Title: Like a jack-in-the-box
Pairing: Gen, with reference to Ron/Hermione, Lupin/Tonks implied
Summary: At a late Christmas party with his best friends, Harry watches Samuel play.
Author's note: A drabble written at a late Christmas party I attended to myself, where my cousins' son was very amused by his jack-in-the-box, and due to his reddish hair and cute behaviour I associated him with Samuel.
Disclaimer: All the characters, places, trademarks etc. belongs to J.K Rowling, except from Samuel Weasley Granger who belongs to Joanie, and I used them to create this for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringements intended.
In the small and fashionably furnished home of the Weasley Granger family, a selected portion of witches, wizards and even muggles sat together in a noisy, laughing party.
Mr Weasley was perhaps the loudest and most content of them all. He had occupied the seat beside Mrs and Mr Granger and was absorbed in a conversation about the usage of rubber ducks, his favourite un-magical item. Mrs Granger who was exhausted by their previous discussion about wooden ships inside bottles (How do you manage it Mrs Granger? To get those magnificent little ships into the bottles through that tiny bottleneck, without magic? It's so superb! I can't understand in a million years how you manage that! And without magic, do you hear me darling Molly, without magic! Is this a usual hobby for mugglers?), just smiled and nodded to her neighbour accompanied by random comments from her husband.
Mr Weasley was all too excited to notice their lack of enthusiasm.
Among the guest was also Harry, who watched Samuel, Ron and Hermione's mischievous three year old son play with his new toy. It was a square box painted red and decorated with a big light blue button on two sides and a grey puppy on the remaining two. It was Harry's Christmas gift to his godson. When he had the choice between a miniature troll, bearing much resemblance to the one he and Samuel's parents had fought against their first year at Hogwarts, which made growling sounds and could knock you out with its gavel despise it's small size, and the harmless jack-in-the-box, he chose the latter. Samuel seemed thrilled by his present. When he turned the handle on the left side of the box it begun to play a funny, little tune. Samuel giggled and sent Harry a proud look. Harry returned the smile. Then Samuel became aware of the hatch on the top of the box and easily managed to open it.
A little, grey dog popped out. Samuel jumped and tumbled backwards. He stared at the dog and Harry knew he was going to cry or scream, but to his surprise Samuel laughed and clapped his hands eagerly. His little, chubby face shone with pride and happiness as he again and again managed to open and close the hatch. He shook his head and giggled and his read curls danced around his face.
"Look, 'Arry! Look – dog!" exclaimed Samuel gaily as he pushed the box towards Harry's face. Harry took the box from him and placed it back on the floor. Samuel turned around and kicked the box so it flew about a meter out on the floor. He turned back against Harry and placed his hands on his knees. The freckles sparkled in his face and his happy eyes looked intensely into Harry's. Harry felt his grip tighten around Samuel's fist, which he had seized, but he couldn't bring himself to loosening it.
Beautiful red hair, green eyes piercing into green, small, gentle hands were touching his hair and a warm, narrow mouth kissing him goodnight.
Be brave, my boy.
Mother?
He felt the well known lump in his throat he hadn't felt since his years at school, and a salty feeling in his nose.
"Come here now, little one. Hush, don't cry."
Harry felt a hand on his shoulder, then a friendly squeeze. Another was placed on his hand, gently forcing him to open it. The weight was lifted from his shoulder as Tonks' withdrew her hand to pick up the screaming Samuel.
"Hush now, dear. Everything is all ri…", Tonks who had just hoisted Samuel up in her arms had stepped backwards and right onto the box he had been so enchanted by only moments before. Luckily, Lupin had seen it coming and was now at his feet to come to her rescue. He got behind her and grasped her by the wrists and in that way he prevented both her and Samuel from falling to the floor.
"Thank you! What would I have done without you, my dearest Remus? If I had actually dropped Samuel, well some sort of a spell would perhaps fix him again, but his parents would surely be angry with me and perhaps not allow me in their home ever again."
As Tonks begun to babble everyone within earshot turned to their neighbour suddenly extremely interested in whatever the other had to say. Lupin only laughed and embraced both Tonks and Samuel, looking at them so tenderly that one almost could believe that they were a family.