Harry Potter had worked late. Lily Luna was already asleep, Albus had been put to bed ten minutes before he'd arrived home, and Ginny was having a late fly around their garden with James, before he too went to bed.
He was about to remove his auror cloak and eat the meal that Ginny had left under a warming charm for him, when he heard his youngest son cry out in anguish.
"Daddy, Mummy!"
Without thinking about it, he Apparated to outside Albus' bedroom and burst inside, wand already in his outstretched hand.
Assessing the scene in seconds, he crossed the room to reach his son who was sitting up in bed.
"Al, love, what's the matter?" For there was nothing at all in the room that he could see.
" There's monsters," said his son, looking distressed.
Harry quickly pulled his son, only four, onto his lap and into his arms, whispering words of reassurance. His son clung to him, and for just a moment, Harry was whisked away to a memory of himself, scared in a cupboard under the stairs, and left to cry himself to sleep.
He would NOT do that to his son.
" Would you like me to check everything, Al?" he asked, and his son nodded.
Harry picked up his wand that had fallen onto Albus' bedcovers, and slowly stood, making sure Albus could see what he was doing. He checked all the drawers in his bed side table, and then got down on his hands and knees to check under the bed.
When he stood, Al was out of bed, standing next to him, holding his Binkie, a Molly Weasley made blanket that he wouldn't sleep without.
" There, Daddy," he said, pointing to the wardrobe, watching as Harry slowly walked over to it. He quickly shut his eyes when Harry pulled a door open.
Harry checked them all, unsurprised to find nothing. 'Just a nightmare, then.' He crossed back to Al, who still had his eyes closed.
Harry knelt in front of him.
" You can open your eyes, son, there aren't any monsters in here, I checked everywhere."
Albus slowly opened his eyes.
"You scared them," he said to his dad, who smiled.
"I wasn't lying," Al said hurriedly, burying his face in his blanket.
Harry put his hand on Al's shoulder. "I know, Al. You did the right thing, calling me and mummy. We will always be here to help you."
He hugged his son again, and helped him back to bed.
" Don't tell James," he told his dad as Harry tucked him in.
"I won't," promised Harry, kissing him on the forehead. "I'll just be downstairs if you need me again, all right? Mummy will be bringing James up soon too, so we're both here."
Al nodded, clutching his Binkie near his face. It smelled of the Burrow, of his grandma, and the washing powder his mum used.
It smelled of home, and it comforted him greatly.
"Night Daddy," he said, feeling much better.
"Good night, Al."