October 21st, 1979
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."
Albus stared open mouthed at the small, unassuming woman in front of him. Well then.
Hours later, days later, even. He could not, for the life of him, figure out who the prophecy was referring to. The only family he knew of that was expecting and had even come close to defying Voldemort, let alone thrice, were the Weasley's, but Molly was due mid-March.
October 24th, 1979
"Well aren't you just precious?" Lily cooed down at the five week old she was holding, as she tried to grab at Lily's bright red hair.
xXx
"I want a baby." Lily said to James that night as they lay in bed.
"Hmmm…" James hummed, eyes closed. "Well you did look awfully happy holding Hermione this afternoon." He was exhausted and didn't want to think about pregnancy right now. Or the fact that they would have to move, their postage stamp size flat barely being big enough for the two of them.
"I mean, we have been married a year now."
"So, we have."
"And I was just thinking…"
"That you want a baby?"
"…Yeah." Lily paused, "And- And we're going to need an heir soon anyway aren't we?"
"So my parents keep saying."
"So? What are you thinking?" Lily questioned, laying on her back, wringing her hands as she looked at her husband.
"I think," James started, leaning over to kiss her, "That it'll happen when it happens." He paused, pulling her to his side. "Now what's really going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"What really brought this on?"
Lily sighed, laying her head on James' chest before starting to speak. "It's my sister."
"Say no more." James said, grimacing.
Lily huffed. "She found out she was pregnant a few days ago. And you know her. She only calls or writes me to brag or complain." She didn't even know why her sister seemed so excited, Petunia had never wanted children, even seemed to hate children. Even last time she saw her, just last July for their parents wedding anniversary, Petunia had complained about children, about how they were obnoxious, frustrating, about how she hated them. But now she's pregnant, and suddenly she loves children, they're the best thing to happen to her.
"How about this," James spoke up, startling Lily out of her thoughts. "If it hasn't happened by the first of the year, we start actively trying?" He had to admit, he wanted children soon too, but he wasn't going to rush into it just because Petunia was being her usual piece of work self.
October 31st, 1979
Wool's Orphanage was on fire. Auror's and Order members had been dispatched due to Death Eater activity in the area. Judging by how the fire was acting, it was of magical origin.
Lily stared in horror, who would set an Orphanage on fire? Everyone had a job to be doing, most were trying to extinguish the fire, Lily and Alice were comforting the children who had been brought out of the burning building, (Lily getting a start on treating them, as she was a healer, and was stationed, undercover, in a muggle hospital working as a CNA), mostly younger children as most of the older kids were out for Halloween, a handful of Auror's and Order members were going in and out of the building to evacuate. Her husband being one of them.
Her husband who still hadn't come out of the building despite said building starting to collapse in on itself.
Sirens wailed as emergency services finally showed. EMTs immediately moved to the group huddling near the road. While firefighters started to help extinguish the flames. It was no longer safe for anyone to enter the Orphanage.
"T-Three infants. T-Two w-w-weeks to six m-months. Two girls, One b-boy." The matron was relaying to an emergency responder, when asked who may still be in the building. Or how many bodies they would be looking for once the fire was out.
"And my husband." Lily interjected.
The responder spoke into her radio, obviously answering a question she had been asked. "Four. Three infants. Females and Male. One adult. Male."
The radio crackled. "Copy that." A short pause before the radio crackled again. "They're out already, need EMT here now."
The responder cursed softly as she immediately headed toward the other. "On my way. Will be there ASAP." She spoke into her radio. Lily followed closely behind, glancing at her watch. Half an hour, they'd only been here half an hour.
She needed to know two things. 1. She needed to know that James was safe. 2. She needed to know what his answer was. What he had told him.
Lily felt almost dizzy with relief once she saw him, sitting cross legged on the ground, looking down at his hands folded on his lap. "James!" She exclaimed, rushing toward him. "You're okay. Thank god, you're okay." She exclaimed, as she pulled him into a hug, feeling strong arms wrap around her.
"What did you say?" She mumbled into his shoulder.
"Wh-?"
Lily pulled away from him to make eye contact, her eyes moist and rimmed red, "What did you say?"
"Wha-? No. No! Of course I said no! Why is that even a question."
"I just- he said- I just had to be sure. You know?"
"Yeah. I- I guess I do. But Lily, you can't let him get to your head, that's what he wants."
Lily nodded. "I-I love you."
James leaned forward, catching her lips with his. "I know." he teased.
The orphanage finally collapsed in on itself.
Thankfully, everyone was out safely.
xXx
Lily had gone into the building once, before anyone had been evacuated. She had grabbed a ten year old girl and toddler boy from an isolated side room, before making a run for the door. Before she heard it.
"Ah! Lily… Evans." And she knew that voice, though the cold, sinister voice had never addressed her before. Never directly. "Or is it Potter now?"
She handed the toddler to the ten year old. "Go!" She pointed to the open door. "The door's right there, go!" She gave the girl a nudge in the direction of the door, watching as the girl stumbled the last few feet to the door.
"Join me. Lily Potter. Together, we could be great." She whirled around to face the voice. To face Voldemort.
"I would never. Join you." She declared, stepping back towards the door.
"If you won't join me, maybe you would join your husband?" He smirked, making Lily feel cold, despite the fire surrounding her. "He joined me. It didn't even take any convincing. I just asked." He smirked, saying one last thing before apparating away. "Think about it."
November 1st, 1979
They kept James overnight in a muggle hospital, due to James use of a Bubble-Head charm and the Order's use of a fire resistance Potion, they were able to discharge him at noon the next day. Lily had gone home to get the blue, beat-up 1953 ford F-350 truck her father had given her when she first started driving, before she bought her own car at sixteen. They couldn't exactly apparate from a muggle hospital.
"Do you want to stop by Mrs. Figg's on the way home?" James asked, as they climbed into the truck.
"Why?" Lily asked in confusion, side eyeing him.
"She has some half kneazles that were born a couple months ago. I just thought since we're not planning on having a baby anytime soon, we could instead adopt a furbaby."
"You're serious?"
"Completely."
xXx
Looking at the several different half kneazle-half cats, Lily immediately zeroed in on a small orange one with green eyes. Its face was smushed, fur fluffy, and it was trying to steal it's siblings food.
"Who's this little guy?" Lily questioned, picking the small kitten up making it squirm.
"That's Crookshanks." Arabella answered. "His name was Shanks, but then he showed his ways as a crook."
"This one." Lily said looking to James.
"If that's the one you want."
November 4th, 1979
James stumbled as he transformed back from being Prongs, gripping Peter's shoulder to keep his balance.
"Whoa, Prongs! Are you okay?" Sirius exclaimed, coming over to help steady him.
"Fine." James assured, letting go of Peter's shoulder and pulling out of Sirius' grip. "I am fine." And he was, just something about transforming had made him feel awfully lightheaded there briefly.
November 11th, 1979
"Potters! I'm Home!" Sirius announced using the key James and Lily had given him to unlock the door and fling it open. He had been working since the fire, just getting off in time to go home and sleep, until today. It was the first time he'd gotten to actually visit with either James or Lily in over a week.
"In the bathroom!" He heard James call from, well, the bathroom, along with the sink running.
He riffled through the kitchen for a glass for water. Turning to the faucet, he froze, seeing a bowl of water on the counter with a bowl of some sort of dry food beside it. He squinted his eyes at it, tilting his head until his left ear nearly touched his shoulder.
"What is this?" He growled; hearing James come up behind him.
"That. Would be cat food." James deadpanned.
"Obviously. But why?!" Sirius whirled around, only to shriek and jump away as he was met with his best friend holding the 'why'.
"Sirius! Be quiet!" James exclaimed eyes wide, as Crookshanks starting hissing at the very loud, dog smelling, human. James set the kitten down on the ground. "We can't afford to get another noise complaint because of you!"
"How could you betray me like this?!" Sirius asked dramatically.
"Sirius," James started, grabbing Sirius' shoulders. "Sirius. Look at me."
Sirius refused to look at James. Stubbornly looking anywhere butJames. James shook his shoulders slightly, causing Sirius to look at him.
"You. Are. Not. A. Dog."
"Then what am I?" Sirius wailed, distraught.
"…A human being?" James said slowly.
"But, I'm Padfoot…"
"Yes, Sirius, I am fully aware. But even to muggles, who don't know about magic, Padfoot's too intelligent to be a normal dog!"
Sirius paused before asking, "Can I at least hate him as Padfoot?"
James gave a longsuffering sigh, as he let go of Sirius' shoulders. "Fine."
November 18th, 1979
"There is a prophecy." This was how Dumbledore opened the Order meeting. "It speaks of a boy born at the end of July. This boy is to be the one to defeat Voldemort. So, please, if you are expecting, or learn that you are, especially if you're due near the end of July, let me know."
Alice cleared her throat before speaking. "I'm pregnant. We weren't planning on telling anyone, as I'm not even five weeks yet. I'm due July twenty-first."
"Thank you, for sharing with us, Alice." Dumbledore told her. The Longbottoms would definitely fit the criteria of the prophecy. Thrice defied him, 1. They were a both part of the Order. 2. Voldemort had directly spoken to them when he and his Death Eaters invaded Hogsmeade, trying to recruit, they turned him down. 3. They were both Aurors and had faced him once in the field, and his Death Eaters several times.
xXx
"Maybe we should… wait to start trying."
"…Maybe..."
"Like until April or May. Safely out of the 'born at the end of July' range… Hell, make it August. To be extra safe."