Holding Onto Hope

IMPORTANT: For some reason no one got an alert when I posted the last chapter, this is CHAPTER THREE! I did post last week, make sure you've read that one before you read this. Thanks all!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Inspiration: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

Beta: Cookies and Cream1234567

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"I like it," Lily sighed, her eyes fluttering closed. Her breathing deepened and her foot twitched against the carpeted floor she was lying on. James ran callused fingers through her hair, lying on his side.

"You're tired," he noted.

"Hmmm,"

"You can take a nap if you want, I can wake you before the meeting," James whispered. She nodded groggily in response.

James examined the work they had done and felt pride rise within him. There they were, just the two of them at that point, after having painted Harry's room brilliantly. It had taken all day and the others had retired home earlier after a job well done. Surely all were just as exhausted as Lily and ready to rest before the coming Order meeting. They had left the house covered in greens and golds, a strange combination at first sight, but something that made sense in the scheme of things.

The scene pictured on Harry's walls was that of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. Lily was brilliant with colors and form so had created a sort of paint by numbers for the rest of them. This shade of blue goes here and this much maroon needs to be in this spot, and so on. What surfaced at the end was amazing.

The majority of it had been done in muggle paint, seeing as Lily was more familiar with it. At least six different hues of green adorned the grass seen on the painted pitch and even more blues graced the sky. The tall posts were proportioned just right and the Gryffindor flags made James miss his old school house. His favorite part about the mural, however, was the one piece they had painted in wizard paint: a tiny golden snitch that zoomed about the scene. Harry would love it.

James shifted back to his side on the floor to face Lily. Her flow-y cream shirt had rose up just the slightest, displaying the scar she had gained in Hogsmeade her seventh year. It stood out prominently against her pregnant stomach, white and raised. It appeared faded though, not as obvious as he had remembered it. Had it really been so long since their seventh year? It seemed as if she had just gotten it. He remembered that day with such clarity it was horrifying. He reached out a tentative hand, tracing his finger lightly across the mark. He jumped when her eyes fluttered open and she grabbed onto his hand.

"You okay?" he asked her. She nodded, a dazzling smile coming to her lips. She moved his hand up to the top of her stomach. "What're you doing?" he asked, obviously confused.

"Shhhh, just wait," she urged. That's when he felt it for the second time in his life. Little Harry was kicking or hitting or somethingagainst her stomach and he could feel it.

"Does it hurt?" he questioned. She chuckled softly.

"Sometimes, when he's excited enough,"

"He's going to be special, Lils,"

"Of course he will," she smiled, turning a bit to face him better.

"In those few minutes just before were you actually sleeping?"

"No. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"The past,"

"Me too,"

"So you ever miss it, James? How easy it all was as little first or second or third years? We had it all. The grades, the family, the friends, the fun, the laughter, all of it."

"We still have that now, don't we?"

"I think that's why he's going to be special," she whispered, her voice toned in a way that he knew it was a realization she had just made. "We still have it…the family, the friends, the laughter. It's so much different though."

"Yet we still have it,"

"Yeah, we still have it."

"It is pretty special, isn't it," he sighed, scooted closer to her and moving his hand to trace the path of freckles on her cheeks. They stayed silent for several moments, just lying there together in Harry's room. Lily finally sighed and sat up.

"The Order meeting," she answered his questioning gaze. His face flashed with realization and he stood, reaching his hand down to help her up.

"Ready?" he asked her. She nodded and they made their way to the fireplace.

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Lily stepped out of the fireplace in the Hog's Head at Hogsmeade. It had been ages since Dumbledore had opened the floo to his office for the Order, it was becoming too dangerous. The Hog's Head pub had become their alternative. James was always fretting over how far she had to walk to get to the school, but the stroll always pleased her. She was getting nearly no exercise and a nice gait through Hogsmeade up to Hogwarts was just what she needed at times.

The days were beginning to become more and more pleasant, the sky a brilliant blue and yellow dandelions popping up beside purple violets along the ground. The storekeepers were somehow able to keep the little village nice and clean. It seemed as if the world was untouched by evil just by taking one look at the thriving joke and candy shops that lined the streets.

Within ten minutes of having arrived in the village the two were at the gate and walking up to the front doors. Several students were spread out on the grass with large textbooks, though none seemed to truly be studying. James and Lily didn't receive so much as a second glance. They made their way through the winding halls easily as well, Lily wanting nothing more than to sit down in one of Dumbledore's nice soft chairs. Her back was beginning to hurt her, though she wouldn't tell James seeing as he'd do something silly to try and help her.

"Chocolate Frogs," James breathed at the large statues guarding the stairs to Dumbledore's office. He was tired as well; it had been a long day. The bird unfurled its wings, opening the winding staircase for them to travel up.

Lily gripped his arm as they climbed. She was beginning to have quite the fear of stairs. She couldn't exactly see her feet anymore so it was becoming quite the problem. She was nearly sure she'd slip and fall sooner or later. She had taken to sliding down their stairs on her bottom at their house and it never failed to amuse James.

"Welcome Potters!" The door to the office swung open to reveal the grinning face of Sirius, a streak of blue paint still across his cheek. He helped Lily up the last of the stairs and patted James on the back before twisting a strand of Lily's hair around his finger. "How's are my favorite red head and glasses wearing idiot?"

"Just fine," James chuckled taking in his friend's appearance.

Sirius looked good; perhaps even better than he ever had. While a few days of stubble shadowed his face his silver eyes beamed. His attire was neat and tidy, definitely Marlene's doing, and his hair was growing out to a length that resembled what it once as at Hogwarts. He put his hands on Lily's stomach before kneeling down and pressing his ear against it, much like James had earlier that day.

"And how's my favorite godson? You're momma feeding you okay?" he cooed. It was hilarious really. Sirius was still the suave, good looking guy around everyone else, but when it came to talking to Harry his attitude was nauseatingly sweet.

"He's wonderful, was kicking again earlier too," Lily answered. Sirius stood and grinned. His grinned slipped after a few seconds and his face took on confusion.

"Does that hurt?" he asked. Lily laughed.

"Wow, you're just like James, you know that?"

"Just more good looking. You picked the wrong man Sunshine, you could have had all this," he joked gesturing to himself.

"And where would that have left me?" A familiar voice asked, coming up behind him.

"Marley, how are you?" Lily greeted.

"Great," she grinned, looping her arm through Sirius'.

"Sorry, Sunshine," Sirius laughed, "Guess I'm taken,"

"That's right your are," Marlene spoke, pinching his cheek with a mischievous grin. "How's Harry?" she asked.

"Probably sick of all the attention," Lily giggled.

She was right though, her friends were in love with little Harry and they hadn't even met him yet. Alice, also pregnant, had decided alongside Frank that their little boy would be named Neville and they were all sure him and Harry would become wonderful friends.

At the beginning of Lily's pregnancy she had made the rule that no onecould touch her stomach with the exception of James. Of course Sirius got away with it constantly seeing as he did it so often. There was really no reason to get after him for it any longer. He was going to be Harry's godfather after all. Before long Lily grew used to the constant coddling, as did Alice. Frequent 'how is Harry faring?' or 'is Neville being happy today?' were heard every time the friends got together.

"How does the room look now it's dried?" Sirius asked. Marlene began scrubbing away at the mark on his face at the comment, finally noticing it.

"Brilliant, he's going to be quite the Quidditch star," James beamed.

"Funny, Lily said that he'd excel in potions," Marlene quipped. Sirius scoffed.

"Potions? Nah, not if he's anything like his old man,"

"I agree, remember that one time I nearly set Slughorn's comb over on fire?" James asked. Sirius grinned wickedly.

"Brilliant Prongs, just brilliant,"

"It was, wasn't it?" James grinned.

Lily rolled her eyes before moving to find a seat to sit in. Gosh was she exhausted. Sirius and James continued to reminisce about the good old days like a couple of old men while Marlene rushed to her side to loop their arms.

"I'm fine Marley, really," she laughed.

"What? I can't walk my best friend to her seat?" Marlene replied innocently. Lily found herself rolling her eyes again. She could practically hear Sirius' voice in her head. 'They're gonna get stuck that way, Sunshine.'

"Fine then, if you must" she finally sighed sarcastically. Marlene chuckled. "Have Alice and Frank gotten here yet?"

"Don't think so, Sirius and I got here just a while before you did."

"It's a good turn out," Lily noted, glancing around the room at her fellow Order members.

"Caradoc and Benjy just got back," Marlene said excitedly. Lily's face brightened.

"Really? Are they okay?"

"Yeah, I heard it went brilliantly! They supposedly found out a boatload of information. I heard that from the Prewitt brother though…you can never be sure with them," she said with a grin. "Both are safe at least. I'm guessing that's why so many turned up, to welcome them home and everything."

"These missions seem to be getting crazier and crazier," Lily said shaking her head.

"This warseems to be getting crazier and crazier,"

"It is a war now isn't it…probably always has been,"

"It's sad," Marlene agreed.

"Think they're going to assign more missions?" Lily asked anxiously. Marlene instantly got a sympathetic look on her face.

"He's not gonna leave you sweetie, neither of them are. You have three months left, babe! It's too close," She urged referring to both James and Sirius. The two were her lifesavers. Sirius was always there with a laugh when she was feeling moody and James was scared of her and James waited on her hand and foot the rest of the time.

"It can't keep me from worrying. How many have they been on now?"

"Four," Marlene instantly replied. She got as worried about them on missions as Lily did.

"It's harder every time,"

"Three months, just think Lily, we just have to make it through three months and then we can…reassess,"

"Reassess…right. That's the plan," Lily spoke, more to convince herself than anything.

"Want to go and congratulate Caradoc and Benjy now?" Marlene asked, once again looping her arm through Lily's.

"Sounds like a plan,"

Lily could only hope that Marlene was right. They wouldn't leave her.

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I know I already said this at the beginning but this is CHAPTER THREE, make sure you've read chapter two which I posted last week. As far as I know an alert wasn't sent out. Anyway, I love this chapter mostly because I think I found my voice again. I realized how much I miss writing everyone, especially Sirius and Marlene haha. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think. Thanks for the support!

-Sweets5236