Work Text:
October 31st 1981
When James heard the rustle of leaves outside he was ready. Harry was still marvelling in the smoke puffing from his wand. With any luck tomorrow night could be spent the same way.
Lily had notice the same slight change in their front garden. She nodded at James and picked up Harry. They would thank Sirius for the tip off later.
“Lily that Harry and run!”
She bolted up stairs as the front door burst open. Voldemort walked in slowly. He seemed to savour this moment, knowing his last obstacles were about to die.
James didn’t reach for his wand. Instead he transformed. In one second there was a man, the next a full grown stag had taken his place.
Prongs was in the living room.
Voldemort didn’t even get time to process what he was seeing.
Prongs charged forward, his antlers were aimed at Voldemort’s chest.
There was a disgusting crunch. Then Voldemort fell to the ground. James felt Voldemort die, and in his deer form felt only relief that the predator was gone. Realisation would come later.
Prongs focused for a moment and James reappeared. Blood coated his hair, plastering it to his forehead.
He climbed up the stairs. Lily had locked the bedroom door. Good, he thought.
“Lils?” He knocked on the door.
“James?” She paused for a moment, “tell me what I wanted Harry’s middle name to be”
James could hear the tension in her voice she was preparing to leave in an instant if necessary. Even if Voldemort wouldn’t ask her to open the door.
“You wanted it to be Charles, after your grandfather, right?”
Lily opened the door and hugged him tightly. She didn’t care about the blood that was dripping onto his face or the corpse down stairs. She held James until Harry screamed for attention.
They ran to coo over Harry, and he laughed at his daddy’s funny hair.
“What are we gonna do about Voldy?” James asked.
“Owl the ministry and hope they don’t ask about the antler holes”
James laughed, “sounds like a plan”
James went to go wash the blood off, and Lily sat with Harry knowing all was well.