crossroads ✿ jily

Epilogue

Lily poked her head around the doorframe and felt a slow smile creep across her face at the sight before her...James was sitting in the rocking chair with Harry in his arms, and they were both fast asleep. She reveled for a moment in the peaceful silence of the scene, and then tiptoed into the room, careful not to make too much noise. She'd left her book in there earlier, and wanted to get some more reading done before she went to bed. Before she could get across the room, however, James' eyes flew open and he blinked a couple of times at the light streaming in from the corridor. Lily felt guilty for having woken him, as they'd both been so exhausted lately, and whispered,

"I didn't mean to wake you...I was just getting my book."

He stared at her for a moment, as though his mind was still waking up, and then glanced at the book in her hand and smirked. "I should have known to leave it outside the door."

She gave him a fake, silent laugh and turned to walk back out. As she was reaching for the door, he stood up as well, careful not to jostle Harry. She shook her head and protested quietly, "Oh, no...you don't have to, James. You looked comfortable there."

"He needs to sleep in his bed, and I need to sleep in mine," he whispered back, and then shot her a grin, "Or...if not sleep..."

She raised an eyebrow at him and fought the urge to laugh, even though she knew he was perfectly serious. "Make sure you leave his little bear with him...he hates it when he wakes up in the night and it isn't there."

"I know," James replied in mock irritation, then muttered, "You'd think I've never put my son to bed before."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm going to get back to my book."

"Don't get too far into it," he warned suggestively, "You're going to have to put it down in a minute."

She waved her hand to show that she didn't take him seriously, even as her stomach did a little flip and her face flushed. Rather than walk to their room straight away, however, she stood for a moment on the other side of the half-closed doorway so that she could listen to what was happening in the room without being noticed. She heard Harry give a little whimper as James laid him down in his crib...this was always the hard part. After a minute of silence, she heard James begin to whisper.

"You've got to go to sleep, I'm afraid...and I've got to go and put Mummy to bed now."

Lily rolled her eyes again, putting her hand over her mouth to stop the laughter from escaping. James went on, "Listen, Harry...let me give you something to sleep on tonight. Whatever else you do in life...make sure you end up with a redhead. You'll never regret it."

Even though the circumstances of his saying it were completely silly, Lily felt oddly touched. Before she could think more about it, though, he finished, "Goodnight, Harry...I'd better go. Mummy's waiting for me right outside the door...she must be impatient for something."

Lily jumped slightly, then smiled and turned away. Padding down the corridor, she went to open the door to their bedroom...and then stopped, listening. She could have sworn she heard something...something strange. Frowning, she walked over to the stairs and leaned on the banister, straining her ears. Presently, she heard a twig snap just below the window...and something about the noise frightened her. Turning, she walked swiftly back toward Harry's room and got there just as James was closing the door behind him.

"James," she said in a low voice, "I heard something outside."

He looked at her and his brows drew together. "What?"

"A noise...it sounded like a prowler."

He stared for a moment, then shook his head. "No, that's impossible. Probably just an animal or something."