"Hey, are you okay?" Mia asked, approaching her boyfriend.
The Borghese, Grimaldi, and Nott families had decided to go on vacation to the Borghese Villa on the Amalfi Coast. The Potters, the Black brothers, Remus, Ron, Blaise, and Pansy were scheduled to join them in two weeks for part of the summer holidays.
"Why do you ask, princess?" Jace responded, wrapping his arms around her as Mia settled onto his lap.
"This," Mia replied softly, her fingers tracing his shirt.
"You don't like the shirt?" Jace inquired, his brow furrowing.
"It's not about the shirt, baby, and you know it," Mia told him.
"I don't like them," Jace admitted, his expression slightly saddened. "That's why I wear the shirt. It's not a good memory."
Without a word, Mia began to delicately unbutton his shirt, prompting a weak protest from Jace. Beneath, she revealed the barely visible scars from Sectumsempra on her boyfriend's chest and stomach. There were three of them, faint but discernible. Mia leaned in and softly kissed each one.
"I like them," Mia said in a gentle voice.
"I don't like them," Jace repeated.
"Well, I do," Mia countered, holding his face gently, "they remind me that my boyfriend is a tough guy."
Jace chuckled and pulled Mia into a tight embrace, peppering her with affectionate kisses. "If my princess says so, then I guess I'll have to believe it."
"Besides," Mia added mischievously, "they give you a bad boy touch and truth is, they turn me on quite a bit."
Jace groaned and threw his head back. "Princess, you can't say those things, especially when your family is here."
Mia burst into laughter. "I'm sorry, baby, it's just so easy to tease you."
As Jace gazed at Mia, seated on his lap, he couldn't help but think that she was the most beautiful girl in the world. He felt incredibly lucky to call her his girlfriend.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Mia asked, her cheeks flushed with a hint of embarrassment.
"Because I love you," Jace replied, his eyes filled with genuine affection.
The way Jace looked at her, like she hung the moon in the sky, brought tears to Mia's eyes. She had never imagined she could love and be loved so deeply. Though Mia and Jace had only officially been a couple for a month, for them, it felt like a lifetime. Each day was an adventure, and they knew each other like the back of their hands.
"I love you too," Mia said, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Hey, don't cry," Jace said, concern in his voice. "I don't like seeing you cry."
"They're happy tears," Mia assured him.
Jace didn't say anything but simply pulled her close, while Mia wrapped her arm around his waist, and they gazed up at the stars.
"That's my star," Mia whispered, pointing toward the sky.
"I didn't know you had a star," Jace whispered back.
"It's my middle name," Mia explained softly. "Cassiopeia."
"Why's that?" Jace inquired, clearly intrigued.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but my uncle Sirius and my godfather both have star names," Mia said quietly.
"At first, I thought it was pretty funny," Jace admitted.
"My uncle Sirius, my godfather, and my godmother are part of the Black family," Mia continued, "and it's a family tradition to name their children after stars."
"But you're not a Black," Jace remarked, looking at his girlfriend.
"My grandmother was," Mia explained, "and my father wanted to honor that part of the family tradition. So, he gave me Cassiopeia as a middle name."
"I think it's a very nice tradition," Jace said with a smile. "Would you like us to continue it?"
"What... what are you saying?" Mia asked, her eyes widening.
"Don't look at me like that," Jace said, amused. "I intend to marry you, Mia Borghese."
"You're a fool," Mia teased, lightly tapping his chest.
"But I'm your fool, princess," Jace responded, kissing her forehead. "You haven't answered my question."
Recalling the dream she had had during her coma, Mia replied, "I like Perseus. Percy for short."
"Full name?" Jace inquired.
"Perseus Alexander Grimaldi, what do you think?" Mia asked.
"Sounds powerful," Jace said with a chuckle. "How many children would you like to have?"
"I'd like to have three or four," Mia sighed. "How about you?"
"Whatever you want," Jace said chuckling, "you're the one who will give birth."
"What would you prefer: sons or daughters?" Mia asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I'd like to have a little princess," Jace said, smiling, "one who looks just like you."
"What would you name her?" Mia questioned.
"Sophia," Jace replied, "after my grandmother."
"I think it's a beautiful name," Mia exclaimed enthusiastically. "She was a remarkable woman, she meant a lot to us."
"And you, what's your preference?" Jace asked.
"I'd like to have boys," Mia giggled, "so they can look after our little princess."
"That sounds like a perfect plan," Jace agreed.
Under the shimmering stars and the watchful moon, Jace and Mia eventually fell asleep in each other's arms, their dreams filled with visions of a future together.
Sometimes people forgot that Harry Potter was the son of James Potter, despite sharing the last name and having the infamous Potter hair, the rest was all Lily. Sirius used to joke that if Harry hadn't inherited the Potter hair, it would look like Lily had cheated on James. The fact is that both of James Potter's children had inherited his taste for playing pranks and his jealousy. It was not obsession or possession but rather a fear of losing someone they loved, and this extended to their partners, friends, and family.
So when James and Harry arrived on the Amalfi coast at the Villa Borghese with the whole family and saw their daughter and older sister respectively kissing Jace, they reacted with sheer drama. In that moment, James and Harry were strikingly similar.
"YOU!" James shouted, storming angrily toward where his daughter was with Jace, "Get away from my daughter."
"You're dating Jace?" Harry yelled, equally offended, "Blonde boy, stay away from my sister."
Pansy and Lily exchanged exasperated glances, sighed in unison, and rolled their eyes. "It's the Potter genes," they muttered.
"Dad," Mia said, sitting on Jace's lap, "he's my boyfriend. I'm old enough to have a boyfriend."
"You're... You're my baby girl," James sputtered, "You're my princess."
"Dad, I'm going to be seventeen soon," Mia stated, narrowing her eyes. "I'm hardly a little girl anymore,"
"I don't give a flying fuck," James retorted, narrowing his eyes as well, "this... this blonde. Where's your father?"
"He's right in front of me," Mia responded while Jace chuckled behind her.
"Young lady, don't get smart with me," James warned her, "and you, blonde, stop laughing."
"Mum, say something," Mia implored, turning to her mother.
"Honey," Lily said, taking her husband's arm, "Mia is right. She's older now."
"She's my girl," James exclaimed indignantly, "not…not long ago, she was playing with Padfoot."
"I understand how you feel," Lily said softly, "she's always going to be our little girl, but she's a woman now."
"I don't like it," James pouted."Where's Enzo?"
"Did you call me?" Enzo said, appearing with a tray of lemonade.
"Yes, how can you allow this?" James demanded, pointing at Mia and Jace.
"Because I'm the cool dad, and you're the grumpy dad," Enzo replied amusedly, gesturing to himself and James. "Good cop, bad cop. Also, I know Jace would never hurt my daughter, or else I'd kill him and cleaning blood is a mess that I'd rather avoid ."
"Harry, stop glaring at my boyfriend," Mia instructed her brother.
"I don't want to," Harry retorted, crossing his arms.
"I don't care," Mia said, hugging Jace around the neck, "don't look at him like that."
Harry ran a finger across his throat, giving Jace a menacing look that clearly communicated his intention to harm him.
"Pansy, take your boyfriend away," Mia said.
Pansy laughed and took her boyfriend's hand, leading him inside the villa to unpack.
"Finally alone", Mia turned to her boyfriend cuddling again.
"Princess, there are like twenty people in this house. We're far from being alone," Jace remarked, his hands on her waist.
"Remind me again why we didn't go somewhere else with Theo," Mia pouted.
"Because you wanted to cheer up your brother after what happened with Malfoy, and if we had gone with Teddy, he'd have been third wheeling," Jace explained, amused
"We need to find Teddy a girlfriend," Mia mused, lying on top of her boyfriend.
"Teddy is way more oblivious than me when it comes to girls, and that's saying something," Jace said, laughing.
"You might be right about that," Mia agreed, raising her head.
"Do pigs fly, or did my girlfriend just agree with me on something?" Jace teased, laughing as Mia lightly hit his chest.
"Shut up," Mia said, getting up.
"No," Jace pouted, sitting on the lounger, "don't go."
"That's what you get for laughing at me, baby," Mia retorted, heading toward the house.
"Where are you going?" Jace called out.
Turning around, Mia gave him an evil grin. "I'm going to put on my bikini. You coming?"
Mia watched as her boyfriend momentarily froze, processing her words, but he quickly sprang to his feet, tripping over the lounger. He dashed over to where she was waiting.
"You know I can't say no to you, princess," Jace said, out of breath.
Mia laughed as Jace practically dragged her into the house, eager to see which bikini she would choose to wear.
Everyone spent the afternoon in the pool or sunbathing, with most of them engaged in an intense game of water volleyball. The exceptions were Lily and Mia, who lounged on sunbeds. Isabelle and Eloise were setting the table for dinner, while Thoros, Alec, and Enzo were preparing for a barbecue.
"What do you think of Jace?" Mia asked her mother.
Lily put her book aside, glanced at her daughter, and smiled. "He seems like an excellent young man to me."
"He is," Mia said, watching Jace high-five Theo.
"He reminds me a lot of your father," Lily said, casting a fond look toward her husband.
"Oh, really?" Mia asked, intrigued.
"Your father spent six years chasing after me until I agreed to go on a date with him," Lily said, chuckling.
"You've never told me the whole story," Mia said.
"Let's just say that my first impression of your father wasn't very good," Lily began. "I was on the Hogwarts Express with Snape when suddenly someone threw a dungbomb into our compartment. When the smoke cleared, there were your father, your Uncle Sirius, and your Uncle Remus."
"I didn't know Uncle Remus was a Marauder," Mia said.
"Your Uncle Remus was the reason they were called the Marauders," Lily explained. "Your father and Sirius became Animagi to help Remus during his full moons."
"I didn't know that," Mia admitted.
"Anyway," Lily continued, "your father started begging me to go out with him when we were in our second year. He sang to me, sent me terrible poetry, and chased me through the hallways."
"And what did you do?" Mia asked.
"I rejected him," Lily said with a smile. "James could proclaim his love for me from the rooftops, but he was an arrogant boy who thought he was the best thing since Merlin."
Mia listened intently as her mother shared their love story. "So, you started dating in your seventh year?" Mia asked.
Lily nodded. "Your father surprised everyone by becoming Head Boy in our seventh year. Don't let his mischievous smile fool you; he was an excellent student. What he truly excelled at, though, was playing pranks. Living with him made me realize that there was more to James than his ego and jokes. He was a pretty relaxed and fun guy when he wasn't with the Marauders. Your father went from being the bane of my existence to the love of my life."
"How did it happen?" Mia asked.
"We began to spend time together naturally," Lily explained. "We studied together, went to Hogsmeade together, hung out by the Black Lake, and one day, we just became a couple."
Mia smiled at the story. "That sounds nice."
"Our story had its share of ups and downs, but I wouldn't change a thing," Lily said, glancing at James in the pool, playfully trying to sink Sirius.
"What happened when I was born?" Mia asked, her curiosity piqued.
"We were in the middle of a war," Lily said, her voice turning melancholic. "Your father and I got married a week after graduating, and a year later, you were born. You were a ray of hope for the entire family."
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that because of me," Mia said sadly.
"Don't be sorry, honey," Lily said, holding Mia's face gently. "We would do it a million times over if it meant you would have a happy and safe life."
"I know that the night Voldemort... the night they kidnapped me," Mia hesitated, "it hurt all of you."
Lily nodded. "James was the most affected. He tried to burn down Godric's Hollow and wouldn't let anyone near your bedroom at Potter Manor. Harry didn't know the full story of your disappearance until he was eleven. James couldn't say your name without getting angry or crying."
Mia nodded, absorbing her mother's words, and Lily continued, "Your father is the person I love most in this world, after you and Harry. He gave me the family I had always wanted and reminds me every day how much he loves me, even if he can be a little arrogant at times."
"A little?" Mia snorted with amusement.
"Your father may have an ego the size of the Black Lake, but he has a heart of gold to match it," Lily said. "When I look at you and Jace, I see that same kind of love and care."
"So, you're okay with me dating Jace?" Mia asked.
"Does he make you happy?" Lily asked, looking at her daughter.
"The happiest in the world," Mia said with a loving gleam in her eyes, "even before we officially started dating."
"Then I have no objections," Lily said, smiling. "A young man like him is what I've always wanted for you. As I've said before, he reminds me of your father in the way he looks at you and takes care of you."
"What are the two most beautiful girls in the world doing?" James interrupted, approaching his wife and daughter.
"We were talking about you, sweetheart," Lily replied, handing him a towel.
"Oh yeah?" James asked, intrigued.
"I was telling our daughter about how we ended up married with two children," Lily said, amused.
"Lies," James said, looking at Mia, "my version is much better."
"Your version is full of exaggerations," Lily retorted, getting up and leaving Mia and James alone.
"What's the matter?" James asked, looking at his daughter with a curious expression.
"Do you like... Do you like Jace?" Mia asked, emphasizing that she meant her boyfriend, not her best friend.
James chuckled. "If I'm honest, I'm never going to like any boy you date. You'll always be my girl, and any boy who tries to steal you is my enemy."
"Dad!" Mia exclaimed, pretending to be upset.
"But I see the way he looks at you and the way he cares for you," James continued, "and it's impossible for me not to admit that he's the right guy. He's spent his entire life making sure you were loved and protected when I couldn't."
"That he did," Mia said, her gaze drifting to her boyfriend, who was watching her with affection.
"Then I have nothing to objection," James said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Take care of that boy."
"I will," Mia said with a warm smile, as James walked over to where Lily was.
Jace emerged from the pool, dripping wet, and playfully flopped on top of his girlfriend, drenching her in the process. Mia laughed as she tried to squirm away from her boyfriend's playful grasp, but Jace had her trapped and was determined to steal a kiss.
"They remind me of us," Lily commented with a smile as James rested his chin on his wife's shoulder.
"I was more handsome than Jace," James quipped, laughing.
"Shut up," Lily replied with a playful swat, "and enjoy seeing your daughter happy."
Mia had finally managed to wriggle free from her boyfriend's clutches, but Jace seized her waist and seated her on his lap. Now Mia was using a towel to dry Jace's hair.
"If she's happy, I'm happy," James said as he watched his daughter's infectious laughter.
"It was all worth it," Lily agreed.
"I would do it a million more times," James added with a fond smile, "just to see her smile."
"I love you," Lily said, looking at her husband, "thank you for giving me the family I've always wanted."
"I love you," James replied, leaning in for a quick kiss, "you are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
With the soothing sound of the waves and the gentle glow of lanterns, the entire family gathered around the table to enjoy a barbecue filled with laughter and cherished anecdotes.