December, 1979
Part One
Diagon Alley flowed with a small but steady stream of witches and wizards, dressed warmly to ward off an unusually cold December day. Though the sky was clear and the sun was shining, they walked quickly, avoiding one another’s eyes and going about their business with curt, clipped greetings. An atmosphere of apprehension seemed to have settled over the entire street, a cloud of fear that manifested itself in worried faces that were punctuated with frowns and anxious glances. Christmas cheer seemed absent; it could have been any time of year but for the decorations that graced the storefronts.
A young couple made their way down the street, watching warily for signs of danger. A man with round glasses and messy black hair scanned the buildings around them, while a woman with brilliant green eyes and red hair pulled back with a clip watched the crowds, searching for threats.
“This is ridiculous,” muttered James Potter, shaking his head as he glanced up at a second story window, certain he had seen a pair of ominous eyes watching them. A calico cat poked its head through the curtains, and he sighed in frustration. “It’s become a chore to simply walk down the street!”
“These are dangerous times,” replied his wife, Lily, with an understanding look. “We have to be ready for anything. It’s part of our job as Order members, after all.”
James kicked at an offensive stone on the sidewalk and sighed. “I miss the way it used to be when I was a kid”friendly, open, and safe.”
Lily nodded and slipped her arm through James’s elbow. She could feel the tension in his muscles, from both irritation and vigilance. She smiled slightly to herself as she idly rubbed her stomach, certain James would soon forget about the troubled state of the wizarding world, if only for one night.
Still linked together, they made their way toward the end of Diagon Alley, remaining alert as they had been trained by the Order. They were heading for Muggle London, to one of Lily’s favorite restaurants. Lily knew James would have preferred to remain in Diagon Alley; though it was hardly safer than the rest of the city, at least he could use magic openly should anything happen. With a sly smile and a subtle lie, Lily had convinced him to step out for one night, one Christmas date. It was for a special occasion, just not the one he was expecting.
As they left one world and stepped into the next, Lily felt James tense once more. Her own heart sped up in response, though she could not pinpoint the exact reason. James seemed to have a sixth sense about danger, and she had quickly learned to trust it.
Her anxiety increased as they turned the corner onto a narrow, cobblestone street. The sky seemed darker; glancing up, Lily saw heavy grey clouds through the close-knit rooftops of London. A brisk wind began to blow, bringing with it an icy chill and an evil stench.
“James, maybe we should go back. We can go out another time.” Lily glanced around, her hand once more moving to her stomach, this time protectively.
“Too late,” James grimly replied, stopping abruptly. He pointed toward the end of the shadowy road, where five hunched figures stood menacingly on the cobblestone pavement and began to advance toward them. As they drew closer, Lily saw that they were Inferi, grotesque bodies reanimated by Dark Magic to do Voldemort's bidding.
Lily grabbed her wand from the pocket of her robes and cried, “Expecto Patronum!” A sleek silver doe shot forth and floated nearby. She murmured quick instructions and sent it find help from the Order. James nodded approvingly as he took out his own wand.
“Quick thinking, since someone must be controlling them,” he approved, then cried, “Expecto Patronum!” as well. A large stag burst from the end of his mahogany wand, its head lowered as it readied to charge. Instead of sending it away, James directed it toward the Inferi, forcing the ghastly creatures away from them with its bright, shining light. “Let’s go,” he said, slowly backing toward the other end of the narrow street.
Lily turned and gasped. A large cloaked specter had silently appeared behind them, hovering in the air. The street seemed to grow darker and colder, and Lily felt her breath choking in her throat. She could hear the faint echoes of distant screaming and crying and knew the creature in front of her was a Dementor, forcing her to relive the painful memories of her parents’ death. She fell to her knees, clutching at her stomach as she closed her eyes against the dreadful fear threatening to send her spiraling into panic. It vaguely occurred to Lily that she had not heard of any Dementors leaving Azkaban; either it was a rogue or Voldemort now had Ministry sources able to control the Dark creatures and send them to battle.
Through a dim haze of pain, Lily heard James shout for his Patronus. Then a pair of warm arms encircled her and turned her face up to his. She opened her eyes to see the silver stag facing down the Dementor now stalking them. James conjured fire and sent it toward the Inferi, then knelt next to her, looking concerned yet determined and strong. She suddenly felt ashamed to have succumbed so quickly to the Dementor's effects. As her breathing slowed down, she gave him a reassuring nod. He took her hand and helped her stand.
“This way,” he said as he led her slowly toward a short sidestreet, concentrating on restraining the black phantom as well as the Inferi now following them. Lily knew it must be taking a tremendous effort for him to be holding back so many of the evil creatures, but before she could conjure a second Patronus, there was a sound from behind them.
“I don’t think so, Potter,” sneered a cold voice from the sidestreet. Lily whirled around and found herself face to face with a tall, hooded man in a Death Eater’s mask. Though she could not see his face, she recognized the voice: Lucius Malfoy. She shivered as the Dementor moved closer, the silver stag struggling to keep it at bay as James’s concentration was momentarily broken. He nodded to her as he turned back to the Dementor and dreadful Inferi, and she nodded in understanding: they would work as a team. She prepared to face Malfoy.
Lily fired a quick Stinging Hex at the Death Eater, which he easily repelled. Stepping forward onto the cobblestones, he fired a Body Bind Curse at her, which she blocked with a Shield Charm. More spells were cast, lighting the dark street with bolts of red, blue, and purple as James continued to guide his Patronus against the Dementor. He conjured more fire to beat back the Inferi.
“Incarcerous!” hissed Malfoy, sending white ropes to bind her. She jumped aside, slicing at the ropes with a Severing Charm. Before she could regain her balance and retaliate, he sent a second jet of red light toward an unsuspecting James.
“James!” she shouted, and sent a spell racing toward her husband. It knocked him to the ground just as the red beam flew through the space where he had been standing. It struck a nearby stonewall and sent bits of rock flying into the alley.
Malfoy turned furiously on Lily and began to move closer, his hand pointed menacingly at her chest. Behind her Lily felt the cold breath of the Dementor again, until James jumped up and forced it backwards once more. Her heart racing, Lily edged away until she was back to back with her husband again, wand raised against the Death Eater pursuing her.
“I don’t think you’ll be able to muddle your way out of this one,” taunted Malfoy, and Lily could imagine the malicious grin behind his dark mask.
“We’ve faced worse,” James threw over his shoulder, struggling with the effort of maintaining his Patronus against the Dementor while still holding back the Inferi. Malfoy laughed, hollow and cold.
“I don’t think you have, Potter.” He raised his other hand, touched the Dark Mark on his forearm, and Lily felt her heart drop. “Not this time.”
At one end of the street appeared three more Death Eaters, black cloaks closing off all hope of escape. Behind them stood a tall, dark shape, red eyes glowing beneath the hood of his cloak. He pushed back the hood and stared at them, thin lips twisting into a cruel grin.
"Going somewhere, Mrs. Potter?"
At that moment, Lily knew they were dead. They had escaped Voldemort twice before, but the look in his red eyes told her that he was not going to make the same mistakes again. He was not there to turn them, gather their power to his growing ranks; he was there to kill them, and she saw her death in his eyes.
Lily felt James glance over his shoulder at the new threat, before he looked directly at her. His face was still defiant, though she could see his exhaustion. He gave her a small smile and a nod to continue fighting; yet before she could, she had to tell him her secret.
“James,” she whispered, trying to keep her eyes on the advancing Death Eaters even as he continued to concentrate on the Dementor. “I have to tell you something.”
“Now?” he breathed back, edging closer.
“If we don’t make it”“ she began.
“We’ll make it,” James interrupted fiercely. “Help is on the way.”
Lily could feel his stubborn hope, and tried to share it, but they were surrounded by a Dementor, several Inferi, four Death Eaters, and the Dark Lord himself, and she knew the odds were difficult at best, deadly at worst. Whatever happened, she wanted him to know, so that she wouldn’t regret not telling him. She hadn’t anticipated telling him as they fought for their lives, however, and the words were difficult to come.
“James,” she finally blurted, “I’m expecting.”
“Expecting what?” he whispered back, completely misunderstanding her. In spite of the danger that surrounded them, she couldn’t help but shake her head and laugh.
“A baby,” she managed to gasp out between nervous giggles. “I’m pregnant.”
James’s wand arm fell, and the silver stag faltered. Lily shouted a warning as the Dementor moved closer; she could hear more cruel laughter from the Death Eaters as they spread out to surround them.
“What?” he asked in a stunned voice, and a sudden burst of power renewed the silver stag, which shook its antlers and began to force the Dementor away with renewed vigor. “You’re having a baby?”
“We’re having a baby, yes,” she whispered back and threw him a small smile. The Death Eaters moved closer even as the Dementor was forced back. The Inferi shrank from the light of James's glowing Patronus. “This summer.” Although it was not how she had planned to share the happy news, she still felt the giddiness of it fill her, and tears sprung to her eyes as James grinned. He leaned back and kissed her soundly, and she laughed again, momentarily forgetting the dire situation they were facing.
Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and fell to the ground, landing hard on the cobblestones. Warm blood began to seep through her robes, and she rolled awkwardly to her uninjured side, biting her lip in pain.
“No!” James cried, and released his Patronus to fight on its own as best as it could. He spun fiercely toward the Death Eaters and took down two with one spell as he stood in front of Lily, protecting her from further harm. Lucius Malfoy moved away for cover, firing spells in return, which James repelled with his Shield Charm.
Two more Death Eaters Apparated into the street behind them. “You will not escape this time!” snarled Voldemort, advancing on James while firing a vicious Reductor Curse. James barely parried it aside, his exhaustion beginning to show. Lily tried to stand and join the fight.
“Stay down!” James shouted, but she shook her head, determined to do her part in protecting their unborn child.
“You should really listen to him more, you know,” smirked a familiar voice behind her. “Most proper wives do.” With a gasp she turned and saw Sirius Black drawing his wand, while Remus Lupin chased away the grim Dementor with a shining silver Patronus. Marlene McKinnon appeared and threw more fire at the Inferi. Down the street, Gideon Prewett Apparated in with Alastor Moody and immediately began firing on the four remaining Death Eaters.
“Nice of you to join us,” snapped James. “Care to cast a few spells or are you just here to watch?”
Sirius winked and threw himself into the fray, immediately knocking one Death Eater unconscious before turning on Lucius Malfoy. Gideon dueled with the other two Death Eaters while Moody took on Voldemort. James nodded, then took off his scarf, muttered, “Portus,” and thrust his makeshift Portkey into her hands.
“What are you doing?” she asked in bewilderment, her shoulder throbbing. Her free hand, however, cradled her belly as it had so many times that evening.
“Sending you to St. Mungo’s,” he replied tensely, ducking as a stray bolt of blue light raced over his head.
“Sorry about that!” cried Sirius, a bit too whimsically. “I’ll get him this time!” He cast a powerful jet of purple light at Lucius Malfoy, and the Death Eater went down clutching his leg.
“James, it’s almost over, and I’m fine,” Lily protested. “We’ll go together as soon as””
James silenced her with a kiss, a favorite tactic of his when she argued. His hands came to her face, and he gazed seriously into her eyes. “Please,” he said softly, and Lily’s eyes widened in surprise, for he didn’t often use the word. “I want you to be safe”I want our baby to be safe.”
She could only nod, her throat too tight to argue with the look of concern on his face. His hand moved down to her stomach as he kissed her forehead. “I’ll follow as soon as we’re done here.”
Lily nodded again as she felt the unmistakable pull of the Portkey begin to tug her toward her destination. “I love you,” she called as the battle began to disappear.
“I love you, too,” James replied, sounding distant. “Both of you.”
With one last smile, Lily felt herself whisked off to St. Mungo’s.
Part Two
James Potter sat idly in a corner of the spacious living room of the Bones family, gazing around at friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate the new year. Sirius was talking animatedly with Fabian Prewett across the room, while Remus sat with Marlene McKinnon and her husband Jack at a nearby table, casually sipping a glass of wine. Peter was standing alone in a corner; James thought his friend looked paler than usual and wondered how he was faring after the recent deaths of several Order members at the hands of Death Eaters. It had been a terrible loss, one that had affected them all, but Peter had seemed more distant than usual since the murders of their own from the Order.
With a sigh, James brushed the maudlin thoughts from his head and took a sip of butterbeer. Tonight was the start of a new year, and he knew his hopes must outweigh his fears. His eyes traveled around the room once more, finally settling on a glowing woman seated not far from him. James watched his wife absently rub her stomach as she chatted with Emmaline Vance and smiled to himself as she laughed. She must have sensed his gaze, for she turned to look at him and smiled in return. He was once more struck by how beautiful she was, and how lucky he was to have finally won her heart.
“Oi, Potter!” called a voice, and James turned to see Gideon Prewett settle down next to him. He was watching James with raised eyebrows, his blue eyes twinkling merrily. He had dark auburn hair that hung low to his shoulders, and he shook it out of his lean face with a deep laugh as James turned to him, grinning sheepishly.
“Ah, I see. Young love.” He gave a mocking sigh as he took a sip of Firewhisky. James shot him a withering look and Gideon laughed. “So how’s she doing?” he asked, tilting his head toward Lily
James was startled; how did he know? They hadn’t told anyone yet, though they planned to at midnight. He hid his momentary confusion with, “What do you mean?”
Gideon raised his eyebrows again. “Death Eaters? Inferi? Her shoulder?”
“Oh, that!” James exclaimed, relieved that the secret was still theirs, if only for a little while longer. For some reason he was unusually nervous about sharing their good news; though he had been pondering it all night, he had yet to come up with a reason to be so anxious about it. “She’s fine. The Healers fixed her up right away. Thanks again for your help.”
“You’re welcome. And I’m glad to hear she’s well; you’re watching her like a hawk so I was worried.” Gideon took another sip of his drink and shook his shaggy head. “You two really need to keep these Death Eaters off your back somehow.”
“You have no idea,” James muttered, glancing up at Lily once more. They had been attacked three times now, and with Lily expecting their first child, James felt the pressure of protecting his family from the horrors of Voldemort’s war grow stronger every day. Gideon narrowed his eyes.
“You seem a bit distracted,” he offered. Before James could flounder over an answer, Sirius wandered over with Gideon’s twin brother, Fabian. Though identical in build and bearing, Fabian chose to wear his flaming hair shorter with a trim beard.
“James, tell this red-headed rebel here that the Appleby Arrows were certainly in line for the World Cup before the Department shut them down,” said Sirius, throwing himself into a chair next to James and offering him a second butterbeer. James looked down to see his own was now empty and took it gratefully. Before he had a chance to reply, Gideon jumped into the conversation.
“No way”though they might have had a chance with better Beaters,” he scoffed. “Porter and Higgs couldn’t keep a fly off their Chasers, yet alone opposing teams.” Sirius immediately retorted with a heated defense of his favorite team, and the rest of the conversation quickly deteriorated into a three-way argument on the merits of the Arrows’ Beaters.
James felt strangely detached; for the first time, Quidditch wasn’t grabbing his attention like it normally would. He found his thoughts drifting instead to thoughts of Lily and their child, whether it would be a boy or girl, and whether he or she would play Quidditch at Hogwarts, or maybe even professionally. . .
He was again brought out of his reverie, this time by a swift punch on the arm by Sirius. “What gives, mate? You’re acting stranger than Uric the Oddball tonight. You okay?”
James nodded absently and glanced down at his butterbeer; though it was still half full, he abruptly decided he needed to get up and get another one, if only to keep his mind from wandering. “I’m fine. Want another drink?” he asked, standing up without meeting his friend’s curious look.
Sirius exchanged a glance with Gideon, who shrugged. “Sure, thanks.” He returned to the conversation and began analyzing the Arrows’ Keeper. Fabian, however, stood and joined him.
“I could use something different,” he said. “Especially since I actually prefer the Canons.” Together they headed toward the kitchen. James was awkwardly silent as they walked, although he knew Fabian was the more soft-spoken of the two brothers and probably did not mind the silence. As they entered the kitchen, he offered a lame attempt at conversation.
“I hear you’re going to be an uncle again,” he said, grabbing a butterbeer from the bucket of ice on the counter. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sarah Bones, Edgar’s wife and a researcher at the Ministry of Magic, look up and make her way to join them with a broad smile. Inwardly he groaned; Sarah was a lovely woman, but he had just opened the proverbial can of worms in terms of baby talk with a woman around.
“That’s right!” she exclaimed, joining them where they stood and laying her hand on Fabian’s arm. “When is Molly due again?”
Fabian grinned as he poured himself some gillywater. “This March. And she just found out from her Healer that they are having another boy.”
Sarah’s eyes glassed over with tears at the mention of new life; James had noticed the same thing happened to Lily more and more frequently lately. “That’s wonderful! Will this be her fifth boy then?”
Fabian laughed, blue eyes like his brother’s twinkling mischievously. “No, her sixth. Bill, Charlie, Percy, and the twins. Arthur is thrilled, but I know Molly would love to dote on a daughter.”
Sarah nodded her blonde head in agreement. “Yes, every woman wants a little girl to dress up and take to tea parties. Samantha is an absolute joy for us. But there’s always next time!” She laughed in a high, cheerful voice before turning to James. “Fabian’s got to find the right girl first, but you seem to have found yours, so when are you two going to start a family?”
James choked on his butterbeer and ended up spraying it all over the counter. Fabian snorted, then turned to leave. James felt abandoned; it must have shown in his face, because Fabian winked as he walked away.
Sarah started talking about various other families who were expecting children, including her sister-in-law, and James quickly found himself drifting off again, idly wondering if his own child might grow up to know Fabian’s nephew or Sarah’s niece, his eyes searching desperately for Lily. She had joined Remus at the table with the McKinnons; excusing himself as politely as he could, he hurried over to her, feeling slightly wild around the edges as he continued to sit on a secret he was now bursting to share.
Lily glanced up at him as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She seemed calm and composed, though James thought he could see a sparkle of excitement in her green eyes. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I can’t stand this!”
She patted his hand and smiled. “Just a bit longer,” she whispered back. “That was the plan.”
“Buggers to the plan, I’m ready!” he muttered back, then kissed her on the cheek before standing up straight.
“Is everything okay?” asked Marlene, looking concerned. Lily nodded serenely, her other hand on her belly once more, and James swallowed, his spontaneous resolve deflating. Remus was watching them with a smirk on his face. With a sudden insight, James realized his friend somehow knew, and his eyes widened slightly. Remus inclined his head, his grin spreading; it made James feel better, and he took a deep breath.
“We’re okay,” he told them. Lily glanced up at him as if she knew what was coming next, but she did not try to stop him. “All three of us.”
Marlene gasped as Remus nodded to himself. Jack McKinnon raised his eyebrows. “So I take it you have a bit of an announcement to make that just can’t wait any longer?” he asked with amusement.
“We do,” said James, tugging on Lily’s hand to join him in standing. “Can you get everyone’s attention for us?” Jack tapped on his glass with his wand, and the room slowly grew quiet. James glanced at Lily, worried that she would be upset with him for disrupting their well-laid plans, but she smiled at him, and he knew it was going to be all right. The nervousness he had felt all night was now replaced with the excitement he had privately felt for weeks and could now share with those he loved. He had never been more proud.
“Hey, who stopped the party?” called Sirius into the silence, making his way toward them.
“We did,” said James, taking another breath. He felt Lily squeeze his hand and was glad for her support. “We have an announcement.”
He took out his wand, and with a complicated wave and a silent spell, dozens of glasses appeared throughout the room, hovering merrily in front of each friend and loved one. He Summoned several bottles of champagne from the kitchen and with another wave of his wand, they began to fill the floating glasses. He thought he heard a gasp and was certain it was probably Sarah, since women seemed to catch on to things quickly. Sirius, on the other hand, was frowning in confusion as he took the glass that bobbed in front of him.
“I know it’s early, but I’d like to propose the first toast of the night,” said James, his voice surprisingly steady. “I dedicate it to Lily Evans Potter, my beautiful wife and the mother of our first child.”
The room positively exploded into shouts of a joy. There was laughter and there were tears. “Cheers!” cried Remus, raising his glass and downing it in one sip. Peter joined him and raised his glass in congratulations as well, a look of stunned surprise on his face. Sirius, however, appeared dumbfounded.
“You’re having a baby?” he asked, eyes wide and jaw slack in shock. “You’re going to be a father? How?”
James laughed at his friend’s reaction, the nervous energy that had been building all night bursting forth in release. “The usual way”I'm sure I don’t need to explain it, do I?”
"But. . . but. . ." For the first time, his best friend seemed unable to get the words out. James wondered if he was upset, but then saw the same glassy-eyed look in his friend’s eyes that he had seen so often in the women around him, and he knew that Sirius couldn’t be happier: his best friend was just having trouble expressing it.
“But that’s unbelievable!” Sirius finally managed. “That’s fantastic!” He grinned, and James grinned back, feeling his own eyes start to prickle. Sirius finally bounded up to them. He ignored James and enveloped Lily in a tremendous hug before stepping back and placing a sloppy kiss on her cheek.
“Congratulations,” he said softly, his voice a bit breathless. “I’m just speechless. I can’t believe I’m going to be an uncle!”
Lily was positively glowing, and James felt himself choking up just watching her happiness. “Thank you, Sirius. I’m so glad you’re excited for us.”
“Excited!” he exclaimed. “Of course I am! I’m thrilled! ” He picked her up and twirled her around as they both laughed. “I just hope he looks like you and not your ugly lump of a husband here.”
“Hey, careful with my wife and child,” James chided good-naturedly, wrapping his arms protectively around Lily with a laugh. “And watch who you’re calling ugly.”
Sirius turned to James, his face composed. “He'll get your Quidditch skills, mate, and the ability to pull the best pranks Hogwarts has seen.” He held out his hand and James took it gladly. He was slightly surprised when his friend pulled him into a hug as well. “Congratulations,” Sirius whispered again, thumping him hard on the back. They both stepped away and found they were wiping their eyes. With a laugh, James nodded and turned to Remus and Peter, who had joined their small circle with equally ebullient wishes of congratulations and good will.
The next several hours passed in a blur as James found himself at the center of a number of conversations revolving around their upcoming blessed event. Lily was whisked away by several other women who regaled her with stories of their own children. Neither noticed when a tall, thin wizard in a deep purple cloak slipped innocuously into the party and made his way toward the kitchen for a small brandy.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” said a deep voice behind him, and James turned to look into the twinkling blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore. He could only nod stupidly, finding himself oddly overcome with emotion in front of the man who had almost become a second father to him since his own parents had passed on. Dumbledore smiled and winked as he extended a strong hand in blessing.
“You appear as stunned as most new fathers I’ve known, which I suspect will probably last for the next seventeen years or so,” he said with a laugh. James couldn’t help but join him, and shook the older wizard’s hand with all the joy and gratitude he felt toward his former headmaster and the leader of the Order.
“Thank-you, sir. I can’t tell you how happy we are,” he finally replied.
“Oh, I can imagine. Children have a way of doing that to people. Hogwarts will have a tremendous class of new students in about eleven years, from what I can tell.” Dumbledore sipped at his brandy as he glanced around the room. It was nearing midnight, and more Order members had drifted in behind him, including Elphias Doge and Alastor Moody. Several others had left the gathering to take their place on patrol for the Order, including Jack McKinnon and Edgar Bones.
“How is the Order tonight, sir?” James asked after a moment of silence.
Dumbledore sighed as he passed a hand over his eyes. James knew Dumbledore was concerned that the start of the new year might encourage more Death Eaters than usual to turn out for a night of magical mayhem. “It has been a relatively calm night, to my surpise," he answered. "Frank and Alice are still on patrol duty, as are Caradoc, Dorcas, and a few others. They should be returning soon."
Sirius and Remus soon joined them and they continued to talk quietly about the war and the Order’s efforts in the fight against Lord Voldemort. Not long after, another glass sounded to signal their attention, and they turned to find Sarah Bones with her wand raised. Like James, she was filling everyone's glass for another toast.
“It’s almost time to ring in the new year,” she began, “and since Edgar has gone on patrol for the night, it falls to me to make the midnight toast.” She took a deep breath and gave a small smile. “First, to those we have lost this year, witches, wizards, and Muggles alike”may they rest in peace knowing we continue to fight for freedom in their honor.”
The gathered guests raised their glasses in a silent benediction, remembering friends and family who had passed on. After a moment, Sarah continued. “To those who work so hard to protect the innocent and keep our world safe from those who would destroy it”may they continue the battle to victory.”
“To the Order!” cried someone from the back. “To Dumbledore!” Glasses were raised in the headmaster’s direction. He acknowledged them with a nod of his head, and Sarah finished her speech.
“And finally, to a new year filled with hope and promise”may everyone see their heart’s desires come to light no matter how dark the world may seem.”
There were cheers all around as the glasses were raised a third and final time. Someone called out, “To James and Lily!” and another toast was given. Others shouted out good wishes as well, their hopes and fears for the times ahead shared with friends and loved ones as the new year dawned.
And then the countdown began. James turned to Lily and took her hand, his eyes shining brightly as he thought about their own coming year and the miracle it would bring. She gazed into his eyes, and he knew she was feeling the same anticipation and excitement. As the guests shouted, “Happy New Year!” James leaned down and kissed her, until a loud wolf whistle from Sirius broke it off, and they were enveloped once more in hugs from all around.
It was as the guests looked forward to the coming year that they were abruptly shaken from their celebration and forced to return to reality. A silver bear burst into the room and settled near Dumbledore, who was exchanging a handshake with Alastor Moody. The bear spoke with the deep voice of Frank Longbottom.
“We need assistance immediately. Multiple Death Eaters attacking. Out numbered. Hurry.”
The message was quick and curt; the Longbottoms were obviously in danger. The room went deathly silent, punctuated only by several worried gasps. Dumbledore didn’t even pause to let it sink in; he moved swiftly toward the door, calling several Order members with him. James glanced at Lily; she was pale, for Alice Longbottom was a friend, and had been attacked once already by Voldemort. He squeezed her hand tightly.
“They’ll be okay,” he said softly, and kissed her on the forehead. “But I have to go.”
She nodded, a look of understanding crossing her worried face. “Of course you do,” she replied, her voice steady. “Go, I’ll be fine here.”
He nodded and turned to leave, but she didn’t let go of his hand. He looked back at her with a questioning glance. She smiled sadly at him.
“Just be careful,” she whispered, and he could only nod once more. Leaving her was suddenly so much harder, knowing he was also leaving his child.
As he walked out into the cold night, James gazed up at the clear night sky and shivered. The stars shone down on a world covered with snow, and the nearby houses glowed with a warm light as other families welcomed a new beginning. It was a peaceful scene that belied the ominous start to what should have been a joyous new year.
* * *
A Joyous New Year by Gmariam
Chapter Endnotes: This story was originally written in 2007 while I was pregnant with my daughter. It was called 'Expectations' and I had hoped to write all nine months of Lily's pregnancy. Owing to the demands of a newborn, I never finished it and finally took it down. However, I really like these two chapters and felt like they would make a nice pairing at the holidays, so after reworking them a bit, I am posting them with the hope you enjoy reading them – perhaps again. ;)
Many thanks to my original beta, Snape’s Secret/Snape’s Talon, for not only the initial poke to write this story back but her beta work as well! Any mistakes in this revised edition are my own.