If you look into a window, you can see all kinds of things. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes bizarre, frequently mundane, but always different. One particular window, set with a blue frame into a white, wooden house had its fair share of strange and wondrous happenings. It belonged to man, a man with untidy black hair and glasses, who liked nothing better than to sit at that window with his son and watch the world.
As you looked further into this window, you saw a woman. She sat not far from the man, in a comfortable chair beside the fireplace. Her long hair, a brilliant red that was unmarred by grey, fell around her face hiding her expression. In her hands, she held a book that was well worn and faded, but well loved. As she read, a slow smile brushed over her face. This haltingly, grudgingly turned into a laugh that lit up the whole room. The man turned, as did the child.
'Reading Oliver Twist again, Lily?' asked the man, the lines by his eyes crinkling in amusement.
'Well, I can hardly pop down to the library and find a new book. Therefore, this shall have to do' she replied lightheartedly.
'Do you want something else to read?' he asked her.
'It would be nice.'
'I could grab my cloak, run down and…'
'No James,' she interrupted. 'I will not have you risking your life just so that I can have some new reading material. Remus is coming round in a couple of days, and I'm sure he will bring something then.'
The man, James, nodded and settled back down in his chair, a petulant look on his face. He wanted so badly to get out of that house, to go beyond the window and breathe the fresh air.
Lilly noticed his frustration, as she always did, and putting down her book she walked over to him. He lent into her, grinning as her hair tickled his nose. Seizing her advantage, she reached her fingers around and mercilessly tickled her husband. He in turn leapt up away from his tormentor, grabbing his wand from where it lay on the table.
"A duel, my fair lady," he called with bravado, flourishing his hands in an elaborate bow.
"Look how he dreams," Lily replied, sinking into a feral crouch, wand bared. "He thinks he can beat me!"
"He knows he can beat you, and so stakes a prize. May the loser wash the dishes." James then turned to his son, who was sitting and playing in the corner. "Harry, you're my second. No pressure."
"Dada!" cried the boy, picking up a small wooden stick and pointing it at his father.
"You're meant to be on my team, Harry. Point that thing at your mother." James told him, in mocking seriousness. Lily laughed, before casting a blue light from her wand.
"Are you ready yet, my challenger? Let the battle commence."
"Levicorpus," he immediately yelled, brandishing his wand with large swoops. Although it was a silent spell, he thought he should speak it, so not to be convicted of foul play. It was an act he did not need to bother with. Lily impetuously brushed the spell away with a swish of her own wand.
"Is that all he has?" she mocked, flicking her hair out of her eyes. James replied with a flurry of spells, each more ridiculous than the last. One to temporarily turn his wife blue, another that would give her a beard and a third that caused the rug to try to roll her up. Spell after spell was blocked, until James threw out his final ace.
"Riddikulus!"
"Riddikulus!?" Lily repeated incredulously after the spell had harmlessly passed through her. "You used riddikulus on me?" She was momentarily speechless, turning away to hide her grin from James. However he knew her too well, and began laughing along. But his smile instantly vanished as Lily turned back around with mock fury in her eyes. She finally had regained her voice and continued berating him. "How dare you! Riddikulus! Oh, it's on now Stagboy." James backed away, hands held up in a futile plea for mercy.
"Please Lily. I know you're not a boggart. Honest! Calm down a little."
"I'll show you calm" she replied, before bringing her wand up and pointing it at James. Coolly, she said just one word. "Rictusempra." James was instantly on the ground, writhing with laughter as the charm did its work, tickling him even worse than Lily had earlier.
"Mercy," he gasped, "have mercy." Lily approached, kneeling beside him.
"What was that, my dear?" she asked him
"Mercy, please. I'll even do the dishes."
She removed the curse, and laughed at him. "You are a ridiculous man. Beaten by a tickle."
"Shouldn't that be a riddikulus man?" he replied mischievously before swooping in and kissing away her protestations. They then sat there on the floor, arm in arm, watching their son play obliviously on.
"We might be stuck in here," she told him softly, "but at least we're stuck here together."
"I wouldn't want to be stuck with anyone else," he replied, kissing her on the forehead. "Come on, tomorrow's not going to prepare itself, and then I have dishes to do."