"Say happy birthday to daddy Rose!" Lily said as James walked into the
kitchen while ruffling his hair.
James shook his head as he looked around the kitchen which was decorated with balloons and banners. He looked at the table and saw a cake sitting in the middle along with his breakfast. He laughed as Lily stood up and kissed him. "So how does it feel being the big two zero?" she laughed.
James sighed. "Not as bad as I thought it would feel," he said.
"Come on and eat!" said Lily cheerfully.
It had been two weeks since his parents had passed away. Lily wanted to make sure that he had a spectacular birthday that wasn't spent in front of a box of tissues and a garbage can. She owed him a special day after everything that he had set up for her.
February 14th- Valentines Day- Romantic lunch and stroll in Hogsmead followed by a very thoughtful and romantic dinner in the Shrieking shack.
May 18th- Lily's birthday- Another romantic lunch in Hogsmead ending in a surprise party and baby shower.
June 25th- One year anniversary- Romantic picnic in the back yard ending in an evening of watching the stars.
She had a lot of work to do to make his birthday special. The only problem was Lily didn't have any ideas. Planning parties wasn't one of her talents. She sighed and began to clear the breakfast dishes from the table. Maybe she would just ask James what he wanted to do.
"Come on Rose! Let's get daddy's presents!" Lily said as she picked up Rose and left the kitchen.
"I'll be in the living room," said James as Lily walked out.
Lily went to the nursery and pulled open the closet. "Which corner did I put them in?" she wondered aloud.
She shrugged and looked into the left corner. After a few seconds she pulled out a big red bag. It wasn't what Lily remembered wrapping her present in. she opened up the matching red gift tag and groaned. It was from James' parents. Lily remembered them being gone for a whole day looking for the perfect present. And now they would never see his reaction when he opened it.
Lily dug up the two presents from her and Rose, all the time debating on whether or not to give James the present from his parents today. She knew he would have to get it sometime, but she didn't know when. Part of her was tempted to burry it in the closet and not take the chance of it ruining his day, but another part of her felt that James would be glad to have the present from his parents.
She moved to put the gift back in the closet when she paused again. It wasn't her choice to decide whether or not James should receive the gift or not. It was his decision. Lily sighed and waved her wand at all three gifts so they would follow her down the stairs.
It didn't feel like his birthday at all. James usually looked forward to his birthdays, just like anyone else. This year, he had woken up a whole year older and found that he could care less. His birthday would never be the same without his parents and their wacky traditions.
James looked up from the coffee table when Lily came into the room with his presents floating in after her. She smiled at him and he smiled back as she placed Rose into her bouncing chair and sat down by his side.
Lily began pulling the presents out of the air and placed them in James' lap. "One from me and one from Rose," she said.
There was still a red bag floating in the air, but James didn't have to ask about it. "And one from my parents I am guessing," he sighed as Lily handed him the bag.
"How could you tell?" she asked.
"My parents always wrapped my birthday gift in the same red bag," James said.
"I found it in the closet. I didn't know if you would want to open it or not, so I brought it down just in case," smiled Lily.
James sighed and looked at the bag. Did he want to open it? His father had always made him wait until his mother got home from work to open his present. His mother always loved to see the look on his face when he opened his gift. This year she wouldn't get to see his face when he tore off the tissue paper and opened the bag.
If he opened the bag.
James pushed the bag aside and started to open the gift from Rose. He slowly picked at the curly gold ribbon and eventually he began tearing at the red paper revealing a brown box. "A box, just what I have always wanted! Thanks Rose!" James said sarcastically, just like his father had always done. James could always remember replying, "Daddy, the present is in the box!" when he was younger.
Lily laughed as James tore open the box. "Rose, did you make this all by yourself?" he asked as he pulled out a frame decorated with moving snitches.
Inside of the frame was a cross stitched picture of James, Lily, and Rose on a broom soaring through the sky. James had his arms wound around Lily who was leaning back into him with her arms holding onto Rose. "Yes, all by herself with some help from mommy," said Lily.
James studied the picture some more before asking, "How do you have so much time on your hands?"
Lily laughed. "Well while their children are sleeping, most mothers tidy up the house or do some cooking. Since I can do all of that with the aid of magic, I do something that I enjoy while my child is sleeping," she said.
"I love it," said James leaning in to kiss Lily.
Lily giggled. "Really?" she teased.
"Really," said James, kissing her again.
"How much do you love it?" she asked, trying to keep from laughing.
"Enough to hang it up as soon as I find the perfect spot," said James.
"We'll look for that perfect spot to hang it late, but right now you have to open the present from me!" laughed Lily as she pushed another red box with god ribbon into his hands.
James once again slowly pulled off the gold ribbon and tore off the red paper to reveal another box. It wasn't like the other box though. Instead of being plain brown it was black and had gold lettering on it. He recognized it immediately to be one of the gift boxes from the Quidditch store in Hogsmead. James looked up at Lily who motioned from him to open the box.
He opened the box, wondering what Lily could have gotten him from a Quidditch store. It wasn't big enough to be a broom, and not small enough to be the latest broom compass. The box was about a half an arm long and as wide as a Kleenex box.
James slowly lifted off the top and found a sea of white and black tissue paper. He slowly unfolded the tissue paper and found a pair of wrist guards in the box. "They're the same ones that you were looking at on my birthday," said Lily.
"The ones that are attracted to the rider's broomstick?" James asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I went back and got them about a month and a half ago," she said feeling proud of herself.
"They were so expensive though," said James.
Lily rolled her eyes. "James, you're a professional Quidditch player for the Chudley Cannons!" she said.
James laughed. "Yeah, I am, aren't I?"
"So are you going to try them out?" asked Lily, already knowing the answer.
"Of course!" said James.
Lily laughed. "I knew you'd like them," she said smiling.
James took the wrist guards out of the box and turned them over in his hands. "These are also the gloves that fit to your hands perfectly no matter what shape or size, right?" James asked as a grin appeared on his face.
"Yes, what are you thinking about James?" Lily asked as she saw his grin grow wider.
James put on his angelic face and smiled. "I was thinking that we could go for a little broom ride, all of us."
"Oh James, Rose isn't old enough to fly yet. What if she slips?" said Lily looking worried.
"Well if she wears the wrist guards she wouldn't fall and we wouldn't go up that high to begin with," James pleaded.
Lily looked at Rose. "I don't know James, it could still be dangerous."
"Remember when I took you for a broom ride," said James.
"Yes James, but I was seventeen, not four months old," said Lily.
"You were so scared that I was going to let you fall..." James paused. "But you know that I would never let you fall, not would I let Rose fall."
Lily sighed and looked down at Rose. "Well I guess we could go for a short ride, as long as we don't go too fast or too slow and you test out the wrist guards first to make sure they work," said Lily.
"Fair enough," said James, strapping the wrist guards on. "So how am I supposed to try these suckers out?" he asked when he was done putting them on.
Lily shrugged. "Try to jump off of your broom," she laughed.
James considered this and shrugged. "That could work," he said as he got off of the couch and began to leave the room.
"Wait! What about the present..." Lily said before thinking.
James turned around and looked at the red bag. He had always been eager to open the red bag on his birthday when he was younger, but now it didn't feel right to open it when his parents weren't there. Maybe he would just open it later, after the broom ride.
"Come on Lily, let's go outside for that ride," said James, forcing a smile.
"Alright, you try out the wrist guards. I'll be out as soon as I get Rose's jacket," said Lily.
James laughed. "She'll need a lot more that just a jacket Lils," he said.
"I suppose you're right, it is a bit chilly out there," said Lily as she grabbed Rose.
"Ready for your first broom ride?" James heard Lily ask Rose as he walked up the stairs to retrieve his broom.
"So how do they work?" asked Lily as she watched him soaring above her in the sky.
"They work excellent!" James said as he landed on the ground next to Lily and Rose.
He slipped off the guards and placed them onto Rose's wrists as Lily held Rose steady. "All ready?" asked James, smiling.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Lily said looking down at Rose. "How about you Rose? Are you ready?"
James looked down at Rose. "I think she is ready," he said as he kissed the top of her red head.
A/N- A little bit of a less depressing chapter, it's about time! More twists and turns leading to dark tunnels ahead, although some of you may have been able to pick up on the few hints that I have been leaving, so you'll have a flashlight with low batteries while going through these tunnels. Well more later, this was the last chapter I had written from my vacation.
James shook his head as he looked around the kitchen which was decorated with balloons and banners. He looked at the table and saw a cake sitting in the middle along with his breakfast. He laughed as Lily stood up and kissed him. "So how does it feel being the big two zero?" she laughed.
James sighed. "Not as bad as I thought it would feel," he said.
"Come on and eat!" said Lily cheerfully.
It had been two weeks since his parents had passed away. Lily wanted to make sure that he had a spectacular birthday that wasn't spent in front of a box of tissues and a garbage can. She owed him a special day after everything that he had set up for her.
February 14th- Valentines Day- Romantic lunch and stroll in Hogsmead followed by a very thoughtful and romantic dinner in the Shrieking shack.
May 18th- Lily's birthday- Another romantic lunch in Hogsmead ending in a surprise party and baby shower.
June 25th- One year anniversary- Romantic picnic in the back yard ending in an evening of watching the stars.
She had a lot of work to do to make his birthday special. The only problem was Lily didn't have any ideas. Planning parties wasn't one of her talents. She sighed and began to clear the breakfast dishes from the table. Maybe she would just ask James what he wanted to do.
"Come on Rose! Let's get daddy's presents!" Lily said as she picked up Rose and left the kitchen.
"I'll be in the living room," said James as Lily walked out.
Lily went to the nursery and pulled open the closet. "Which corner did I put them in?" she wondered aloud.
She shrugged and looked into the left corner. After a few seconds she pulled out a big red bag. It wasn't what Lily remembered wrapping her present in. she opened up the matching red gift tag and groaned. It was from James' parents. Lily remembered them being gone for a whole day looking for the perfect present. And now they would never see his reaction when he opened it.
Lily dug up the two presents from her and Rose, all the time debating on whether or not to give James the present from his parents today. She knew he would have to get it sometime, but she didn't know when. Part of her was tempted to burry it in the closet and not take the chance of it ruining his day, but another part of her felt that James would be glad to have the present from his parents.
She moved to put the gift back in the closet when she paused again. It wasn't her choice to decide whether or not James should receive the gift or not. It was his decision. Lily sighed and waved her wand at all three gifts so they would follow her down the stairs.
It didn't feel like his birthday at all. James usually looked forward to his birthdays, just like anyone else. This year, he had woken up a whole year older and found that he could care less. His birthday would never be the same without his parents and their wacky traditions.
James looked up from the coffee table when Lily came into the room with his presents floating in after her. She smiled at him and he smiled back as she placed Rose into her bouncing chair and sat down by his side.
Lily began pulling the presents out of the air and placed them in James' lap. "One from me and one from Rose," she said.
There was still a red bag floating in the air, but James didn't have to ask about it. "And one from my parents I am guessing," he sighed as Lily handed him the bag.
"How could you tell?" she asked.
"My parents always wrapped my birthday gift in the same red bag," James said.
"I found it in the closet. I didn't know if you would want to open it or not, so I brought it down just in case," smiled Lily.
James sighed and looked at the bag. Did he want to open it? His father had always made him wait until his mother got home from work to open his present. His mother always loved to see the look on his face when he opened his gift. This year she wouldn't get to see his face when he tore off the tissue paper and opened the bag.
If he opened the bag.
James pushed the bag aside and started to open the gift from Rose. He slowly picked at the curly gold ribbon and eventually he began tearing at the red paper revealing a brown box. "A box, just what I have always wanted! Thanks Rose!" James said sarcastically, just like his father had always done. James could always remember replying, "Daddy, the present is in the box!" when he was younger.
Lily laughed as James tore open the box. "Rose, did you make this all by yourself?" he asked as he pulled out a frame decorated with moving snitches.
Inside of the frame was a cross stitched picture of James, Lily, and Rose on a broom soaring through the sky. James had his arms wound around Lily who was leaning back into him with her arms holding onto Rose. "Yes, all by herself with some help from mommy," said Lily.
James studied the picture some more before asking, "How do you have so much time on your hands?"
Lily laughed. "Well while their children are sleeping, most mothers tidy up the house or do some cooking. Since I can do all of that with the aid of magic, I do something that I enjoy while my child is sleeping," she said.
"I love it," said James leaning in to kiss Lily.
Lily giggled. "Really?" she teased.
"Really," said James, kissing her again.
"How much do you love it?" she asked, trying to keep from laughing.
"Enough to hang it up as soon as I find the perfect spot," said James.
"We'll look for that perfect spot to hang it late, but right now you have to open the present from me!" laughed Lily as she pushed another red box with god ribbon into his hands.
James once again slowly pulled off the gold ribbon and tore off the red paper to reveal another box. It wasn't like the other box though. Instead of being plain brown it was black and had gold lettering on it. He recognized it immediately to be one of the gift boxes from the Quidditch store in Hogsmead. James looked up at Lily who motioned from him to open the box.
He opened the box, wondering what Lily could have gotten him from a Quidditch store. It wasn't big enough to be a broom, and not small enough to be the latest broom compass. The box was about a half an arm long and as wide as a Kleenex box.
James slowly lifted off the top and found a sea of white and black tissue paper. He slowly unfolded the tissue paper and found a pair of wrist guards in the box. "They're the same ones that you were looking at on my birthday," said Lily.
"The ones that are attracted to the rider's broomstick?" James asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I went back and got them about a month and a half ago," she said feeling proud of herself.
"They were so expensive though," said James.
Lily rolled her eyes. "James, you're a professional Quidditch player for the Chudley Cannons!" she said.
James laughed. "Yeah, I am, aren't I?"
"So are you going to try them out?" asked Lily, already knowing the answer.
"Of course!" said James.
Lily laughed. "I knew you'd like them," she said smiling.
James took the wrist guards out of the box and turned them over in his hands. "These are also the gloves that fit to your hands perfectly no matter what shape or size, right?" James asked as a grin appeared on his face.
"Yes, what are you thinking about James?" Lily asked as she saw his grin grow wider.
James put on his angelic face and smiled. "I was thinking that we could go for a little broom ride, all of us."
"Oh James, Rose isn't old enough to fly yet. What if she slips?" said Lily looking worried.
"Well if she wears the wrist guards she wouldn't fall and we wouldn't go up that high to begin with," James pleaded.
Lily looked at Rose. "I don't know James, it could still be dangerous."
"Remember when I took you for a broom ride," said James.
"Yes James, but I was seventeen, not four months old," said Lily.
"You were so scared that I was going to let you fall..." James paused. "But you know that I would never let you fall, not would I let Rose fall."
Lily sighed and looked down at Rose. "Well I guess we could go for a short ride, as long as we don't go too fast or too slow and you test out the wrist guards first to make sure they work," said Lily.
"Fair enough," said James, strapping the wrist guards on. "So how am I supposed to try these suckers out?" he asked when he was done putting them on.
Lily shrugged. "Try to jump off of your broom," she laughed.
James considered this and shrugged. "That could work," he said as he got off of the couch and began to leave the room.
"Wait! What about the present..." Lily said before thinking.
James turned around and looked at the red bag. He had always been eager to open the red bag on his birthday when he was younger, but now it didn't feel right to open it when his parents weren't there. Maybe he would just open it later, after the broom ride.
"Come on Lily, let's go outside for that ride," said James, forcing a smile.
"Alright, you try out the wrist guards. I'll be out as soon as I get Rose's jacket," said Lily.
James laughed. "She'll need a lot more that just a jacket Lils," he said.
"I suppose you're right, it is a bit chilly out there," said Lily as she grabbed Rose.
"Ready for your first broom ride?" James heard Lily ask Rose as he walked up the stairs to retrieve his broom.
"So how do they work?" asked Lily as she watched him soaring above her in the sky.
"They work excellent!" James said as he landed on the ground next to Lily and Rose.
He slipped off the guards and placed them onto Rose's wrists as Lily held Rose steady. "All ready?" asked James, smiling.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Lily said looking down at Rose. "How about you Rose? Are you ready?"
James looked down at Rose. "I think she is ready," he said as he kissed the top of her red head.
A/N- A little bit of a less depressing chapter, it's about time! More twists and turns leading to dark tunnels ahead, although some of you may have been able to pick up on the few hints that I have been leaving, so you'll have a flashlight with low batteries while going through these tunnels. Well more later, this was the last chapter I had written from my vacation.