If you haven't read murkybluematter's Rigel Black series this story probably won't make much sense. But then, if you haven't read that series yet, count yourself lucky! You have several days of uninterrupted reading enjoyment before you, until you are stuck waiting for the next update with the rest of us…
This story will be a kind of anthology where the chapters are unconnected one-shots about Harry/Rigel's life.
Watching his daughter grow up is a father's most wonderful and most terrifying experience. James POV on a family dinner with the Hursts. Set in the summer of Harry's 14th birthday.
Latest story update at the time this was written: Ambiguous Artifice chapter 9
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or places from Harry Potter, Song of the Lioness or the Rigel Black series.
A/N: Thanks to DistractedDaydreamer for beta reading.
The Reckless Ruse: Family
James Potter was lazily charming coloured orbs of light to zoom around the playpen for his baby girl to chase. Every time she touched one he made it change colour and those she managed to clap her tiny hands around would burst into a thousand little stars that hung twinkling in the air for a few seconds before winking out one by one. There were only two orbs left when the bell in the floo room chimed, signalling the imminent arrival of their guests. He rose from the couch and walked over to the entrance of the floo room, releasing the wards on the fireplace and calling to his wife, Lily, who was making some last minute preparations in the kitchen. His elder daughter, Harriett, who had been sitting next to him, dividing her attention between reading a book and watching her little sister, hopped up as well. She quickly stowed away her book and put on the shoes she had abandoned earlier when she'd curled up on the couch with her feet tucked under. Then she came up next to him, clasping both hands around his elbow and leaning her head against his arm in a rare gesture of affection. In answer he circled his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, and pressed a swift kiss to the top of her head. Just a moment later she broke away, moving forward to greet her friend Leo as he stepped out of the fireplace. James couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the other male for taking his daughter's attention away.
He quickly suppressed the feeling however and conjured a charming smile to his face as he shook first Leo's hand and then those of Mr. and Mrs. Hurst as they came through the fire after their son. Lily strode in, a bright smile lighting her beautiful face as she greeted the Hursts and began ushering them to the living room. James was just about to reset the wards when the flames turned emerald once more. He looked quizzically at Mr. Hurst.
"Are you bringing someone else?"
"No," was the bewildered reply.
He narrowed his eyes at the fireplace, wand at the ready, all his auror senses alert. So concentrated was he on what lay before him, that he didn't notice Harry and Leo also gearing up for a fight. Harry shifted slightly to the side to block the playpen and her baby sister from view while Leo in turn positioned himself in front of Harry.
A head appeared in the fire, cheerfully shouting "Anyone home?" before he had even taken a look around. Recognising his nephew Arcturus Black, James lowered his wand.
"Archie! What are you doing here?"
"That's what I'm here to ask you. Dad says to hurry on over. He's already miffed he had to start cooking without Aunt Lily."
"We're not coming over for dinner tonight," Lily told the head in a slightly apologetic tone. "We have guests. I sent you guys an owl about that this morning."
"You sent an owl? You've known my dad for more than fifteen years and you sent him an owl with time sensitive information? You know he never reads his mail. Why didn't you just tell him when you came to pick up Addy yesterday?"
"Because I didn't know then," his wife explained patiently. "It was sort of short notice."
"Hey Archie, what's the hold up?" Sirius' voice drifted through the flames from the kitchen in Grimmauld Place. Archie's head turned in an instinctive movement to look over his shoulder though of course he'd only be able to see the back wall of the fireplace. He flinched slightly and the reason became apparent a moment later as Sirius' head popped up next to his. Sirius must have squeezed himself into the fireplace beside his son.
"Ugh dad. Get off me! You're heavy."
"Just a moment, son. So James, what's up?"
"You'll have to eat without us tonight I'm afraid. We have guests."
"As you'd know if you bothered to read your mail," added Lily.
"Great!" Sirius grinned. "That means you've already cooked dinner. So pack up the food and your guests and come on over. Your kitchen is way too small for entertaining anyway."
"You may never have seen it Black but we actually have a dining room," Lily snapped, exasperated.
"Oh yeah. Now that you mention it. I think we celebrated my seventeenth birthday in there. Didn't we James?" James smiled at the memory. His wife raised her eyebrow at him.
"Really? Were your parents looking for an excuse to redecorate?"
"Hey Lily, what's that your insinuating?" Sirius protested in mock affront. "Hey, son, where are you going?" Archie's head had vanished from the fire.
"Out from under you," they could hear his muffled answer.
"Well anyway, don't be strangers, hurry on over. I'll leave you to your packing." And with that Sirius' head disappeared as well.
James sent the Hursts a bemused look. They had been watching the exchange with expressions of amused interest.
"Well since we haven't driven you off yet maybe it is time you met the rest of the family."
"Dad!" Harry exclaimed in a tone of mock indignation though James thought she did indeed look mildly panicked. "If you don't like them you could have just said so when we were planning on inviting them. They wouldn't have had to come all the way here."
The game smile the youngest of their guests threw Harry in answer had James itching for his wand. That boy was way too good looking to trust him around his daughter. 'Man' he reminded himself. Lionel Hurst was not a boy. He was of age and, while still young, moved with the self-assurance of an adult. Harry was probably worried that James and Sirius would gang up on him if they went over to Grimmauld Place and now that he'd thought of that James rather liked the idea.
"You don't seem to have a very high opinion of your family," the young man teased his daughter with rankling familiarity.
"Or of us," his mother added, a twinkle in her eye.
James watched his daughter shrug nonchalantly, all signs of agitation smoothed away. She walked over to where Addy had started fussing in her playpen apparently upset with the lack of attention on her, muttering something that sounded like "It's your funeral," before picking up her sister and bouncing her on one hip. He looked back to his guests to receive an encouraging nod from Mr. Hurst.
"We'd love to meet the rest of your family."
"Okay then," Lily smiled at the Hursts, catching his eye and nodding toward the door. "Just give us a moment to pack up the food and we'll be ready to go."
He followed his wife to the kitchen and quickly started piling the pots she handed him into a shopping basket with inbuilt expansion and weight reduction charms. He had just finished stowing the last conainer when he heard Harry call from the living room.
"Dad? The floo in Grimmauld Place is warded, right? So only family can enter? So I guess it'll be easiest if we each bring someone along."
"That's right, dear," James replied, already moving back toward the living room with a feeling of mounting dread. He was sure he knew where this was going and if it did, he might just have to murder that boy. In a last attempt to save his guests from losing their only child he called "Why don't you go ahead with Mrs. Hurst?" He thought he heard Lily snort behind him but didn't stop to impress the seriousness of the situation upon her. There would be time for that later. Right now he had to get to the floo room before –
He burst through the door just in time to see the flames turn an emerald green as his elder daughter gave the floo directions, still holding her sister on her hip. She flashed him a somewhat pitying smirk as James Potter stood frozen, watching his two daughters disappear in the fire in the arms of Lionel Hurst.