A Different Beginning

Chapter I - The Beginning

  11th January, 1980 ...

James Potter stepped into the kitchen of Potter Manor, yawning as he rubbed a hand over the rough stubble on his face. He hadn't shaved in three days and it was starting to get annoying and slightly itchy. This seemed to be the way it always happened. He would get too lazy to shave, decide to grow a beard, and shave it off after a few days when it got to be really annoying.

He grinned when he saw the beautiful redhead sitting at the table in the kitchen, chatting absently with one of the Potter's long time house elves, Maddy.

He still couldn't believe that he had actually married Lily Evans! After everything that he had done to try to get a hold of her at school, she was finally his. He loved her more than anything in the world. Her hair was a gorgeous auburn colour that actually had hints of chestnut in it when it hit the light. Lily had told him that he was probably the only person to notice such a silly thing about her hair; but he didn't care. He had spent hours staring at her hair during classes all of the time when they had been in school. But it was her eyes that had done him in ... emerald green and almond shaped ... the first time that he had looked into those eyes his first impression had been, 'Wow'. Of course, he hadn't been interested in girls at the time, but he had still been in love with those eyes. Then around thirteen, he had taken one look at Lily Evans and fallen head-over-heels. His heart had simply pooled at his feet ... not that he would admit to something as foolish and lame as that, of course. But that's exactly what had happened.

His best mates, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew had teased him about it. Especially Sirius, who knew the exact moment that James had fallen for Lily Evans. Lily on the other hand, had found him egotistical, arrogant, self-centered, a bully and ... well, a downright prat. If he was completely honest with himself, she had been exactly right. He had been everything that she had accused him of, and more. She hadn't even given him the time of day until the end of their sixth year at Hogwarts. Then, James had seemed to ... mellow out enough for her taste. In other words, he had grown up which was exactly what Lily had been waiting for. He shook the memories back from his mind and grinned. Merlin, she looked beautiful. But then again, she had always managed to take his breath away.

He walked over and gently placed his lips on her neck. "I missed you."

Lily laughed, turning her head to smile at him. Her smile made him ache in all of the appropriate places. "Mmm, I missed you too, handsome."

James smiled, scooped her up out of the chair and kissed her softly. "I'm glad. I had a tough day at work."

"Why?"

James shrugged, "Lots of paperwork and stuff. I mean, I'm still technically an Auror in training, but with this awful war going on, they're letting people in like crazy! I mean Alastor basically told me today that I am now a full-time Auror and will be on call twenty-four/seven. However, the first thing that I had to do as a full-time Auror was hours and hours of paperwork! I hate paperwork! It's like being back in school and getting stuck with hours of homework all over again! It was dreadful!"

Lily smirked and ran her fingers through his messy hair as if hoping to tame it. "Oh, you poor, baby," she murmured as she covered his face in kisses. "What a hard life you live."

James nodded and pouted. "I know; hold me."

Lily slapped him playfully. "Prat." Then she kissed him again. "And I know exactly what you mean. Alastor told me this morning that I am also no longer in training. He wasn't too pleased that I took the afternoon off. I think he's going to have me doing double the amount of work tomorrow because of it."

"Why did you take the afternoon off? I didn't get a chance to ask you when you told me that you were leaving," James asked, carrying his wife into the living room and cuddling her down onto his lap, both of them oblivious to Maddy's knowing smile as she watched them leave the kitchen completely entranced in each other.