Hi everyone, I'm back again! Apologies for disappearing once more, but yet again even more went down in my life that I've been attempting to deal with for ages and has involved family, friends, police and a lot of other factors.
Once again, I will attempt to be around more often from now on but I can't make any promises. However I really would like to think I will post more in the next few months and of course, I will never abandon the story. Sorry if the writing is in any way poor, I am trying to get back into it and hopefully if there are problems with this chapter, the next will be better.
Finally, thank you all for sticking to the story for so long and I have hope that I will post the next chapter decently soon so stay tuned and enjoy!
PS any info on James' parents was found on the Harry Potter Wiki, I'm sorry if any of is wrong.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter 20:
Harry and Julia had arranged it with Dumbledore, who in turn contacted James' parents. Christmas was to be spent in the Potter house, Harry's first meeting with his grandparents set for the holidays.
There was plenty of schoolwork left to do but that didn't stop the odd mixture of excitement and nerves that was growing every day in Harry's stomach. A real Christmas with his real family. He knew the world was on the verge of ending and whatnot, but he couldn't help the anxious exhilaration he felt. A family Christmas, James and Lily, Remus and Sirius…even Julia—all the people he wanted to spend the holidays with most.
He couldn't gauge how Julia felt about the whole thing, but then again, when could he ever gauge what she felt? He had seen a crack in her façade the day after the kiss, an odd sort of meekness about her, complete with slight embarrassment and general awkwardness, but it had passed. It was unclear of where the two time travellers stood at the moment, Julia keeping to herself except around the Marauders. The kiss was never discussed, and Harry wasn't sure if that was better or not. Harry was unsure of many things.
He had recently started to experience something that began as a dull itch, not unlike a light tickle on an area of your back that you can't quite reach. It was annoying but easy to ignore; out of sight, out of mind. As the days passed however, that itch became harder and harder to disregard, not because its intensity had grown, per say, but because its consistency was becoming too much, the same way listening static on low volume for hours becomes so unbearable you need to smash the radio. Harry couldn't pin down the feeling, nor did he want to—scared of looking into anything too deeply. He knew it had to do with their kiss, with the moment in which he had felt relief. He knew it hadn't meant anything—on either end—but that feeling…that feeling put a strain on his soul, creating that dull itch—the itch to feel real again.
It was dangerous to want something though, with or without other emotions attached, so he ignored it and allowed Julia her time to figure out what she needed, waiting as patiently as he could until the day Hogwarts allowed him to go to a place he might've grown up calling home.
They arrived early. Harry and Julia were invited to Christmas dinner with the Potter family, allowing them a few days to talk general strategy back at Hogwarts with Dumbledore, discussing everything from Horcruxes to the Dark Lord to this visit itself. Remus, Lily and Wormtail were to join the group the next day but seeing as Harry and Julia were "family" (as well as not having anyone to go home to), they were invited for the extra festivities.
An elegant older woman opened the door, looking more like James than Harry had expected, considering his own looks had been passed down through the patrilineal line. There was a moment of apprehension as she took in Harry's appearance as much as he did hers, but the warmth that radiated from her immediately drew him to her.
"Hello," she smiled, and light seemed to emanate from it. "You must be Harry. Julia." She nodded at both of them in turn before holding open her arms.
Harry blinked in surprise but was swept up into a hug nonetheless, chest filling with a wonderful warmth.
"I've heard so much about you-" she pulled away and smiled her smile, one that made Harry instantly feel welcome and loved in a way he never had.
She hugged Julia next, who handled it better than Harry expected, clearly still a master at seeming comfortable to the outside world. If Harry squinted, he might have seen her eyes shining slightly but he respected her privacy in such matters, knowing she wouldn't want him to know of anything going on internally.
He wondered if she ever spent time with her grandparents. He wondered, not for the first time, about her parents: what they were like, who they had raised her to be, if she even had any. That final thought hit him hard and he almost stared at her in the exact way he had just resolved he wouldn't, feeling as if he understood more about her than ever.
When she pulled back from whom he assumed was Mrs. Potter, he noticed that he was right, her eyes were shining.
"Euphemia Potter," James' mother introduced herself, ushering them into the house gently but quickly. "Though Auntie is fine, given the situation."
Harry wondered what he would've called her had he met her in the future; grandma, perhaps, or maybe something more personal like he had heard other children call their grandmothers. Conceivably something short when he just learning how to piece together syllables. Maybe something longer later, though he supposed childhood nicknames stuck. He wouldn't know.
She led the two Gryffindors into the dining room of the more or less grand house, Harry briefly having forgotten that part of his fortune had come from his grandparents. Sirius and James were already at the table, bickering about Quidditch.
A taller man Harry knew must be his grandfather stood off to the side, leaning against the mantle and watching the two boys affectionately.
"Fleamont, they're here!" Euphemia said with the type of enthusiasm one reserves for family. Harry's chest tightened, but for once he didn't feel as if he couldn't breathe.
All three men looked up, the younger two leaping to their feet.
"You made it!" James beamed and hugged both time travellers.
Harry noticed Julia relaxed slightly more in his embrace than she had in his mother's. The other boy clapped Harry on the back in typical Sirius fashion and hugged Julia as well, for once not attempting anything, though Harry felt himself tense slightly, his body responding to something he couldn't quite identify.
Fleamont came forward then, smiling in a reserved but welcoming manner.
"Harry, my boy, it's been a long time," he shook his grandson's hand, pulling him into a half hug which left Harry reeling slightly.
"Hi Uncle Fleamont," the dark-haired boy tried to keep his words as steady and natural as he could, given his grandfather's piercing green gaze.
He went to hug Julia next, the blonde tensing once more slightly but accepting his touches more easily than she did his grandson's.
"Julia, wonderful to see you once more, love," he grinned at her and Harry could see his father's smile on his grandfather's face.
"And you as well Mr. Potter," Julia was polite but (deceivingly) open seeming.
"How many times have I told you to call me Uncle Fleamont?" the older man laughed, easily playing the part of a long-time friend.
"Maybe one day I'll listen," Julia smiled back as if they had some sort of inside joke, and Harry was once again amazed by her ability to naturally exist in any environment, despite the fact that deep down, he knew that no place or person felt natural to her.
"Have you two started dating yet?" Fleamont asked casually while his wife went about preparing the table, Sirius moving to help her in a very un-Sirius like display of compassion.
Harry choked, and even Julia herself seemed caught off guard by such a remark.
"I- oh- we told you before Mr. Potter- Harry and I aren't-" Julia began to say before Harry's brain could catch up with his mouth and he blurted "not yet", causing the Marauders in attendance to stop and stare at him.
For one of the first times since Harry had known her, Julia's cheeks were lightly sprinkled with what he knew was a genuine blush, matching Harry's own.
She elbowed him and he realized that's the first time they had touched since the kiss itself. His ribs burned where her bone had connected with his.
"Oh, I see-" Fleamont winked.
"No-," Julia started but the older man was no longer paying attention, moving to assist his wife in the setting of the table.
James simply raised his eyebrow at the two and smirked, letting his face say all it needed to.
Harry coughed and asked what he could do to help, ignoring the glare he knew he was about to get from Julia.
It was an honest mistake, a slip of the tongue, and he didn't want to wither under her gaze. Not now, when he felt he was finally in a space where he could grow.
Dinner was pleasant. That was the best word for it, Harry thought. Pleasant. Pleasant like normal family dinners were. Pleasant like hot cocoa and shortbread on Christmas eve. Pleasant like running into an old friend at the store. Pleasant like receiving a warm hug when you forgot your jacket on a cold winter's night.
Pleasant like life was supposed to be.
Harry loved it.
Sirius teased Julia, James told elaborate tales of school, his parents shared loving glances across the table and injected comments such as, "James, honey, isn't that a bit rash?" and "good on you, son".
It was normal; well, as normal as a wizarding dinner could be. Of course, there were a few flying objects and stories from Fleamont's time as a potioneer, as well as the general witch and warlock gossip from the Ministry, but that only increased Harry's sense of belonging. This is what it would've been like to grow up in a wizarding household.
This is what it would've been like to have family.
Harry and Julia helped clean up after, the latter quiet and polite while Harry watched James and Sirius try to throw candied cherries into each other's mouths. He grinned in amusement, keeping his eyes on them until he needed to turn his attention to kitchen's swinging door.
He placed the plates down as gently as he could in the sink, listening to the sound of a home around him and feeling his heart swell.
It was only later that night when they were all seated around the fire, tea in hand and blankets covering them as they listened to Christmas music from a self-playing violin that Harry realized Julia was feeling something too. He glanced at her, sitting next to him for the first time in ages.
She met his eyes, hers glistening slightly, wide and…needing?
Needing what, he didn't know.
Before he had a chance to react, she pulled the blanket that covered them both higher, some sort of slight nervousness about her that he didn't understand until he felt her hand on his, hidden from view by the cover. Her fingers intertwined with his gently, anxiety and something…else in her gaze.
Oh, Harry thought, as his fingers responded to hers, the burning sensation from earlier becoming a soft warmth. Needing him.
Love it? Hate it? PLEASE REVIEW! Reviews mean so much to me and mean more chapters for you! It's very difficult to find motivation to write these days when I am having such a hard time so reviews would definitely encourage me to continue with future chapters. Why do you think Julia made a move to touch Harry? What do you think of Harry's feelings? What do you think will happen when the other 3 show up? Please tell me what you think in a review!
Thanks again for sticking around, I will try to post more often from now on,
~Liliana