It was just over a month following his meeting with the council, and so far James had met with two people. If the council had gotten their way, then the Heir to the Throne would have met with around triple that by now. But James was adamant that he would be in control of his future, and that meant saying no to all the snobby/money-grabbing/lacking-a-backbone options that the nobles presented to him.

Luckily though, he was getting a break from their hounding by the arrival of Teddy Lupin, his Father's Ward. They had grown up to be close friends, and James was always reminded by his Mother how much he had looked up to the older boy when he was growing up. So it was a welcome surprise when it was announced at dinner that the young man would be coming to stay at the castle for a couple of months.

So here he was, stood at the steps to the castle. In front of him was King Harry dressed in his best robes, beside him was Queen Ginny in a deep red dress. Next to James were his siblings, Albus and Lily. Finally, the reception party was completed by those who made up the council:

Aberforth Dumbledore and Kingsley Shacklebolt were stood to the side of the party most likely discussing something law-related. James didn't really care. The pair were easy enough to get along with, and were clearly cut from the same cloth which could be seen from their shared rough mannerisms that hid great intelligence that made them perfect for their jobs. The council was also made up of Romilda Vane, Cormac McClaggen, Dolores Umbridge and Minerva McGonagall. Lady Vane was the current Minister for Health on the council. As the youngest in the council (being the same age as King Harry James), she was greatly respected in her field and anyone who encountered her to see why. She was an outspoken woman, who was always sure to make her opinion on the matter clear to those around her. James didn't mind her, although that by no means meant that she was great company is his eyes. Too much of a workaholic for him.

Cormac McClaggen was stood next to Romilda, his calculating eyes running over the group assembled. James didn't like Lord McClaggen at all. He was arrogant and definitely liked himself more than anyone should. But to his credit, he was very good in his role as the Minister of Finance. Since he has assumed the position just 6 years ago at 37, Gryffindor's finances had greatly improved. King Harry was not a big fan of McClaggen either, but as King he had to acknowledge that the man knew what he was doing. However, as much as James could see the logic behind his appointment, he could not agree with the choice for Education Minister.

Dolores Umbridge, in James' opinion, was a deplorable woman. As head of education in the Kingdom she was old fashioned and unpopular. However, she had held her position in the council, not that James knew how. All he did know was that if she was still in the council (unlikely considering her age) by the time he was King then she'd be the first to go.

The final member, Minerva McGonagall, was the head of Environment. She was a strict woman who always made sure to get straight to the point. Growing up, James seemed to be unable to do anything mischievous without her noticing and scolding him. Probably because she knew that King Harry would never discourage the behaviour himself. Alongside Umbridge and Dumbledore, Minerva was one of the oldest on the council. But there was nobody better than her for the role.

They weren't waiting long before a horse's hooves could be heard against the stone paving that made up the courtyard. Not long after, a large brown horse followed with Teddy Lupin sat atop it. Teddy pulled the horse to a stop, and swung his leg over, landing on the floor with a slight thud. He then proceeded to head over to James' parents, grabbing them both in a warm hug. It was at that point that Lily decided to join the fun, leaving James and Albus to watch the scene with grins spread widely on their faces. Once the four had broken apart and shared a few words, Teddy approached the two brothers. The older prince stepped forward happily pulling him into a hug.

"Hey Teddy, long time no see!" He pulled away and grinned.

"I know." The older laughed, flicking his light brown hair out of his eyes. "Look at you! You look like you're ready to take over from your Father any day now!" James joined him in laughter.

"Definitely not yet! Plus, there's all the fun with marriage and the council." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh?" A curious eyebrow was lifted.

"Apparently, it's law that I need to be married by my 21st in order to become King." He answered. "The council have been trying to get me to meet their 'suitable matches' for the last month! It's tiring."

"So, they're trying to find you the perfect queen eh?" Teddy asked with a sympathetic expression.

"Or Prince. I'm a carrier so they're actually willing to acknowledge my bisexuality despite the complaints of Umbridge. So far the only decent two have been Serenity Davies of Ravenclaw and Jade Flint of Slytherin though."

"Well, you can count on me to take your mind off it then!" Teddy then moved on to Al, ruffling the 18 year old's hair playfully. In response, the younger Prince pulled him into a welcoming hug.

This was taken as a cue by the welcoming group to head into the palace smiling and chatting.

By the time the sun was dropping below the horizon that evening, the very same group could be found in the throne room. Said room was filled with several large tables that were decadently covered with an assortment of foods. Alongside the original group were a number of other nobles and their families, there to celebrate the visit of their King's ward. Teddy himself was seated off to the side of the room chatting to some of the other people he had grown up with, and from his position in the room James could spy the older man chuckling at some impression Vickie was doing.

A tap on the shoulder pulled James' attention back to his own conversation with his younger sister.

"Did you hear me? Mum said that I could visit Ravenclaw and apprentice with Lady Scamander in Magical Creatures!" She exclaimed, and James could see that she was barely resisting the urge to bounce on the balls of her feet.

"That's amazing Lils! When are you going?" He smiled.

"Well, I need to write to Lady Scamander and confirm my apprenticeship. Then I need to organise accommodation, and Mum's making me take a couple of soldiers with me." Lily rolled her eyes, "When all that's done I'll be going for a year before having to come back here to practice for a year. Then I'll be assessed and finally have a Mastery!"

Princess Lily was currently 16 years old, not that you'd be able to tell. She was incredibly smart for her age and this resulted in the people adoring her. In their eyes, she was the beautiful and intelligent woman set to marry a foreign Prince and cement an alliance. She was fine with this herself as long as two conditions were fulfilled:

1. She was able to continue her studies when she was married. Her sex doesn't negate her brain's ability to twist its way through the majority of puzzles presented to her.

2. She was able to teach her children herself. Tutors were allowed to assist but she was in charge.

James had no doubt that she would find a Prince or King to marry that would respect (or learn to respect) her.

"I reckon I'll end up just staying with Lady Scamander, as it'll make learning much more accessible. Plus Mum and Dad know Lady Scamander quite well from when they were younger! Mum said she's even thinking of coming with me when I first head across the border. Only for a few days mind you, the Kingdom would fall apart without her!" Lily laughed.

"Well make sure to say 'hi' to Lorcan and Ly for me, I've not seen them in so long!"

"Don't worry, I will." She smiled happily at him, before her eyes drifted to behind him.

"You alright Lils?" James asked.

"Yeah, I just keep on seeing people looking at you oddly." James rolled his eyes.

"What's new? At risk of sounding arrogant, people always look at me, I'm a Prince."

"You weren't at risk there Jamie, you were plain old sounding arrogant!" Teddy's voice came from over his shoulder. James just turned and shoved him lightly, causing the older to stumble. Lily just giggled at their antics before clarifying.

"No, Jamie, they look at you because you're an idiot. You too Teddy!" She was interrupted by two exclamations of protest, "Shh, what I meant was the council members keep on giving you looks. Like they're assessing something." She speculated.

"Assessing? Probably something to do with this marriage business." Teddy voiced, "Maybe they've spotted a possible contender!" He elbowed James jokingly.

"Oh Merlin." Was all James had to say to that.