Greetings to all! This is one of those "what if?" ideas, where I take an alternate spin to what could have happened if Wormtail had been discovered sooner. gasp Anyhow, this was originally a one shot but I've made up my mind to have several more installments, to satisfy my mind as well as yours. The idea only came to me very recently, so it's unBetaed, etc. Please review, it helps me with plot ideas and improvements. Remember, this is somewhat AU, so no flames if you please. Thanks again and enjoy!

Lily Potter awoke to the music of the autumn breeze, the air crisp and biting. She smiled as she raised her head from the white pillows to take a better look at the scenery outside. The trees had lost mostly all of their foliage and their bare limbs were a sign of the end of another season. If only little Harry could play in the piles of leaves!

She gave a sigh of remorse, remembering the days before the worries of war. Lord Voldemort was on the lookout, and would love nothing more than to rip them apart. Lily scowled as she thought back to her former encounters with the sadistic, evil man. No, she wouldn't consider him a man. He was more like a demon, with no heart and no soul either.

Lily shivered as a cold gust of wind blew through the crack of the window and dove back under the covers. She rolled to her side and a throb of panic went through her body when she saw James' side of the bed empty. She leaped out of the sheets and rapidly went to Harry's crib. It was also empty.

Lily threw on her bathrobe and rushed down the stairs to the kitchen, expecting her husband and son to be eating breakfast without her. The table was clean and void of any remnants of meals. Now fully hyperventilating, Lily grabbed her wand lying stray on the coffee table and was about to cast a Patronus calling for the Order when she heard the happy squeals of a child. Lily strained her ears to hear another deep, masculine voice ring out with laughter.

She shoved the door open to find James conjuring piles of leaves for Harry to toddle into. Harry took a few wobbly steps only to fall headfirst into the leaves. Lily could not believe her eyes. Here she was worrying day and night about their safety under the charm and how much longer they would survive while James decided to abandon all inklings of reason and play outdoors!

"JAMES POTTER!" Lily bellowed, trying to erase any loving emotion she felt towards the cute scene in front of her. "Come over here this instant!"

Both father and son turned their heads simultaneously. Harry gazed at her in awe with absorbing green eyes very much like her own and his chubby hands released a few bundled clumps of leaves.

James managed to scoop Harry into his arms and walk up the pathway, before he ventured with a cheeky smile, "Might I remark, my Lilyflower, how beautiful you look in your bathrobe?"

Lily dared not blush at her husband's compliment and wrapped the rather skimpy robe around her body in a tighter manner against the chill.

"How dare you! Get in the house right now before my child catches death of cold!" she hissed, snatching a bewildered Harry from James' grasp and leading them inside.

Harry's cheeks were rosy from his time spent outdoors and Lily could not resist kissing the baby's face.

"Next time, you wake up Mummy before you do anything with Dad, okay sweetheart?" Lily told the child, while tenderly stroking the inherited messy hair out of his face.

She set Harry into the wooden high chair and gave him his small Quidditch figurines to play with before rounding on James.

"What do you think you were doing?" Lily asked dangerously.

James ran his fingers through his already messy hair, a habit he had back in Hogwarts to attract other girls and now used with Lily when he attempted to give a decent response.

"It's a beautiful day and Harry was in need of some fresh air," he said at last, looking anywhere but at Lily.

"Really?" Lily exclaimed with a sarcastic tone. "So, you're trying to tell me that after all of Dumbledore's warnings about staying in the house you thought you were able bodied enough to fend off a bunch of Death Eaters should they come and attack!"

Lily was nearly shouting by the end of her very long sentence. James looked very much like he wanted to punch something.

"I'm tired of being cooped up, Lily!" he roared with gleaming hazel eyes. "We're of no use to the Order, we have to stay in hiding for who knows how long, and my son can't even play outside like a normal child!"

James pounded his fist against the wall in anger and Harry gave a small whimper of fear. Lily was not caught unawares by James's response. She felt similarly and with her spouse's restless behavior for the last couple of weeks, she knew this was bound to come.

"You're scaring Harry," Lily said quietly.

James drew a long breath and turned to pat Harry's head. Lily felt a few tears well up in her eyes. The war was unfair to everyone. It had robbed her of freedom, her family's safety, and her husband's carefree character.

Lily approached James with soft steps and held him close. A few tears splashed his shirt while he stroked her hair.

"I know how you feel, love. I really do," Lily whispered as he gave her a squeeze.

James lifted her face and with an intent gaze, told her, "If Voldemort comes for us, you have to promise me something."

Lily looked up at him, her throat tight as she waited to hear what he had to say.

"Promise me that you'll take Harry and run," James said. "Just promise me."

Lily could not believe her ears.

"I'm not leaving you!" she said fiercely, her emerald eyes shining with intensity. "I would never leave you!"

James would not abandon his somber tone. "You have to protect Harry."

"Of course I'll protect Harry!" she said with strength, as she stole a glance at the playing baby. "I would die for him or you."

James looked grimly satisfied and in a flash of a second, his expression had gone back to that of a flirtatious teenager.

"Evans, do you remember that day at the lake?" he asked suddenly.

Lily grinned. "As if it were yesterday, Potter. Can't forget certain events, especially those that involve arrogant, bullying toerags."

She made to head towards Harry, who was in need of his breakfast when James's arm pulled her to him.

"Do you still find me an arrogant, bullying toerag?" he breathed, tickling her ear.

Lily saw the sparkles in his eyes and figured it was a good moment to dent her husband's ego. "Well, excluding a few special situations here and there, I would say that you have gotten worse, Potter," Lily murmured enjoying his attention.

They were leaning closer and closer towards each other when BAM!

"Seewee!" squealed Harry, flailing his small arms and legs from his seat in the high chair.

"Very good, Prongslet," said the dark figure that emerged from the fireplace. "How about you come with me to my flat while your Mum and Dad work on making you a new sibling?"

"Aw, shut up Padfoot," James complained, while Sirius hoisted Harry onto his shoulders.

Lily had almost complete trust in Sirius and she did not bother giving him one of her infamous scoldings.

"Catching jacket you have there, Sirius," teased Lily as she glanced at Sirius' gleaming leather, or maybe it was dragon skin jacket. "Is it for that new date with the blonde from the Order?"

"Nah," Sirius drawled, as Harry jumped happily on top of his shoulders. "More of an 'I love me' present."

Lily observed that Sirius looked a bit strained and a pale face, like he was hiding a grave secret. She shot him a worried look that he did not comprehend.

"What's new with the Order?" James asked, waving his wand to set the table for four. "Is Wormy on his mission yet?"

Sirius grew whiter and he carefully placed Harry down. Lily was starting to get nervous. If reckless Sirius looked withdrawn, then there were certainly major problems that he wasn't informing them of.

"That's what I came to tell you," Sirius said, his voice low.

"What?" demanded James. "Is he hurt? Did something happen to him?"

Sirius took a deep breath and said quietly, "You have to make me back into Secret Keeper. Pettigrew is not one of us."