Daddy's Little Bug
By: LaughWhileCrying
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights to Harry Potter are the sole property of (the lovely) J.K. Rowling. No copyright infringment is intended.
Rating: K+ (For slight refrences to violence)
Summary: "'That's why we have daddies, isn't it. To protect us from the bad people.' Lily Luna Potter has a little talk with her daddy."
A/N: This is just a little one-shot I wrote (in math class, actually). I really love stories where Harry and his kids talk about his time in the war, and I just couldn't resist writing this :) Hope you all enjoy!
"Daddy?"
"Hm?"
"What's that?" She pressed her tiny finger against his forehead.
"That's a scar."
"Oh."
…
"Daddy?"
"Hm?"
"What's a scar?"
"It's a very old owie."
"Oh."
…
Lily Luna Potter stared hard at the "scar" for a moment. It was a very odd shape, she noted.
"Daddy?"
"Hm?"
"How'd you get it?"
A frown appeared on her daddy's face.
"A very bad man gave it to me when I was little."
"Oh."
…
"Why?"
"Why not?"
Lily pondered this for a moment or two. She squinted her eyes and clenched her jaw, the gears in her little four-year-old mind spinning furiously.
"Because," she said finally as if the answer was obvious. "It's not nice to hurt people, is it? It's against the rules."
Her daddy smiled down at her, but it didn't seem…right. It wasn't like his other smiles, like the one he gives when he sees mummy or when she accidently turned Jamie's hair pink after he stole her doll. It was more like the one he got when Al came back from the muggle store with Sherbet Lemons or when she named her new doll Dora and dyed its hair purple.
"Not everyone follows the rules, Lily Lu," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. Daddy kisses were very good, she decided. Almost as good as mummy kisses. "We know it's not nice to hurt people, but not everyone is as smart as you. Some people do it anyway."
"But why?"
He sighed. "I don't know Lily. But they do it."
She snuggled closer into her daddy's chest. She could hear his heartbeat.
"That's why we have daddies, isn't it. To protect us from the bad people."
He smiled again, a happy smile this time. "That's right. Daddies protect their Lily-bugs until they're old enough to protect themselves. But even then they're still there to make sure all Lily-bugs are alright."
"Do daddies protect Jamie-bugs too? And Albus-bugs?"
"Of course they do," He answered while tickling her belly, making her giggle like mad. "They protect all of their little bugs no matter what, whether they're old, young, big, or tiny."
Lily sighed in satisfaction. She closed her eyes and pressed her head to her daddy's chest, her fingers clenching onto his shirt. It was nice to know that her daddy would always be here. It was nice to know that he would protect her from the bad people. She won't get any "scars" like daddy…
She shot up. "Wait!"
Her daddy raised his eyebrow slightly. Almost nothing surprised this daddy.
"What is it, Lily Lu? What's wrong?"
She bit her bottom lip. She was young, but even she was unsure if she should ask. Her daddy gently pulled her lip out from her teeth with his thumb. It was tough, unlike mummy's soft hands.
"Lily," he tried again. "What's wrong?"
She looked up into her daddy's bright green eyes. She liked those eyes. She had always thought that they looked like sour apples.
"If daddy's always protect their little bugs from the bad people…"
"Yes…"
"Why did your daddy let a bad man give you a scar?"
He smiled that strange smile again. He took a big gulp of air and let it out slowly.
"Daddies, Lily, they-they give everything they have to protect their bugs from bad people, you know? But sometimes, Lily, daddies, they-they don't- they can't-"
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, letting Lily see his "scar" again.
"Lily, I want you to know that daddies love their bugs very much. Because they love their bugs, they are willing to do anything to keep them away from bad people. But Lily, they aren't always successful. Sometimes, a bad man will come, and no matter how hard the daddy tries, he- he just can't keep the bad man away. And sometimes, the bad man makes the daddy go away."
"But why would a daddy leave his bug?"
"He doesn't always have a choice. My daddy was one of those daddies. The bad man made my daddy go away, and then he hurt me. He gave me this scar. My daddy didn't want to leave me, he wanted to stay and protect me from the bad man. And even though he couldn't, I know he tried his hardest."
Lily stared at her daddy's face. "You won't ever leave us to a bad man, right?" she whispered fearfully.
Her daddy hugged her tight to his body. Hot, fat tears began flowing down out of her eyes, getting his shirt all wet.
"No Lily," he said. "I won't ever even let a bad man near you."
He tried to pull back a little, but Lily clung tight to his torso.
"Lily, look at me."
"No." Her reply was muffled by tears and her daddy.
"Lily, please," he tried again. "Lily I need you to be a big girl and look at me, because this is important. Can you do that? Can you be a big girl for me?"
She sniffled, silent for a moment. She then nodded into his shirt and pulled back slightly. Her eyes were already red from crying. Her daddy wiped her tears away with kisses and his tough thumb.
"Lily," he said. "You should know that one day, my body will leave you."
Her eyes grew wide. "What? But you-!"
"My body will leave you," he continued, shushing her. "But I won't leave."
"You won't?"
"No, I'll always be with you. Right here," he said, poking her in the chest.
"Where?"
He laughed quietly. "In your heart. I'll always be right there, protecting you from the bad people. That's where my daddy is right now- in my heart, protecting me."
"Oh. Okay."
At that moment, a big yawn escaped from her mouth. Her daddy chuckled.
"Come on," he laughed, scooping her up in his arms. "It's time for all little bugs to go to bed."
"No!" she screamed in between laughs. "No, I'm no' sleepy!" Another yawn escaped her.
"Of course you aren't," her daddy smiled.
Later, after all was said and done, all teeth were brushed, all pajamas put on, and all good nights yelled, it was just Lily and her daddy sitting on her bed, reading her bedtime story.
"…'It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, as equals, they departed this life.' The End."
"Again," She yawned, eyes barely open. "Again."
"Not tonight, Lily Lu," her daddy said. "Good night, I love you." He pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Love you too, daddy…"
He got up from the end of her bed, laid the book on a shelf, and started to leave the room.
"Daddy?"
"Hm?"
"Will I always be your little bug?"
She didn't see it, but she knew he was smiling.
"Always and forever."
"Oh…"
…
"Daddy?"
"Hm?"
"You can be my little bug too….I'll protect you from the bad people too…" She yawned, snuggling into the pillow. "An' I'll protect Jamie, an' Albus, an' mummy, an' Aunt 'Mione, an' Unca Ron, an' Rosie, an' Hugo…"
She sighed. "An' I'll be a daddy, just like you."
She could hear his chuckle. "Okay, Lily," he said. "You'll be the best daddy there ever was."
"Good night, daddy."
"Good night, little bug."
The light turned off and she pressed her cheek into the mattress, happy to know that her daddy would do anything for her. She pondered a very important question before falling into the blissful land of dreams.
Did anything include letting her get that Pygmy Puff that Uncle George told her about?
Hope you liked that! This is by no means grammatically perfect, so please, if you see any mistakes, let me know.
Also, reviews would make me a very happy author... *wink wink* *nudge nudge* ;)
Peace off!
LaughWhileCrying