Author's Note:

Hello everyone! Well I've read and reviewed Fanfiction for many years now and thought it was about time I had a go at writing some of my own.

This idea has been in my head for years now so I'm going to share it with you all and hope that you will review to let me know what I'm getting right, what I could improve and what you think will happen next (I'll let you know via private message if you are right!).

Oh and just so you know, the story's rating is for later chapters : )

DISCLAIMER:

Sadly I make no money from this story and do not own the Harry Potter series, it belongs to J. and WB, I just like to play with her characters : )

So, here we go...

Chapter 1 - Prologue

31st October 1981 – Godrics Hollow

Exhausted. After a day of looking after a young son, the house and trying not to let a bored hubby drive her totally insane with his whining about being cooped up inside the house, Lilly felt absolutely exhausted. She'd woken at 5am that morning to the sound of Harry crying at the top of his little lungs and then had proceeded to do all of the housework, play with Harry, have a game of wizarding chess with James, feed and bath Harry, cook (and then wash up) dinner for herself and James; and finally read to Harry until he had fallen asleep.

Now as she trudged wearily down the stairs and took in the welcome sight of James pouring two glasses of wine and taking them over to the sofa beside the fire. She felt her cheeks heat with guilt as she remembered her earlier uncharitable thought that being married to James was rather like having not one but two children! Having been cooped-up altogether for the past few weeks with nothing but the occasional brief visit from Albus, Sirius, Remus or Peter to break the monotony, tempers were now quick to flare as they both steadily developed a form of 'cabin fever'. But tonight was different. Tonight, without any discussion both had individually decided to make amends for the harsh words they had thrown at one another earlier in the day. To take time to relax, have some fun and ...make up.

"It took a while but he's finally settled"Lilly sighed as she dropped herself into the sofa next to James, taking the offered glass with a grateful smile as she tucked her legs up under herself. Careful not to spill her drink Lilly snuggled into James' side on the sofa, eyes closing in bliss as she felt him kiss the top of her head. "Thanks Love" she sighed, passing him her untouched glass so that she was better able to snuggle even tighter against him, arms snaking around his waist as he wrapped his own around her. With the heat of the fire and the warmth that comes with newly built bridges in a relationship it was not long before the couple had been lulled into a contented slumber. Therefore, neither of them noticed the pale face at the window watching them, eyes flashing with malicious excitement. Neither did they notice the Warning Orb (a gift designed especially for them from Moody) on the coffee table franticly flashing red, the shrill warning tone that would have announced the first breach of their protective wards having been muted earlier that day because the very loud hourly reports on the status of the wards had grown extremely irritating.

It was the sound of the bolts on the door slowly scraping open one by one that woke James. First looking about for the source of the noise, then noticing the Warning Orb's frantic flashing James jumped up; the movement startling Lily awake. "James what's – " the red flashing on the table drew her attention. Realisation fell upon her like a bucket of cold water. "Oh shi – "

At that moment the door slammed open with such force that it ricocheted off the wall and almost closed again. Only the pale hand protruding from robes black as the soul of the mad it shrouded stopped its progression. Before the rest of the man came into view James suddenly sprang to life, pushing Lily towards the stairs with a vehement shout: "GO!" Almost tripping up the bottom step in her haste Lily took the stairs two at a time, panic making her clumsy. Harry! she thought, Harry Harry Harry oh Gods Harry!

Glancing back at the top of the stairs, her final glimpse of James was of him diving for the arm of the sofa where his wand lay before hurrying on up the stairs towards the nursery. The sudden green illumination of the stairway followed by a heavy thud and the sound of the coffee table being overturned and the smash of glass told her all she needed to know. Not prepared to waste time turning back she pelted towards Harry's room, wrenched the door open and placed herself between her now screaming son and the door. Holding her head high defiantly she faced the door and prepared herself to stand strong, to protect her son for as long as possible all the while knowing that this was it. It was all over now.

A/N:

So what do you think?

This chapter was the prologue, setting the scene for the rest of the story. Things really pick up from this point onwards! I have the next chapter written already and it is set a decade later featuring Dumbledore, Lily and Severus (briefly). Should I carry on?

I have a plan for how I want the whole story to go and it will be an exciting ride I assure you ;)

Much love,

Sarah

Oh by the way... LEGAL BIT: Sadly I make no money from this story and do not own the Harry Potter series, it belongs to J. K Rowling and WB, I just like to play with her characters : )