Prelude

So this place finally becomes our past. How odd. She thought peering outside into the rain, a belated breathe slipping past her lips. Half filled with remorse and trepidation James and Lily Potter were leaving. They couldn't stay here, not after tonight. They rummaged through closets and drawers. Stuffing things into light weight bags, occasionally casting reassuring looks over to their one year old son, wary grimaces out onto the night. They should hurry, get Harry to safety. Lily glanced over to her husband. His expression serious and stony, he knew the risks they were taking by doing this. Betraying those who had helped them, had always been there but what choice did they have? With their options limited, what else could they possibly do? The answer was simple, they'd do anything they could if it was for their little boy. It was the promise they had made to each other at his birth after discovering what was foretold. As if sensing her gaze he lifted his head. Dark brown eyes clashed with green and he smiled. Warm and sturdy if not a little grim but never the less she returned it, facing forward back to the task at hand. They didn't have time to give each other reassurances.

"Did you prepare the portkey?" His soft stern voice cutting through the silence of the room. She looked over and nodded. She knew everything needed to be perfect for their escape, not one detail went unnoticed. If they didn't play their cards right it would be the end come morning.

"Good." He walked over to the crib their son sat in and knelt down beside it. Harry seeing his father gave him a lopsided grin and scrambled over to where he sat. James sighed at the feel of his miniature hands tugging at his face, familiar yet foreign. Oh how he wished he could forget and just live in the moment which lay before him. How he could go back to when times were easier, less rough. The mornings of hearing Lily's sweet voice humming and singing to their son while the smell of eggs and toast floated around in the dewy morning air. Of Harry's soft giggles and amused laughter when James did something outrageous to earn a dimpled smile. But those times were over and done with. They had made their necessary sacrifices, did what they had to do. He looked into the eyes so much like Lily's and found his resolve. Even if it meant destroying himself, he would protect his family. He only wished that Harry didn't have to suffer because of the selfish matters of others.

"I'm so sorry, so very sorry." He murmured pressing his lips to the side of his head. Knowing that acts done for the ones you love appear to be done out of pure selfishness, he could only hope Harry grew to know the truth. He felt a hand on his back and stood, turning into the comforting arms of his wife. They had spent too much time here as it was, the needed to be gone. Now.

"Let's go." He breathed into her hair. "Grab Harry and hurry. They could be here any moment and we don't want to be here when they do-" He turned a fearful gaze toward the window. Feeling the wards he had set up around their property shatter. He swallowed They couldn't have found out so quickly, it had barely been an hour. He had thought it would have been enough time. Damn his miscalculations. He had thought his family and him would have been ghosts to this place already.

"What wrong James?" Lily asked turning her gaze to match his, seeing nothing she asked again. "They haven't found us yet, have they?" Her eyes flickered between his and window. "Dear god, have they James, tell me?"

Gritting his teeth he grasped Lily's hand. "I need you to get Harry to as far away as possible before they decide to-" He felt a shiver travel up his spine at the brush of magick lingering in the air. It was quiet. James Potter looked around and it was quiet.

He cursed himself for his stupidity. Why hadn't he noticed before! Stupid! Stupid!

He grabbed his wand and went towards the door. They had been here for a while, watching and waiting for the chance to strike.

"I need you to listen to me. Grab Harry and go. I'll be right behind you, I promise. Go to the port key and get away." He ordered watching the emotions play across Lily's face. Surprise, fear, sadness, determination. Lily knew this might happen, knew deep in her heart that not all of them were going to survive but she had hoped, prayed to God he grant her this wish. But miracles, she guessed, were too far fetched. She wanted to rave and rant, to scream and cry, to beg James not to stay. To leave with and her and their child. But what he was doing, this was for them. So that one day from the heavens he'll be able to smile down and know he had gave them the chance to live. She absolutely would not take his pride as a man away from him. She pushed her lips to his.

"Always so brave, aren't we." She whispered, moving towards Harry scooping him up in one hand, her wand in the other.

"Can't very well look bad in front of my wife and kid, now can I? Would be setting a bad example for young Harry wouldn't I?" He grinned, leading her out the door and down the stairs. Once at the bottom he handed Lily a paper and a shilling.

"Go to the Leaky Cauldron, there will be someone there waiting to intercept you. To take you to him. Do that and Harry and you are home free." He slipped something into her hands and pressed it closed. He drew her hand into his and lead her down the stairs, moving to face her he grasped her face within his hands and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Be safe Lily." He said wrapping his arms around her slender frame. James felt her heart beat quicken and her muscles clench, he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but paused when he heard somone else speak.

"It's such a sorrowful night is it not? The earth weeps, the sky cries. Our hearts break. This is truly not a day I shall favor." A soft voice inquired from behind him.

James tensed and cursed himself yet again for such impudence. He thought the ministry would have sent their goons, the Aurors, even the Dementors to apprehend them. Not send to them the man who they had both loved and respected. The man they had spited the most with there double crossing. He slowly turned around pulling out a mask of friendly indifference. Albus Dumbledore stood not ten feet in front of him. A look of remorse tightening his face.

"Hello Lily."

"Hello Albus." She whispered, clutching the small child closer to herself.

"I wouldn't think so. The rain always held such a magickal quality, I find it beautiful." James finally answered.

Albus smiled softly in memory. "You always did find wonder in the most obscene things. Do you remember you first year at Hogwarts?" He asked.

James remained silent, unsure of where this was going.

"Rowdy, untidy, and loud. Traits that often landed you in Minerva's office. But underneath all of that you showed promise. Intelligence, bravery, and a heart of gold. You were the shining hope for wizard kind. So now I ask you, what went wrong?"

James closed his eyes and shook his head. "What is reminiscing about the past going to do? Bring me to my senses? Help me see the ever shining light of good? That was then, this is now. People change Albus, so do priorities. And in the long run, ours would never have matched up."

"You don't have to do this-"

"But I do. I'm sorry Albus but I can't die right now." He raised his wand. "There are things I need to attend to."

The headmaster peered miserably at his friend. Closing his eyes he breathed in and out. Hardening himself. When he finally faced James he saw the same flinty look of grim determination reflected in his own eyes.

"So be it." He drew his own.

"Expelliarmus!"

Bringing put his arm he deflected and shot his own attack. "Stupefy!"

"Lily run!" He yelled, swinging his arm up in an arch. Deflecting another spell. "Go now!"

She turned to flee out the back door. Lily paused for a second, looking back at the fierce expression on her husband's face.

"I love you." She called, her voice catching on the whir of magick in the room.

"I love you too!" He roared. "Now go!"

Nodding she turned on her heel and fled out the door, into the night.