MC4A Winter Bingo
Prompt: 5A (Red)
Representations: James Potter; Lily Potter; Tony Stark; JARVIS; Triad; war
Bonus Challenges: Machismo; These Boots; Strange Potato; Second Verse (Unicorn; Three's Company; Middle Name; Non-Traditional; Ladylike - defiant; Not a Lamp); Future (Where Angels Fear)
Word count: 2,592
Notes: Red symbolises love, danger, and anger (along with other things) and those three are dotted around variously in this chapter. There's also the more obvious uses of the colour. There are no horcruxes in this 'verse.
"Tony! Tony! Tones!" Tony grunted and waved an absent hand in the direction of the voice. He curled under the blanket more and was just drifting off to sleep when he realised that it was Lily calling his name.
Sleep forgotten, Tony threw off the blanket and grabbed the mirror on his bedside table. "Lily? What is it? Is something wrong? Are you okay?"
Lily's and James' faces appeared in the mirror and they both grinned at him; perfectly fine and healthy looking. Tony let out a breath of relief as Lily assured him. "We're fine, Tony. We're better than fine."
"Is the war over, can you come home?"
Their faces showed that that was not what they had called him about. "Not yet, love. I'm sorry. But we do have some good news."
Lily bounced on the spot and announced happily, "I'm pregnant!"
Tony simultaneously felt a stab of pain and a warm, happy glow. Pain because he couldn't be there with his partners, happiness because Lily being pregnant was amazing news. He sank back to lean on the headboard of his bed and said, "That's amazing, Lily."
"We went to a mediwitch this morning to see about my on and off sickness and they told me it was normal for a pregnant woman to be nauseous and vomit randomly."
"But…you were sick when you were still here. You mean…" Tony trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. He had thought that the pregnancy had occurred in the month they had been back in England (meaning he had no part in it).
Lily smiled softly at him. "Yes, Tony. There is a high chance that you helped make this child. Congratulations, you're going to be a father!"
"They're going to a handful with my talent for pranking and the brains of you two. It's just as well they're going to have three parents," James said jokingly and Lily smacked him lightly.
Tony felt his eyes sting. He had never thought that he would ever be able to have this. He had been the billionaire playboy for so long – ever since he was of age and still rebelling against the world that had stolen his parents. He hadn't thought he deserved it, and yet here were James and Lily telling him that he was going to be a father.
"What if–" he started before cutting himself off. He would have James and Lily there beside him when they — and the child inside Lily — came back to the US. He would not be like Howard; they wouldn't let him.
"You'll be a great father, Tony," Lily assured him as if she knew what he had been thinking. She probably did; he had told the two about his rocky relationship with his father.
A voice called out for James and Lily and the two looked away for a moment. "We have to go now, Tony. There's a meeting going on but we couldn't wait any longer to tell you. We love you." Lily leaned into James and nodded in affirmation of his statement.
"I love you, too," Tony choked out.
They stared at each other through the mirror for a few more seconds before the voice called out for Lily and James again and the mirror surface went dark. Tony continued staring at his reflection, completely stunned by what he had just been told. He was a father.
"JARVIS!" he called out suddenly.
"Yes, sir?" was JARVIS' calm response.
Tony was scrambling out of bed and pulling on clothes as he said, "We have to make this place baby-proof. There is going to be a child living here and they need to have everything they could ever want. There's going to be locks on the lab doors, and gates on stairs, and cushions everywhere."
He stopped moving as a thought came to him. "We need a nursery!" he declared. "The guest bedroom Lily and James were using when they first came here, that will be renovated to be a nursery. And the walls will be painted red and gold. We need lion plushies. Should also probably have snake, badger, and eagle plushies as well. Get on it, JARVIS!"
"Yes, sir."
Tony rushed into his lab and immediately brought up a blank slate he could scribble on. He would give this kid the best life they could ever want. JARVIS would handle ordering the things Tony needed as Tony figured out what those things were. With a fervour normally reserved for new inventions, Tony set to work creating the most awesome nursery for the little creature that belonged to him, Lily, and James.
"There's a prophecy that I believe refers to your child or the Longbottom's, James. I think you should take Lily and hide."
James started at Albus. "You're kidding, Albus. You want us to run away and hide after you dragged us back to the war eight months ago?"
Albus leaned his hands on his desk and stared very seriously at James. "If I am interpreting this prophecy correctly, either child could be the key we need to finally defeat Voldemort."
"You want us to hide so that we can later send our child into war?" James' vision turned red with anger as Albus so calmly stated his child might be forced to fight. "We may have been dragged into this when we were pretty young, but there is no way we would see our own child go into a battle we should have finished ourselves by the time they're old enough to fight."
"Now, James–" Albus started before being cut off by James.
"Don't you now, James me. This is not a friend we're talking about, this is a child! Remus, Sirius, and Peter knew what they were getting into, they made their own choice to fight in this war. You would force a child, my child, to walk to their death on the words of a prophecy."
"It was spoken in front of me, James! The Seer is one I trust has a real gift for Seeing."
James snorted, "You and I both know that most prophecies are self-fulfilling."
"We know that. But if Voldemort hears the prophecy, he might take it seriously and you and your wife and child will be just as dead. I ask only that you hide until we're sure you're not in any danger."
"Alright, we'll go back to America; we were safe there."
Albus shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave the country. It would be too dangerous, what if Voldemort caught you while you were in transit? I'll organise a safe house you can stay in."
"Fine, I'll go tell Lily." He pointed a finger at Albus, "You will not use my child or any other child in this war, no matter what some Seer says. And you'll find a trusted mediwitch for Lily, I assume you won't allow her to go to St. Mungo's now?"
"It would be too dangerous, my boy."
"Then give us and Alice a midwife. I'll see you at the next meeting." He whirled out of Albus' office, leaving the old man standing behind his desk. He needed to talk to Lily and then they needed to call Tony. James was only glad that so far, they had been able to keep Tony safe from their war. They had told none of their friends about Tony in an effort to protect him.
"Are you sure you're safe? I can come over and help, or you can come back to me."
"No, Tony. In this war with who we're fighting against, it would be far too dangerous for you to be here. James asked Albus if we could go back to America but he said it would be too risky. He's got us set up in a safe house in Godric's Hollow." Lily sighed, raising her hand to stroke down the image of Tony's face. "I miss you, Tony. I wish we could all be together in the same room."
"I miss you too. Don't suppose the war is almost over?"
"Sorry, Tones, there's no sign of an end yet."
Lily suddenly spasmed, clutching her belly and Tony instantly started freaking out. "Lily? Lily, what's happening? Are you giving birth? Where's James?"
"I'm fine, Tony. It seems as though our little boy has decided he wants to come out."
"Where's James?"
"At an Order meeting, I'll need to floo him."
"Go, Lily, get James. Call me as soon as you can. I love you."
"I love you too." The call disconnected and the mirror went dark.
Tony set down the mirror and started pacing. Lily was giving birth and he couldn't be there with her. With a groan, Tony rubbed his hands over his head vigorously and set off to his lab. He needed something for his hands to do while he waited for news.
"Hey, Tony, meet your son."
Tony held the mirror carefully as the image moved from James to show Lily holding a baby. The boy was perfect, gazing up at his mother as she stroked his face. "He's beautiful, Lily."
Lily smiled. "He's ours, Tony. Mine, yours, and James'. Harry, look at your father."
Harry turned his head at James and Lily's coaxing to look towards the mirror. He giggled when he saw the head in the glass and held out a chubby hand to grasp at the mirror. Tony placed his fingers on the glass and Harry copied his actions.
"I wish I could be there."
James sat down next to Lily, the three of them now in the mirror frame. "You are. Hopefully soon the war will be over and we can all live in the same place again."
"I'll be waiting."
"Lily, it's him. Take Harry and run! I'll hold him off."
"James!"
James pushed her upstairs with Harry in her arms. "Go! Use the pendants and get to Tony. I'll give you as much time as I can."
"James, no, I can't leave without you."
"You have to. I love you." He gave her a fierce kiss and pushed her upstairs again.
Lily stalled for another second, "I love you."
The door rattled and she raced upstairs, cradling Harry in her arms. James pulled out his wand and prepared to face the most dangerous Dark Lord of the century. He would protect his family with his life, there was no other option in his mind.
The door burst open and Lord Voldemort stood in the frame. He smirked at James, red eyes gleaming with malice. "Hello, Mister Potter."
"You won't get my family."
"Oh but I think I will. Avada kedavra." The green light of the killing curse sped towards James. It halted for a millisecond in front of him before the pendant he wore around his neck shattered along with the small wards imbued within it. James' last thoughts were of his wife and son upstairs, hopefully escaping to America.
Lily carefully placed Harry in his crib as she went to grab the pendant they had made for him when he was still residing in her womb. It wasn't on the side table and she cursed when she realised it must still be in the bathroom from Harry's bath earlier.
From downstairs, she heard the words Lord Voldemort shouted as he killed her husband and bit back a cry of pain. Sobbing, she clutched Harry close to her. She knew what she had to do and she wished she didn't.
"I'm sorry, baby," she whispered into Harry's hair. "Tony, I'm so sorry."
She slipped the pendant off her own neck and placed it around her son's. A quick spell had some of Harry's things and the two-way mirror packed into a bag that had already been ready to go in case something just like this happened. She then attached the bag to Harry's red Gryffindor onesie with a sticking charm. She gave her son one last kiss on his forehead and set him back down in his crib.
"I love you, Harry. There's no place like home."
At the activation phrase, magic swirled around Harry's tiny body and whisked him away to America — the place James and Lily had considered their home since they fell in love with Tony. The nursery door banged open and Lily whirled around to see Lord Voldemort.
"If you give me your son, no harm will come to you," the wizard promised.
"You will never touch my son."
"I will find where you have hidden him, just as I have found you. Tell me where he is and you shall not perish."
"Why are you giving me the option when you killed James without a second thought?"
Lord Voldemort smiled. "Someone bargained for your life. I have no wish to alienate my followers, but I shall not hesitate should you not tell me where your son is."
"Then it looks like you'll be alienating your followers. I will never let my son be killed by you."
"Very well. Avada kedavra."
The green light lit up the small room and sped unimpeded towards Lily. She made no sound as she crumbled to the floor. Voldemort remained standing in the silent room until there was a flash of red light and he collapsed on the ground. A whisper echoed through his mind, "You will not harm those I love."
With a cut off wheeze, Lord Voldemort died and a prophecy fulfilled.
A loud pop made Tony raise his head from Dum-E's insides. He dropped the screwdriver instantly when he saw the child sitting on the floor. "Harry?"
Harry looked up at him as he rushed towards the boy, "Papa!"
"Harry, what are you doing here?" Tony gathered his son in his arms and held him tight. A horrible feeling rose up inside him, a lump formed in his throat and he asked a question he knew Harry wouldn't be able to answer. "Where are James and Lily?"
Harry lifted small hands and grabbed at Tony's face, "Papa? You 'kay?"
"I don't know, Har-bear. But I got you, I'll look after you, love." Tony secured Harry in his hip and called out, "JARVIS? Can you see if you can find out anything about James and Lily?"
"Of course, sir. Shall I activate the child protocols?"
"Yeah, thanks. And order some of that food Lily said Harry liked."
"At once, sir."
I don't know what will happen that means you have to read this. James and I decided it would be best if we wrote a letter for you and Harry in case the war took us away from the both of you. Harry's bag contains his clothes, some toys, and various books on magic to help you both understand the world we come from. We wish we could be there with you as you both grow.
My son, your father and I love you so very much and we know you'll be safe and happy with your Papa. He might make mistakes, but I'm sure we have as well. You'll need to help him figure out how to program JARVIS and the rest to parent. Although I'm sure U will be happy to look after you as he did me.
Tony, stay safe. Keep our son safe and raise him well. We are so very sorry that we never returned to America, that we couldn't stay safe and return to your arms. You will be the best father our Harry could ever want.
We love the both of you,
Lily and James