Disclaimer: I own nothing except the dialogue
(late march nineteen eighty-one, godric's hollow)
He watched his nine-month-old son as he crawled after the cat in yet another attempt to grasp its tail.
'Har,' he called gently towards his son, laughing as Harry finally managed to get the cat's tail within his tiny fingers. Harry looked up towards the sound he recognized as his father's voice. 'What have I told you about being nice to Godric? Don't you remember how much it hurt last time the kitty scratched you?' The infant tilted his head, not quite understanding what his father meant (not that James expected him to). The cat, in the meantime, walked away with the pride only a cat (and perhaps fifteen and sixteen-year-old James Potter and Sirius Black) could.
James picked up his pride and joy from the ground, 'Want to have a chat, Harry?' James asked the small child as he bounced him up and down on his lap.
'Mama,' Harry said instead, his little fist raised.
'Mummy's asleep, love,' James cooed softly, placing a small kiss on his head.
'Mama,' he repeated.
'Not helping my ego there, buddy,' he tickled his son affectionately, giving him little kisses on his face as his son squealed.
'Your ego doesn't need the help,' Lily's voice was soft as she descended the stairs, 'we might not be able to get your head through the bedroom door if we reinflate it.'
He chuckled and couldn't help but notice the way Harry's eyes seemed to sparkle at the sound of his mother's voice (not that he blamed him, James was sure his did too).
'Mama,' Harry said for the third time that morning.
'Lil,' James sighed as he placed Harry in his wife's awaiting arms, 'Your son cannot stand to be with me today. I think the cat's been conspiring against me after I accidentally stepped on him the other day.'
She giggled in the way that always had James' heart fluttering. 'He's just hungry, James' she said as she began unbuttoning her (his) shirt. Harry seemed to agree as he immediately began latching himself onto his mother who blushed at the intense look her husband sent her. 'Stop that,' he heard her mumble.
'Why?' he asked her as he ran his fingers through her red hair, 'I'm admiring you.'
She laughed, 'I look like a mess.'
'A beautiful mess,' he corrected her.
They conversed while their beautiful baby boy continued to feed. Once he was done Harry insisted on being returned to his father.
'Let's continue our chat, yeah?' Harry cuddled into his father who thought his heart would explode with love every time his son did this.
'Once there was a beautiful redhead and an amazing Quidditch player'–'toerag,' Lily supplied–'who despite every obstacle, fell in love. It's a beautiful story, Harry, I hope I can share it with you one day.' Lily cuddled into him too, letting her hands wrap around his waist. 'The Quidditch player was an idiot around the pretty girl, and she told him so. His heart would beat faster and his brain would work slower. You can't imagine the dumb things that would escape the boy's mouth just by looking at the girl's pretty eyes. Merlin, she had pretty eyes–still does.
'But one day the pretty girl kissed him. One day she told him she fancied him. One day she told him she loved him, and he loved her too–more than anything. One day he asked her to marry him, and for some reason she said yes'–'it's because I love you, you prat,' he gave her a brief kiss on the head–'and they got married. One day she told him she was pregnant, a little baby was in her tummy, Har, and the boy was going to be a dad. He felt like his heart would stop because he was only nineteen, but he knew that that he would do anything for the child and for his wife. He would go into hiding, he would die if that's what it took. He loves them both so much.'
'James,' tears streamed down his Lily's face as she placed small kisses on his skin.
'I love you, Lil.' He leant down to kiss her lips gently, then placed a gentle kiss on their sleeping son's forehead. Little did the father know that six months later he would fulfill that promise.
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AN: last chapters was the longest, but this one is pretty long in comparison to the others. So which one is your favorite? I'll try getting the one I was supposed to do today up tonight or tomorrow morning.
