon had his mouth hanging open in disbelief, Rob had his head in his hands, and Jen was looking angrily at Lily while attempting to comfort a screaming Harry.
Lily walked over to her mother and carefully took Harry out of her arms, kissing his wet cheeks and bouncing him slightly. Her eyes focused into Jen's, and she said solemnly, "I'm sorry for ruining lunch. Petunia will be fine in an hour."
Once they were outside, James put down the car seat and Lily began strapping a whimpering Harry into the seat, tucking blankets around him. "How dare she dream up these accusations about me, this little make believe dreams, and then insult me with them! Did you hear what she said about Harry?" James opened his mouth to agree with Lily, but she continued on before he had a chance to answer, "She prances into my life all of a sudden, putting on this big act in front of mum and dad. She is jealous and her whole life revolves around beating me. Why can't she just leave me alone?" Lily said, letting out a sigh of frustration.
"I know she is a pain in the arse, but you never have to see her again. You only saw her today because your parents begged you. You will never have to go near her again if you don't want to," James said, picking up Harry's car seat to stop Lily from adjusting his blankets.
Lily rubbed her forehead for a moment, then nodded. James smiled and took her hand, walking down the driveway with her. They were silent for a moment, when Lily asked, "Do you think Harry's warm enough? It got colder out here." James just laughed and shook his head.
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Author Notes: Nothing much to say, except thanks for reviewing and review more lol.
XXXX: About Marissa, she's either going to die, leave Sirius, or stick there until the end when he gets sent to Azkaban and she believes he killed all those people, so she'll just move on. I have no clue when Sirius' birthday is, I couldn't find it online so I made up a birthday. If you know, please tell me! It doesn't sound stupid you don't know what color guard is, but it's sort of confusing. You know high school marching bands? Well, the one at my school is not at all nerdy and its extremely disciplined and athletic. The color guard is like dancers with six foot flags, artillery (aka wooden rifles we spin and toss), and many other cool things. Our high school band is the best in Missouri, and we are slowly taking on the Midwest. If you have any questions feel free to ask!
Bored: Thank you for reviewing again! The chapters in between 32 and 40 have many Voldemort related situations and do involve a lot of magic. The only reason why what you read wasn't pure Harry Potter crazy magic centered things was because there is a gap that JKR has yet to fill in between the L/J wedding and the prophecy related stuff. Since there is an unknown void, I decided to not make mine just like everyone else's and be a little more creative. Plus it does get quite dark and depressing, I wanted to make it as happy as possible for as long as I could. Plus Lily is muggle born; it would only make sense to have their house have a lot of muggle items in it. I know it's cheesy and cliché, but this is the first real story I've ever written and I haven't had time to go back and edit it all to completion. I do plan to go back and rewrite a great number of things because I personally am extremely dissatisfied with my story and I am hoping to submit it to sugarquill or schnoogle and it has to be way better than it is now. Look out for my next story coming up, an L/J love/hate one, it's going to be very magical and perfect with JKR's cannon. This was my beginner test run story, which gave me an opportunity to be more creative and free willed (hint the reason its called fan fiction). Now it's my turn to cut my ramble short lol.
LillyPotter: Aww thanks:D