Hello :)
So this is my first fanfic...I have a few chapters written already, I just wanted to post this and gauge the reactions. I wanted to write a prequel (mostly from Lily's point of view) about the generation before Harry. My goal is to stick as closely to the books as possible, so I will be integrating the memories that JK included in her book. I do not own ANY of the characters...I am using characters that have all been mentioned at some point in her books. So I hope you enjoy, and that this somewhat satisfies your need for the brilliant JK herself to write a prequel (which, she probably won't)

"James Potter, did you leave these dirty dishes hidden behind a plant?!"

James quickly flinched as his wife's accusing voice met his ear.

"Maybe it was Remus?" he suggested lamely.

"Harry, is Daddy being naughty?" Lily called in a more affectionate tone from the kitchen.

The little boy looked up at James' face and pondered it for a second. He broke out into a big grin and squealed, "bad daddy!"

"You little tattle-tale!" James cried, jumping up and flinging Harry over his shoulders. He marched around the room as his son clung to his arms, swinging around and giggling with joy. He turned around and saw Lily standing in the doorway grinning. James unconsciously stopped and stared at his wife; she had a stern expression on her face, but her green eyes were dancing.

"Maybe with some luck he won't turn out to be the little monster that his father was," she teased, stepping towards James and stroking her son's hair. "He's already telling on you."

"Monster?" exclaimed James with fake indignation. "You're thinking of Sirius. I was a perfectly charming, handsome, brilliant—"

"Harry," interrupted Lily, taking her son from James' arms and holding him in front of her so that their matching eyes bore into each other, "is daddy being silly again?"

Harry's face brightened up. He knew what happened when "daddy was being silly." "Daddy silly! Daddy silly!" he shrieked, taking the cue from his mother to lunge towards his father and begin tickling him.

They fell onto the couch, all three erupting in laughter, until Harry's face turned red enough to incite Lily's maternal fears.

"Oh, James, give him a break for a minute!" she said worriedly, pulling Harry up into a sitting position on her lap. James sat up, too, grinning. His hair was even more disheveled than usual and his glasses were askew.

"He's a tough boy, Lil," James said, ruffling his son's equally black, messy hair. Harry swatted playfully at his father's hand with the arm what wasn't entangled in his mother's thick tresses.

Lily kissed Harry on the forehead and detangled his fingers from herself. "I have to go finish the dishes. Calm him down for me so he'll go to bed quicker."

James pulled Harry onto his lap. "Hmm, what will we do with an entire night to ourselves if he goes to bed so early?" he asked, playfully pinching Lily's hip as she stood up. Harry grinned, turning his head from his father to his mother, trying to understand their shared joke. Lily merely winked as she headed back towards the kitchen.

James sat down on the floor and grabbed his wand, pointing it up and conjuring puffs of colored smoke for his son's amusement. Harry giggled delightedly and made grasping motions towards the reds, blues, oranges, and purples that hovered a few feet above the living room floor. James was impatient for Lily to finish; between the Order, Harry, and Voldemort, this was the first potential night for him to be alone with his wife in a long while.

Finally, she made her way back into the room and pulled Harry up. He yawned widely, eliciting loving smiles from his parents.

"Say goodnight to daddy, Harry," Lily instructed.

James stretched up to kiss his son on the cheek as Harry repeated his mother's words.

"He'll be asleep in no time," James said happily, giving Lily his famous devilish grin. She rolled her eyes and ruffled his hair before heading towards the stairs.

James pulled himself from the floor and tossed his wand to the couch. He lifted his arms above his head and stretched with a satisfying yawn. He glanced towards the clock and was disturbed to find that he was this tired at 8:30 p.m. He and the other Maurders had been pulling all nighters back at Hogwarts not too many years ago.

His peace was suddenly interrupted by a loud bang in the front hallway. From the living room, he saw his front door fly into the wall. His heart stopped beating: this was it.

"LILY, TAKE HARRY AND GO! It's him! GO! RUN! I'll hold him off!"

Lily froze from the doorway of Harry's room. No.

She tried to drown out the loud bangs drifting up from downstairs as she turned around and barricaded herself into Harry's room. She couldn't feel her pulse as she pathetically stacked up whatever she could find in front of the door. She realized with a sickening horror that her wand was sitting downstairs in the kitchen. With a small jolt of hope, she also realized that when she had left James a few minutes ago he had had his wand.

Harry was standing in his crib, watching his mother with worried eyes. She swiftly picked him up and leaned against the corner of the room, listening intently. Her breath caught in her throat and she clutched onto her son as she heard a high, cold voice drift from downstairs: "Avada Kadavra." All was silent after that, except for one decisive thump.

She began sobbing, heart in her throat, stroking Harry's hair. She would not let her beautiful baby boy meet the same fate as his father. She felt his little arms curl around her neck, and pulled him from her chest so that she could get one last good look. As he stared up at her with his big, green eyes, she thought back to when this all began, and what decisions she could have possibly made to lead her to this place.