CHAPTER EIGHT: HARRY

Lily Potter woke up four days after returning home to her cottage and felt blissfully happy. She lay next to her husband, who was sleeping, a soft smile on his lips. Warmth crawled through Lily's veins as she thought about the previous day in the kitchen when James kissed her. She was thrilled that things were all right between James and Remus again, but relieved beyond belief that James finally understood that anything that had happened between her and Remus had been a terrible mistake on Remus's part and nothing to do with Lily having feelings for any man other than her husband.

When James had eventually released Lily from the kiss in the kitchen he told her he understood now that she had helped Remus so she could be with him and nothing else that happened mattered any more. He said as long as he had her, he could face anything. Then he kissed her again. As Lily stood, tightly held in her husband's arms, she thanked all the deities she could think of that everything was normal again, or at least as normal as their lives could be.

Now, a cry from the other room made Lily climb out of bed, being careful not to wake James, and go to the nursery. She found Harry, wide awake and watching the mobile above his cot. Lily leaned over and smiled at her son lovingly. 'Good morning my darling, are you ready to get up?' she cooed softly. Harry looked up at his mother, and grinned, his few teeth showing. He chuckled at the sight of his mother and held his arms out to her, 'Mama, up!' he cried. Lily smiled, 'Come on then, let's get you up' she said, picking the baby up and kissing his head softly. 'Let's go and start some breakfast, eh?' she said brightly.

Harry looked around the room and frowned. 'Daddaddaddad!' he cried, his eyes wide. Lily shook her head, 'No sweetheart, Daddy's still bye-byes, he'll be up later'. Harry glared, 'Daddaddaddaddad!' he cried, louder than before. Lily shook her head again, 'No Harry, Daddy's bye-byes, we'll go and make breakfast and then Daddy will be up' she said, trying to placate him. Harry's chin suddenly wobbled, his eyes filled, and he started to whimper. Lily pulled him close, 'Sweetheart, oh, come on, don't cry! Oh, what's all this then, eh?' Lily was at a loss to know what was wrong with Harry. 'Daddaddaddad!' The baby whimpered, tears springing into his eyes. 'Oh, my darling, don't cry!' Lily held then baby close and stroked his back tenderly, she decided that James would just have to wait for a lie-in. 'OK, let's go and see Daddy….his bye-byes can wait' she said softly.

Lily carried Harry through to her room and immediately saw James was still sleeping, as she knew he would be. 'OK Harry, Daddy can blame me, we're going to have to wake him up aren't we?' Harry chuckled when Lily grinned at him. 'Shall we wake Daddy Harry? OK, lets do it!' she cried, suddenly feeling the urge to do something childish. She grabbed a pillow on her own side of the bed, and, holding Harry in the other arm she smacked James over the head with it. It hit him with a resounding thud. 'Hey! Lily! What did I do?' came a voice, smothered by the pillow over his head. Lily smiled at Harry, his father was finally awake.

James Potter pushed the pillow away from his face. He looked up to see Lily, Harry in her arms, standing by the bedside, both of them grinning. James frowned at his wife. 'The next time you tell me I'm immature, I'm going to remind you what you just did to me woman!' Lily smiled angelically, 'Well we had to wake you somehow, Harry wants you, don't you darling?' and she put Harry down on the bed. Harry chuckled with glee and crawled to his father, yelling 'Dadadadada!' with every shuffle. James sat up and pulled Harry closer, the baby now sat in front of him, chuckling in delight. 'Oh, so it was you who woke me up, was it?' he addressed his son, beaming with pleasure. 'Dadadada!' cried Harry, grabbing his father's nose and pulling on it. James cringed in pain, 'Ow! Harry! Led Daddy's dose go! Led go of Daddy's dose!' James voice sounded like he had a cold as Harry tightened his hold on his father's nose. James wriggled his son's tiny fingers off his nose and rubbed it. His eyes were watering from Harry's tight grip. 'Blimey son! you hang on to the Golden Snitch like that and Gryffindor will win the cup for years!' he said, continuing to rub his nose, which was throbbing painfully.

Lily watched James trying to wrestle Harry off his nose and tried to smother her amusement, it really did look painful! But suddenly, she couldn't help herself and was laughing fit to burst. 'If you could've seen your face when he had your nose!' she laughed, 'It was such a picture, wish I'd had a camera!' James glared, while his eyes shone with laughter, 'Well, it hurt! He's got a tight little grip on him! I bet my nose is an inch longer than it used to be!' he said, breaking into a grin in spite of his best efforts not to. Lily just laughed louder.

James suddenly sniggered evilly, 'OK, Harry, this is war! Mummy's laughing at Daddy's poorly nose, let's get her eh?' The baby screamed in delight, he understood that whatever was about to happen, he was going to have fun! James laughed wickedly and grabbed a pillow. He held Harry in one arm, and got out of bed, holding the pillow in his free hand. Lily stopped laughing, 'Now James, don't be silly! You've got Harry in your arms, you might drop him!' she tried appealing to his paternal instincts. She could see exactly what James was about to do. James sneered, his eyes bright with childish joy. 'Too late my angel, I won't drop Harry, besides, you did it too! Now he's helping me, aren't you son?' The baby joined in with a shriek of excitement. 'Choose your weapon Mummy, we're coming in!' James cried, as he smacked Lily with the pillow in his hand. Lily tried again, trying to charm him. 'James, now come on; stop it! I didn't mean to laugh, let me have a look at your poor hurt nose!' James grinned innocently and stepped closer, 'Mrs Potter, you're so easy to provoke, I….' but he didn't finish, as quick as a flash, Lily grabbed a pillow and pounded him with it.

Before long Lily and James were having a full on pillow fight, while Harry looked on, chuckling with pleasure as feathers started to float around the room. Lily and James were helpless with laughter, each taking a turn to hold Harry and whack the other with a pillow. After an hour or so, both James and Lily flopped down onto the bed, exhausted, Harry sitting between them. 'We'll make it…. a water fight…. next time son', gasped James, trying to get his breath back. Lily laughed softly, 'Yes, and I'll win that as well!' James looked up at her indignantly, 'What do you mean, as well?' Lily smirked at the look on his face, 'James, I clearly won the pillow fight…' she spat a feather out of her mouth as she spoke, causing both James and Harry similar levels of juvenile pleasure, '…and I'll easily win a water fight!' James sniggered. 'Oh you won, did you? Well, we'll see about that!' and he grabbed the remnants of a pillow and stood, picking up Harry again…before he laughed loudly and flopped back down on the bed. 'We'll defer our rematch Harry, we'll catch Mummy unawares' James said to his son, in a conspiratorial tone. Lily raised her eyebrows, her eyes shining as she turned her attention to Harry, 'What Daddy means, my darling, is that he's too tired to fight Mummy now, he knows she'll win!'

The baby looked up at his mother and grinned adoringly, showing all his baby teeth. James groaned, 'Harry you little turncoat!' Lily pulled the baby to her and ruffled his hair, 'No, he just loves his Mummy, don't you sweetheart?' James met Lily's eyes suddenly, 'So does Daddy son, so does Daddy' he said quietly. Lily smiled and leaned over, closer to him, holding the baby out of her way. 'Now that's unfair Potter, using distraction is against the rules of pillow fights'. James sighed, 'Ah, but you know you love it really'. Lily moved closer. 'You might just be right about that, I concede defeat', and she kissed him.

Lily and James spent all morning lavishing attention on their baby son, who responded to it joyously. After the early morning pillow fight, the family had breakfast, and then Lily decided to show Harry the pleasures of potato printing. Lily had fond memories of her own mother doing this with her as a child, and she wanted to share it with Harry. James found her idea hilariously funny, 'But love, you can't print potatoes, you eat potatoes!' he laughed. Lily stared at him in bewilderment, before the realisation dawned that Wizarding children were probably not shown how to do such things. She giggled and rolled her eyes, 'No, you don't print the potatoes, you print with the potatoes!' she cried. James just looked confused at that, so Lily smiled and said, 'Never mind, just watch and learn!'

Lily found a set of paints Sirius had bought Harry ages ago. He had flatly refused to grasp that as Harry was just a few weeks old at the time he was far too young for such a toy. Then she found a few raw potatoes which she cut in half, and then she set about shaping the white of the potatoes into a shape, cutting out bits, with a knife to form a hollow shape inside each one. By the time it was done she had a rough crescent moon shape, a star, and various odd looking animals. James hooted with laughter at one shape which Lily insisted was a dog. 'Well you do it if you're so clever!' Lily cried, trying to sound annoyed. James grinned and took out his wand and within seconds he had transfigured Lily's odd shaped cut out into another potato half with a perfect cut out of a dog on it. Lily glared, 'Oh you think you're so clever!' she sneered, as James sat, looking distinctly smug. 'Well I'd have done the others if you'd asked!' he laughed, a self satisfied grin on his face 'Well at least I know how to potato print!' Lily glared, her eyes shining with suppressed laughter. James just pulled a face and laughed again.

Lily sat with a clearly intrigued Harry on her knee at the kitchen table, an equally intrigued James beside her. Over the course of the next hour or so she showed Harry (and James) how to dip the potato images into the paint and then press them on the paper. By the time they were finished, Lily wasn't too sure who was covered in more paint, Harry, her, or James. The kitchen looked like an explosion in a paint factory. A game that was supposed to be relaxed and peaceful had become chaotic as James and Harry approached the task with the same level of childish glee.

Towards the end of the morning Sirius arrived. He looked at the mess in the kitchen. Paint was everywhere, on the table, on the chairs, on the walls, on the floor, but most of all, all over Harry, Lily and James. 'What's been happening here? Have you decided to change your décor or something?' he asked, grinning sarcastically. James shook his head, 'No, we've been potato printing with Harry!' he stated, as he tried to rub some blue paint off his forehead. Sirius looked puzzled, 'You don't print potatoes, you eat…' James interrupted him with a wise look, before explaining the principles of potato printing, looking extremely smug as he did. Lily rolled her eyes, 'God, I've created a monster!' she thought.

James got up and took Harry from Lily. 'Come on son, we'll clear up for Mum, Sirius can help!' he laughed, earning a frown and muttered swear word from Sirius, and a smile from Lily. 'No, don't worry about that, I'll do it in a bit' she said. James looked at her as if she'd gone mad. 'You can't do all this on your own…and don't say I won't do it properly, because I will!' he said firmly. Lily smiled again, 'I don't really care if it's done properly or not James, don't worry, it's just a bit of paint' she said reasonably. James raised his eyebrows, 'Are you alright love?' he asked, sounding worried. Lily nodded, 'I'm fine, honestly, don't worry about it. I'll clean this up in a while. You and Sirius can spend some time with Harry while I do it'. James was open mouthed by this time. 'Are you sure love, you don't mind? He stared at her as if he thought any minute she would explode at the mess in her kitchen. Lily just nodded. James beamed and turned Harry to himself. 'OK son, what shall we do with Sirius then?' he asked. The baby chuckled in response.

Lily looked on as James held Harry in his arms. She felt a familiar tug on her heart as she watched them together, the baby a miniature replica of his father, accept of course, for the eyes, which matched Lily's exactly. She didn't know where it had come from, but she suddenly had an idea for what James could do with the baby. Until now it hadn't been possible. They had been in hiding since Harry was just a few months old, to do what she now had in mind would've been too dangerous.

Lily suddenly felt strangely aware that she often did more with Harry than James had chance to, mainly because she thought tending to Harry's needs was her responsibility and she loved the closeness with him it afforded her. But now she understood James's need to do things with and for, their son. Things he might not get to do later. She looked up at James, 'If you fancied it, you could…..you could take Harry flying….on your broom' she said, trying to keep a tremor of emotion out of her voice. She knew what this would mean to James. Even before Harry was born, James said he couldn't wait to get him on a broom; he wanted to teach a child of his to fly, just like his father taught him. During her pregnancy Lily made James promise he wouldn't take their child out on a broom until it was five years old. He had given in….eventually. Then flying with Harry, or flying at all, was forgotten as their lives spun out of control when Voldemort became such a threat to the young family.

James Potter's mouth dropped open and his heart thumped. After a minute of being speechless, he found his voice. 'I….flying?' he asked hesitantly, his eyes wide. 'You're going to let me take Harry flying?' he repeated, his face alternating quickly from red to white and back again. He sat down quickly in the nearest chair, his legs giving way. 'Do you mean it, really?' he asked, a look of utter astonishment on his face. Lily nodded, tears coming into the back of her throat. 'Well, the charm is keeping us safe, nothing has happened to scare us, or threaten Harry, so why not? Don't you want to?' she asked softly.

James suddenly jumped up off his chair and handed Harry to Sirius, who took him quickly. James then grabbed Lily and hugged her tightly. 'Of course I do! You know I do, more than anything!' he gasped, excitement written all over his face. Lily hugged him back and laughed softly, 'Well, go on then, go flying while I clear up the mess you two made!' she cried.

James turned towards Sirius, grinning widely. 'Come on, we're taking my son out for his first broom ride!' he said enthusiastically. Sirius met his best friend's excited gaze and shook his head. 'No, I'll stay and help Lily clear up, you take Harry out' he replied, beaming, his voice low. James pulled a face, 'Oh come on, we'll have a laugh, we'll….' Sirius shook his head again, 'No, go on Prongs, take your son out for his first broom ride….you'll manage on your own with him…..it's what father's are supposed to do' he added meaningfully.

James Potter's eyes met Lily's again. 'Are you really sure about this, because if you're not….' Lily had to gulp down the tears that seemed to be trying harder than ever to break out, she looked at James steadily. 'Of course I'm sure, just make sure you fly carefully, and don't be long' her voice was laden with emotion. James seemed to swell with excitement, he cast Lily a dazzling smile, full of his deep love for her, and then he took Harry back from his Godfather. 'Come on son, let's go flying!' he said, before he left the room, Harry squealing with joy in his arms.

As soon as James left the room Lily threw herself out of her chair and into Sirius's arms. She wept as the joyous expression on James's face, the joy she had caused him by allowing him to do the one thing he desperately wanted, went through her mind.

Sirius held Lily while she sobbed, and didn't even complain that he was suddenly covered in paint. He was too busy with a few tears of his own.

James Potter left the kitchen, his son clasped in his arms. His heart was pumping in his chest. He realised he actually felt sick with excitement. He had waited for this moment for so long, and then when things went so mad with Voldemort, he had begun to think it would never happen.

James smiled tenderly at Harry. 'Do you know how amazing your Mum is?' he enthused. 'She used to go on and on, telling me you weren't going anywhere near a broom for years, and now she's telling me I can take you flying!' James shook his head, still hardly believing what he was about to do. The baby cooed in his arms. James opened the front door of the cottage and glanced around. There was absolutely no one around. Not for the first time since he bought the place, just before his marriage, he congratulated himself on finding a home that was relatively secluded, on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow.

James remembered fondly why he had loved the cottage when he first saw it, just a few weeks before the wedding. Not only would the it be the first home of his own, and the home he and Lily would start their life together in, it was also perfectly located, near enough to the rest of the village, but out of the way enough to allow him and Lily the privacy all newly married couples want.

James felt a tug around his heart when he remembered showing the place to Lily for the first time, without telling her he had bought it. Like him, she loved it on sight, and was almost dumbstruck when James said that was good, because it was theirs. James could still see the shock on her face, before she burst into tears. Then they both set about getting their home the way they wanted it. James gave Lily a free rein with the house, and it was perfect by the time they were married.

James felt a familiar warmth as he remembered how in those early days of his marriage, he and Lily took pleasure in just being together at the cottage, laughing and talking endlessly, about anything and nothing. He remembered how they quickly realised they had the whole place to themselves, and made good use of the fact, making love all over the house, including, one memorable afternoon on the kitchen floor. They soon stopped when Lily reminded James that Sirius had a habit of just calling to see them unannounced. The idea of being caught in the middle of such an intimate part of their relationship and having Sirius find it hilarious, put them both off, so they kept it for their bedroom, and, for the few weeks immediately after their honeymoon, spent most of their free time in bed.

James was dragged from his memories by Harry cooing and babbling in his arms. He immediately remembered why they were out together. James went to the shed just beside the cottage where he stored his broom. It had been a while since James had flown. Since he and Lily been on the run, there was not much need for flying. James had missed it dreadfully. He'd always loved to fly, even as a child when his father taught him. James considered being deprived of flying a particular form of torture that Voldemort invented just for him. He dragged the broom out from where it was hidden, beneath a pile of stuff he and Sirius used in their pranking days at school. Then he grasped it almost tenderly in one hand, Harry still held tightly in the other, and left the shed. On leaving he dragged out an old dustsheet too, shoving it under the arm the broom was held in.

On leaving the shed, James smiled at Harry. 'Right son, here we go, let's see if Dad can still fly' he said. Harry cooed and watched his father intently. James dropped the broom on the ground along with the dustsheet, then he took out his wand and transfigured the dustsheet into a blanket, which he quickly wrapped Harry in. The baby complained at being restrained by the blanket, but James just stroked his cheek gently, soothing him. 'Sorry son, but it's going to be cold up there, Mum'll kill me if you catch a cold after this', he pulled a face, making Harry chuckle. 'No son, I mean it' he went on, 'if you catch a cold from being out flying with me, we'll both look as old as Dumbledore by the time Mum let's us do it again!' he laughed. James pushed away any thought that this might be the one time ever he would fly with Harry and that there were threats bigger than Lily's overprotective streak around. He held Harry, who was wrapped in the blanket tightly, and then James picked up his broom and carefully mounted it. He took off gently, rising into the air, holding Harry tight with one arm, and steering the broom with the other.

James flew with Harry over the village, looking down over the late autumn scenes below. The leaves were beginning to fall from the trees; there was a chilly breeze in the air. The sun shone brightly in the sky, although it didn't produce much heat. James instinctively pulled the blanket tighter around Harry, while steering the broom confidently with his legs.

James stopped looking at the scenery below and gazed down on his son in his arms. He sighed heavily. 'I hope one day you'll remember this' he said, talking to Harry softly. 'I hope one day you'll be able to tell people you flew with your Dad, and I hope you'll tell them you enjoyed it, because I'm loving it Harry'. The baby cooed, almost as in reply to his father, his eyes wide and attentive.

James smiled tenderly, speaking in confiding tones to Harry. 'I do love you son, really I do. I know I might be a bit of an idiot sometimes, but I love you and your Mum more than anything else in the world, and that won't change, whatever happens'.

James voice became firmer, the need to express his feelings overpowering him. 'Whatever happens Harry, always remember, you were loved and wanted by Mum and me, and promise me you'll never blame yourself for anything that happens.' He realised Harry probably didn't understand half of what he was saying, but James couldn't stop the words pouring out of his mouth. 'You're not responsible for anything Voldemort has done Harry, and you never will be'.

The sun continued to shine down on James and Harry as they flew. It made James feel happy and somehow sad at the same time. He looked down on the baby again who was looking up at him, trust radiating from his eyes, the eyes so like Lily's it made James's heart ache. Then he suddenly felt hopeful. He thought of all the experiences in life Harry was yet to have. He beamed joyously at the baby, 'You know son, you're going to have such a great life' he said. 'When you're a bit bigger you'll be able to try all sorts of stuff…you'll be able to play Mum up Harry, it'll be great! He laughed, drawing an excited shriek from Harry. 'Then you'll go to Hogwarts, where Dad and Mum, and Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail went'. James face became suddenly serious. 'Just make sure you tell that bloody sorting hat you're going into Gryffindor! The stupid bit of scrap wanted to put Sirius into Slytherin, just because his brother was in it! I mean, honestly!' Harry cooed, and James calmed down. 'Sorry son, I just hate that bloody awful hat…and the Slytherins…but don't tell Mum I said that!' he confided, grinning.

James thought of all the fun he'd had at school, and beamed. 'You're going to love Hogwarts son'. At a mumble from Harry he raised his eyebrows, 'Yes, I know, of course you'll miss Mum, who wouldn't, but you can come home for the holidays if you like, and of course, as a Potter, you'll be a popular student'. James smirked and thanked God Lily couldn't see. 'You'll be a top Seeker on the Quidditch team. In time you'll be Gryffindor's captain, just like Dad'. James went on talking, his words stirring memories of his own time at school. 'You're going to make great friends, and get up to all sorts, like your Dad and the other Marauders', James smiled wryly.

'You'll have all the teachers I had son. You'll think Dumbledore's a bit mental, and he is, but he's also wise. He'll help you Harry, all you need to do is ask. You'll have Professor McGonagall too. She's okay really. You just have to learn how to play her. She's a pussycat really…' James sniggered at the unfortunate analogy between his former Transfiguration and House Mistress and a feline. It was a little too appropriate! 'But you just need to respect her, and you'll be fine'.

James suddenly remembered Harry might have a teacher at school that he'd never had. In his day, this person was a student, a loathed enemy. 'You're probably going to end up with Snivellus teaching you Potions son' he broke this news as if it was an impending calamity. 'Dumbledore's gone and given the slimy git a job, God knows why'.

James remembered all his encounters with Severus Snape. He hated him at school like he'd never hated any other person before, and it seemed, the feeling was mutual. James gazed down on Harry and smiled, 'Just make sure you tell someone if that git starts bullying you son. Either that, or, if Dumbledore's given you my Invisibility cloak by then, put it on and hex the vile slimeball!' James grinned wickedly and Harry cooed, according to James, in agreement. James continued to smile down on the baby. 'Don't go putting up with Snivellus's mad outbursts son, he's just a pathetic, slimy git…and he used to call your Mum a name, a vile name.' James voice dropped to a near whisper. 'The weird thing is, I reckon the slimy git fancied your Mum, not that she ever realised of course…it must have really got up his nose when she got involved with me…'

Now James sighed, his mind wandered to Lily. He smiled wryly, 'Just don't go making an idiot of yourself over girls at Hogwarts' he said gently to the child in his arms. 'Don't, whatever you do, spend years trying to impress a gorgeous girl, because she'll think you're messing her around'. James smiled knowingly. 'Just be yourself and the girls will love it…oh, and check out the Gryffindor girls first son', James released another reminiscent sigh as he spoke. 'Find yourself a redhead and stick to her like glue'. James smiled ironically, 'It worked for me…eventually'.

James suddenly realised Harry hadn't moved or made a sound for a while. He looked down in alarm, suddenly terrified he'd dropped Harry and not felt it. His heart raced and he broke out into a sweat as he tried to figure out how to tell Lily. He knew that if he'd dropped their son, he wouldn't need to worry about Voldemort any more, Lily would kill him herself! Then he took a calming breath as he looked down to see Harry, still wrapped snugly in the blanket, fast asleep. James watched the baby sleeping so peacefully in his arms, and sighed with relief.

He turned the broom around and headed for home.