Look, I'm updating on time! Aren't you proud of me?

I am neither J.K. Rowling nor Parry Gripp.

James had gone to bed last the night before. He'd been quite shaken up, and he hadn't wanted to face the self inflicted torment of a guilty conscience that would most certainly come the moment he slipped under the covers, so he stayed up much too late.

Harry and Prongs had tried to keep their voices low at first. They whispered to each other the location of eggs, and used hand gestures to locate the mixing bowls, but soon they forgot the need for silence.

"Do you like waffles?" they sung excitedly.

"Yeah, I like waffles!" they both replied in earnest

James rolled over and pulled his pillow over his head.

"Do you like pancakes?" his alarm clock was blaring.

"Yeah, I like pancakes!" it was seeping into his soul.

Lilly must have changed the song again! He was going to kill her.

"Do you like french toast?"

"Yeah! I like french toast!"

No one, especially not his alarm clock, should be this cheerful this early in the morning.

"Do do da do, can't wait to get a mouthful!"

But wait, this wasn't his alarm clock. James would never forget the scene laid out before him.

"WAFFLES!" sang Harry at the top of his lungs.

"Dedodo dodedo da dodo," Prongs sang the guitar riff just as loudly.

"WAFFLES!" Harry was wearing three different aprons and none of them were secured correctly.

"Dedodo dodedo da dodo," there was a pancake balanced perfectly on top of Prongs's head.

"WAFFLES!" Harry couldn't possibly see, there was batter all over his glasses.

"Dedodo doded- Jamie!" Prongs had spotted his grandson.

James said, "So I assume you two made breakfast?" after Prongs was done bear (deer) hugging him.

"Are making breakfast, you mean," said Prongs jovially, "and you've woken up in time to help with the last batch".

James couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. Prongs would always be his hero, but after last night he was worried that he'd ruined his chances at being friends. Luckily he'd been wrong. "M'kay," he said with a yawn. "What do you want me to do?"

Prongs was bubbling over with glee. "Well let's see... Harry is perfectly crafting the pancakes, and I am preparing the table for their wonderfulness... So I suppose that the task of ensuring that these gorgeous breakfast pastries stay moist and delectable falls to you, my dear boy. In short James, you must butter the pancakes." And with that Prongs dashed off before either of his descendants could object to the set up.

Harry really didn't mind silence. In fact he actually quite enjoyed it. But there was one kind of silence that struck terror into his heart: the awkward silence. Harry could hardly stand it. James must hate him, and Harry felt the urge to apologize even though he knew he had nothing to apologize for. It was beyond frustrating and he didn't know what to do besides listen to the sizzle of pancake batter on the griddle.

Sizzle

Sizzle

Sizzle

Every second was agony. He had to say something but what?

But James beat him to it. "That's a lot of pancakes you've got there".

Harry nodded. He could do this. He could talk to his son. "Yeah, I said the same thing to Prongs."

James smiled. "And what did he say?"

"That we're growing boys, and that he wasn't going to let his babies go hungry," said Harry.

"Ah.." said James and he couldn't think of anything else to say. And suddenly the silence was back. James hated the awkward silence just as much as his father did, and he wanted to do something about it. There was an elephant in the room (or rather, not in the room) and James was going to address it. "So... where's Malfoy?" he asked sheepishly.

"He poofed. Just like the others," said Harry. And thank goodness he did, because I'm not having another fight ruin my pancake party Harry added on resentfully in his thoughts. But to Harry's surprise James almost seemed... disappointed? What?

Noticing Harry's confusion James tried to explain. "I needed to talk to him... to... y'know," Oh he was going to have to say it. "To apologize".

And suddenly James was enveloped in the warmest hug he'd ever known.

"I'm so proud of you," said Harry.

James's reply didn't quite make it past the lump in his throat.

Prongs, who was covertly watching from the door, clasped his hands in front of his madly smiling face. He had to bite his tongue to avoid letting the 'awww' that was bubbling up inside of him escape. Of course it had been his plan all along to get his future progeny to talk to each other. They kept their emotions bottled up far too often, in his opinion.

And of course, if he let Harry and James have a moment together, that meant that he would have a moment for himself. Because he, for one, didn't keep his emotions bottled up inside, and he needed to face the reality of his morality. Yup, he was going to die. And unlike most people of his age, he was going to die soon.

At first he'd been shocked. It would have been perfect, Prongs, the love of his life, and their child, living happily together. But they weren't living, not for long, the painful implications cascaded over him until he was overwhelmed. If only it hadn't been them. Prongs had prayed and bargained until he couldn't even form coherent thoughts, that Lilly might survive, that Harry would at least have one parent, but there was nothing he or anyone else could do. He had to force aside his emotions, to conceal them so he wouldn't affect Harry.

Prongs was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it, but there was something he could do to save Harry, and that was enough for him, it had to be. Watching Harry with James gave Prongs hope. Maybe, he thought, It's okay that I'm going to die, because what I'll have in the time before I die will be worth it. And Prongs considered it a success that at least most of his brain believed it.

But there were only so many deep thoughts Prongs could bear to have in a day, and he'd reached his quota, and because he wanted to have one more good time with his boys before their time together was over, he went and grabbed the syrup.

James and Harry were not prepared for the gooey stream of sweet stickiness that came out of seemingly nowhere to hit them in the faces. The shock and outrage they felt was channeled into looking for ammo of their own. James grabbed the eggs and started slinging and Harry just threw the pancakes as if they were frisbees.

That was when Prongs realized his grave mistake. He was out numbered! Their projectiles hit him with terrifying accuracy, raw eggs cracking and dripping down his face, and all he could do was laugh. But one of Harry's pancakes must of hit James, or perhaps it was the other way around and one of James's egg's hit Harry, Prongs didn't care which, he was just thankful that he was no longer the sole target of the food fight. They were in a full blown Mexican standoff and Prongs would not go down without a fight.

"Ha," said James as he dumped a mixing bowl full of batter over Harry's head. "Take that!"

"Not my baby!" screamed Prongs. He transformed into a dear and plowed into the bags of flour and sugar hooking them in his antlers and tossing them into the air. White powder rained down and covered every inch of the kitchen.

But James had taken possession of the syrup and the evilness that was squirtable butter and was chasing Prongs around the kitchen.

"Ereeek ereeeEEEEK!" bleated Prongs, and Harry thought he understood.

Following Prong's instructions (or at least what he thought Prongs had wanted, he didn't speak deer) Harry ninja rolled across the floor, gaining extra traction from the flour and sugar. Just as James turned the corner, Harry used his mad wizard skills to make James stumble. But just as Prongs thought he was free from the tyranny of squirtable toppings his hoof caught on James's trouser leg. His legs collapsed beneath him and his muzzle went directly into a pot of jam, which had been perfectly placed by one of the younger Potters, though neither would admit to it. Prongs had started the fight, and James and Harry weren't going to let him forget it.

They all three laid there, winded. James leaned his head against his grandfather's sticky matted fur and relaxed. He'd thought that Prongs and Harry would hate him… and yet they seemed to accept him back. The fact that they trusted him with a second chance meant the world and he wasn't about to let them down again. The very second he saw Scorpius Malfoy he was going to apologize, and it was going to be awkward, and they were both going to hate it but James was going to do the right thing. He was going to make them proud the right way this time.

Prongs was so glad he had Harry. Every moment with his son was more precious than anything the deer could imagine. His syrup covered chest heaved with pride for everything his son had done and would do. And no matter what he said before, Prongs was proud of James. The kid had spunk and he reminded Prongs of a time when things were simpler and the biggest thing he had to worry about was passing his history of magic final. James would never know the sorrow and pain of a world torn asunder by war and just knowing that made Prongs content to lie there with his nose in the jam and feel both his boys nuzzled against his chest and think that it was all worth it.

Harry softly said what they were all thinking with a smile on his face. "I love you".

And then it all went, the room, the pancakes, and the Jameses, and Harry was back in the bright white world. It wasn't as terrible as it had been before, but he still felt as though he didn't quite belong there.

And Albus Dumbledore was there too.

Harry looked up at him. "Can you..." Harry shook his head, trying to find the words, "explain?"

Dumbledore was twinkling again. "It's all very straight forward my dear boy, you must decide whether you want to live or-"

"No, Professor," said Harry surprising himself. Had he really just interrupted Albus Dumbledore? "I know that already. What I really want to know... I mean Professor, what will happen when I choose?"

"Ah, yes that," Dumbledore smiled thoughtfully. "It is impossible to determine with any accuracy what will happen, but I can give you some information."

Harry nodded. "Alright. What will happen if I die?"

"Obviously, James will never exist. If you will allow me to deviate somewhat from the known, I would imagine that it will be a good bit harder for those left behind to end the war, there will certainly be more casualties," Dumbledore seemed positively grim and his twinkle had an eerie glow, "You would be given the option of choosing to go on as a ghost-"

"No... I wouldn't fancy drifting through walls for all of eternity," said Harry distastefully.

"Or to go to the Afterlife," said Dumbledore, watching Harry's reaction very carefully.

Harry was very interested in the afterlife. He knew several people who were there after all. But there was more to his interest than just friendly curiosity. He wanted to know what it was like. Was it... pleasant? Would he enjoy it? There were so many questions, and not enough answers. He wondered if Dumbledore had a travel brochure?

Dumbledore's twinkle sank deep down into his toes. Could Harry still choose to die after all of the headmaster's efforts? Dumbledore refused to give up hope, even if his twinkle sunk right down to the center of the earth he would never stop trying. "But Harry remember, you have another option".

"No, really?" sniped Harry, but he was more desperate than angry, and Dumbledore knew it.

"Have you made your decision?" asked the headmaster.

Harry sighed long and heavy. "You say I have an option, but there was only ever one choice I could make".

"But it's your choice, Harry. Never forget that," said Dumbledore.

And the white bright world began to fade into darkness. Harry's eyes were closed, and he was laying on his stomach and the world smelled of rotted leaves. Someone was touching him, he could feel her hair in his face. She was asking something, it seemed important, and he knew the answer even if it was hard to remember.

"Yes," he whispered, barely making any noise.

The woman stood, and spoke. "He is dead!"

Harry had never felt more alive.

Any questions, comments, or concerns? I really love to hear from you all!

I think there will only be one (maybe two) chapters left in this story. Is there anything you think I should include, or anything you are hoping to see before the stories over?