Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Harry's laughter filled James's ears and he smiled. Harry was flying around the living room with his toy broom, James tried to chase him but Harry was quicker.
''James! Harry was not supposed to play the toy broom in the house!'' Lily shouted as she stood at the kitchen's doorway.
''Oh come on, loosen up, it's Halloween,'' he said, walking over to her and kissed her forehead. Lily sighed. James put his hand around her waist and they watched their 1 year old son flying up and down.
''Sirius is gonna come later,''
''Remus?''
''He didn't want to come, saying he needs to rest,''
Lily frowned. She felt sorry for Remus, the full moon is in three days and she knew the change was painful. James saw the frown and pull her closer.
''I wish I could take away his pain,'' James whispered in her ear.
''Me too,'' she said and put her head on his shoulder.
Suddenly, the lights in the neighborhood flicker off. James looked out of the window and saw a hooded figure walking towards his house. Hairs on his neck stood up and he knew who it is.
Voldemort.
''Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off,'' he shouted to his wife.
Lily nodded and took Harry from his broom and ran upstairs. She stopped at the top of the stairs...she didn't want to leave James...
''Just go!'' he said. He watched Lily run to Harry's room and the front door was opened. He reached for his wand in his pocket but it was empty. And he remembered his wand was on the table.
I must do this...I must protect Lily...and Harry...
He stood at the living room, face to face with the hooded figure. He was laughing, a high pitched laughter .
''Give me the boy,'' Voldemort said.
''Never,'' he said.
''Ah, you show me courage, braveness, it is such a pity you turned down my offer,''
''I will join you when hell freezes over,'' he snapped.
''You're a fool, James. What are your friends and wife gonna say when you die?'' he said.
''Kill me then. But you will never, ever, get my son,''
''We'll see,'' he laughed his high pitched laugh and pointed his wand at James.
James closed his eyes and he hoped that Lily and Harry will be safe and sound. Suddenly, he remembered...
He was 11 and was shaking hands with a certain red haired girl with green eyes that twinkle whenever she smiled.
''Hi I'm Lily,'' she said.
''I'm James,''
He was running, despite the Head Boy's ''No running in the corridors!'', chasing Sirius. He suddenly bumped into someone – a girl perhaps – and they both fell to the ground.
''Ugh, get off me, Potter,'' a voice said, a voice he knew all too well.
''Sorry, Evans,'' he smirked. He stood up and offered a hand to Lily but she gave him a glare and stood up. She brushed off her skirt and Snape was shooting daggers at him.
''You should be looking where you're going,'' Snape said, bitterness in his voice.
''You're not the boss of me, are you, Snivellus?'' he mocked.
''Just bugger off, Potter,'' Lily said. She took Snape's hand and dragged him away.
''You're a werewolf,'' he said.
Remus looked at him, his eyes almost as big as the Quaffle, Sirius and Peter was standing behind James.
''How-how did you know?'' he stuttered.
''Come on, Remus, do you expect us to be that stupid?'' Sirius said as he sat on his bed. Remus was fidgeting with his hands and James stood in front of him.
''You always went home at full moon and after you get back, you always has scars and bruises, so we put two and two together and we found out you're a werewolf,'' he explained.
''Are-are you scared? Of me? I mean a werewolf-''
''Scared? We're not scared! We have a werewolf as a friend, that's pretty cool!'' Sirius said. Peter nodded and smiled at Remus.
''Cool? It's not cool! I am dangerous to you, to all of you! I must leave-'' he started muttering stuffs James couldn't catch.
''Remus, stop talking and listen to me. We are not afraid of you, you're our friend and we will be there for you, because that's what friends are for,'' James said.
Remus looked up at him and smiled.
''He called you the M word and you are still defending him?'' James looked at Lily. Her eyes were red, from crying and her hair was sticking out in different places.
''YOU ARE JUST AS BAD AS HE IS! YOU'RE ARROGANT, A JERK-''
''I CARE ABOUT YOU LILY AND YOU SAY THAT? I RAN ALL THE WAY JUST SO I WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU ARE FEELING AND YOU SAY ALL THAT? YOU JUST NEVER UNDERSTAND, DON'T YOU?'' James shouted. Lily winced, surprised by his tone. She never seen James angry before.
''Goodbye, Evans,'' He walked away, leaving Lily alone and speechless.
''NO, SNAPE, LEAVE NOW!'' James shouted at him. Snape looked back and smiled.
''You afraid, Potter?'' he opened the doorknob and James could feel his heartbeat faster and faster.
''SNAPE YOU ARE GONNA DIE IF-'' too late.
Snape was inside the room and James could see the werewolf – Remus Lupin – watching him with his big yellow eyes. Snape stopped there, surprised.
''A-a-were-werewolf,'' he stuttered.
The werewolf was ready to attack Snape but James quickly pushed Snape away.
''GO!'' James shouted. He was trying to get away from the wolf. ''Go, for Merlin's sake, run!''
''Go out with me, Evans?'' he asked hopefully as they walked through the corridors at night. Silence followed and he knew she is going to say no like she always does for the past few years.
''Yes,'' she said, quietly but loud enough for him to hear. James stopped in his tracks and looked at Lily. Did he heard it right?
''Did you just say 'Yes'?'' James asked. Lily nodded.
''Oh my god,'' he said before jumping up and down.
''LILY SAID YES! LILY SAID YES!'' he shouted, excitement in his voice. Lily laughed.
''Oh shut up, Potter, it's just a date,''
''But you said yes! After 6 FREAKING YEARS!''
''I guess there's always a first for everything,'' she said, winking.
''It's nice, isn't it?'' she said, pointing to the stars. James nodded before kissing Lily's forehead. They were lying on the grass at night, stargazing. They weren't afraid of being caught, as they were supposed to be patrolling that night.
James felt happy. He finally had his girl of dreams, the girl he had been chasing for almost 6 years.
''What are you thinking about?'' she asked.
''You,'' he said, his hazel eyes bore into her twinkling green eyes. Lily smiled and cuddled closer.
''I love you,'' he said, without a doubt. Lily looked up, eyebrows raised. James put his left hand on his mouth.
Stupid, stupid mouth. She wasn't ready yet.
But Lily said four words he didn't expect she will say.
''I love you, too,''
''He has your eyes,'' he said, looking at the boy – his son, his son! - his wife were holding.
''But he looks like you,'' she said.
''What should we call him?'' he asked. He looked around the hospital room, there were the three Marauders, Sirius was sitting on the chair, Peter and Remus were standing and Marlene was sitting at the edge of Lily's bed.
''Luke?'' Marlene suggested. Lily shook her head.
''What about Sirius? That's a nice name, you know,'' Sirius said. James rolled his eyes.
''No,'' Lily said.
''I feel so unloved,'' he said, pouting.
''Er, Hugo?'' Peter suggested.
''It doesn't feel right, ugh, I didn't know picking names were this hard,'' James said.
''Don't worry, James, we will find one,'' Sirius said, patting his back.
''Harry,'' Remus said, quietly.
''What?'' Marlene asked.
''That's what his name should be, Harry,''
''That's brilliant, Remus!'' James said, happily. Lily smiled and nodded. James walked over to his wife and son.
''Harry Potter,'' he said, kissing his son's forehead.
''AVADA KEDAVRA!''
That was the last thing James Potter heard that night.
