Chapter Text
James Fleamont Potter was born at 12:01 am on March 27th, 1908, just after midnight, his cries synchronizing with the chimes of the giant bell tower a few blocks over. Born to Euphemia and Fleamont Potter, their only child, his birth was deemed a miracle. At 40 Euphemia was told her pregnancy was a risk she shouldn’t take but oh how she longed for a child so very bad. 16 hours she labored the doctors had nearly given up already telling Fleamont to expect the worst.
But he didn’t instead he turned to the stars that twinkled through the night sky, grief and terror weighed heavy on his soul. Fleamont wasn’t a religious man but that night he prayed to anyone who might listen. He begged the stars to let his wife live to let his child live. He got onto his knees, head bowed to the ground and pleaded.
“Let them live,”
And they did.
James was a happy child full of spirit and love. It was as if the sun bled into his soul leaving him shining. His parents could hardly believe he was real, this child of theirs that they’d spent decades wishing for. He was spoiled for sure but by no means rotten, no he was pure light, lighting up any room he entered with a smile. People gravitated towards him, orbiting around him like planets to the sun.
James would say he had the best childhood and the world’s best parents. Looking back, he cherishes those times with them and wishes they had had more time.
His mother was the first to go, her health had never been the same since his birth. He had been sixteen when they buried her, his first real taste of grief. The house was quieter after that, no longer was he woken up every morning to the smells of a delicious breakfast and the sounds of her gentle humming.
His father was quieter too, her passing hollowed him out into a shell of his former self. 37 years they were married, tying the knot when they were eighteen without an ounce of hesitation nor doubt. His father who could once laugh so hard it felt like the room was shaking would now barely crack a smile.
James did what he could, his father was long since retired, so all he ever did was lie around the house wallowing in grief so heavy you could taste it in the air.
“Dad! you need to get up!” He wound up shouting one day, voice rough with frustration when his father hadn’t gotten up for anything except to use the bathroom in three days. His eyes stung from unshed tears and his fist clenched at his sides. He had never once in his life raised his voice to his father nor his mother, but this couldn’t go on.
“Please dad, I need you,” he sobbed tears starting to fall, “I’m still here.”
Fleamont looked up at his son with a tired look in his eyes, in the months since Euphemia died he looked as if he aged 10 years.
Fleamont lasted a year.
His death came as no surprise to James, he’d been grieving both his parents since his mother died.
People offered him their sympathies, but they felt like pity. They told him it was ok to grieve but he pushed them away. He didn’t want to let his grief swallow him whole like it did his father, so he pushed it down.
On August 18th, 1926, at the age of eighteen he entered University, His grief caked under a mask of confidence. He laughed with his friends he’s known since childhood, the ones who have only ever known him to be bursting with light.
He charmed teachers and classmates alike, and he was okay with this he never wanted anyone to see underneath the mask, there was no point, no one would ever see him truly anyways. That is until he met Lily Evans.
She walked into his mathematics class head held high with long deep red hair tied back out of her face, freckles spread across her cheeks, skirt just below her knee, and the greenest eyes he’d ever seen narrowed in a glare that dared anyone to say something and see what would happen. She intrigued him from first glance.
“I’m James,” He introduced himself after class that day and her gaze narrowed at him, and she looked him up and down as if she was trying to figure out what he wanted, her eyes flickered to his outstretched hand and took it hesitantly.
“I’m Lily,” She moved as if to shake it but he pulled it to his lips and placed a kiss on her knuckle. She bristles cheeks tinting pink and her eyes hardening as she snatches her hand back She grumbles incoherently as she turns, hair tossing over her shoulders, and stalks away. James finds himself laughing at her reaction, a real laugh not the strained thing he had been forcing out since his mothers death, but a real true laugh. For a moment he felt like himself again.
Lily Evans didn’t seem to like him much after that, her green eyes locked into a glare every time she looked his way, but he just laughed and told her that her eyes were the prettiest shade of green he had ever seen and her cheeks would flush and she’d turn away and ignore him for the rest of class. He found himself enjoying this game of theirs, every day he found something new to complement her on and she sprouted a blush to rival her hair and glare like she was trying to set him on fire, and yet a small smile would tug on her lips and it feels like he’s won.
“You are truly insufferable James Potter,” She seethed at him one day a few weeks later and he thought she looked beautiful.
About a month later as he was out buying groceries for the house he stopped as he saw an older woman struggling to reach for something on a high shelf.
“Let me help,” he told her softly, reaching up and pulling the item down for her. She smiled at him greatly.
“Oh thank you,” he muttered an ‘of course’ and was about to walk away when a head of familiar red hair walked up to them alongside another woman a few years older with blonde hair cut short and a pair of pale green eyes that seemed dull next to Lily’s.
“Oh girls this kind young man was just helping me out,” she held his forearm and smiled at them, “These are my daughters, Lily and Petunia,”
Lily stares at him hard and James fights back a huge smile, “They are quite lovely, they must get it from you,” Lily’s face burns as well as her glare while her mother laughs patting his arm.
“Yes quite, you know my Petunia is getting married in a few weeks, but my dear Lily here is quite available,”
“Mother!”
James laughs fully clutching his stomach. People turn to stare but he can’t find it to care.
“James! Stop laughing! You’re causing a scene!” He smiles at her and her glare seems to dim some.
“James? Do you know each other?” Mrs Evans asks, blinking between both of them.
“Oh yes Lily here is beating me and everyone else for top spot in mathematics,”
Petunia huffs next to her, and James blinks he had forgotten she was there.
“Thats so unseemly Lily, no one likes a woman who thinks she better then a man,” She says into her ear voice hushed so no one will here but James does, and he doesn’t like it.
“I quite like it actually, not her fault she's just better, in fact I think it's great motivation,”
Petunia’s face turns red in embarrassment and glares at him profusely and James thinks it makes her face look sour and like a bird. Lily in contrast is staring at him strangely, she’s never stared at him like that before, her face is searching and her eyes narrowed like she's looking for something, for once her gaze leaves him nervous he’s not sure what she’s looking for or if she’ll like what she finds.
Finally her gaze softens and she turns to her sister, “See Tuney its a new age,” She smiles at him and James vows to always make her smile just to see the way her nose scrunches up when she does, “We should get going, father will be wondering what’s taking us so long,” she takes her mothers arm and the three begin walking towards the checkout. James watches dumbstruck when Lily turns back to meet his gaze,
"I'll see you in class James,” and as she walks James feels his own face heat up as a giant smile breaks out onto his face.
They would marry the following year on a beautiful afternoon in late June of 1927. It was a small wedding but they didn’t need a grand ceremony to know the depth of love they had for each other. James wouldn’t be ashamed to admit that he shed tears when he first saw her walking towards him down the aisle. Auburn hair tied up on her head, ivory dress, and her eyes glistening with tears, she looked radiant.
On July 31st, 1928, a year after their marriage they would welcome their first and only child, a boy who they named Harry after his paternal great grandfather. He had not planned, their marriage was still young, there was no rush for them to start having children and yet this little surprise brought them so much joy.
The young couple cherished their son and loved him with all the love they had and then some. He was the spitting image of his father save the green eyes he got from his mother. He was a happy child full of giggles and smiles. He was the best of both of them. He had James’ blinding smile that shone when he was happy, and Lily’s eyes that glittered with every emotion, he had her freezing glare when he didn’t get what he wanted but the look only made James fall over with laughter.
His first word was ‘mama’ and Lily squeezed him until he was a giggling mess in her arms. After that he seemed to grow so quickly, not long after he took his first steps he was running through their home. When he turned three James surprised him with a puppy that seemed just as energetic as him, Lily glared at him so sharply he almost felt bad. But the sound of Harry’s scream of pure delight softened her resolve, Harry named it Padfoot, James isn’t even sure where he came up with that. The two became thick as thieves, two gremlins terrorizing their home. James almost regretted getting the dog but the sight of Harry so unbelievably happy both Lily and James knew this was a good decision.
Unfortunately their little family wasn’t meant to last. In December of 1932 there was a sudden snowstorm that seemed to come from nowhere. Lily was driving back from a day spent with her parents, she would have taken Harry but their neighbors had planned a small get together for their own son that Harry insisted that he had to go to. Lily debated going then but James insisted, telling her she deserved to spend time with her parents.
When she didn’t arrive home Sunday night he assumed she'd seen the storm and decided to stay another night. He did not panic. Lily was smart. If she saw the raging clouds she wouldn’t have driven home until the sky cleared. So James carried on like normal, he tucked Harry in and reassured him that mommy would be home tomorrow, and then he went to bed. Their bed felt empty without her next to him and he couldn’t wait for her to be back in his arms again.
And even the next morning when she still hadn’t returned he did not worry, maybe she slept in, but as the hour stretched by doubt crept in, why wasn’t she back.
And when he got a knock at his door he threw it open expecting to see her fiery hair and sparkling eyes, but all he saw was a man, a policeman, with a solemn look upon his face.
James doesn’t remember much else of that day, the policeman’s words were muddled and James himself felt as if he was fading in and out of consciousness. He could only remember a few words that were spoken to him.
….My sincerest apologies
….heavy snow
….crash
….dead
…dead
..dead
The days following were numb, he moved on autopilot barely registering anything around him. He could finally understand his father in a way he never thought he would. All resentment he felt towards him was drowned out by his own grief. The funeral passed in a blur, all their family and friends came, even Petunia came with her husband and young son. People offered him their condolences and he thanked them but the words felt bitter in his mouth.
Harry didn’t understand, he was too young, only four and now only had one parent. James didn’t know how he was going to do this on his own. If either of them had to die he wished it had been him Lily would know what to do, she wouldn’t have fallen apart like he was.
Without Lily James felt like he couldn’t breathe, like his will to live was stripped from him like she was. His heart burned with his grief and all he wanted to do was wallow in it for all eternity until he could crawl back to her. In his dreams she was still there, still bright, still alive. She lived on in his mind and he craved sleep if only to see her smile again.
“I want to stay,” he whispered into her hair one night as they lay on a field of wildflowers, her hair flowing under her hat and her eyes brighter than ever, she turned to him a small frown upon her lips, he wanted to kiss it away, but when he leaned forward she pulled back. James nearly whines, she was gone in the real world; he couldn't bear it if she left his dreams as well.
“You can’t,” she tells him softly cupping his cheeks, her thumb running over his jaw, he leans into her touch, his eyes fluttering close.
“I can’t live without you Lily,” his voice cracks as he speaks and her thumb stills.
“You have to learn,” she says sternly tilting his face to meet her eyes, the green hue seems to blaze at him when he looks, “for Harry,” she adds softer this time but no less serious. He wants to crumple into her arms and never leave but he knows she’s right. He can’t do that to Harry, he can’t leave his son an orphan, not like his own father did, so consumed by grief he can’t see the one person he should want to live for.
But oh how much this hurts, Lily was everything, Everyone said James was like the sun, but to him Lily was the world.
But Harry was theirs.
He was a part of them both, the only thing he had left of Lily.
“I know,” he sobs, falling into her embrace, she cradles him running her soft hands through his hair.
“You’ll be alright,” she soothes, “you both will,”
And he knows she’s right, Lily was always smarter than him. They would be alright.
On October 31st, 1934 the day started off quite ordinary, well as ordinary Halloween could be. James took Harry to his grandparents for the day. Mr and Mrs Evans had begged for Harry to spend the holiday with them where they planned to stuff him full of sugary sweets and spoil him rotten. James couldn’t deny them this treasured time with their grandson especially since Petunia moved halfway across the country and never brought her own son to see them.
It had been 10 months since Lily, and he was finally starting to breathe normally again. The ache was still there, he thinks it always will be, but getting out of bed has gotten easier. He no longer hid in his dreams searching for Lily, not when their own child needed him in the real world.
So he got up everyday, and he lived for his son.
That night he was driving over a bridge on his way to pick up Harry, the sun had long gone down and it had begun to rain, a slow gentle drizzle that was gradually getting rougher, he could even see lightning in the distance. Despite the rainfall the stars shone brightly in the night sky. He peered up at them and furrowed his brows, they seemed to be glowing even brighter than normal like a million tiny suns, they glittered like diamonds in the sky and James felt himself get lost in their light. He narrowed his gaze; they almost seemed to be pulsing, getting bigger and bigger by the second until they shined so bright he was forced to look away. But when he did his eyes widened at the sight of a stag standing in the middle of the road.
“Shit!” He swerved gripping the wheel, he slammed on the brakes but the car continued to slide until it crashed into the rail of the bridge, James’ head smacked hard against the window as the car tumbled over and down into the freezing cold water.
The immersion in the frigid water caused James’ body to go into an anoxic reflex, instantly stopping his breathing and slowing his heartbeat. Within 2 minutes James Potter’s core temperature had dropped to 87 degrees.
His heart stopped beating
Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the vehicle discharging half a billion volts of electricity and producing 60,000 amperes of current, its effect was threefold.
First, the charge defibrillated James Potter’s heart
Second, he was jolted out of his anoxic state, causing him to draw his first breath in 2 minutes
Third, based on Von Lehman’s Principle of Electron Compression in deoxyribonucleic acid, which will be discovered in the year 2045, James Potter will henceforth be immune to the ravages of time.
He will never age another day