Finally, catching his breath the boy replied, "James Potter knows…"
Earlier in the day
"Alright children, why don't you have a seat and we can talk..."
"But-"
"Sit down Mr. Malfoy," Headmistress McGonagall ordered the oldest Malfoy. His two younger siblings following as he took a seat opposite the formidable woman, all three out of breath from having run all the way to the Headmistress's office.
"Now, why don't you tell me everything in detail," McGonagall asked the three young adults once they had calmed down. Sitting back primly in her high back chair, the headmistress listened to the account of the time travellers describing their run in with their future uncle.
"Alright, why don't you three go on up to your dormitories and I'll see what I can do."
"But-"
"Ok headmistress. Thank you," Abigail thanked the older woman, glaring at Regis to stop him from protesting. It wasn't going to help to be uncooperative in the situation they found themselves in.
The siblings rushed out, eager to let the day be over, parting at the seventh floor as Two out of three made their way to the Gryffindor dormitories.
"What do you plan to do Minerva?" The portrait of her former friend asked as soon as the siblings had stepped out of her office. "I don't know yet Albus, I don't know..." The headmistress replied her eyes creased in worry as she gazed thoughtfully at the door the trio had just exited through.
The rest of the day went by without any more surprises ad the time travelling trio found themselves breathing a sigh of relief when they finally went to bed, but found themselves unable to relax, tossing and turning all night plagued by nightmares and what if's
The next morning the siblings could be seen sitting at the Slytherin table munching sleepily on toast with frowns marring each of their young faces.
"What's got you three looking so glum?" the three startled out of their reverie, looking up to find the platinum haired Head Boy looking at them with concern.
"Oh...hi, Da..Sc..cco..Scorpius," Regis stuttered, his eyes flashing in panic whennn he looked at his young father sitting beside him.
"Are you three alright? You don't look so well..."
"Yeah, yeah we're fine," this time it was Abigail who answered.
"Are you sure?"
"Very," Abigail replied back determinately staring into her father's grey eyes.
"You know it's ok to miss home right?"
"And how do you figure that's the problem," Abigail asked defiantly, crossing her arms in front of her and looking at the younger version of her father with an angry pout.
"Weren't you guys home schooled?" the young man shrugged self consciously as he looked the red haired witch in front of him, her angry posture reminding him of another red head from Gryffindor who loved to have any excuses to hex him. He shrugged away the similarities between the two, concluding that all red heads were out to get him. "Anyway, I was a first year once and I know it's terrible the first few days away from your home and parents..."
"Yeah man, thanks for worrying. That is a part of it but there are some other things too...but thank you for your concern," Terrance interjected, smiling at his father as he tried to calm down his irate sister by patting her fists calmly under the table.
His sister was short tempered but more so in the mornings if she hadn't had a proper night's sleep. And it was a bit difficult to sleep when your brain refused to shut down. This, the young Malfoy's gave credit to their Potter-Weasely gene; the excessive worrying after all ran in the family.
"Oh it's no problem. If you three need anything just let me yeah?" the head boy smiled at their nods in return and walked back to his small group of friends at the end of the table.
The three siblings went about their day robotically, attending classes, sitting at lunch, replying in short clipped sentences when anyone dared ask them a question. When the classes came to an end the three found themselves sitting in the same corridor as before wondering what to do about their unfortunate circumstance.
"So are these your brooding faces? Because I gotta tell you, you need to work on them."
The startled trio looked up at the amused face of one James Potter. At six foot two, with messy black hair and a crooked smile the oldest of the Potter children had been quite the heartbreaker in his Hogwarts days. In their future he's the sappy love struck Uncle James who never seems to fall out of love for his wife, their Aunt Emma.
The siblings stared at him wide eyed, their bodies poised to get up and run away similar to the night before.
Wait, wait...I just want to talk," James spread his arms forward palms facing the startled trio, talking in low tones trying to calm them down.
The three looked at each other, deciding whether to allow the older man to ask his questions or pull a repeat of the previous night. Warily, weighing his words carefully, Terry asked, "What do you want to know?"
The siblings looked warily at him as he decided which questions to ask. He couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from the young adults' faces, especially the girl, Abigail. She looked so much like Lily even when staring at him so cautiously; it was hard not to stare.
He cleared his throat, arranging his thoughts he sat down facing the small group, "I...uh..How did.." James fumbled, gesturing at the three teenagers awkwardly as he tried to blurt out his question.
"Spit it out old man!" Regis exclaimed. "Ouch..." he glared at his sister who had back handed him upside the head at his unceremonious and very rude exclamation.
"That's not how you speak to your elders Reggy," his sister scolded him.
"What are you my mom?!"
"Both of you shut up!," Terrence admonished his younger siblings, turning to his uncle he raised an eyebrow, a perfect imitation of his father and his father before. "Don't tell me he great James Potter needs a lesson in the ways of the birds and the bees," he directed at his godfather, smirking at his discomfort.
"You really are part Weasely part Potter aren't you," James remarked drily.
"You got that right old man!"
Raising his eyebrows at the remark he asked, "So you know me?"
"We did meet in the Great Hall the other day..."
"That's not what I mean and you know it Red," He interrupted the red headed fireball who was to be his baby sisters daughter. He startled, when a moment later the young girls yes filled up, "I...I'm sorry I didn't mean to..." shit he was bad with crying women. He never knew what to do.
"No, no it's ok," Abigail replied. "I'm not crying," back pedalling at the raised eyebrows her uncle threw at her, Well I am but not because of something you said. Well actually it is something you said but not anything bad, I promise..."
"Merlin's sake Abby!, Reggy exclaimed. Turning to James he said, "It's your nickname for her in the future."
"What is?"
"Red," The red head replied quietly.
"Oh," James looked at her awkwardly, "Is it ok then if I call you that?"
"Yes, yes please I would like that very much Uncle James," Abigail replied launching herself at the younger version of her favourite uncle, holding on tightly looking for the comfort he would always provide her whenever she was scared or hurt. She hadn't known how much she had missed his bear hugs, having batted him away in recent times whenever he came to give her one of his signature hugs out of embarrassment.
The young man was startled to have a five foot size red head launch herself at him holding onto him as if her life depended on him. In that moment as he felt her tears soak his shirt, he felt his awkwardness leave as the need to protect the young woman from everything took over.
Glancing over the sobbing girls head he saw that her two brothers themselves looked on the verge of tears as they looked on, seeing their hard headed, stubborn sister break down in the arms of their greatest supporter.
He patted her head softly and held on to her tightly in the way he knew it would calm down Lily and sure enough the young witch calmed in a matter of moments, pulling back to smile Lily's smile at him and he knew he was a goner. He could never refuse anything when Lily smiled at him like that, as if he could do anything, even bring down the stars from heaven for her, the trust that shone through whenever she looked at him was reflected in the eyes of the young woman who would one day be her daughter. And he knew he would be just as weak when it came to her as he is to Lily.
"So Uncle James what are you still doing here? The match was two days ago." Terrence asked suddenly and he found himself enjoying the moniker now associated with his name. He was going to enjoy being an Uncle.
"I had some work here so I stayed back," he shrugged. Taking a deep breath, he sat up straighter, directing his attention to the lost trio, "Now tell me everything..."