Old Potter Place

The 'old Potter place' as James had put it, wasn't dilapidated as you might expect. Nor was it that old. James' father had been a wealthy man in the wizarding world. He had been a judge and had left his fortune and estate to his only son in his will.

James' parents had been killed, by Voldemort a month earlier and the grief of losing his parents hit James hard. The hardest part of it, he told Lily later, was that the last time he had seen his father they been in the middle of a fight about money. Many fights seem to start about money don't they?

James and Lily were well off in raising their son. They both worked as Aurors which offered a high paycheck for such a bad time in wizarding history. But Harold Potter had insisted on giving his son money that James didn't feel he needed, let alone wanted. And the fight they had that day would always hurt and haunt James.

"Dad! Just listen to me for a second please!" James stood across the library from his father.

"I'm listening Jamie."

"Lily and I are fine. Harry is fine. We have enough money saved up to buy him anything he needs."

"And what of the next child? Will you be able to provide it with the same? On your salary? Come on James, let's be realistic."

"Lily only just found out she's pregnant. We have 8 months to worry about that. Please Dad; I don't want your money."

"Jamie. Just take it."

"I hate how you think I need you take care of me. I'm a grown man! I'm married, I have a child. Lily and I can take care of our family."

"But what if you cannot? I only want to provide for my grandchildren. I love Harry, you know I do."

"I know Dad, but he's not your son, he's mine."

"Then just put it in your Gringotts account and let it rust. It'll be there for him when he gets older."

"Dad I don't want your money. And I don't really want to talk to you right now…not about this." With that James had stormed out of his parents' house; not looking back.

The next day they had gotten the news.

As James stared at the house he had grown up in he was filled with so many emotions. The memorial for Lily had been days before and he was still barely getting out of bed. The only reason he was standing outside in the cold November rain was because they were moving. He had also just had to face one of his best friends going to Azkaban for the death of his wife.

"And so many others." He said quietly as he looked up at the house.

It was a large house for him and Harry. It would help that Remus and Sirius were going to be there too, but James was sure it would feel empty without Lily.

Lily.

She had been two months pregnant when she died. They had just found out it was going to be a girl. They were going to name her Nessa.

James collapsed on the grass in front of the house. He couldn't stop the tears. He had a long way to go to heal. He couldn't believe she was gone. Just…gone.

"How are you doing there Prongs?" Sirius said cautiously. He held Harry's hand as they walked slowly up the path. Remus followed with a box in his arms. James didn't say anything.

Harry let go of Sirius' hand and ran towards his father. He threw his arms around his dad as best he could and James' heart broke. He was never going to remember his mother. James picked up his son and placed him on his hip. Wiping the tears off his face he smiled at the little boy in his arms.

"Hey there Ace." Harry just smiled at his dad. "Let's go inside, shall we?"

The house was exactly how James remembered it. It had a large entrance hall with a winding staircase up to the second floor. The kitchen was to the rear and the sitting room to the left. To his right was the library and off the kitchen were the formal dinning room, breakfast nook and the 'family room'. The second floor held three bedrooms and the third floor was a suite.

As James and Harry walked through the house, the memories of James' childhood came flooding back to him. The back staircase where he had fallen and broken his arm; the large backyard where he and his friends had built a make-do Quidditch Pitch; the smell of his mother's perfume and he stepped into the powder room; he remember it all. He was surprised how happy he felt to be back in this place.

"James?" Remus said quietly as he looked at his friend's awed expression. "Prongs?"

"Yea?" James asked, coming out of his reverie.

"Where should we put the boxes?"

Once they had ordered in dinner and put Harry to bed, the three men sat outside on the stairs overlooking the massive property they had moved onto. They each held a beer in their hands and two pairs of eyes were fixed on James.

"So…" Sirius said quietly. "How are you Prongs?" He wasn't trying to be sympathetic, something James was grateful for, he was truly inquiring after his best friend's well-being.

"I'm…" James paused. "I'm in limbo."

"What do you mean?" Remus asked.

"Lily is gone, and I know that, and I've accepted that, but it hurts so much you don't even know." James looked down at his feet and took a deep breath. "But I can't let it hurt."

"Why's that?" Sirius said.

"Because there's a little boy upstairs who doesn't know what's going on. And I'm not going to let him know that his mother was just killed."

"James, are you sure that's a good idea? What are you going to say to the kid as he grows up? That she just disappeared or something? Went out for floo powder one day and never came back? Come on James." Said Remus with an incredulous look on his face.

"That's not what I mean Moony."

"Please elaborate then."

"I just mean, that I can't let Harry know how hurt I am. When I'm upset, he's upset. You saw him at the memorial." It was true. Little Harry had had no idea what was going on when he had sat outside at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His father and his uncles had all been crying. With everyone he knew crying, Harry cried. He wailed and wailed and Remus had to walk him down by the lake to calm him down.

"You don't think he knows already?" Sirius asked quietly.

"Yes and no." James said softly. "He knows that something's gone. She's not there to give him his bath or to read him a bedtime story. But he doesn't know that it's his mother. He doesn't realize that she's dead. He looks for her all the time." James' voice cracked as he said this. He took a deep breath and looked at his friends.

"We all miss her James." Sirius tried to console him.

"There was nobody like Lily." Added Remus as he looked into James' brown eyes.

"And there never will be." James said, smiling sadly. His friends nodded and looked down at their feet. James was right. Lily Potter was one of a kind. Now she was gone.

A/N So a little longer one for you. I promise it won't be so sad for long. I just need to get them all organized into a new life before they can have fun with little Harry and laugh and play and be the wonderful Marauders we all know and love. Hope you enjoyed it because I'm enjoying this random idea that sprung into my brain. Cheers

K