"James!" Lily called from the kitchen, "Where's Snuffles?" It was missing and Harry was crying. Snuffles was a fluffy black dog like his godfathers animagus form.

"Ermm... I put it in the washer, that thing's filthy Lils," James replied.

"The washer?" She frowned. Why on earth was her husband using the washing machine? As far as she knew, he didn't even know how to use it.

"Yeah, apparently excessive cleaning charms get less effective over time."

Lily rolled her eyes and waved her wand to produce multi-coloured stars; she honestly didn't know how her parents had managed with her and Petunia as young children. At least Harry had a short attention span.
"Harry? Harry," she cooed, holding up a spoonful of mashed mango and carrot to her son's mouth. Harry was too busy stretching up his small chubby hands to touch the charmed stars to pay Lily any attention.

"Star, star!" He gargled delightedly.

"Well done Lils," James stuck his head briefly through the kitchen door, raising his eyebrows in amusement, "nice stars by the way, but aren't you supposed to be giving Harry his dinner?"

Lily glared at him.

"Why don't you feed Harry then?" she snorted when James hastily retreated.

"No, I'm fine, I had that delightful pleasure last night." He laughed from the hallway.

Lily smirked, her green eyes gleaming with mirth.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were afraid of our son, darling."

"I am when he throws food at me," James grumbled. Lily flicked her wand, causing the stars to rain down in sparkles, before she held the spoon back to Harry's mouth.

"Harry, sweetie, can you try some mango for me, please?"

"No."

Lily sincerely regretted the day Harry had learnt the word 'no' in situations like this.

"Come one, just one bit of..." She shifted her position on her knees in front of Harry's high chair, lifting the bowl up to take another spoonful, hoping the change could coax him to cooperate. Harry pouted.

"Harry doesn't want it," his little face screwed up.

"But it's mashed fruit, Harry, you're favorite," Lily was close to exasperation. Parenting was hard work but rewarding and Harry was an angel most of the time. James was laughing in the sitting room.

"Harry no."

She just pressed the spoon closer to his closed lips.

"No!" Harry wailed, striking out with his little hands and bashing the spoon and bowl into Lily's face and down her front. "Harry not want it!"

The witch looked down at the remainders of her son's meal dripping down her front, and blinked it out of her eyes.

"Thank you, darling," she sighed. Harry just gazed at her innocently.

"Dinner," he pointed at her top.

"Yes, Harry, that was your dinner," Lily bit her lip to keep from laughing, it wouldn't do to teach Harry that throwing his food was acceptable. Her wayward son leaned forwards and wiped his fingers through the dripping orange so he could lick it off. Then he rubbed his messy hands on his cheeks. The lumpy meal decorating his face made him look like he had contracted some sort of measles, Lily thought dryly.

"What do you look like, sweetie?" She teased, reaching forwards and picking up the mischievous toddler and cuddling him. Harry laughed gleefully and reached up and patted his mother's face with his slobbery hands once he had withdrawn them from his mouth.

This was the sight James walked in to find when he entered the kitchen. A broad grin lit up his face when he saw the amount of food that wasn't in Harry's stomach.

"And here I was under the impression that my wife was capable of feeding our son," He tousled his son's unruly black hair, smiling, bending down to cuddle Harry smugly. Lily mock slapped him on the arm, rolling her eyes.

"Mummy messy Mummy messy!" Harry gabbled.

"I can see that imp!" James tickled the child and blew a raspberry on his forehead causing his little son to squeal. Pausing as they heard a knock at the door, James's eyes flashed to Lily's face.

"You can't go to the door, they'll wonder what's been happening here," he winked. Lily laughed, scooping up Harry from the chair so that he was resting naturally on her hip.

"They'll have good reasons to," she grinned, motioning to her sticky top and messy face.

"Heard that!" James called from the hallway and he flicked his wand carelessly to open the front door.

"Snivillus!" James was surprised to see the man at their home. He looked different- wild with fearful eyes that made James freeze inside and automatically shift into a battle-ready state. "Snape-what's happened?" Snape stumbled forwards into their house and James hastily shut the door behind him.

"He knows," he said hoarsely, "the Dark Lord is coming for Harry. You need to leave, now."

"Severus?" Lily appeared from the kitchen, face still bearing the reminders of Harry's eventful tea. If the hook nosed wizard noticed, he made no didn't show it.

"Lily," Severus's eyes were widened and his face paled even more. "I'm sorry..." he murmured softly.

"Severus what's going on?" James pressed. Harry picked up on the tension and started whimpering. Lily moved to quieten him on impulse, conjuring the same stars as earlier and James walked over to run his hands through his son's hair.

"We need to leave-take the Floo out of here."

"But...the Fidelius..." James started pacing.

"Disabled," Severus croaked

"What? But that's not..." James said, astonished.

"Your Secret Keeper told the dark lord," Severus said.

"Peter!" Lily gasped, "but-"

"We must leave, now!" He said desperately as his Dark Mark burned. James threw Floo powder into the grate, causing the fire place to flare to life, and indicated quickly for Lily to step through with Harry.

"Where are we going?" Lily whispered as to not panic their son, holding him tightly in her arms. Black eyes met hers as she stared in shock.

"Hogwarts."

The three adult wizards tumbled into the office with Harry held securely in Lily's arms. James caught her as she stumbled.

"Hasn't changed much, has it," she said shakily, watching the portraits of deceased headmasters warily as they stared down at them, not bothering to hide their surprise and curiosity.

James ran a hand through his hair.

"Where's Dumbledore?" He frowned.

"The headmaster is at the Halloween feast," Severus regained his composure and ill temperament with a familiar sneer, "even you Potter, surely remember it."

James's cheeks flushed and he took a step towards Snape.

"Look Sniv-I mean Severus, I know at school we weren't the best of friends-"

Snape snorted derisively,

"But," James continued, "I'm sorry the way I treated you then. You saved me and more importantly Lily and Harry. Can we be civil with each other from now on? " Snape stared back impassively.

"Please, Sev," Lily said quietly. The Potion's Master flinched slightly at the old nickname but after a pause, nodded slightly. James looked relieved.

"Come on," he held out his hand, "Let's go find Professor Dumbledore."

"Have you taken leave of all your senses?" Snape spat in exasperation, "do you honestly think that it is a good idea to just waltz on into the Great Hall during the feast and demand to speak with Professor Dumbledore?"

James had the grace to look sheepish and mumbled something that sounded remarkably like he was agreeing with Snape, but that would be a miracle, Lily thought. If she and Severus had still been on better speaking terms she would have rolled her eyes at him.

As it was she just caught his gaze briefly before looking away.

Snape flicked his wand which emitted a brilliant white light that sped off through the office door.

"Light!" Harry, who had been quiet until then, watched the light vanish happily. "Mummy, light!"

Lily's wand hand automatically waved in an arc to conjure the familiar soothing charms which frequently kept Harry amused. James was eyeing the Potion's Master questionably.

"Patronus," Snape said shortly, "I told Dumbledore that you are here. He will meet us soon. Think you can amuse yourself until then, Potter?" It seemed he couldn't resist the last snide comment to goad James.

"Definitely, if it means I can amuse myself by hanging you upside down," James taunted back mockingly. Lily smacked his arm hard.

"What?" He widened his eyes in innocence.

"Be nice," she hissed, struggling to hold Harry as he strained upwards in reach of the bubbles which were still emitting from her wand. "Harry, please," she sighed, exasperated.

"I'll take him," James threw his son over his shoulder, causing the child to shriek in delight as he was perched high up on his father's shoulders.

"How long is it until the feast ends?" Lily asked Snape quietly, both of them watching James's antics with Harry. Her former friend cast a quick tempus.

"It will be finishing shortly."

"Thank you," her voice was barely above a murmur, "for helping us. I'm sure James feels the same, he's just-"

"You are quite welcome, Lily." Snape cut in before she could finish saying that James was just too proud to admit it. They stood without talking for a while, the silence broken occasionally by Harry's squeals and James's voice as he played with him.

"Does he not realise how much danger your son is in, and you," Snape curled his lip derisively, watching James, and Lily stiffened at the insult to him.

"Oh he realises," she responded coldly, "he just has a way of making light of every situation."
She jumped slightly at an unfamiliar voice to her right and spun around to see an ancient looking wizard arriving breathlessly back in his portrait.

"The deputy headmistress is on her way," he panted as he straightened his robes, nodding at her. Snape watched him in disinterest, sneering at the paintings shabby attire.

"Thank you," Lily smiled thinly, turning to James only to discover him standing in front of her with Harry resting on his hip.

"I've got him," he said in anticipation of her question. She nodded and turned at the sound of the office door banging open, almost bouncing off of the wall, and a familiar figure burst in.

"LILY! JAMES!" McGonagall's shriek echoed around the room making them partially deaf. She saw Snape wince out of the corner of her eye and supressed a smirk; just like Minerva to be dramatic.

"Professor!" Lily cried as she whirled around to hug her old Professor. Minerva had tears in her eyes.

"We thought," she sobbed, "your house...and, and the rubble. We thought when couldn't find..." she trailed off speechless.

"There, there Professor," Lily comforted, "we're all alright. Sev warned us just in time." Minerva looked shocked,

"Severus? Is this true?" She studied the Potion Master, "but you always hated James? I thought..."

"I don't think a simple school boy grudge warrants enough to put an entire family to death, now, does it?" He said stiffly. His dark eyes glazed over as if lost in thought and he winced. Lily frowned at him, wondering how she had missed how much he still did care.

Minerva smiled warmly at him whilst she dabbed at her face with a handkerchief.

"Dumbledore is currently at the Ministry," she told them with a wry smile, "there's been quite an upset in the past few hours." James snorted.

"I'll bet," he chuckled, the lines of worry having eased completely out of his features. Lily envied how her husband could settle down so fast, and at how easily it could come to him to feel safe, because she knew, theoretically, that Hogwarts was safe, but feeling it was enough matter entirely.

Harry was looking at Minerva curiously, and somewhat expectantly, from his position in James's arms.

"Is Dum'dor the wizard with the sweeteys?" He lisped, sucking his thumb. Minerva laughed and Lily groaned. Dumbledore had visited a few weeks earlier and had shared his love of muggle candy with their son, resulting in an extremely hyper active Harry.

"Yes, Harry, "James grinned at his son, "the very one."

"Yay, Harry wike Dum'dore," he smiled happily.

"Come with me you three," Minerva beckoned, "the Gryffindor guest rooms are available and I'm sure you're in need of a comfy bed and some rest right now."

"Thank you, Professor," Lily thanked sincerely. Minerva smiled.

"It's so good to have you both back in the castle," she beamed, "my little lions are home."

Severus snorted and Lily caught his eye with an innocent grin.

Three weeks later found Lily and James in Dumbledore's office after leaving Harry with a completely unamused Severus Snape.

"Maybe he'll pick up on Snape's famous facial expressions," James joked. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Well you two," Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes twinkled. "Lily, I am satisfied to say, has above and beyond the capabilities and skill required to teach here, not even mentioning the patience and personality. The position as Charms Professor will be a great place for you, and Flitwick is positively overjoyed to have his favourite student working back with him," Albus smiled, "James however, unless you manage to pass on your ability to misbehave then I have no other qualms in offering you the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, which, given your last few years, I'd say you'd excel at."

James grinned, "You have my word Sir, that no mischief will be passed down to the students, unless they ask for it." Lily smacked him lightly and rolled her eyes.

"Thank you Albus, we really appreciate this,"

"You're quite welcome, my dear, now if you happened to take a stroll casually down the Charms corridor, you'd find an excellent set of rooms have just appeared, quite ready for a family of three to move in to," his eyes twinkled.

James grabbed Lily's hands pretending to drag her as they left.

"Let's rescue our son from Snape then, we have new accommodation to wreak havoc on!"