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Writing Club, Showtime ("Stay Alive (reprise)", "Where is my son?"

Love in Motion: JamesLily

Roald Dahl Event (raspberry plops: Write about a family/couple picnic)

Word Count: 588

"Where's Harry?" James asks, making a show of searching around, blatantly ignoring the obvious Harry-shaped lump covered by their picnic blanket. "Harry?"

Lily watches him, covering her mouth to muffle a laugh. Her smile broadens so much that she can feel a strain in her jaw, but she doesn't care. It's worth it to see her husband and son enjoying themselves like this.

"Where is my son? Harry? Harry?" James calls out.

Lily grips the edge of the picnic blanket and pulls it back. Harry giggles and claps his hands. His laughter is infectious, and Lily and James join in.

"There you are!" James chuckles, scooping their son into his arms. "Looking for you sure made me hungry, buddy."

Harry smacks his lips as though he's agreeing. Still smiling, Lily adjusts the picnic blanket again, spreading it out and smoothing away any excessive creases and lumps. She waves her wand, and the basket opens, its contents hovering in the air as Lily prepares the plates.

"Why don't we do this more often?" James asks before shoving a sandwich triangle into his mouth. The words that follow are muffled by the food, and Lily has to strain to understand. "S'really uhlah of fun."

"Don't speak with a full mouth," Lily chides, shaking her head. "You're setting a bad example for Harry."

Their son, however, doesn't seem to notice. His attention has been caught by his favorite dry cereal.

"Seriously," James says, swallowing the sandwich, "why don't we do this more often?"

Lily leans in closer, taking her husband's hand and lifting it. She presses a kiss to his knuckles before resting his hand in her lap, their fingers still laced together. "There's a war, love," she whispers, her tone cautious, as if even mentioning it will somehow summon a swarm of Death Eaters. "Not much time for picnics and fun most days."

James purses his lips. He frees his hand from Lily's grip before brushing his fingers through her hair. Lily shivers, still fascinated that his touch can still have such a strong effect on her.

"When this damn war is over," he tells her, "we're going to have picnics every day."

Lily pulls away. Her smile remains, but it's softer now, less confident. By now, they both know how dangerous it is to let hope tempt them. And yet, the sweet words are so lovely, and she can't help but to dream.

She leans back, plucking a grape from her plate and nibbling it pensively. Her eyes shift from her husband to her son, and happiness swirls around her heart, coupled with a dull ache.

Lily really does wish they could have more moments like this, pretending they're a normal family and not a couple with targets on their backs.

"Bet I can land this grape in your cleavage," James says, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"James Potter, don't you dare," Lily growls.

She speaks too late. A flash of purple streaks through the air before Lily feels the cold fruit thump against her nose. She narrows her eyes, reaching for the cake she'd prepared for dessert. "Oh, it's on now," she says with a smirk, reaching out and smearing the frosting across James' face.

As the food begins to fly, and Harry begins giggling and clapping his pudgy hands together, all thoughts of the war fade somehow. For just a single moment, she can pretend that there is nothing in this world but her family and the most epic food fight any picnic has ever produced.