Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
[Assignment 2]: Notable Witches & Wizards with Professor Lizzy / Task 4 – Write about becoming a grandparent.
[Scamander's Case]: Nundu / Female – (word) proud
QLFC
[Prompt Bingo]: (pairing) James/Lily
A.N. Just a fluffy lil piece I came up with on the spot. Hope you enjoy!
Word count: 737
oh, darling, why did you ever grow up?
When James Sirius is born, James and Sirius spend an hour running around and howling with excitement.
"That's my boy!" James bellows, pumping his fist into the air as if he'd given birth to the child himself.
"James Sirius," Sirius crows, sticking his tongue out at an exasperated Remus. "Did you hear that, Moony? James Sirius."
"Yes, Padfoot, I think everyone heard you." Remus rolls his eyes, though he sounds fond, more than anything.
Lily, for her part, is beaming. She's wondering why her son thought it was a good idea to name his son after the two biggest idiots the world had ever seen, but – above all – she's proud. Proud of how far he's come, and the man he's molded himself into. He'd faced failures and setbacks by the dozen, but – in the end – he'd come out triumphant. He'd come out whole.
Her little boy – she notes sadly – is no longer a boy; he's a man.
Two years later, Albus Severus is born.
This time, James and Sirius are definitely nothowling. Instead, they're on the ground, staring at each other with horror and confusion.
"Albus…" James intones slowly. "...Severus?"
"Severus," Sirius repeats, as if saying the name can make it any less real than it is.
Even Remus is frowning, his nose scrunched, as if he doesn't understand what's happening. "Albus Severus…" He mutters. "Why Albus Severus?"
Lily's lips are pursed, pressed into a thin white line because if she opens them, she knows she'll go off on a rant. She doesn't want to do that – this is her baby's second baby, and despite how much she disagrees with the choice of name, she's still happy for him. She would've been happier still if he hadn't named his second son after the two men who were chiefly responsible for his misery – one of whom had turned him into a sacrificial lamb, and the other who'd categorically gotten her and James killed – but those are semantics. She's a grandmother twice over now; forever stuck at the age of 21, but a grandmother nonetheless. It feels strange, but it is what it is.
She's still proud of him; of Harry. Watching him holding his children, kissing his wife's forehead, and being happy… Well, that's all Lily's ever wanted for him. He could use some skill improvement when it comes to his naming abilities, but that's besides the point. After all, isn't it that parents love their children despite their flaws?
The year is 2008, and Lily Luna's just been born.
James and Sirius had started out by muttering their approval: "At least it's not Albus Severus." But that was before they had to crowd around a sniffling Lily and try to comfort her.
"What's wrong, Lils?" James runs a hand through her red hair. "Are you not happy?"
"Of course I'm happy, you dolt!" Lily cries out, blowing her nose into his sweater. "My son named his daughter after me! Why would I not be happy?"
James grimaces, continuing to pet her hair. "Sorry. My mistake."
Lily, as she does most of the time, ignores him. "It's just… It seems like yesterday when he was born, doesn't it?" Tears gather in her eyes again. "My baby has a baby!"
"Your baby has three babies." Sirius – as helpful as always – reminds her.
"Padfoot, be quiet!" Remus chides him, but is drowned out by Lily's cry of, "You think I don't know that? You think I don't know that my baby has three babies, and soon his babies are going to have babies, and I'll just be a skeleton in the ground!?"
James, at a loss for words, pipes up. "To be fair, we're all technically skeletons here. You're not special."
"Oh, you–!" Lily smacks his shoulder and shoves both him and Sirius away. "You're the worst, James! The worst!"
James, though, just grins cheesily. "Worst is my middle name, Lily-flower."
Huffing, his wife storms off in the opposite direction, muttering something about "arrogant toe-rag" and "babies."
James, still looking at her retreating back, just sighs happily. "Isn't she marvelous?"
"Marvelously cruel," Sirius agrees.
"Say, you don't think she was referring to me when she said 'arrogant toe-rag', do you?"
They both look at each other.
"Nahhhh." They intone, before proceeding to snicker like the pair of teenage boys they never grew out of being.
Behind them, Remus just shakes his head in disbelief. "Idiots. I'm surrounded by idiots."
