The Family That Lived

⁰¹| 31ꜱᴛ ᴊᴜʟʏ 1980

*being rewritten*

James was leaning against the door, a soft smile gracing his face as he watched his wife rock on a wooden chair in the corner of their room. Today, she seemed calm almost serene unlike some other days when she'd be cursing the baby, yelling at him to come out already..

For the past three months Lily had been exhausted, impatiently waiting for her due date. However, the way she is absentmindedly stroking her belly makes James thinks that maybe she is savouring the last few moments of her pregnancy. The bond she has with their son, carrying him in her for nine months, is something so special that James can't begin to imagine. Though watching Lily be pregnant with a baby who is a bit of them both, a testament of their love makes the his heart swell.

His mind takes him back to the years he spent chasing her, wanting her. They had bickered, he had pined like a lovesick fool, but then she had finally said yes to go on that date which wasn't perfect by any means. He had been a cautious blubbering mess, and she may have been critical. But they made it through and now he calls her his wife, the mother of his child and there isn't anything he's ever wanted more. .

The first time they kissed... it seemed like he could not hear a word she was saying as he kept staring at her lips, his eyes trailing towards her hair. The angle she stood in, the light perfectly bounced off those red curls. And her eyes... those green eyes that made him stop breathing the first time he saw her.

At that point, James had taken a chance, he leaned in slowly. The raven gave her enough time to pull back but when she didn't their lips met in a chaste kiss. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly it was Lily who deepened it, her hands coming up slyly and tangling in his hair as she pulled him close.

James somehow got more smitten, and Lily had given him one of her brightest smiles.

James has known ever-since Lily had shown him that muggle 'pregnancy test', he would love the baby inside her. He knew that him and Lily would do anything to keep their child safe, those two  would make sure he would grow up surrounded by love and happiness.

One day, when they were fooling around with names for their boy he joked about naming him 'visual confirmation that I had sex with Lily Potter'. She had laughed and commented that it could be his middle name. Ultimately, after weeks of discussions they had both decided on the name Harry. Harry James Potter.

Their son would have so many people in his life James couldn't help but often wonder who would influence his son the most. Would it be Sirius? Will the boy grow up causing havoc all around like James and his best friend had? Or Would he be smart and fierce like his mother? Maybe he'd be a bit of both like Remus. He might play quidditch. James could teach him. Which house would Harry be in?

He was instantly snapped out of his thoughts as Lily's voice came screeching through, "James, JAMES WHAT ARE THINKING ABOUT?"

'Oh you know just abo-'

"I don't care, James Potter, my water broke!"

Rationally, he knows they should rush to the doctor. Instead, James stood there. Frozen.

"For the love of Godric, move you daft dimbo", she said with those green eyes filled with such fury that James legs moved on their own.

"I am the one giving birth James, not you. You have to take me to St. Mungo's not yourself"

In a fraction of seconds, the man returned and helped her down. They proceeded to the hospital and while Lily was getting comfortable, James took it upon himself to inform everybody. Sirius was beyond delighted to meet his godson, he came jumping through the hospital corridors with two nurses running behind him and asking him to maintain the decorum of a hospital. Meanwhile Remus and Peter seemed overwhelmed and kept congratulating James over and over again.

Lily's friends had started trying to calm her down the second they arrived, bring her anything she demanded and reminding her to breath steadily. They were soon joined by Lily's parents who arrived a little late because of their muggle transportation.

Petunia had claimed that she did not wish to be present in a place 'full of freaks'. Lily had expected so, but it still broke her heart a little. Her husband, however, was there to console her. James had said that her sister didn't come only because she knew that their baby Harry was going to be way more beautiful that her own child was.

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Lily closed her eyes as she grunted while pushing the little baby out, and James screamed as his wife's nails dug into his arms. Lily felt like she was pushing an elephant out, and James was pretty sure that his nerves were going to damage somehow. 

It might have lasted a few minutes, or maybe what felt like hours but that pain and the screaming was all forgotten when in the midst of it all emerged a cry.

Their son was here. He had a head full of black hair. Lily held the child in her hand and stroked the small head while looking at her husband. He flashed her the same grin he has been since their third year.

James stroked his wife's now sweat drenched hair and planted a kiss on the top. She had given him the best gift he could have ever asked for. A few hours later they returned to the comfort of their home, where James found himself seated between Sirius and Remus as he held little Harry carefully in his arms.

"I can't decide if he is more like you or Lily", said Remus as Harry looked at him with baby doe eyes.

"Are you kidding me? He is gorgeous, it's all Lily," replied James looking deep into the newborn's greyish eyes.

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While, James and Lily had originally asked Sirius to be his child's godfather, something didn't feel right. James's childhood, all their years in Hogwarts had been spent together. Marauders had always balance each other out, they were and are together in everything they do.

So, back at home James told Remus that he wanted him and Sirius to be his son's godfather. He explained that there was nobody else he would trust more with this, maybe Peter but he was rarely available nowadays.

The conversations, the vows those two godfathers made to protect their little boy no matter what happens led to a few tears trickling down. No, they didn't sob on each other's shoulders with snot covering their faces and eyes turning red. They were very... mature about it. However,  when they stepped out, it was with the happiest smile on their face. 

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Lily had been napping on the long couch directly opposite to the three men. Her eyes opened slowly, she was going to groan and stretch her limbs out, but then she was the most serene sight.

She saw the three pranksters who would never stop howling, sit quietly. They started at her baby- raising their brows or tilting their heads, all in attempts to make the newborn laugh.

James, with his hair as messy as they always had been, grinned at his child. He narrowed his eyes towards his nose and scrunched up his lips. Lily thought he looked adorable, as dorky as she has always known him to be.

Beside her husband was Sirius who was moving his hand like an ocean wave.
Harry lifted his hand slightly and caught hold of the man's little finger. She saw everything in Padfoot melt. He seemed like a puddle being held together by the grip of a day old child.

On the left was Remus, the intellect, the logical one of the group. For as long as she has known him, he's been composed. From being in class, to their prefect duties Remus had always been calm and collected. So now, as Lily watched him hunched up and sticking his tongue out, it was difficult for Lily to recognise the man.

She had not been expecting to wake up to this, her heart seemed to grow heavier with happiness. This was their family, the four... now five of them. Each person in this house would do anything for any of them. Lily sighed, this is the house she wants her child to grow up in. This is the home she had dreamed of.