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"Sweetie......son, wake up darling, you don't want to miss your first birthday, do you?" Cooed a familiar, gentle voice from above him.

The little bundled baby's eyes fluttered open as he looked up at his mother. The baby's sleep-blurred vision cleared as he took in the sight of his mother. He giggled, grabbing at his mother's familiar raven black curls. His mouth switched from open to closed as he seemed to struggle to say something.

Seeing this, the woman bent closer, "What is it, my baby raven?" She bopped her nose with her son's.

The raven-haired boy giggled as he released a series of broken sounds. "M-mm-ma-ma, Mama!"

The woman's eyes glistened with the sudden rush of delighted tears. She grinned down at her baby boy as she pressed little kisses all over his face. The baby giggled, not knowing what he did, but enjoying the attention nonetheless.

"Darling!" The woman called over her shoulder towards her husband.

A tall, dark-haired man strode into the room. He plucked the baby out of his wife's arms and swung him in a circle. The baby giggled, delightedly and clapped his tiny hands together. The man pecked his son on the forehead and laid down on the bed, laying the baby on his chest.

"You called, my love?" said the man, smiling contentedly at the beautiful woman.

"He said his first word!" She exclaimed happily as she grinned even wider and laid next to her husband on the bed.
"Really, what was it?" The boy's father grinned as he sat up and settled his son on his lap.

As if he knew that his parents were talking about him, he repeated his first word. "Mama!"
The man ruffled his son's hair and sighed, "That's 50 galleons lost, I suppose. Damn Lucius, he'll be 50 galleons richer."
               The woman slapped the man's arm and glared at him sternly. "Don't curse in front of my son!"

Said man had the decency to look ashamed. "Sorry my love, forgive me?" He asked hopefully as he gave his wife a faux innocent look. The woman said and shook her head, pecking her son's cheek.

"Well, come on then, the party isn't going to start itself." She told her husband sternly.

He grinned adoringly at her, "Of course it's not, let's get birthday boy downstairs, eh?"

_*_*_*_*_*_*

The party was amazing, everyone fawned over the sweet boy as the young couple smiled fondly and contentedly as everyone came to wish him and give him a present. It was one of the happiest party anyone had attended so far, granted, not many could be held in such a time of war. Everyone needed it, the chance to let go and be careless.

At around midnight, all the guests had left with smiles and full bellies, it was a joyful affair. The young parents wandered around the house, picking up a few things from the floor and returning them to their place. They were still high on the happiness from the party that they didn't notice the lone figure walking past their gates until it was too light.

The figure stood at the doorway, his white hair standing out in the dark of the night. The young couple froze as their eyes landed on the man that was now smiling gently at them as if he just came to gift their child, but the mad glint in his eyes gave him away.

Suddenly, he sprang into action, "My love, get our son upstairs, keep him safe, I'll hold him off."

The woman looked hesitant at first, but one look at her son and she was sprinting up the stairs towards his nursery. She shut the door and bolted it, placing her son in his crib before doing so.

The raven-haired woman trembled as tears streamed down her beautiful face, she knelt in front of her son and cupped his face. The little boy, confused as to what had made his mother cry, looked at her with his head tilted slightly to the side. She tried to smile for him, but it didn't match the emotions raging in her eyes.

"My sweet baby boy, listen carefully to what I'm about to say, ok? I want you to remember this my darling. Mummy loves you, Daddy loves you so, so much. We are always here for you, even if we get separated, we will always come back to you." She looked straight into her son's eyes. "I promise you, H...-y."

The woman flinched and whimpered when she heard the resounding sound of a loud bang and an even more unaccounted for tremble in the walls. Suddenly, the door burst open and she whipped around, clearing her face of any tears as she glared at the intruder defiantly.

And the intruder? Well, he just stood at the doorway, eyes flickering around the room as if he were taking in the sights, but the woman knew better. She knew the man held anything but kindness and well-wishes towards her family and she'll be damned before she let him hurt her family. She would try to protect him, no matter how futile it may be. It doesn't matter that her opponent is Albus Dumbledore himself.......