In the Tower
Part Three: 1980
Summary: Sirius, Remus, and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything, except a little bit of food and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.
Disclaimer: No, I don't. Thanks for asking though!
Author's Note: I figured this out after months of thinking and five minutes sitting upside down as the bus bumped and jumped toward home. If it doesn't work right, then damn you I don't care. I confuse you guys already anyway. And I have no idea the rite for making a secret keeper. That's why I don't say anything!
Previously: "I'll let you read me your fairy tales," they heard Charlie say to a whimpering Percy.
"Yay!" Percy said happily and the door swung shut behind them, blocking out the rest.
"That was sweet," Katie said thoughtfully, and Harry nodded. "I'm gonna go to sleep, okay?" She said to Harry and he nodded, kissing her forehead in farewell. She nodded, and glanced over her shoulder once more at Harry before disappearing to her dream room.
A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; a bad novel tells us the truth about its author. G.K. Chesterton
"Well Harry," Katie said, smiling sadly as Harry looked back at her from his perch, "it's been fun." Tears started to stream down. "Do you remember that time that we swallowed a bar of soap and then bubbles came out of our noses?"
He laughed. "What about the time that we both got so drunk we started playing strip poker and I won, and you lost, and you still had all of your clothes on?"
"How about the time where we were listening to the Beatles so loud that your grandparents came over and told us to turn it off?"
"Ah yes, `Paperback Writer'! My favorite one, too." They started at each other in silence for a few moments.
Katie sucked in a big breath. "I won't forget you, child."
He came back over to her and gave her a huge hug, rib-cracking if she would have felt it down in Heaven. She felt his tears splashing down on her robes, and she cried all the harder, burying her head into his shoulder. She knew what was coming.
"But I'll forget about you," He said softly, putting her back down so her feet touched the ground. They were so close she could feel the three days worth of stubble he had when he died. Not see it, feel it. He kissed her then, and she wiped away his tears. "I love you, you know that?"
She nodded, wiping her eyes. "I love you too," she said, and then pushed him away. "Go now, kid. Scram! Your mum is waiting for you." With that, he nodded and turned, heading back to the perch he was on before she called him back. He looked back at her, smiled, and jumped.
"Remus," Somailia called out shakily from her sleep. Remus rolled toward her and gave a sleepy grunt of acknowledgement. "I'm so scared," she said softly, moving so she could clutch him to her, telling herself that there was someone there for her still.
"You don't have to do it, Som. Auror's take years of training, and then years of practice, something you don't have."
"We don't have years though. The department is taking everyone they can get as soon as they can. We're out numbered…"
"How do you know that?"
"Remus," she began seriously, "to get the numbers of the sides even, the department would take nearly every student from three years ahead of you to the one behind me. Just to make the sides even. The Death Eaters are more experienced, more deadly, more ready, and more eager for all of this then we yet know. This war will go on forever, I know it. Unless something happens. Who says that that something won't be me?"
"How do you know all of this?"
"Because they want me. They need me."
"Why? Just you? You can't change the world, Som!"
She shrank back away from him, sitting up in their shared bed and she stared down at him, stricken. "I can try," she said, trying hard to hold back tears she knew were already streaming down her face. She wiped at them carelessly. "Do you know how long it's been?"
"Of course I do," he said evenly, sitting up and staring at her. "It's been a year, one month, and three days." He looked at the clock. "Four days."
"I've seen her," she said softly.
"We all see her," he said to her sadly, remembering memories he's had, remembering just seeing Katie at random parts of the day while still at Hogwarts.
"No you don't understand, I've seen her, now while we're here. She watches us, with the boy I told you about so long ago. Every time something happens between the four of us, they are there. They're always there." She hugged herself against the February chill, and rocked slowly back and forth. He moved toward her with a hand outstretched, but she stood suddenly, turning from him and walking toward the door. Moon light streamed in, and he noticed something different about her. It might have been the light, but she was absolutely glowing with something he had never seen.
Lily lounged with a hot cup of tea and a book, stretched out on their couch. A hard knock sounded, and she jumped, upsetting her coffee and creating a large stain on her blouse. She growled out the spell and then jogged to the door, unconsciously patting down her hair. She opened the door a crack and then threw it in, hauling Somailia in and shutting the door quick with a snap. "Hey, how ya doing?"
"I need to talk to you about something," she answered, tugging on Lily's hand and pulling her into the kitchen, locking the swinging door and muttering, "silenco."
"Okay…" Lily said perkily, thinking of her overturned teacup outside the door, and hoping that Godric wouldn't try to get into it.
After checking all of the doors and windows, Somailia whipped around and stared Lily straight in the eye. "I'm going to be an auror."
"Ah yes, I remember James telling me about this. You know what the qualifications are for it, though. You know it will take you years to be one."
"No it won't. They're letting everyone in." Somailia waved her hand. "But that's not the point."
"Oh?"
"It's not."
"Okay so what is it?"
"They called me out. Lily, I'm fighting. Today. And I need to tell Remus something, but I can't find him. If I don't come back for a while, will you tell him for me?"
Lily said slowly, "Who says you're not coming back?"
"I'm just being careful,"
"If you don't think you won't come back then you shouldn't go in the first place!" Lily said, standing up straight and blazing.
"I'm not fighting with you too," Somailia said evenly, looking at her straight in the eye. "I have to do this."
"But why?" Lily was slouching again, leaning against the wall to help support her. Somailia realized how small and fragile they both were, in their conditions.
"Because I have dignity, and they need my skill."
"Your skill?"
`Yes, my skill," Somailia said without going into it. "Look, all I came over here for was to say bye and to tell Remus." She stood up straight, and took a letter out of her pocket. "First, give this to James. Second, when you see Remus, say this strongly. `Me too,' Got it?" Lily nodded mutely, staring at the letter in her hand. "Good," Somailia said, and then her shoulders sagged and she ran over to Lily and hugged her tightly.
"Don't leave," Lily said pleadingly.
"I have to," Somailia replied sadly, and hugged her tighter. Then she let go, and left the room, saying a pleasant good-bye to Godric who was indeed lapping up the spilled tea, purring contently. She opened the door, and was gone.
James ran through the door of Remus, Somailia, and Sirius' flat, banging headlong into Sirius, coming out of the kitchen.
"Where's Remus?" James demanded, and Sirius, a spoon halfway to his mouth, shrugged and grimaced as the warm oatmeal slid off the spoon and down his shirt.
James bounded up the stairs and Sirius called after him. "What's happened?"
"Something wrong!" Was all James said as he joggled the handle of the married couple's room and threw it open. Remus glanced at him and returned back to his search for a job. They weren't coming easily these days. James threw the newspaper he had clutched in his hand at Remus and it floated down and landed on top of Remus' head.
"Read it," James growled out, and Remus reached up and pulled it off from his head. A large headline blared out DEATH EATER AMBUSH, FOUR DEAD, ONE MISSING. And the moving pictures on the front page were those who had died and were lost. Dearborn Caradoc smiled easily up from his picture, never to know what his fate was, or where he was. Seymour Capper looked out of his picture uneasily, and craned his neck to see what was being said above him. Stephen McLaughlin, whom was quite a pretty face, smiled cheekily up at them. Fourth, Michael Durmit, who looked calculating up at them, sniffed haughtily and pushed his, glasses further up his nose. Lastly, Somailia Lupine who grinned at Remus and waved vigorously.
He gasped, slapping a hand over his mouth as the tears poured silently down, blotching out the rest of the pictures.
"When did this happen?" Sirius asked, coming into the room and taking the paper from Remus' hands.
"Last night," James said, looking murderous.
"What are we going to do?" Sirius looked heartbroken, and he unconsciously sniffled while looking over the pictures. James took out an important looking letter from his pocket and handed it to Sirius before kneeling on the ground beside Remus and hesitantly trying to hug him. "Why does Dumbledore want us?"
Dumbledore looked at the group gathered in his office, his eyes not holding their usual twinkle. The group wasn't large by any accounts, but it was large enough, with the whole group shifting uncomfortably and Lily rubbing her stomach impatiently.
"You don't know why I've brought you here, and I'll get to that in a few moments." He looked at them all, one at a time. "Voldemort-," Most everyone in the room shook, but Dumbledore paid that no heed and went on, pacing slightly, "-has been killing and recruiting at an unprecedented rate. Many have died, refusing him. Many who knew what was right and always told Voldemort what the truth was, no matter at what cost.
"Most often, the cost was their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Potter, Senior," He said, nodding to James and Lily, "Dearborn Caradoc, Seymour Capper, Katie Ah Bleu," Sirius' breath whooshed out as if he just landed on his face falling out of a swing. "Somailia Lupin," he said next, and Remus began to cry softly, not trying to hide it. "So many have died, so many more will die, unless we do something.
"I have a plan." Many in the room brightened at this, Dumbledore's plans always went perfectly. "Voldemort has been recruiting many, his so called Death Eaters, and I took from that idea a group that was not followers, but helpers of the needy, fighters for the good, always doing the right thing. And I've decided to call them," he flicked his wand and Fawkes appeared, singing his slow song, "The Order of the Phoenix."
He looked around at all of them. "Who's with me?"
Sirius stood up immediately, and striding over to Dumbledore, he said, "Where do I sign?"
"Good man," Dumbledore murmured, patting Sirius on the shoulder. Remus and the Prewett brothers, Arthur and Molly Weasley stood together, holding hands and walked forward, the back of a long line of people willing to help. Alastor Moody stumped up to the line, and Dedalus Diggle bounced over and started talking animatedly to Moody. Marlene McKinnon smiled sweetly as James and Lily began a heated discussion still in their seats, and began to talk with Emmeline Vance, passing Alice and Frank, who were also have a discussion, Alice rubbing her stomach with a scared expression on her face. Benjy Fenwick grinned and strolled over to the two ladies, starting to chat lively.
Edgar Bones and Sturgis Podmore came back from the signing looking happier than James had seen them in a long, long time. Hagrid lumbered up from the back of the room, shaking Dumbledore's arm pleasantly, and Peter Pettigrew snuck to the back of the line without many people noticing him.
"Aberforth!" Dumbledore cried, and ran over to his brother and hugged him tightly. "So glad you came, really quite glad."
Aberforth hugged him back, his nose twitching oddly. "'Eyo Albus! Quite a party we're having, isn't it?"
Lily stood up, looking down defiantly at James, and strode over to the end of the line and started to talk to Dorcas Meadowes with a hard look on her face. James wiped at his eyes, trying to hide the sudden tears, and stood up heading to the line with a watery grin on his face.
Aberforth signed last, and Dumbledore beamed at all of them, rolling up the parchment, and they watched as it vanished into a cupboard that locked itself.
"Tell no one of this," Dumbledore said gravely, and then perked up. "Cookies and refreshments!"
James and Lily walked up to Dumbledore a tad nervously and tapped him on the shoulder. "Ah, James and Lily! How are you doing? And the baby?"
"He's coming along sir," Lily said cautiously, and then looked up at Dumbledore. "Do you remember when Voldemort wrote us a letter, in April two years ago?" He nodded, and with a small nudge at James, he pulled out three letters and showed them to Dumbledore.
"They're becoming much more serious, sir. We need to be protected," he sighed and said shakily, "We need a Secret Keeper."
Dumbledore led them to their chairs and sat down beside James, looking at them seriously down his long, crooked nose. Lily looked utterly terrified.
"Is there anyone here in this room that you do not trust?" James looked out across the room and studied every face. Sirius grinned at him from across the room, catching up with Peter. Remus was giving everyone in the room sad, dark looks. James' eyes settled on him, and remained there for a long time.
Heaving a great sigh, James leaned toward Dumbledore saying quietly, "Remus has been rather… distant lately, not talking to Sirius or any of us. Frankly, it's unnerving." Dumbledore held back the fact that James didn't speak hardly a word to Peter Pettigrew the last six months of school, but held it in.
"Would you like me to be your secret keeper?" Dumbledore asked, imploringly. Lily shook her head.
"If there's anyone that we trust more than you, Dumbledore (and that's hardly anyone), it would be Sirius."
"Why don't you ask him?" He said softly. Lily nodded distractedly and detangled her hand from James', running it through her hair. She walked up to Sirius and tugged his robed arm impatiently, and he looked down at her and alarm surged into his face, and as she led him to James and Dumbledore, confusing overtook the alarm. Lily sat him down next to her and took his hands into hers.
"What's wrong?" Sirius said, looking at the rather somber group.
"We need a Secret Keeper," James said dolefully, and looked at him. "You are our first, and practically only choice." James gave him a pleading look.
Sirius leaned back, and his eyes teared up, the salty tears leaking down his face, but he either didn't notice or didn't care. Either way, he shook his head. "Nah, James, you can't make me do it! They'll go after me instantly; I don't know how long I'll hold out." He began to cry in earnest, and Lily wrapped him into her arms and let him cry. "You can't trust me," he said, his voice cracking.
"Who else can we trust, if not you?" James asked softly.
"Pete?"
"Pete," Lily and James agreed, and Dumbledore, again, frowned deep in thought.
James fetched him and made him stand in front of them. James asked, Peter said he'd be delighted. At the time, Lily thought, "Weird little bugger. Doesn't he know what's at stakes?"
Sirius and Peter left soon afterward, as did most of the now Order of the Phoenix, but James and Lily stayed behind. Dumbledore came back to them after Aberforth left, and asked why they were still there.
"Well, sir," Lily began hesitantly, "We need jobs. And we would feel so much better if we could be at Hogwarts, protected."
Dumbledore bridged his fingers together. "Of course, you are welcome. There are not, however, any jobs that need filling. However, we can make some up, if you desire?"
"I'd like to help Professor Flitwick, if you don't mind, sir."
"Done. And you, Mr. Potter?"
James blushed, odd, and said bashfully, odder, "I don't know quite what I would be good at, sir."
"Well, you're very good at Quidditch, and excellent at Transfiguration. Which would you prefer? Both assisting jobs?"
"Sir," James said carefully, "how do you assist teaching Quidditch?"
"Well, there are a lot of youngsters that are taught, two houses at a time, when we first begin teaching, you know."
"I know," James said, smiling at Lily, reminiscing. "I'll do that!" He said with some finality. They stood up together. Dumbledore shook their hands.
"I'll see you in three months."
"Hallo dear, wonderful to see you again." Katie looked up at her and grinned uncertainly, bouncing a baby on her knee. She started to cry.
"Say hi to mommy, Cecilia!" Katie said, turning around completely, waving the smiling baby's hand. Somailia began to sob and ran to them, scooping them into her arms and crying her eyes out. Cecilia didn't cry a bit.
"My two best girls," Somailia said smiling her lights out. "Why are you crying?" She asked Katie, pulling back.
"Why are you crying?" Katie retorted, wiping her eyes.
"It's been, oh, let me count… two and half years since you've died."
"Yeah, but you've seen me. Why does it matter how long it's been?"
"People change, silly ass. We aren't the same." Katie looked mournfully over the side of the ever changing cloud coverage, looking down at Lily while she dueled with Death Eaters and James with Lucius Malfoy and Sirius with Snape.
"I've known that for a very long time," she handed Cecilia over to Somailia and walked to the edge, looking down and crying slightly. "I love them, you know. More than you'll ever know."
"Love who?" Somailia kissed her baby's feet and made the loud kissing noise.
"James, Sirius, Lily, Remus." She stood there, for hours it seemed, before she uttered the last name. "Harry."
"Harry?"
Katie nodded. "That's James' and Lily's baby. He's quite a wonderful character." She turned and looked at Somailia. "He's going to save them all."
"Who will live the longest?"
Katie chuckled. "We always thought he would die first. His `illness' and all," she said and shook her head. "Dear, dear Remus."
"How much longer will it be until he's here?" Somailia asked, worried. Cecilia felt it and started to whimper. "Hush baby, daddy will be here soon,"
"Thirty years," Katie said, rather regretfully. Somailia gagged and pounded herself in the chest.
"What about Sirius?" She asked, gasping. Katie sighed.
"Sixteen,"
"James?"
"James AND Lily will be coming next October."
"Goodness!"
"Harry lives though, thank gods. He'll have Dumbledore and Remus and Sirius, for a time, mentoring him and helping him through. And his love will be there from magical day one until his second to last."
"Well that's good." Somailia said sarcastically. "Thank Merlin we'll be there!"
Katie smiled crookedly. "Don't worry. We will be."
Lily stepped, waddled more like, up the sidewalk to the quaint little home that stood there. She got to the stoop and rang the bell, and began pacing. The door opened and she whipped toward it as a toddler's cry rang out through the open door way. "What, exactly, are you doing here?" The lady hissed and pulled Lily in, shutting the door behind her and peering out the window, hoping none of the neighbor's saw. Lily sighed.
"Nice to see you, Petunia. Tell me, how have you been?" Considering the fact that Petunia had baby throw-up in copious amounts on her periwinkle sweater and the house was a mess, quite well thank you.
"Better off than you, I do imagine, since when were you pregnant?" Petunia nodded and moved away from the window, convinced none of the neighbors saw. Lily put her hand to the small of her back and rubbed it.
"Since nine months ago," Lily said dryly. "Since when have you been married?"
"Four years ago." Petunia said, sniffing, and upturned her nose and walked over to her rather red-faced child.
"To that Dursley character?" Rhetorical question really, looking at the child. His deep red skin would soon sink into Vernon Dursley's forever purple look, always looking like he was choking on a chicken bone.
She pulled her wand out to help Petunia with the mess, but Petunia shrieked, "PUT THAT DOWN, THE NEIGHBOR'S WILL SEE!" She hurried as fast as she could to her window with her boy on her non-existent hip and checked it.
"Oh honestly, your windows are covered, no one can see me through them!" Lily flicked her wand idly and the house began to clean itself. "You know why I'm here, and you know why I did that, so I can keep your attention." Lily sat down on the couch closest and lounged back into it.
Petunia gathered her child into her lap and sat herself down, her back ramrod straight. "His name is Dudley," She said quietly, simpering.
"How fitting," Lily murmured. "Do you remember when we used to have fun together?" Petunia blinked, startled, and smiled.
"Of course. Do you remember that time when I was eight and you were four and we played dress up in Mother's clothing, pearls and pumps, and then I stepped on the hem of your dress and you fell on me, and I fell in the bathtub, ruining the dresses?" Petunia giggled a bit.
"I don't want you to hate me, Petty."
Petunia's eyes started watering. "You know I can't. Do you hate me," her voice cracked, but she continued, "For doing all those wicked things to you?" Lily came over to her and held her awkwardly, Dudley crying into her breast and Petunia on her shoulder, and Harry kicking her abdomen.
"I never hated you. But Pet, please. If I die, I need to know that everything is good between us. I won't die guilty. I forgive you for whatever you think or have done to me." They clenched each other tighter and cried. Childhood is so hard to accept and remember when it's already gone.
Sirius rang the bell to James' and Lily's cottage, nervous like, and was immediately pulled in. James shut it behind him and locked it, muggle-ish-ly. And then, after some thought, he locked it magically. It was deemed satisfactory, and James led Sirius through the rooms until they reached the Kitchen, and he walked through. Sirius gulped nervously, and pushed the door open, following.
"We're all here," Lily said gravely, sitting next to a just seated James, holding his hand tightly. Dumbledore moved himself from leaning against their counter and sat down in front of James. Sirius sat beside him, and Peter beside him, making themselves into a semi-circle. "What do you want the password to be?"
James immediately spoke, "For Gryffindor."
Everyone nodded, and Dumbledore agreed, saying "So be it." He said the incantation in his head. Half way through he turned to Peter and said quietly, "Hold Lily's hand, Lily hold James', and James hold Peter's." Peter reached around the circle and clasped hands with Lily.
It went on in silence for twenty minutes and Peter said suddenly, "I solemnly swear that I will protect and guard the Potter family for as long as I live." A dark red sliver of light wound its way through the three of them, and then got brighter and brighter, blinding Sirius. He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, it was gone, and the rite was over. His Lily and James were protected.
He looked closely at Lily, who made a small, "oof," sound and then at the floor. "Lily dear," he said standing up and making her stand, putting his hand on her extremely swollen belly. "You're leaking."
James looked down at the floor and indeed, water was leaking from Lily's legs, the bottom of her maternity gown sopping wet. "Oh dear." He said and looked up at Dumbledore. "Could you perhaps conjure us up a car?" Dumbledore nodded and went out the front door and magiked one up.
Dumbledore said, "I'll drive if you don't mind." Sirius and James lifted Lily off her feet and ran her out of the house as quickly and smoothly as possible.
"I'll get Godric," Peter said unhelpfully and scooped the cat up, cradling him in his arms as he ran out behind them. As always.
Dumbledore drove as smoothly as muggles, and as fast as the driver of the Knight bus, getting them to the local hospital in less than ten minutes. It would have taken an hour with a normal muggle taxi driver. James thanked him oh so much and asked him if they could take off the first few weeks of school so they could get some sleep without racng to classes.
"Of course," Dumbledore said, and James thanked him and raced into the hospital after Sirius, who hobbled out of the car with Lily quick as grease lightning to get her a wheelchair. Peter dumped Godric into Dumbledore's lap without as so much as a "would you please?" or "thank you so much!" and scurried after the others. Dumbledore looked at the cat in his arms and stroked his head.
"They named you rightly," He said to the cat as he pulled out of the lane and into traffic, heading toward who knows where. Godric simply purred.
Lily cradled Harry's head in her palm as she entered their cottage, trying to keep him comfortable, and quite, as possible. James came in afterwards, "carrying" the bags and trying to make them look as difficult to hold as possible. Muggles. They just don't understand magic. He shut the door with a push from his rump and opened his fists, letting the bags float after Lily. He locked up tightly, quickly, and ran up the stairs after her.
He sent the bags to unpack themselves as soon as he got to the bedroom and tucked Lily and Harry into their large bed, pulling it up gently to her chest. She was suckling Harry, and he was doing it quite ferociously. "How is he?" James asked, sitting on the bed and curling up next to her, looking down at his -his!- son.
"Perfect," Lily murmured. James wrapped his arms around hers and they held Harry together. "Spitting image of you."
James puffed his chest out and grinned unconsciously. "I know. But he already has your eyes. That's odd for a child, isn't it?"
Lily nodded. "Very. But that just makes him all the more special, doesn't it?" She giggled a bit. "He already showed signs of magic," she said, looking up at James. He widened his eyes. She read them and nodded. "Really. When it was just he and I in the room, the nurses all gone, he shot out of my arms and started bouncing up and down on the room." James snorted, couldn't believe that he had missed that. "Then he started flipping while he bounced up and down, and then he sat in a way and zoomed about the place that made it look that he was riding a broom."
"No," James said, unbelieving.
"Yes," she said, smugly. "He's taking after to you."
"Dear Merlin," James said, looking down at the little sucker they were speaking of. "I hope he isn't a brat like me. I just won't be able to stand that."
"Oh he won't be." Lily said, leaning back into her husbands arms. "I'll make sure of that."
"Sirius." Lily said it sternly, catching Sirius off guard as he snuck into the house with little Harry in his arms and a broom stick following behind. He straightened up and turned to him, shaking snow out of his hair and patting it off Harry's little festive hat. "What did you do?"
Sirius showed a somber look, and Lily softened. Sirius hadn't been very… Sirius lately. "I showed him the world today," He said walking toward her and giving her Harry back, who cooed up at both of them with spit dribbling from his mouth. Sirius wiped it off with his sleeve.
Lily glared. "I assumed that was what the broom was for."
Sirius glancing down at her bashfully and said, "I put that nifty chameleon charm on us! No one saw, I swear. On my life," He added, knowing that would be the next question he asked.
Her stern façade broke and she burrowed her head into his chest, sniffling. "I'm sorry," she said miserably as his arms came around her. "It's just all these attacks! There are so many deaths, so many have died. "Kent, Little Winging, Oxfordshire, Chichester, London. Everywhere! I'm afraid any magic we do will attract them, him," she said with a shudder, "to us. I'm afraid he'll find us, and when he does, he'll kill us!" She sobbed openly now.
Sirius rubbed her back comfortably and shifted, feeling Harry being pressed into his waist. "He's not going to get you," he said firmly, removing her head from his chest and tipping her chin up so she looked him straight in the eye. "Peter is taking care of you, he will not betray you. And besides Lily, it's Christmas! Have fun, be merry!" He looked around the downstairs rooms. "Where's James?"
"In our room," she said hiccupping. He rubbed her arm and kissed her forehead and then leant down to kiss Harry's.
"Hope you enjoyed your ride, you little bugger." And then he bounded up the stairs to their room, where James had tied himself up in tinfoil. "I don't want to ask," he said, going across the room to untangle him. "Everyone in this family is hopeless except for wee Harry," Sirius said to James, and he stared, not unkindly.
"How did he fly?" James whispered.
"An utter natural," Sirius said, and the men both grinned. "He'll be better than you in no time at all. That is, of course, if your pretty wife will let him get on the broom again. But with all this Voldemort shit going on, and her overbearing self, he won't be on a broomstick anytime soon."
James sobered up. "With all this shit as you say going on, I don't want him on a broomstick until I know he can defend himself. Sirius," James suddenly clenched Sirius arms, stopping him from being completely untangled, "if Lily and I don't live-!" he started desperately.
"Oh shut up about that, of course you'll live!" Sirius said nonchalantly.
"No! Listen to me!" James said, growling, demanding Sirius' attention. They looked each other in the eye. "If I die, I want you to teach Harry everything we learned. Everything. He deserves knowing. If we die, I want Harry to go with you. I want him to be safe. Will you protect him? Will you teach him?"
Sirius nodded, holding back tears. "I'll teach him everything."
"I want you to teach him to fly. To flirt. To worm his way out of everything he can possibly do. Do you promise?"
"I promise, with all my heart." James' teared up and they rolled down his face and he brushed them off with his shoulder, and then hugged Sirius tightly.
"You're the only one I can trust with something this big." Sirius clenched his arms around James' back and held on.
Katie sat down on the edge of the bed, sandwiched between James' sleeping form and Harry's. "Hello my boys," She says, smiling sadly. She looked down at James and brushed her hand against his head, his hair smoothing down ever so slightly against her invisible pressure. "You're going to be so proud of him, James, he'll be great. He'll be…," She sighed. How do you describe Harry? "He'll be King Arthur brave James. A reluctant king, but a great one."
She shifted slightly and looked down at Harry, kissing him on the head. "Now you look after your daddy, Harry," she said mock serious. "He won't be here long enough to look after you." She looked at James again, noticing how his face, for once, was turned away from Lily and at Harry's crib, a small smile on his face. Harry, likewise, was turned toward his father, grinning in his deep sleep. Peace. Oh so delicate peace. Why does it only come during the night? It doesn't last.
She pounded her fists on the bed and cried, "It isn't damn fair! None of it's fair!" She looked outside the window and a full moon was out. She sobbed. "Not to me or Remus or Somailia or you, James. Especially not you James. You're going to be gone so very soon, it's cruel and heartless!" She screamed out, and then settled a bit, looking down at James and saying softly, "but it's for the best, isn't it?" A soft noise made her turn to face Harry. He cooed in his sleep, and more tears slipped from her eyes. She stood and walked to him, trying to brushing his unruly hair down, knowing it won't work.
"You are the most perfect baby I have ever seen. You won't want to be our little hero, but you will be." She kissed his head. "I love you so very much. More than you know. My little boy. My own hero." She turned to James and knelt beside him, one last tear slipping down her cheek. She held his hand and whispered, "I love you. I'm happy for you and Lily; it's nice to know that counted once upon a time."
Katie walked around the bed and went to Lily who was snoring lightly. She giggled, wiping at her tears. "Take care of them for me, Lil. They're boys and you know how much they make those stupid mistakes. They wouldn't survive with you. I love you too."
And then she was gone. And no one even knew she'd been there.
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