James Potter opened the door to his home in Godric’s Hollow. He was late again, working as an Auror for both the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix. He shrugged off his cloak and hung it on the coat rack. He knew his wife, Lily, would already be asleep, as would his son, Harry.

James quietly walked to the nursery in his home, and gazed upon his young son. Harry James Potter was sleeping peacefully, his thumb in his mouth. James smiled softly and pulled the blanket over Harry and kissed him on the top of the head, hoping Harry could, somehow, live a long, peaceful, safe life. There was always the growing threat of Voldemort. Once Dumbledore had told them that the Potters were the Dark Lord’s latest target, they had been forced into hiding, fearing for their lives. Every day there was the chance that it would be their last.

James entered his own room, and tread softly as he saw Lily resting on her side in their bed. He undressed and prepared for bed. He slipped into bed and pulled the covers over his legs. Careful not to wake Lily, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

Sometimes late at night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
She’s lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark

Without even knowing it, a soft tear crept out of James’ eye and rolled down his face. It landed on Lily’s cheek, a warm drop of water. She stirred in his arms, and turned to face him. “James? Is that you?�

James forced a smile, trying to banish his unknown fears. “Who else?� He kissed the tear away. “I missed you tonight.�

“Mmm.� Lily was incredibly tired. Today was just another day of staying home with Harry, but the constant stress took its toll.

“Go back to sleep, Lily. I’m here now.� Lily gladly obliged, and James' thoughts turned to his situation with the Order right now. Tonight Dumbledore had told him that, surprisingly, almost all Muggle attacks had stopped in the past two days. Voldemort was otherwise occupied.

And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart

James knew he had no evidence, but he had an uncanny idea that Voldemort had found them. He was searching for their exact location, and was coming for them. Another tear dripped down; he couldn’t bear to lose Lily or Harry. They were his entire world. He couldn’t stand against Voldemort. He knew that. How on earth could he protect the two people he loved the most, the people whom he loved with all of his heart?

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she’s my only one

“Lily. Lily, please wake up.� James hated to wake her, since she was always so tired, but he needed to talk to her. “Lily, sweet, please wake up. I need to talk to you.�

Lily moaned softly, but woke up. “What is it, James? Is something wrong?�

James drew a shuddering breath. “I…I’m not sure, but…I think Voldemort found us.� Lily’s eyes widened. Even in the dark, James could see the fear in them.

“What? Are you sure? Shouldn’t we leave? Go somewhere?�

James shook his head. “He’d only find us again. And no, I’m not sure, but…I’ve just got this gut feeling.�

And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

“Lily, I love you. With all of my heart. Until the end of the world, I will love you. I will never forget you. I love you so much.�

James reached over and gently took her head in his hands. He kissed her lightly, but the kiss quickly turned passionate. James couldn’t help but feel his love for her, and he fell head over heels for her, again. Every time he looked at her, she captured his eye. Every time he heard her talk, saw her smile, she captured his heart.

Cause I’ve lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed

James remembered the pain he’d felt when Dumbledore had told him his parents had been killed by Death Eaters. He remembered coming home to a house with Lily and their newborn son, Harry. They hadn’t gone into hiding yet, so the windows were open and sounds from the outside world could be heard. James hadn’t wanted to be part of the outside world, and he’d sat down at the table without talking. Lily, concerned, had tried her best to get him to talk, and he eventually did, but the wound on his soul had thickened his words. And he remembered all the people he knew who had suffered from the war with Voldemort: Sirius Black, James’ best friend, whose own family had disowned him because he’d refused to support the Dark Lord; Alastor “Mad-Eye� Moody, who’d recently been hurt in a fight trying to bring in Death Eaters; Dorcas Meadows, not a close friend, but someone he'd known and had worked with, who’d personally been killed by Voldemort; Frank and Alice Longbottom, who’d also had to go into hiding with their young son; Remus Lupin, who had gone undercover with the werewolves – although some people, including James himself, were a little unsure of his loyalty; Edgar Bones, who’d left behind his wife and young daughter; and many many others. He had been closer to them than he’d known, and now they were gone.

So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where there’s no second chance to tell her how I feel

“Lily, if anything ever happens to me –�

“Don’t you dare say that, James. Nothing can happen to us.�

“But Lily, something can happen. And I think something will. Just know that if I die,� and it tore his heart to hear Lily sob quietly at those words, “just know that I love you more than life itself. Take care of Harry if I go.�

“Can I say the same to you?�

James smiled sadly, swallowing tears. “If you must.�

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she’s my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

“Let’s do this together, okay?�

James held his wife close. “Until the very end, Lily, and even after, we will always be together. I love you.� Hearing a noise in a different part of the house, James shot up, jumping out of bed. He’d grabbed his wand before even thinking. Lily stood up too, waiting for the noise to repeat itself. They both laughed rather nervously when they realized it was Harry, waking up.

Arm in arm, they walked down the hall into little Harry’s room. Lily picked up her child and began rocking him back and forth. Unable to resist, James hugged them both, and the small family rocked together in one motion, wishing the entire world would just stop and leave them this moment forever.

James whispered, “I love you, Harry. I love you, Lily. More than the world.� He kissed them both.

Outside, a door broke open, and a tall dark figure stood at the door, a wand raised and ready.

Lily, James, and Harry held each other in their last moments together.

So tell that someone that you love
Just what you’re thinking of
If tomorrow never comes