Second Chance (J. Potter) (au)

Chapter One

"You haven't been out in months, Prongs. Go out for a while, have some fun. I'll watch Harry, and if I need help I'll get Moony," Sirius stated, but all James did was sigh.

        James knew Sirius meant well, but he couldn't force himself to leave the house, not without Harry. He felt that if he left Harry, Voldermort would come back and try to finish what he had started a little over a year ago. James knew Voldermort was gone, as was his ex-friend Peter Pettigrew, but he was still too worried about leaving Harry behind.

"Pads, we've been over this. I can't just--I can't leave Harry alone. I'm too worried about what could happen if I leave," James commented, causing Sirius to sigh.

"Prongs, I completely understand, but you need to realize that your life isn't over. You have Harry, you have Moony, and you have me. We're all here for you," Sirius began, biting his lip slightly,"Maybe when you go out, you can find yourself a girlfriend; someone to help you feel better and help you raise Harry," He added, but all James did was close his eyes and lean back against his couch with a sigh.

"I-I can't just find a new girlfriend; not after Lily. You-Know-Who killed Lily, and I can't just replace her. If I did, I would be betraying her and Harry," James replied, causing Sirius to frown.

"James, I know you miss Lily, and I know Harry does, too, but you both deserve a new woman in your lives. Lily wouldn't feel betrayed by you for finding a new girlfriend. She'd be happy that you were finally happy again and finally found someone to help care for Harry," Sirius argued, but all James did was shake his head in defiance.

"I am not finding anyone else. Lily was my soulmate. She's gone and there's nobody else for us, for me," James retorted, causing Sirius to become silent.

     Sirius remembered how much James loved Lily and how much he practically idolized her every move when they were still in school, but now she was gone. Sirius did miss Lily, as did Remus, but neither of them knew how much hurt James felt since he lost his wife. He had finally gotten the girl, only for her to be ripped from him only a few years later.

     Lily Evans-Potter was a beautiful woman. When she was young, she didn't always have a thing for James. Honestly, Lily thought James was an arrogant toerag, but close to the end of their time at Hogwarts, Lily had finally fallen for James like he had fallen for her when he first seen the beautiful red head.

"If I watch Harry, will you pick up food? We both know neither of us can cook, and we'd rather not eat rubbish," Sirius commented, hoping his casual comment would catch James off guard, and cause him to agree.

"I guess, but I don't know what to get," James replied, not realizing that he had finally agreed to leave the house so easily.

"Whatever you want. Moony'll be over to eat with us later," Sirius answered, holding a proud smirk from showing.

        James stood from the couch and walked to his room. Sirius did a silent cheer; proud of himself for possibly tricking James into leaving the house. He hadn't thought the easy trick would've worked, but he was honestly glad it seemed to be working.

      Once James was dressed and ready to go to the store, he grabbed his wand and stuck it in his pocket. Mad-Eye would scold him for putting the wand in his pocket, but it was a habit he had yet to break. No matter how hard he tried, he'd never be able to break the habit.

"I will be back soon. Don't leave the house. Don't let anyone inside. Don't go outside," James stated, before opening the front door and walking out.

      After a moment of standing outside, he realized what he had agreed to do. Letting out an irritated huff, James opened the door again and glared at Sirius.

"You almost had me, but I'm not that easy," James said, causing Sirius to chuckle.

"I beg to differ, but whatever. Don't worry, James, I figured you'd realize I was sending you out, so I took the liberty of dressing Harry when you were in the bathroom," Sirius replied, as he walked into Harry's nursery and grabbed the young boy's hand.

"Daddy!" Harry exclaimed, as he ran over to James.

"C'mon, Harry, we're going to the shops," Sirius commented, as he opened the front door and pushed the father and son out.

      Once the trio was out of the house, James locked it up and made sure nobody would get in when they weren't home. James was terrified that someone would be in their house when they got home, catching them off guard, and possibly hurting his son. Death Eaters were still around, so he had to be very cautious, though now they weren't as common as they had been a year ago.

     They walked for a while, taking in the fresh air, something James hadn't done very often. He hadn't taken Harry outside often either, but Sirius would bring the young boy out when he was able, as would Remus. Remus wasn't around as much as Sirius though, which disappointed James a bit, but he wouldn't voice his disappointment. He was worried about Remus, but he knew the scarred man could take care of himself.

"Food?" Harry asked, as they were coming closer to the shop they always picked up their food from.

"You can pick some for yourself, Harry," James commented, and Harry grinned.

"Hopefully it'll be better than what we cook," Sirius murmured jokingly, as James snorted in amusement.

"Anything we don't cook will be better than anything we do cook," James replied, as Sirius nodded in agreement with a laugh.

        Hearing James joke made Sirius smile. He was glad his best friend was finally starting to come out of his shell, but nothing he could do would fix him completely. Sirius knew James needed someone in his life, but he wasn't sure if James would ever willing find anyone. Maybe Sirius would have to intervene, if something didn't happen soon...

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A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. I don't know how often I'll update this story, but I hope to get it finished faster than some of my other stories.

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