The chair shattered against the wall just above James’s head, sending an accompanying shower of splintered wood down onto his crouched form.

“Close one, mate!� Sirius shouted as he hurled another chair -- this one more well-aimed. “I was aiming for the ugly git next to you.�

James snorted. “You throw like a ten-year-old girl with a broken arm!� With a swish of his wand, he Disarmed an oncoming attack from one of the Death Eaters raiding the pub. “Merlin, these masks get uglier every time.�

“Ha!� Sirius bellowed as he fired a Stunning Spell at a new opponent. “Not half as ugly as you.�

“Will you two shut up and fight!� called Remus from the other side of the room. “You can snog later.�

A Death Eater, his robes on fire, was blasted over the bar, crashing into a wall of liquor bottles. Glass shattered as the flames ignited the alcohol, and a scream tore out of the man. Peter Pettigrew shot him with a stream of water and added, “Oh, I don’t know. Prongs is the pretty one, if you ask me.�

The four young Order members looked at each other and burst into laughter. “Well, I wasn’t looking,� Remus said as he turned his attention back toward the fray. “Seems like this is under control. We just need to hold down the fort until the Aurors get here.�

Sirius nodded. “And then we can get back to our ale.�

Stepping over one of the fallen invaders, James sent a series of Full Body-Bind Curses toward any of them that he could hit with a clear shot. With potential threats out of the way, the remaining pub patrons still fending off attacks were able to secure the last two Death Eaters, and the barman, who had been hiding in the loo, came out to begin clean-up. Remus and Peter rushed to help him out, and Sirius dragged the formerly-inflamed man from behind the counter, his nose crinkling at the smell of singed flesh.

Within a few minutes, Aurors began trickling into the room and began taking statements from the onlookers. The stories were all the same: a standard, boisterous Halloween night, ruined by You-Know-Who’s marauding followers, and the issue was resolved by a flock of brave fighters who happened to be enjoying the establishment for the evening.

Well, something like that, James thought to himself as he trickled out of the pub with the rest of the witnesses. He wasn’t about to contradict the notion of being the noble rescuer, especially not when he had the prospect of seeing Lily later. She wasn’t expecting him, as he was going to be out all night with his mates; however, he didn’t think she would be happy about the reason for his early homecoming.

As he bid good night to Sirius, James was actually relieved to spend the rest of his first Halloween as a married man in peace. Lily couldn’t make it, as she was out on patrol and would’ve only been home for an hour or so. He hated to admit it, but the idea of a quiet night in didn’t sound as dull and staid as it had only months before.

After Apparating back to the small cottage he and Lily shared in Godric’s Hollow, James smiled at the sight of leftover spaghetti bolognese laid out for him, with a note that said, “If you’re not too full of lager, this is for you. Love, Lily.�

Not quite hungry at the moment, James tucked the plate into the Cool-Charm Cabinet and strolled into the lounge. Lily usually waited up for him there, either listening to the wireless or reading mission reports for the Order, but she wasn’t on the sofa where she was typically nestled with a blanket and tea.

“Lily?� he called, hoping she wasn’t called back onto duty after coming home. She had volunteered for the rough night that Halloween usually proved to be, as had many of the older members, so the younger ones could enjoy themselves. That little skirmish in the pub could very well have caused her to have to go back out. “Lily?�

“In here!� came her voice from the bathroom. “Didn’t hear you come in. I was just coming out of the shower.� James’s lips twitched. “Oh, to be a towel. What an existence it would be.�

Lily emerged from the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel and the rest of her in a dressing gown. “You’re early. Did Sirius get you chucked out again?�

With a sigh, James recounted the night’s events, and the jovial air in the room faded until Lily looked silently at the floor. James took her hand in his and murmured, “Hey. What happened?�

“There were a few other raids like it -- just to scare people, I think -- but the other sites didn’t have the luxury of Order members being there.� Lily bit her lip. “In the place I was dispatched to, three people were dead before I even got there. Benjy’s group had even more.�

The air sucked out of his lungs, James pulled her to his chest. “Oh, Lily, I’m so sorry,� he croaked. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken the night off.�

Shaking her head, Lily said firmly, “No. You were there to help those people, so it wouldn’t have made a difference.� She rested her forehead on James’s chest. “How can we possibly have a child in a world like this.�

“Ch-child?� James held Lily at arm’s length and stared at her face. “You’re not, you know . . . are you?�

“No!� Lily choked, half laughing. “I was just saying that, since we’re married and that’s the next step, this is a time I’d never want to inflict on a child. Wondering if mama and dada are coming home every night or not.�

“I know, love,� James said solemnly. “I feel the same way.� He squeezed her hands and brought them to his lips. “But let’s forget about that for the night. The more we let them dictate how we live our lives, the more they win.�

Snaking her arms around his neck, Lily murmured her agreement before tugging his head closer to hers. “Very astute, Mr Potter.�

James brushed his mouth against hers, a smile still on his lips. “Why don’t we go and fight off Death Eaters? Show them that they’re not going to beat us.�

“That,� Lily hissed against his lips, “is the best idea you’ve had yet.�

James stared at the squalling, red infant in his arms, still unsure that he was really awake. The small tuft of black hair on the child’s head was softer than silk and a testament to the trademark Potter mane. His son. This crying, squirming bundle was his son.

“Look what we did, Lily.� He looked at her earnestly. “We made a person. A handsome one, too.�

From the other room, Peter shouted, “I told you you were the pretty one, Prongs!�

“Oi!� James called over the sound of Lily’s weary chuckle. In a low, husky tone, he said, “I’m not half as good looking as this lad.�

“We did it, James,� Lily sighed. “We beat them all.�

At first, James didn’t understand, but his mind rewound to that Halloween night nine months before and to their discussion. Voldemort won when people stopped living; they had just produced a new life. But they defeated him, and they did it together.