I've got you. Both of you, and I'll never let you go....

Chapter Four

When James woke up the next morning, he didn't quite realize where he was. It took a little bit for the memories of the previous night to come back to him. Voldemort coming. Lily dead. Sirius and Remus coming to find him, taking him to headquarters. Peter showing up. And lastly him falling asleep with Emma in his arms. Emma! Harry! James shot up out of the bed, his hands scrambling around on the bedside table for his glasses. Once he found them, he slipped them on roughly, his eyes immediately sweeping the room, before they landed on the two cots next to the bed. He let out a sigh of relief that the two were safe. He ran a hand through his already considerably messy hair, as he moved to check on the two of them. He didn't think that he could handle loosing Lily and one, or both, of his children.

He moved so he was sitting on the bed in between the two cots, looking down at his two children, and his only remaining connection to Lily - besides her good for nothing sister - and he didn't think he could take the pain of losing a child as well. James knew that he would have to tell Petunia about Lily at some point, not because he wanted to, but because Petunia deserved to know about her sisters death. James just didn't know how he was going to be able to burry Lily when the time came, much less tell someone about it. He was snapped out of his thoughts by someone speaking to him, or more like trying to get his attention. "Dada!" James looked to Harry, a small smile working it's way to his face. "Hey Harry." He said quietly, scooping his two year old son into his arms.

Harry gave James a toothy grin, reaching up to his fathers glasses, only to have them pulled from his little fists. "Dada, where Mama?" He asked cheerfully, his green eyes looking for his mother. James' face fell with the question. He knew that once the both of them were old enough to understand, that he would have to tell them that their mother was no longer alive. "Harry. Mummy isn't here right now. But, uncle Padfoot is..." He said, trying his best to divert the topic to something a little more cheerful. "Padfoo!" Harry squealed excitedly, still having trouble with his T's, but James knew what his Son meant. "Alright, let's go find him." James said, before shifting Harry to one hip, and scooping up a still sleeping Emma with his free arm. "Emma!" Harry said seeing his sister.

James shook his head at the two year olds enthusiasm and energy levels after the recent events. He walked out of the room, lucky the door was slightly open. He walked towards the kitchen, hearing voices coming from there. He pushed open the door, seeing Sirius, Remus, Kingsley and Severus. Wait, Snape?! He asked himself doing a double take. Seems like the git had a break from whatever he did as a deatheater. It was obvious and, very much evident in the behavior of the three order members that they were uncomfortable with Severus' presence, and did not have very much trust at the moment for him.

James watched Severus - who was seated at the kitchen table - as he whispered things to Lily's lifeless body. James entered the kitchen fully, and before he could say anything, Harry squealed happily seeing Sirius and Remus. "Ucle Padfoo! Ucle Mooy!" He squealed happily, getting all four men's attention. Sirius moved to take Harry from James, as the toddler was struggling to get free of his father's hold on him. James let Sirius take Harry from him, readjusting Emma in his arms so he was supporting her better than he was before.

Harry had latched himself onto Sirius, grabbing at his godfathers hair, Sirius making a slightly pained noise as the two year old did, pulling at his long locks. "Harry...." Sirius mumbled pulling the toddler's hands free from his hair. James shook his head at his son, a very, very small smile present. James turned his attention back to Severus, the man glaring at James, his eyes having softened at the sight of the young girl in James' arms, that looked so much like Lily. "Potter." He said coolly, clearly displeased to see the male Potter still alive. "Snape." James replied, not looking to the dark haired man who sat next to Lily's lifeless body. "Didn't know that you were allowed into secret headquarters, what with being a deatheater and all." James said. "James." Warned Kingsley, stepping forward cautiously.

Snape glared at James, the laters comment making his blood broil. "Well, Potter. For your information, Lily was my friend. I deserve to say my goodbyes." Severus spat at James. "Really? Friend? You're going to pull that card?" James laughed mirthlessly. "Please, from what I remember, the two of you haven't been friends since our fifth year after you called her a you-know-what." He said, smirking at the expression that engraved itself on Severus' face. "Why, how dar-" "Alright, that's enough. Severus, I think it's time you took your leave before an argument breaks out." Kingsley said forcibly, cutting Severus off and sending James a warning look.

Severus glared at James, before taking his leave, sweeping past James, his cloak billowing out behind him. James watched Severus disappear out the door, listening for the sound of the front door opening and closing. He heard it as it echoed through the building with a sharp snap. James let out a sigh, knowing he shouldn't have said it but he had a feeling Severus knew that Voldemort had been coming to kill Harry the previous night. He looked down at Emma, who was now awake in his arms. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, bouncing her gently. "Can I just ask why he was here?" James said after a moment, looking to Remus and Kingsley.

"Albus told Severus what happened. You know as well as any of us that He and Lily have been friends since childhood, even if they've had some rough patches." Kingsley said. "Albus let Severus come to say his goodbyes. We had hoped that you might sleep through his visit to avoid any fighting." He continued, his eyes looking to Remus as the werewolf moved Lily's body from the table and to a different room. Sirius stepped forward. "James, I know you don't want to think about this, but I, we, Remus and I, think it might be better to get her funeral done sooner rather than later. Save you the procrastination of putting it off forever?" Sirius said gently.

James sighed, moving to sit down having placed Emma in a high chair so he could feed her. "I guess. We can talk about it while Emma and Harry take their naps. I don't want them around for that." He said, placing another kiss gently on his daughters forehead as Sirius placed Harry in James' arms so he could also be fed. Sirius nodded. "I get it. Not going to tell them until they're older. How are you going to keep them, Harry, from the prying eye?" He asked getting James something to feed the two. "Not sure. I'll teach them to understand it and handle it. The only thing I can do." Sirius sighed hearing what James said. This wasn't his friend talking. But, at the same time it was. He knew Lily's death had changed James. Hell. It changed him. It changed them all. Lily was James' other half. The half he needs to function without breaking down. Sirius knew James was going to need all the support he could get.