For the sake of the child

James Potter never grew fond of reading newspapers, even though they were the only form of entertainment available in the hospital. But today, he was eagerly waiting for the press – the papers were supposed to announce the Ministry's decree on the amnesty of Padfoot. Finally, the nurse brought a fresh copy of the *Daily Prophet* to his room and handed it to him. James read the headline on the front page – "Sirius Black Granted Amnesty" – and, smiling, leaned back on the pillows. At last, Black's life was starting to look up.

Sirius, who had the habit of sleeping late in the mornings, visited his friend daily in the afternoons and evenings. Today, instead of his usual daytime visit, he sent a note saying that he needed to finish yesterday's cleaning, visit the barber, and stop by Gringotts, so he wouldn't be able to come until the end of the day. Last night, Padfoot had said he'd get his act together as long as Shacklebolt kept his promise, and now it seemed he was diving headfirst into his new life.

James barely had time to grow bored waiting for the evening when the nurse popped her head into the room again and told him he had a visitor. He wasn't expecting anyone and agreed to the meeting with a certain degree of caution, knowing that after his falling out with the Weasleys, the only people who might drop by were Sirius or Dumbledore.

But it was Lily. In the early days, she had visited her husband, but when it became clear that his illness was going to drag on, she stopped coming under the pretext that their son Garick needed extra care and she couldn't leave him alone. Lily could be tiring even in small doses, so James chose not to take offense and instead enjoyed her absence – as did Sirius, who said that there's always something good to be found in every misfortune. Now, however, his wife wanted to meet, and she never did anything without a reason.

She entered the room, lively, energetic, and just as pretty as when she was seventeen. Lily took care of herself; the years hadn't dimmed her looks – if anything, maturity had added a new charm.

"Hi, Jamie, how are you?" she asked, skipping her usual peck on the cheek before pulling a chair to his bedside.

"Nothing's changed, dear."

"What do the healers say?"

"What can they say? 'We're observing,' 'We're searching'..." James grimaced. He didn't like his wife's determined attitude – in his experience, it never boded well. "How's Harry?"

The animation on Lily's face turned to genuine distress.

"James," she said in a tragic tone. "Garick wanted a new jacket, and I couldn't buy it for him. Those dragon-hide jackets are so expensive!"

"He's got plenty of jackets already. When I was his age, I had just one, and it was enough. What's wrong with the ones he has?"

"James! Garick's at an age where he needs to dress well! Besides, he's growing, so his old jackets are too small for him."

"He hasn't grown in two years," James grumbled. "And he's taking weight-loss potions. Why would he outgrow his jackets?"

"James! He's not just anyone; he's the Chosen One, the hope of all Britain! The boy needs to dress well! And eat! I can't starve our son, no matter what Dumbledore says!"

"And how do you plan to present him to Britain?"

"You and Dumbledore are in cahoots, both of you completely disregarding the child! If Garick hasn't lost weight, maybe that's normal for him. It's been a month and a half since the victory, and the child might've put on some weight in that time, and Dumbledore agreed with me. In four days, there's going to be a conference with Garick attending, and the boy doesn't have a new jacket. James!" Lily's voice took on tragic notes. "I couldn't tell Garick that we have less money in our accounts than the cost of that jacket! Something needs to be done!"

"Well, if you insist… Bring him here, and I'll talk to him myself."

"How many times do I have to tell you that the child will be traumatized by your appearance, and I can't allow that! What I'm telling you is that Garick shouldn't live in poverty."

"But what can I do, dear… You see the state I'm in."

"That's not an answer, James. A good father should think about his child first and foremost."

"Do you have a suggestion?" he guessed.

"Yes. I'm sorry, James, but if the child's biological father can't provide a decent life for him, then that father doesn't deserve the right to raise the child. Especially if there's another man who can."

"What?!" James lifted himself onto his elbow. "What other man?!"

"Severus would be happy to raise Garick, and I'm sure he'd make a wonderful second father for my boy."

James couldn't believe his ears. Lily had her flaws, but she had always been a faithful wife and a good homemaker.

"Lily, are you all right? You're delirious… You and Snivellus? That's not even funny."

"I'm not trying to make you laugh; I'm serious. Sev is a reliable and capable man; he's an established professional with good connections. With him, Garick will have a secure future – unlike with you, James."

"Snivellus, huh..." James's face twisted in anger and hurt. "Well… if that's your choice… let him have you. What does he say?"

"Sev doesn't know yet, but I'm sure he'll be thrilled. He's been in love with me since childhood."

"Well then…" James heaved himself into a sitting position and leaned back against the wall by his bed. "I, James Charles Potter, renounce my wife, Lily Potter, due to her violation of the marriage vow. Let magic bear witness to my words."

A light wave of unseen energy washed over them both for a moment and then disappeared.

"You're free," James hissed through his teeth. "Now get out."

"What?! How dare you speak to me like that?!" she snapped at his rudeness.

"Get lost, I said. Go to Snape."

Lily stood abruptly, head held high, and marched out of the room, slamming the door loudly on her way out.

James was left alone. He sank back onto the pillows, laboriously turned his uncooperative body onto his side, and lay facing the wall. It was in this position that Sirius found him that evening.

"Hey, Prongs!" Sirius called out. "Stop lying around; look at me!"

After a moment's hesitation, James stirred and turned to his friend. Today, Sirius was his true self – freshly washed, stylishly trimmed, neatly dressed. A small, well-groomed beard gave him a dashing appearance.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned when he saw his friend's gray, stony face. "Are you feeling bad, Prongs? Should I get the nurse?"

"No need," came the flat reply. "No nurses, everything's fine."

"Says who… Come on, tell me what happened."

"Lily left. For Snivellus."

Sirius stared at him in disbelief.

"Seriously? Well, serves him right. James, I don't believe that witch was ever that important to you. You should be celebrating, dancing!"

"Yeah, dancing…"

"Oh, wait, I didn't mean it like that," Sirius caught himself. "But you'll dance yet, don't worry. With the criminal label off me, I'll handle it myself. And Lily, mark my words, she'll run back to you. Where else is she going to find such a great guy?"

"She won't come back. I magically disowned her."

"Hold up." Sirius instantly grew serious. "Did you just make yourself a squib over her?"

"I don't know."

Sirius picked up James's wand from the nightstand and handed it to him.

"Try casting a spell. Anything, even Lumos." When the tip of the wand lit up with the glow of *Lumos*, Sirius sighed with relief. "All right, you're fine, it's her fault, not yours. What did you say to disown her?"

"For breaking the marriage vow. You know – 'in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer.' Nothing happened between her and Snivellus, I'm sure. She's told me so many times that his face makes her sick."

"Then why'd she leave him?"

"For Garick. Says Snivellus can support him and I can't."

"Forget it, don't be a stag about it. Consider yourself lucky."

"Still, I loved her, Padfoot."

"Yeah, but that was ages ago."

"Then I got used to her. Now I feel uneasy being alone."

"It's still better than Azkaban. Trust me, everything will get better, and we'll find ourselves some real beauties."

Sirius's words about Azkaban reminded James that he wasn't the unluckiest person in the world. It could be worse.

"Yeah, it's just Mungo's after all..." he agreed, starting to brighten up. "How are you doing?"

"All good. I got the newspaper this morning, confirmed that Shacklebolt kept his promise, and now I can walk freely without fear. Got myself cleaned up, went to Gringotts to talk to my solicitor. And hey, congratulate me—I got a job, and we're not going to starve, Prongs! Didn't finish cleaning, though; I'll get to it this evening."

"They took you into the Auror Department without the Minister's recommendation?"

"I joined the goblins as a security guard," Black said with a satisfied smirk. "The pay is even better than in the Auror Office, and besides, being an Auror isn't for me. You know, Prongs, I've never liked being told what to think, what to love, and what to hate. And how are Dumbledore's cronies any better than my ancestors? Same thing, just from a different angle. But the goblins don't care about that. They pay for the work, and that's all they're interested in."

"Shacklebolt won't be happy; he was counting on you."

"Well, he can go... to Dumbledore. I'm not Snape, hanging on their leash for life in exchange for amnesty. I'd rather be free in a coffin!"

"You should still... be careful."

"Don't worry, I'm not a kid anymore. And they'll end up owing me, you'll see. The Blacks are traditionally strong in dark magic, and if your illness has anything to do with that, I'll figure it out. I don't know much about it myself, but I have a cousin."

"Narcissa Malfoy?" James recalled.

"That's right. I think I can work things out with Narcissa—we're family, after all."