Several days passed after little Harry was born.
Remus, Sirius, and Peter were over as often as they could be, hoping to help out with what needed to be done. It wasn't so much taking care of the baby, but making arrangements for protection. They still refused to live in fear. They'd be happy. They'd do their best to be happy.
James heard him crying first. He groaned slightly and opened an eye, looking at the clock. It was useless; he grabbed for his glasses. Then he groaned again. It was three a.m. He felt like he had just fallen asleep again when Harry's cries woke him.
Lily stirred next to him, getting up for the third time that night. James reached out and grabbed her hand.
"No… I got it…go back to bed…." He mumbled and stumbled up to the door in the pitch darkness.
Lily sat back on the bed, grateful for the break. She watched him leave the room, smiling. It wasn't even a minute later that she curled back up under the sheets and fell asleep.
James walked into Harry's room and flicked on the light.
"What's got ya down, buddy?" James whispered leaning over the railing of his crib. Harry's crying calmed slightly at the sight of James. James lifted the child up into his arms and bounced him slightly, shushing him. He walked over to the mirror on the wall in the room, pointing at it.
"Hey…who's that?" James asked Harry in a light voice.
"Who are those handsome studs?" Harry stared at the mirror, transfixed. He reached out and touched his own reflection. James ruffled the little hair that was on Harry's head and made a face into the mirror. His son looked just like him there. Both had their hair standing on end. James stuck out his bottom lip at Harry. Harry mimicked. James chuckled slightly. He gasped and Harry's eyes went wide. James then crossed his eyes and Harry giggled.
Lily heard something after several minutes. It was James. She looked at the doorway across from the bed, seeing the light in Harry's room was still on. She smiled as she was able to comprehend what the noise was. James was singing to Harry.
She stood and wrapped her robe about her and walked to the baby's room. She stood in the doorway and watched James rock Harry side to side, singing Beautiful Boy. She had to admit the scene was adorable.
He hadn't noticed her standing there. James was just trying to get Harry back to sleep. In the attempt of doing so, James was getting drowsy himself.
"Close your eyes…have no fear…the monster's gone… he's on the run and your daddy's here…."
James turned and saw Lily there. He smiled and her. Lily couldn't help but wonder how she could have ever doubted that he was right for her. Harry was sleeping soundly in James's arms now. She looked at them; her two favorite people in the world. Lily walked over to James. He leaned down and their lips met.
"I love you Lily Potter."
"I love you James Potter…"
Harry stretched his arms in his sleep then shifted to James's other shoulder. Lily kissed the top of his head.
"He's out like a light…." She muttered, smiling, "You coming back to bed?" She asked James, walking toward the door.
James was staring at Harry, sleeping. "Nah… I'll be another minute or two…."
"Alright…don't be too long… I get scared too you know." She teased.
"Yeah…mostly because of me, too."
"Yes…Mostly your fault…"
"I won't burn down the house Lils…that was just Sirius joking around." He laughed softly, careful not to wake Harry.
Surprisingly, she laughed too. Then, she walked back down the hall and to her own bed.
It was a couple of minutes before James felt ok to leave Harry to sleep. He didn't want to let him go once he was asleep. James felt very protective at night with Harry. He wasn't a fool as to what was going on in the world around them. He knew Voldemort was out for anyone in the Order of the Phoenix. That included him and Lily. They were his world. James wasn't going to let anything happen to them….
"Um….?" That was all James said that morning as he walked into Remus's house. He saw Sirius face down on the couch, totally crashed.
"Needed to crash somewhere last night…." Remus muttered smiling slightly.
"What was our boy doing?" James laughed, taking a seat across from Sirius.
"Well, I have no idea really…. He came by my door last night and said something about, 'What the hell? This isn't my house….' So, fool that I am… I let him in.
"Oh man…he's gonna be hung over big time." James laughed softly, trying not to wake him.
"My thoughts exactly…anyway, what's Lily doing?" Remus said sitting in a kitchen chair he'd pulled from the kitchen. It was a small place, but homey. There were book scattered here and there, but it was mostly clean of clutter. It was a two bedroom house, ranch style. Remus liked that; it was simple.
"Well, that's why I'm here actually. She wants to clean the house today and…apparently… I get in the way or something."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me…." Remus said, grinning.
"Thanks, Moony…." James said sarcastically, and then moved closer to the couch, "Are you ready?" He smirked to Remus.
"Oh yes…I am indeed…" Remus cocked a grin and walked to the couch. He grabbed the string that led to the blinds, right over the couch. James got right in Sirius's ear and nodded to Remus, who yanked the blinds up while James shouted, "RISE AND SHINE!"
Sirius's eyes shot open and he threw a pillow violently in James's direction. He missed.
"Oh my god, I hate you…." He muttered and buried his head into the pillow left on the couch.
James and Remus laughed loudly, making Sirius wince.
"What were you doing last night, young man? We'd like to know."
"Well, isn't that just so sweet of you to ask." Sirius pulled the pillow up to cover his face.
"You're in big trouble mister, what did you do?"
"I don't fully recall, so shut it, you git." Sirius said, his voice hoarse, but you could almost hear his sarcastic smile in his voice. The only thing on Sirius's mind at the current time went a little something like this:
"Sleep….yes…that would be nice….why the hell is it so freakin' bright in here?"
James wasn't having that though. It wasn't as though this was uncommon for Sirius to do something like this; randomly getting drunk one night and coming home to…not his home…. However, when he did this, there was usually a reason. James knew this because he was usually with Sirius when it happened. And, quite honestly, he was usually drunk with him.
"Come on Padfoot, what happened? I'm simply dying to know the wonderful details." He smirked and sat back in his original chair. Remus had gone to close the blinds again and get Sirius a glass of water.
Sirius sat and thought for a moment. Then, it struck him. He remembered why he had started drinking, but not what happened during. His face was grim, but still he gave a hoarse laugh.
"The little bastard went and got himself killed…. And I only just found out…." He shook his head, trying to shake off the thought of blaming himself for it.
"Who?" James asked, though he had a good guess….
"Regulus…. I was just sitting there, and I got up to go home; I hadn't had that much to drink, I was just talking to some guy from school…he was a year or so younger than us….and…as I was walking away…. I heard him say, 'Damn…he looks just like Reggie. If didn't know that he was already dead, I'd say it was him….'" Sirius sighed.
"I did my best to keep him away from it all, but….he still got in too deep."
"Sirius…. Dude, I'm so sorry…." James muttered hardly believing it.
"I am too, but…it's… it's not like we were ever really that close. He just went off on one road and I went the opposite direction. Nothing we can do about it now. There were a few times…when I thought he'd listen to me… when I thought he'd actually wise up and stay away. Now look where it's got him."
"When did it happen?" James asked, wondering how they couldn't have known about this.
"Last year." Sirius muttered, head in his hands.
He wasn't exactly distraught or anything over the matter… but it scared him slightly. Regulus was the only one of his family who treated him like he was family; like they actually were related. This was one of the only things from Sirius's childhood that he was even remotely sentimental about…..