A/N:
Enjoy this tiny one-shot that I have no clue how it popped up.
I was inspired by the following quote from my scraps bin xD:
Dad: You're such a boring kid.
Son: Excuse me?
Dad: You've never drank, went to parties, experimented with girls...if we went to high school together, i'd definitely make fun of you.
Summary: James tries to start a conversation with his son but forgets that not everyone thinks being bullied is a compliment; Muggle!AU
Words: 470
Prompts:
Ministry of Magic Discord Group: Who Dunnit?
Suspect: James
Crime Scene: Hotel room
Weapon: armbands
"Father/Son Confrontation"
As Harry set down his equipment bag on the hotel bed, his father snorted in amusement.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked. They had just arrived at the hotel for the footie conference he had qualified for. Because he was only fourteen and the youngest player on the team, Harry had to have one of his parents come along with, and James had leapt at the chance to go on a road trip. They had to get ready for a dinner with the team in several hours, and James had proposed they go out and sight see for a bit, but Harry had turned him down, wanting to watch a game of Manchester U that would be airing on the telly shortly.
"You're such a boring kid," James said with another snort.
"Excuse me?" Harry replied, turning to face his father. This wouldn't have been the first time his dad had said something caustic and tried to brush it off at being lighthearted. His mom had coached him to stand up for himself, and that she would back him if needed against his father.
"You've never drank, gone to parties, experimented with girls–"
"Dad, I'm fourteen!" Harry retorted. James continued on as if he hadn't heard him.
"To be honest, if we had gone to secondary school together, I would have definitely bullied you," James admitted. "And now you don't even want to go out and explore with your old man? The shame!"
"Oh, yeah, exactly how you bullied Uncle Severus, right?" Harry asked, turning back to his equipment bag to rummage through it.
"He's not your uncle, don't call him that," James was quick to admonish.
"Uncle Sirius isn't either. So I don't have to call him Uncle anymore either?" Harry shot back
"That's different! Sirius and I are practically brothers and he's your godfather! Snivellus just sniffed around your mother for so long, they became friends!" James replied, his volume increasing to match his ire. Harry scowled in response, grabbing his team armbands and relocating them to a side pocket in the bag.
"Oh, so the fact that he's Mum's best friend means nothing to you?" Harry said. When he turned back to face his dad, his face was blank, giving no emotion away, making James grimace as he realized he had crossed a line.
"Look, Harry, I'm sorry for yelling at you–"
"Oh but not sorry to have just admitted you would have bullied me alongside Uncle Severus when you were a kid? How reassuring," Harry shot back. "No, I'm gonna go hang with the guys in one of their rooms so we can watch the game. Go have fun exploring the city." Grabbing one of the room keys, Harry headed for the door and left, leaving his gobsmacked father standing in the middle of the hotel room.