Nothing else in the world matters…

Just Lily and Harry… nothing else in the world matters but protecting them… that's what I have to do… that's my job… nothing else in the world matters… nothing else in the world matters…

Am I lying on grass?

Lily… Harry… nothing else in the world matters… is that sunshine? Nothing else in the world matters… Lily… Harry…

I'm dead.

Plain and simple.

I failed them.

Lily… Harry…

I'm sorry.

There's sunshine…

James sat up slowly and looked around. He was outside and it was the middle of a beautiful day. The sky was blue and clear; he could birds singing somewhere. He was at Hogwarts.

What the hell?

James wasn't quite sure what was going. The last thing he remembered was fighting Voldemort in an effort to give Lily time to get away with Harry. He could remember a flash of green and then sunshine and singing birds. James stood, barely registering his nakedness, and tried to look for someone that he could speak to.

Where the hell is everyone? Isn't this Heaven?

It was then that James noticed the robes lying on the floor. James pulled them on and suddenly found himself in the Head's office. James stared at the four founders, one of whom was his ancestor, and found that he couldn't speak. Godric and Helga were both smiling kindly at him, yet their eyes were sad. Ravenclaw was looking at him with something approaching respect and admiration. Slytherin was staring at him coldly. James ignored him completely and concentrated on his ancestor.

'James,' Godric's smile slipped slightly. 'Do you understand what's happening?' James closed his eyes and nodded. The thought better of it and shook his head. 'Very well. You were killed tonight by the wizard calling himself Lord Voldemort,' Godric said the name with disgust and shot a glare at Slytherin. 'You are now here at Hogwarts which acts as an in-between place. A bit like limbo, I suppose. You can either chose to remain here or move on to either Heaven or Hell. The choice is yours.'

"The choice is yours"… I don't want to go anywhere. Lily… Harry… nothing else in the world matters…

'I'll wait for Lily.'

'You don't know if she'll elect to stay here.'

'She will. I know she will.' James took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. 'I'm staying here.'

'As you wish,' Ravenclaw spoke. 'You should know, James, that there are rooms within Hogwarts where you can watch the living.' Ravenclaw smiled for the first time in decades when James' head shot up. 'You can watch anyone who is still living, although you will not be able to communicate with them.'

'But I can watch them. Make sure they're okay?'

'Yes, James, you can.'

'Good. Where's Lily?' James knew instantly from the looks on their faces that they couldn't tell him. 'Never mind. I'll be waiting at the bottom of the staircase for her when she arrives.' James turned towards the door when he was stopped by a hand on his arm.

'James, how do you know she's coming?' Godric asked.

'Simple,' James said. 'Voldemort said that he would only kill her if she stood in his way. That's exactly what she would have done. Lily's dead.' James closed his eyes and felt Godric walk away from him. James stepped onto the staircase and allowed it to carry him down to the corridor outside. When James reached the bottom he leant against the wall and closed his eyes.

My son… I love you, my son… I'm sorry, my son… I have failed you… I love you…

…

James… Harry…

Where is James? Harry… I failed you… James… I need you… I can feel the sunshine… Harry… James… birds… am I naked?

Lily opened her eyes slowly to find that she was lying, naked, in the sunshine. To say that she was confused would be a gross understatement. The last thing Lily remembered was a blinding flash of green light and high pitched laughter. Lily shut her eyes and desperately tried to understand.

Is this Heaven?

Lily opened her eyes again and, realising that she was naked, quickly pulled on the robes she found beside her. When Lily looked up she found herself standing in a room facing four people, who she easily recognised to be the four Hogwarts founders. Godric and Helga were both smiling at her, Ravenclaw was indifferent, and Slytherin wasn't even looking at her. Lily stared at them, still not fully understanding, and didn't say a word.

'Lily? Do you know how you ended up here?' Godric asked her softly. Lily heard the high pitched laughter again and nodded. 'Okay, do you understand what's happening?' This time Lily shook her head. 'Hogwarts acts as an in-between place. This is neither Heaven nor Hell. It is where all the witches and wizards who attended Hogwarts come to before making a choice. Your choice is simple, Lily. You can either choose to remain here, where you will be able to keep a watch over those you love who are still alive, or you may choose to move on.'

Lily glanced behind her and saw that all of the portraits of the previous Head masters and mistress of Hogwarts were watching her with sad eyes. Lily took a deep breath and turned back to the founders. 'I can… watch Harry?'

'Yes.' Helga smiled warmly at her.

James…

'I'm staying.'

'Very well. You may go.' Ravenclaw motioned to the door behind her and Lily slowly walked over to it and allowed the staircase to carry her down. As the staircase moved Lily closed her eyes and hoped that James was waiting for her. She needed her husband now more than ever. Lily found that she was still a little confused because of how alive she actually felt.

If this is death, it isn't so bad. Now I just need James…

'LILY!'

Lily's eyes flew open at the sound of someone screaming her name and then found herself being enveloped in someone's arms. Lily could tell straight away that it was James. No one she knew used that particular brand of after shave. Lily tightened her grip on James and vowed never to leave his side again. James finally let go of her but he kept his hands resting on her shoulders.

'Lily?'

'James… I'm sorry,' Lily sobbed. 'I couldn't leave… I couldn't save our baby… I'm so sorry…' Tears came to Lily's eyes as she remembered what had happened.

'I know, Lily. I don't blame you. I could never blame you. I wasn't able to protect you and… Harry.' James' voice broke on the last word and Lily kissed his cheek.

'You could never have fought him off entirely, James. He was too hell bent on getting to Harry. I don't blame you, love.' Lily smiled for the first time since she had awoken on the grounds of Hogwarts and was pleased when James smiled back at her. 'Now, Godric said something about being able to watch Harry.'

'Yeah, I know,' James frowned. 'Though I don't know where.'

'I'm sure we'll find it.'

Lily and James begin to search the school for the room where they could watch their son grow without them. It took them almost a full day to find it but eventually they found a large room that had never actually existed at Hogwarts. The room was full of Pensieve like devices set into the stone floor. Surrounding each of these were a series of low stone benches for people to sit and watch. Lily and James found a spare one towards the back of the room and sat down. Almost immediately the silvery liquid in the basin began changing colour and they found themselves looking down upon a house in the middle of suburbia. As they continued watching the scene the perspective shifted from looking down on the house to looking at the front door. On the step of the house they could see a small bundled wrapped up in a blanket they recognised. It was their son. The front door of the house opened and Lily surpassed a sigh. There stood Petunia who, upon seeing the bundle, screamed.

'Well, at least he's not homeless.' Lily muttered.

'Yeah, but where's Sirius?' James was beginning to panic. The view of the house vanished to be replaced with a street that looked as though a bomb had gone off. There were bodies strewn everywhere and amongst it all stood Sirius Black. 'You idiot.'

'James, shut up and watch. This is the only way that we're going to be able to see Harry grow up. Not to mention Remus and Sirius. Please, just watch.' Lily rested her head against James' shoulder.

The two of them sat like that for years, watching Harry and their friends. They watched everything that Harry went through. The first time they left the room was to greet Sirius after his death.

James and Lily had started out hating each other. But hate grew into something much more powerful than anything anyone can ever imagine: Love. Their love for each other lasted through their lives and beyond, into death, into the great unknown. James and Lily Potter were soul mates; they were destined to be together from the very beginning. And it was their love for each other and their son that saved the world from an incredible terror. James and Lily Potter's love was something that nothing could break or come between. They were soul mates in life and in death.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death…

I actually finished! I can't believe that I have finished this story. It's been so much fun writing this that I don't want it to end! But, alas, it has. No I can concentrate on my other HP story 'The Dead Meet', which kind of follows on from this.

Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with this story and reviewed. It meant a lot to me when I got those emails saying review or favourite story/author. They really kept me going.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

xoxo