Sirius,

Thank you so much for coming to the wedding. You have no idea how much that meant to us…to me. I used to think you were the stupidest, most horrible, disgusting person around, but now I love you so much I don't know where I would be without you, Padfoot. Thank you so much for everything. Thanks for being your idiotic self. I will treasure my wedding pictures with you the most. You were amazing. Thank you for showing me who I really am but most of all…thank you for just being you. You're an amazing person, Sirius. Don't you dare let me tell you different.

I'm pregnant. James is bouncing off walls over here, I'm not even kidding. Poor Bathilda from next door has already asked me if I should take him to Saint Mungo's. I told her he was just being a bit over dramatic over something. I didn't want to tell her I was expecting in case something went wrong. I don't think I would be able to come home from being told my baby was dead and have her ask me how many months I was.

We want a boy. I'll happily take a girl, James is so silly, but he has his heart set on a baby boy and I'm hoping he'll get his wish. It feels that way but you know how life is. Sometimes you don't get what you want.

James told me about your…what was she? Your girlfriend? He never told me you planned to get married but still. Anyway, he told me about her death. I'm very sorry, Padfoot. It's a shame that it had to happen to you. If she was able to make you fall in love with her that was a hell of a woman. I know you miss her but you shouldn't give up on all women just because one had to leave you.

You need to come down and visit us sometime soon. I'm going crazy here with just Peter and James to talk to. Don't get me wrong, I love having James, but Peter has been acting very oddly lately and I'm not sure if I like it that way. If you know anything that's going on, please let me know. Really though, come and see us soon. Bring Remus if you can. I've missed him dearly. Thank you again, Sirius.

Love,

Lily Potter

Lily stood up with her finished letter and blew on the fresh ink. She didn't want to put it in the envelop wet. The last time she had done that to poor Sirius he had written her back asking "Why the hell are there so many damn splotches on this?" but with a few more curse words that seemed to Lily that he had been drunk on the time or just very pissed off. As she walked down the stairs, she couldn't help but smile at the beautiful house she and James had together. She enjoyed every moment of it…every part of it. She entered the kitchen and let out a happy sigh as she took in the sunny texture that she had picked. James had been only too obliged to go along with it, though she had forced him to pick the bed for the bedroom and then she ended up having to pick it herself.

Men.

"Lily! I'm--oh there you are," James grinned as he stepped through the back door and into the kitchen.

"Hello James," she smiled, standing up on her tiptoes for a kiss.

He got down on his knees in front of her and pressed his ear to the little bump in-between her hips. She smiled and stroked his black hair fondly as he whispered nonsense to it. He grinned up at her,

"How does it feel to be a mommy?"

"I'm not one yet," she laughed as he put his hand on her stomach.

"You will be though," he replied, "And that's enough to say that you already are, I think. Writing to Sirius?"

She hit him softly on top of the head with the now dry parchment,

"Obviously. I write to him everyday, don't I?"

"Did you tell him to get his arse down here? I'm so sick of Wormtail acting so weird. It's annoying," he answered. Lily pressed her hands to either side of her stomach with a stunned expression shot at her husband,

"Don't curse around the baby."

He gave her a crooked grin and rose to his feet. Lily smiled at him as he took the letter from her, gave the ink a blow, and then stuck it in the envelop for her. He let it fall to the table and then pulled his wife into his arms with a happy sigh.

"I love you Lily," he whispered. Lily gazed over his shoulder at the Hogwarts year photo book where a picture of her and Severus were laughing at her,

"I love you too James."

[X]

Severus,

I had a baby boy in July. I'm sorry that I'm just now writing you about this but a new baby has proven very hard to get used to. Its been so much fun. Please come and visit us. I miss you so much and I'm sure James would love for you to met the baby. I can't wait for you to write me back. I really don't have much to say. I've become a Healer at Saint Mungo's, James got his wish of becoming an Auror, and now we're a bright little family of three. Sirius has this AMAZING new motorcycle that cracks me up. It can fly. How stupid is he? Peter has been acting differently, however. I'm not sure how I much I like that. We haven't seen much of Remus lately. He's on some kind of mission to find jobs. Poor fellow. Honestly, Sev, come and see us. I miss you.

Love,

Lily & James & Harry

[X]

The night was wet and windy. Lily could feel the draft blowing in from the living room even though she was in the kitchen. Annoyed, she finally called out to her reckless husband,

"James! Close that window! Merlin, if my baby gets sick I swear I'll hex you into next week."

"Where would Harry learn to fly then?" James teased.

"Sirius."

"Oh…low blow."

Lily just laughed and went on cutting up her vegetables. In the living room, James closed the window with a short snap. His son, Harry, sat on the floor clapping and laughing, waiting for his father to rejoin him in their game. James sat back on the floor and began to make purple rings of smoke puff out of his wand. Lily had dressed Harry in black pajamas for the night, for the reason he would never know why, and the little boy clapped his hands in such amusement it made James chuckle too. Harry let out another loud laugh and attempted to catch the smoke in his hand.

Lily walked into the room, her long curtains of red hair falling over her shoulders and down the sides of her face.

"May I put Harry to be now, perhaps? That would be a nice change, don't you think?" she chided her husband gently.

Smiling, he scooped Harry up into his arms and handed him to his wife. She kissed James's cheek and he grinned. He threw his wand on the couch beside him and stretched, yawning widely.

Suddenly, the door burst open. James jumped up in surprise and Lily spun around, clutching Harry more tightly in her arms. A sense of fear and dread seeped into the now open front door, which had been locked just moments before. The two lovers made eye contact and with that, which all happened in just three to five seconds, James sprinted over the threshold leaving a shocked Lily in the middle of the sitting room with a laughing Harry in her arms. If only the little boy knew it wasn't a joke.

"Lily, take Harry and go! Don't wait on me! Hurry! It's him! I'll hold him off, go!" James cried to his wife.

Lily started screaming from the floor above when she heard the shout. She could see the green light flare from under the door. Sobbing, she began to kick things against the door. Boxes and Harry's favorite rocking chair. Her child watched the progress from his mother's arms, not realizing that she was crying.

The door flew open and there a man stood in a long black cloak. At the sight of him, Lily dropped the baby into the crib and flung her arms open wide.

"Not Harry! Not Harry, please not Harry!" she sobbed, stretching her arms wider in hope of protecting the little boy.

"Stand aside, you foolish girl…stand aside now," the voice was cold as ice and yet still Lily didn't move. James was dead. The only reason she had for living was the little bundle of joy behind her.

"Not Harry, please no. Take me instead, kill me instead--"

"This is my last warning Muggle---"

"Not Harry! Please! Have mercy…have mercy…not Harry, not Harry! Please--I'll do anything--"

"Stand aside, I said. Stand aside, girl!"

The bright green light filled the whole room and Lily crumpled to the floor in front of the crib just as James had done in the hall below her. The last thing she had felt was Harry's little hand against hers…

--End--