Harry's Home Base

Summary: A mother is her son's home base. For Harry, Lily is his home base.

AN: I wrote this based off something I found on Pinterest. It inspired me to write this. I hope you enjoy it.

You are home to him when he learns to walk. He will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back.

Lily remembered Harry's first steps like they were yesterday. He wobbled to her and into her arms. From that day on, he wobbled away from her then he would come back.

He walked away from her when she took him to school. It was his first day, and both he and Lily were nervous. Harry wanted to go the door by himself. He wanted to prove he was a big boy. When Harry reached the door, he turned around and ran to Lily. He said he couldn't do it. He wanted Lily to come with him.

He walked away from her once more and entered the classroom. He came back for one more hug and a kiss.

He walked away from her when she took him to Kings Cross to catch the Hogwarts Express. Even though she would see him later that evening when he reached the castle, she could help the tears as she realized that Harry was growing up. He came back to her before the final whistle. He wanted one last hug and kiss. She promised he would see her later when he arrived at the castle.

Now, at sixteen, Harry was getting to where he would wander farther and farther away from her, needing her less and less. But he still needed her and would always need her.

Like clockwork, Harry would come back to her.

"Hey, Mum, I'm back!" Harry called as he came in the back door and entered the kitchen. He had headed to the store in the village for Lily.

Lily turned from her place at the stove and smiled at her son. "Did you get the eggs I wanted?"

"That and the butter you needed. I also picked up a sales advert for you." Harry handed his mother the sale advert that showed milk was on sale that week.

"Thanks, sweetheart."

"You're welcome, Mum."

Lily smiled when Harry hugged her from behind. Even though Harry was getting older, he still came back to her.

But she knew one day soon Harry would leave the nest. But he would always come back to her.

When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile.

Trying a new spell or charm was hard for every student at Hogwarts. Harry was no exception. He wanted nothing but to make his parents proud, especially his mother. Lily had expectations for her son, expecting him to try his best and give his best effort to his studies. James had the same expectations as Lily but was more understanding of Harry's grades than Lily.

He wanted to make his mother proud, especially by mastering this charm he was trying to learn.

Remus was teaching Harry how to do the Patronus Charm. If Harry succeeded, he would be the youngest wizard to master this complicated and advanced charm. With Dementors looming around the gates, James wanted Harry to be able to defend himself against one, and the Patronus charm was an excellent choice.

It was Harry's third lesson. Remus invited Lily to come and watch.

As the lesson went on, Lily could see Harry getting frustrated. Remus was patient with him, explaining something Harry could try to have better success.

Eventually, Lily wondered if her presence was making Harry nervous. She moved out of Harry's line of vision behind him. That didn't work. Finally, she asked for a second with her son and motioned for Harry to come to her.

When he reached her, she placed her hands on his shoulder, realizing for the millionth time how tall her son was getting. Harry was currently at eye level.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I see you're trying. I'm proud of you for that."

"What if I can't get it, Mum?" Harry asked quietly.

"You will. Just be patient and calm."

Harry nodded and went back to where Remus was standing.

"Expecto Patronum."

Nothing. Not even a mist.

"Try a different memory, Harry. Maybe the one you're using isn't strong enough," Remus suggested gently.

Harry nodded, turning back to Lily. She smiled back at him.

It was his first Quidditch match. He had come a long way from that scared eleven-year-old. He had just caught the snitch in his mouth and spit it out. Realizing what had happened, he held up the snitch. Immediately he looked up to the stands where he knew Lily was sitting.

To his surprise, James, Sirius, and Remus were there. Lily was looking at him, smiling proudly while James and Sirius beside her were hugging each other and yelling, "that's my son!" and "that's my godson!"

Back in the present, Harry nodded and took a deep breath.

"Expecto Patronum."

This time, to everyone's surprise, a silver animal burst from Harry's wand. It was bright for a second or two. Enough to blind those in the room. Then the light dimmed. Lily was about to make out the animal. She looked at Remus. He looked back at her.

"Harry managed a corporeal patronus!" she exclaimed in shock.

"He did," Remus chuckled.

Harry stared at the animal that had come from his wand.

"Isn't Dad's patronus a stag?"

That made Lily and Remus look closer. They gasped.

"Oh, I can't wait for Prongs to see this," Remus stated.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." Lily pulled her son into an embrace.

Harry let out a slow sigh of relief, letting Lily hug him. He will remember her proud smile on this day for years to come.

When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you 20 times in a row because you're the only one who will listen that many times.

Lily browsed through the bookstore she frequented when she was in London. Over the years, she had become a regular customer, getting to know the owners and many employees in that time. They even had gotten to know Harry, who often came with Lily when she went to the bookstore.

On this day, Lily was looking at children's books for a baby shower gift. She always added books with baby shower gifts as it might be a keepsake item or even that child's favorite book.

She selected a book on the shelf and pulled it out to look at it when another book beside it fell to the floor. Lily bent to pick it up, freezing when she saw what it was.

"Oh, I remember this book."

The Tale of Peter Rabbit was one of Harry's favorites as a child. It was the first book he had read by himself at age five. He must have read the book twenty times to her aloud before moving on to another book. James grew tired of it after ten times. Sirius fell asleep right when Peter got himself stuck in the watering can. Remus enjoyed it, not minding how often Harry repeatedly read the same book.

Selecting the book, Lily returned the other book to the shelf. Having made her selection, she went in search of her son. Harry was where she figured he would be: camped out on a beanbag chair, a book in his hand.

Lily watched her son for a moment. She realized this was how Harry spent most of his time in primary school. He spent a lot of time in the library instead of heading outside for recess. His teacher said he did go outside with the rest of the children. He would sit under the shade of an elm tree, a book from the school library in his hand, and read.

"Did you find a book?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, I did," he replied, holding up the book he was reading.

Lily peeked at the front of the book. It was The Hound of the Baskervilles. Remus had gotten Harry the first book in the series for Christmas when he was thirteen. Harry had finished it by the time they returned to Hogwarts. James got Harry the other three books in the series. Lily found the fourth book. Now Harry had the fifth book in the series.

"Do you remember this?" she asked, handing Harry the book.

"I do. You must have read that book a thousand times." Harry could remember a dream he had as a young boy hiding in the watering can beside Peter as Mr. McGregor searched for them. He had all of the Beatrix Potter books. The last he knew, they were packed up in a box in the attic. Lily had said she was saving them for future grandchildren.

"I'm ready to go, are you?" Lily asked after a minute had passed.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Harry followed Lily to the counter, remembering the countless time he would sit on the couch and read Lily the same book. Over and over.

When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands.

Letting out a long breath, Harry glanced up at the sky. The weather was warm and sunny, a beautiful day for Scotland. Today was the final match, the Cup match. It was Oliver's last year as Captain, and he wanted to win the cup for Gryffindor.

Harry glanced behind him at Fred and George. They were whispering to each other, already planning the victory party later that afternoon.

To say Harry was nervous was an understatement. He could feel butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He felt sick that morning when he woke up. He didn't eat much at breakfast except for a piece of toast and part of a banana, which he gave the other half to Ron. Lily had given him a stomach calmer, which helped his stomach feel better.

Then in a blink of an eye, Harry was on his broom. Then he was in the air, hovering over the middle pitch behind Fred and George.

When the quaffle was released, Harry took off looking for the snitch, but he paused for a second to look for his mother in the professor's stand. Lily had never missed a match, even though she worried about Harry while he was on the broom. But Harry had been lucky to have only suffered minor injuries, with only one concussion and a broken arm. Lily took care of both.

Finally, Harry found Lily sitting by Remus. James sat next to Lily on her right side. Sirius sat next to James. When they noticed him looking, James and Sirius waved. Lily blow a kiss.

Harry smiled at her. The whistle blew, signaling the start of the match. He flew off to find the snitch.

Every match, Harry would search for Lily in the stands. And Lily would always be there.

When he is sick, he will call you.

"Mum?"

Lily woke up at the sound of her son's voice. She squinted in the darkness to see if Harry was standing by the bed or in the doorway. When she realized he was standing in neither place, she sat up to figure out if it was her imagination or did Harry really needed her. If she imagined she heard Harry call for her, she would try to go back to sleep.

"Mum?" Harry called again.

No, it was not her imagination. Lily got up, put on her dressing gown, and slipped on her slippers. She walked through the dark hallway. Harry's bathroom was dark, and the door was open, but he wasn't there. That left Harry's room. She quickly walked to her fifteen-year-old son's bedroom.

Something was not right.

She entered her son's room to find Harry curled up in a ball.

"What's wrong?"

"My stomach hurts," he said.

Lily approached her son's bed, her mind spinning with what Harry had eaten that day that she knew of. Harry had spent the day at the Burrow, coming home an hour after Lily had served supper.

"Too much Treacle Tart?" she asked.

"No. Apple Tart," Harry corrected.

"Aw, baby," She soothed. "Do you think you can handle a potion?"

Harry nodded.

"I'll be right back."

She left Harry's room and stepped into Harry's bathroom.

Opening the cupboard, Lily scanned the middle shelf for a stomach soother. She smiled in triumph when she found one. Turning to the sink, Lily opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a paper cup. She filled it with water and returned to Harry's room.

Harry was sitting up when she returned, arms wrapped around his middle. He knew what Lily was looking for.

She returned to her son's side, handing him the potion. "Here, sweetheart."

Harry took the potion, uncorked it, and down it, relieved Lily had picked the cherry-flavored one. He traded the paper cup of water with his mother for the empty vial and drank the cup of water.

"That should help your stomach feel better," Lily murmured. "Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"

Harry nodded. He may be fifteen, but he still wanted his mother when he was sick.

Lily held up the light quilt Harry slept under in the summer as Harry laid back down. Once he was comfortable, Lily folded the quilt at his waist. Then gently, she slipped hers under his shirt. She started to rub slow, soothing circles on Harry's belly.

"Thanks, Mum," Harry murmured.

"You're welcome, Sweetheart."

Lily kept rubbing Harry's stomach until he fell asleep. She was about to summon her wand and conjure a cot when she heard a voice.

"Is he okay?"

Lily turned to find James standing in the doorway of Harry's room.

"Just a stomachache, James. He's fine," Lily assured him. "I'm going to stay in here tonight."

James nodded. "If you need me, you know where to find me."

He returned to their room as Lily summoned her wand and conjured a cot. She waited until she was sure Harry was asleep before she moved to the cot.

Well, she thought he was asleep.

"Mum?"

"What is it, Sweetheart?"

"Thanks for taking care of me."

Lily leaned over, kissing her son's forehead. "I'll always take care of you."

When he really messes up, he will call you.

Harry took in the charred workstation and burned cauldron that once held the potion he was trying to brew. He was trying to catch up on his potions work due to being out sick. Something had gone wrong. Harry didn't know what it was.

Lily came running into the potions lab. She looked at the mess in front of her son.

"First, I want to know, are you alright?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright, Mum."

Lily walked around the workstation that was beyond repair. The cauldron wasn't just burned. It was melted.

"What potion was this?"

"Shrinking potion," Harry replied.

Lily looked at the ruined workstation and back to her son. "Are you sure you're alright? Because the shrinking potion is poisonous if it's brewed incorrectly," she explained.

"I just….." Harry trailed off, sliding down the wall behind him. "I just messed up, and I don't know where I messed up at."

Lily watched her son for a moment. He had called her for help with the potion when it blew up. The commutation mirror went black seconds after the blowup.

Frantic, Lily ran to the potions lab that students were allowed to use to practice brewing potions, and a potions master was usually present. Professor Slughorn was the professor who usually was in the lab observing. Lily had filled in some for the professor a few times.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm just glad you're not hurt."

When she entered the room, she cleared the smoke away, immediately calling for Harry. He had ducked and rolled under another workstation away from the potion. The only thing destroyed in the explosion was the cauldron. Harry's potion book had fallen to the floor when Harry ducked.

"I really messed up," Harry murmured. Lily kneeled in front of her son.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I'll talk to Professor Slughorn. I'll help you with his if you need it."

"Thanks, Mum."

Even though Harry felt he didn't need help, it was a good feeling that he could still call for his mother, even when he did mess up.

When he is grown, strong, tough, and big, and he feels like crying, he will come to you because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious.

Lily silently watched as Harry helped his father and godfather carry the casket holding their dear friend. Remus's death came as a shock. He was another causality of war. He was just one of many, too many to name.

As the six men returned to their seats, Harry walked over to where Ginny sat behind Andromeda at the end of the second row. It was a silent agreement between the young couple that they sit near the grieving mother to either take Teddy for a moment or to give comfort or a little of both.

Today was the last of the funerals they were attending as a group. Tomorrow Harry was going with Ginny to Colin's funeral, while Ron accompanied Hermione to the ministry to start the process of bringing her parents home.

Lily took a moment to look from her son to her husband. The war had aged James by five years. There was gray in his hair, he looked older and thinner, and right now, he looked like he was about to break down in another bout of tears.

Sirius sat to James's right. He looked just as bad as James, only without the gray. James had jokingly said that Harry had caused the gray hair on his head. He couldn't have been more right. They both worried about Harry since the night he had left Bill and Fleur's wedding. When packing up the house, Lily found a note Harry had written them to explain what they were doing.

Now, she was sitting in another funeral service. Lily was thankful it wasn't her own son's funeral.

She made a note to make a healer appointment for Harry in the upcoming weeks. He was too thin for her liking. He also had new scars on his body.

Regardless, Lily was just thankful she still had her son.

"Lily, it's time to go."

James's voice broke Lily out of her daydream. The service was over. It was time to head back to the house. To not burden Andromeda, Lily offered to host the dinner. The older woman appreciated it more than Lily would ever know.

With a pop, they arrived in their backyard. Several other pops signaled the arrival of the Weasleys and other members of the Order, along with Andromeda, who had been side a longed by Molly.

Upon entering the kitchen, she found Ginny had flooed over with Teddy. It was easier on him than apparition.

"Where's Harry?" Lily asked.

"Upstairs."

Lily turned to James, motioning for him to stay. She walked up the stairs, deciding to change out of her black dress and heels and into something more comfortable. As she approached her bedroom, she heard a sniffle from the room across the hall.

It was the room that Remus stayed in when he stayed with them. Lily hadn't had time to unpack the room just yet. Not ready to unpack the boxes just yet.

She pushed the door open. Harry was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall, tears running down his cheeks.

He looked up when the door opened. Lily approached her son as he picked himself up from the floor.

"I feel like it's my fault," Harry whispered. He held back a sob.

"Sweetheart, it's not. It's not your fault."

Harry turned around and looked out the back window.

"I miss him. I feel like I've taken him away from Dad, Sirius, and," Harry trailed off, trying to keep his emotions in check. "Teddy," he finally croaked.

"Sweetheart."

At the sound of his mother's voice, he turned around. Lily held her arms out from him.

Not caring he was seventeen years old and a full-grown man, he walked quickly to his mother and collapsed in her embrace, finally letting out everything he had been holding for so long. The last time Lily had held Harry like this was when Dumbledore died. It was worse for Harry, having witnessed the whole thing.

She stood there, holding her son, thankful she was holding her son again for the millionth time. She had placed a silencing charm on the room and shut the door for privacy.

When he feels like crying, he will find his mother because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious.

Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother: home base, the ever-constant, like the sun. Know that in your heart, and everything else will fall into place.

Lily stood, leaning over the rails of the patio, looking out to the beach. They were at her family's coastal home for a family vacation. Three couples: her, James, Harry, Ginny, Hestia, and Sirius. And there were Sirius and Hestia's twins, Leo and Aurora.

This was fixing to be a vacation they would never forget.

She smiled as she watched Harry and Ginny walk along the beach as the waves came in. She and Harry had taken many walks like that over the years. Now he took Ginny on a walk, and then he and Lily would take a walk. Tonight, they did it reversed, she and Harry walked first, talking, and then when they returned, Harry collected Ginny, and they went for a walk along the beach.

Harry and Ginny were holding hands, lost in their own little world.

She jumped as James wrapped his arm around her.

"Did he do it yet?" he whispered.

Lily shook her head, her eyes never leaving her son and the girl she thought of as a daughter.

Harry had been planning on this proposal for weeks. He and Ginny had talked about marriage here and there. Harry decided it was time to take the plunge. He started by looking at rings, taking Ron and Neville with him. When he found the one, he took James back for his opinion. They left the shop with the ring.

Last week, Harry stopped by Arthur's office to talk with him. The older man knew what Harry was about to ask.

"You don't need our permission to marry our daughter. But you have our blessing."

With Arthur's blessing, Harry continued planning the proposal. Going to the coast was perfect. He knew he was going to do it on the beach. Lily suggested in front of the house, allowing them to watch the proposal from a distance, video, and take pictures.

It was the day before he proposed, when Ginny commented on how beautiful the sunset was, that Harry decided at sunset would be when he proposed.

To Lily, it didn't feel real. Harry was going to ask Ginny to marry him. He was going to propose!

She knew Ginny held Harry's heart. She had for a long time. She couldn't have picked a better girl to marry her son. Ginny made him happy, and that alone made Lily happy. They had been dating since they were fourteen and fifteen years old. Lily had seen this day coming then she knew Harry loved Ginny that much even then, even if he didn't realize it.

"Did he do it yet?" Sirius asked from behind them, Hestia following him. They just got the twins down for the night, just in time to watch the proposal.

Lily shushed them, motioning for them to come closer. James turned on the video camera and charmed it to zoom in on Harry and Ginny. They could hear them talking and the waves of the ocean. Luckily, they could hear Harry and Ginny over the waves.

"It's beautiful," Ginny commented, watching the sunset.

"Not as beautiful as you," Harry said.

"This is it?" Sirius whispered.

This was it!

Everyone on the patio watched quietly, taking a sharp intake of breath when Harry dropped to one knee. They heard Ginny say something, but it was muffled by her hand over her mouth.

They listened to Harry's speech he had been practicing in secret and waited on batted breath for Ginny's reply.

When Ginny said, "Yes!" they cheered, ready to be the first to congratulate them and welcome Ginny officially into the family.

When she was hugging her son after they came up to the patio, Lily realized something. Her baby belonged to another woman. He would be making a home with her. Yes, she would always be his mother. She would be there for him for the rest of his life, and she knew in her heart that even though Harry now had Ginny to take care of him, she would always be his home base.

Happy Mother's Day!