Father's Day Competition by ChatterChick on HPFC.
Harry and Albus Potter.
"Albus Severus Potter, do not scratch!"
"But mum..."
The little seven-year-old boy sulked, his little body was covered in red spots. Ginny herself was reaching the end of her straw. She was never the soothing nurse her mother was, not that she didn't try. Ginny finally gave up, leaving to go and prepare lunch for the children and her sick son.
Albus was surly throughout the whole thing. It was his first time with the sickness and was in terrible discomfort. His siblings had to be kept away and he was kept in quarantine. He looked longingly out the window, his cousins and siblings whirled past in a jolly game of Quidditch, oh how he envied and wished he were with them right now. The prickling sensation of an oncoming itch made it virtually impossible for him to ignore. He raised his hand, poised to scratch.
"Your mum said not to scratch."
"DAD! I uh-"
"Alright, I got something here that should help."
Harry had untimely came to save the day once more. He strode over to the bed, a small jar of pinkish looking paste on hand. Albus let out a sigh of relief as his father spread the salve on his skin.
"Better?"
"Mhmm.. Dad, can I ask you something?"
"Yes..?"
"What was it like?"
"Like what?"
"To be a hero. To be brave and defeat the bad guys."
Harry blinked at his son, momentarily at a loss for answers. He looked at his son's honest face. Harry didn't want to lie outright to his son, so he did what any parent would do- sugar-coat it.
"I don't know, I guess it's just that... well... if you have something to fight for then you don't really care about being brave you just do it."
"Is that what you did?"
"To put it in a way yes.."
"I don't think I could ever be brave like you."
Albus' head hung, he knew even at a young age of what marvelous feat his father had done.
"I don't want you to,"
A look of surprise and horror showed on his son's face. Harry chuckled before continuing with his sentence.
"I mean I want you to be brave like yourself. I don't want you to be something just to live up to somebody else's definition of how you should be."
Albus still looked unconvinced, but relieved his father wasn't telling him to be a coward or anything of the sort.
"What I'm saying Albus is that I don't expect you to be anyone or anything else but you, no matter what anyone says or thinks."
With his father's words Albus cracked a smile. He needn't be like James, who even though was brave had a reckless and brash side. Nor like Lily, who was fiery and volatile too. He could be something all on his own, something his dad can be proud of him.
Soon Ginny re-entered the room with a tray of food. Harry slowly rose to leave the room.
"Dad... can you... can you stay with me please?"
"Sure,"
Harry grinned at Albus who beamed back. Turning to his wife and giving her an I'll-take-it-from-here look. He sat next to his son's side, watching him eat. When he was done, Harry summoned a familiar box of sweets. Harry tore open the box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.
"We used to play this game when we were younger..."
"What is it?"
"You'd get a random bean and you'd have to guess the flavour. The one who's gotten the most number of correct or close guesses wins."
"That sounds fun!"
That day Albus Severus Potter didn't care. He didn't care that he was sick, he didn't care that his siblings were having a good time with Quidditch without him. All he cared was that he had the best time with his dad, something he will always cherish and treasure.
...so, what'd you guys think? It's short, I know. It's a little iffy to me since I'm not exactly up to par with father-son relationships as I have a father-daughter one. Tell me what you guys think.
