A/N: Hello again everyone! I am extremely sorry for the long wait. Between summer term with college (university, for all you British folk), staring fall term, work, and everything else going on in life, I haven't had much time to write lately. I did rather well in my classes, though, I'm proud to report. :) Please keep in mind, however, that even though it might take me a while to update, possibly longer than I'd like to, I will get to it. Please don't send any cursed bludgers flying at me! I have not abandoned my stories. I just have to make time to write them after I've done my schoolwork & when I'm not working as well. I'm also trying to write a book of my own creation, so that takes up my time as well. I must keep my priorities in order.
Please be patient with me, and thank you to those who are still faithfully following my story. Unfortunately for all of you, I prefer to handwrite my stories, and then type them up. I feel a stronger connection to my writing by literally writing it down, even though it's murder on my hand sometimes. This was a rather difficult chapter to write, just because I found it boring, but I had promised it to everyone, and so it shall be delivered! I promise next chapter will be a bit more interesting, but I won't give anything away.
Also, to my newest readers & reviewers, thank you! It made my day to see your reviews as I was typing up this new chapter! Actually, I do have some other suggestions for you (as far as stories similar to this one). Island of Hope by arwenraven (that one actually made me cry in places, it's beautifully written; it's about Sirius and Harry, with Remus making his own special appearances), Hello from Hell by JBS-Forever (this one… Just read it; another Sirius & Harry fic with Remus thrown in.), Together Again by Richard Cypher (Lily and James return fic; these aren't very common, surprisingly, but this one is quite good), The Nice Man In The Woods by Nerdy Potterhead (another Sirius & Harry fic; it's still being updated!), and From Death to Life: The Return of James and Lily by Battleofthegood (kinda self-explanatory; still being updated as well). His Boy by The-Shy-Quiet-One is really good too (dunno if you like pre-Hogwarts stories, but this is about Harry as a little kid, if Sirius had've been freed then and taken him from the Dursleys to live with him and Remus; it's really pretty adorable). These are stories that I've found and really enjoyed and get alerts for. :)
To my 'guest' reviewer that reviewed "I like you": Erm… Thanks. I like you too. Haha. I try. :)
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Harry's world does not belong to me. Sadly, the honorable Ms. Rowling hasn't bequeathed me her empire. :(
Now that's out of the way… I present to you Chapter 6!
Chapter 6
The next morning, Harry awoke to quiet all around him. He thought this was rather strange; where was Ron? Harry got up quickly and changed, which agitated his still-healing injuries, and made his way out the door.
The hallway seemed quiet; it was almost eerie. Where was everyone? It wasn't too early, only nine, according to the clock.
Harry walked down the hall and knocked on the door. Nothing.
"Mum? Dad?" he said cautiously.
When no answer came, Harry contemplated opening the door. He had never been allowed to enter an adult's room before. Surely his parents would be angry if he entered their room uninvited? But he had to chance it, he was worried. He pushed the door open and peeked in; no one was in the room. He quickly walked around, making sure he hadn't missed anything, and then he turned around and hurried from the room. Harry walked to the other end of the hall, checked Sirius' room, and then raced downstairs.
He ran into the dining room and saw that no one was there, then into the kitchen and saw it was empty as well. Harry ran to the drawing room and no one was there either. He was beginning to panic. There weren't many places left in the house that his parents and everyone else could have gone. He hadn't been to many places in the house yet, and it was quite big; he didn't dare go wandering. It was possible that the Weasleys and Hermione had gone back to the Burrow. But where were his parents and Sirius, then?
Harry walked back into the hall and in the process knocked over a very ugly-looking umbrella stand. As he picked the stand back up and put it in its place, he wondered if this could have been made from what looked like a troll's foot, but a terrible noise interrupted his thoughts. Harry suddenly heard a horrible screaming coming from the other end of the entrance hall. It was a woman, someone he had never heard before.
"BLOOD TRAITORS! SCUM! FILTH! HALF BLOODS AND MUDBLOODS ALIKE! HOW DARE THEY COME HERE AND BRING DISHONOR AMONG THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS! BETRAYL BY MY OWN BLOOD!"
Harry couldn't stand to hear her yelling any longer. He took off back up the stairs and ran back into the bedroom. He wondered where his parents were and when he was going to get out of here. He was slightly scared now, and he could hear the woman yelling downstairs. Harry vaguely wondered if he had just been left here.
Had he just been left here? Was this his big surprise? He knew his dad had been a prankster, but this was a bit cruel. Maybe he had been left here. Maybe they decided he was too much trouble after all and they didn't want him anymore. He was fifteen, after all. He could take care of himself. He always had anyway, what was the difference now? But that didn't mean he didn't want them around…
Harry felt tears start to form in his eyes. He shook his head, willing them away. 'Quit being stupid,' he thought. 'They haven't left you. They'll be around soon; probably a meeting with Dumbledore or something. Just go back to sleep. Mum probably thought I'd sleep 'till ten at least.'
Harry comforted himself with these thoughts and tried to go back to sleep. It wasn't hard, seeing as his little venture through the house had taken a toll on him. He'd forgotten about his 'no strenuous activity' rule, and he'd been running around the house like a madman. He ached all over; he more than ached, he was in pain. He wished desperately for a pain potion, but he knew he wasn't to touch them without permission. Harry only hoped it wasn't long before his parents or another adult returned. With that, he drifted back off to sleep.
Some time later, harry became aware of his name being called and the curtains in his room being drawn back. The bright light hurt his eyes, so he pulled the covers up to shield them.
Harry heard someone sigh and then a hand gently pulled his own holding the covers from his face. He couldn't see without his glasses, but he could see well enough to tell it was his mother. Relief flooded through him.
"Good morning, darling," she said, planting a kiss on his forehead. "Sleep well?"
Harry nodded in reply, still trying to shake the sleep from his head. As he did so, the motion brought his attention back to the pain in the rest of his body; he was in a considerable amount of pain. Lily didn't appear to be upset, so Harry guessed she didn't know about him going in their room earlier and running around the house – and Harry intended to keep it that way. He wondered if it would be okay to ask for a pain potion then?
"Glad to hear it," said Lily, breaking Harry from his thoughts. "Well, dear, it's a quarter past ten, and I had said I'd wake you at ten on the nose, but you just looked so peaceful I decided to let you sleep for a bit. Everyone else has a couple hours on you and there's a lot going on today. Get dressed and come downstairs and I'll get your breakfast. It'll be a light one today, I don't want you filling up too much before lunch, it's going to be very special today."
She sounded very excited and Harry wondered what on earth was so special about today that had gotten her all worked up. Could it possibly be his parents' anniversary? Was that why everyone was gone? Were they going somewhere to celebrate their anniversary? Harry would have to ask. Why hadn't anyone told him these things?
Lily rubbed Harry's shoulder and turned to leave the room.
"Mum," said Harry quickly.
"Yes dear?" she asked, turning back to him.
"Could I get a pain potion?" he said through now-gritted teeth. "Please?"
Lily's face fell. "Oh sweetheart! I'm so sorry! It completely slipped my mind. I'll bring it right up. Where does it hurt?"
"Everywhere," answered Harry.
Lily rushed from the room. Harry eased himself from his bed and began changing into the clothes that had been laid out (presumably by his mother) for him. They looked new, and Harry liked them. A dark pair of jeans that fit him properly and a button-down checked, deep green shirt. It matched his eyes. 'At least it isn't like the Slytherin green,' he thought.
Harry was buckling his belt when his mother came bustling back into the room.
"Aren't you just the cutest thing!" Lily cooed when she saw Harry dressed in his new clothes. "Do you like it?"
Harry blushed furiously. "Mum, I'm fifteen, I'm not 'cute.'" His eyes widened when he realized he had spoken like that to his mother. "Sorry. I mean, yes, I do like them. Thank you."
Lily handed him his potion and eyed him curiously. He didn't need to apologize.
"No, Harry, you're right," she said crossing her arms. "You're not a child. I don't need to treat you like one. I guess I just forget sometimes. You have to remind your mum every now and then. I'll always see you as my baby. You'll always be my little boy, even when you have kids of your own. You have grown into a very handsome young man, inside and out. And I am so proud of you."
Harry handed her back the empty potion bottle and stared at her. He was speechless and surprised; no one had ever shown him this level of affection before, and he wasn't sure how to react. And most of all, she had told him she was wrong, not him. Adults never did that; what was going on? Lily put the bottle on the nightstand and straightened his collar, then tried to flatten his hair.
"Well, maybe Dad can help with your hair," she said, finally giving up. "That seems silly, but he seems to have figured out a way to tame it after all those years living with the cursed Potter hair. I'm sorry you inherited that."
Lily vanished the empty potion bottle and led Harry from the room.
Breakfast consisted of eggs, toast, and bacon with milk. Lily had already eaten with everyone else earlier, so she waited for Harry to finish.
"Where is everyone?" Harry decided to ask.
"Where we're heading when you finish," Lily said brightly with an air of mischief.
"The Burrow?" Harry asked hopefully.
"No."
"Then where?"
"Eat and you'll find out," said Lily, pointing at his food.
"What's going on today?" asked Harry around a mouthful of egg.
"Harry James, it's rude to talk with food in your mouth," said Lily, slightly appalled and disgusted. "I certainly hope you don't do that at school or in public. Now, finish your breakfast and we'll be on our way."
Harry swallowed, looking slightly guilty, but continued with his questions.
"Will Ron and Hermione be there? What about Ginny and the twins?"
"Harry James Potter!" said Lily, beginning to get irritated that Harry was ignoring his food and refused to obey her. He had never been such a handful before; this was James coming out in him. "Eat! I assure you, any questions you have will be answered the minute you finish your breakfast, but it can wait. Now, hush your mouth and put food in it instead!"
Harry stared down at the half-eaten breakfast on his plate and sighed. They'd been having a perfectly lovely breakfast and he'd had to go and ruin it. His aunt and uncle were right; he always spoilt everything. Now his mother was mad with him and she'd all but screamed at him. How much trouble would he be in later for not listening to her the first time? What about earlier when he had talked back to her? Would she tell James or Sirius and let them handle Harry's misbehavior? Harry dreaded what might happen when they left Sirius', but he decided to get on with it. He knew from experience it was always worse to for him to put it off.
"Harry?" said Lily after a few minutes when she received no response from her son. Harry had merely stared at his plate, eyes wide, but made no other moves nor had he said another word.
Harry's head snapped up and his eyes met Lily's. For a split second, Lily could see pure fear in Harry's eyes, caused by her slight outburst. Then he blinked and it was gone, and she was met with a blank expression she couldn't read. He was good at this, and that broke her heart. 'And I've just given him practice,' she thought sadly.
"I-I'm not really hungry," stammered Harry. "You said we'd have a big lunch, and I don't want to be too full for it. So I'll just wait. I don't want to be sick."
When had he become such a good liar? He really wasn't that curious anymore; he was actually dreading leaving because that meant he would have to face whatever his punishment was. At least he hadn't lied about not being hungry anymore; the sight of the food was actually making him a little sick. Was it because he was so worried, or because he wasn't used to so much food?
Lily eyed Harry suspiciously and said, " Are you sure, Harry? You didn't eat much. Don't let your eagerness to get the day started get in your way of your health. You need all the food I can get into you."
Harry just shook his head.
Lily sighed in defeat. "Alright. I always had a hard time getting you to eat. Sirius did a better job of it. You would eat anything for dear old 'Uncle Padfoot.' Never for Mummy. Maybe for Daddy, on a good day, but Sirius was always your favorite. You need to take your nutrient potion."
Harry smiled slightly and Lily slid the potion bottle to him. Harry scowled at the bottle but uncorked it and took it in one gulp. He set the bottle down and made a face. Lily chuckled quietly.
"Sorry sweetie. Okay, ready then? We're going by Portkey."
Harry frowned.
"Something wrong, dear?" Lily asked.
"It's just…" Harry started, unsure of what to say. "I'm not too fond of Portkeys anymore, not after the Third Task."
Lily paled slightly. "Oh, Harry." She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, rubbing his back. Harry tensed, not having expected this, but relaxed into her touch after a minute or so.
"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry," she soothed. "Right now, this is the only option we have. The Floo Network is being monitored, and the wards here are set for anti-Apparition, as are the wards for where we're going. It's too risky to fly; you're too weak to right now anyway. And even if I could take you by Side-Along Apparition, I'm not sure I would, because I wouldn't risk you getting splinched. I'm so sorry darling. Please be strong for Mummy, just for a few minutes. Can you do that? You do trust me, right?"
Harry looked at his mother's worried, apologetic face and nodded. He felt guilty. People shouldn't feel the need to cater to him just because it brought back bad memories. He needed to get over it if he ever wanted to get on with his life. 'And I would,' he thought angrily, 'if I didn't have those bloody dreams every other night.'
Lily pulled a quill from her robes and offered one end to Harry. He quickly grabbed it and felt himself being pulled away.
Suddenly, he was standing in front of a winding drive with two stone posts on either side. At the very end stood a rather handsome manor, larger than any house Harry had ever seen, but still not nearly as big as Hogwarts.
"Welcome home Harry," Lily said, smiling fondly.
"Home?" said Harry, not believing his ears. "Here?"
"Yes, here," replied Lily with a laugh. "We were going to move in after your grandparents died – James' parents – but then… Well, you know. Anyway, this is Potter Manor."
Harry gaped at the manor as they started up the walk. So, they really were rich. The manor looked nice and bright; a stark contrast from Grimmauld Place where Sirius' family had lived. There were brightly colored flowers out front and it looked like there was a huge lawn (maybe more?) in the back. There was a heavily wooded area just beyond the house.
They reached the front steps and they stopped. Lily turned and looked at him.
"Ready?"
Harry nodded.
Lily opened the door and Harry felt his eyes widen and his jaw drop again. The place was huge. It wasn't at all like Grimmauld Place; they were polar opposites, if anything. Where Grimmauld Place gave off an air of foreboding, Potter Manor was warm and inviting, from the color of the walls and the decorations to the carpet; it was home.
There was a grand staircase directly in front of him down the hall. The staircase split left and right at the landing. On the main floor there was a wing to Harry's left and a wing to his right. Down the hall past the staircase was another wing, and Harry couldn't tell what was down there. His insides were itching to explore.
Lily saw the awe and curiosity on her son's face and smiled.
"Up the stairs are the bedrooms and such. But we'll get to that later. Off to the left are the library, drawing room, and all those things. We'll show you around later, dear, but we have something more important to do right now."
She pulled him off to the right past door after door until finally Lily opened a door on the left and pushed him through.
Harry had just enough time to register that he was standing in a rather large dining room covered in red and gold before he heard a rush of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" all around him and was again pulled in another direction to sit at the table.
"But, yesterday was my birthday," said Harry, very confused.
"Well, seeing as you spent the day in the hospital," said James, smiling down at him on his right, "we thought we'd make up for it today."
James ruffled Harry's hair fondly and pulled him into a hug.
"Well, where should we start?" asked Sirius excitedly. "Food? Presents?"
Harry looked around and noticed how many people were really in the room: all the Weasleys, Hermione, Sirius, Remus, plus his guard. Wow, all for his birthday. Harry just gaped at Sirius, not knowing what to say.
"Presents; I think your stomach can wait a while, Sirius," said Remus teasingly.
Harry snickered at the look on Sirius' face. He thought he could get used to this 'birthday party' thing.
"Harry, why don't you open Hagrid's present first?" Lily suggested. "It came for you this morning." She handed him a rather lumpy-looking package, which he accepted gingerly.
Upon opening it, Harry was relieved to discover it was only Hagrid's homemade rock cakes.
"Oh, bad luck there mate," said Ron with a grimace.
"Bad luck?" said Harry incredulously. "I thought it was something like The Monster Book of Monsters again! This is good luck!"
Ron and Hermione laughed and exchanged a knowing look with Harry.
Ron and Ginny gave Harry more Quidditch things, which included another book on the sport and some practice protective gear. Hermione, in traditional Hermione fashion, gave him a talking planner and more books. Fred and George gave him numerous joke shop items, earning a glare from their mother, a sniff from Lily (who was desperately trying to hide a smirk, but failing), and proud grins from the Marauders. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave him an array of sweets, among them his favorite, treacle tart. The best presents, however, were from Sirius and Remus, and of course, his parents.
Sirius handed him a heavy square package. On top was a large slab of Honeyduke's Finest Chocolate and a Chocolate Frog.
"Go on, Prongslet, open it," said Sirius with a mischievous grin. "I want to see the look on your face. It's from me and Remus. You can guess who insisted on the chocolate."
Remus smirked and rolled his eyes.
Harry set the chocolate to the side and he carefully unwrapped the package. Whatever he had been expecting, it certainly wasn't this. The Marauders' Guide to Pranking by Mssrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs was now staring back at him. Harry didn't know what to say; he just stared open-mouthed between Sirius, Remus, and his dad.
"We thought you should have it," said Remus, looking amused at Harry's awed expression.
"Wow," said Harry simply.
Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny had now crowded around him, curiosity overcoming them to see what this amazing present was. The twins were dumbstruck.
"Wait…"
"Are you…?"
"They can't be."
"Who?" asked James.
"The Marauders," chorused the twins, expressions of utmost adoration on their identical faces.
The three men exchanged a grin. Remus stood and bowed.
"Mr. Moony, at your service."
"Mr. Padfoot, at your service," said Sirius, also standing and taking a bow.
"And Mr. Prongs, also at your service," said James, standing and taking his bow as well.
The twins' mouths popped open in astonishment.
"We aren't worthy!"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione howled with laughter.
"Oi!" said Sirius to the trio. "What do you lot think is so funny?"
"Yeah!" said Fred, rounding on the three. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"You guys knew!" said George sadly. "Harry, you're the son of a Marauder! You should've said something!"
"I didn't know," said Harry. "At least, not when you gave me the Map. I found out that my dad is Prongs later."
"What?!" said James, shocked. "Oh, dear Merlin. There's so much you don't know, Harry."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Harry grumbled.
"So much he doesn't know?" said Sirius, sounding wounded, "we have fans, mate! We didn't know about that!"
Remus and James laughed at Sirius' lightheartedness.
"Harry," said Fred seriously.
"You have to let us borrow that book," finished George.
Harry simply nodded and kept laughing.
"Okay, Harry," said Lily. "Now for mine and Dad's present!"
James left the room and quickly returned carrying what looked to be a very heavy trunk. He set it down in front of Harry and looked at him expectantly.
Harry slowly opened the present and instantly realized what it was. It was a brand new practice Quidditch set. This was possibly the nicest present he had ever gotten, with the exception of Hedwig, his broom and Invisibility Cloak. He stared at his parents, open-mouthed, unsure of how to thank them. He knew they had gone to a lot of trouble to get this; they were supposed to be dead, after all.
"Do you like it?" asked Lily nervously.
"It's brilliant!" said Harry, a broad grin taking over his face.
"I thought so," said James, a grin matching Harry's spreading across his face. "I thought maybe once you were cleared to fly we could take it out and break it in."
And that was all it took; Harry's face lit up and he leapt forward to hug James, taking them both by surprise. Lily, Sirius, and Remus chuckled at Harry's enthusiasm.
"I guess that's a 'yes,' then?" James teased as he ruffled Harry's hair.
Harry pulled out of the hug and gave his father and apologetic look.
"Er – sorry Dad. But yes, I'd love to take it out and practice."
"No need to apologize, Harry," said James, waving the apology away. "I'll just take this to the broom cupboard until we're ready for it."
The rest of Harry's party consisted of lunch, Harry's cake (which was Quidditch-themed, unsurprisingly), quite a lot of talk amongst the adults, and several games of Wizard's Chess and Exploding Snap with Sirius, Ron, and the twins.
Eventually, all their guests started leaving. The guard left first, followed about an hour later by the Weasleys and Hermione, who were returning to the Burrow for a while. Sirius and Remus, however, opted to stay at least until Harry went to bed.
"Harry, would you like to see your room?" Lily asked, a smile playing around her mouth.
"Yeah, let's take your stuff up and have a look round," Sirius said excitedly.
They walked back to the entrance hall and walked up the staircase. When they hit the landing, Harry followed them to the left down a long hallway. As they walked, the portraits whispered excitedly to one another, one even calling out to his dad and asking, "James, is this your boy?" then squealing in delight and running off to tell all the other portraits when James smiled broadly and gave her a curt nod.
Finally, they reached a door on the right.
"Okay Harry," said James, "here's your room. We hope you like it."
He opened the door and Harry walked in. It was the most magnificent room Harry had ever seen. He supposed it was roughly the same size as his dorm at Hogwarts, only without four other beds in the room. He had a four-poster bed in the middle of the room, with a big window on either side. There was a big desk and even a place for Hedwig to perch. In one corner of the room was a huge armoire to put his clothes in. To his astonishment, when he opened it he discovered that it had already been filled full of brand new, nice clothes, all in his size. His school trunk was at the foot of his bed as well. The room was decorated in Gryffindor colors with tiny little Quidditch balls and brooms flitting around the walls.
"I hope you like it," James said nervously, hovering in the doorway. "It was what I liked when I was your age. We didn't really know. If not, we can always change it. We didn't know what professional team you liked best, so we just went with Gryffindor to be safe."
Harry turned to them and crossed the room again. He wrapped his arms around them tightly and buried his face in Lily's side.
"You like it then?" she asked.
Harry nodded as she carded her fingers through his hair and James rubbed his back.
"It's brilliant," he whispered. "Thank you."
"Anything for you, sweetheart," Lily cooed.
"We're glad you like it son," said James, smiling broadly at him. "Find a good place for all your birthday presents and we'll show you around the house."
Eager to see as much of the house as he could, Harry deposited his gifts on his desk and hurried from the room. Everyone was waiting for him just outside his door.
"Ready?" Remus asked.
Harry nodded.
Lily pointed to the end of the hallway. "Straight down there is mine and Dad's room," she said. "If you need anything, just knock. Don't be afraid to come to us for anything, even if it seems silly."
"Lily, you're smothering him," teased James.
Harry blushed.
"Well," said lily defensively, "he's my baby. And I haven't exactly had many chances to coddle him over the past fourteen years, have I? I'll take what I can get."
Lily reached out and lovingly stroked Harry's cheek. Harry smiled at her.
Sirius leaned back and whispered not-so-quietly to James and Remus, "The root word of 'smother' is 'mother,' after all."
This earned a laugh from James and Remus and a snort from Harry.
"Oh no," Lily sighed. "They've already corrupted you."
Harry gave his mother a guilty look and James ruffled his hair.
"Anyway, your bathroom is on the left here," said James as he motioned to a door on the left side of the hall.
They turned and walked down the hall, this time going down the right wing after the landing.
"All that's really down here are guest rooms," explained Lily. "There's a lot of them, but nothing more interesting than that."
"Sirius and Remus' rooms are down here as well, just in case you need them," said James.
Harry nodded.
"Downstairs then?" suggested Sirius.
James nodded and they headed back down the hall. Every now and then, James would stop and show Harry a portrait of someone (more like introduce him to a long gone relative who sometimes proved to be a bit batty) and carry on a conversation before moving on. Finally, they reached the staircase again and were back on the main floor.
"This way," James said with a mischievous look at Sirius and Remus. Remus shook his head and muttered under his breath about "overgrown children," but looked amused all the same.
They walked down the hall past the staircase and it seemed to go on forever. Their little group finally came out at yet another hallway that seemed to run the width of the manor and be at the very back. This hallway (corridor, really, for it was so much bigger than a regular hallway) had very big windows that ran nearly from floor to ceiling and they made the whole hall very bright. They turned right but stopped after walking only a few feet.
"Okay," said James, seeming to shake with excitement. "This is what I've been dying to show you. It's my favorite part of the whole house."
He walked to a door and opened it. The door led to the backyard, or what Harry assumed was the backyard. James motioned Harry forward and slung an arm around his shoulder. Lily, who rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, but still looked rather amused at James' enthusiasm, Sirius, who was positively bouncing, and Remus, who seemed to be choking back a laugh, followed them.
James led them off a very nice patio that Harry was sure was at least a couple of centuries old. They definitely had a backyard, but that was not all. In addition to their rather large backyard, they had what seemed to be a professional-sized Quidditch pitch.
Harry felt his jaw drop. He looked up at his dad, who was beaming.
"Wow," said Harry breathlessly. "A professional-sized Quidditch pitch? It's amazing."
"Well, not quite 'professional,'" James corrected. "It's somewhere between the size of the one at Hogwarts and a professional one. It's against regulation to have one for personal use if you aren't on a professional team or have been."
"Oh," said Harry, still in awe.
"Maybe when you're a bit better you can go flying, eh?" offered Sirius. "Your dad and I will go with you, our old brooms are still here. Maybe we can even get Remus or your mum to go. You can show your dad up on his flying skills; his ego could do with deflating some more." Sirius sent a wink at Harry as James imitated a fish out of water.
"Oh no," Lily protested. "I most certainly will not. I'll be staying on the ground, thanks."
"Exactly," agreed Remus. "I don't fly unless it's completely necessary."
Harry frowned at them. "You don't like flying?"
"No," they answered firmly.
"Why not?" he asked.
"I don't like heights," said Remus, sending a pointed glare at James and Sirius, who pretended to be staring into the woods.
"And I had a bad experience during my flying lesson," said Lily. "I haven't liked it since. Let's go back in."
She turned to go back into the manor, but Harry wasn't done yet.
"But, Mum," he pressed, still frowning at her, "that was one bad experience. It's really not bad. Honest. You should try it again."
"Oh, this'll be good," sniggered James to Sirius and Remus. "Harry's going to talk Lily into flying. She can't say no to him!" They sniggered and followed them into the manor.
Lily sighed and looked at Harry. "Oh, Harry, don't look at me like that. I don't know. I'm not sure I'd even know what to do now; that was ages ago."
They were in the hall leading back to the staircase now. Harry stopped in front of Lily and turned to face her.
"The school brooms really aren't that good. It was probably the broom. If you tried to learn on a good one, you'd probably like it. What if I taught you? Please, Mum? You still have a week or so to think about it before I'm well enough to fly."
Lily considered him for a moment.
"Oh, alright," she relented. "You win. I never could say no to you."
Harry positively beamed at her. "Really?"
"Yes, sweetheart, really," said Lily, smiling back at him.
Harry threw himself at her in a fierce hug. Lily bent slightly to wrap her arms around him. This was certainly new; Harry didn't usually like to be touched, let alone voluntarily touch someone else. She chanced a quick look at James, who seemed just as surprised as she was. Three times in one day, voluntarily, was definitely a development.
They quickly masked their surprised, as it seemed the Harry had also realized what he was doing. He pulled away quickly and gave his mother a sheepish smile.
James broke the silence. "It's nearly time for dinner," he said. "We should go get ready."
They slowly made their way toward the dining room for dinner. The weren't there yet, but they were getting there. Harry had a long way to go, but with a lot of love, he would be okay.
A/N: Well, that's it. A bit long. This wasn't really how I wanted this chapter to end, but I had to end it somewhere in order to get it posted. I know it's a bit boring and fluffy, but that happens sometimes. I'm going to pick up the next chapter where this one left off (roughly), and I promise it'll be more interesting. At least you guys know I'm still alive and updating. Again, sorry for the long wait. I promise not to do that again.
For those of you also reading A Proper Family, I hope to update that one soon as well. Sorry about the long wait there too.
Thanks again for all of your patience. I really do appreciate you guys more than you could know. :)
All my love,
JHR
