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 and James go to Lily's parents will reading and Lily tries her best to keep her mind off of the pain of loosing her parents. James, Remus, and Sirius chase Harry around the house and talk about his future Quidditch career until Lily shoots it down. Harry says his first word "dada" shortly followed by "mama". Lily puts Harry to bed and talks to him about Hogwarts, James, and his own future. James visits Dumbledore and gives him his invisibility cloak to give to Harry when he's old enough in case James dies. Later, Dumbledore visits the Potters and tells them about Fidelius Charm to protect them and offers himself as a Secret Keeper. Both Lily and James decide they want Sirius to do it and he agrees immediately, but they all realize they would have to cut Remus out of their lives until they were safe.
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July…
It was a typical Thursday in late afternoon in the Potter home. Only today the mother and father of young Harry Potter were trying to get him to walk. Lily was holding the baby sitting upright in her lap, his face turned towards her. James was kneeling on the floor next to her talking quietly to Harry.
"You want to try again?" James asked. Lily nodded and set Harry on the floor.
Harry looked confused for a moment and just whined a little bit and lifted up his chubby arms, wanting to be held. James shook his head. "No Harry, you have to walk."
Harry screwed up his face, ready to burst into tears. Lily and James hurriedly got on the floor with him and James Summoned a ball. Harry's face returned to normal as he saw the bright red ball. He giggled and reached out, trying to get the ball from his dad.
James laughed and shook his head. "Come get it Harry!" Harry giggled again and got down on all fours. Lily was hardly breathing. Harry then pulled himself onto his feet. "That's it, come get the ball!" James whispered, pride shining in his eyes.
Harry found his balance and started to shakily walk to James. Slowly he made his way over to his father, who was looking at his son with pure admiration. Harry got to James' lap and climbed into it, nesting himself comfortably. He reached out for the ball and James gave it to him. Harry gurgled and tried to fit his tiny mouth over the ball.
"He did it!" Lily said breathlessly. She scooted over next to older James and put a hand on Harry's head. "You did Harry! You walked!" Harry giggled again and gave the ball to Lily.
Lily picked it up and scooted back to the other side of the room. "Come get it Harry!"
Harry looked up at James and he smiled down on him, putting Harry on the floor. Harry looked around then started to get up on his feet. He slowly walked over to Lily and the ball. Eventually Harry made it over there and took the ball again. Lily had tears in her eyes and smothered him in kisses, which Harry giggled and put his tiny fingers on her nose. James scooted over to them and put an arm around Lily's waist. "He's going to be a genius," James said.
"Of course! With such brilliant parents like us!" Lily said, kissing him. "I love you," she said, putting her head in between his shoulder and neck.
"I love you too. And I love you, Harry!" James said, leaning down and putting his forehead on Harry's. Harry smiled and reached up and took his glasses off, putting them on his head.
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"Is it working, Padfoot?" James asked, holding Harry in his lap.
Sirius peeked out from around the video camera. "The flashing red light means it's on, right?"
Sighing, Lily nodded. "Yes, Sirius, that's what the flashing red light means."
"Okay! Like the direction says in movas…ACTION!" Sirius said, zooming in on James' nose.
"It's director and movie," Lily said, exasperated.
"Whatever, ACTION!" Sirius said, grinning and zooming out again.
James nudged Lily who smiled and entwined her hand in his. "Hi Harry! This is your mother and father!" Lily said.
Cutting in, Sirius turned the camera lends around to him and said, "And I'm your Uncle Sirius!"
"Anyways!" James said loudly, causing Sirius to whip the camera around to him, "This is you, Harry, when you were a baby." James held the baby Harry up, who was chewing on a plastic toy but kicked his legs as soon as he was hanging in the air.
"Say hi, Harry!" Lily cooed, leaning into Harry's face.
Grinning, Harry waved his pudgy hand and said, "Hi!"
"Today, Harry, is your one year birthday!" James said, bouncing Harry up and down who squealed with laughter.
Smiling, Lily took Harry from James and sat him down in her lap. "Truth be told, we don't know how much longer we're going to be around, and we wanted you to have a way to remember us by," Lily said sadly. James squeezed her hand and Lily smiled at him, kissing him softly.
Harry looked up and saw his mother and father engaged in this act and stuck out his tongue, blowing a raspberry and saying, "Yuck!"
"See! Even Harry thinks you two snog too much…" Sirius said, receiving a glare from both of his best friends. Once again, Sirius turned the camera around to him and said, "Harry, just remember that I've been telling them to get off each other since they started going out, so it hasn't always been just you saying 'Stop it mum and dad, I'm trying to eat!'" Since Sirius was receiving extreme death glares, he cleared his throat and turned the camera back on the Potters and said, "Today we are going to film you opening your presents!"
Stretching his legs out in front of him, James said, "Now, we couldn't get you a lot of stuff, like we did for Christmas, because we can't leave the house. There is a charm called the Fidelius Charm that keeps us protected from our enemies. Sirius was the one who ran out like a dog and got them."
"I resent that statement," Sirius said coolly, "Prongs, I need to give him my present, man the camera."
With a quick switch (Lily complaining she was going to get motion sicknesses when she watched the tape back again) James took over Sirius' job as cameraman as Sirius kneeled down next to Harry, who had deserted the plastic toy and was clapping his hands and singing nonsense words. "Alright, little man, ready for your present?" Sirius put a box wrapped in balloon paper in front of Harry.
Looking it at curiously, Harry crawled out of his mum's lap and got on all fours, putting his hands on the box, pulling on the paper. Sirius helped him tear off the paper and opened the box. Harry looked inside suspiciously and tumbled in, squealing from inside the box and grabbing a little handful of gold and scarlet cloth. "Surs!" Harry yelled in attempt to say his godfather's name, jumping up from inside the box and grinning at Sirius.
Chuckling, Sirius pulled him out of the box and next pulled out the cloth Harry was holding. "It's Gryffindor Quidditch robes since he outgrew his infant ones," Sirius said. James whooped and Lily narrowed her eyes. "Look, it even has his name on the back!" Sirius exclaimed, turning the little outfit around showing 'Potter' spelled out in a golden arc.
"Sirius…" Lily started, but Sirius interrupted.
"Now, now, Lillian, I know what you're going to say but I'm his godfather and I'm allowed to get him whatever I want. Besides, I was the one who had to go out and buy stuff, the least you can do is allow me the freedom of spending valuable Galleons," Sirius replied, patting Lily's hand then pointing to Harry, "Look, he likes him!"
If liking meant Harry putting the robes on his head then trying to walk, then Harry loved them. Sirius beamed proudly and James laughed. "Alright, Lily, time for our present!" James said, making Lily get up and switch positions so she was now the cameraman.
"I hope you got him something I like too," Lily said with a heavy sigh. When James asked Lily what they should get Harry for his birthday, Lily just shrugged and bravely told him to get whatever he thought was a good present. James then refused to show her what he bought.
Pulling Harry down to the ground and taking the robes off his head, James grinned at Lily and said, "You'll love it, I promise." James then Summoned a package and placed it in front of Harry, tearing a little of the wrapping paper off so Harry could finish it. Sirius, as excited as a little boy at Christmas, ripped the cardboard flaps apart and pulled out a little broomstick. "It's a little Shooting Star, best on the baby market. It's big enough to last him until he reaches at least age six," James said.
"Wow…" Sirius said and it looked like Harry agreed with his godfather. He was staring at the broom, his tiny mouth slightly open, then reached out to touch his new broom.
Huffing, Lily said, "James, I do NOT want him riding that thing!"
Waving her off, James replied, "Don't worry…I wont let him actually ride it until he turns two."
"That's not what I meant and you know it."
"Listen, Sirius and I were riding brooms when we turned one. We never got hurt because our dads taught us so well. Now we are going to pass on the skills to Harry and he won't fall off and break anything because he will be taught the safest way."
"I still don't like it."
"I know, but you'll get used to it."
Rolling her eyes, Lily turned the camera lens to face herself and said, "Harry, I'm sorry for any injuries you received from your father and godfathers reckless behavior."
"I think we should dress him in his robes," Sirius said. James nodded in agreement and started pulling off Harry's little jumper.
Laughing, Lily said, "Oh no, what if he watches this when he is seventeen and he has his girlfriend there too?"
"Harry will probably come after me for showing him off on camera." James said with a grin as he stood Harry up, completely nude except for his nappy.
"Dance, Harry!" Lily said through giggles.
Harry looked at his mother for a moment then shrieked with a smile and starting hopping in place, pumping his fists in the air. All three adults were laughing and thinking what future embarrassment this might hold, until Harry started singing. "Aaaaah oooeee gaa naaa!"
Finally, James saved his potential self from a beat down from his son and dressed him in his new Quidditch robes. "Let's see how he looks riding it," James said, picking up Harry as Sirius steadied the broom.
"James…" Lily said threateningly.
Casting the camera a knowing look, James said, "We have it completely steady, I just want Harry's first time on a broom to be captured on film."
Once they got Harry on top of it, Harry grinned and automatically put his hands down near the tip of the broom, like he was really going to take off into the skies. "He's a natural!" Sirius said excitedly, but saw the extreme worried look on Lily's face and gently took Harry off the broom as he toddled off, continually tripping over his long robes.
"Alright, Sirius, trade me back. James and I have to talk to future Harry," Lily said. After a moment of switching Lily was now sitting on the floor with James. "Like we said before, there is a chance we may not survive. The most feared wizard is after us, actually for you, and we are hiding to protect you," Lily said quietly, laying her head on James' shoulder.
"We pray we are here, watching this with you, and hopefully your girlfriend is near by and you are red in the face completely embarrassed," James said, wearing an innocent smile, "But if not, we just want to tell you how much we love you."
Nodding along, Lily added, "And we are also so, so proud of you. We are going to teach you everything—"
James cut in with, "Like great pranks to pull with your friends at Hogwarts—"
Lily interrupted with, "Or helping you with any schoolwork so you can be ahead in the class—"
"Or Sirius and I teaching you all the greatest Quidditch maneuvers…maybe you'll make the house team as a first year!" James said excitedly.
"Whatever the case may be," Lily said, attempting to over talk James, "We want you to be the best you can be and we completely support you in everything you do. We love you, so much." James smiled and kissed Lily softly. Somewhere off camera, Harry said, "Yuck!"
Laughing, Sirius turned the camera to Harry and saw he was holding James' wand, waving it around causing gold sparks to emit out of the tip. "Uhh…Lily — James — a little monster has a wand in his hand…." Sirius said casually.
Pulling away from each other, Lily and James saw Harry, watching the sparks amusingly fly out of the tip. "Harry!" they both yelled, causing the infant to jump and drop the wand. Immediately, Harry's face screwed up and he started crying.
Lily got to Harry first; James right behind picking up is wand and placing it in a hidden pocket of his robes. Lily grabbed Harry's hands and looked him in the eye, saying very sternly, "No wand. No — mummy and daddy don't want you hurt. No wand." Harry looked at her through watery eyes then continued wailing again; his feelings were obviously hurt for being yelled at.
"A man after my own heart," Sirius said, shaking his head slightly, "I stole my dad's wand all the time and made all sorts of neat stuff come out of it."
James turned toward Sirius, looking into the camera and saying, "This is why Uncle Sirius is no longer allowed inside our house, Harry," then sprinted out of the room to avoid a hex.
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August…
Sirius was at his apartment, relaxing for the first time in a long time and flipping through a book, when suddenly Remus burst into the door, glaring at Sirius. "Oh, you're home now?" Remus asked sardonically.
"Sorry, I've been working over time," Sirius lied. Truthfully, he had been spending most of his time outside of work with Lily, James and Harry. But Remus couldn't know about that because no one was supposed to know they were in hiding.
"I haven't seen you in weeks, Sirius!" Remus yelled, taking his cloak off and throwing it down. "Your motorbike has been in the parking garage, but you were never actually here. I thought you disappeared, along with James and Lily. I haven't seen them in two months. Have you?"
Sighing, Sirius lied once more and said, "No, I haven't heard from them. I was wondering where they were too."
Remus flopped down in a nearby chair, resting his forehead in his hand. "I went to Godric's Hollow and their house is gone, it's just an empty lot. I'm worried…do you think the Dark Lord got to them?"
"Dark Lord?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrow suspiciously. Only Voldemort's followers called him that.
Waving his hand, as if to ignore it, Remus just replied, "Whatever the hell you want to call that bastard. Do you have any idea where they could've gone?"
"Erm…" Sirius replied, trying to buy time and think of a good excuse, "Well I went to see Dumbledore when they weren't at home because I was worried too. All he could tell me is they went into hiding to protect Harry and only he knows their location."
Slamming his hand on the coffee table in front of him, Remus said, "Damnit, Sirius, why couldn't you check in and tell me that? I've been loosing my mind over here, worried about all of my best friends. I didn't want to loose anyone else."
"Sorry…I've been so busy I haven't had time to see anyone," Sirius muttered.
There was a small silence in the room for a little bit before Remus said, "I miss them…I miss Kiah, I miss Marissa, hell I even miss Peter. I miss our Hogwarts days." Remus pressed his hands into his face, letting out a strangled sigh.
Guilt stabbing him in the heart, Sirius clapped a brotherly hand on Remus' shoulder and said, "Me too, Moony, me too…"
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September…
"I'm telling you guys, he is broken. It's almost as bad as when Kiah died," Sirius was telling Lily and James at their house a week later.
As Harry ambled around the living room, Lily and James sat on either side of Sirius on the couch, listening as he recounted his confrontation with Remus. "That really hurts to hear that," Lily said sadly, leaning her head back against the sofa cushion.
"We both miss him just as much…" James said, then kicking the ground with his heel added, "God, I wish there was a way for both of you to be Secret Keeper. Dumbledore firmly said just you though…"
For a while the three adults just watched Harry play on a little truck he pushed around the room, thinking of the danger that could possibly lie ahead and how much time they had left to spend it with the ones they loved. "You want to go outside with Harry now?" Sirius asked after a couple minutes.
"Sure," James said, standing up and grinning at Lily, "I still can't believe you're letting us do this."
Shrugging, Lily got up and grabbed Harry off the ground. "I think I've finally given into your guy's dream for Harry. It would be a good experience for him. Plus, you are the best…I trust you."
After they changed Harry into his outfit, James and Sirius grabbed their broomsticks leaning against the wall and headed outside. They mounted their brooms, Lily placing Harry in front of James (giving many words of warning while she was at it) and grabbed the video camera off the patio table. Lily got it turned on, gave a short introduction, then after both men winked at the camera they sped off into the sky.
"Oooh…be careful James…" Lily muttered to the camera as her husband and best friend zoomed around the skies, doing nothing dangerous but going at speeds that made Lily's palms start to sweat.
But Lily had no reason to worry, one because James was the best flier out there, and two because Harry was having a blast. His baby laughter could be heard from where Lily was standing. "Fast! Fast!" Harry kept saying, clapping his hands and squealing every time James took a tiny dive.
Little did they know this would be one of the last happy times they would spend with Harry, for only fifty-eight days remained until the Potters name went down forever in history books...in the most tragic way possible.
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Author Notes: ONLY ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT OF HOGSMEADE KISS! That's right ladies and gentlemen, the next chapter will be the last followed by a tear-jerking epilogue. This story has been a struggle, with all the writers block and the continual obstacles in my way (such as being removed freaking twice) that it feels AMAZING to have it pretty much DONE! I would be very grateful if you reviewed the last chapter and the epilogue separately, because I want a lot of input on both so when I edit this story to post on other FF sites I can make it even better than before. So please R/R EVERYTHING with critiques!
Also, the first part of the chapter with the walking thing was actually from chapter 29. It was James' vision and it was Harry crawling. Now I completely forgot about that when I wrote Sirius and Remus seeing him crawl for the first time. But I was editing 29 and I re-read that vision and slapped myself in the head. So since I didn't have a definite "yay Harry can walk" scene planned out, I just used that and changed it to walking.
R/R NOW! ((authoress does little happy dance because she's almost DONE!))