James Potter was out for his morning jog, a habit he picked up in school while on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and something he just couldn't bring himself to kick even 13 years after leaving Hogwarts, when he spotted the morning owl post several meters away tapping on his quaint little cottages kitchen window. He saw his gorgeous wife, Lily, throw open the latch on the windows to allow the statuesque barn owl entrance to their home. He sped up his pace, ending his run strong. When he made way into the back door of the house it was just as the owl was leaving out the same double window of the kitchen he entered through just minutes before. Lily stood by the sink, sorting the post when James wrapped sweaty arms around her waist and nuzzled his face into the side of her neck, squeezing her into his chest. His wife was home to him.
"Mmm good morning, love." James hums into her ear.
Lily giggles, surprisingly cheerful for this time of morning. Her usual attitude most likely placated by the almost empty cup of coffee sitting on the counter next to the stack of post. She turns around in his arms and drags her fingers through his perpetually messy hair before standing on her toes to press a kiss to his ready lips.
"Hey handsome. How was your run this morning?" She asks with hooded eyes as she looks his bare chest and running shorts up and down.
James gives her his signature grin and reaches around her to grab a glass for water and turns on the sinks faucet before taking a hefty sip. "Good. It is getting a bit cold out, I might have to start running with more clothes on." He pouts at the thought. He prefers less to no clothing while working out.
Lily rolls her eyes with a smile on her face. "Oh yes, what a terrible shame it is for you to cover up.
That only makes James grin grow larger. "Love, we both know how much you like it when I show off for you no matter how much you try to deny it.
Despite her second eye roll, Lily's skin has a delightful tinge of pink that appears on her neck. It still causes James stomach to erupt with butterflies that he has that effect on Lily Evans. Well, Potter. Merlin, he's a lucky bloke.
Lily points to the small stack of letters next to the sink and says, "There's one for you from Remus and one from Professor McGonagall." That causes James to frown. He and Lily had received word from Minnie the night they'd dropped Harry off at Platform 9 3/4 just days ago for his first year at Hogwarts to let them know he had made it into Gryffindor house. A legacy of the Potter name. Lily and James had been so proud and excited that their baby boy had made it into their house that they had sent a patronus to Sirius and Remus who came straight away to celebrate all night long. Perhaps Harry was more like his father and uncles than James had thought with half of goodie teachers pet Lily in his DNA and had already gotten himself into trouble just days in. He didn't think he could possibly be more proud of Harry if that were the case. He gave Lily a mischevious look, one she knew all too well as he ripped open the letter from McGonagall. Lily herself looked positively anxious. With a lifted brow and accusing pointed finger she said, "James Potter, I swear if he turns out to be as much of a prat as you, I want a divorce. And if McGonagall is writing to tell you that you're an awful parent who raised an awfully horrid child then I won't blame her or stop her from sending you a howler or sending you several hexes the next time she sees you. I can only hope she won't blame me as much considering she addressed the letter just to you.
Lily continues to sass James but his ears go completely deaf as he rereads the letter three times. Heart thudding rapidly. Shock and excitement coursing through his veins. He looks at Lily, who is busying herself with the dishes and still lecturing James on their child and he feels more out of breath than he did while running five miles that morning. He's frozen, mouth gaping, when Lily turns around to face him.
Her eyebrow is cocked, waiting for the rundown. "Well? How bad is it? Please tell me he isn't expelled before his first week of classes is over."
James just stands there like a fish out of water, unable to breathe, unable to move.
His reaction to the letter seems to turn Lily into a storm of panic. "James? What is it? Is Harry alright?" She rushes to his side at once.
"He…" Is all James is able to say. Which upsets his easily worried wife.
"He WHAT James? What's wrong?"
James grabs both of her hands in his and looks Lily deep in the eyes, smiling the broadest smile quite possibly of his entire life, before releasing a very large, very loud whoop of excitement. He hoots and hollers, jumping up and down in place, jiggling Lily in his hurried movements, before grabbing her around the knees and hoisting her over his shoulder, and taking off at a celebratory jaunt around the cottage.
He runs up the stairs to their bedroom and tosses Lily gently on their bed before running to his bedside table to grab his wand. He produces a corporeal patronus in less than two seconds and sends an S.O.S. to Sirius to come to the cottage RIGHT NOW.
Lily watches her husband, flabbergasted by his behavior as he takes a run and dives on to their bed to tackle her in a bear hug, still laughing and cheering madly. He squeezes Lily to him and luckily for him, no longer scared by the news in McGonagall's letter due to his reaction, she finds his behavior quite adorable. He grabs her head between his palms and scatters many kisses across her face.
"Brilliant. Absolutely fucking brilliant. And all because of you, Lils. He obviously gets it from you. Merlin, I love you so much. You gave me the most perfect son ever."
Lily laughs and curls her fingers in his hair as he lays across her body.
"Love?" She asks James.
"Yes, baby?" He looks down at her in reverence, blinding her with his boyish and charming grin.
"It would be nice of you to share the news with your very confused wife." She smirks at him.
He runs his hands through her hair, throwing his head back in laughter. "Why yes, I guess it would." He sits up and pulls her into a sitting position beside him and hands her the letter from McGonagall. She reads aloud.
Potter,
Today the first years had their first ever flying lesson and to my great surprise as I was sitting at my desk grading papers, I saw your son flying directly at my office stories above the ground, only to at the very last second before colliding into my window feint and pull around, completely coming to a halt, catching a ball that had been thrown from over fifty meters away.
To say that I was shocked, is putting it rather mildly. I didn't even feel anger in that moment for his obvious disregard for the rules because I was speechless and most impressed by his natural skill. I left my office at once to gather Harry and take him to my Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, a fifth year keeper, Oliver Wood to inform him of his newest seeker.
I put Harry on the team, James. As a first year. The youngest seeker in a century.
Dare I say, he's even better than you. I couldn't be more proud, James.
I'll be expecting you boys here at the opening match against Slytherin in a few weeks.
Give Lily my love,
Professor Minerva McGonagall
Ps. I'm giving him your old jersey, number 7 I believe, hope you don't mind.
Lily lowers the letter and looks at her husband with love in her eyes. Harry got all of James and her best qualities. His charm and good looks, her kindness and patience. His brains and athletic ability, her brains and compassion. She is proud of herself in this moment, as she has been for many years now, for putting aside her stuck up attitude to give this dream of a man a chance to woo her. And woo her he did. She has a beautiful son and a happy happy marriage because of it.
She cuddles into James' arms and places a kiss on his cheek. "And you and the boys were talking just the other day, placing a bet about him getting a spot on the team third year. Actually didn't Reme say he thought Harry could beat you both and get in second year?"
James rolls his eyes but laughs heartily. "Fuck, he's never gonna let me and Pads live this one down. We'll be hearing of his win the rest of our lives."
Lily laughs along with him and nods her head in agreement. "I don't blame him. I'd be bragging about it too. Youngest seeker in a century?" Lily's eyes mist over. "My baby. I'm so proud of him."
James also looks like he could cry from pride but then the door to their bedroom bursts open and slams against the wall. Sirius is standing in the doorway with his wand pointed directly at them and breathing heavily. He has a wild look in his steely grey eyes as his chest heaves up and down clearly exerting force.
"Prongs? Lils? What's going on?" He looks around their room, taking in the scene of them huddled together on their bed, misty eyed, and holding a letter between them. The look of terror on his best friends face startles James.
"Is Harry okay? What happened to…" He stops speaking abruptly, as if he can't finish the sentence.
A second later, Remus is tearing up the staircase and stops next to Sirius, eyes wide and chest also heaving breath into his lungs. "What's wrong?"
James and Lily share a look and beckon Sirius and Remus over to them, handing out the letter. Remus grabs it from her very slowly and with a shaky hand, brings it up to his eyes to read. Sirius stands just beyond his shoulder to read over him. Their eyes scan the piece of parchment quickly. Remus looks rather red in anger. Sirius beaming with a triumphant grin.
They both yell simultaneously but for rather opposite reasons. Remus yelling at James for causing him the fright of his life and accusing him of nearly dying from both a heart attack, scared for theirs and Harry's safety and also from tripping up the stairs causing his almost painful and clumsy demise while Sirius, much like James' own reaction, is jumping up and down screaming a rather impressive stream of profanities ending with "Fuck yeah, take that you nasty snakes. My godson is gonna kick your stupid arses."
After the loudness from excitement and anger dulls significantly, they take the celebration downstairs and into the kitchen to crack open a bottle or two of fire whiskey, raising their glasses to their favorite boy, the youngest seeker in a century.
To no surprise to James or Lily, Remus does brag rather dramatically about his winning of the bet, accepting James and Sirius' gold without any semblance of good sportsmanship. An hour into the celebration, Lily brings out Harry's first photo album. Half of the pages have wizards pictures of Harry zooming about on his toy broomstick that Sirius gave him for his first Christmas. After one too many drinks, James and Sirius have the brilliant idea to send Minerva and Harry each a howler, cheering profoundly at Harry's magnificent abilities. Lily and Remus laugh on at their antics and even join in a smidge.
James, looking around at his family as they celebrate his son, decides that he was wrong. He could be more proud than Harry taking after his mischievous side. And he hopes that Harry continues to blow him away for the rest of his life.
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Thanks for reading my first ever T rated fic. I hope to add more chapters of Harry's family attending his matches. Maybe it'll get more spicy? Who knows.