Regaining flight
so i was looking through my slightly older one shots when i found this prologue. i had started it earlier this year and hadn't posted it yet. tell me what you think
Prologue
Peter sat staring at the Moon on Big Ben's roof, it was a beautiful night, warm, alive with sound of humans roaming about. Peter sighed, Wendy had died long ago he couldn't find any of her children either. I'm stuck with Tink and the boys it looks like. He thought sadly, almost half wishing he had chosen to stay with Wendy instead of return to never land. Peter floated down in front of the clock's face. From what Peter could tell it was a little after eight, most children would be hearing stories of him right then. Maybe one more circuit, I'm sure I'll find someone that way. Peter flew around London one more time just to make sure there were no hopeful children looking out their windows just for him.
Meanwhile Albus Potter, a lively seven year old, was attempting and failing at falling asleep. "Good night Lily Lu. Good night Jamie." Albus' mother Ginny Potter said as she tucked in two other children.
"Night Mum." Came James' sleepy voice. Ginny walked by Albus' room, she had already tucked the little one in, he was the easiest child to put to bed when her husband was at work late. Ginny smiled placing her hand on the door of her youngest son's room.
"You're so much more like him than you know." She whispered. Albus strained to hear her whisper but he heard it, his mother had said it to him every night since the night he was born. He really didn't understand the full meaning of her phrase but it filled him with pride all the same. Albus sighed and looked up at the sky through his wide window one last time as he felt sleep finally claim his body, when he saw it, More like a him, the young child thought. Albus gasped when he recognized the limber shape passing over the moon. "Peter Pan…" he whispered remembering the muggle tale his father had told him a few night ago. The little boy leaped from his bed and ran quietly into his older brother's room. James Potter wasn't the easiest child to wake up, nor was he the easiest child to get back into bed either, and he for one didn't like being woke up by his rambunctious seven year old brother. James also being the oldest of the three children, knew the rules of bedtime…stay in bed.
"Jamie! JAMIE!"
"Hush, Albus, you know some of us like to sleep." The nine year old said scowling sleepily at Albus.
"But-But he's real, I saw him, he's real!" Albus said as quietly as he could, jumping up and down in excitement.
"Who's real? Padfoot? Yes I know, that's why I was named after him. But he's dead so how could you see him…unless..no that's a rubbish thought never mind."
"No, no, Peter! Peter Pan! He's real I saw him right out there by the moon!" Albus said dragging James over to the unnaturally bright window.
"Gah! Alby go back to bed there's no one there!"
"But I saw…" Albus trailed off as a door closed down in the lower regions of the house. James scuttled quietly over to his bedroom door and listened. The child heard the deep rumbling voice of his father.
"It's Dad, you best get back to bed before he comes up here to check on us." James said knowing his father's routine by heart, he needed to know when was the best time to sneak out and steal cookies. James cracked open the door and led his little brother to the head of the stairs. "I'd say you have a total of five minutes to make yourself comfortable before Dad comes upstairs." James said turning to Albus with a look of expectation on his face. The similarities between James and the boy's father Harry, scared Albus slightly but he knew that his extremely similarities to their father scared James more. So Albus let his eyes fully betray his resentment of his older brother, he set his eyebrows just right and set his jaw in a scarily identical fashion to their father's quickly losing his temper motion. James paled slightly but recovered quickly, "Go back to bed!" James ordered in a harsh whisper.
"No!" Albus whispered back.
"Boys? What are you doing out of bed." Harry Potter asked, an amused smile lit up his ever tired features that both boys had acquired. He looked down at his children inwardly laughing at their mischief, his shaggy bangs falling into his eyes, his wild hair for the time being tamed in a loose low ponytail.
James being the clever liar he was interceded before his younger brother told their father the truth. "we didn't want to go to sleep without hearing a story from you." James worked the chocolaty hazel eyes he had inherited from his late grandfather, putting them into the largest sweetest, most heartbreaking puppy pout possibly for the boy. Harry chuckled seeing through the façade quickly, he knew the tactic well having used it himself a fair few times.
"Albus, what are you really doing out of bed?" Harry was no fool when it came to knowing which child lied and which one didn't.
Albus huffed sadly and looked up at his father, feeling naughty for not obeying. "I saw Peter Pan Daddy, he was just outside my window." Harry sighed at his child's over active imagination. I knew I shouldn't have told them that story. He thought as James angrily stormed back to his room.
"Jamie! Come here I still don't know why you were out of bed." Harry said. James turned around and glared at Albus.
"Albus woke me up, because he saw 'Peter Pan' I was taking him back to his room when you came up the stairs." James growled, "And now I am going back to bed." The nine year old declared as his stomped into his room shutting the door quite loudly behind him. Harry sighed again and turned back to Albus who was looking down the stairs with tears in his big bright green eyes.
"Did you really see him?" Harry asked quietly. Albus wiped his eyes and nodded, fighting back a yawn.
"You believe me don't you Daddy?" Albus' voice was so small Harry barely heard it, but he smiled and scooped up the small boy in his arms and carried him back to the little boy's bedroom.
"Of course I believe you, Love, of course I do." Harry said as he tucked Albus in. "Was Tinker Bell there too?"
Albus shook his head sadly, Harry tickled him, "Maybe she'll be there next time." Albus giggled as Harry stood up, "Good night, Alby, I love you."
"Love you Daddy." Albus said through a yawn as Harry closed the door.
Peter sat on the window ledge of the Potter home watching as the boy's father walked down the hall wearily. "Maybe…." Peter said to himself replying to the father's remark. He watched as the boy rolled over him his bed into a more comfortable position, snuggled under his covers. Peter lossed his balance on the sill and tumbled towards earth, expecting to be caught by the stardust, but was sadly mistaken. Peter panicked; he hadn't fallen so far or fast in a long time. "Tink! TINKERBELL!" Peter bellowed as he neared the garden's bushes. Luckily he landed safely, unluckily he couldn't get back into the air, no matter how high he jumped, he was always pulled back to the ground fiercely by gravity. "No,no, no! Tink, Tinker Bell!" Peter cried, tears slowly spilling from his eyes. "Somebody, anyone! Help…me…Please.." he sobbed, the flying boy had never felt so grounded or alone.
