fourteen – morbid

Aurors swarm around the Atrium, wands raised, protego totalum spilling from lips everywhere, stabilising structures, fixing the fountain, putting up anti-Apparition wards. Order members arrive through the Floo and as he scans the hall James finds a bruised Lily supporting his barely conscious father.

He races over to the pair of them, pushing thoughts as to why they're both at the Ministry in the first place to the back of his mind and helps her carry Henry's weight.

"He saved my life, James," is all she says.

(As James finds out later, Lily was at the Ministry because Henry had owled her, asking her to meet him in his office, even though he wasn't to leave the comfort of the manor, Healer's orders.)

Henry Potter is not a man to let things drop – it would have done him no good as Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement – and he's unsuccessfully tried to talk James around, but the boy is as stubborn and single-minded and loyal as he himself. Lily had patiently listened to his (bigoted prejudiced hurtful) point of view and they had been heading back to the main entrance when the attack had happened. Despite his reservations, Henry knew that if anything ever happened to Lily James would be beside himself, and that's why he shoved her roughly to the ground, throwing himself in front of her to block the flickering purple flame from the other's wand.

"He saved my life."

"Dad," James says sharply, ignoring Lily, "let's get you to a Healer."

(Last time father and son had met, things had turned sour quickly and James had left with a yell and the slam of a door.)

"Come with me," Henry rasps, and James sees the vulnerability flaring in his father's eyes.

James nods and presses his lips together. Lily extends her hand to Henry and they help him out of the Ministry, Apparating to St Mungo's when Henry feels strong enough.

When they arrive the Welcomewitch points them to the right floor and James helps his father to the bed while Lily explains what happened to the Healers. One of them steps forward and points out that Lily herself is bleeding and stays to tend to her while the other two bustle over to Henry's bed, putting up a Privacy Charm that ripples the air, distorting the image, to block him from view.

James finds Lily sitting on a bed as a trainee Healer prods at her face, dabbing it with some kind of gloopy blue substance which, she says, is supposed to reduce infection.

Lily winces.

Later the Healer steps out from behind the charm and comes over to where Lily and James are waiting for Henry. He introduces himself as Richard Boore and informs them that although the spell damage Henry received had considerably weakened him, the Pain-Killing Potions he was prescribed had given him some protection, and so fortunately it was not fatal.

"It's strange," Boore muses, "that he was hit in the arm. It's an unlikely target for a Dark spell. Usually they aim for the chest or head, sometimes the stomach."

Lily swallows and leans her head on James' shoulder. "It wasn't meant for him," she says quietly. "Whoever it was was aiming for me, probably just as you said –" she inclines her head towards Boore "– but he pushed me out the way. He saved my life."

"An honourable man, is Mr Potter," says Boore. "You should be proud that he's your father. You may see him, if you wish."

James bites back a retort. When they get to the seats at his bedside, his eyes are closed and his breathing is shallow. James reaches out and touches his hand briefly before retracting his arm and Henry's fingers twitch.

"James."

He leans forward, elbows on knees, fingertips together, pressed against his lips. "Why'd you do it?" asks James bluntly.

"Haven't got long left, son," Henry intones morbidly, attempting a laugh. "Might as well do something with my sorry old life while I still can, eh?"

"I don't –"

Wryly: "It's the Potter hero-complex, lad." James' eyes close for a moment and when they flutter open it's as if he's seeing his father in a different light. "You'll come to hate it soon enough."

"Dad..."

"No, James, you were right. I'd forgotten what I'd taught you and I'd forgotten what your mother fought for. I'm sorry."

James reaches out and takes his father's hand, all the acceptance that Henry needs. He settles more into the pillow and sleeps on into the night.

a/n: you'll find out what went down in between James and his Dad in a later chapter, you lucky things.