Unofficial Portkey Archive

SGR's Note: Well, the plagiarism is all cleared up and everything is back to normal. I apologize for not getting this out sooner, but I've been quite busy back here at home, doing important things like going to the beach and surfing and tanning and going to a giant music festival, you know, that ol' chestnut.

Anyways, I've just finished mapping out the rest of the book, and I'm not going to say how many chapters there are going to be because it adds to the shock of the end of the book...not as if you guys have any doubt as to what happens to our favorite couple. I will say that I will be a wreck when I finish writing it.

And here is chapter eleven:

"Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are near to us
Once more."
-Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Judy Garland

Those Who Have Thrice Defied Him
Chapter Eleven

Harry's first Halloween went without a hitch, except for Lily screeching at Sirius for turning into a dog around the baby. James had protested that it was fine, that Sirius washed himself daily, and that the beast next to a (very) miniature version of Hagrid (as was Harry's Halloween costume) was classic, but Lily refused to relent until Sirius turned back into a human.

November went just as smoothly, with Sirius joining the family on weekends. Harry was sleeping through the night, which meant that Lily and James could get back to being married and not worrying about the baby so much. Lily was keeping a correspondence with Emmeline about all of the latest gossip going around the office, and as far as she knew, Em and Remus were still secret lovers.

December rolled around cold and snowy. Harry came down with a terrible flu at the beginning of the month, which he passed to his parents, who passed it to Sirius, who infected the entire Auror office.

Christmas was fast approaching, and with it, Dumbledore gave them one of the best Christmas presents he could. He asked them to come to his office a few days before the holiday, after all of the students who were going home had gone.

"Please, sit down," he said, offering them seats in front of him. James was holding Harry, who was now able to fully sit up (with assistance), and loved nothing more than to sit on his father's lap and stare at people (when his mother wasn't playing with his feet, that is).

"What is this all about?" Lily said, her nose still a bit stuffy.

"I have some rather pleasant news, which is very hard to come by these days," Dumbledore said, beaming a bit at Harry, who was chewing on James' finger again. "From all of our sources, it seems as though Voldemort has lessened his focus on you."

"So does this mean we can come out of hiding?" James said, excited.

"No, I am afraid not," Dumbledore shook his head lightly. "While Voldemort seems to believe that young Neville Longbottom is the one he should be after, I do not think it wise to give him an open target of someone who might be the one. However, I have been asked to invite you to the annual Christmas party at the Auror office."

"Prof-Albus!" Lily said, almost forgetting herself in her excitement. "Do you think it's safe to go?"

"The Aurors will be present, as will myself. Living out in the open is too dangerous, but I think a small Christmas party would be a possibility," Dumbledore smiled. "After all, barely anyone in the office has seen the baby, and I know they are all just dying to see the baby that they work so hard to protect."

"Can you believe it, James?" Lily said, lying on her back on the floor with him. He was levitating Harry in the air, bringing him down occasionally for a kiss or a tickle from his mother. "We finally get to see all of our friends again!"

James reached up and tickled Harry in the stomach, grinning. "You like that, don't you Harry? You're a natural in the air."

"Are you listening to me?" Lily said, but not really angry.

"I always listen to you," James said, reaching up and grabbing Harry's feet. "But right now, I'm enjoying my baby boy."

"You know," Lily said, taking his arm in hers and putting her chin next to his shoulder. "In one way, I'm glad that we have to stay in hiding."

"Why's that?" James said, grabbing Harry's feet alternately.

"Because think of how much we'd be working. I didn't know how I was going to work and have the baby at the same time, but this pretty much solved everything for us, don't you think?"

"Just the little problem of being hunted," James grinned sitting up and plucking Harry out of the air.

"Even so," Lily said, sitting up and tickling Harry in the stomach. "We have a family now. And since Voldemort is probably not even going to go after us, we're not under pressure."

"I love you," James leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Crazy moods and all." He lifted Harry into the air and watched as his arms and legs flailed about. "And I love you too, Harry."

While his arms were up in the air, Lily crawled into them, snuggling up to his chest. "I'm happy, James," she closed her eyes and smiled.

"Bout damn time," James brought Harry to rest in her lap before lifting him up into the air.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Lily eyed him.

"Doing what?"

"Lifting him up like that?"

"Quidditch training," James said, as if it was the most elementary thing in the world. "My dad kept me in the air for ninety percent of the day when I was a baby. You have to start early."

"So when are you breaking out the brooms?" Lily chuckled, kissing her hand and pressing it to Harry's cheek.

"Oh, I won't be doing that until he's walking, at least. I've got my old training broom at my mum's house."

Lily reached up behind her to slide her hands through his hair, lovingly. "I guess this means I have to start shopping for Christmas presents, hm? If we're going to see everyone, it's only fair..."

"Just not to Emmeline," James muttered, kissing her hair. "I daresay we've given her all presents for every occasion for the next five years."

"Wow!" Remus exclaimed, nearly dropping his glass. Lily and James had just entered the room, with Harry in arm, sporting a very festive Christmas jumper. Remus crossed the room in three strides and swallowed both of them in a huge hug.

"Lily, James, he's so big now!" Remus exclaimed. "Sirius had shown me pictures, but I hardly believe it!"

Harry reached out to grab at Remus' sweater. Lily, who was carrying Harry, grinned and handed the baby to him. "Here, you haven't gotten to hold him."

"Hey mates," Sirius said, a bit too quickly, popping up on Remus' shoulder. "Welcome back." The corner of his eye was on Remus, but no one noticed.

"James, he looks so much like you it's uncanny," Remus said, lifting Harry up to look at him. He squinted his eyes. "Oh wow, he's got such beautiful eyes."

"Hm?" Lily said, walking over to look at the baby.

"Look," Remus said, a smile coming to his face. "He's got your eyes, Lily."

Lily squinted and her jaw dropped. Sure enough, her baby's eyes had changed from blue to a greener color, and she supposed she had been around him too much to notice the slow change. "James, come look!"

James looked over Lily's shoulder and he smiled as well. "Well, what do you know, Lily? There you are."

"Hm?" Remus asked, looking over to him.

"Lily was upset because the baby looked nothing like her," James grinned kissing her cheek.

"Gene hogger," Lily muttered.

Remus gently cradled Harry in the crook of his arm, and the baby gazed up at him happily. Sirius was still hovering about, but he was soon muscled out by the group of people that had crowded around Remus, ooh-ing and aah-ing about the baby.

"He's a bit small," Moody grunted.

"Oh stop it, Moody," Emmeline said, standing close to Remus. "He's absolutely perfect."

"Look at him basking in all of this attention," Sturgis Podmore laughed. "Just like his dad."

"Isn't that the truth?" Lily laughed, sliding her arm behind James. "James is already turning him into a Quidditch crazy. Some sort of method of raising a kid, always keeping him in the air or some tosh like that."

"It's not tosh," James snorted, sliding his arm around her. "It's a Finnish Quidditch method of raising a child called the Kaltiainen method. I can find you the book, if it would so please you."

"When can you come back to work?" Sturgis asked. "We so miss your idle banter."

"Although nothing tops when James built that telescope down the hall to spy on Lily," Emmeline tittered, the rest of the old group following suit.

All of the new Aurors laughed into their cups with everyone else, not knowing what was going on.

James smiled, but his smile was distant. During those few months, they lost so many people. He looked around the room and counted the members of the Order; Sturgis, Kingsley in the corner, Remus, Sirius, himself, Lily, Emmeline,...Peter?

"Hey mate!" Peter squeaked. He had gained a few more pounds since James had seen him last, but was as rosy cheeked as ever. "Is that Harry? Wow, he's so big!"

Remus had passed the baby onto Emmeline, who despite her deep dislike for most children, was looking almost maternal.

"What are you doing here, Peter?" Lily asked, genially.

"I heard that you were going to show up at the party, and I hadn't seen you in months, so I thought I'd stop by and see my mates!" he said.

"That was nice of you," Lily smiled. "How are things at the bank?"

"Oh, same as usual," Peter said, his eyes darting to the baby.

"Do you want to hold him?" Lily asked, reading his expression.

"Oh," Peter shook his head. "I'm no good with babies. He'd probably start crying when I held him."

"Harry likes about everyone," Lily said, taking the baby from Emmeline. "Here, you never know, one day you might have a family of your own!"

Peter gently took the baby in the nook of his arm and looked nervous. Harry grinned at Peter, reaching up to play with the folds of his robe.

"He likes me!" Peter cheered.

"Harry likes everyone," James said, putting his arm around Lily again. "Takes after his old man."

"Then I guess we shouldn't get him anywhere near Snivellus!" Peter laughed, a bit too loudly.

"Not my son," Lily said, giving James a warning glare. "He's going to be nice to everyone, isn't he, James?"

"Oh," James coughed, and winked to Peter. "Yeah, of course."

"We can only hope."

"Albus!" James grinned and then faltered when he saw what his former headmaster was wearing. "Nice....hat."

Dumbledore was sporting a red hat that was covered in blinking Christmas trees. His eyes twinkled as he swept over to the couple and Peter. "Peter, would you mind if I-"

"Go ahead!" Peter said, nearly shoving the baby at Dumbledore, but not looking at him in the eye. "I-uh, have to get back to work anyways...see you guys later." And with that, he made his hasty exit out of the Auror offices.

Dumbledore lifted the baby to his eye level and beamed. "A Gryffindor, we're hoping?"

"He'd better be," James said, folding his arms over his chest. "My family has been in Gryffindor for ages."

"We can only hope he doesn't get into as much trouble as you did, hm?" Dumbledore looked at James over his half-moon glasses.

"He won't," Lily said, firmly.

"I seem to remember your mother swearing the same thing when I first saw you as a baby, James," Dumbledore handed the baby back to his father while James laughed. Dumbledore had been a friend of James' grandfather, who had perished during the fight against Grindelwald.

"Well, we can only hope that Lily is a better disciplinarian."

"Professor McGonagall!" James and Lily exclaimed at the same time, only Lily's was excited, and James was more of the nervous sort.

"I felt the need to prepare myself to whatever troublemaker I would be teaching in ten year's time," she said, and James handed her the baby. "I trust you've been putting the Kaltiainen method of Quidditch training?"

"You mean that's a real method?" Lily gasped.

"We have some promising students this year," McGonagall said, handing the baby to James. Lily thought that McGonagall was talking to her until she continued, "Some who can really handle the Quaffle."

"Always Quidditch," Lily sighed, looking about the room. She found Remus by himself near a corner, speaking with Sturgis about something jovial. He looked up when she walked over, smiling.

"Remus, do you want to take a walk?" Lily asked. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure," Remus said, nodding his goodbye to Sturgis. "What about?" he asked as they walked into the empty hallways of the Auror offices.

"Oh, you know," Lily said, putting her hands into her robe pockets. "I just haven't seen you in a while, I wondered what you've been up to."

"Nothing much," Remus shrugged. "Working a lot. I really miss having you two around. When can you come out of hiding?"

"Who knows," Lily sighed. "I'd love for you to be with Harry more. I worry what Sirius is teaching him."

"Sirius isn't a bad godfather," Remus chortled. "You should hear how he brags about Harry. His office is plastered with pictures."

"Oh!" Lily said, reaching into her jumper and handing Remus a picture. "This is for you."

Remus smiled down at the picture of James, Lily, and Harry sitting on the floor in their living room, Harry playing with his toys, and James and Lily smiling happily.

"I look horrid in it," Lily shook her head. "But I wanted to give you something to put up in your office."

"Thank you," Remus said, quietly. "I envy Sirius, getting to go visit all the time."

"We hear that Voldemort is done with us, mostly," Lily said, hopefully. "So maybe that means that more people can come visit?"

"I hope so," Remus nodded. "He's so...adorable, isn't he?"

"I can't get enough of him," Lily agreed, feeling as if the conversation was going the way she wanted it to. "So...ever think of starting your own?"

"Please," Remus shook his head. "I wouldn't feel comfortable having children. Too dangerous for them."

"But you'd make a great father," Lily tried. Remus stared at her for a long time before he sighed and his face slid into one of frustration.

"Emmeline can't keep her mouth shut, can she?" he said, finally. "I told her not to tell anyone."

"What's the problem?" Lily sighed. "Do you love her, or is it simply physical?"

"I don't want to think about it," Remus said. "I like how it is now, and I don't want it to change."

Two days after Christmas, James awoke to the sound of beeping. Gently rousing Lily and taking Harry from his crib, the three took a portkey to Dumbledore's office without any fuss.

PS: That little blurb up there is not ment to be a cliffhanger. They heard a beep and left the house, and now they have to move.