Jily Oneshots (pt2)

life is good, now

by rosssaliie on archiveofourown.org

A flash of lightning lit the bedroom, and a clap of thunder rolled through Lily’s chest. Her eyes shot open, quickly focusing on the sleeping face of her husband. She sat up, her hair in two braids in an effort to get some curls. She listened for a baby cry, hoping that Harry would stay down through the night. Unfortunately, another bolt of lightning appeared, and a second boom of thunder shook the house. Harry let out a small whimper from his room down the hall, and Lily knew he would start screaming in a matter of seconds. She dug herself out from under the blankets, and quietly padded across the carpet into the nursery.

The walls were painted a weird shade of yellow, but a few strategically placed pictures drew the eye away. The crib was in the center of the room, with a single owl dangling over the baby’s head. Harry already had tears in his eyes by the time Lily was standing above him.

“Hey, sweetheart,” she cooed. Maybe if she just calmed him down, she could get back to bed sooner. She picked up the stuffed owl that was next to him. “It’s okay, honey. Just watch the owl, huh?” She moved the owl in a flying motion, watching Harry’s eyes follow its movements. “Good boy, that’s it.” Placing the owl back down, Lily began backing out of the room. As she was about to close the door-

BOOM!

Harry let out a wail.

“Lil?” James called from behind her.

She could hear him get out of bed and come down the hallway. “It’s okay, he’s just scared of the storm. You can go back to bed, I’ll try to get him to sleep.” She smiled, but there was too much effort in it, and James knew she was exhausted.

James shook his head. “No, I’ll help. It’s two in the morning, if we both do this, he should go to sleep faster.” He pushed the door open, taking Lily’s hand in his, and walked over to the crib. “Hey, buddy. What’s the matter?” He carefully lifted Harry from the crib and held him against his chest. He bounced slightly, rubbing circles on his son’s back. “He seems fine, hon,” he whispered.

“Yeah? Try putting him down and leaving,” Lily challenged. She walked out, standing against the wall across from the door. As tired as she was, she had a look on her face that James only saw when he was about to be proven wrong. She watched him realize that she was going to be right, and he sat down in the rocking chair in the corner. “Exactly what I thought.” She played with her braids, twisting them around her hands and thinking about what to do. “We can’t stay like this all night, James. We both need sleep. We’re stressed out enough as it is.” The thought of losing Harry to Voldemort plagued their minds every day.

He nodded. “I know.” He stood up, trying not to jostle the baby, and motioned to the crib. “Maybe he just needed to be held for a minute?” He placed Harry back down, and upon seeing that his son’s eyes were closed, felt a small bit of relief. He waved his hand, motioning for Lily to head back to the bedroom. James took a few steps, paused, and looked back. When Harry was still asleep, he took a few more steps. He managed to get all the way out of the nursery and pull the door halfway closed.

Lily gave him a sweet smile. “Maybe he just needed a hug from his dad.” She stretched her arms out towards her husband, pulling him into an embrace. “You two are so cute together. Have I told you that?” She kissed his neck and started to move them back towards the bedroom.

Coordination was not one of James’ strong suits, however, and he tripped over Lily’s feet, sending them both to the ground. They landed hard, with a resounding thud. He couldn’t help the laugh he let out, though it was cut short by Lily clamping a hand over his mouth. It was only then, a split second too late, that they remembered they had a light sleeper for a baby.

“Mama,” came from the nursery, in the most precious voice either parent had ever heard.

They both scrambled back to their baby, and Lily picked him up. “Oh you sweet thing.” She pressed his face to hers, raising her eyes to James in a plea.

He caught on immediately. “No. Lil, we said we were done with that. He’s supposed to be growing up, we can’t keep doing it. It’s not fair to any of us, in the end.” He crossed his arms and pressed his lips down in a line. “Not happening.”

Five minutes later, Lily was laying on her side, with Harry in front of her, and James on the other side of the bed. “You are such a sucker, James Potter,” Lily teased. She had her index finger in Harry’s hand, and was slowly waving it back and forth.

James shrugged. “It’s worth it. I love spending time like this. Just the three of us…” He paused as his face fell. “I just wish it would always be like this, you know?” He ran his fingers over Harry’s hair, brushing it into a neater position.

“Who’s to say it won’t?” She placed a kiss on the back of her son’s hand, gingerly slipping her finger from his grasp. She used her now-free hand to caress James’ face. “We’re safe here. No one knows where we are.” Her head hit the pillow and she adjusted the blankets that were covering her. “We won’t be here forever, hon. Someone’s gonna make it safe for us to live our lives again.” She bit her lip. “We have to believe that.”

He laid his hand over hers, moving it over his mouth so he could kiss her palm. “I love you - both of you - so much. I would do… anything for you.” He slid himself as close as he could to Harry, and pulled Lily in towards him. “If something were to happen-”

“No,” she stopped him. “Don’t you dare think like that.” Her eyes began to well up. “Don’t even think about telling me to go on without you, James.” She shook her head. “Because I can’t even begin … to think like that.”

A single tear escaped James’ eye. “Lily, please. If he finds us… I couldn’t live with myself if I let him hurt you.” His voice was hoarse, as he tried to keep it low.

“And what about me? Huh?” She almost sounded angry as she spoke. “How am I supposed to live without you? How am I supposed to live… knowing that you’re…” She took a deep breath, trying hard not to let her tears take over. She sniffled. “What would I tell Harry?” She cupped his face in the palm of her hand.

James looked down at his son, who was now sound asleep with a smile on his face. He saw so much of himself and Lily in the baby, even at such a young age. “Nothing matters more than you both. Not to me.” He blinked out the tears he felt spilling. “I can’t let anything happen to you. Either of you, Lil.”

“Then it won’t.”

He gave her a confused look.

“Nothing bad will happen to us. Any of us. We’re gonna be okay, do you hear me?” She gripped the side of his face, drawing him towards her for a strong kiss. When she pulled back, she smiled. “Say it to me.”

James let out a choked sob, which devolved into quiet cries. “We’re gonna be okay,” he managed. He nodded and attempted to breathe more normally. “We’re gonna be okay.” He held Lily’s hand and kissed her knuckles, repeating the mantra in his head. He took in the sight of his little family - the woman he’d been in love with since he first saw her and their first son. It truly did warm his heart, and he couldn’t help but smile. “You’re right. We should enjoy what we have, not worry about losing it.”

Lily nodded. “Absolutely.” She laughed a little, but it was mixed with underlying worry and sadness. “Hey, isn’t Halloween right around the corner? I bet we could find a way to get some candy. Harry might be able to start trying some of the softer ones?” They each took one of Harry’s feet in their hands.

His smile broke out wider than before. “That would be quite the sight,” he snickered. He met her gaze. “I love you, Lily.”

Her face relaxed. “I love you, too.”

They both closed their eyes, pushing all fear out of their minds, wrapping themselves in their imagination of the upcoming holiday. The storm had blown away, but even so, Harry was no longer afraid with both his parents shielding him. They all felt comforted and safe, wrapped in each other's arms, knowing that - for now - life was good.