Lucille Rose Potter

Prolouge

"James! Can you get the door!" A young woman's voice called from the nursery.

James Potter set his year-old son down on the couch and walked across the room to answer the door.

"Good evening, Professor," he smiled as an old man with long silvery hair stepped into the small cottage.

"You as well, James." The raven-haired toddler on the couch squealed in glee as he saw the newcomer. "Hello there Harry," the Professor smiled at the small boy, crossing over to give the child a lollipop.

"Tea, Sir?" James ruffled the giggling boy's hair as he went into the kitchen.

"James, who was at the door," Lily came down with a bundle of pink in her arms. "Oh, hello Professor Dumbledore."

"Hello, Lily dear," Dumbledore smiled at her, "James has just gone to get some tea."

"Oh, alright," Lily said, sitting next to the child on the couch. She beckoned the Headmaster over and adjusted the blankets now in her lap.

"Do you want to meet her?" She asked quietly, passing the blankets over to her former Professor.

"Oh, she's a gorgeous child, spitting image of you, Ms. Evans," he cooed over the small girl. "What's her name?"

"Lucille," Lily smiled, heaving her son into her lap, "Lucille Rose Potter."

"Beautiful," Dumbledore commented, "just like her."

James came back in with three cups of tea.

"Ah, you've met my little Lucy Rose," he smiled, "she's just a little princess."

"I take it you've followed through with the plan?" Dumbledore peered at the couple over his half-moon spectacles.

"Yes," Lily sighed, her mood dropping immediately. "Nobody knows about her."

"Not even Sirius, Remus, or Peter?" Dumbledore rose his eyebrows in shock.

"No," James went over and put a hand on his wife's shoulder. "We thought it safer if nobody besides ourselves knew about her."

"Very well," Dumbledore sighed, glancing down at the small tuff of red on top of the baby's head. "I'm afraid it's time."

"No!" Lily gasped, "she's barely two months old!"

"Lils," James squeezed her shoulder, "we've discussed this, it's the only way."

"I will not give her up yet, give me a few more months!" She pleaded desperately, tears streaming freely down her face.

"Lily, we can't," James said, his own eyes watering. "He can come at any moment, we have to let her go, it's her best chance."

Harry started screaming at the change of mood in the room. Lucille screeched as she was woken up from her slumber.

Dumbledore passed the crying baby to James who began speaking soothingly towards her.

"Shhhh, shhh, Lucy, baby, you're ok, my little flower."

Lily bounced Harry on her knee trying to calm him.

When both Potter kids stopped crying Dumbledore cleared his throat and spoke again, "I do apologize for this," He frowned, "but it's difficult times, we can never be too cautious."

"Yes, we understand, Professor," James said grimly, Lily sat in silent tears. "We already have most of her bag ready, we will just need a few more minutes to finish packing it. We weren't expecting this so soon."