“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” James Potter was saying as he paced nervously around his living room. “There’s this little niggling feeling that we should stick to the original plan.”
“I know what you mean,” his wife, Lily Potter replied, “but what’s done is done. Besides, we should have a little more faith in Peter. He might be quiet and shy, but he won’t let us down. We’re keeping Sirius alive this way, James.”
“That’s the main reason I’m doing it this way,” James admitted, rubbing his forehead. “I don’t want Sirius dying just to keep us alive. It wouldn’t be half as much fun without him here. The only thing keeping me going would be you and little Harry.” As he said this he peeped into the wicker cot where his 15-month-old son lay sleeping peacefully, a tiny wisp of hair batting gently back and forth with each little breath. Lily looked at her son too, smiling that smile only mothers have.
“Is it just me,” she said softly, reaching a hand down to stroke her son’s cheek, “or do you get this feeling of completion now that he’s born?” James smiled too.
“Its not just you,” he replied quietly. Lily looked back at him and smiled.
“I love you,” she whispered happily.
“I know,” he whispered back. She laughed and hit him playfully, at which he dodged away, pretending to rub his arm in agony.
“I think I’ll go find Sirius,” he said thoughtfully. “Wish him a happy Hallowe’en.” Lily noticed he had that slightly evil grin on his face that he had not (and she suspected never would) lost from his teenage years.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Lily said warningly. “It’s not safe for us to go wandering around unchecked. What if something should happen to us, and Harry was left all alone?”
“Lily, we can’t let this war rule over our lives completely. We spend all day hiding away, and I’m sick of it. I’ll be back safe, I promise you. Have I ever broken a promise to you?”
“What, you mean apart from that time you promised to take me to New York on our first date?” Lily asked innocently, the corners of her mouth twitching.
“Oh come on, you know as well as I do that, thanks to Sirius, I’d consumed more than enough of my fair share of alcohol that night.”
“Yes, and why did I go with you again?”
“Because I was just too charming for you to resist,” James replied, grinning winningly and batting his eyelids. Lily laughed.
“Actually, I just felt sorry for you,” she said sarcastically. James pretended to look horrified and made his bottom lip tremble violently.
“I am mortally offended!” he cried, before flouncing from the room.
“One, two, three,” Lily counted under her breath, grinning. Immediately after she said, “three,” James ran back into the room, gave his wife a kiss on the cheek, and ran out again, calling, “I’ll be back in half an hour!” Lily heard the front door shut and some footsteps down the path and then silence. She looked back at Harry, who had just woken up, and was staring inquisitively at her through his large, bright green eyes.
“Hello little one,” she said quietly, tickling his foot so he gurgled happily. “Did you have a nice sleep?”
“Gurgle,” came the response. Lily continued tickling the foot and stroking his tummy until she heard footsteps returning and the front door opening once more. Glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece, she was surprised to notice that only ten minutes had passed since James had left. She looked up at him as he hurried through the doorway, cheeks flushed and eyes overly bright and full of something she’d never seen in them before. Fear.
“What is it?” she asked urgently. “What’s wrong? Is it Sirius? Has something happened? James! Talk to me!”
“I met Sirius on the way to Peter’s house,” James said, his breath coming in short sharp gasps. “He’s tried to contact him but he’s getting no reply.” Lily’s attention now turned to the other clock on the mantelpiece “ the Marauders’ Clock. It had pictures of the four Marauders on four different hands, showing where each one was at that time. Sirius’ hand was pointing on ‘Travelling’, Remus’ was pointing to ‘At Work’, James’ pointed to ‘Home’ but something strange was happening to Peter’s hand. It had turned from shining red and gold to deep jet black, and seemed to be slowly melting away. Lily gasped.
“I thought that only happened when-“ she began, horrified.
“It does,” James said, his voice shaking. “Peter is no longer a Marauder. He’s betrayed us, Lil.”
“And that means…” Lily’s quavering voice trailed away as her face turned white as marble.
“It means He’s coming for us,” James finished seriously. He turned to leave the room.
“Where are you going?” Lily cried after him.
“To secure the house as much as possible,” he shouted back, running from the room and barrelling up the stairs. Lily turned back to the tiny baby who had fallen asleep once more and a silent tear ran down her cheek. She knew James was only trying to keep himself busy, trying to stave off the moment of inescapable death. She knew as well as he did that by this time the next day, they would most likely not be alive. But what would become of Harry? She would defend him with her life, if only it would protect his. She stared at a photograph of her and James on their wedding day, and remembered, as though from a past life, a moment of complete and innocent happiness. They had both been blind to the trials of life then, yet now death was staring the two young adults in the face.
If Harry were to survive through her blood, for, as an intelligent witch she knew of the deep power of self sacrifice, he would be an orphan, left alone in the world. The thought of her not seeing him fly on his first broom, going off to school, passing his exams, getting married… She would never be a grandmother. She would hardly have time to be a mother. Suddenly her life seemed so empty and meaningless. What had she achieved in her twenty-two years of living?
If she couldn’t help her son in life, she would make sure he survived through her death.
She reached into the crib and lifted her son into her arms, where he nestled gently as a soft warm bundle, occasionally moving a small arm or leg. Smiling through her tears at his perfect little face, Lily began to sing quietly:
Baby mine don’t you cry
Baby mine dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part
Baby of mine
Little one when you play
Don’t you mind what they say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear
Baby of mine
If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
All those same people who scold you
What they'd give just for the right to hold you
From your head down to your toes
You’re so sweet goodness knows
you’re so precious to me
sweet as can be
Baby of mine
All of those people who scold you
What they'd give just for the right to hold you
From your head down to your toes
You're not much goodness knows
But your so precious to me
Sweet as can be
Baby of mine
“Even if you can’t see me, Harry,” she whispered softly, “I’ll always be with you. Just look inside, and you’ll find me there. Don’t let anyone put you down or give you anything less than you deserve. You are a prince, Harry James Potter, you are my little prince. And you’ll wear your crown with pride.” A noise made her look up. James was standing in the doorway. Lily clearly saw the first tear of his she’d ever seen fall down his cheek as he stared from his pale young wife to his tiny sleeping son. And she knew he was thinking the same as her.
He walked over to them, put a hand on his wife’s shoulder and kissed her forehead, whispering, “Don’t be afraid. I’m right here beside you.” Then he stroked his son’s head with his other hand. Harry’s eyes opened. Those beautiful, sparkling, emerald eyes stared at his father and then his mother.
And it was in that moment, while that invisible connection bonded father, mother and son together for an eternity, that the bang came from the front door.