Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
James stared blankly at his headmaster.
"You want me to give up my son to my wife's sister?" James asked in a strangled voice.
"Harry must reside with Petunia for part of the year. It is the only way to ensure the blood protection remains effective," Albus continued apologetically.
"NO! I won't let you take him from me! He is all I have left! Petunia hates magic and she hated Lily. She hated Lily, Lily who was kind and generous to a fault. Petunia didn't even come to the funeral! How can you ask me to send my baby there?" James bellowed at the headmaster.
Sirius raced into the room, alerted by the shouting. When he saw the headmaster he quickly cast a Silencing Charm to keep the shouts from waking Remus or Harry.
"What's going on?" Sirius asked worriedly.
"He wants me to send Harry to Petunia for part of the year," James answered glaring at the headmaster.
"What?" Sirius roared rounding on the professor.
"It is the only way to ensure that the blood protection keeps Harry safe from Voldemort," Albus answered calmly. "It is best for Harry," he added.
"No it isn't. It is best for Harry to be with me, and Remus, and Sirius, people that love him. I won't lose him Albus, I can't," James retorted, the fear of being separated from his son evident in his eyes.
"Would you rather he died at the hands of Voldemort?" Albus asked harshly.
James paled dramatically and sank onto the sofa. Sirius sat beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, he glared at the headmaster. It hadn't been that long since they lost Lily, James was just starting to be normal again and here was Albus throwing the thought of his son's murder in his face.
"How long? You said he needed to stay there for part of the year, how long?" James said suddenly.
"Three weeks should be sufficient I believe," Albus answered.
"James, you can't really mean to send Harry there," Sirius asked shocked. He had met Petunia Dursley at Lily and James' wedding. He felt ill at the thought of his godson in her hands.
"I can't lose him like I lost Lily. She died for him, I can't just reject that," James said.
"Shall I speak to Petunia then and arrange for Harry to spend the three weeks prior to his birthday with her and her family," Albus said, he was pleased James was realizing that this was their only option.
"No," James answered. "You should arrange for us both to be there. I understand that he needs to go, but I won't leave him there all alone. We will try this, but if I don't like the way he is treated we won't be staying, blood protection or no blood protection," James glared fiercely at the headmaster as if daring him to contradict his statement.
Albus merely nodded, he had no problem with James going so long as Harry went. "I'll speak to Petunia and arrange it. I will have you go when school lets out and leave just before Harry's birthday. That way when Harry starts school it will not interfere. I know you do not like this James, but thank you for doing what is in Harry's best interest," Albus said disapparating.
James dropped his head into his hands. What would Lily say? James thought to himself. He had sworn that Harry would never have a chance to be hurt by the lack of love from his aunt and uncle the way Lily had been hurt by her sister, yet here he was bringing Harry there to stay.
"You okay?" Sirius asked putting his hand on James' shoulder.
"I will be. I haven't got a choice. I will keep him safe," James answered running a hand through his hair.
Sirius removed the silencing charm and the two sat lost in their own thoughts. Before long James heard Harry calling for him.
"Hey little man," he said scooping the boy off of Remus' bed and bringing him out into the living room. The ground floor of the cottage housed James and Harry's room, Remus' room, the living room, kitchen, and a bathroom. The upstairs housed the library, Sirius' bedroom, the bathroom, and the guest room. James placed Harry in the corner of the living room with his favorite toy, his Quidditch set and watched him play.
"They had better not try and treat him any different than any other kid or so help me—" Sirius began.
"I won't let them hurt him, not the way Lily was hurt by Petunia," James interrupted.
Harry sensed the somber mood in the room and toddled over to his father and godfather. He raised his arms and Sirius placed him on the couch. Harry snuggled up between the two and pointed insistently to his picture books on the coffee table. Sirius grabbed the stack and allowed Harry to choose, groaning when the pudgy puppy book was picked.
"It's his favorite," James laughed opening the book. As James read he and Sirius began to nod off, feeling the effects of a sleepless night. By the end of the book they were both out cold and Harry held the book on his lap. That was how Remus found them an hour later when he got up to make lunch.
"Moo!" Harry cried out happily as Remus entered the room.
His yell startled his father and godfather who snapped awake and looked around blearily.
"Anybody for some lunch?" Remus asked holding out his arms to Harry who went to him willingly.
"Lunch! Soup Moo?" Harry asked smiling.
"Soup it is, chicken noodle I think, and some grilled cheese," Remus answered smiling.
Harry began chattering away about the Weasleys to Remus as the two went into the kitchen. James and Sirius followed with a smile. Before long the food was finished and the four were happily munching on their food. Harry finished quickly and squirmed to be released from his highchair. James let him down and he toddled over to his toy dragons in the corner of the kitchen and began playing. James and Sirius filled Remus in on the happenings with Dumbledore.
"There's something else I wanted to discuss with you guys as well," James said. "It has been great living here with you and you have both been such a big help with Harry, but I think it is time he and I moved. I want to raise him in my parents' house. It has been in the Potter family for generations. Lily and I didn't move in there after my parents died because we were already settled at the cottage and expecting Harry. Now I think it is time I moved in there with Harry. We both love living with you two and I hope you will come around often, but it is time for us to get back on our own feet," James said. He looked worriedly between his two best friends waiting for their reaction.
"Whatever you need James. I will certainly miss you both, but there's no reason for us not to see each other often and you are welcome to return whenever," Remus said smiling at his friend. He was happy that James was getting back to his old self. He would definitely miss having them around, but he had been friends with James for too long for them to be too affected by distance.
James smiled at his friend and turned to face Sirius.
"I talked to Dumbledore yesterday. I am taking the Arithmancy position permanently. I wouldn't be around much during the school year anyway. Harry should have a chance to grow up in Potter Manor. After all, I am going to make a point of sharing all the secret passages and hideaways we discovered with my godson," Sirius laughed.
James rolled his eyes. With his luck Sirius would have Harry set up with a dozen different hiding places to escape bedtime before the boy was three. He was grateful to his friends for being so understanding. He really did love living with the two of them again. It was almost like being back in the Gryffindor tower. Except he wasn't in school anymore, he was a parent and an adult. He needed to prove to himself and the world that he was capable of raising Harry on his own.
Thus it was decided and a week a later Harry and James moved into Potter Manor. The house was large and spacious and Harry absolutely hated it at first. Soon though he came to consider it home and James began to think of it as his own home rather than his parents. They passed many happy months there, but too soon for James' liking it came time for him and Harry to visit Petunia.
At first Harry was not upset when James began packing up his things. He had grown used to staying with the Weasleys during the full moons and quite enjoyed his sleepovers. He excitedly went and brought his toy dragons to James so that they could be packed.
"Sorry buddy, only Muggle toys for this trip," James said ruffling Harry's hair. He wasn't going to give Petunia an excuse to start in on him. Harry frowned, but instead fetched his stuffed animals and pudgy puppy book. James smiled and tucked them into the bag. Harry was also confused when James packed his own clothes into a bag.
"Daddy too?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes, Daddy is going with you. We are going to go see Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and your cousin Dudley for awhile," James said forcing a smile onto his face.
"Won?" Harry asked with a frown.
"No not Ron's house today," James answered.
Harry's lower lip stuck out into a pout and James scooped him into his arms for a hug and kiss. He tickled the boy's tummy and listened to his giggles. He grabbed both the bags and their jackets and took Harry into his arms. He apparated to Arabella Figg's house and, after greeting her with a smile, walked down to Petunia's house and knocked on the door. Petunia opened the door with a frown and ushered them quickly into the hall.
"Hello Petunia, how've you been?" James gritted out.
"I'm not happy to have you here, but since I had no choice in the matter I will tell you that I won't have any of your freakishness in this house. You are here for three weeks and I won't have you displaying your abnormalities in my home, yours or your son's," Petunia spit out as she ushered James up to the guest room.
Harry whimpered softly at the harshness of the woman's cold tone and the glare she sent at him and his father. After Petunia slammed the door as she left them to unpack, Harry burst into frightened and confused tears.
"Hush little man. It's going to be just fine. We will just stay up here and only go down once in a while okay," James said patting the boy's back. Inside he was seething. How dare that woman behave like that? How dare she scare Harry, her own nephew? I should have listened to my gut; I shouldn't have let Albus convince me to come here. How could that woman know anything about protection that comes from love? James thought as he soothed Harry.
He laid the boy in the cot that he pulled from the bag and magically expanded and Harry went straight down for his nap. James unpacked their things and settled them into the room. He knew that Sirius didn't understand why he had agreed to bring Harry here, James wasn't sure he really understood himself. All he knew was that Albus had said this would keep Lily's blood protection intact and James had to do everything he possibly could to keep Harry safe. If I let her blood protection go then she died for nothing.
After Harry's nap James and he hesitantly made their way downstairs for tea. They found the Dursley family in the kitchen seated around the table. Vernon glared at them as James sat in the empty chair at the table and held Harry in his lap. Petunia chewed her tongue as she placed a cup of tea in front of James. Harry reached for one of the biscuits on the table; Mrs. Weasley always had fresh biscuits for him. Dudley reached over from his high chair and snatched the biscuit out of Harry's hand.
"Mine," the fat blonde toddler yelled as he smashed the cookie to his face.
Harry looked shocked and then his lip trembled and tears began to fall. James soothed him and glared at Petunia who reached for her son and, with some difficulty, hefted him from the high chair.
"It's alright Duddykins, Mummy won't let the nasty boy steal your biscuits, no she won't," Petunia cooed in a sickly sweet voice.
"I don't like the fact that I am here anymore than you do Petunia, but I will not tolerate any cruelty towards my son, not from you or your son. If you harm him you will be sorry," James said icily.
"Don't you dare threaten my wife!" Vernon roared turning a puce color.
James shot him a fierce glare and gathered Harry into his arms. He swept up the stairs and into the guest room. Magically expanding the room James transfigured books from the bookcase into the items he would need to create a complete living space for himself and Harry. A trip to the market and a few hours later he and Harry were enjoying a dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Much of the first two weeks passed in the same manor. James cooked all his and Harry's meals and kept Harry away from his relatives for most of the day. They spent many afternoons playing in the backyard sunshine or reading picture books that James had borrowed from the nearby Muggle library. Evenings were spent enduring the Dursley's company as the TV was watched or conversations held. It was during one such evening in the final week of their stay that a knock was heard at the door. Petunia glared at James as she hurried to answer it, seemingly hoping he would disappear upstairs. James stayed where he was with Harry on his lap. The boy had been quiet all day and James worried his relatives nastiness was beginning to affect him. James stood up in shock when Sirius Black swept into the room followed by a fuming Petunia.
"James you have to come quickly. I just received word from Dumbledore that Remus' home has been attacked," Sirius said urgently.
James paled, "How did they find it?" he asked.
"Remus had Albus remove the Fidelius Charm after you and Harry left remember? He wasn't worried about an attack on himself," Sirius answered.
James nodded grimly. He didn't want to leave Harry, but if Remus was hurt or dying then James owed it to his friend to go to him.
"I have to go out for a few hours, please watch Harry for me. I'll put him to bed now, you'll just need to look in on him if he cries," James said turning to Petunia. She chewed her lip and nodded curtly. James hurriedly set Harry down in his crib and followed Sirius out the door.
"I hate leaving him there," James muttered as the two friends hurried down the road.
"He'll be fine for a few hours. He should sleep the whole time," Sirius said reassuringly. James nodded.
An hour after they left Harry woke in his crib and began to scream, his face was flushed with fever and the little boy was miserable and sick. Petunia raced into the room. It was right next door to Dudley's and she wasn't going to let her nephew interfere with her boy's sleep.
"Hush now you little brat," she demanded grabbing Harry up and forcing him back onto his back in the crib. She ignored the feverish skin beneath her hands. Harry coughed and cried harder than ever despite Petunia's attempts to quiet him. Eventually Vernon came into the room. He grabbed Harry and his blankets and carried him downstairs. He grabbed one of the sofa cushions and placed it in the cupboard under the stairs and laid the boy on it.
"Won't be able to hear him down here," he said cheerfully to his wife. The two made their way up to their bedroom and ignored the plaintive cries of their sick nephew.
When James and Sirius arrived at Remus' house they found other members of the Order of the Phoenix fighting off a number of Death Eaters. After a bit the Death Eaters fled and the two searched the house for their friend. They found him lying on his bedroom floor.
"Ennervate," James cried pointing his wand at Remus' chest.
They both sighed in relief when the werewolf's eyes fluttered open.
"Alright then Moony?" Sirius asked weakly.
"Fine, just roughed me up a bit wanting to know where you and Harry were James. They stunned me when Order members started showing up," Remus answered sitting up with a groan.
Sirius and James helped him to straighten out the mess that was his home and decided that for now it would be safer for him to go to Potter Manor. Sirius decided to accompany him and James returned to Privet Drive roughly two and a half hours after he had left. He quietly made his way up the stairs and into the guest room. His heart stopped when he saw that Harry's cot was empty. He raced down the hall and burst into Vernon and Petunia's bedroom.
"Where is my son?" he bellowed at them. The two startled awake and Vernon glared at James.
"He was screaming fit to wake the neighbors. We couldn't have him up here keeping Dudders awake", Petunia said nastily.
"Where is he?" James shouted. Following the shout James heard the familiar cries of his son from downstairs.
Following the noise James arrived at the cupboard under the stairs. Horrified he jerked open the door. Harry lay miserably on the cushion. His cheeks were flushed and streaked with tears and his nose was running. He sobbed brokenly and reached for James who clutched his close. He was startled by the warmth of the baby's skin and was disgusted to realize that Harry's cries were because he was ill. Petunia and Vernon had followed him down the stairs and James rounded on them viciously.
"He is your nephew and he is sick and you left him in the cupboard! What is the matter with you people? I don't care what Albus has said about Harry being safer staying here, he was wrong. We are leaving and we are never coming back. How dare you hurt my son?" James shouted. He whipped his wand out and waved it over the house. Petunia's once spotless home now looked as if the vacuum had expelled every bit of dirt and dust it contained over every surface of the home. James quickly summoned his and Harry's things and disapparated with the still screaming child.
He reappeared in the living room and Potter Manor and began to attempt to sooth Harry.
"Shhh, it's okay baby. Daddy is so sorry that he left you, hush now little man. You're feeling bad aren't you? Let's get you a cool cloth for that head," James said feeling tears in the back of his eyes.
His baby was sick and he had left him with people that were intentionally cruel to him. I'm so sorry Lily, he thought as he carried the boy into the kitchen. He found Sirius and Remus sitting in there having a firewhiskey to relax after the attack.
"James? What happened?" Sirius asked worriedly.
"Harry's sick, he must have started to feel really bad after we left and he started to cry. They didn't like how much noise he was making so they locked him in the cupboard under the stairs and just left him there," James answered miserably. Sirius and Remus stared at him in shock and horror.
Harry had stopped crying and merely lay listlessly in James arms, his hot face against his father's neck. James wet a cloth with cool water and stroked it over the boy's face repeatedly. He filled a sippy cup with cool water and gave it to Harry who sucked it down and then lay back in his arms. He gave him more water and a dose of children's medicine before he took the baby back into the living room. Harry lay in his arms as James stroked his face with the cloth and murmured soothingly to him. Soon the boy was asleep. James continued to rock him and stare at his sweet little face.
"I'm going to kill them," Sirius burst out angrily but quietly so as not to wake Harry. Remus also looked furious at the treatment of his honorary nephew.
"No, I just want them behind us, out of our lives forever," James said still cradling his son. "I made a mistake in listening to Dumbledore. I should never have brought Harry there. I won't do that again. I will trust my gut when it comes to keeping him safe. If Albus thinks that he is ever going back there then he has another thing coming," James continued.
He was never going to forgive himself for leaving Harry with his relatives, for not being there when his baby needed him.
"Never again little man. From now on I am with you whenever you need me, always," James whispered as he kissed his son's head. Remus and Sirius went up to bed but James stayed downstairs holding his son and caring for him throughout the night. He had let him down once and he wasn't going to do it again. Albus Dumbledore had a lot to answer for.
A.N. So what did you think? There was no way I was letting Harry get sent to the Dursley's house for good. Sorry about the lame little bit in the middle where Harry and James move out. I could have elaborated more, but it wasn't really important so I didn't. Next chapter we get to see Harry's second birthday, yay! So I hope you guys liked this one, I am yet undecided about it. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I love all of you who review, they really make my day! I know I don't list responses to all of my reviewers in the chapters, but that is just because those annoy me when I am trying to read a story. I still love all of you! You guys rock. I will try and update soon, but my other story is in need of a little TLC!