October 4th, 2019

James usually didn't spend recess with his brother. It's not that they weren't close; James was almost done with primary school, he would be going to Hogwarts next year, it would be strange for him to spend his recess with his seven year old brother. Normally, he didn't see much of his brother while at school, he only saw him in passing. But while at recess that day, James felt a weird feeling of intuition as he was playing tag with his friends. He stopped chasing his friends and paused. Something didn't feel right. He turned toward the blacktop where several kids were playing. His vision seemed to hone in on a circle of young boys that were laughing and guffawing. He had a bad feeling.

Without an explanation to his friends, James suddenly ran across the playground to the blacktop until he was upon the boys. He spotted his brother in the middle of the circle of boys.

"Look at those stupid nails! They're sparkling!"

"What a fairy!"

"Only girls paint their nails, fairy!" One boy said with a laugh before spitting on Caelum's shoes.

James tapped on this boy's shoulder. To his surprise, the boys picking on his baby brother were in his grade, not Caelum's. This did not sway him.

"Hey," The boy said as he turned around and recognized James, "Did you know your brother is a bloody queen?"

James turned his gaze to his brother, assessing the situation. His brother was crying, covering his face. Indeed, he had painted his nails with Lily's bright purple glitter polish. He was physically undamaged. Caelum peeked from behind his hands and made eye contact with his brother.

James sniffed loudly and looked back at the boy in front of him. All four of the bullies were waiting to see how he would react.

"He isn't a bloody anything, but you're about to be." James launched his right fist straight for the boys nose, breaking it instantly. James hadn't expected his hand to immediately hurt, nor had he expected the other boys to respond the way they did. While one of the bullies held onto his bleeding friend, the other two charged at James.

...

"He what?" Harry said into the receiver.

"Your son, James Potter-Malfoy, has been suspended for engaging in a physical fight. You need to come pick him up immediately. He isn't to attend school for the next two days."

"Er, alright. I guess I'll be there shortly." Harry hung up the phone and scratched at the stubble growing on his chin, thinking hard.

"What Muggle was that?" Draco called from the top of the stairs. He had jumped in alarm in his study when the ring had echoed through the house and his curiosity had gotten the best of him.

Harry was almost honest, but he thought better of it, "Telemarketer."

"Ugh. I thought you blocked our number from those?"

"It's not always effective. I'm gonna go grab a bite, you want anything?"

"Harry we both just ate," Draco said from the top of the stairs. Harry went to the front door and looked behind him to his husband, "You know me, I'm never full."

Draco smirked, "That's true. I'm good, thanks. Be safe."

"Of course, I'll be right back," Harry murmured before stepping outside and heading to their car. Living in a Muggle neighborhood for the past decade had meant making a lot of necessary changes. It was hard to go to the grocery store, take the kids to school, or really do anything without a car in this area.

Harry drove directly to the school where his son was patiently waiting in a chair in the lobby. He looked up at his dad without a word or change in expression. He had a blossoming black eye and a cut on his lip. Harry turned to the receptionist, "Do I need to talk to someone about this? Or am I supposed to just pick him up?"

The man looked up and absently pushed a piece of paper across the desk, "Sign this and take him. If you have any questions or concerns you can call the vice principal directly during her office hours which are listed on the top right of said form." The poor man had clearly said the same lines a hundred times. Harry sighed and signed the form. He tucked it into his jacket pocket as he turned to James. He nodded to the door and headed out, his son silently following.

Harry didn't speak until they were in the car. He didn't start the engine. He glanced in the rearview mirror. His ten year old son was already buckled in and staring at his folded hands in his lap. James looked disarmingly like his namesake, with only subtle differences. James didn't have his dad's green eyes or his grandfather's hazel, but his biological mother's pale blue.

"Care to explain what I'm doing here in the middle of the day?"

"I got in trouble for punching a boy," He mumbled softly. He was never this quiet. In fact, they could rarely get him to shut up.

"And why did you do that?"

"Well, Caelum painted his nails and a bunch of boys were laughing at him. He was crying. They called him a fairy and a queen."

Harry found himself gripping the steering wheel too tightly, "And?"

"I punched the boy mocking him. Then him and his friends started to gang up on me, but then the teacher came over. She split us up and told me off for starting a fight."

"What happened to the bully?"

"Nothing, he just laughed as I got dragged off."

"Wait here for a minute, okay?"

"Dad what are you doing?" James asked.

"Don't worry. Just stay put," Harry insisted as he got out of the car and went back into the school.

"Hey, quick question," Harry said with a grin as he reappeared in the office, "What teacher filed the suspension? I just want to clear things up with her quick before I head home with my little criminal."

"Mrs. Peterson, would you like me to call her?"

"Please do, the sooner we speak the better."

The professor happened to be in a free period and agreed to come down to the office. She entered with a serene smile, "Mr. Potter, how can I help?"

"Did you happen to ask my son why he punched a kid in the face?"

"I'm afraid we have a zero tolerance policy at this school, sir," She said defensively as her smile vanished.

"Oh good, so you also suspended the boy who called my youngest son a fairy for having painted nails then? I'm assuming zero tolerance covers verbal harassment doesn't it?"

"I'm afraid you've lost me."

"My son was defending his brother. An older kid was calling Caelum a fairy and a queen. I'm not saying James doesn't deserve to be punished, but you've let the real guilty kid off free. You can't expect the kids of two gay men to be treated like this and not get backlash. If I don't get word within two days that that bully was suspended I'm filing a formal complaint. You can't let this shit happen. It's 2019 for Christ's sake," Harry was fuming and his face was turning red.

The professor stood there, humbled but frustrated, "I will do what I can in regards to the incident, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now Mr. Potter."

Harry agreed and left calmly. He plopped back into the parked car and headed home. James watched him carefully for a few minutes before quietly murmuring, "Am I grounded?"

"Well, daddy doesn't know you're suspended just yet. When I tell him, we will discuss what your punishment will be."

Harry had hoped to not tell Draco until later that night, but it was just his luck that his husband was lounging around the living room when they walked in.

"What's going on?" Draco asked before he registered that his son had a black eye.

"James, tell daddy what happened," Harry encouraged gently.

Again, James was uncharacteristically shy and stared at the ground as he told Draco about what had happened. Harry and Draco exchanged looks as their son talked. When James sheepishly looked up at his father and murmured, "Am I in trouble?" Draco couldn't help but smile weakly. James reminded them of Lyra in many ways, but this humility was uniquely his. Draco tried to smooth out James' unruly hair, "Dad and I will talk about it. Why don't you go clean yourself up? There should be some bruise tonic left in the medicine cabinet."

"Okay daddy," James murmured before running up the stairs.

"What's your instinct here?" Harry asked his husband softly so as not to be overheard.

"He defended his brother, he shouldn't get in trouble for that. But he did resort to physical violence."

Harry shrugged, "I dunno, he threw one punch in extenuating circumstances. His grandfathers would have certainly done the same."

Draco frowned. Harry wasn't wrong there. "But that doesn't necessarily make it right."

"He didn't escalate either. He threw one punch and then they tried to beat the shit out of him. He didn't try to take down all of them. He was deflecting damage they may have done to Caelum. Merlin only knows what they may have said to him before James showed up, or what could have happened if he hadn't. Besides, isn't two day suspension punishment enough?"

Draco sighed and admitted defeat, "Alright, we don't need to punish him anymore than he already has been."

James was relieved when his fathers let him off the hook. He had been terrified of his brooms being locked up. He didn't know what he would do with himself if he couldn't practice flying in their magically enclosed yard. He tucked into bed peacefully that night across the room from his little brother.

"You okay Cael?" James murmured so their dads wouldn't hear them talking from their room down the hall.

"Yeah, thanks to you."

"I did what any good brother would do, you would do the same for me."

"I don't know if I'm that brave. I would be scared of getting hurt."

"Yeah but better you get hurt than someone you care about right?"

"I guess. But what if something went wrong and I was really badly hurt or killed? How am I supposed to protect my loved ones then?"

"I suppose… but sometimes love protects longer than that. Grandma died protecting dad and that's what saved him more than once when he was in a bad spot."

"I think that only works if it's a real sacrifice. If you died getting beaten to a pulp by some bullies for calling me a fairy I don't think it counts as a major sacrifice. Of course I would save you if your life was in danger. I just don't think I'm brave enough to get badly hurt for you."

"That's okay little brother," James reassured him, "You're different and that's okay, but sometimes you have to stand up for yourself. Never let someone tell you that who you are isn't right. Only you get to decide who you are."

"What would you say to a bully who called you a queen?"

James thought for a moment before smiling, "That my first decree as queen is that they are banished from the playground and are now peasants."

Caelum couldn't help but laugh. The boys stifled their laughter so as not to wake up their dads. When their mirth had given way to more soft silence Caelum chimed in, "I wish I was that quick witted. I just stumble over my words." James didn't reply. Caelum frowned and sat up in bed, squinting through the darkness to see his brother was sound asleep. The youngest Potter-Malfoy child sighed and laid back down in bed. It was hard to be the last born in this family. His parents were a hero and a healer. His eldest sister was the coolest, Lily was the kindest, and James was the bravest. What did that make him? The young boy fell into a restless sleep, longing to know how his future would pan out.