Chosen

Stupefy

Draco sat in the room of requirement, a necklace hung in the air in front of him. This was it. He had to do this. Then he could go back to normal; he would be out from under his father's wrath. 

..........................................................

"Stupefy!" James Potter yelled as he cast his wand at the masked Death Eater.

He retreated from the scene, his legs pumping with adrenaline as fast as his heart beat. He swung around the corner of the corridor, stumbling as he did, but quickly regaining speed. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder, only to see the unfurling of black smoke: Death Eaters. 
He rounded another corner and flew out to the main entrance of the abandoned manor house. Dumbledore had told him that he wouldn't be able to apparate out of the house; the wards were too strong. The corridor opened out to a room with the vaulted black ceiling, just like Dumbledore had said. He threw himself into the grate that flanked the side wall and clenched his eyes shut as the emerald flames enveloped him. 

He tumbled through space, images whizzing around him but he kept the image of home in his head. When the feeling of weightlessness left him, he fell onto the hard wood of their kitchen.

"James!" Lily exclaimed, rushing forward to cradle his head in her lap. 

He grinned crookedly at her, "were you worried about me, Evans?" 

She rolled her eyes before flicking the side of his head, "I see hitting your head did nothing to your idiocy." 

"You mean my charm and wit." He asked and she scoffed, getting up and leaving him on the ground. He scrambled to his feet.

They were still so young, it was hard to think they could have experienced so much. In many ways, Lily and James were still the young teenagers they were when they fell in love. Lily still kept her wand in her back jeans pocket, her hair still long and red, her eyes the brilliant green that initially intrigued James. James still kept his curled hair unkempt, he still wore the same glasses, he still called Lily 'Evans'. But there were changes too. James never left his wand around the house; he had it with him constantly - ever since the night Voldemort came to their house. When James' hair became too long, Lily was the one who cut it. And the biggest change was what they worried about. Gone were the days they feared for their own lives. Now they feared, not only for one another, but for Harry. Their son. Their unfortunate baby boy who had been burdened with the Prophecy. They feared what the future held. 

"Did you get it?" Lily asked as she sat on the kitchen counter, ripping her wand out of her pocket at the same time, so not to break it. 

James, having got up off the floor, dug his hand into his back pocket and fished out the ornate twisted silver metal that looped into a ring. 

"You mean this?" He asked, grinning smugly as he stood between her legs against the counter. 

She smiled at him, taking it from his hand and putting it on the counter along with her wand. She drew him close by the collar of his dirt-stained shirt and rested her forehead against his. "I was worried about you." She breathed and James could see her eyes dampening.

He drew back ever so slightly so he could run his thumb under her eye to catch the tears.
"You really think the big bad Death Eater is gonna be the end of the Great James Potter?" He joked and he won a smile out of her.

"All this stress is bad for you, Lils." He murmured seriously, "I mean, - wait, is that a grey hair?" He tugged at a perfectly red curl but the look on Lily's face was priceless.

"No! I'm only thirty-six!" Her face relaxed into a scowl when he howled with laughter.

"Not funny." She whacked his arm and pouted like a child. 

When he finally stopped laughing, he put his hands on her sides, massaging small circles into her stomach with his thumbs.
"I love you, Lils." He whispered, his eyes boring lovingly into hers. 

"I love you too, you imbecile." He smirked, then as she smiled, his gaze lingered on her lips.

Before she knew what was happening, his lips were against hers, burning her skin with every kiss. It amazed her, that even though they had been together for years, married and now parents, his kiss still took her breath away. His hands trailed along her skin, burning with passion as he gripped her shoulders, pressing her against him so tightly it was almost painful. Her arms went around his neck naturally, dragging his head down closer to hers, tangling her hands in his soft dark curls. They repeated the same words in each kiss. I love you.

.....................................................